Braised Lamb and Eggplant Cous Cous � Easy, exotic, and a great case for gender bias!

Today�s post is perfect for the person that�s afraid to try anything that seems exotic because they think it�s going to be hard to prepare. Cous Cous has to be one of the easiest things on the planet to make. Can you boil stock and pour it into a bowl of Cous Cous? Then this dish is for you. This was a hard demo to edit down to a reasonable length, so I did go pretty fast with some of the steps and I thought I better give some additional info to help you follow along. So, I�ve put a few steps along with the usual ingredient list.

Cous Cous is a tiny, granular type of pasta that is as delicious, as it is simple to prepare. Usually considered Moroccan, this is also a staple in Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. The amazing thing about couscous is how fast it �cooks,� and how versatile it is. As long as you have some type of flavorful stock to prepare the Cous Cous, the meats and vegetables can be varied in countless ways.

Regarding the gender bias reference in headline; it has been claimed that female eggplants have more seeds than male eggplants. Those tiny white/grey seeds are what give eggplant it�s slightly bitter flavor, so Chefs are said to favor the male eggplants. Anyway, I show you how to �sex� an eggplant, and we also test the male vs. female theory. Wow, I feel like that �Myth Buster� guy. Enjoy the clip!



4 cups couscous
1 quart chicken stock
2 pounds lamb shoulder chops
2 eggplants
1/2 onion
1/2 cup diced tomato or sauce
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried Herb de Provence (or Italian herb mix)
1/4 cup olive oil
4 oz feta cheese (optional)
fresh herbs to garnish (mint, parsley, etc.)

Steps:
* Season lamb with half the salt and pepper, brown well on both sides in a bit of olive oil in Dutch oven, remove and set aside.
* Add onion, rest of salt and pepper, saut� for 5 minutes.
* Add eggplant and saut� for 5 minutes.
* Add tomato, garlic, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, cumin, Herb de Provence, saut� for 5 minutes.
* Add stock and lamb, bring to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 2 hours.
* Remove lamb.
* Strain braising liquid from eggplant and reserve (you should have about 4 1/2 cups).
* Remove meat from bones and add to eggplant mixture, keep warm.
* Bring reserved stock to boil and pour over �oiled� Cous Cous (see clip)
* Cover tightly for 5 minutes, fluff and serve as shown in clip.

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Homemade Pizza in 3 Acts

Made properly, pizza at home can be just as good, and probably better, than the stuff you have delivered. Except for the pizza pan you�ll see later, I tried not use any special equipment, like pizza stones, or exotic ingredients you would have a hard time finding.

Act 1: The Pizza Dough (Pay attention or you�ll get pizza D�oh!)

In clip one I make a very simple standard pizza dough. It�s amazing how intimidated people are when it comes to making any kind of dough or bread at home. Hopefully this demo will cure that. By the way, I will add ingredients to all these clips so you can have the exact measurements. This is only really crucial for the dough. The sauce recipe and final pizza can be varied as you see fit. So, let�s get this Pizza party started right! The key to a great pizza dough is a moist, sticky dough. We only want enough flour to be able to work with the dough�too much flour will result in a dry, tough pizza.

The �Sponge�:
2 teaspoons dry yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water
2/3 cup bread flour

The Rest of the Dry Ingredients:
4 cups unbleached white flour
1/4 cup rye flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil

Act 2: The Pizza Sauce

The sauce for our pizza is also very simple. A fast and tasty base for whatever wonderfully creative toppings we decide to go with later. This is an important point. If you�re going to top the pizza with lots of spicy and/or salty ingredients, your sauce better be fairly basic. Regardless, this quick, homemade sauce will destroy any canned grocery store sauce, as well as most pizzerias. By the way, I�m giving away an ancient family secret in this clip, so pay attention, my Grandmother is watching from pizza sauce heaven!

1 can whole peeled tomatoes (28 oz) �San Marzano� if possible!
3 cloves garlic
2 tbl olive oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt to taste
1/2 tsp dried Italian herb mix (basil, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, etc.)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
pinch sugar
small pinch baking soda (shhh)

Act 3: The Pizza

OK, so I�m not giving a list of ingredients for the finished pizza. You know what you like. But, here are a few key mistakes most people make when doing pizza at home. They put too much sauce. They put too much cheese. They put too many toppings and when they try to eat it, it all slides off on to the floor and all their left with is a wet piece of steaming bread. Don�t be that person. Watch me restrain myself and also watch how my pizza pie ends up being the shape of a heart. Wow, what a great Valentines gift idea for you guys out there�make your lady a heart shaped pizza! By the way, go to the local Bed, Bath and Beyond, or other kitchen wares store, and get one of the pizza pans with holes in it that I used in this clip. It really makes crispy crust a reality without the 70 pound pizza stone that you probably aren�t going to pull out of the bottom cupboard anyway.

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Calabrese Lollipops � Antipasto on a stick!

This is an extremely easy and fun appetizer perfect for a cocktail party or wine tasting event. In fact, this item was created for a wine and food pairing at the fabulous Frick Winery in Sonoma, CA. Bill Frick produces some amazingly delicious wine, and it�s always a pleasure to pair food with (and very easy, since everything tastes great with them).

As you can see from the ingredients below, you can do multiple variations this by switching the meats, cheese and greens. It�s also great since your guests fingers will stay perfectly clean do to this item�s brilliant construction!

By the way, the �Curb Your Enthusiasm� reference at the end of the clip is only funny if you�ve seen the show (although, it may not even be funny if you have!).

Ingredients:
thin sliced salami or soppresatta
cream cheese or any spreadable cheese
arugula leaves, or spinach, baby romaine, etc.
bread sticks

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Piquillo Peppers stuffed with Orange and Cumin Scented Goat Cheese - Welcome to the Wonderful World of �Tapas!�

I LOVE tapas! Here is the Wikipedia definition: Tapas (pronunciation: TAH-pas) are a variety of Spanish appetizers, such as mixed olives, cheeses, or an elaborate creation like battered and fried baby squid. In Spain, tapas are usually given for free to accompany a drink before dinner. In the United States and the United Kingdom, tapas have evolved into an entire cuisine where patrons order many different small Spanish dishes and combine them for a full meal.

Well, this clip you�re about to watch is my favorite all-time tapas plate. The amazing Piquillo pepper stuffed with cumin and orange scented goat cheese. Words really don�t do it justice. By the way, these just aren�t any roasted red peppers. They are the world famous piquillo peppers!

They�re sweet, slightly piquant, and unlike anything you�ve had before. They come from the Ebro River Valley, in Northern Spain. They are slow roasted over charcoal, where they lose almost 60% of their weight in water, which results in their legendary intense flavor. Find these! And eat these! These are very common in any decent gourmet store or of course online.

By the way, I�m going to show you how to make the Almond and Parsley Salsa Verde that I top these with in another post.

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