La Cocina de Mama: The Great Home Cooking of Spain

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 “mamás.”

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 Mamá, 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 Mamá.

"Though the plethora of tapas bars opening in cities around the country may be a step in the right direction toward popularizing Spanish cooking, it would be a grave injustice to deny Spain its culinary breadth beyond those tasty little dishes would be a grave injustice. And while paella may be the sole Spanish comfort food most Americans can name, this may soon change thanks to Casas, who leads gastronomic tours of Spain and contributes to Gourmet and other publications, leading the way with books like this. She sheds light on a country that, culinarily speaking, has taken a backseat to France and Italy, and shares recipes for creating such previously unfamiliar Spanish specialties as Octopus with Paprika in Simmered Onions, and Batter-Fried Eggplant with Honey, Mint and Sesame Seeds. Divided into nine personally narrated chapters (plus a product source guide and introductions on regional Spanish wines, cooking methods and staples), this book will satiate those who've been searching for a savant's handbook to the Spanish kitchen. Salads and sides abound, and Casas balances the remaining menu with varied meat, grain and fish recipes, many garlic-laden and tinged with red wine. Beware, though: many recipes, though drop-dead delicious, call for ample prep time (a few take two days to prepare) and plentiful patience. The end result, however, will help cooks create a worthwhile, more profound bond with both New and Old World Spanish cuisine. Color, b&w photos. (On sale Apr. 5)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

The doyenne of Spanish food writing has created a cookbook brimming with the irresistible flavors of authentic Spanish home cooking, offering a collection of outstanding heirloom recipes from chefs and home cooks in every region of the country.

PENELOPE CASAS is a frequent contributor to the New York Times, Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Fine Cooking, and Condé Nast Traveler. Casas is also a consultant and lecturer on Spain, a guest speaker at the Smithsonian and the National Geographic Society, and an adjunct professor at New York University. In recognition of her efforts on behalf of Spain, the Spanish government awarded her the National Prize of Gastronomy, the Medal of Touristic Merit, and named her Dame of the Order of Civil Merit. She and her husband have led gastronomic tours of Spain for more than twenty years. They live in New York City.