La Cocina de Mama
[9780767912228]

Casas, Penelope. La Cocina de Mama: the great home cooking of Spain - more than 175 recipes from Spain's hottest chefs & finest cooks. Broadway Books: New York, USA 2005. 4to HC 308pp. (foreword by Ferran Adria) Indent

Penelope Casas, the foremost American authority on Spanish food and the author of the bestselling Tapas, presents more than 175 robustly flavored yet amazingly simple recipes representing the best of Spanish home cooking—the cooking handed down through generations of Spanish mamas.

Long overshadowed by France and Italy, Spain has finally taken its rightful place as one of Europe’s great culinary meccas. Consider the reborn cities of Madrid, Barcelona, and Bilbao; the new respect afforded Spanish wines; the popularity of tapas bars in the U.S.; and Spain’s widely influential Michelin three-star chefs, Ferran Adrià and Juan Mari Arzak. Despite the world-wide acclaim for these chefs, arguably the greatest Spanish food is found not in the nation’s restaurants, but in private homes off-limits to tourists, where women still cook the recipes their mothers and grandmothers cooked before them. Now, Penelope Casas takes us into those homes to uncover the secrets of this simple, easily reproduced, and altogether marvelous cuisine.

For La Cocina de Mama, Penelope Casas has collected recipes from great chefs and traditional home cooks in every region of Spain, all of whom have shared with her the dishes they grew up loving and still cook for themselves today. There are recipes for tapas, like Clams in Garlic Sauce; elegant soups and hearty one-pot meals like Stewed Potatoes with Pork Ribs; many wonderful seafood dishes like Fish Steaks with Peas in Saffron Sauce; meat and poultry dishes, such as Pork Tenderloin in Orange Sauce, Rack of Lamb Stuffed with Mushrooms and Scallions, and Lemon Chicken with Ginger and Pine Nuts; paella and other rice dishes—and even a few pasta dishes; unusual vegetable preparations, including Sautéed Spinach with Quince and Toasted Sesame Seeds; and desserts like Basque Apple Custard Tart. Whether of Roman, Moorish, or peasant origin, all of the dishes appeal to today’s tastes and exemplify the virtues of the Mediterranean diet—lots of olive oil, lean meats and fish, and vegetables. Sidebars throughout discuss ingredients, areas of Spain unfamiliar to most Americans, travel vignettes, and more. At last, Americans can discover the unique and irresistible flavors of authentic Spanish home cooking in La Cocina de Mama.

The culinary innovation that the leading Spanish chefs have thrust upon the world over the past decade has been truly exhilarating. Now, with La Cocina de Mama, Penelope Casas shows us where their influences come from--their mothers' cooking! What a splendid and inspired work. Anyone who loves the exuberance and simplicity of Spanish cooking absolutely must have this sensational book.
Charlie Trotter

Penelope Casas has created a mouth-watering treasure trove of recipes straight from the heart and soul of Spain. You can not cook authentic Spanish without it.
Frank Pellegrino

Penelope has long been a guiding light for anyone doing Spanish cooking in America. In this book, she reveals some of the best-kept secrets of the Spanish kitchen, those of our mothers!
Jose AndresPenelope has finally opened the door to one of the most delicious lesser known cuisines - Spanish home cooking! I can't wait to cook La Cocina de Mama for my family and friends.
Jacques Pepin