The Cuisines of Spain: Exploring Regional Home Cooking

by Teresa Barrenechea, Jeffrey Koehler (Photographer), Christopher Hirsheimer (Photographer)

From the array of its traditional tapas to the daring preparations of its new generation of chefs, Spain has captivated the world with its gastronomic riches. In The Cuisines of Spain, Teresa Barrenechea showcases her heritage through more than 250 recipes culled from her extensive repertoire, and from friends and fellow chefs across Spain. The famed rice dishes of Valencia, the piquant mojos of the Canary Islands, the hearty stews and braised meats of the interior–all of the classics are here in definitive form, as are many lesser-known but equally important and intriguing regional dishes.

Barrenechea weaves a captivating narrative of Spain’s diverse peoples, landscapes, and ingredients, revealing how the forces of geography, culture, and politics gave rise to the food traditions that we honor today. More than 100 photographs from Barcelona-based photojournalist Jeffrey Koehler take readers to the fields, markets, wharves, and kitchens of the provinces, and the renowned work of Christopher Hirsheimer puts Barrenechea’s recipes on brilliant display.

A celebration of home cooks past and present, The Cuisines of Spain is an enduring and intimate portrait of a great folk food tradition from one of the country’s most talented culinary ambassadors.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Spain

352 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2005

Reviews

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gives a great overview of regional cuisines, and the recipes are all very authentic. But for my American palate, there probably won't be a lot of recipes in here I will actually make. This is just a matter of taste - we are not big fans of cooked peppers, whole fish, and lambs' brains. Still, the book imagery is lovely and the book is very readable.

[Nate Cunnings · Rating 4 out of 5]

First recipe I tried was the 'Helado de Leche Condensada' (sweetened condensed milk ice cream)...so so good. Next is going to be Croquetas!!!!! This book is well organized, covers the traditional cuisine while looking to the future.

[Raha]

This book is a wonderful collection of Regional Spanish recipes with great photos and culture notes.

[Jere Witherspoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. Not only is it an excellent cook book but it also continues a historical journey through Spanish culture. Sometimes I just sit at my dining room table and read.

[Mary]

learned a lot about the specialties of Cantabria and the Basque country from this book