This beautifully photographed book celebrates the diverse gastronomy of Spain. Anyone who has ventured beyond the Costas will know that Spain has a wide culinary span, with dishes prepared from the freshest of local, and seasonal, ingredients.
Divided into the 17 provinces, including the Canary Islands and the Balearics, the recipes have been created by Mario Sandoval, the youngest chef to gain a Michelin star in Spain. The dishes vary from the traditional, the modern, through to the avant-garde, for Mario has taken the traditional recipes and updated them without losing their roots. One of my personal favourites, Spanish omelette, for instance, features as a deconstructed version, served with cod and beetroot.
From the cool pastureland of Asturias in the north, to the volcanic landscape of Lanzarote, lovers of all things Hispanic will find an excuse to go into the kitchen and turn out their cupboards!
Award-winning journalist and wine expert John Radford has matched local wines with the recipes, and, interestingly, has recommended three choices with each- Special occasion, Sunday lunch, and everyday. Just as the food of Spain has evolved, so the winemakers have adapted to the new methods and equipment.It is hard to believe that a country that can produce a wine as sweet and sticky as Pedro Ximenez Sherry, can also produce the delicate Verdejo from Rueda and the robust reds from Rioja.
The rich cultural heritage of Spain comes out in the use of spices and sweet fruits, so beloved by the Moorish invaders, together with the Spanish way of doing things: in Andalucia, for instance, none of the pig is wasted, so that you might find pigâs trotters on the same menu as the mouth-watering Jamon, cut so thinly that you can see the plate through the meat.
The fishing grounds of the Atlantic give way to the paddy fields of Valencia, where Paella is King, overflowing with all manner of fish, meat, and shellfish.
Definitely worth a place on the worktop, you will find yourself dipping into this book again and again, and if you can find some of the rarer wines, all well and good.
Buen Provecho!
