Israeli Couscous With Dried Cranberries And Toasted Almonds Recipe

In her cookbook hip kosher, ronnie fein writes, "Tiny balls of israeli couscous are the culinary pearls of the pasta world. This recipe combines sweet and piquant flavors in one dish. Its a treat with grilled meat or poultry, but also can be used as a snack or hors-d'oeuvre. "What's the difference between regular couscous and israeli couscous? The former is a tiny semolina pasta that's a cornerstone of moroccan cuisine. Traditionally hand-rolled, steaming turns the tiny couscous grains light and fluffy, and perfect for catching all of the goodness of saucy tagines. Today, instant couscous is widely available, and cooks around the world have embraced couscous as a side dish and salad base. Israeli couscous, or pearl couscous, is also semolina based, but it is larger and has a chewy texture that is quite different from regular couscous. It also takes longer to cook than instant couscous. While the two types of couscous aren't exactly interchangeable texture-wise, either will work in salads like this one. If you want to experiment with swapping varieties, just be sure to follow the cooking directions for whichever type you choose before proceeding with the rest of the recipe. The recipe is reprinted with permission from hip kosher: 175 easy-to-prepare recipes for today's kosher cooks by ronnie fein.