the couscous problem

I have a big bottle of Israeli "pearl" couscous at my place, and I might be using it for tomorrow's lunch of Middle Eastern chicken. There's only enough to serve six, though, and we might have as many as nine people coming tomorrow—in two lunch shifts.

The fondue, which we're also having tomorrow, is already prepped. I need to run out and buy another box or two of couscous for tomorrow, and I've discovered online that the local Home Plus probably stocks couscous. That's good because the local SSG Food Market and PK Peacock Market, both of which feature foreign products, have no couscous. Most disappointing. The closest Home Plus is in Jamshil—not far away at all. Will cross my fingers and hope the online information turns out to be true.

Otherwise, tonight will be devoted to prepping the chicken dish either partially or completely. If I do succeed in finding and buying regular couscous, that'll take only five minutes to prep, and preparation only involves dumping in hot water and butter, then letting the pasta absorb the liquid for five minutes. (Israeli couscous, on the other hand, requires a simmer of 8 to 12 minutes.) I've already smashed a bunch of pistachios for a sprinkle, and I've crumbled my block of feta, which is an all-important topping. Aside from prepping the chicken, I also need to boil my figs and halve my cherry tomatoes. At this point, I've made this dish often enough to be very familiar with it, so I'm thinking that total prep time shouldn't be too long. If I cook everything tonight and fridge it, I'll have to think about how to reheat it all once I'm at the office. If I prep tonight and cook tomorrow morning, though, I can simply serve people directly from my plastic containers. I'll decide tonight. Wish me luck.