The North African Cookbook (Jeff Koehler)

Acclaimed food writer, Jeff Koehler, has spent two decades traveling across North Africa, a region that still bears traces of Phoenician and Roman culture mixed with its Berber and Arab heritage, asking people what they cook and how they make it.

Well-known dishes like Shakshuka, Couscous, and Tagine are surrounded by regional obscurities and modern inventions, as well as instructions on how to make basic spice blends. There is a wealth of narrative, with introductions providing texts for each group of recipes -- of which, there are nearly 500, with over 100 color illustrations.