In the past decade, Spanish cooking emerged
from obscurity, but what brought the country to the forefront were the
daring, experimental dishes created by top Spanish chefs. These were
recipes that could only be produced by professionals and were beyond
the scope of the home cook. So dazzling were these new foods that no
one stopped to examine the Spanish traditions so solidly behind these
chefs.
In LA COCINA DE MAMÁ, Penelope
Casas changes that. Transporting us to the country where earthenware
pots bubble with dishes flavored by smoky red paprika, rich Spanish
olive oil, garlic, saffron and sherry wines, Casas brings us into the
kitchens of Spain. Many of her recipes are from restaurateurs who happily
acknowledge that they have stayed within the Spanish tradition of earthy
and satisfying dishes. The foreword, by Ferran Adrià, Spain's
leading and most daring experimental chef, is an homage to the mothers
of Spain who instilled these traditions.
For more than 35 years, Casas has led gastronomic
tours through every region of Spain, and the recipes she has collected
from both professional and home cooks are lavished on her readers with
personal recollections that both charm and educate. The cooks who shared
recipes are equally lavish with tips and techniques.
To discover Spanish cooking, you need only
make a little extra space on the pantry shelf as many ingredients are
already in place. But there are discoveries ahead - chorizo, piquillo
peppers and pimentón, the unique Spanish paprika made from smoked
red peppers that give body and unique flavor to a dish.
There are recipes for a white gazpacho made
from almonds, grown so abundantly in Andalucia; there are tapas recipes,
including what Casas calls 'instant tapas from the Spanish pantry.'
There are one-pot stews, seafood dishes, paella and other rice dishes.
And the Spanish love pork, whether in sausage form (chorizo - Spanish
sausage with that smoky paprika) or filleted, or as tenderloin and we
knew we wanted to try these recipes.
These are healthy recipes that lie within
the parameters of what is known as the Mediterranean diet, however,
to be exciting a recipe must have love and passion behind it. We knew
we would venture the world of Spanish food when we read this quote from
graffiti Casas found on a wall in the region of La Mancha. The verse
was dedicated to a girl named Merche, and expresses the love and passion
the Spanish feel for love and for food.
Merche-
If the love I gave to you,
I had given to a pig,
I could be eating today,
Nice thick slabs of bacon.
LA COCINA DE MAMÁ
has a guide to Spanish ingredients and utensils, a source list, several
in-depth explanations of foods and recipes as well as photos that set
heart and mind to traveling.
Penelope Casas is the author
of five previous books on Spanish food (including the bestselling Tapas)
and travel. She is a guest speaker at the Smithsonian and the National
Geographic Society, and an adjunct professor at New York University.
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