The Food of Morocco [Hardcover]

Paula Wolfert (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 4, 2011

“A cookbook by Paula Wolfert is cause for celebration. Ms. Wolfert may be America’s most knowledgeable food person and her books are full of insight, passion and brilliance.”
—Anthony Dias Blue, CBS Radio, NY

“I think she’s one of the finest and most influential food writers in this country…one of the leading lights in contemporary gastronomy.”
—Craig Claiborne

Paula Wolfert, the undisputed queen of Mediterranean cooking, provides food lovers with the definitive guide to The Food of Morocco. Lavishly photographed and packed with tantalizing recipes to please the modern palate, The Food of Morocco provides helpful preparation techniques for chefs, home cooks, and any serious student of the culinary arts and culture. This is the perfect companion to Wolfert’s classic, Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco—a 2008 inductee into the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame—and fans of Claudia Roden, Elizabeth David, Martha Rose Schulman, and Poopa Dweck will be delighted by this extraordinary culinary journey across this colorful and exhilarating land.

Editorial Reviews

Review

There is no book on the food of Morocco as good as this one Claudia Roden My Moroccan bible -- yotam Ottolenghi Paula Wolfert is perhaps the single most influential cook and author among the professional chefs of my generation Mario Batali Every time we open one of Paula's books we are inspired Sam & Sam Clark Resplendent Sunday Telegraph Definitive House and Garden It's a rare writer who can marry erudition with accessibility, but Paula's obvious love for the country makes every page a delight Delicious Magazine Fabulous pics and authentic recipes -- elisabeth Luard Scotsman --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From the Back Cover

Paula Wolfert’s name is synonymous with revealing the riches of authentic Mediterranean cooking, especially the cuisine of Morocco. In The Food of Morocco, she brings to bear more than forty years of experience of, love of, and original research on the traditional foodways of that country. The result is the definitive book on Moroccan cuisine, from tender Berber skillet bread to spiced harira (the classic soup made with lentils and chickpeas), from chicken with tangy preserved lemon and olives to steamed sweet and savory breast of lamb stuffed with couscous and dates. The recipes are clear and inviting and infused with the author’s unparalleled knowledge of this delicious food. Essays illuminate the essential elements of Moroccan flavor and emphasize the accessibility of once hard-to-find ingredients such as saffron, argan oil, and Moroccan cumin seed.

Lavishly photographed in full color, The Food of Morocco not only showcases Wolfert’s tantalizing recipes but also evokes Morocco in all its timeless splendor and mystery: its markets with their lush produce, its dazzling textiles and intricate mosaic tiles, its communal ovens and ancient souks, and of course its people, from Marrakech to Tangier. A labor of love four decades in the making, The Food of Morocco is a once-in-a-lifetime book of uncommon scope and authenticity, an essential work for every serious cook, anyone interested in Moroccan cuisine, and discerning armchair travelers alike.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Ecco (October 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061957550
• ISBN-13: 978-0061957550
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 1.6 x 10.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,653 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > African
  • #9 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > Middle Eastern

More About the Author

Paula Wolfert is widely acknowledged as one of the premier food writers in America and the "queen of Mediterranean cooking." She writes a regular column in Food & Wine, alternating with Jacques Pepin and Marcella Hazan (she came in as Julia Child's replacement), and she is author of eight cookbooks, several of which have remained in print for upwards of 30 years. Her three most recent cookbooks, The Food of Morocco, The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen and The Cooking of Southwest France, 2nd edition, received glowing reviews.
Wolfert's writings have received numerous awards, including the Julia Child Award, the M.F.K. Fisher Award, the James Beard Award, the Cook's Magazine Platinum Plate Award, and the Perigueux Award for Lifetime Achievement. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, Saveur, Fine Cooking, and Cook's Illustrated. In 2008, she was inducted into the Cookbook Hall of Fame by the James Beard Association.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 46 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Moroccan Cookbook Ever Written in English November 11, 2011

By E. Lenderking

Format:Hardcover

Paula Wolfert's new book on Moroccan cooking is indisputably the best book ever written on the subject. She draws on a life experience of over 40 years with Morocco making her observations and insights invaluable. If you have ever read any of her other books, and I say read, because her books are more than just collections of recipes, they are a highly readable collection of history, anecdotes, stories and great cooking, then you will know that this is consistent theme in all of her books. Here recipes have been painstakingly written down, perfected, tested, adjusted, and made to work beautifully.

This is a rarity in today's world of cookbook writing, but with Paula's recipes, you know that they will always work, that they are unambiguous, clear, and concise. If you are after the quintessential book on Moroccan cookery, then this is it.

47 of 57 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Retread of Earlier Book December 1, 2011

By K. Krewer

Format:Hardcover

I liked this book and really enjoyed the pictures but was sadly disappointed that this was a retread of the authors earlier work on Couscous from 1973. Some of the text and recipes are exactly the same.... I erroneously bought both... and as I was reading the second found it very familiar..... it was the exact same story in the same words. So for $26 you get pictures and for $13 you get recipes with no pictures. You decide. Note that the new book ($26) does have some additional recipes in it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant! May 6, 2012

By Elizabeth T. Smith

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

For years foodie friends have been telling me about Paula Wolfert's books on Moroccan cuisine but I thought, well, I'll work through the books I already have first. What a mistake! Wolfert's book is the bomb! It's true that I learned authentic Moroccan cooking from Ghillie Basan's excellent Modern Moroccan cookbook and I don't regret a single lesson, especially since confirming the accuracy of her recipes on a recent trip to Morocco. But Wolfert provides more than just recipes. She understands regional cooking, historical cuisine and cultural uses of food. The recipes are inspirational and the book's photos are gorgeous--and very motivational.

If you own just one book on Moroccan cuisine, it should be this one. If you have room for two, add Ghillie Basan's Modern Moroccan. Bon appetit!

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice cookbook, just not for me November 28, 2012

By gabrielle51

Format:Hardcover

I'm giving this book three stars because it is a well-executed cookbook with just the right mix of text and photos. It's informative without being tedious. The recipes are also easy to read and follow with lots of photos of the finished product.

However, I feel that as a reviewer it is only fair to warn prospective buyers of a few things. I learned from this book, and I trust Paula Wolfert really knows her subject, that Moroccans eat a lot of meat. I was a bit surprised to see some form of meat in so many of the bean/legume and vegetable dishes. And I believe most if not all the couscous recipes have meat in them. I did not expect this, but I guess it tells me something about authentic Moroccan cuisine that I didn't realize. This leads me to believe that the delicious vegetarian dishes I've had in various Moroccan restaurants here in the states have been altered to fit American tastes. While I'm not a complete vegetarian, I am trying to cut down on my meat consumption and am always in search of interesting meatless recipes. Sadly there are not many to be had here.

I knew going into it that because this is a Moroccan cookbook I would probably need to buy some things that I don't normally stock in my larder, but it seemed like almost every recipe required some sort of exotic ingredient(s) and/or new piece of cooking equipment, parchment paper or some such nonsense, and/or was just a general hassle. My warning here is, be prepared to invest a considerable amount of time, energy, and money into making the dishes in this book. It is truly meant for the person who is willing to put the effort into totally duplicating real Moroccan cooking, which I'm not. So, if you have a busy life, and are a bit of a lazy cook like myself, this book is not for you.... I'm so glad I took it out of the library for review before purchasing. Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZINGLY delicious and truly authentic! July 30, 2012

By S. M. Barnett

Format:Hardcover

WOW! I'm not sure I could effectively convey how much I LOVE this cookbook. I came across a review on Amazon for this cookbook and decided I would see if it was available through the local library as I've bought many disappointing cookbooks in the past. Within minutes of perusing the cookbook I knew I would be ordering my own copy. In a word? AMAZING!

I married a Moroccan man who hails from a very culinary gifted family! After a nearly month long visit to Morocco in 2010 - I was homesick for not only Morocco but the many delicious dishes my in-laws prepared! Salads, breads, sweets, etc... I'm quite skilled in the kitchen but have yet to conquer Moroccan cooking... this cookbook was definitely the answer to remedying that!

I've made several recipes from the book with great success (however, I will concede that I've altered preparation methods here and there - or tweaked recipes ever so slightly to my family's preferences). My absolute favorite recipe thus far is the Winter Squash with Carmelized Onions; honestly, I wanted to eat the entire dish! I believe it was intended as a side dish but served with salad - it makes for a wonderful vegetarian main dish!

I'm in the process of making the Fish Tagine with Creamy Onion Charmoula - when hubby noticed me cutting the fish and smelled the charmoula he got very excited!

Many thanks to Ms. Wolfert who composed this wonderful cookbook - AND - many thanks to the many Moroccan chefs/cooks who contributed their prized recipes as well... You have helped heal my homesickness for Morocco through food!

If you're interested in Moroccan food - or if you want to try new healthy, flavorful dishes - this cookbook will NOT disappoint!!!