DISCLAIMER: Couscous is a dish made from tiny granules of durum wheat. It is closely related to pasta, as durum wheat, is the same type of wheat that is most commonly used for making pasta. Couscous originated in North Africa. I normally cook with traditional couscous. However, I was out of luck this weekend. My local grocery store had run out of traditional couscous and only had whole wheat Israeli couscous. How different could that be-right? Couscous by any other name...Anyway, Israeli couscous is a variation on the traditional couscous. Despite the larger pearl-like granules of the Israeli couscous, the darker color and the slightly chewier texture, I figured it was healthier (since it was whole wheat), and I made it work. So I hope I won't get pelted with vicious words because this does not look like the couscous you ate at the Moroccan restaurant in Marrakesh one day. No sacrilege was intended during the making of this meal. I know how sensitive people can be about their food, so I thought it wise to address this. I used the package instructions to prepare the couscous (as with this pack, I was cruising in unfamiliar territory), and threw in a few extras to make it my own. I was determined to take my taste-buds on a safari to Morocco and by God, I would make it happen (traditional couscous or not)! The idea was to make a "Kenya meets Morocco meal". So if you would like to replicate the idea, please use the North African variety of couscous :-) The whole meal that included the following dishes: Kenyan sauteed cabbage and peppers. Kenyan style chicken curry. Citrus Couscous (my aim was to cook Moroccan couscous). Tfaya (Moroccan caramelized onions, raisins and aromatic spices). ***FOR A FULL LIST OF INGREDIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS, VISIT MY BLOG: www.stellasmeza.blogspot.com After all the preparation was done, cooking the whole meal took a total of 35 minutes. Which was not bad at all. The end result was a delicious meal whose heady aroma of spices filled the whole house. The chicken was fork tender, the cabbage was just right with a slight crunch and some kick from the chili I used to cook it. The couscous had a slight citrus aroma and a great nutty taste and the Tfaya...I think that may have been the crown on top of this regal meal. It was to die for! The colors from the spread were vibrant and appealing. Just like I've pictured Marrakesh market square in Morocco to look like in my mind's eye. FOR SPICES AND COOKING EQUIPMENT SEEN IN THIS VIDEO, VISIT: astore.amazon.com/stesmez-20

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