Momo Cookbook: A gastronomic Journey through North Africa - Softcover

Mazouz, Momo

3.91

11 ratings by Goodreads

9780743263726: Momo Cookbook: A gastronomic Journey through North Africa

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0743263723 ISBN 13: 9780743263726

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd, 2004

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Over eighty recipes from Momo, one of London's most fashionable restaurants, together with sumptuous photography and photography and an atmospheric text, recreate the sexy and mysterious flavours of North African life and cuisine. The Momo Cookbook contains eighty-eight authentic North African recipes which allow the reader to make these spicy and aromatic dishes at home. Each chapter concentrates on the food of a particular region - Morocco, Algeria or Tunisia - and text from the award-winning author Janine di Giovanni relates the recipes to the rich history and culture of these remarkable regions. Some of the delicious dishes which can be recreated include lamb ribs with corlander crust and tagine mqualli of beef and fennel. There are also 'modern' dishes inspired by authentic North African cooking and recently created in the restaurant such as croustillant of skate with cucumber and coriander and sea bass fillet with tabbouleh and citrus juice. The Momo Cookbook provides an exciting opportunity to experiment with the spices and subtle flavours of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, but the rich location photography and detailed desciptions of life there means it is much more than just a cookbook - it is also a fascinating evocation of the spirit of North Africa.

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Review:

Roasted meats seasoned with precious saffron underlaid with the pungent notes of cumin, cinnamon, and turmeric, marinated fish snuggled in a bed of almonds, pickled lemon and couscous, simultaneously sweet and piquant salads, delicate and sugary pastries flavoured with fragrant orange-blossom water, dripping with honey and served with a fresh rinse of mint tea. What more proof could there be that food for the body should be food for the soul? Small wonder that the worshippers of sensual culinary delights have anointed Momo one of the most successful new restaurants in recent years, for vibrantly conjuring up the atmosphere of a North African souk right in the heart of London.

The Momo Cookbook is much more than a recipe collection. Prose portraits of the land of the Maghreb (Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria) connect its rich history to the development of a distinctive cuisine which, over the centuries, has been influenced by Jewish, Arabic, Italian and Spanish culture. Stunning location photographs bring the colourful landscape, its traditions and people to life.

But the meat of the book is, of course, the food. The 90 recipes open a door to North Africa and fortunately the ingredients do not cost the price of a return flight: lots of vegetables, fruits, cereals, meats, fish and poultry which, with the artful use of spices, herbs and fragrant waters, are transformed into marvels. Momo himself identifies traditional recipes (such as mechouia, a roasted pepper and tomato salad, harira, a rich and thick soup made with cereal, and briouats stuffed and fried pastry parcels) as well as modern dishes created in the restaurant (such as fillet of John Dory with confit aubergines and polenta, dried fruit salad with aromatic spices, and boureks of crispy vegetables) yet easily prepared in a home kitchen, such as the one dish tagines. Although some of the more exotic ingredients such as orange-blossom water may need searching out if you don't live in a large multi-cultural city, there are helpful and surprisingly easy methods to prepare such ingredients as pickled lemons and almond milk, as well as a full glossary and meal plans. A doorway to a land where sugar and salt, spice and honey ride together happily will always serve up pleasure, whether on the coffee table or the kitchen counter.--Fiona Buckland

About the Author:

Algerian-born Mourad Mazouz is passionate about North African food and cooking. He has created several phenomenally successful Moroccan restaurants, including Momo and Momo Restaurant Familial in London and 404 and Andy Wahloo in Paris. He is also one of the owners of the fashionable Club Gascon. In 1999 he opened the Mo Tearoom and Bazaar, which acts as both a bazaar selling North African artefacts and as a traditional tearoom selling kemia (North African tapas), pastries and shishas (hookah pipes). In 2003 Mourad Mazouz launched Momo at Selfridges, which includes Momo restaurant, selling a mixture of modern and eclectic dishes, Tearoom, Smoking Tent and Boutique. All four spaces combine a North African theme with a more modern twist, selling custom made furniture, fixtures and fittings. Momo at Selfridges is open 7 days a week during shop hours.

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