Flavors of the Maghreb: Authentic Recipes from the Land Where the Sun Sets (North Africa and Southern Italy)

The
Arabic word Maghreb means "land where the sun
sets." The Maghreb is a multicultural Mediterranean region of North Africa
which includes Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania,
and Libya. It is bordered by the beautiful
Mediterranean Sea, and in ancient times, the Maghreb
included Spain, Sicily, and Malta. The
history of this region is completely different from that of the rest of Africa,
and today's cuisine reflects those differences. It's an
inviting cuisine, made with fresh local and seasonal ingredients, that carries
a diversity of flavors and time-honored traditions to
the Maghreb table.













Before
the Arab conquest, the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and later the
Italians and French, colonized the Maghreb. Each
new culture that entered the region left unique influences and together they
created a multicultural cuisine using aromatic spices, fresh
herbs, citrus, dried fruits, nuts, fresh fish, lamb, chicken, pasta, rice, and
copious fresh vegetables. Ancient civilizations such as Phoenicians and Romans
spread the cultivation of wheat. The Moors brought citrus and olives from
Spain. The Berbers gave birth to couscous. Fennel, peas, and artichokes arrived
with the Italian settlement, and the baguette, salad Nicoise, and mayonnaise
were brought by the French when they colonized the area. Thus, the food of Maghreb became
a melange of Sicilian, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Berber cuisine.





This
unique cookbook brings the colorful, aromatic foods of the Maghreb region to
readers through over 100 authentic recipes. Chapters cover a range of options:
Appetizers, Soups, Sides, Vegetables, Main Courses, Condiments, and Desserts.
Also included are helpful chapters on the pantry essentials, herbs and spices
that give Maghreb foods their distinct appeal.









Sample
recipes:



Crostini with Dill
and Pecorino




Spicy Cauliflower
Minestra
Couscous for Festive
Occasions (Seffa)




Lamb Chops in Dried
Fig Sauce




Baked Whole Bass with
Chermoula
Shrimp Speidini with
Golden Breadcrumbs and Pistachios
Rustic Pizza Stuffed
with Red Onions, Pine Nuts, and Golden Raisins





Broccoli Affogati




Marzipan-Stuffed
Dates