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The Food of Spain
Discover Spain's culture and cuisine Claudia Roden has spent five years researching and writing about the food of Spain, resulting in this definitive, passionate and evocative cookbook which takes in the different regions and looks at the history, the people and the culture at the heart of this country, and at that which binds it all together - the delicious food and recipes passed down through generations. From simple, rustic tapas and delicately flavoured soups, to elaborate celebratory dishes served on silver platters and cakes and desserts each with a story to tell, this is the book about Spain to learn from and to cook from.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2011
205 people are currently reading
1036 people want to read
About the author
Claudia Roden
58 books119 followersClaudia Roden was brought up in Cairo. She finished her education in Paris and later studied art in London. Starting as a painter she was drawn to the subject of food partly through a desire to evoke a lost heritage - one of the pleasures of a happy life in Egypt.
With her bestselling classic, A Book of Middle Eastern Food, first published in 1968, Roden revolutionized Western attitudes to the cuisine of the Middle East. Her intensely personal approach and her passionate appreciation of the dishes delighted readers, while she introduced them to a new world of foods, both exotic and wholesome. The book received great critical acclaim.
Mrs Roden continued to write about food with a special interest in the social and historical background of cooking.
Then came the BBC television series, Mediterranean Cookery with Claudia Roden and the accompanying book entitled Claudia Roden's Mediterranean Cookery.
In 1992, she won the Glenfiddich Trophy, the top prize in the Glenfiddich Awards.
With her bestselling classic, A Book of Middle Eastern Food, first published in 1968, Roden revolutionized Western attitudes to the cuisine of the Middle East. Her intensely personal approach and her passionate appreciation of the dishes delighted readers, while she introduced them to a new world of foods, both exotic and wholesome. The book received great critical acclaim.
Mrs Roden continued to write about food with a special interest in the social and historical background of cooking.
Then came the BBC television series, Mediterranean Cookery with Claudia Roden and the accompanying book entitled Claudia Roden's Mediterranean Cookery.
In 1992, she won the Glenfiddich Trophy, the top prize in the Glenfiddich Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 23, 2015
I want to cry into the pages of this book, drain my bank account, fly back to Spain, and gorge myself on the cuisine that I miss so painfully.
Read
December 12, 2011Tried this last weekend (though not for Thanksgiving meal):
cream of asparagus soup (190)
mushrooms with garlic (269)
pork loin cooked in milk and caramel (410)
They were all fantastic!
cream of asparagus soup (190)
mushrooms with garlic (269)
pork loin cooked in milk and caramel (410)
They were all fantastic!
March 14, 2021
It's worth it to get the giant-size hard cover rather than the e-book - if only for Jason Lowe's stunningly beautiful photos. There are photos of all parts of Spain as well as many of the dishes - showing the massive influences and effects of all the peoples who have occupied (and/or ultimately been ousted from) Spain.
But the real reason to read the book is for the fascinating history and, of course the recipes - recipes with influences of Arabia, Macedonia, the middle East, the Americas, Greece, Italy, France, and/or northern Africa, "transformed and Hispanicized": Béchamel made with sherry " and sometimes tomato", or Moorish style eggplants "very thin and crisp and served with a dribble of honey", or short dried pasta made from durum wheat called "fideos in Spain, or fideus in Catalan. The name derives from fidawsh, an Arab word for “pasta”" and cooked like rice in stock, sometimes being fried in oil first (sounds very similar to the Armenian/Azerbaijan dish "Arishta Plov", doesn't it?). Or fariñes - Spanish polenta. Or coca with roasted peppers and eggplants (very similar to pizza), or Catalonian pollo con langostinos (chicken and shrimp with almond and chocolate sauce) ... The list goes on and on.
And then there is the infamous Inquisition causing the expulsion of Jews and Muslims, unless they converted - only to hold onto the label "converso". Indeed, from reading the recipes, it seems that pork is featured in some way in virtually all of them - placed there in fear of being "suspected of being secret Jews, or Marranos. If denounced, they were interrogated and then could be burned at the stake" in a public square, or "imprisoned and their property confiscated, and their families would be stigmatized for generations.". Amazingly, this continued into the 19th century!
Franco's "crushing of the culture and the growth of industrialized food products" well into the 20th century was even more damaging. His government's decree "requiring cheese producers to process a minimum of 10,000 liters of milk per day. Cheese counters soon filled with industrially processed cheeses, and most of the artisanal ones became illegal" was particularly horrifying. Also chilling is the knowledge that "Bomba, and ancient strain of tiny round rice", ideal for making paella was nearly extinct because its yield is low and so did not fit Franco's requirement for high production, with little care for quality. Similarly, in Franco's time, Spanish wine was renowned (if that's the right word) for "producing cheap, undistinguished, anonymous wines to be sold in bulk". Mercifully, Franco's influence was not permanently damaging.... Spain is now an "effervescent center of gastronomic creativity".
But Claudio Roden's book does not focus on molecular gastronomy and innovation. It is about traditional and regional home cooking. And it is a huge book! No wonder, considering that there is such diversity.
+++++++++++++++
bookmarked:
» eggplant fritters with honey { berenjenas con miel—catalonia }
» eggplant with béchamel and cheese { berenjenas con queso—catalonia }
» spinach with raisins and pine nute { espinacas con pasas y piñones—catalonia } (but we'll make this with Swiss chard, as per a variation at the end of the recipe)
» spinach with béchamel and hard-boiled eggs
{ espinacas con bechamel—navarre } (seems like a perfect variation on Eggs Fauxrentine!)
» red cabbage with apples, raisins, and pine nuts { lombarda a la madrileña—madrid }
» "wrinkled" potatoes with red and green sauces
{ papas arrugadas y mojos canaries—canary islands }
» batter for deep-frying shrimp, squid, and fish fillets and for making buñelos de pescado (fish fritters)
» fish in onion and saffron sauce { pescado en amarillo—andalusia }
» fish and seafood in saffron béchamel { bechamel de mariscos—catalonia } (saffron béchamel!! ...and the "crunchy topping" made with bread crumbs toasted in butter)
» Pepa's fish soup { suquet de peix-catalonia }
» lobster hotpot { caldereta de langosta—balearic islands } - with picada a pesto of fried almonds, garlic, and brandy. The finished stew is served on toasted bread (but maybe we'll substitute something for the lobster....)
» garlic chicken { pollo al ajillo—castile-la mancha }
» chicken and shrimp with almond and chocolate sauce { pollo con langostinos—catalonia }
» the picada for { pollo con langostinos—catalonia }
» roast chicken with apples and grapes { pollo con manzanas y uvas—asturias }
» quail with grapes {codorniz a las uvas—galicia }
» quail with caramelized onions and brandy {codorniz al brandy—Basque country and northern Spain }
» braised rabbit with herbs and white wine { conejo al vino }
» lamb stew with honey { cordero a la miel—andalusia }
» tiny grilled lamb chops with potatoes { chuletitas de cordero a la parilla con patatas—murcia }
» pork loin cooked in milk with caramel { lomo de cerdo con leche y caramelo—Navarre and Basque country }
» meatballs in almond sauce { albóndigas en salsa con picada de almendras—Catalonia }
» chicken, rabbit, and bean paella { paella valenciana—Valencia }
» seafood paella without shells { arroz del señorito a la marinera—Valencia }
» rice with mushrooms { arroz con setas—Catalonia }
» baked rice with currants and chickpeas { arroz al horno con pasas y garbanzos—Valencia }
» Tolosa red bean stew { alubias rojas a la tolosana—Basque country }
» burnt cream { crema catalana—Catalonia }
» nougat ice cream { helado de turrón—Valencia } Alas, there is no recipe for how to make "Turrón, a kind of nougat confection made of almonds and honey, [...] produced in Alicante and the neighboring little hill town of Jijona"....
» cheese and honey { mel y mató—Catalan, high Aragonese, Basque shepherds' culture }
» fried cream { leche frita—northern spain }
» pastry rolls filled with walnuts { casadielles—asturias }
Most fascinating of the many many fascinating things outlined
+ + + + +
If half stars were allowed, the rating would have been 4.5, and if there had been a recipe for the famous nougat, I would have assigned 5 stars.
But the real reason to read the book is for the fascinating history and, of course the recipes - recipes with influences of Arabia, Macedonia, the middle East, the Americas, Greece, Italy, France, and/or northern Africa, "transformed and Hispanicized": Béchamel made with sherry " and sometimes tomato", or Moorish style eggplants "very thin and crisp and served with a dribble of honey", or short dried pasta made from durum wheat called "fideos in Spain, or fideus in Catalan. The name derives from fidawsh, an Arab word for “pasta”" and cooked like rice in stock, sometimes being fried in oil first (sounds very similar to the Armenian/Azerbaijan dish "Arishta Plov", doesn't it?). Or fariñes - Spanish polenta. Or coca with roasted peppers and eggplants (very similar to pizza), or Catalonian pollo con langostinos (chicken and shrimp with almond and chocolate sauce) ... The list goes on and on.
[T]here was a long controversy about Spanish culture that had lasted nearly thirty years. Was it Roman, or was it Arab? After a lot of argument, it was decided it was Roman. [...] Spaniards like to see themselves as Romans and Visigoths or Celts, or even Phoenicians. [...] [P]ossibly from the sixth century B.C., Phoenicians, Greeks, and Carthaginians established settlements along the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula and on the Balearic Islands, while Celtic tribes coming over the Pyrenees settled in the north. [Historical Influences | of pigs and olive trees: { celts, romans, and visigoths }]
~ ~ ~ ~
The discovery of the New World had an enormous influence, [...] revolutioniz[ing] the diets of the Old and the New Worlds. The early colonists found the native inhabitants eating foods they had never seen. Among these were corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, beans, and capsicum peppers, [...] as well as Jerusalem artichokes, pumpkins, pineapples, papayas, guavas, custard apples, avocados, and peanuts.[...] They tasted a chocolate drink and [...] found turkeys and tobacco. [Historical Influences | red and yellow in the kitchen: { from the new world }]
~ ~ ~ ~
I asked Xavier Mestres about dishes of French origin that had been transformed and Hispanicized. I was given béchamel as an example. In Spain, it is sometimes made with white wine or sherry, and sometimes tomato. Here it includes fried onions, grated lemon zest, and saffron. The crunchy topping makes a lovely contrast to the creamy béchamel. [fish and seafood in saffron béchamel { bechamel de mariscos—catalonia }]
And then there is the infamous Inquisition causing the expulsion of Jews and Muslims, unless they converted - only to hold onto the label "converso". Indeed, from reading the recipes, it seems that pork is featured in some way in virtually all of them - placed there in fear of being "suspected of being secret Jews, or Marranos. If denounced, they were interrogated and then could be burned at the stake" in a public square, or "imprisoned and their property confiscated, and their families would be stigmatized for generations.". Amazingly, this continued into the 19th century!
Franco's "crushing of the culture and the growth of industrialized food products" well into the 20th century was even more damaging. His government's decree "requiring cheese producers to process a minimum of 10,000 liters of milk per day. Cheese counters soon filled with industrially processed cheeses, and most of the artisanal ones became illegal" was particularly horrifying. Also chilling is the knowledge that "Bomba, and ancient strain of tiny round rice", ideal for making paella was nearly extinct because its yield is low and so did not fit Franco's requirement for high production, with little care for quality. Similarly, in Franco's time, Spanish wine was renowned (if that's the right word) for "producing cheap, undistinguished, anonymous wines to be sold in bulk". Mercifully, Franco's influence was not permanently damaging.... Spain is now an "effervescent center of gastronomic creativity".
But Claudio Roden's book does not focus on molecular gastronomy and innovation. It is about traditional and regional home cooking. And it is a huge book! No wonder, considering that there is such diversity.
The historic regions, now seventeen autonomous communities (nineteen with Ceuta and Melilla, Apanish enclaves on the Moroccan coast), each divided into provinces, were born out of the old medieval kingdoms. Each has its own histoory and culture, [...] and a cuisine that springs from the land — the comarca, or terroir — and also reflects the past. The first thing you discover about Spain is it extraordinary geographical diversity. The greatest difference is between the very long, narrow coastal plains, with their string of vibrant port cities, and the vast empty interior — a high plateau and huge mountain ranges. Traveling through, you see endless flatlands and gentle hills, great rivers, mountain forests, marshlands, and deserts. There are seas of wheat and of rice, and endless landscapes carpeted with grapevines and olive trees. [...] Rural communities were isolated, and culinary styles developed separately. [...] [E]very village has its own distinctive dishes or versions of a dish, and [...] every coastal region has at least three distinctive culinary styles; one of the sea, one of the rural coastal plain, and one of the mountains. [The Faint Aroma of Lemon Zest and Cinnamon: an Introduction]
+++++++++++++++
bookmarked:
» eggplant fritters with honey { berenjenas con miel—catalonia }
» eggplant with béchamel and cheese { berenjenas con queso—catalonia }
» spinach with raisins and pine nute { espinacas con pasas y piñones—catalonia } (but we'll make this with Swiss chard, as per a variation at the end of the recipe)
» spinach with béchamel and hard-boiled eggs
{ espinacas con bechamel—navarre } (seems like a perfect variation on Eggs Fauxrentine!)
» red cabbage with apples, raisins, and pine nuts { lombarda a la madrileña—madrid }
» "wrinkled" potatoes with red and green sauces
{ papas arrugadas y mojos canaries—canary islands }
» batter for deep-frying shrimp, squid, and fish fillets and for making buñelos de pescado (fish fritters)
» fish in onion and saffron sauce { pescado en amarillo—andalusia }
» fish and seafood in saffron béchamel { bechamel de mariscos—catalonia } (saffron béchamel!! ...and the "crunchy topping" made with bread crumbs toasted in butter)
» Pepa's fish soup { suquet de peix-catalonia }
» lobster hotpot { caldereta de langosta—balearic islands } - with picada a pesto of fried almonds, garlic, and brandy. The finished stew is served on toasted bread (but maybe we'll substitute something for the lobster....)
» garlic chicken { pollo al ajillo—castile-la mancha }
» chicken and shrimp with almond and chocolate sauce { pollo con langostinos—catalonia }
» the picada for { pollo con langostinos—catalonia }
» roast chicken with apples and grapes { pollo con manzanas y uvas—asturias }
» quail with grapes {codorniz a las uvas—galicia }
» quail with caramelized onions and brandy {codorniz al brandy—Basque country and northern Spain }
» braised rabbit with herbs and white wine { conejo al vino }
» lamb stew with honey { cordero a la miel—andalusia }
» tiny grilled lamb chops with potatoes { chuletitas de cordero a la parilla con patatas—murcia }
» pork loin cooked in milk with caramel { lomo de cerdo con leche y caramelo—Navarre and Basque country }
» meatballs in almond sauce { albóndigas en salsa con picada de almendras—Catalonia }
» chicken, rabbit, and bean paella { paella valenciana—Valencia }
» seafood paella without shells { arroz del señorito a la marinera—Valencia }
» rice with mushrooms { arroz con setas—Catalonia }
» baked rice with currants and chickpeas { arroz al horno con pasas y garbanzos—Valencia }
» Tolosa red bean stew { alubias rojas a la tolosana—Basque country }
» burnt cream { crema catalana—Catalonia }
» nougat ice cream { helado de turrón—Valencia } Alas, there is no recipe for how to make "Turrón, a kind of nougat confection made of almonds and honey, [...] produced in Alicante and the neighboring little hill town of Jijona"....
» cheese and honey { mel y mató—Catalan, high Aragonese, Basque shepherds' culture }
» fried cream { leche frita—northern spain }
» pastry rolls filled with walnuts { casadielles—asturias }
Most fascinating of the many many fascinating things outlined
Flavors [of Spanish olive oils] range from sweet through fruity, nutty, spicy, and peppery to pleasantly bitter and pungent. Fragrance — fruity, floral, nutty, grassy — can be elusive or intense. [...] There are more than 260 varieties of olive trees in Spain, including subvarieties that have adapted to different localities or were developed through grafting. Arbequina, Picual, Hojiblanca, Empeltre, and Cornicabra are the most extensively grown for oil. A few, like Manzanilla, are better for table olives than for oil. [...] During the writing of this book I tasted and brought home some fabulous Spanish extra virgin olive oils. [...] The passion for good-quality olive oil is a recent phenomenon, as new as the great Spanish extra virgins that are now being produced. [Spanish olive oils]
~ ~ ~ ~
I have never been to a country that has as great a variety of legumes and as much respect for and pride in them as Spain. You can see displays in shops and markets of more than twenty types of beans, lentils, and chickpeas, with cards giving their provenance, down to the name of the village where they were grown. Beans — small or huge; round or flat; white, black, red, pale green, or speckled — are grown in many different parts of Spain. Apart from black-eyed peas and broad beans, they all came from the New World. By the sixteenth century, farmers were selling the dried legumes at markets. Generally referred to as alubias or judías, they also have regional names [Bean and Chickpea Stews]
~ ~ ~ ~
A research group identified thirty-six Spanish honeys. The most fragrant are those that come from bees that feed on the nectars of orange and lemon blossoms (my personal favorites); on rosemary, thyme, lavender, and heathers. There are also chestnut, blackberry, sage, alfalfa, clover, avocado, buckwheat, and eucalyptus honeys. The most common, called miliflores (a thousand flowers), are blends from different wildflowers. The most important single-source varieties come from sunflowers.
[honey { miel }]
Pepe Iglesias says there are seventeen varieties of indigenous apples in Asturias, ranging from sweet and semi-sweet to tart and slightly bitter, many of them used for making cider. Their Reineta apples, which seem to be one of the oldest apples around, are used for baking and cooking. According to the British National Fruit Collection, there are at least fifteen different types of Reinettes, most of them in France (the French say there are dozens), but none in Britain and possibly none in America — although there is one type in Canada. [reineta apples]
+ + + + +
If half stars were allowed, the rating would have been 4.5, and if there had been a recipe for the famous nougat, I would have assigned 5 stars.
April 13, 2018
The first 25% of the book details the history of Spain's cultural influences and the particulars of each region's cuisine. I certainly learned more history of Spain reading this than I ever did in school. Some people might find this part irrelevant, but those of us who like understanding how a country's history and culture influences what shows up on the table will appreciate Roden's efforts. There were sections were I wished for a little more color and livelier writing, but I wasn't bored.
I've not had a chance to make any of the recipes yet, but I have earmarked a couple dozen to try in the next few weeks. There are so many I want to try that it makes me wish I could have a bunch of people over for a Spanish theme party.
Comments below are on the Kindle edition --
At the beginning of the book is this disclaimer: "The pagination of this electronic edition does not match the edition from which it was created. To locate a specific passage, please use your ebook reader's search tools."
Ok...if I had paid full price for this, that might be a little annoying. Given I got it on sale, I'm not going to complain too much because the table of contents does list all recipes and every link I tested provided fast and flawless navigation. Still, it would have been nice had the index in the back also been coded with links to the recipes. (However, I'm not sure if it's even possible to link both index and TOC to the same page in an ebook. That's a question for someone who knows far more about Kindle formatting.)
The recipes are clearly written and well-formatted. Titles are in English (these linked to TOC) with Spanish translation underneath. Most recipes have a paragraph with either background information or serving suggestions. The font is clear and there is sufficient spacing for text so one doesn't have to losing one's place in a sea of text. Steps within the recipes aren't numbered, which is a pet peeve of mine in cookbooks, but at least paragraphs are indented. I thought the instructions were very clear. These dishes should be do-able by even novice cooks.
There are plenty of pictures of both Spain and specific dishes. Obviously the ebook format doesn't provide quite the same eye-candy as a printed book when it comes to photos, but all will expand to full size when double-tapped. The only issue I saw with the photos is that they are not labeled, so it took me a while to figure out that the photo, if provided, will precede its recipe.
Vegetarians and vegans should be aware that there's not going to be much for them in this book. Spanish food uses a lot of animal products. Trying to sub out ingredients to make these dishes vegetarian or vegan could probably be done, but you're going to end up with something so far from the original idea that it's really pointless to attempt it and expect good results.
I've not had a chance to make any of the recipes yet, but I have earmarked a couple dozen to try in the next few weeks. There are so many I want to try that it makes me wish I could have a bunch of people over for a Spanish theme party.
Comments below are on the Kindle edition --
At the beginning of the book is this disclaimer: "The pagination of this electronic edition does not match the edition from which it was created. To locate a specific passage, please use your ebook reader's search tools."
Ok...if I had paid full price for this, that might be a little annoying. Given I got it on sale, I'm not going to complain too much because the table of contents does list all recipes and every link I tested provided fast and flawless navigation. Still, it would have been nice had the index in the back also been coded with links to the recipes. (However, I'm not sure if it's even possible to link both index and TOC to the same page in an ebook. That's a question for someone who knows far more about Kindle formatting.)
The recipes are clearly written and well-formatted. Titles are in English (these linked to TOC) with Spanish translation underneath. Most recipes have a paragraph with either background information or serving suggestions. The font is clear and there is sufficient spacing for text so one doesn't have to losing one's place in a sea of text. Steps within the recipes aren't numbered, which is a pet peeve of mine in cookbooks, but at least paragraphs are indented. I thought the instructions were very clear. These dishes should be do-able by even novice cooks.
There are plenty of pictures of both Spain and specific dishes. Obviously the ebook format doesn't provide quite the same eye-candy as a printed book when it comes to photos, but all will expand to full size when double-tapped. The only issue I saw with the photos is that they are not labeled, so it took me a while to figure out that the photo, if provided, will precede its recipe.
Vegetarians and vegans should be aware that there's not going to be much for them in this book. Spanish food uses a lot of animal products. Trying to sub out ingredients to make these dishes vegetarian or vegan could probably be done, but you're going to end up with something so far from the original idea that it's really pointless to attempt it and expect good results.
August 18, 2012
A few months ago I reviewed a cookbook by Spanish Australian author Frank Camorra. In the comments to that post, Fay from Read, Ramble mentioned that a Spanish cookbook had just won the International Association of Culinary Professionals award in the International category. A quick check of the library catalogue and it was mine. Well....not mine mine, but temporarily mine! It should give you a good indication of how much I liked this book when I tell you that this book is actually on it's way to me as we speak because I ended up buying it!
First off, this is a huge book! At more than 600 pages long there is bound to be something for everyone in terms of the recipes. Really though, the thing that makes this book stand out from others I have read is that it is much, much more than a cookbook! In fact, in the first 120 pages there is not a single recipe included. Rather there is a fascinating breakdown of the food history of Spain, the way that the Jews and the Muslims influenced the cuisine of the different regions, the influence of classical French chefs and more. In addition, each region within Spain is examined with details on the kind of food that you might expect to find.
To read more, head to my full review
http://www.theintrepidreader.com/2012...
4.5/5
November 17, 2012
Good chunk of history at the forefront of this book on Spain and its regions. Essential ingredients for most recipes: waxy potatoes, beef tomatoes, leeks, pimenton dulce, jomon serrano or prosciutto, lentils, chickpeas, onion, olive oil, Manchego cheese, currants, artichokes, eggplant, fava peas, peas.
Recipes I selected were toward unique vegetarian or dishes that could be converted to vegetarian:
Pg. 185 Lentil soup. Used 3 oz of black olives in place of Prosciutto. Added a diced up Jalapeno (seeds and all) and then a squirt of lemon juice on top after serving with toasted bread and cheese.
Pg. 186 Spinach and chick pea soup. Another one that went so fast I wasn't able to get a picture of the finished meal.
Pg. 192 Cream of pumpkin soup.
Pg. 203 Scrambled eggs with asparagus and shrimp.
Pg. 209 Coca with roasted peppers and eggplants.
Pg. 253 Eggplant with bechamel and cheese.
Pg. 254 Sauteed vegetable medley.
Pg. 270 Marinated mushrooms with lemon.
Pg. 276 Red cabbage with apples, raisins, and pine nuts.
Pg. 320 Pan-grilled fish with garlic and chile dressing.
Pg. 330 Salmon with peas.
Pg. 332 Cadiz-style sea bream.
Recipes I selected were toward unique vegetarian or dishes that could be converted to vegetarian:
Pg. 185 Lentil soup. Used 3 oz of black olives in place of Prosciutto. Added a diced up Jalapeno (seeds and all) and then a squirt of lemon juice on top after serving with toasted bread and cheese.
Pg. 186 Spinach and chick pea soup. Another one that went so fast I wasn't able to get a picture of the finished meal.
Pg. 192 Cream of pumpkin soup.
Pg. 203 Scrambled eggs with asparagus and shrimp.
Pg. 209 Coca with roasted peppers and eggplants.
Pg. 253 Eggplant with bechamel and cheese.
Pg. 254 Sauteed vegetable medley.
Pg. 270 Marinated mushrooms with lemon.
Pg. 276 Red cabbage with apples, raisins, and pine nuts.
Pg. 320 Pan-grilled fish with garlic and chile dressing.
Pg. 330 Salmon with peas.
Pg. 332 Cadiz-style sea bream.
March 16, 2024
"The Food of Spain" by Claudia Roden is a comprehensive exploration of Spanish cuisine that deserves a full five-star rating. Roden's vibrant and enchanting guide delves into the diverse regions, histories, and cultures of Spain, providing an array of delicious recipes and traditional cooking techniques. I thoroughly enjoyed cooking from this book, testing 26 recipes, all of which were detailed, well-explained, and resulted in delightful dishes. This book is an excellent introduction to Spanish cuisine, offering insights and recipes that showcase the rich history and diversity of Spanish food. Highly recommended for those looking to extensively explore Spanish cuisine.
December 1, 2022
Fascinating, wide-flung, informative, and really, really large. The entire first section is a history and geography of Spain, and THEN she gives you chapters upon chapters of recipes. It is full of lovely photos for armchair travelers and also human interest tidbits. It shed so much light on certain elements of New Mexico (hello, Trujillo, Alburquerque, and San Ildefonso are places in Spain). I want to add this to my personal library.
I read the history section the week before Thanksgiving and it was perfect: reading about medieval Spanish peasant food makes you very grateful!
I read the history section the week before Thanksgiving and it was perfect: reading about medieval Spanish peasant food makes you very grateful!
December 14, 2025
Gorgeous recipe-cum-history lesson-cum love letter to Spain. Do yourself a favour and invest in the stunning hardback with the beautiful illustrations and border designs. I've made several of the recipes already and all have been divine, but enjoyed all the content in here, including the biographies of cooks that inspired Roden as she compiled this anthology.
June 26, 2019
An excellent tour of Spanish cuisine, with introductory chapters on the history of food development and specialty flavors and food ingredients. This is followed by regional differences and specialties. Very complete.
January 12, 2020
Interesting overview of the origins of Spanish dishes--e.g. remnants of Muslim and Jewish cuisine from before the Inquisition, adoption of French tastes, and early usage of American crops. Most importantly, there is a recipe for Andelusian pan con tomate.
January 23, 2022
Not the best cookbook, but definitely not the worst. Some interesting recipes, but not a cookbook that wowed me.
June 5, 2022
My favourite cookbook of all time
September 14, 2024
This is the most comprehensive volume on Spanish cuisine I’ve ever read.
December 31, 2024
One of my favorite cookbooks to read. Beautifully written, evocative and full of both interesting and practical information. I have yet to cook from it but five stars on narrative alone.
April 17, 2019
Packed with history, culture, recipes, photos, well organized and never dull, this is probably the best book about Spanish food you'll ever read. You can read it a handful of ways..............for a recipe, for anecdotes of Roden's life, and the general history of Spain, whether events or food. Loved, loved, loved this book.
This one is purchase worthy.
This one is purchase worthy.
August 18, 2019
Just randomnly read one of my first "food" related EPUBs and glad I did! I started off expecting some recipe cookbook, but turned out I learned a bit about the development of the Spanish cuisine: fascinating introduction to the food of Spain. 1/3 of the book is about the history and explanation on the traditional food per region, and 2/3 with recipes.
The book motivated me to hunt down other food-culture-history-development-books!
The book motivated me to hunt down other food-culture-history-development-books!
December 21, 2011
Delving into each region's culinary styles and preferred ingredients, Claudia Roden serves up a delightful cornucopia of Spanish history, culture and delicious food in this plump, gorgeously illustrated collection. Pepa's Fish Soup, the chosen test recipe, brings seafood and comfort food together in one pot. While the stew is perfumed with delicate saffron, potatoes and firm whitefish give the concoction enough substance to hit the spot on a chilly evening. A Catalan picada, a paste of almonds ground with garlic, joins the mixture at the end of cooking to provide thickening and a hint of subtle nuttiness.
Any chef interested in the home cooking of other countries will surely appreciate Roden's lavish offering in The Food of Spain, and while you won't get a finder's fee, you can hope for a finder's flan!
***This review originally appeared in Shelf Awareness Readers Edition. Sign up for this free and awesome newsletter at http://www.shelf-awareness.com for the latest news and reviews! This review refers to an ARC provided by Shelf Awareness.***
Any chef interested in the home cooking of other countries will surely appreciate Roden's lavish offering in The Food of Spain, and while you won't get a finder's fee, you can hope for a finder's flan!
***This review originally appeared in Shelf Awareness Readers Edition. Sign up for this free and awesome newsletter at http://www.shelf-awareness.com for the latest news and reviews! This review refers to an ARC provided by Shelf Awareness.***
March 28, 2021
I am not a connoisseuse of Spanish cuisine, by any means - but ya girl DABBLES. This cookbook was just okay in comparison to some others like Boqueria: A Cookbook, from Barcelona to New York which was not only beautiful but made me want to cook. The best thing that The Food of Spain had going was that it included a history section and that each recipe stated the region of origin.
February 28, 2013
07-15-2011: I liked so many recipes; that I copied all of them. I am trying to experiment with different ingredients; but in general; they are really easy. I will keep this book on my coffee table for many many years. It is just beautiful.
07-02-2011: Very complete; very thick. The paper is high-quality and the photographs are outstanding. I love the fact that I have eaten more than 75% of the things I see in it. I love this book. I will keep it on my living room table as a decorative item.
07-02-2011: Very complete; very thick. The paper is high-quality and the photographs are outstanding. I love the fact that I have eaten more than 75% of the things I see in it. I love this book. I will keep it on my living room table as a decorative item.
April 26, 2014
It may seem slightly eccentric to post a review of a cook book, but this is so much more than a cook book. That is because Claudia Roden is so much more than just a cook. She is an anthropologist, an author, an historian, and a world-class chef. She writes like a literary genius, and not just about food, but about Spanish history, language, and the remarkable synthesis that took place there over the centuries between Christian, Muslim and Jewish culture and the wonderful food that resulted from it. A must-have.
July 11, 2012
Good recipes; interesting fill in; bit of a cooks bible; could have done with some captions to the whereabouts of most of the photographs of places in Spain - ecellent photographs by the way. Was expecting more on acorn fed porkers and the distinctive taste but at least it gives a prominence to pulses and beans which are rarely covered by the 'new tapas' types who seem to miss how important these are in Spanish cooking - Oh and a REAL paella recipe plus the best clam soup I've ever made.
October 18, 2016
Much more than a cookbook, this is a history of Spanish food and a culinary guide to its regions. Interesting and useful if you really, really love Spanish cuisine. The writing leaves a little to be desired--sometimes it seems as if too many corners are being cut in order to fit in the gargantuan amount of information.
August 4, 2011
GORGEOUS. Huge and heavy and full of pictures and history and cultural background-- I didn't get to cook anything from it before having to return it to the library, but it's the kind of book you would love to have in your cookbook library.
June 13, 2013
Beautifully presented with good photos and inspiring recipes that I have wanted to try. Perhaps too much history and regional info at the front for my liking and could have done without the whole-page profiles of random Spanish cooks: I won't be reading those twice.
November 5, 2013
Another great book from Claudia Roden. Really love the depth of detail she goes to to explore the region who's food she is sharing with the reader. It will be added to the list of books to own one day...
April 14, 2016
My expectations were very high after Rodens' book on Jewish food. Sadly, this book is less comprehensive with more 'fancy' recipes than what is feasible for me in day-to-day cooking. The background information on Spanish food is worth reading though!
December 7, 2011
Fantastic recipes, stunning photography. Already I keep coming back to it.
March 8, 2013
gorgeous photography and authentic recipes (I assume)
July 8, 2013
love, love, love this book!!
Wonderful stories and history about the food and the regions.
Wonderful stories and history about the food and the regions.
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