Casa Moro by Samuel Clark
The Moro restaurant was born out of a desire to cook within the wonderful traditions of Spanish and North African food and to explore exotic flavours little known in the UK. It has established itself as one of the most talked about restaurants in the UK winning both the Time Out and BBC Good Food awards for Best New Restaurant when it opened in 1997. The Clarks' first book, Moro: the Cookbook, has been a runaway success. Its passionate insight and strong culinary vision and ethos captured readers' imaginations. Casa Moro, the second book from the Clarks, takes the range of flavours beyond those covered in their first. Sam and Sam have created fresh and dynamic dishes that reflect Moro's ever-changing menu ranging from Asparagus with parsley and almonds; Moroccan courgette salad; and Chicken with pine nuts, saffron and fino sherry to Chestnut, almond and chocolate cake. Yet Casa Moro is much more than a simple catalogue of recipes; it evokes Sam and Sam's extensive travels, their first discovery of Spain and Morocco and their house in the heart of Moorish Andalucia, taking the reader on a journey that resonates with delicious dishes, history and tradition. With an entire chapter dedicated to the ancient ways and cooking of Andalucia and, more specifically, the village in which Sam and Sam live, this personal, evocative account exudes romance and is written and designed with palpable excitement and elegance.