What do you think?
Rate this book
Hoy caviar, mañana sardinas
Cócteles, almuerzos, cenas& Para una embajada, la comida es imagen, y la imagen es particularmente importante cuando se trata de la misión diplomática en el extranjero de un país pequeño, como Uruguay, donde hay que suplir la falta de medios con imaginación, encanto personal, trabajo y enormes dosis de suerte. Y en el caso de estos países, la presión del éxito o el fracaso recae en una sola persona: la mujer del embajador. Inspirándose en sus anotaciones, y rebosante de humor, este libro retrata las aventuras y desventuras de la familia Posadas en
su constante trasiego por las diferentes capitales donde el padre, por su cargo diplomático, es destinado. De la mano de dos de sus hijos, testigos de excepción de momentos interesantes, estratégicos o simplemente curiosos, y envuelto en un halo gastronómico, el libro recorre el Madrid de los sesenta, con su tardofranquismo y primeros aires de renovación, el Moscú de los setenta, con Breznev y sus desfiles militares, y el Londres de los ochenta, con la flema e idiosincrasia de los británicos y en plena euforia con lady Di.
su constante trasiego por las diferentes capitales donde el padre, por su cargo diplomático, es destinado. De la mano de dos de sus hijos, testigos de excepción de momentos interesantes, estratégicos o simplemente curiosos, y envuelto en un halo gastronómico, el libro recorre el Madrid de los sesenta, con su tardofranquismo y primeros aires de renovación, el Moscú de los setenta, con Breznev y sus desfiles militares, y el Londres de los ochenta, con la flema e idiosincrasia de los británicos y en plena euforia con lady Di.
- GenresFiction
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
14 people are currently reading
199 people want to read
About the author
Carmen Posadas
65 books166 followersCarmen Posadas (b. August 13, 1953, Montevideo) is a prize-winning Uruguayan author of books for children. She also writes for film and television.
Carmen Posadas nasceu em Montevideo, Uruguai, em 1953. Com uma trajectória de mais de vinte anos, depois de, em 1985, ter publicado Manual del perfecto arribista, escreveu ensaios, guiões para o cinema e televisão, livros juvenis e vários romances: Cinco Moscas Azuis (1996); Nada É o Que Parece (1997); Pequenas Infâmias (Prémio Planeta, 1998); A Bela Otero (2001); O Bom Servidor (2003); e Brincadeira de Crianças (2006). É uma das autoras contemporâneas que melhor soube ganhar o aplauso da crítica e dos leitores. Os seus livros encontram-se traduzidos em vinte e uma línguas e foram publicados em mais de quarenta países. Em 2002 a revista Newsweek considerou Carmen Posadas como «uma das autoras latino-americanas mais destacadas da sua geração».
Carmen Posadas nasceu em Montevideo, Uruguai, em 1953. Com uma trajectória de mais de vinte anos, depois de, em 1985, ter publicado Manual del perfecto arribista, escreveu ensaios, guiões para o cinema e televisão, livros juvenis e vários romances: Cinco Moscas Azuis (1996); Nada É o Que Parece (1997); Pequenas Infâmias (Prémio Planeta, 1998); A Bela Otero (2001); O Bom Servidor (2003); e Brincadeira de Crianças (2006). É uma das autoras contemporâneas que melhor soube ganhar o aplauso da crítica e dos leitores. Os seus livros encontram-se traduzidos em vinte e uma línguas e foram publicados em mais de quarenta países. Em 2002 a revista Newsweek considerou Carmen Posadas como «uma das autoras latino-americanas mais destacadas da sua geração».
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
April 10, 2021
“Decía mi abuela que la vida social era un campo minado para los novatos. Que todos las reglas de urbanidad, cortesía y educación estaban pensadas para que uno distinguiera inmediatamente los arrivistes de los arrivés”
Carmen y Gervasio nos llevan de la mano para contarnos las aventuras de su familia diplomática durante los años de Embajador de su padre, contados por el diario y cuaderno de recetas de su madre. Este es un libro ameno, entretenido y con mucha información sobre la vida local de los españoles de Franco, los rusos del comunismo y las reglas de etiqueta de los británicos.
Toda una mezcla de curiosidades y crónicas de décadas que no tienen mas de 100 años, pero que se sienten de otra época. Muy recomendable. Las recetas culinarias se antojan para hacerlas en casa.
Carmen y Gervasio nos llevan de la mano para contarnos las aventuras de su familia diplomática durante los años de Embajador de su padre, contados por el diario y cuaderno de recetas de su madre. Este es un libro ameno, entretenido y con mucha información sobre la vida local de los españoles de Franco, los rusos del comunismo y las reglas de etiqueta de los británicos.
Toda una mezcla de curiosidades y crónicas de décadas que no tienen mas de 100 años, pero que se sienten de otra época. Muy recomendable. Las recetas culinarias se antojan para hacerlas en casa.
August 27, 2024
Magnífica lectura de verano, amena, divertida… muy agradecida con Mrs “Pisadas”
November 30, 2018
Un libro light pero q muestra la realidad de las familias de los embajadores.
November 3, 2023
Muy interesante novela autobiográfica (lo que comúnmente se ha venido a denominar en los últimos años, aunque con reservas aquí, "auto-ficción") en la que además de Carmen y Gervasio Posadas, probablemente también podría haber figurado como autora su propia madre, personalidad tan interesante que circula por estas páginas en las que saboreamos (nunca mejor dicho por las recetas insertas en cada capítulo) anécdotas de la familia durante los años de adolescencia y juventud de la propia Carmen Posadas aderezadas con las reflexiones de la matriarca, en un contexto de la España de los años 60, 70 y 80 en un sofisticado entorno de cenas y tertulias en las que las personalidades más interesantes de la cultura y del "papel couché" se daban cita. En resumen, resulta una muy agradable obra para disfrutar del fino estilo de escritura de Carmen Posadas y para conocer al mismo tiempo cuestiones autobiográficas y de su entorno social y cultural en dicha época.
October 21, 2022
Un libro maravilloso. Desde su concepción a partir del libro de recetas de la madre de los autores, hasta las anécdotas salpicadas de personalidades de la historia más reciente. Esta deliciosa versión edulcorada de la vida de un matrimonio de diplomáticos y sus hijos parece sacado de un fértil imaginario pero, como sucede en las mejores ocasiones, la realidad supera a la ficción.
February 2, 2016
NOTE: As far as I know, this book has not been translated into English. I should probably write my review in Spanish, but I've been away for so long now that I find writing in that language really hard, and I'm lazy ;)
In 1965 Carmen and Gervasio Posadas’ father was named Uruguayan ambassador to Spain, and the whole family moved to Madrid. They spent many years abroad, as the father was then sent to the USSR and the UK. This is a sort of collaborative memoir. The authors, writer Carmen Posadas and her younger brother, Gervasio, tell us they have taken annotations their mother, Bimba, had made for a book herself at the time and they have edited them, adding some little asides with their own impressions remembered from those times (Carmen was about 12 when they initially left for Madrid, and married a Spaniard right after the family moved to Moscow, so she doesn’t have many memories from there. Gervasio was very young on the first move, but old enough to remember lots from the Moscow years).
I found this really interesting, although I had very different feelings for each of the three sections.
The Spanish sections were a mix of really interesting and gossip about the aristocracy, which is not really my thing. I was particularly intrigued by the Carmen's comments on how different things were then in terms of relative positions, so to speak. She speaks of how she was seen as exotic and had quite a bit of cachet as a South American, because people’s thoughts instinctively turned to the “rich uncle” who had emigrated to “hacer la América” (loosely translated, “make it in America”) and always came back fabulously rich. That's certainly quite different to how Latin American immigrants in general are seen these days! The world the Posadas family move into in Madrid is one of aristocrats and military men (Franco was still alive, but apparently not in great health), and I felt a bit disturbed by how happy they all seemed to be with the status quo, and didn’t question much.
And then came the USSR sections, which I found just fabulous. First of all, it’s quite a unique perspective that the family were able to get. As diplomats, but from a tiny, unimportant country the Soviets were not particularly fussed about, they had both a degree of access to the highest reaches of the Soviet authorities and to somewhat regular people. Unlike the US embassy people, who (Bimba tells us with much envy) had their own little well-stocked supermarket to buy food in, the Posadases had to struggle to get food to run the entertainment expected of them. Gervasio was sent to a regular school and pioneer camps, and the stories from those are wonderful.
Actually, this section is just full of amazing scenes. Particular favourites include an all-female tea dance in the Kremlin, hosted by Mrs. Brezhnev for International Women Workers’s day, where I was smiling ear to ear at Bimba’s descriptions of Mrs. Brezhnev opening the dancing by inviting Bimba’s 15-year-old daughter onto the dance floor, and then Bimba dancing with a charming aerospace engineer and being harangued into dancing properly by the Bolshoi’s artistic director. Also the reception thrown on the occasion of a visit by Richard Nixon, where Bimba ended up as a human torch. I was laughing out loud at that.
The UK sections I enjoyed only mildly. Again, it’s a lot of name-dropping (we had a party and Miguel Bosé ended up playing waiter!), aristocrats and meeting the Queen and fabulous parties. I was tickled by how Bimba has a really funny sniffy attitude towards the Brits, though! It was one based on prejudices and her view of the British felt pretty off for someone who’s lived there for a while, but well, she clearly didn’t meet any people beyond the diplomatic circles.
One of the things I was curious about when I started the book, was how the authors would deal with the fact that while they were abroad representing the Uruguayan government officially, the military coup took place back home. This is addressed very briefly. It happens when they are in the USSR, and the Bimba sections make it clear that her husband, belonging to the Partido Nacional (one of the two "traditional" parties; the coup was perpetrated by the other one), is against it and very worried. We hear they are both worried about the reports coming out of Uruguay of disappearances and of people being released from jail speaking of horrific violence. But then that subject sort of disappears. We are not really party to how the decision to continue to represent such a government took place, and I really felt the lack of that.
Also, for all that I enjoyed so many of the memories, I found myself disliking Bimba herself. Mainly, it's that her attitudes are very much of her time. They visit Hong Kong at one point, and the casual racism is quite startling. She’s clearly hostile about the fact that the supposedly British wife of her butler is actually from somewhere in the Commonwealth (she “suspects” Malaysia). She fires these people because they were doing sexual fantasy role play (in their own private rooms, while they were off work - she barges in uninvited), and clearly thinks that obviously she has to do this because they’re perverts (it’s all pretty vanilla, really). Hmm...
And another thing that bothered me was that a cursory google search unearthed some worrying accusations against the ambassador. There are accusations of corruption while in the embassy in London and of an illegal prison in the basement of the Uruguayan embassy in Buenos Aires during the dictatorship while he was ambassador there. I stress that these are just accusations, as far as I know, but the whole thing just leaves a bad taste. I kind of wish I hadn't googled.
I should also add that the book is sprinkled with recipes, some of the ones Bimba made up in order to entertain properly on a budget (there’s a delirious one for fake lobster, which apparently fooled several Spanish gourmands), but also ones she picked up on the way, such as the recipe for Borscht given to her by the mayor of a far-east soviet town. The majority are for very Uruguayan food, which basically means most recipes are not my thing (as a vegetarian, I think of myself as a culinary refugee -yes, in England!). I sort of skimmed most of them.
Anyway, for all these criticisms, I did find quite a lot of value here. The USSR sections alone made it worth reading.
MY GRADE: A B-.
In 1965 Carmen and Gervasio Posadas’ father was named Uruguayan ambassador to Spain, and the whole family moved to Madrid. They spent many years abroad, as the father was then sent to the USSR and the UK. This is a sort of collaborative memoir. The authors, writer Carmen Posadas and her younger brother, Gervasio, tell us they have taken annotations their mother, Bimba, had made for a book herself at the time and they have edited them, adding some little asides with their own impressions remembered from those times (Carmen was about 12 when they initially left for Madrid, and married a Spaniard right after the family moved to Moscow, so she doesn’t have many memories from there. Gervasio was very young on the first move, but old enough to remember lots from the Moscow years).
I found this really interesting, although I had very different feelings for each of the three sections.
The Spanish sections were a mix of really interesting and gossip about the aristocracy, which is not really my thing. I was particularly intrigued by the Carmen's comments on how different things were then in terms of relative positions, so to speak. She speaks of how she was seen as exotic and had quite a bit of cachet as a South American, because people’s thoughts instinctively turned to the “rich uncle” who had emigrated to “hacer la América” (loosely translated, “make it in America”) and always came back fabulously rich. That's certainly quite different to how Latin American immigrants in general are seen these days! The world the Posadas family move into in Madrid is one of aristocrats and military men (Franco was still alive, but apparently not in great health), and I felt a bit disturbed by how happy they all seemed to be with the status quo, and didn’t question much.
And then came the USSR sections, which I found just fabulous. First of all, it’s quite a unique perspective that the family were able to get. As diplomats, but from a tiny, unimportant country the Soviets were not particularly fussed about, they had both a degree of access to the highest reaches of the Soviet authorities and to somewhat regular people. Unlike the US embassy people, who (Bimba tells us with much envy) had their own little well-stocked supermarket to buy food in, the Posadases had to struggle to get food to run the entertainment expected of them. Gervasio was sent to a regular school and pioneer camps, and the stories from those are wonderful.
Actually, this section is just full of amazing scenes. Particular favourites include an all-female tea dance in the Kremlin, hosted by Mrs. Brezhnev for International Women Workers’s day, where I was smiling ear to ear at Bimba’s descriptions of Mrs. Brezhnev opening the dancing by inviting Bimba’s 15-year-old daughter onto the dance floor, and then Bimba dancing with a charming aerospace engineer and being harangued into dancing properly by the Bolshoi’s artistic director. Also the reception thrown on the occasion of a visit by Richard Nixon, where Bimba ended up as a human torch. I was laughing out loud at that.
The UK sections I enjoyed only mildly. Again, it’s a lot of name-dropping (we had a party and Miguel Bosé ended up playing waiter!), aristocrats and meeting the Queen and fabulous parties. I was tickled by how Bimba has a really funny sniffy attitude towards the Brits, though! It was one based on prejudices and her view of the British felt pretty off for someone who’s lived there for a while, but well, she clearly didn’t meet any people beyond the diplomatic circles.
One of the things I was curious about when I started the book, was how the authors would deal with the fact that while they were abroad representing the Uruguayan government officially, the military coup took place back home. This is addressed very briefly. It happens when they are in the USSR, and the Bimba sections make it clear that her husband, belonging to the Partido Nacional (one of the two "traditional" parties; the coup was perpetrated by the other one), is against it and very worried. We hear they are both worried about the reports coming out of Uruguay of disappearances and of people being released from jail speaking of horrific violence. But then that subject sort of disappears. We are not really party to how the decision to continue to represent such a government took place, and I really felt the lack of that.
Also, for all that I enjoyed so many of the memories, I found myself disliking Bimba herself. Mainly, it's that her attitudes are very much of her time. They visit Hong Kong at one point, and the casual racism is quite startling. She’s clearly hostile about the fact that the supposedly British wife of her butler is actually from somewhere in the Commonwealth (she “suspects” Malaysia). She fires these people because they were doing sexual fantasy role play (in their own private rooms, while they were off work - she barges in uninvited), and clearly thinks that obviously she has to do this because they’re perverts (it’s all pretty vanilla, really). Hmm...
And another thing that bothered me was that a cursory google search unearthed some worrying accusations against the ambassador. There are accusations of corruption while in the embassy in London and of an illegal prison in the basement of the Uruguayan embassy in Buenos Aires during the dictatorship while he was ambassador there. I stress that these are just accusations, as far as I know, but the whole thing just leaves a bad taste. I kind of wish I hadn't googled.
I should also add that the book is sprinkled with recipes, some of the ones Bimba made up in order to entertain properly on a budget (there’s a delirious one for fake lobster, which apparently fooled several Spanish gourmands), but also ones she picked up on the way, such as the recipe for Borscht given to her by the mayor of a far-east soviet town. The majority are for very Uruguayan food, which basically means most recipes are not my thing (as a vegetarian, I think of myself as a culinary refugee -yes, in England!). I sort of skimmed most of them.
Anyway, for all these criticisms, I did find quite a lot of value here. The USSR sections alone made it worth reading.
MY GRADE: A B-.
January 23, 2021
Carmen Posadas (Premio Planeta 1998) y su hermano Gervasio (también escritor) casi desparecen de este libro en el que su madre, la señora Mañé, brilla como una estrella gracias a su «savoir faire» en todas las situaciones adversas que conlleva la vida de (esposa de) diplomático.
Un libro adictivo, que lleva nuestra mente y nuestros paladares del Uruguay de los 60 al Londres del 83, pasando por una España en la que el franquismo da sus últimos coletazos y una URSS que ofrece una visión gris, una visión de primera mano, del régimen comunista.
Una delicia.
Un libro adictivo, que lleva nuestra mente y nuestros paladares del Uruguay de los 60 al Londres del 83, pasando por una España en la que el franquismo da sus últimos coletazos y una URSS que ofrece una visión gris, una visión de primera mano, del régimen comunista.
Una delicia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2025
Un libro divertidísimo que convierte cada anécdota en una pequeña historia llena de humor. Los relatos, casi surrealistas, conectan con personajes muy famosos de la época y están contadas con tal desparpajo que es imposible no reírse. Me ha sacado carcajadas de verdad y me ha tenido enganchada de principio a fin. Una lectura ágil, amena y sorprendente que no deja de subir el nivel capítulo tras capítulo. Una auténtica delicia contada entre recetas para sorprender a tus invitados, a modo "low cost".
June 27, 2025
Me pareció sencillamente desopilante, la creatividad de la esposa del Embajador en la que se intercalan recetas de cocina, los ardides para sacar adelante la Embajada, los pasjes por Moscú, Madrid, Londres, la picardía en el relato, me reí mucho con este libro, me pareció exquisito y lleno de ingenio, lo mejor de Carmen Posadas porque muy autobiográfico y muy sentido, lo he recomendado mucho pero no a todas les ha causado la misma emoción que a mi, super recomendable
June 2, 2017
Muy ameno y llano, resulta muy interesante conocer los entresijos de las embajadas de Madrid, Moscú o Londres en épocas como las vividas por la familia Posadas, caso aparte sus anécdotas y sus sencillas recetas. Me sorprendió gratamente y repetiría.
June 20, 2021
Carmen Posadas escribe tan bien que me ha parecido super interesante su manera de narrar su infancia y juventud como hija de embajador mediante el libro de recetas y las anotaciones de su madre. Un libro que deja muy buen sabor de boca a pesar de no tener un final convencional.
May 12, 2022
Me parece un planteamiento de libro atractivo, pero puesta a leer me resultó un poco "petardo"
August 19, 2023
Aunque tiene capítulos muy divertidos, hay otros que se hacen pesados.
Curiosa la idea de mezclar el relato de anécdotas con la descripción de recetas gastronómicas.
Curiosa la idea de mezclar el relato de anécdotas con la descripción de recetas gastronómicas.
August 22, 2023
El vaig trobar molt entretingut i interessant
November 28, 2023
Me ha gustado mucho por el sentido del humor, por la ironía, por las anécdotas que cuenta, por las recetas de cocina...
September 6, 2025
Libro muy entretenido que cuenta los entresijos de una embajada de un país pequeño que debe mantener la buena imagen. Me ha gustado mucho.
October 19, 2025
Una lectura muy grata, fácil y llena de buenas anécdotas y buenísimas recetas de cocina.
Para pasar un buen rato.
Para pasar un buen rato.
January 12, 2022
Bien. Del estilo de mi familia y otros animales.
September 7, 2021
Un libro sencillo y entretenido que une las experiencias vividas como diplomáticos en distintas ciudades, junto con el libro de recetas de su madre. Unas memorias que me relajaron y divirtieron mucho. Repetiría y recomiendo leerlo!
September 26, 2012
I enjoyed this book a lot. It is really interesting when you are an export manager or you are traveling a lot. Receipes included are really well explained to be cooked by any begginer cook. If this book will not represent a master opera, it will offer to you a funny time.
Me gustó mucho este libro. Es realmente interesante cuando usted es un gerente de exportaciones o viaja mucho. Las recetas incluidas están muy bien explicadas para ser cocinadas por cualquier cocinero principiante. Este libro no representa una obra maestra pero le ofrecerá a usted un tiempo divertido.
Me gustó mucho este libro. Es realmente interesante cuando usted es un gerente de exportaciones o viaja mucho. Las recetas incluidas están muy bien explicadas para ser cocinadas por cualquier cocinero principiante. Este libro no representa una obra maestra pero le ofrecerá a usted un tiempo divertido.
August 12, 2013
divertido y ligero! y con recetas! !!
August 30, 2013
Un libro muy recomendado para desconectar, descansar y reírse un rato. Unas memorias muy simpáticas.
January 16, 2015
Me divertí mucho leyéndolo
March 24, 2017
Bastante tonto pero entretenido. Voy a revisar las recetas para ver si vale la pena preparar los platos que se describen allí.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews