From Publishers Weekly
Casas (Discovering Spain; Tapas) continues her thorough exploration of Spanish cooking with this superbly organized and definitive cookbook. For each region of the country she chooses a specialty. For example, labeling the Southeastern coast as the "Region of the Rices," she includes a history of rice growing in Spain and of the area, as well as brief overviews on such related topics as paella and saffron. Chatty, engaging and full of detail, the book could easily double as a travel (or at least restaurant) guide. The recipes are outstanding. In that same chapter there are 14 rice dishes, none repetitive and all tempting, from a simple and classic Rice with Greens to the more complex Vegetable Paella with Mint-Scented Meatballs. Each regional section contains "Notes on Regional Wines." Casas does not hesitate to challenge the home cook with unusual fare, such as Black Sausage with Raisins and Pine Nuts, or with unfamiliar techniques, such as soaking bacalao in cold water for two to three days in the recipe for Dried Cod in Onion and Red Pepper Puree. The rewards, however, are rich and varied. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Casas, the author of Tapas (LJ 9/15/85) and two other books about Spain, is an authority on Spanish cuisine. Here she explores the traditional cooking of the country's diverse regions, including the Canary Islands. She devotes a separate chapter to tapas before turning to northern Spain, "Region of the Sauces," Catalunya, "Region of the Casseroles," and the rest of the country, providing more than 400 recipes in all. There are notes on regional wines, boxes on such topics as cooking with salt cod, and thoughtful, informative headnotes accompanying the mouth-watering recipes. "Mediterranean cooking" has been wildly popular for several years, but it is only recently that the term has really come to refer to cuisines beyond those of Italy and southern France, making Casas's cookbook, one of the few on Spain, particularly timely. An essential purchase.Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Spain might seem like neighboring suburbs thanks to this author's wonderful culinary introduction to each of Spain's seven regions. Sidebars delight and inform about such topics as the saltiness of salt cod, the anonymity of Spanish sherry wine vinegar, the diversity of gazpacho, and the versatility of the tortilla-cum-potato omelet. Readers will find more than 400 simple but authentic dishes to re-create. Barbara Jacobs


Midwest Book Review
The regional cooking of Spain is explored in sixty new recipes for tapas and unusual local dishes not to be found in many Spanish cookbooks available to Americans. From a mint-scented meatball dish with vegetable paella to an unusual sweet spinach custard and many fish choices, this is packed with wonderful fare recommended for experienced home cooks.


Book Description
Bursting with the enticing and varied flavors of the seven culinary regions of Spain, this new cookbook by the most knowledgeable American expert on Spanish cuisine takes readers on a gastronomic journey filled with new discoveries. Over 400 recipes. of color photos.


From the Inside Flap
Bursting with the enticing and varied flavors of the seven culinary regions of Spain, this new cookbook by the most knowledgeable American expert on Spanish cuisine takes readers on a gastronomic journey filled with new discoveries. Over 400 recipes. of color photos.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Bursting with the enticing and varied flavors of the seven culinary regions of Spain, this new cookbook by Penelope Casas, the most knowledgeable American expert on Spanish cuisine, takes us on a gastronomic journey full of new discoveries. By digging into old Spanish cookbooks and family recipe collections, by observing local cooks at home and chefs at work, Penelope Casas has unearthed all the essential cooking techniques and the subtle flavor secrets that make authentic Spanish food so appealing. Year after year, she and her Spanish husband have shepherded groups of American tourists, exploring the remotest corners of Spain as well as the more traveled areas, discovering extraordinary new eating experiences. She knows exactly what appeals to American tastes and what we yearn to reproduce at home. Now she has translated all of her findings into recipes that will be every bit as delicious prepared in your own kitchen as on their native soil.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Casas (Discovering Spain; Tapas) continues her thorough exploration of Spanish cooking with this superbly organized and definitive cookbook. For each region of the country she chooses a specialty. For example, labeling the Southeastern coast as the "Region of the Rices," she includes a history of rice growing in Spain and of the area, as well as brief overviews on such related topics as paella and saffron. Chatty, engaging and full of detail, the book could easily double as a travel (or at least restaurant) guide. The recipes are outstanding. In that same chapter there are 14 rice dishes, none repetitive and all tempting, from a simple and classic Rice with Greens to the more complex Vegetable Paella with Mint-Scented Meatballs. Each regional section contains "Notes on Regional Wines." Casas does not hesitate to challenge the home cook with unusual fare, such as Black Sausage with Raisins and Pine Nuts, or with unfamiliar techniques, such as soaking bacalao in cold water for two to three days in the recipe for Dried Cod in Onion and Red Pepper Pure. The rewards, however, are rich and varied. (Apr.)

Library Journal

Casas, the author of Tapas (LJ 9/15/85) and two other books about Spain, is an authority on Spanish cuisine. Here she explores the traditional cooking of the country's diverse regions, including the Canary Islands. She devotes a separate chapter to tapas before turning to northern Spain, "Region of the Sauces," Catalunya, "Region of the Casseroles," and the rest of the country, providing more than 400 recipes in all. There are notes on regional wines, boxes on such topics as cooking with salt cod, and thoughtful, informative headnotes accompanying the mouth-watering recipes. "Mediterranean cooking" has been wildly popular for several years, but it is only recently that the term has really come to refer to cuisines beyond those of Italy and southern France, making Casas's cookbook, one of the few on Spain, particularly timely. An essential purchase.

BookList - Barbara Jacobs