Sirocco

In this, her sixth book, author Peta Mathias explores the cuisine of Morocco and its influence on Portugal and Andalusia.

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A wickedly funny, evocative, delicious travel book exploring the cuisine of Morocco and its influence on Portugal and Andalusia. Like the wind the book is named after, ideas, tastes and traditions blew up into Spain and beyond from North Africa, carrying its spices and delicate flavour combinations. Peta follows that trail and searches out the essence of Moroccan cuisine, learning how to make such local delicacies as warka (a filo-like pastry), bastila (pigeon and almond pie), couscous and mlawi (a fried pastry/bread dish that is eaten warm with honey or jam). Always ready to throw herself into local life, Peta stays with families and gets into their kitchens, sharing their feasts and rituals of mint-tea drinking, Arab-style massages at hammams, and having your feet painted with henna. Come and sample with her such delights as beef tagine with prunes and almonds or orangewater in milk and follow her journeys north through Portugal and Andalusia. This is Peta's sixth book. Her previous books combine her wonderful prose with fabulous recipes.
Burnt Barley won the Best Literary Food Writing in English category at Le Salon International du Livre Gourmand, the World Cookbook Fair in France in 2000. She has a strong, loyal following, initiated through her writing and fostered by her high-rating television series on food, called 'Taste New Zealand'. She spends part of each year in New Zealand, filming for television and writing, and the rest travelling, often in France where she lived for many years and ran her own restaurant.