audiobook The Foods and Wines of Spain by Penelope Casas in History

Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Best Spanish Cookbook AvailableBy wellsd8425This isn't a new cookbook; and Penelope Casas has written a few that supplement it; but it ranks alongside James Beard's cookbooks for quality and utility!. I lived in Spain for four years; and came to love the food. This copy of the book was a replacement for the copy that finally fell apart after many years of hard use. Having to discard the old copy was like discarding an old lover! Receipes are easy to follow; ingredients are easy to find. When unique ingredients are needed; Casas gives you enough information to find them- and this was before the Internet which now makes it a breeze; even when living in rural South Carolina! I highly recomment this book for anyone who likes Spanish food or who would like to try it. Just a few recipes; like Fabada Asturiana; Cocido Madrileno and Fideus (Paella with noodles instead of rice) make it worth the cost!2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Best Spanish cookbook ever! Absolutely delicious!By Jennifer GuerreroThis book is fantastic! I was disappointed at first because there are no photos. After trying the recipes; photos schmotos!Pictured below are some of our favorites:1)The Entrecôte Al Queso Cabrales (steak with blue cheese sauce) p.297 is amazing! It's one of the best steaks I've ever had. And the green salad with El Alino Dressing that she suggests as a pairing is spot on. It's strongly flavored enough to stand next to that blue cheese sauce.2) Sausage Rolled in Pork Fillet p.311 with Potatoes and Green Beans; Extemadura Style p.96. Divine dinner!3) Stuffed Green Peppers and Zucchini p.316. Complete meal in itself. It takes an hour to bake at the end; so I love to do this one as a prep ahead meal. Delicious.4) Tapas dinner. Alcondigas (pork balls) with Garlic Aioli p.28; Champinones a la Segovia (mushrooms; Segovia style) p.35; and Gambas al Ajillo Meson Botin (garlic shrimp) p.5. Delicious dinner. We couldn't decide if the decadent pork balls in garlicky mayo or bacony winey mushrooms were better. The kids loved those!There are five different Paella recipes. I love the Tapas chapter. Buy this alone before you start buying paella and tapas books. There's a strong chance this will happily fill all of those categories for you. If not; Casas has books dedicated to those that you can pick up later. I have the paella one and love it. She's brilliant.21 of 21 people found the following review helpful. Exhaustive research and recipes that workBy A CustomerThe great virtue of this book is its down-to-earth simplicity; you probably have the ingredients in your fridge and cupboards right now to make 60-70% of the recipes. What a relief; after putting up with the needs of many of today's slick cookbooks; e.g.; flipping through a recent "simple" cookbook of a star chef in NYC; I discover I need 3 vanilla beans; fresh chervil; and grapeseed oil. Huh? Who the heck has the time to track this stuff down; let alone use it again in the next 3 years?Ms. Casas has obviously been very careful to anticipate such problems; everything seems to have been tried over and over with the average US kitchen in mind. And amazingly; the dishes still turn out exotic and "Spanish." I have no ability to vouch for authenticity; but who cares; the bottom line is that these recipes work and are absolutely delicious.I also appreciate the suggested accompanying vegetables and wine. Two favorite main courses: Rice and Chicken; Chicken with Pine Nuts.In addition to the above virtues; Ms. Casas gives a straight-forward history for each of the recipes; giving context and conveying a keen intelligence and quiet passion that leave the reader wanting to try every single one of these dishes. The research is complete and stunning. There is no hype or filler. This book is a keeper.