RECIPES BEN TISH PHOTOGRAPHS KRIS KIRKHAM EDITED BY DANIELLE WOODWARD
Cookbook Moorish honours the influence of the medieval Moors on the flavours of the southern Mediterranean, including Sicily, Andalucia and the Balearics. Author and chef Ben Tish is fascinated by the merging of indigenous produce and regional ingredients with the Moors’ own techniques, flavourings, ingredients and spices, which created the exotic, full-flavoured and vibrant cuisine we know today. With the melting pot of different cultures, including the oppressed Jewish population of southern Spain, which brought with them another layer of cultural influence, Tish says it was a ‘halcyon period for food’, when dishes were reinterpreted to become ‘indulgent Arabic creations’.
This book, Tish says, ‘is for the home cook’; recipes are simple although, he admits, ‘there are some that may take more time than others’. So, why not ignite your creativity and be transported into the heart of the Moorish world?