Flavors of the Maghreb

“Bring on the brochettes and couscous! With the warmthof a Mediterranean sun, the authors infuse the true spirit and abundance of theMaghreb region in their ‘Flavors.’ This is food to nourish body and soul.Alba’s memories of place and history—plus Paula’s and Sheilah’s expert hand incrafting inviting, accessible recipes—stir up a powerful incentive to dive inand cook!”

— Bonnie S. Benwick, former deputy editor, Washington Post Food

“Thiscookbook is a wonderful introduction to Chef Alba’s family recipes and to theMaghreb region which is one of the more underrepresented culinary regions inthe world. The Maghreb is a specific part of the Mediterranean thatdisplays its own unique traditions, recipes, and culture. I’m happy tosee Chef Alba shine some well-deserved light on the Maghreb and offer recipesthat are very approachable for the home cook.”

—ChefRon Oliver, San Diego Chef of The Year 2017, and author of Flying Pans, Two Chefs One World (IACP cookbook of the Year),Two Chefs, One Catch, and TheGreat Gatsby Cookbook

“As I went through thecolorful pages of Flavors of Maghreb & Southern Italy and read about Alba’s life andexperiences as a chef, I became emotional and nostalgic, and immediately wantedto cook from the book.

Imade ‘Roasted Garlic, Capers, and Sesame Dipping Oil’ and used it to garnish mybaked sweet potatoes—heavenly. I also made the ‘Grilled Fennel in BalsamicDressing’ and absolutely loved it.

These dishes were easy tomake and affordable, and they were delicious. Alba’s passion and love ofcooking comes through every page of the book—a truly terrific, accessible,multicultural cookbook with plenty of good tips to help the cook. Thank you,Alba for sharing your cultural heritage and your tasty recipes with us.”

—Najmieh Batmanglij, author of Food of Life: AncientPersian and Modern Iranian Cooking and Ceremonies

Alba Carbonaro Johnson was born in Naples, Italy and raised in Tunisia where she became an expert on regional Italian, Moroccan, Tunisian, Algerian, Greek, and Turkish cuisines. She has worked for over 16 years as a personal chef, culinary instructor, and editor, and has also made numerous television appearances, conducting live cooking demonstrations. In addition, she also annually conducts culinary trips to Umbria and Tuscany. She resides in the Annapolis, Maryland area.

Paula Miller Jacobson has been working in cookbook editing and recipe development, as well as teaching cooking classes for over 20 years. She has edited and tested recipes for Italian, Turkish, Iraqi, kosher, Greek, Sephardic, Azerbaijani, and Maghrebi chefs. She is a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier International, International Association of Culinary Professionals, and Culinary Historians of Washington. Paula and Sheilah are partners in Cookbook Construction Crew. Paula resides in Rockville, Maryland.

Sheilah Kaufman is author of twenty-seven cookbooks and has been a food editor and writer, culinary lecturer, and cooking instructor for more than 45 years. She is author of Sephardic Israeli Cuisine (Hippocrene Books) and co-author with Nur Ilken of A Taste of Turkish Cuisine (Hippocrene Books) and The Turkish Cookbook (Interlink). Sheilah trained at L’Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda, MD and travels around the U.S. teaching Turkish, French, international, and Mediterranean cooking. She is a founding member of International Association of Culinary Professionals and an active member of Les Dames d’Escoffier and Culinary Historians of Washington. She resides in Potomac, MD.