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"This is a fascinating book about history but not stuck in time. Janet is a time traveler, telling us stories about the past but always making them relevant, bringing the world of al-Andalus—a region very close to my heart—to our kitchens today."
--Chef José Andrés
This cookbook explores the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. Muslims first invaded the Iberian peninsula in 711 CE, crossing the narrow straits from North Africa and taking over most of what would become the country of Spain. The newly-conquered land initially under the caliphate of Damascus, was called al-Andalus and at one time covered almost the entire Iberian peninsula.
At his palace of Medina Azahar around 950 CE, the Caliph of Córdoba dined on refined dishes of almond cream, lamb cooked with spices, eggplant stuffed with meat and scented with cinnamon, and carrot salad with sprigs of mint. The kingdoms of al-Andalus lasted eight centuries, ending in 1492 with the fall of Granada. Islamic culture left a deep mark on the country that became Spain—on language, science, literature and most certainly on cuisine.
Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe.
Sample recipes:
- White Gazpacho with Grapes (Ajo Blanco con Uvas)
- Spinach with Raisins and Pine Nuts (Espinacas con Pasas y Piñones)
- Fried Eggplant with Molasses (Berenjena Frita con Miel de Caña)
- Monkfish with Raisins and Pine Nuts (Rape al Mozarabe)
- Chicken in Almond-Saffron Sauce (Pollo en Pepitoria)
- Lamb Stew with Artichokes (Cordero con Alcachofas)
- Almond Cream Pudding (Sopa de Almendras)
- Marzipan Rings (Melindres)
"Janet Mendel is one of the great authorities writing in English about the cuisines of Spain. Happily, she has now turned to al-Andalus, the vast region of Iberia that was ruled for centuries by Arab and Berber Muslims, whose brilliant culture and exotic style inspire Spanish kitchens to this day. Flavors of al-Andalus is a dazzling mix of lively history with equally colorful recipes, from both historic texts and contemporary cooks. The chapter on gazpachos and dunking salads is worth the price of admission all by itself, but the book as a whole is a charming introduction to a little-known side of Spain."
Nancy Harmon Jenkins, author of The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook