Cúrate: Authentic Spanish Food from an American Kitchen

by Genevieve Ko, Evan Sung (Photographer)

The vibrant flavors of Spain brought into the American home kitchen by a young lauded chef and founder of one of America's most acclaimed new restaurantsKatie Button debuts her first cookbook ever as a peek inside the kitchen of her award-winning restaurant, Cúrate. This cookbook features 125 recipes celebrating the vibrant flavors and broad appeal of Spanish food. Button brings the cuisine at Cúrate into the kitchen of every home cook, showing readers how to re-create classic Spanish dishes and adapt them using American seasonal ingredients.From cherished traditions (Tortilla Española; Chicken Paella) to mouthwatering new favorites (Ham and Cheese Stuffed Fried Pork Chops; Ribeye Steak with Blue Cheese Sauce) to celebratory drinks and desserts (The Perfect Gin and Tonic; Almond Cake with Cream Sherry and Brandy), Cúrate brings Spain to you.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Food and Drink

466 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 11, 2016

Reviews

[Andreas Glaeser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a cookbook junkie. I have well over 200 of them. I can't help myself. My wife's nagging has led me to start paring down my collection. I now borrow from the library and check out a book before I buy it. I put little adhesive page markers onto pages that have recipes that intrigue me, and I would want to try. I had several just in the appetizer section. Many more followed. By the time I got to lentils with pork belly and Yukon Gold potatoes, I realized there was a marker on more pages than not. Two weeks after borrowing, reading, and cooking a few recipes from this one, I bought my own copy. If I get one good recipe that I will make multiple times out of a cookbook, then by my standards, it has paid for itself. If I get more than one, it is a bargain. I guessing this one will have well over ten by the time I am really done with it. This is a cookbook I fully intend to keep, and will continue to go back to. I suspect that as I make more and more dishes from it, I will become even fonder of it than I already am.

There are cookbooks that simply list ingredients, and describe a process. I have many of these. You simply follow the recipe. You don't really learn anything else, and if things don't quite go the way they should, you are given no guidance. I prefer cookbooks in which there is a bit more detail and information. Sometimes I don't need it, and after more than forty years of cooking, some of that period spent working in restaurants, I have picked up a lot, and often books that simply provide an ingredient list and a process are sufficient. This book offers much more than that, and particularly for someone who has spent less time in kitchens and cooking, that extra information may prove very valuable. I'll discuss just one recipe as an example, the tortilla Española recipe. It is very specific about the amounts, and the size of the pan in which you want to make it. It discusses the cooking and what to look for, and how to correct/compensate if it is deviating from the desired goal. I have made this dish successfully before, using recipes I found online. I have not seen a recipe anywhere else that is this detailed and this thoughtful. When I made it, it turned out beautifully, and I felt that I had learned a few things to monitor that will be helpful down the road when I make this dish again, and perhaps others as well. There are many other recipes that are equally wonderful in their attention to detail. I will also say that there are combinations that are just very intriguing to me. Not to disparage Italian food, which I also adore, but I have many Italian cookbooks, and many of them suffer from similarity. You read one recipe, and then another and the similarities are what strike you. Many seem better suited for a coffee table than a kitchen. I simply love wide range of ingredients and combinations that this cookbook provides.

When living in Europe, my wife and I sometimes took two hour train rides to go to a specific restaurant. I may have to visit Asheville, NC and check out the restaurant.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I set the bar too high for cookbooks about Spanish cuisine. Maybe I really don't understand what "Spanish cuisine" is? I'm not sure. I check cookbooks out hoping this will be the one, the ONE, I have been waiting to add to my library... then I begin to read, and begin to be sad. A long and perhaps unnecessary lead in to my review of this book: I began reading, thought sad thoughts about not needing another recipe for boquerones and olives, stuffed piquillos, tomato bread... and then snapped the eff out of it and realized this is a GREAT book. It may not be whatever mystical cookbook I envision, but it is beautiful, approachable and my stomach is growling because I am thinking of those meatballs, and the pasta stuffed with meat sauce and covered in manchego, and the frozen meringue with almonds...

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've eaten at Cúrate a couple of times, and the food there is absolutely incredible. I really love the flavors, the spice without major heat, and the variety of the dishes. I've wanted to attempt to replicate some of the tapas at home, but I had no idea where to start. So to have this cookbook is fantastic. I don't know a lot about Spanish cuisine, but looking at this book from the perspective of an intermediate level home cook, it's excellent. I made four of the dishes for my anniversary with my boyfriend: homemade potato chips with serrano ham and fried egg, white asparagus with lemon vinaigrette and airy mayonnaise, ribeye steaks with blue cheese sauce, and one of Cúrate's most popular dishes, patatas bravas.

Cooking for two people was a little tricky as many of the recipes offer measurements for a set of small plates, but I was able to recalibrate for the most part. The one place where I overmade was the sauces for the patatas bravas, which was lucky for my friends since I was able to share the wealth! Two of the recipes I made--the bravas and the white asparagus--were dishes I'd had at the restaurant, and they tasted exactly as good at home. The other two were also delicious. I'm sure I didn't do my health any favours by eating all of these things but my soul was pleased.

In terms of design, the cookbook is laid out very well; beautiful photos punctuate many of the recipes, and the writing of the recipes were straightforward. I anticipated needing a lot of special ingredients, but almost everything I needed for all four recipes could be found at my local grocery store. (Shoutout to Publix for carrying jarred white asparagus.) I'm very, very excited about trying a lot of the other recipes. I'm looking forward to Katie Button's cookbook becoming a go-to.

[Benjamin Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a handsome cookbook—gorgeous photography and pleasant design—and the recipes fall into the just-right amount of complicated for me. Of those recipes attempted so far, all have been great. There are a lot of unique flavor combinations here, in addition to the tried-and-true Spanish standards. Many cookbooks make a great first impression, but then get hardly referenced after the first few recipe attempts. I anticipate this one will be brought down from the shelf again and again, even if only to look at the pictures.

[Astri · Rating 5 out of 5]

My standard way to test if a Spanish cookbook is good is to make and rate the Patatas Bravas - and my god these were bang on. Awesome recipes for basics like a fried egg, paella, plus I am totally salivating over the Spanish coffee with orange whipped cream, and roasted strawberry sorbet (whaaaat!!!!). Can’t wait to make and learn more (especially the vegetables chapter) from this cookbook.

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 4 out of 5]

liked by Adria, Andres and especially Suzanne Goin

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In this gorgeous book, chef Katie Button has captured the spirit and conviviality of Spanish cooking and brought it to the American table. The well-written recipes, beautiful photographs, and passionate approach make me want to run to the kitchen, book a flight to Asheville, and travel to Spain all at the same time!

Suzanne Goin

As a Spanish chef in America, I am so jealous of this book. Nobody embraces Spain in the heart of America with more poetry, passion, and perfection than Katie. She and her husband Felix, are family to me, and I feel great joy seeing how she has grown as a person and as a chef.
Jose Andres

With this book, Katie brings the true essence of Spanish cuisine to the American kitchen. Katie and Felix are the perfect example of how dedication, passion, talent, and a shared dream can lead to the greatest success.
Albert Adria

[Charles Eldridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. The author/chef has enjoyed quite the culinary journey. The recipes focus on a Spanish-inspired cuisine. I felt most of the Spanish influence was presented early on with more farm-to-table American cuisine starting to fill in the pages. That’s not a knock, as the chef/author has a talent for presenting delicious looking meals. The recipes themselves were presented well and accompanied by pictures to show the final dish and in some instances the process to get there. If I’m ever in Asheville, NC I absolutely would make a point to enjoy this restaurant and then perhaps I would purchase the cookbook as a souvenir. But right now, it doesn’t seem to fit a niche in my cookbook library that deserves shelf space.

[Marguerite Hargreaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gorgeous book, from the head chef of a restaurant in nearby Asheville, N.C., lets cooks re-create the tastes of Spain at home. The recipes include background information and anecdotes and are written clearly. There are some specialty ingredients, but Katie Button includes generous information about substitutions, too -- a refreshing dynamic from a celebrity chef. I harvested more than half a dozen recipes to attempt at home. For the rest, I'll patronize the restaurant. I might buy a copy of the book, too.

Some recipes that interest me:
Cold Almond Soup with Crab and Green Grapes
Tuna and Tomato Salad
Fresh Cod with Tomato Sauce and Garbanzos
Meatballs with Serrano Ham in Tomato Sauce
Marcona Almond Holiday Cookies
Raspberry Lavender Sorbet

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chef Amy Button delves into the myriad flavours of Spanish food with knowledgeable admiration and precise understanding. The recipes here are not just colourful and tempting, they are delivered with a special familiar expertise that inspires the reader to discover continental new favourites. Some lovely American adaptations don't detract from the overall creativity and inspiration of this book. A bold intro to the cuisine of Spain and Amy Button's approachable tour of Iberian flavours.

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeously photographed, but nothing that screamed for me to make it right away.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Spanish inspired recipes from our favorite Asheville NC restaurant.

[Aasinathena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waited so long for this book and loved every page !

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having lived in Spain as an American, this book was very helpful in quenching the homesickness I felt for the amazing food I ate! This cookbook has some authentic Spanish recipes like croquettas, tortilla espanola, and paella. Some of the dishes would be a little more on the expensive side due to the scarcity of the ingredients here in the U.S.