Amazing things are happening at the new Spanish table. The sweet-hot pequillos of Navarra turn up in a classic potato tortilla (the beloved omelet found in every tapas bar). Purple-veined Cabrales butter melts across a thick grilled T-bone. Honey is drizzled over eggplant andquot;fries.andquot; Chocolate meets olive oil, strawberries meet fennel, vanilla meets salmon. Mysteriously delicious savory ice creamsand#8212;balsamic vinegar, thyme, saffronand#8212;garnish soups and seafoods.

Casual, quietly inventive, steeped in regional traditions but unmistakably modern, Spain is the new France and Italy, an ipicenter of contemporary Mediterranean cooking with a wealth of alluring flavors and preparations.

Written by Anya von Bremzenand#8212;an award-winning food writer who first fell in love with Spain in the early 1980s, introduced the Catalan genius and three-star chef Ferran Adriandagrave; to American readers in 1997, and today spends close to half her year in the countryand#8212;The New Spanish Tabledelivers all the pleasures of this exhilarating cuisine.

It's a rustic table: Baked Fish with Romesco Potatoes. It's elegant: Rack of Lamb with Pistacchio Pesto. It's exquisitely simple: Smoky Fried Almonds with sea salt, an addictive marriage of four ingredients. It's for entertainingand#8212;dozens of tapas, paellas and cazuelas (named after the Spanish terra-cotta casseroles)and#8212;and, with its glorious comfort foods like fried eggs with crackling, crispy whites, and luscious unusual Rice Pudding Ice Cream, perfect for cozying up, alone.

Most of all, The New Spanish Tableis an irresistible, festive celebration of flavors from a culture absolutely passionate about food, wine, and the pleasures of an excellent meal.

"Von Bremzen is in love with the gastronomic delights of Spain, offering an appealing, informative look at the cuisine that is rapidly usurping the culinary dominance of Italy and France. She offers insight into the dishes of famed chefs Ferran Adri and Juan Mari Arzak and also shares the secrets of talented but lesser known cooks from around the country. Several of the recipes are for dishes you'd expect to find in a volume of this size — sangria, gazpacho and a multitude of tapas — but there are many welcome surprises: Eggs over Smoky Bread Hash, Coca (Spanish-Mediterranean pizza) with Candied Red Peppers, and Rice Pudding Ice Cream. Throughout the recipe section, von Bremzen (Please to the Table) provides entertaining personal stories like 'Ode to a Can of Tuna,' which details a raid on Arzak's fridge that reveals an incredible tinned treat. Readers will find facts on the history, food and wine of each of Spain's regions, a primer on Spanish cheese and a look at the critical ingredients in a Spanish pantry. Regardless of their level of familiarity with Spanish cuisine, all readers will learn something from von Bremzen, who shows us why Spain is taking its rightful place near the top of the culinary ladder. Photos." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

andquot;Finally! A celebration of the Spanish table that pays homage to its traditions and modern style.andquot;

and#8212;Bobbie Flay, chef/owner Bolo

Spain is the next France, announces The New York Times Magazine. And Wine Spectatordeclares: and#8220;Spain is setting the pace in Europe today when it comes to wine and food.and#8221; Food and travel editors herald Spain as the new Italy. Something incredibly fascinating is happening in the country, with its hip tapas, hot chefs like Ferran Adriandagrave; and Juan Mari Azrak (see Adriandagrave;and#8217;s Rack of Lamb with Pistachio Pesto and Scallions in the meat chapter), and mouthwatering array of premium olive oils, wines, cheeses, and other foods getting snapped up in American markets.

The New Spanish Tabledelivers the food of Spain in all its glory. A big, bold, 275-recipe collection, packed with gorgeously colorful photographs, it gets right to the heart of Spain today: its marriage of innovation, deep-rooted traditions, amazing ingredients, and everything one could ever want in between. Written by Anya von Bremzen, coauthor of Please to the Table(64,000 copies in print) and a food writer whoand#8217;s been covering Spain for 10 years, The New Spanish Tableturns risotto on its headand#8212;as in Basque Smoked Cheese Risotto with Garlic Oil. Lavishes with sexy tapasand#8212;Smoky Fried Almonds with Sea Salt, Catalan Guacamole, Blue Cheese and Date Croquettes. Heralds the gazpacho revolutionand#8212;Adolfo Muandntilde;ozand#8217;s Strawberry, Tomato, and Fennel Gazpacho. Signs off with desserts that show Spanish cuisine at its creative best: Warm Chocolate Soufflandeacute; Cakes with Thyme Ice Cream, Clarisa Nunand#8217;s Banana and Hazelnut Tart. Fascinating and vibrant and impossible not to love. And all easy to prepare as well. Along the way, visits at the Spanish table with home cooks, tabernaowners, celebrity chefs, farmers, winemakers, nuns who bake like a dream. Includes appendices on Spanish wine, finding Spanish ingredients, and Anyaand#8217;s recommended restaurants.andiexcl;Estupendo!

Welcome to the world's most exciting foodscape, Spain, with its vibrant marriage of rustic traditions, Mediterranean palate, and endlessly inventive cooks. The New Spanish Tablelavishes with sexy tapas and#8212;Crisp Potatoes with Spicy Tomato Sauce, Goat Cheese-Stuffed Pequillo Peppers. Heralds a gazpacho revolutionand#8212;try the luscious, neon pink combination of cherry, tomato, and beet. Turns paella on its head with the dinner party favorite, Toasted Pasta andquot;Paellaandquot; with Shrimp. From tabernaowners and Michelin-starred chefs, farmers, fishermen, winemakers, and nuns who bake like a dreamand#8212;in all, 300 glorious recipes, illustrated throughout in dazzling color. andiexcl;Estupendo!

Like most of the culinary world, food and travel writer Anya von Bremzen has Spain on the brain. But unlike those who have recently discovered Spain's sophisticated flavors and innovative charms, Anya has spent the last 10 years writing about Spanish cuisine and culture. A contributing editor at Travel + Leisure, she has pioneered Spanish cuisine in publications like Food andamp; Wine, Departures, Conde Nast Travelerand the LA Times.

In her latest tour de force,The New Spanish Table, Anya reveals the Spain she knows and loves, peppering delicious recipes with historical tidbits, cooking hints and true Spanish hospitality.

In addition to The New Spanish Table, Anya is the author of four ethnic cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook, Terrific Pacific Cookbook, The Greatest Dishes!: Around the World in 80 Recipes, and Fiesta! A Celebration of Latin Hospitality, which won Anya her second Beard award.

When she's not in Spain or traveling to some exotic locale to try a new restaurant, Anya lives in New York City.