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Spanish Cookery Books
The
interest in cooking generated by a host of TV programmes, has
produced a massive increase in books related to the subject.
Foreign food has been enthusiastically embraced and holidaymakers
returning from warmer climes have been eager to reproduce some of
the dishes enjoyed abroad. Cookery books are now high on the
list of top selling Christmas presents. Spanish cooking
has seen a huge surge in popularity with people keen to try some of
the staples like paella and tapas and even the more unusual regional
specialities.
Tapas
Nobody quite knows the origin of tapas, some people believe they
were introduced from north Africa during the Moorish invasion of
Spain, while others think that they were a later invention. A
popular concept is that bar owners placed small dishes on top of
drinks to keep away flies. Gradually small morsels of food
were placed on the dishes as snacks and the process evolved to what
it is today. Whatever their origin, tapas bars
have become incredibly popular in recent years. Once exclusive
to Spain, tapas bars have sprung up all over the world and the
clamour for recipes has resulted in a huge variety of books
dedicated to the subject. Below, you can find just a few of the many
tapas books available with customer reviews.
Quick And Easy Tapas by Silvane Franc
"this is an okay book but there is very little that makes you go 'mmmm
yeah ill have to make that' i think i ll keep looking for that
perfect tapas book"
Tapas by Penelope Casas
"Tapas are always a hit with guests. For parties, I usually choose a
few tapas that can be made beforehand (ie, the maninated tapas) and
then serve a couple of hot tapas that require last-minute
preparation. Nothing could be easier! Favorite recipes include
garlic shrimp, tortilla, those delicious bite-sized meatballls and
marinated shrimp. I enthusiastically recommend this book!"
Tapas by Adrian Lissen
"I approached this book with some trepidation, it is so cheap! Would
it give me enough range of recipes to be able to cater for a range
of tastes? Oh yes...just about 100 recipes some simple and
vegetarian (some suitable for vegans) and meat dishes, complex
centrepiece items like empanada, great illustrations and all for the
price of a bottle of CHEAP supermarket plonk. You can't get better
value."
Great Tapas by Silvana Franco
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"This is
one of the best cookery books I have ever used. We
recently had a Tapas party and I borrowed 7 books from
our local library. We only used this one in the end
because it was so good and I've now bought it.
The recipes are clearly written in the step-by-step
method, often with complicated steps individually
illustrated. There is a large clear photo of each
completed dish. Many of the recipes have very helpful
"Cook's Tips", such as letting you know what items can
be pre-prepared. There are a good number of
vegetarian recipes, but our favourites were the Chorizo
Puffs, Banderillas and Grilled Asparagus with Salt-cured
Ham." |
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The Book of
Tapas and Spanish Cooking by Hilary Walden |
"Whilst it may only be short, this book is packed with great
recipies from all regions of Spain. Spainish cooking is often
stereotyped as Paella and Tortilla (Spanish Omlette) this book shows
the variety of styles available in simple to follow instructions and
good photography. I would particularly recommend the recipie for
empanda (it's worth the effort!) and lamb in green sauce."
Tapas by Pepita Aris
No customer reviews
New Tapas by Fiona Dunlop
"This is also one of my favourite recipe books. The recipes seem
abit overwheming at first but the more I look at it, the more I
discover ones to make! My favourites are lentil and chorizo stew and
spinach and chickpeas. The good thing about the recipes is that
although they say 'for 4 tapas' they create a large amount of food
(the stew does 4-5 main meal portions and the prawn and apinach loaf
was a big loaf tin's worth.(not eating it again for a while)) There
are good recipes for bbqs and outdoor summer eating, as well as the
hearty winter fare! There's also the sense that the next time you're
in spain you can check out the tapas bars without them being out of
your league!!! I've bought my salt cod for the salt cod and spinach
pealla and plan to make honey marinaded chicken really soon! It's a
fantastic book and really 'real'."
A taste of Spain in
America by Jose Andres
"One of the most marvellous recipe books of Spanish tapas and
cooking available in English. I have it in Spanish and English...
and it you just can not go wrong following his instructions. So
clearly explained, with entertaining stories associated with each
and every recipe. In many ways Jose has betrayed the secrets
of Spanish cooking, so you too can enjoy it at home, and the
surprise is how easy it is to relive those moments on holiday.
You can get most of the ingredients from you local sava centre or
waitrose... and away you. Enjoy calamares en su tinta (squid
in their own ink) though finding the ink in the UK maybe a bit of a
challenge. Delight in alioli (garlic sauce) easy to make and
great fun to eat. Squids with onions... a whole wealth of
fantastic gastronomic adventures, that are neither expensive nor
difficult to execute. Jose has a regular cooking program on
Spanish TV every weekday night, and it is a joy to watch. This book
gives you many of his greatest recipes, without the need to go to
Spain to watch the telly. He has several restaurants in the
USA, but nothing can compare to doing it yourself at home. Buy
it, cook it, eat it, enjoy it.... the best buy you'll ever make if
you like tapas."
Buy Tapas from Online Spanish Food Supermarket
If you need authentic Spanish products to make
your tapas and help you in your regional cooking, try The Tapas
Lunch Company. Not Just Chorizo and
Paella! Wide Range, Great Prices Free delivery in the UK for
orders over £35 |
Regional Spanish Cooking
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The contrasts of
climate in the regions of Spain are reflected in the diverse
nature of Spanish cooking . The "green" north with
it's lush meadows and rugged coasts produce a wide variety of
dairy products, game and seafood. The scorching southern
areas have ideal growing conditions for a wide variety of
fruit and vegetables and the Mediterranean coast is home to
many species of fish. Other influences include the
legacy left by the Moorish invasion, especially in Andalucia
where distinct north African flavours mix with the local
specialities. Spanish cooking has gained in popularity and
there are now a wide variety of books available with national
and regional dishes Spanish. We've listed some of the
favourites below with customer reviews where available.
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1080 Spanish Recipes by Simone Ortega
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"You will not be
disappointed with this book. Every meal I have cooked was
delicious (must have been 10 different ones so far). It is
excellent for both advanced and inexperienced cooks. The soup
section is amazing. Simple paella (No. 210) is really, very
simple and tasty.
I would recommend it as a gift for anyone."
"having just
borrowed this book from my local library I'm now rushing to
order my own copy. even after a quick ruffle though you can
see how well used this is going to become, i doubt it will
leave the kitchen! the recipes are simple and look delicious,
the illustrations are pretty and the little photo pages are
useful i think anyone would find many favourites in this book,
one to be handed down the family cooking stains on pages and
all, now I'm inspired to find out about italy's favourite
cookbook "the silver spoon"
"I had heard
about 1080 Recipes from Spanish friends, who claim that this
book is the most reliable guide to cooking Spanish food. My
language skills are OK, but not up to following recipes, so
it's great to have the book in English. It's a substantial
volume, with lots of colourful illustrations and it's going to
take me a while to work through all the recipes. As you might
expect there are a lot of seafood recipes - almost 150, but I
was pleasantly surprised to find 136 pages on Vegetables and
Mushrooms, which will help me to do more interesting things
with the contents of the weekly veg box. It would make a great
Christmas present - it's more interesting than the Nigella/Jamie
books! I have to give it five stars, as it's such good value
for such a beautiful, and useful, book."
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The Catalan Country Kitchen by Marimar Torres
No customer reviews
No customer reviews
The Food of Northern Spain by Jenny Chandler
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"Not just
another 'cook book' thank Gawd! Spanish food has never looked
or tasted so good. I was bought it for Christmas and can
honestly say that it's changed my eating habits….. for the
better! Expert, but easy to follow descriptions; make this
book a must for all food lovers. Although we visit Gran
Canaria often, we are now planning a trip to Northern Spain.
Thanks 'Jenny Chandler' for a refreshing, informative
Christmas present!" |
The Real Taste of Spain by Jenny Chandler
No customer reviews
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Delioso Regional
Cooking of Spain by Penelope Casas |
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"I first learned
of Casas when I read her "Uncommon Guide" to Spain. She
clearly loves the country and is devoted to its accurate
representation. Her "Uncommon Guide" focused on areas and
their foods. "Delicioso!" is the next best thing to
discovering Spain. If you can't go, you can at least make the
food. Her recipes are detailed and easy to follow. She also
gives you some background on the recipes and covers tapas to
seafood to desserts. The results are truly delicioso!"
"The author has
collected recipes from homemakers and reticent restaurant
owner and brings them to us in a complete, intelligent and
well written presentation. For those of us that had the
pleasure of eating regional Spanish cuisine, this book is a
treat that fills us with nostalgia and the urge to try one
recipe after another. A refreshing and important addition to
the library of any serious cook" |
No customer reviews
La Paella by Jeff Koehler
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"A fantastic
book. Compact in size and meaty in content, it entices you
with its simple and informative receipes to cook and eat
paella. Who knew there were so many? Rosa's Shellfish Paella
is a particular favourite, that once cooked takes you back to
wonderful lazy lunches on the coast of Spain. Embelished with
beautiful photography and personal insights from the author it
is a gem. Plus the book is such a great size (A5ish) - it's
the perfect present. Everyone will get one this Christmas,
with a Paella dish... so there will be no excuses for others
to make me one of these mouthwatering dishes."
These are just a
fraction of the Spanish Cookery books available, we just
haven't got the space to list them all. To browse
through everything available, use the Amazon search box below. |
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