The Food of Spain a Journey for Food Lovers by Murdoch Books is the largest and most image-filled jam-packed cookery book on my shelf right now. The big bright format is oozing with great photos that do, as I´m sure is intended, tempt me to try the recipes and to explore more of Spain as well.
The well-laid out photos range from typical Spanish scenes to instructional how-to ones with plenty of information and history about Spanish culinary techniques. Each recipe, photographed as it is prepared explains the how-to of some of the trickier processes and easier ways of preparing those products that might not be on the everyday shopping list.
A range of recipes from tapas to filling country stews, and tasty Scallops in a Cava Sauce to the not so palatable ones like Tripe with Chickpeas, which won´t be sampled in my household. All time Spanish favourites such battered squid rings and garlic mushrooms, gazpacho and pickled fish to bizcochos borrachos or drunken cakes and Moorish Almond Meringues will have you drooling over the photos and reaching for ingredients.
Even for the non kitchen-lover the contents of this book will have them perusing and lip-licking for page after page, it could almost be a coffee table book the imagery is so good. It´s also a Spanish lesson in food terms, all the recipes have a Spanish and English title, and it´s very descriptive of the different Spanish areas and alternative cooking techniques used in the various regions across the country.
This recipe book has spiced up my meatballs, had me mixing skate with pasta and introduced me to preparing octopus, which I´d never attempted before but with the aid of the images gave me the impetus to have a go. Octopus in Almond Garlic Sauce and Octopus Galician Style will certainly hit the family table again.
It is a definite winner with pride of place and use in my Spanish kitchen at the moment, that doesn´t mean to say I´m not awaiting my next recipe book with anticipation.
This book has 296 pages, it was published in June 2008 with IBN no. 978-1741960358 and is priced at 17.99 GBP
The Food of Spain a Journey for Food Lovers was requested by me from Murdoch Books as a review copy.
Why not search through this Mediterranean Cuisine section for more reviews on the recipe books that cover Spanish cookery.
Rachel L. Webb - Rachel L Webb lives in and writes mainly about Andalucia. She enjoys exploring the region and shares her explorations through her website ...
