The Momo Cookbook

Book excerpt: Among the many new restaurants of recent years, Momo is quite simply unique. Mourad Mazouz (otherwise known as Momo) has drawn upon his Algerian background and his extensive knowledge of North African food and culture to create an extraordinary place -- a little fragment of a North African "souk" dropped into central London. Now Mourad Mazouz has applied his talents and experience to producing an equally inventive and original cookbook. His ambition is to open a door to North Africa, to introduce readers to its cuisine and customs. Cooking in North Africa is an art beyond the simple process of preparing food. It is the art of taking time to live, the art of taking time to do what needs to be done. "The Momo Cookbook" contains ninety authentic recipes from Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, including some of the region's most characteristic and delicious dishes: tagines, couscous, briks and briouats, gazelle horns (delicately shaped almond pastries) and refreshing mint tea. As well as recipes, stunning photography evokes the romance and mystery of the region -- its colours, images, traditions and rituals, while award-winning writer, Janine di Giovanni, contributes prose-portraits of the land, the people, their customs and their legendary hospitality.