How awesome is Algerian food? Pure and total awesomeness. This land,  so steeped in rich and mysterious tradition produces food with some of my favorite ingredients: cinnamon, cumin, cayenne, hot peppers. lemons, mint, cilantro,onions, garlic, parsley, a whole variety of vegetables,  couscous and of course, olive oil  -- all influenced by French cuisine; could it get any better?

First of all, I knew before I even started cooking that I would be instantly transported to this ancient country. My kids came sniffing around and volunteered to taste test and photograph the process...hence the new "artsy" pix.

I decided to make a meal, rather than just a dish to fully experience a typical dinner. I made a traditional Algerian tomato & cilantro salad and a chicken and vegetable couscous (leave out the chicken and you have a great vegetarian dish). A number of my friends have asked me to post the recipes (thanks for the suggestion, Lulu and Gail), so they're included here. And my old (not literally) friend Jimmy encouraged me to journal about this experience - thank you. I think food and eating is best when it's a total sensory experience: smell, taste, texture and color. These dishes hit all of those elements and then some.

And another interesting thing is happening. My pantry. My house was built in 1840 and like most houses of this colonial era, it has one bathroom. I had the option to turn my pantry into a bathroom several years ago, but NO, I chose to keep it as a pantry. Since I've started this project, it's filling up with cool stuff. Also, the guys in the produce department of my local Market Basket are into this project now (since I've been back & forth about 20x in the past four days), and my local butcher is game (get it, pun? heh). This was my hope; that through this project, a network of people as whacked out and hungry as I would develop. Plus, how great is is it to go around the world without leaving my kitchen?

Finally, what is a country without music? So from here on in, I'm going to find music (that I like) that represents the country I'm cooking in...attached is a band for your listening pleasure- I think the Clash would approve ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DbFYsi9iSg 





Recipes:

Banadura Salata B'Kizbara (Tomato and Coriander Salad)

Ingredients

• ½ cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 small hot chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 5 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled
• 4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Slice the peeled tomatoes and place in a bowl.
2. Sprinkle the chopped coriander over the tomatoes.
3. Mix the chopped chili pepper with the lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of salt.
4. Beat the olive oil into the chili