Shanti Maurice, a lifestyle resort celebrating its 10th anniversary on the largely untouched south coast of Mauritius, is launching a cookbook entitled AQUACASIA – Culinary Jewels of the Indian Ocean. Celebrating the brand new food concept Aquacasia, which was introduced at the resort’s ‘Stars’ restaurant earlier this year, the cookbook pays tribute to the gastronomic diversity and flavours of the Indian Ocean. The cookbook launch will be supported by a series of initiatives, including interactive Aquacasia cooking classes and a local Chefs’ Academy at Shanti Maurice.
The 208-page hardback features more than 60 recipes carefully curated and crafted by Shanti Maurice’s Chef Willibald Reinbacher and photographed by renowned food photographer, Lukas Lienhard. Inspired by resourceful street traders along with authentic family recipes passed down through generations, Chef Willibald takes gastronomes on a journey through the rich and colourful flavours of the fascinating Indian Ocean countries. From Western Australia, Comoros, Indonesia, Madagascar, Maldives, Réunion, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Mauritius, the book captures each country’s culinary treasures, mastery of spice and unique savoir-faire. The recipes are divided into five categories – Fish & Seafood, Meat & Poultry, Spice Mix & Rubs, Snacks & Sides and Sweets – and contain information on the level of difficulty, yield, preparation time, ingredients and dietary requirements as well as a ‘Chef’s note’ where Chef Willi shares his expert advice. Readers will learn to cook celebrated local dishes such as the Lamb Shank and onion gravy from Madagascar, the Langouste a la vanille from Comoros and Chilli cakes with yellow lentils from Mauritius. Chilli, sesame, coconut and lime are just some of the exotic ingredients meticulously blended into the mouth-watering dishes.
Contributors to the book include the CEO of Nira Hotels and Resorts MPS Puri, who created the Aquacasia food concept and Danny Accola, Creative Director of Confused who, through collaboration with friends, was able to set the mood, create the stage for the dishes and design the layout. Each recipe was also edited and tested by Swiss-American restaurateur, Laura Schälchli, who brought her culinary knowledge and passion for preparing food to the project.