Janet Mendel, journalist and author of the new Flavors of Al-Andalus: The Culinary Legacy of Spain (Hippocrene, 2025), joined us by Zoom from her kitchen in Andalusia to tell the story of Moorish influence on Spanish cooking. Using examples from contemporary recipes such as meatballs in almond-saffron sauce, gazpacho with oranges, and eggplant timbale, she traced the heritage of ingredients and techniques to foods served in Islamic Spain (711–1492).