The Food of Spain and Portugal Cookbook

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Description: History and geography have conspired with cooks to create one ofthe most varied and rewarding cuisines in the world, that of Spain and Portugal. Together they make up the Iberian Peninsula, and its landscape ranges from arid mountain pasture to lush orchards and meadows, from magnificent coasts to sophisticated towns. It is an area of Europe much fought over and much invaded; the Romans and, more importantly, the Moors brought with them elements oftheir own cooking which linger in the unique heritage of Spain and Portugal. Drawing on a wealth of meat, poultry, and unrivaled seafood, the cuisine of Spain and Portugal also enjoys unparalleled riches from the vegetable kingdom: the ripest red tomatoes; incomparable sweet onions; brilliant scarlet and green peppers; pears; peaches; plums; cherries and strawberries. There are olives in great profusion; there are vineyards of singular character; and there are the essential citrus fruits —lemons and, of course, the oranges of Seville. 

The history of Spain and Portugal has largely been created by food. It was to discover the new route to the fabled spice islands of the East that Columbus sailed to encounter America, and the same goal prompted the maritime exploits of Portugal's Prince Henry the Navigator. Both nations founded empires comprised largely of their accidental discovery of a new continent. 

From the New World they introduced the tomato, the potato, the sweet potato, vanilla, the Aztec's sacred drink of chocolate, many varieties of beans, zucchini, and the pepper tribe, ranging from the innocuous to the unbearably fiery. The possessions of Spain and Portugal in the authentic Orient meant that further ingredients were brought to the European table. Thus Iberian cuisine can echo the cooking of the Middle East with its use of honey and of cumin, and that of the Americas with dishes of magnificent richness combining meat with chocolate. Yet the most extraordinary thing about this cuisine is that it is essentially family cooking, comparatively simple to prepare and characterized by fresh, complementary flavors. There are succulent ways of cooking vegetables such as tossed green beans from Valencia; there is chicken breast with pine nuts from Seville; fish soup with sweet peppers from Andalucia; chicken with eggplant from Catalonia; roast duckling from the Basque country; veal stuffed with cinnamon from Extremadura; and fresh figs in red wine from Oporto, to select but a handful of the authentic delicacies recorded by the author. 

For those led to believe that only France and Italy created cuisines of the first rank, this book will be a delightful surprise. As the hidden regions of Spain and Portugal become properly appreciated for their art, history, and natural beauty, so too will their magnificent regional cuisines. This collection is intended to be at once an introduction to and the definitive collection of the finest recipes from the Iberian Peninsula. 

About Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz

Ortiz is an award-winning author of numerous cookbooks, is noted for her authenticity and accuracy. Her recipes are written in her trademark style, clear, concise, and easy to follow. Her books on Mexico, the Caribbean, and Latin America are considered classics. A Londoner, she has lived and worked in countries all over the world and has knowledge of the cookery of all five continents. Though she has been described as a culinary historian and a food anthropologist, she prefers to call herself a simple food writer. Her researches into the cooking of Spain and Portugal began when she started work on her first book, The Complete Book of Mexican Cooking, searching for the origins of that complex kitchen. She has never lost her interest in the Iberian Peninsula, returning over the years to learn more about a cuisine that has always fascinated her. This book is the result of that work. She presently divides her time between London and New York. 

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Condition: Bookboards, interior pages and dust jacket are in very nice condition.