Catalan Cuisine: Europe's Last Great Culinary Secret

by Colman Andrews

An introduction and a guide to the food, wine, and customs of Catalonia features recipes and cooking techniques for these regional dishes

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Food and Drink, Spanish Literature, Spain

Paperback

First published June 27, 1988

About the author

Co-founder and former editor of Saveur magazine and the author of Catalan Cuisine, Flavors of the Riviera, and Everything on the Table and co-author and co-editor of three Saveur cookbooks. Now a resident of New York City and Connecticut, a native of Los Angeles and a frequent contributor to the LA Times and Los Angeles Magazine. He won six James Beard Awards for his writing on food and wine, and was one of the first 50 people named to Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America.

Reviews

[Art Hare · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the very best books on Spanish food. Not that Catalonia is Spain of course

[Ietrio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only the recipes are quite tasty, reading the book is a true pleasure.

[Kevin Yeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great cookbook full of history and stories. Read if you like tapas.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read a cookbook through from beginning to end but this one was just fascinating and great accompaniment to my time in Barcelona.

[Eileen]

I received this one as a gift from my dear family friend, Bonnie the day she met my Catalan husband. We laughed that I would be importing a cookbook from Seattle to Barcelona. In truth I haven't read it cover to cover but I agree with the author's cheeky assertions that the authentic versions suffer from a heavy hand with the salt and what he calls 'the brown food problem'. All the same it seems as good a place to start as any if you're trying to learn about this cuisine in English. (Fair warning, speaking now with more than a decade of experience: your Catalan may prefer a ham sandwich and a Coke to any of these dishes if not prepared by his own mother!)

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

First thrust upon me at the beginning of my career as a chef by a true savant of Spanish cuisine (Thank you, David!), this book continues to amaze me. You'll know Colman Andrews as editor-in-chief of "Saveur" magazine. His food scholarship is beyond reproach. The food of the Catalans may well be where everything we know as standard Spanish, Italian and even French descended from. Some of the recipes have a distinctly medieval feel to them, evidence that this ancient people of Iberia have successfully preserved their old-time foodways for centuries.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not just a cookbook but a compendium of language, anecdotes, culture, and characters. The author begins by expanining the bare essentials of Catalan cooking, such as key ingredients and the handful of basic sauces, then delves into local preparation methods, the origins of dishes, esoteric ingredients, stylized variations (some fabricated by himself), and important characters in the history of the country and the food. The non-recipe parts contain a varied selection of quotations, paraphases, and anecdoes from Catalan sources as diverse as the cuisine itself.

[Cheryl Munoz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up at the tail end of my honey moon is Spain, Fall 2006. It is a wonderful cookbook and Colman Andrews is a great writer. He gives a lot of info about the background of each dish, how it is served etc. Most of the ingredients are available in the US and he gives subs for items that you might have a hard time finding. If you have travelled though Catalonia then you will appreciate having these recipes. Hmmm...salt cod anyone? It's good! Oh - and if you are travelling to Barcelona this would be a good book to read before and even take with you.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up at a charity shop simply as not only had no other book on the subject, but was unaware Catalonia had its own cuisine !
It's very well written, not only as a cookbook but that most recipes have a preamble about it or the ingredients. Some of these, Salt Cod for example, cover a couple of pages.
Bought out of curiosity, read with interest and pleasure.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this after I had gotten back from Barcelona and had so much wonderful seafood that I couldn't bear to not have more--unfortunately, it is very hard to replicate this, tho I know you can do it in an Iowa City kitchen because Assumpcio did it so wonderfully

[Ange · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found a few recipes I will try out. Gave a nice, understandable geography lesson.

[Naki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very true book. And very interesting to read in English. My Catalan friends say it is the truth about the traditional food of Catalonia.