Rusticity and a refreshing lack of pretension

Husband and wife team Sam and Sam Clark set up their restaurant, Moro, in London's Clerkenwell district in 1997, with the aim of showcasing the gutsy, intensely flavoured cuisines of Spain, North Africa and the Mediterranean. In fact, the word "moro" means moor in Spanish, and its evocation of the blending of Spanish and Arabic sums up their style of cooking.

That style makes frequent use of aromatic herbs and spices and hot sauces, slow braises and other slow-cooking techniques to produce subtle flavours, so it's no wonder that Moro is so renowned. (It won best new restaurant categories in both the 1998 Time Out and BBC Good Food Awards). The Clarks started off working together at the River Café in London and the restaurant has influenced a lot of their style and approach to seasonality.

From a chef's point of view the book itself offers an in-depth knowledge of the cuisines that have influenced the Clarks. It is informative and the recipes are foolproof - the type of food that you might want to cook on a relaxing Sunday afternoon. There are no highly garnished plates, just simply good food.

There are informative notes about the ingredients used in the Clarks' dishes which may seem and sound foreign, but which are useful because they describe where specialist produce can be found. And there is also a list of suppliers at the back of the book which makes the ingredients agreeably accessible.

The thing I love most about the book is the lack of pretension about the cuisine and its robust rusticity. The book is broken down into sections, starting with breads, tapas, soups and so forth, which makes it very clear and concise when choosing dishes to cook.

I would certainly recommend this book to any avid cooks looking to expand their knowledge of spices.

Anyone who knows me knows that London and I disagree with each other, but I would make a rare journey into the capital to enjoy the tempting fare at Moro.

Sat Bains, head chef, Hotel des Clos, Nottingham

Moro The Cookbook

Sam and Sam Clark

Ebury Press

£25

ISBN 0-09-187483-1