How to cook couscous

I have a very distant, but clear memory of watching on television as a home cook prepared fresh couscous from scratch in her rudimentary home kitchen in Morocco. She made it look so easy, rubbing the basic dough in between the palms of her hands as tiny uneven but similar sized pieces fell like sand through her fingertips. So let's make this clear, couscous is not a grain but is made by mixing semolina flour with water to form a pasta-like dough. Couscous has traditionally been a staple food in the middle east for a long, long time, its reach growing as the Berbers roamed the countryside. Today it's sold in good food stores and middle eastern groceries around the city and there are three main sizes to choose from, all with slightly different cooking instructions. Scroll down for cooking methods and short order ideas. Enjoy this 'vintage' video too!