Budget Cuts: Moroccan…Ish?

I love dinner parties. Going to them, having them. But not those large affairs you see in the movies where the hostess devises a clever seating plan and places Mr. X near Ms. Y to watch the sparks fly.

My ideal dinner party numbers four to six total, not just because of the size of our dining table (which has accommodated 12 in a pinch) but because the point, for me, is good conversation. And since our friends have no trouble coming up with interesting things to say (even if it's at the top of their lungs), that part is easy. The trickier part is figuring out what to feed them.

It seems everyone these days has dietary restrictions, allergies or sensitivities. Add to that individual likes and dislikes, multiply by the number of guests and you've got a problem of algorithmic proportions.

And not to get all "every cloud has a silver lining" on you, but when a recent invitee expressed a reluctance about lamb, my plans for a Moroccan tagine featuring that meat had to be modified on the fly. It led me to investigate substituting pork for the lamb shoulder called for in the recipe, and since one of my new favorite budget cuts, pork leg roast, was on sale that week, I snapped it up.

The pork turned out to be a genius choice, with its inclination to fall apart but not dissolve with slow braising. Its hefty texture and mild flavor would meld with, rather than overwhelm, the fruit and rich spices of the dish. And nothing makes arriving guests start drooling quicker than the aroma of those spices simmering away for a few hours. Throw in a couple of bottles of red wine to grease the wheels, and the job of hosting is a no-brainer.

Pork Tagine with Pistachios, Almonds, Pine Nuts and Golden Raisins
Adapted from Rice Pasta Couscousby Jeff Koehler

3-4 lbs. pork leg or pork shoulder
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lg. onion, chopped
1 3" piece cinnamon stick
20 saffron threads
4 whole cloves
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1 1/2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 lg. carrot, diced
1 lg. turnip, diced
6 c. water
1/4 c. golden raisins
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/4 c. slivered almonds
1/4 c. pine nuts
1/4 c. shelled pistachios
Harissa

Preheat oven to 300°.

Season pork with salt and pepper, cut in large chunks. Heat oil in large oven-proof pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and lamb and cook, stirring frequently, until the pork is browned and the onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cinnamon, cloves, ginger, turmeric and tomato paste and mix in with the lamb. Add the carrots and turnips and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, cover and place in oven. Cook 3-4 hours. Break up pork into smaller chunks before serving.

While pork cooks, soak the raisins in lukewarm water for 15 minutes, drain. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter or margarine. Add the almonds, pine nuts, pistachios and raisins and cook, stirring frequently, until the nuts are browned and the raisins plump, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

To serve, mound couscous (recipe below) on a large platter. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pork and vegetables and place on top of the couscous. Scatter nut and raisin mixture over top. Tent platter with foil to keep it warm. Strain the broth remaining (optional) and adjust seasoning, adding harissa a bit at a time (if desired). Serve remaining broth in a pitcher with a dish of harissa on the side.

Baked Couscous
Adapted from Rice Pasta Couscousby Jeff Koehler

1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. warm water
1 lb. couscous (about 2 1/2 c.)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350°. Dissolve the salt in the water. Pour the couscous into a 9" by 12" baking dish and dribble the warm salty water over it. Mix with a fork. let sit without disturbing for 10 minutes. Drizzle in the oil. Toss with both hands, lifting the grains and letting them fall through your fingers. Work out any clumps by rubbing your palms together, letting the grains drop into the dish. Transfer the couscous to an ovenproof baking dish and bake, turning the grains over from time to time, until steamy warm, 10 to 15 minutes. Work in the butter. Fluff with a fork before piling the couscous onto a platter.

Look for other recipes in the Budget Cuts series: Stuffed Pork Leg Roast with Kale and Pine Nuts;  Chile-Marinated Pork Shoulder; Grilled London Broil; Pork Leg Roast with Lemon and Prosciutto Stuffing and Roasted Vegetables.

Livin' in the Blurbs: Get Out!

There are few regions in the world that are as up on carbohydrates as the Mediterranean. But look what it's got to work with: rice, pasta, couscous. Could it get any easier? Writer Jeff Koehler has spent his career writing about the foods of that part of the world and his new book titled, simply enough, Rice Pasta Couscous is as much a travelogue about the artisans he meets and cooks with as it is a history and cookbook of the world's favorite grains. Jeff is coming to Portland to talk about his travels, his love of cooking, Barcelona (he lives in Spain) and why these carbs are so important to so much of the world’s population. It'll happen at Vino, my brother's wine shop in Sellwood, and it's rumored there will be sips of Spanish wine for the event.

Details: An Evening with Jeff Koehlor, author of Rice, Pasta, Couscous. 7 pm; free, including a sampling of Spanish wines. Vino, 1226 SE Lexington in Sellwood. 503-235-8545.

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Wood-fired hot spot Ned Ludd (Get it? Wood-fired…hot spot?) on MLK has moved its innovative outdoor lunch service to cozier indoor environs where diners can snuggle up next to the fire. They've also changed the menu to include some of the same smoky good things you've come to know and drool over on the dinner menu. Word is there's also a kick-ass cocktail menu assembled by bartender extraordinaire Suzanne Allard that has intriguingly monikered drinks like Mary's Got Back, The Caravan, Ned's Old Pal and the Golden Spices Daiquiri. Myself, I can't wait to try The Swedish Nightingale with Argostad Aquavit, lingonberry and caraway powder. Talk about cozy!

Details: Lunch at Ned Ludd. 11 am-3 pm, Mon.-Thurs. Ned Ludd, 3925 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. Phone 503-288-6900.

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If you love mushrooms but have hesitated to go out in the woods and hunt for your own because you don't want to risk…oh, say…death, then Bill "Wild Bill" Cole may have the solution for you. A welder by profession, mushroom gathering has become the love of his life (next to his wife, Laura) and he wants to share his passion for foraging wild foods with interested members of the community. He's taking small groups of three to four people into the woods in the next few weeks to gather mushrooms, berries and edible plants. The only potential drawback? You have to sign a liability waiver before heading out.

Details: All-Day Mushroom and Wild Food Adventure with Bill "Wild Bill" Cole. Nov. 4 and 8, 8 am-5 pm; $90, reservations required. E-mail or call 360-798-9331 for reservations and information.