A reminder that you will have plenty of couscous — and poulet frit, or Algerian fried chicken; and rabbit tagine with figs and almonds; and Merguez sliders with harissa; and shrimp brik; and oh, one could go on and on — to eat this weekend, as the Couscous Festival is this Saturday and Sunday in Pasadena. For more info, if you don't already have it, turn the page.

Farid Zadi's two-day festival will include cooking demos by Paula Wolfert and Zadi (whose new cooking school, Ecole de Cuisine Pasadena, debuts next week), and talks by Charles Perry, Faye Levy and Clifford Wright. There will be, in addition to everything else (buy a tagine!) lots of food. A North African Street Food Bazaar, in effect, including lamb mechoui (a whole lamb roast) and tacos Arabes, among a whole litany of other dishes. Beef cheek tagine with harissa. A Turkish coffee station. Algerian pastries. A mint tea ceremony. Like you have something better to do? TiVo the football games.

Couscous Festival: held October 16th -17th, between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., at Mama's Kitchen Incubator, 45 North San Gabriel Blvd., Pasadena. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased here. Advance purchase of tickets is required. Tickets are sold in two time blocks (11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) to control crowds. $20 per person includes $15 worth of food tickets. Additional food tickets can be purchased in advance or on site the day of the festival.

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