The Food of Spain and Portugal: The Complete Iberian Cuisine - Hardcover

Ortiz's ( The Book of Latin American Cooking ) fascination with food of the Iberian Peninsula began when she embarked on an educational voyage to learn about the cuisine of Mexico. This quest led her on to Spain, Portugal and the Middle East to celebrate the "culinary wedding" of the old and new worlds. Her historic and geographic perspectives, developed during a 25-year journey, can solve such conundra as why cinnamon is included in veal, Catalan-style, and chili pepper in such a dish as rabbit in "salmorejo" sauce. While these morsels of information and the fare that goes with them will whet a reader's appetite, Ortiz's coverage of the healthful traditional Iberian cuisine is neither comprehensive nor meticulously presented: we are not told which cut of meat to buy in her recipe for lamb with lemon and garlic or the correct ratio of flour to liquid in Portuguese cornbread. Instructions for the seemingly simple fried eggs, Spanish-style, are unnecessarily vague, and the author frequently calls for stocks without providing recipes . Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ortiz, author of several good books on Latin American cuisine, now goes back to the Old World to explore the food of the Iberian peninsula. Her text is full of carefully documented regional dishes, from the tapas of Spain and hors d'oeuvre of Portugal to the versions of caramel flan specific to each country. Recommended for most collections.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.