couscous

The diminutive compact woman at the store said to her husband in Spanish, "Get one of those in the back." She was standing on tippy toe reaching for the radicchio on the top shelf beyond her touch. 

I never cared for radicchio myself and I was curious what this woman intended to do with it so I said directly to the woman, 

"May I ask, how do you cook that? Do you cook that? Do you eat it raw?" 

The man withdrew, he was having none of it. In broken English and with some hesitation, the woman formed her hands in the shape of bowl and said, 

"I make cups from the leaves. You know? And put inside chicken. You know?" 

She was shocked that a stranger would abruptly approach her that way public, but quickly realized the question was honest and here was a chance for her to be useful and put the boy some knowledge. I saw her open and bloom right before my eyes, at least resign herself to the unsolicited contact. I think that I sensed, "A white guy!" Her husband stayed in the background. I held contact with the woman. 

"But isn't it bitter?" 

She answered, 

"No, oh no. It isn't bitter at all. I have lettuce," 

she used her hands like sign language again, 

"and this (radicchio). Like a bowl. You know? Like a bowl. Filled with chicken and other things." 

I decided to give it another try. 

"Ok, if you say so. I'll try it again. But it better not be bitter. Hahaha. Thank you." 

"Oh, no. It's not bitter. You see." 

It's bitter as hell and I hate it. 

I renamed these things ridiculio because they are ridiculously bitter. 

But its bitterness is mitigated by searing so searing it is. I must get rid of this awful thing somehow. That anyone can eat this raw and not find it bitter is beyond me. 

One of the pork chops from yesterday is recycled into this. The pork chops are still great by themselves warmed up individually. I am amazed all over again how tender and fantastic they are when I heat one.

A package of couscous is combined with the vegetables and diced pork chop. The liquid includes sake, juice of one lemon, and the last of the duck stock prepared earlier from the Christmas duck. Now it's all gone.

I intended to toss out the flavor packet in the box of couscous but there wasn't one. The little extra bits advertised on the box are mixed right in with the couscous granules. Those included a few currants seen here and there, and upward to six or eight pine nuts. Pathetic.

This box of couscous is not my type of thing at all, in fact, it runs counter to my entire philosophy. It is an affront to the tenets of my made-up food-religion so it's presence in my pantry is blasphemy and knife in the heart of all I hold dear. <--- possible hyperbole. I do not recall how it got there. Those sneaky bastards from the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) are up to their impish tricks again, creeping in here when I'm sleeping or gone and switching out things in my pantry again, trying to make me lose my religion. It's the only reasonable explanation. This forces me to re-hide my backup house key. Why oh why do they bedevil me so?

Way up there on the plate ↑↑ is also the fruit compote from yesterday. It too is just as good now as then. Mixed vegetables and mixed fruit with tender pork chop. Does it get any better than this? Maybe.

onion

celery

mushroom

courgette

radicchio

pork chop

red bell pepper

asparagus

capers

sake

lemon

duck stock

S/P