{"id":7068879,"date":"2026-09-28T05:17:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T05:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/destination-unkown-kofta-tagine-and-couscous\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T05:17:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T05:17:00","slug":"destination-unkown-kofta-tagine-and-couscous","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7068879","title":{"rendered":"Destination Unkown \u2013 Kofta Tagine and Couscous"},"content":{"rendered":" \r\n
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Hello, crime readers and food lovers.\u00a0 Today, we are on a mystery trip to a Destination Unknown.\u00a0 However, if you look at our accompanying meal, you probably know where we might be heading.\u00a0 Agatha Christie published Destination Unknown<\/em>, a standalone spy thriller, in 1954.\u00a0 Christie\u2019s spy thrillers are not my favourites.\u00a0 And this one is no exception to what seems to be becoming a rule.\u00a0 Honestly, I thought the book started well, but then it quickly turned absurd.\u00a0 I could not suspend my belief enough to enter this world \u2013 which may say more about me than the book.\u00a0 Ultimately, I\u2019ll leave you to be the judge!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite the potential disappointment with the book, our dish of the day is a delightful Lamb Kofta Tagine with Couscous.\u00a0This recipe comes from\u00a0Rachel\u2019s Everyday Kitchen<\/a> by Rachel Allen. I snipped the couscous recipe out of a magazine ages ago.\u00a0<\/span>It is my go-to recipe for couscous and is the perfect accompaniment for the tagine.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"destination<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Destination Unknown \u2013 The Plot<\/h2>\n
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Destination anywhere
East or west, I don\u2019t care
You see my baby don\u2019t want me no more
This old world ain\u2019t got no back door<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This 1968 song by The Marvellettes describes Hilary Craven\u2019s state of mind.\u00a0 She is bereft after the death of her child and the breakdown of her marriage.\u00a0 She is planning to commit suicide in her Moroccan hotel room when a strange man walks in.\u00a0 (And this, around page 34, is where the plot stopped being believable for me).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Unknown to Hilary, scientists from all over the world have been going missing. One such scientist is Thomas Betterton. Thanks to her \u201cvery magnificent\u201d head of red hair, Hilary looks uncannily like Thomas Betterton\u2019s wife, Olive.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

British Intelligence<\/h4>\n

The man in Hilary\u2019s room is Mr Jessop, a British intelligence agent.\u00a0 He suggests that instead of suicide by pills, Hilary goes undercover as Olive Betterton to find out what she can about the missing scientists. If this is how they recruit their agents, feel free to insert your own joke about the misnomer of British Intelligence!\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Hilary said:\u00a0 \u201cIt would be madness!\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cOh yes, \u201d said Jessop, \u201cit\u2019s madness all right.\u00a0 It\u2019s a very tough assignment and if our suspicions are realised, you\u2019ll probably cop it.\u00a0 You see, I am being quite frank, but according to you, you\u2019re prepared and anxious to cop it.\u00a0 As an alternative to throwing yourself in front of a train or something like that, I should think you would find it far more amusing\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Agatha Christie \u2013 Destination Unknown<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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The Scientists<\/h4>\n

Hilary, posing as Olive Betterton, then travels to a \u201cDestination Unknown,\u201d which reveals itself as a secret research facility built into a mountain, hidden behind a leper colony. The missing scientists live there, either creating a utopian scientific community or enduring a prison, depending on one\u2019s perspective. There, she meets her supposed husband, Thomas Betterton, who displays unhappiness within the compound and an inability to work. Surprisingly, he doesn\u2019t expose her.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Jessop tries to locate Hilary by following a series of clues she left during her journey, including pearls from a broken necklace.<\/p>\n

Eventually, Jessop finds Hilary, and Hilary finds love. They all live happily ever after, except for Thomas Betterton. Authorities arrest him for killing his first wife and stealing her work, because she, not he, was the true scientific geniu<\/p>\n

Oh, and the wealthy billionaire who funded the mountain utopia gets away scot-free because the very system he is trying to bring down, i.e. capitalism, allows him to use his wealth and power to escape justice.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Cue Alanis Morisette \u2013 Ironic.<\/p>\n

Destination Unknown\u00a0 \u2013 The Covers<\/h2>\n

\"Collage<\/a><\/p>\n

There are some great covers here, including, I believe, our first Hebrew cover (fourth row, second from the left) and a very 1980s-kind of punky Hilary (bottom row, far right). There are also some recurring themes\u2014the desert, planes, red-headed women, and pearls. I think my favourites are the Hebrew cover and the top row far right with the rather Grace Kelly-looking woman. Sadly, there are no absolutely bonkers covers for this one!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Recipe: Lamb Kofta Tagine with Couscous<\/h2>\n

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\"aa<\/a>\"aa<\/a><\/p>\n

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Links to the Christieverse<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n

Other Food & Drinks Mentioned in Destination Unknown<\/h2>\n