The Food of Morocco

The culmination of Paula Wolfert’s forty years of research into Moroccan cuisine. This is not just a cookbook but a comprehensive document of a culinary tradition, covering nearly two hundred recipes with detailed technique explanations and cultural context.

Why Start Here

Wolfert wrote several Mediterranean cookbooks, but this is the book she spent her career building toward. It supersedes her earlier Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco (1973) with updated recipes, expanded coverage, and gorgeous photography. The opening sections on pantry, technique, and spice blends give you a foundation that transfers to everything else you cook from the book.

The recipes cover the full spectrum: tagines, couscous in multiple preparations, harira, pastilla, breads, salads, preserved lemons, and pastries. Wolfert explains regional variations and the reasoning behind each technique, so you understand not just what to do but why. This is the kind of book where you learn to cook a cuisine, not just follow recipes.

What to Expect

A large, lavishly photographed hardcover at 528 pages. The depth can feel overwhelming at first, but the recipes are clearly written and range from simple to complex. Start with the easier tagines and salads, and work your way toward the more ambitious preparations like hand-rolled couscous and pastilla. A book you will use for years.