Mourad: New Moroccan

A stunning, ambitious cookbook from the chef behind San Francisco’s Michelin-starred Aziza restaurant. Mourad Lahlou left Marrakesh for California in 1985 and spent decades developing a modern Moroccan cuisine that honors tradition while pushing it into new territory. This book captures that vision with more than 100 recipes and lavish photography.

Why Start Here

This is not a beginner’s book, and it does not pretend to be. Lahlou writes for experienced cooks who want to understand Moroccan flavors at a deeper level and use them in creative, sometimes elaborate ways. The recipes often have long ingredient lists and multi-step preparations. You will find homemade warqa (the paper-thin pastry used in pastilla), hand-rolled couscous, and dishes that require planning and forethought.

What makes this book worth the effort is the quality of the writing and the depth of flavor understanding. Lahlou is a natural storyteller, and each recipe comes with context about his childhood in Morocco, the spice markets of Marrakesh, and the evolution of his cooking philosophy. Jacques Pepin praised the book for its passion and authenticity.

What to Expect

A large, beautiful hardcover at 400 pages with full-color photography. The recipes are oriented toward weekend projects rather than weeknight dinners. This is the book to reach for once you have cooked through simpler Moroccan recipes and want to challenge yourself. It won the Northern California Independent Booksellers Book of the Year Award for Food Writing and was named a Best Cookbook of the Year by Publishers Weekly.