Morocco: A Culinary Journey with Recipes from the Spice-Scented Markets of Marrakech to the Date-Filled Oasis of Zagora [Hardcover]

Jeff Koehler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 16, 2012

With a wide range of exotic flavors and cooking styles, Morocco includes 80 recipes with Spanish influences, rustic Berber styles, complex, palace-worthy plates, spicy tagines, and surprisingly easy to make street food. From piquant appetizers like cumin-spiced potato fritters, to classic tagine and couscous entrees, and stuffed pastries like Seafood Pastilla, to fragrant sweets like Honeyed Phyllo Triangles Stuffed with Almonds, and, of course, Mint Tea, this beautiful collection of recipes surprises and inspires the home cook. Gorgeous photographs of such iconic Moroccan scenes as the markets of Marrakech and the date-filled oasis of Zagora capture the diverse flavors of this sun-splashed country.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Some international cookbooks stimulate appetites and others induce wanderlust-this survey of Moroccan cuisine does both. Food writer and photographer Jeff Koehler (Rice Pasta Couscous; La Paella) captures the complexity of his subject matter with the exacting detail of a scholar and the color and sensuality of a spice market.

A brief historical overview is followed by regional guides that cover the country's diverse geographic territories, from the Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines to the Sahara desert. Setting the stage for modern cooks, he covers some suggested pantry items (argan oil; 12 different kinds of dates; the spice blend ras el hanout) and equipment (couscoussier; tagine).

The more than 70 recipes reflect the variety of cultural traditions carried over from Arab (stuffed phyllo pastry), Berber (blistered flatbread), and Spanish inhabitants (mussels in tomato sauce). Emblematic dishes like tomato-based harira soup, chicken tagine with preserved lemon and olives, and seven-vegetable couscous are included alongside street eats like snails in broth and a contemporary update on lamb tagine featuring oranges, saffron, and candied orange peel.

The sumptuous photographs complete the almost-like-being-there experience. - Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Jeff Koehler is a culinary journalist and the author of La Paella and Rice, Pasta, Couscous. His writing and photographs, primarily about the foods of the Mediterranean, have appeared in Saveur, Food & Wine, EatingWell, and the Washington Post. He lives with his family in Barcelona.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (May 16, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811877388
• ISBN-13: 978-0811877381
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 1 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #165,619 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #18 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > African
  • #21 in Books > Travel > Africa > Morocco
  • #66 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > European > Mediterranean

More About the Author

Jeff Koehler's writing, recipes, and photographs have appeared in Saveur, Food & Wine, Gourmet, EatingWell, the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Afar, Men's Journal, Virtuoso Life, and Tin House. He has also had worked included in Best Food Writing 2010.

His new book Morocco: A Culinary Journey with Recipes from the Spice-Scented Markets of Marrakech to the Date-Filled Oasis of Zagora was published by Chronicle Books in June 2012. He is currently working on The Country Cooking of Spain, part of Chronicle Books' prestigious and award-winning "country cooking" series. It will be published in 2013.

Jeff is also the author and photographer of two other cookbooks--Rice, Pasta, Couscous: The Heart of the Mediterranean Kitchen, and La Paella: Deliciously Authentic Rice Dishes from Spain's Mediterranean Coast, which has become the standard on Spain's iconic dish and was named by the New York Times as a noteworthy cookbook. Both were published by Chronicle Books.

He has photographed two other cookbooks, Teresa Barrenechea's The Cuisines of Spain and Braiden Rex-Johnson's Pike Place Market Seafood Cookbook (both by Ten Speed Press).

A Seattle native, he spent four years traveling in Africa and Asia before settling in London to do his post-graduate work at King's College London. In 1996, he moved to Barcelona, where he has lived since.

See more on his website, www.jeff-koehler.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Take a delicious trip to Morocco July 6, 2012

By beckygardens TOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Length: 4:13 Mins

Morocco is a great addition to regional cookbooks. The book starts out with an introduction to Morocco, with beautiful pictures and discussions of the regions of Morocco and how the food varied from region to region. Following the introduction to Morocco is a chapter on Moroccan pantry ingredients. I found this very helpful. While some ingredients might seem basic, like dried apricots, it would be helpful for the beginning cook who might not realize one can't really substitute fresh and why.

The recipes are enticing. Not every recipe has a picture but many do and the pictures are drool worthy. The recipes are divided by food or course type like drinks, desserts, meats, seafood etc.

Recipes are laid out sensibly with the ingredient list, then the directions. The directions are clear and precise, very helpful when attempting to cook an unfamiliar cuisine.

Most of the ingredients can be found in a large well stocked grocery store. Ingredients are given in weights or cup type measurements. This is really helpful with baking breads or baking.

Recipes are given in their English name, with the Moroccan name written beneath.

Stock up on cumin, cinnamon, and enjoy wonderful, fragrant Morocco food.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Morocco July 27, 2012

By Kate Runyan

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Morocco : A Culinary Journey , has some very good recipes which we've been greatly enjoying in the two weeks since the book arrived from Amazon . I have lots of excellent Moroccan cookbooks, each one is different, and this one tons of excellent, and unique recipes. I made Chicken ( marinated) Brochettes ( which we loved), lots of different salads, some that I've made several times, a tomato dipping sauce which I've had with some grilled fish, and it was delicious,+ many other wonderful recipes. I really like the cucumber, Oregano and Olive salad it's light and refreshing . I've been wanting to try the Moroccan Grilled Sardines, however although I've seen fresh Sardines at our excellent seafood market they don't have them daily, just occasionally, but I'll find them sometime, and make that recipe but in the meantime I did the recipe with a trout split opened and filetted and grilled , and it was delicious with various Moroccan salads. Even if you have many other Moroccan Cookbooks, or many other cookbooks, this book deserved a place of honor on your bookshelves.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love the veggie and soup recipes March 6, 2013

By Miriam Newton

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I heard an interview of the author, Jeff Koehler, on the radio which peaked my interest in this book. While I am an omnivore, I particularly enjoy savory vegetables and soups. So I was taken with the fact that Mr. Koehler raved about the many delicious vegetable side dishes and soups that the Moroccans serve with their meals. I immediately ordered the book assuming that it would have many vegetable and soup recipes. Much to my disappointment, that is not the case. There are only a few recipes for these dishes. It is mostly meat based tangines and couscous.

That said, I have made all of the vegetable and soup dishes and they are indeed delicious. Most of them flavored with some balance of cumin and paprika. Simple to make and pleasing to the eye. The Potato Fritters in the Street Food section are to die for. I swooned on first bite. That recipe alone made the purchase of this book worth it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to approach this cuisine as a purist and explore the full array of authentic Moroccan dishes. He gives you everything you need to create a wonderful feast for your family and friends.

As you can see, the cover of this book is beautiful and the food photography is excellent.