The Foods and Wines of Spain

Rating:
Summary: The best Spanish cook book you will ever find
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: The best Spanish cook book you will ever find
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Exhaustive research and recipes that work
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: These receipes are authentic, delicious, and easily made!
Review: The receipes are easy to prepare, require a minimum of ingredients and are not time consuming. Each receipe has been a hit with our family. We lived in Andalucia next to our exchange student's family, and these receipes rival Mama Rosa's cooking! Delicious!

Rating:
Summary: Great recipes, murky directions
Review: This book is at the same time my favorite Spanish cookbook and the most frustrating. The recipes are terrific. I also have Casas' Delicioso! (which I highly recommend as well), but I prefer this book because it is better organized, with more of the standard Spanish recipes I crave (seafood with green sauce, scallops with sherry sauce, etc.-- fantastic). But with her later books such as Delicioso, Casas (or her editor) has learned to provide clearer, more accurate cooking instructions. In The Foods and Wines of Spain, the instructions are much more vague. How high should the heat be on the stove? How long should you sautee the onions? What does it mean exactly to "dust" something with flour? These things are often not spelled out. I am a pretty experienced cook but I would definitely benefit from some better instructions in some of the recipes. I can see how this book would be confusing for the novice cook or someone fairly new to Spanish cuisine-- if you are in this category you might want to start out with Delicioso!.

Rating:
Summary: not good
Review: this book is terrible, the instructions are bad, and so are the recipes.

Rating:
Summary: Interestiing read, good well-instructed recipes.
Review: Very enjoyable, a good mix of culinary information and information about Spain and the auther. I don't see many general cookery books on Spanish cuisine and this one explains it well. The actual dishes are very toothsome and the instructions are clear and easily followed. Although I am not a professional cook, all of the recipes I have attemped have turned out well. In addition, I find the preparation more enjoyable than prep. for other types of ethnic cuisine. I got this book from a public library and am surprised I have not seen it in general bookstores.