The Foods and Wines of Spain by Penelope Casas
|
List Price: Our Price: $18.87 You Save: $18.63 (50%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $4.62 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of The Foods and Wines of Spain
Book Review: The best Spanish cook book you will ever find
Summary: 5 Stars
Penelope Casas can be considered the guru of Spanish cooking, as she is a true expert on this nation's cuisine. I have lived in Spain and have traveled extensively throughout the country and I know the land and cuisine intimately. The Foods and Wines of Spain is a true classic and no one wishing to prepare authentic Spanish dishes will want to be without it. Casas has written much more than a book of recipes--she gives a lot of cultural information behind the recipes that is not only informative but highly interesting. You quickly discover how incredibly diverse Spanish food is, and how numerous cultures have contributed to Spanish cuisine. You soon discover that it is hard to define "Spanish" food, as it varies from region to region. There is a significant Arab influence found in dishes from Andalucía in the south, while the dishes of the north are compeletely different. Meanwhile, rice (introduced by the Arabs) dishes predominate in the the eastern part of the country. I have made many of the recipes in this book, all with excellent results--this is the real deal if you want to recreate the dishes you relished in Spain. I highly recommend the paellas, the tortilla española, the garlic soup, and the tuna turnovers (empanadillas). These and many other recipes make this a cookbook that you will return to again and again. I highly recommend this book to all fans of authentic Spanish cuisine as well as those interested in discovering this diverse cuisine. Most of the recipes are made with common, easy to find ingredients, are easy to make, and are well liked by a large number of people--my family and friends (most of whom are not Spanish) always look forward to my Spanish lunches and dinners with great enthusiasm! Finally, my Spanish friends think they're back in Spain whenever I make them recipes from Casas' incredible book. If you love Spanish cooking or you are interested in Spanish cooking, do not hesitate to purchase the Foods and Wines of Spain--a finer Spanish cookbook has not been written.Book Review: A Spanish classic, by fermed
Summary: 5 Stars
In 1982 Penelope Casas published the finest book of Spanish cookery ever. It is now in its 11th printing. Although she has written other books on the cuisines of Spain, "The Foods and Wines of Spain" has biblical standing among cooks. For her culinary expertise she has been honored by the government of Spain, but more importantly, she had built a following of gastronomes of all stripes who swear by her recipes. Their authenticity is never in question: she is an indefatigable researcher who goes back to the kitchen and discusses things with the local artists and then includes those recipes and techniques in her book. If a few of the dishes don't taste exactly as they did in Spain it is because not all the ingredients are available here. Still, Ms. Casas gives advice about reasonable substitutes, and now that serrano ham and some chorizos are allowed to be imported, such substitutions can be kept to a minimum.The book contains not one but two recipes for garlic soup, simple to make by even beginning cooks, and highly addictive. The "arroz a banda" described is one of the more subtle and satisfying of the rice dishes; and of course there is the paella (about which Ms. Casas has written a separate book). In this volume its recipe appears a bit intimidating, but it is essentially easy to prepare if one does not think too much about it beforehand.
For those cooks who need exact formulas and pharmacy-like precision in their ingredients, this book will please them. For those who are relativists with active imaginations, the book will also satisfy by pointing them in the right direction: pork chops with prunes, duck with olives in sherry sauce, baked porgy and peppers with brandy, chicken with figs. Yum.
Book Review: Exhaustive research and recipes that work
Summary: 5 Stars
The great virtue of this book is its down-to-earth simplicity; you probably have the ingredients in your fridge and cupboards right now to make 60-70% of the recipes. What a relief, after putting up with the needs of many of today's slick cookbooks, e.g., flipping through a recent "simple" cookbook of a star chef in NYC, I discover I need 3 vanilla beans, fresh chervil, and grapeseed oil. Huh? Who the heck has the time to track this stuff down, let alone use it again in the next 3 years? Ms. Casas has obviously been very careful to anticipate such problems; everything seems to have been tried over and over with the average US kitchen in mind. And amazingly, the dishes still turn out exotic and "Spanish." I have no ability to vouch for authenticity, but who cares; the bottom line is that these recipes work and are absolutely delicious.
I also appreciate the suggested accompanying vegetables and wine. Two favorite main courses: Rice and Chicken, Chicken with Pine Nuts.
In addition to the above virtues, Ms. Casas gives a straight-forward history for each of the recipes, giving context and conveying a keen intelligence and quiet passion that leave the reader wanting to try every single one of these dishes. The research is complete and stunning. There is no hype or filler. This book is a keeper.
Book Review: BEST. COOKBOOK. EVER!
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is one of my favorites books in the world. The recipes range from simple to slightly complicated, but there isn't one of these recipes that cannot be duplicated in your kitchen -- and to absolutely deligthful results! The instructions are clear, the chapters are well balanced and the index is thorough. The food is exquisite. But then so are the stories accompanying each chapter and each recipe.
This book is an excellent travel book, filled with all the wonders of Spain. There have been times, when looking for a recipe to cook for a special ocassion, I have taken it off the shelf and found myself completely engrossed, hours later, reading the stories. Even the writing engages all your senses.
Penepole Casas also does something I especially appreciated. She gives you a glossary and a list of substitutions. She goes further and lists mail order suppliers of hard to find ingredients.
In culinary terms this book is truly a gem. It also serves as an indispendable resource to the history and culture of Spain for those who hope to one day stroll through its lands.
Book Review: Easily adaptable traditional recipes.
Summary: 5 Stars
I regularly travel to Spain on business and was curious to find a book that would give me the opportunities to replicate some of the delicious meals I eat there. By chance I picked up this book on Amazon.com, in part based on the reviews I read. Though the book is not one of those large beautifully photgraphed coffee table cookbooks, it is every bit as intriguing. The book is easily readable and many recipes have been adapted to ingredients found in the US. I have successfully tried at least a dozen recipes of varying degrees of difficulty. All of them were successful. During one of my visits, I noted that a restaurant in Madrid was serving one of the dishes I had tried previously at home. Curious to see how my dish compared to that prepared in Spain, I ordered the dish. To my amazement I actually preferred the recipe provided by Penelope Casas! My only criticism is that the recipes for paella are very limited and I have had to improvise a bit when making my own, but otherwise this is an excellent and useful book.