[MR] documented cous cous recipes?

[Stefan li Rous]

Rebecca the Contrary asked:
<<< I don't have a lot of documentation for Middle Eastern and we're  
doing a Marco Polo themed event in September where I"m the head cook.

I can guess that couscous with pine nuts and raisins was probably a  
common way to prepare couscous but I was wondering if anyone had seen  
period couscous recipes online.

Links would be greatly appreciated.? I have some links form a canton  
friend that would probably work but I was hoping for a more period  
text.>>>

I was beginning to wonder if couscous was period or not. There are a  
number of Middle Eastern dishes such as humus that aren't period, at  
least as people usually think of them. However, using the search  
engine in the Florilegium turns up numerous references. Here are some  
files that have recipes using coucous:
In the FOOD-MANUSCRIPTS section:
Fadalat-art       (58K)  8/15/08    "Culinary Abundance With Recipes  
with
                                        Medieval Variations".  
Translation
                                        by Susan Lord-Williams.

Andalusan-Fst-msg  (8K) 10/26/02  An Andalusian summer banquet
                                      by Giles de Laval.

In the FEAST REVIEWS section:
Islamic-Feast-art (20K)  5/27/99  "An Islamic Feast in a Barbarian  
Court"
                                      by al-Sayyid A'aql ibn Rashid al- 
Zib.

This file in the FOOD-VEGETABLES section has recipe with couscous in it:
eggplant-msg      (70K)  5/17/10  Period eggplant (aubergine). Recipes.

There were 112 'hits' so I'm sure some of the other files might prove  
useful as well for a Middle Eastern feast:

Here are a few files on period Middle Eastern foods that might also be  
of use:
In the FEASTS section:
ME-feasts-msg (37K) 5/30/10 Middle Eastern feasts. sitting, serving.

In the FOOD-BOOKS section:
Md-Cu-Islmc-Wd-rev (6K)  1/31/09  A review by Urtatim of "Medieval  
Cuisine of
                                      the Islamic World: A Concise  
History with
                                      174 recipes" by Lilia Zaouali.

Md-Cu-Islmc-Wd-msg (12K) 2/25/12  Reviews and comments on "Medieval  
Cuisine of
                                      the Islamic World: A Concise  
History with
                                      174 Recipes".

In the FOOD-BY-REGION section:
E-Arab-recip-art  (48K)  3/23/03  Early Arab recipes prior to the 13th  
Century
                                      by Anahita.
fd-Mid-East-msg   (76K)  1/13/09  Period food of the Middle East.  
Recipes.

ME-revel-fds-art  (59K) 10/22/04    Medieval Middle Eastern foods  
suitable for a
                          revel or buffet w. recipes by Anahita.

In the FOOD-CONDIMENTS section:
hummus-msg        (20K)  5/18/11  Modern "hummus" dip is not the same  
as period hummus.

I hope this helps.

Stefan

--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas          StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/marksharris
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****