MORO - THE COOKBOOK

My copy looks how a cookbook should look, stained dirty and lived in. This is not a book for the shelf as my copy is testament, it should live in the kitchen and be used regularly!

Moro; from the Spanish word meaning Moor

Moro is a restaurant in London's clerkenwell road that specializes in Spanish and middle eastern food, run by a husband and wife, incidentally with identical names- Sam and Sam Clark. Without writing a mills and boon they met, shared there passion for Spanish and Mediterranean middle eastern food then embarked on a culinary tour of there favourite places, opened a restaurant to great reviews and three books later................. as they say the rest is history!
I dare any aspiring cook to try the saffron rice recipe on page170 it is a delight to eat, lovingly spiced with an appealing hue that tantalises the taste buds. Most of the recipes grab at you from the well crafted pages, even the non middle eastern food fans might even be inspired to cook this wonderful lightly spiced cuisine that is so often overlooked in favour of the nations you could only class as the culinary big hitters. If there is one book to convert the masses this surely is the book. Peppered with stories throughout, and quality insight into products with a suppliers list at the end. Recipes that are not only simple in their construction but approachable and cook friendly!
Spanish recipes abound with a section devouted to Tapas and Meze, a good introduction to sherry, not the cheap stuff British Granny's guzzle with such fervour that you end up questioning which group of people actually started the binge drinking culture. Since the publication of this book sherry has become more widespread,with appreciation reaching new proportions, due too it's ability to enhance other flavours and tastes.

The marriage between Spanish and the middle east is probably not a well known one, but read the history, you might just be surprised! With occupation by the moors in Spanish lands between eighth and fifteenth century's a culinary legacy and cooking style was mixed with surprisingly earthy and beautiful results.
Weighing in with 280 pages, and a retail price of £15 it is wonderful value and a fantastic read, a must have for any home cook with a passion for great food. Recipes in this book may appear to some as simple, but it is the importance of quality ingredients that make these dishes so special!