Books
- Food and drink
There is no subject that the
Spanish are more fond of than food and drink. From the lowliest
tapa accompanying a drink to the most elaborate feast. With so
many different influences colouring it's cuisine, you can be sure
to find something to suit any taste.
In this section we've assembled
a list of books which, whilst by no means exhaustive, will give
you a taste of Spanish cuisine.
If there is a book, missing
from this list, which you feel would be of interest, please let
us know at Manilva Life
 Tapas,
the Little Dishes of Spain
A wonderful introduction to Spain's colourful and exciting "little
dishes," this attractive cookbook provides the reader with
an extensive range of tapas from many regions. The dishes described
are as versatile as they are delicious, and although some are
rather time-consuming, most are not complicated. A glossary of
ingredients, shopping information, hints on techniques and utensils,
tips for throwing your own tapas party, and carefully planned
menus for a variety of occasions make this a very useful guide.
Read
more or purchase....
 Floyd
on Spain
Celebrates the strongly regional cuisine of Spain with its different
historical influences, with stews and soups from Galicia, Basque
cuisine, rice recipes from Valencia and Moorish sweet dishes from
Andalucia. A great book from this former resident of Manilva.
Read
more or purchase....
 Cooking
in Spain
Janet Mendel's definitive guide to cooking in Spain, with more
than 400 great traditional recipes. Complete information on regional
specialities and culinary history, how to buy the best at the
market, English-Spanish glossary and handy conversion guide. (376
pages). Illustrated Read
More or purchase....
 Mediterranean
Seafood
Since it was first published in 1979, Mediterranean Seafood has
become the most authoritative handbook to every kind of fish and
crustacean, mollusc and other marine creature that can be found
in the Mediterranean Sea. The first part of the book catalogues
each species of seafood, giving the name - in seven different
languages, helpful facts about the species and useful tips on
how to cook it. The second part features sections covering traditional
recipes from each Mediterranean country. Read
More or purchase....
 The
Tio Pepe Guide to the Seafood of Spain and Portugal
Seafood is one of the many pleasures of the Iberian Peninsula
There is a rich harvest to enjoy. The choice is so wide, it can
be confusing. This guide, with its descriptions and drawings of
270 species of the region, will turn you into an expert, whether
shopping for fish at the market or scanning a restaurant menu.
(192 pages). Read
More or purchase....
 Paella
In this text, Penelope Casa presents 60 paella recipes - some
traditional, some her own creation - and shows how some of the
preparation can be done ahead of time. She also details recipes
for a collection of tapas, Spanish meal starters, simple desserts
and a handful of broths and sauces. Read
More or purchase....
 Spanish
Bar and Restaurant Cooking
This collection of authentic recipes with an emphasis on regional
dishes is accompanied by step-by-step instructions and a guide
to Spanish techniques and equipment. Paella, tapas and sangrias
are just some of the recipes included. Read
More or purchase....
 Delicioso!
Regional Cooking of Spain
The author, Penelope Casa, 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 Read
More or purchase....
 Spanish
Food and Cooking
This collection takes you through the culinary history of Spain
with a photographic catalogue of all the classic Spanish ingredients,
from fantastic cheeses and hams to olive oils and shellfish. There
are over 150 step-by-step recipes to try, with chapters devoted
to tapas, soup and eggs, rice and pasta, vegetables and salads,
fish and shellfish, poultry and game birds, meat and game, and
desserts and baking. You will be spoilt for choice with classics
such as potato tortilla, spinach with raisins and pinenuts, paella
Valencia and Basque tart with apple. Read
More or purchase....
 Lonely
Planet World Food: Spain
Spain has a more cosmopolitan culinary ancestry than any other
country in Europe. The Romans brought olive oil, the Moors brought
rice and aubergines, and returning conquistadors from the Americas
brought chocolate. In this entertaining and informative guide,
Sterling explains how this mouth-watering mixture came about,
and how best to indulge in it.
Spanish cuisine is straightforward--a Spanish proverb says that
"It should taste of what it is"--but always interesting.
As well as the culinary "trinity" of bread, oil and
wine, there are irresistible hams, fish and seafood, and wonderful
red wine. There are also less appetising dishes, such as bull's
testicles and goat's brains, but even these are integral to Spain's
culinary identity.
In addition to its useful tips on where
to eat and shop, and language section, Lonely Planet World Food:
Spain is full of insights into Spain and Spanish cooking, from
an account of the process of curing ham or distilling olive oil,
to Sterling's observation that pork is so popular in Spain because
eating it at the time of the Inquisition allowed converted Jews
and Moors to assert their Christianity. On reading this book,
you understand how indelibly dependent the Spanish soul is on
its culinary heritage, and it becomes impossible to look at tapas
in the same way as before: "Tapas are an expression of a
people and their unique way of living. They are not things to
eat, but a way to eat them." Read
More or purchase....
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