One thing I love about working in my neighborhood independent bookshop is discovering new books - both exciting new releases and hidden gems from the past.  My biggest downfall is cookbooks.  I love to read cookbooks like everyone else reads novels.  Cookbooks are like picture books for grown-ups.  Today I walked to the back of the shop to replace a cookbook and got drawn in for a few minutes to Mourad:  New Moroccan by Mourad Lahlou.  The cover photo of Mourad looks so exotic that I had to see what it was all about.  This is one of those cookbooks that really sweep you away to a foreign land.  The photos of Morocco, the spices and the recipes are so beautiful you can almost smell the food cooking and hear the people in the open air markets haggling over their purchases for the day.  The recipes in the book look delicious with fresh ingredients and tons of flavors.  I think I will go home and try my hand at preserved lemons and harissa.  Stop by the bookshop today and check it out!