• robm on July 31, 2011

  A comprehensive survey of Spanish cooking, with Roden's usual care and thoroughness. Not only do you get the recipe, but you get its history, and in the case of Spain that can be very rich and complex! Many modern Spanish dishes trace their roots back hundreds of years to the time before the expulsions of the Jews and the Moors in 1492. A fascinating read, as well as a wonderful cookbook!

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Almond cake (Tarta de Santiago - Galicia)

  • Jane on August 28, 2021

    Given a choice of Roden almond cakes I would always go for her Orange almond cake (which is one of my favorite cakes of all time). But I didn't have the spare two hours to boil and cool the oranges so this was second choice. And that is where it will stay. It's a perfectly nice cake but it's lighter and drier than the orange cake and I like dense and moist cakes. I served it with blackberries and whipped cream and everyone enjoyed it.

  • Zosia on April 27, 2016

    This was a really lovely, moist cake, delicately flavoured with almond and citrus. Very easy to make, especially if using almond flour/ground almonds and flourless too.

  • akrupnick on June 18, 2022

    This was delicious and moist and a crowd-pleaser. I highly recommend adding cinnamon to the egg yolks, one of the suggested adaptations.

• Marinated mushrooms with lemon (Champiñones marinados - Mediterranean Spain)

  • Breadcrumbs on May 15, 2012

    p. 270 - I love pickled or marinated mushrooms so a lemony version sounded really delicious and I was keen to try this recipe. A relatively simple prep. Mushrooms are cleaned and quartered then cooked in a dry skillet over medium heat to render their juices. Still hot, the mushrooms are then tossed into a bowl and covered with the marinade of evoo, salt, pepper, lemon zest & juice. CR suggests you marinade for at least 5 hours and advises that they’ll keep, covered in the fridge for many days. The plated dish is sprinkled with chopped parsley. This is a great example of how a few good ingredients can produce a dish far greater than the sum of its parts. The mushrooms were lovely with just the right amount of fresh, lemon flavour without any of the bitterness you might expect from a marinade with so much lemon in the mix. My only regret was that I didn’t make a double batch. I can’t wait to serve these as part of an outdoor tapas menu when it warms up a little more outside.

  • twoyolks on November 02, 2015

    I did not like these. Neither the flavor nor the texture was appealing.

  • tagubajones on March 19, 2013

    Simple and spectacular.

  • Zosia on April 09, 2016

    Bright and lemony, these were easy to make and served as suggested with bread and olives, made a great appetizer.

• Roasted potatoes (Potatoes al horno)

  • Breadcrumbs on May 09, 2012

    p. 430 Simple and good. A little plain tasting and I do think the potatoes would benefit from some garlic aioli on the side or perhaps a smoky tomato or sweet red pepper sauce. I’ll do that next time but for tonight we had these potatoes straight-up. While I did think the roasting time seemed a little long for par-boiled potatoes I went along with these instructions checking to see the potatoes were no worse for the wear when I turned them throughout the roasting process. These reminded us of large French fries! They had a crispy crust on the outside and were very fluffy on the inside. Texturally, they were outstanding. I just thought they were a little one note for our tastes. Next time, I’ll be sure to use a flavourful, quality olive oil and as noted above, I’ll serve a sauce or aioli alongside for dipping. Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/846989#7330421

• Eggplants stuffed with ground almonds (Berenjenas al horno con almendras - Balearic Islands)

  • Breadcrumbs on May 30, 2012

    p. 295 This produced a hearty, tasty dish. We especially enjoyed the almost chewy texture of the filling. This eggplant is definitely ideal as a main dish since it is quite satisfying. I would like to try these with a little of the Moro Tahini sauce drizzled atop, I bet that would be great! Note: CR instructs you to remove their centres using a pointy spoon. Well, though I do have a few pointy spoons in my kitchen, none were up to this task. The eggplant was simply too spongy and fibrous for my spoons. In the end I used a paring knife to cut through the flesh and then scooped it out w a spoon and coarsely chopped.

• White beans with clams (Alubias con almejas - Cantabria)

  • Breadcrumbs on May 29, 2012

    p. 304 I compared this to several other recipes in my Spanish books and this won out based on its ease of preparation and, good reviews online. The canned beans are a huge time saver and the recipe still produces a flavourful broth. I made as set out in the book but did add about 1/2 cup of diced fennel since I had it on hand and it seemed to suit the other flavours in this dish. As you’ll see from my photos, I didn’t have any parsley on hand so I garnished with some chopped chives. Next time around I’d hold off adding any salt to my mix until after the clams have cooked as my broth was a little brinier than I expected. Delicious. Lots of clams for me and lots of beans for mr bc. We arm-wrestled for the broth!! Photos here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/846989#7365508

  • L.Nightshade on August 01, 2012

    This is an effortless dish that presents beautifully. I cooked and served it in a cataplana, and I added the paprika mentioned in the note. Aromatic and delicious!

• Shrimp with garlic (Gambas al ajillo - Andalusia)

  • Gio on May 29, 2012

    Pg. 303... This is a terrific tapa and probably the quickest recipe I've ever cooked. I served the shrimp with the garlic and sauce on a grilled slice of Portuguese Saloio bread. Absolutely delicious. The main dish was Braised Peas and Artichokes on page 264. Great meal.

  • TrishaCP on June 10, 2013

    A classic tapas and probably one of the fastest dishes to pull together- just shrimp quickly cooked with lots of garlic and red pepper flakes. Huge bang for your buck in terms of flavor.

  • Zosia on August 22, 2018

    Simple but completely delicious.

  • MmeFleiss on March 06, 2015

    Quick and delicious.

• Pan-grilled fish with garlic and chile dressing (Pescado a la bilbaina - Basque Country)

  • Gio on May 29, 2012

    Pg. 320 This was delicious. Plain and simple. A hot skillet on the stovetop was the "grilling" method. I reversed the cooking order because it just made sense to me: Instead of cooking the fish first I made the sauce before the fish was cooked otherwise the fish would have cooled while the sauce was being made... Monkfish is the fish she uses for the recipe but gives many alternatives so I chose haddock fillets, with skin left on. Usually I would expect this to be served with lemon wedges but this didn't seem to need anything else, not even pepper. We loved the delicate garlic flavor with the super fresh fish.

  • twoyolks on October 11, 2016

    I used mahi mahi and this was just a bit too plain. The olive oil didn't really pick up any of the flavors from the garlic or chile. I used a fresh Fresno chile and the flavor of the chile was the best part of this.

  • Zosia on October 04, 2014

    Using skinless mahimahi, I wasn't able to truly test the cooking technique in the recipe, but I can attest to the deliciousness of the chile-garlic dressing on both the fish and the accompanying boiled potatoes (a recommended side). I used the outdoor grill to cook the fish and made the dressing simultaneously in a small pan on the side burner.

• Potatoes with chorizo (Patatas a la Riojana - La Rioja)

  • Gio on May 29, 2012

    Pg. 432... I found it to be, as the header notes state, intensely flavored. The recipe is quite simple and very easy to bring together. I did like the flavor but found it almost too heavy and filling. The chorizo was just too much for me.

• Winter vegetable medley (Menestra de invierno - Asturias)

  • Gio on May 29, 2012

    This was Delicious. I usually don't boil vegetables preferring to steam them instead to retain all their nutrition. In this case, for this recipe it just made sense to follow the directions. The vegetables are cooked at staggered times so there was a hefty amount of nutrients in that water. If I had been thinking ahead I would have saved the cooking water that wasn't used for the sauce. It could have been used as a soup base or another sauce.

• Braised peas and artichokes (Guisantes y alcachofas - Catalonia)

  • Gio on May 29, 2012

    This was a different combination of ingredients for us and we quite liked how they all came together to create a tasty and satisfying finished dish. Fava beans are used in Catalonia as a matter of course but here Roden gives us her peas variation. As she says, "it's delightful." I didn't make any changes to the recipe but did take advantage of her options: prosciutto rather than Serrano ham, grappa instead of brandy, dried herbs instead of fresh, and frozen vegetables not fresh. Using these alternatives gave me a chance to create a lovely meal with pantry ingredients on a very busy night.

  • L.Nightshade on August 01, 2012

    Using frozen vegetables, this came together quite easily. As I was trying use ingredients on hand, I substituted pancetta for the serrano ham. I did use brandy, and I used homemade duck stock for the broth; I thought it would tie into our ducky main course. This was a nice side, I don't think anyone was ecstatic or anything, but it was good. It could be played with too. I have some frozen limas leftover from another dish, and I think I'll cook them up and combine them with the leftovers from this dish.

  • emma_clare on September 22, 2019

    We thought this was lovely. With the mint and cinnamon, it was quite an unusual combination of flavours. Worked really well and different to the normal kinds of dishes we make (although by no means hard to do).

  • Vickynewman on June 24, 2021

    Really excellent - used tinned artichokes, frozen peas and smoked back bacon. Delicious served with grilled hake.

• Catalan tomato bread (Pan con tomate - Catalonia)

  • milgwimper on August 11, 2014

    I rubbed a raw garlic on the bread like we had in Barcelona. Delicious. :)

  • TrishaCP on June 10, 2013

    So simple it doesn't even need a recipe- toast a coarse country bread, rub tomato on top of the toast until the juice permeates it, and garnish with a bit of olive oil. Endless variations are possible with this dish, and I'll be thinking about this during the winter when there aren't fresh tomatoes anymore.

  • Bloominanglophile on April 23, 2013

    Sometimes the simplest recipes can be the most satisfying. I served this as part of a tapas meal instead of the more traditional Spanish breakfast. I also rubbed the bread with raw garlic (before the tomato), which makes it spicy but oh so good!

  • Ganga108 on April 08, 2023

    Delicious! A taste of late summer on a chilly Autumn morning. Happiiy, tomatoes are still ripening in the garden.

• Gazpacho (Gazpacho rojo de tomates - Andalusia)

  • milgwimper on June 29, 2014

    We made this a while back and forgot to write my review. It was quite delicious, not quite what I had in spain but good. I took TrishaCP advice about no black pepper and did not add any I also don't remember black pepper flakes in gazpacho.

  • TrishaCP on June 10, 2013

    No twist to anything, just a very traditional gazpacho recipe, which is one of my favorite things in the world when the tomatoes are perfectly in season. Traditional for the most part, but one thing to mention- the recipe calls for salt and pepper to taste. I showed this to a Spanish friend when she was visiting (she is from Cordoba), and she was horrified that anyone would think to put black pepper in gazpacho! So I didn't- and honestly, I think she is right- I got enough kick from the bell pepper.

• Barbecued grilled steak (Chuletón de buey a la brasa - Basque Country)

  • mziech on May 28, 2012

    Easy recipe, other than putting steak on barbecue no cooking involved. Delicious though.

• Meatballs in almond sauce (Albóndigas en salsa con picada de almendras - Catalonia)

  • Emily Hope on November 25, 2013

    These meatballs were really delicious and a big hit with the family--the sauce is fantastic. Made a double recipe and, rather than frying the meatballs before putting them in the sauce, I broiled them until browned (saves the splatter). A bit time-consuming for a weeknight, but definitely worth the effort. Served over white rice (seemed like a good match to us), though I imagine they'd also be good with some bread on the side as well. With an arugula/persimmon/pomegranate salad.

  • L.Nightshade on August 01, 2012

    I made this dish all in one pan. It probably took a bit longer that way, as each element had to be done in sequence, but I only had one pan to clean! I used pork for the meatballs. While they looked and tasted great, the texture was off for us. I think it might have been because of the bread I used. I had forgotten I needed bread, so I used a chunk of leftover ciabatta for the picada, and a rather mooshy hamburger bun for the meatballs. Since the meatballs were a bit too squishy for us, I attribute that to the bread. Loved the sauce, however. I used duck stock, otherwise as written. My sauce became very think in the prescribed cooking time, and I did add a bit of water. I didn't serve them with bread or noodles, and didn't miss them. I'd love to try this sauce on other meats also. Actually, it would be good on most anything!

  • hillsboroks on June 25, 2023

    This was a wonderful and exciting change from the usual meatballs in tomato sauce. Based on other notes I baked my meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet for 20 minutes at 450 F. I found the baking information in The Meatball Shop Cookbook and reduced the time to about half and then continued with this recipe. My husband loved them. I served them over mashed potatoes.

  • raybun on September 04, 2016

    A delicious meal and flavour combination. I left the meatball mixture in the fridge for a couple of hours to firm up before rolling. I also oven baked the meatballs rather than frying them before adding to the delicious picada. I served this with linguine.

• Oxtail stew (Rabo de toro - Andalusia)

  • Vanessa on December 19, 2011

    Great simple oxtail dish. I agree with the Spaniards - use the immersion blender and puree the veg mixture. (Roden is so thorough - she notes that method is the Spanish way, though she herself does not prefer it.) I did notice that the oxtails took a LONG time to break down. We were in hour 3 of cooking before the meat started to be shreddable. The technique of trimming the fat and roasting first also dealt very nicely with the problem of excess fat rendered into the stew.

• Angelita's tuna pie (Empanada de atún - Galicia)

  • Vanessa on July 10, 2012

    I found the recipe in the Wall Street Journal this weekend (7/7/12), then later realized it came from this book, which I don't own. This was really good. Plus, everyone one in my family who came near the kitchen while this was cooking commented about how good the kitchen smelled. I made this with Italian canned tuna (not Chicken of the Sea). Interesting technique with the dough, which is made from white wine, olive oil, flour, baking soda, and egg. It makes a dough that is really easy to work with, and also quite sturdy (perhaps even a bit tough). But I'll make this again. It is also adaptable to different kinds of fillings.

• Spinach with raisins and pine nuts (Espinacas con pasas y piñones - Catalonia)

  • TrishaCP on November 23, 2014

    This was a fine but not too exciting side dish. I disagree that the raisins and pine nuts don't add anything to the recipe though- I thought the raisins added some depth and complexity and pine nuts a welcome crunch.

  • twoyolks on December 28, 2013

    This brings out the earthiness of the spinach but the pine nuts and raisins don't seem to contribute much flavor.

  • Bloominanglophile on November 06, 2013

    It's hard to mess up a simple spinach sauté. Good for a quick side to a Spanish meal--I made it for our latest tapas meal to fill out the vegetable selections.

• Lentil soup (Potaje de lentejas - Castile and León)

  • TrishaCP on June 10, 2013

    A wonderfully savory dish- both bright from the addition of tomatoes and smoky from the pimenton. A truly special version of lentil soup.

• Peppers and tomatoes with eggs (Piperada vasca - Basque Country)

  • TrishaCP on September 14, 2014

    Made to use up some of the remaining late season sweet red peppers (I omitted the green bell peppers)- this made a tasty Sunday brunch item.

  • e_ballad on January 15, 2017

    One of our favourite breakfasts, perfect for summer.

• Spanish vinaigrette (Vinagreta)

  • TrishaCP on June 10, 2013

    Great way for dressing up simply grilled vegetables ( I served this with yellow squash)- the hard boiled egg adds a nice richness. I made the version that used a combination of sherry vinegar and Pedro Ximinez sweet wine as the acid. I also realized at the last minute that I didn't actually have any parsley on hand, so I used about a tablespoon of tarragon instead- kind of in line with another variation anyway.

  • Beebopalulu on December 17, 2023

    Love the textural richness added by the egg, but far too oniony for my taste

• Almond, dried pepper, and tomato sauce (Salsa de romesco - Catalonia)

  • TrishaCP on June 10, 2013

    A classic recipe for romesco sauce (which my husband made not as classic by adding tablespoons instead of teaspoons of vinegar-whoops, but it still worked). We used this as a sauce for simply broiled fish, but it will go well with most vegetables as well. (I think it would be lovely with kale.) I used the pimenton de la vera option since I didn't have the correct type of dried peppers.

• Chestnut puree

  • TrishaCP on November 23, 2014

    Delicious- a perfect match with the wild boar stew from this book. I had pre-cooked chestnuts, and maybe they were drier than fresh, but I had to use significantly more milk than what was called for in order to get an acceptable puree. (Not sure how much, I kept adding while pureeing in the food processor until I got what I wanted.) But once I did- this was amazing!

• Rice with mushrooms (Arroz con setas - Catalonia)

  • TrishaCP on January 02, 2012

    This dish is amazing. The sherry flavor is key- it brings such a sophistication to a basic rice dish. Would make a great substitute for a risotto when you don't have time for all of that stirring.

• Wild boar stew with red wine (Estofado de jabalí al vino tinto - Extremadura)

  • TrishaCP on November 23, 2014

    Stew is a misnomer- this is really a braised meat dish with more braising liquid than normal. (In other words, you will want side dishes with this one- it isn't a complete meal on its own.) Still the flavors were lovely- I loved the cinnamon here. The chestnut puree is a perfect match.

  • tagubajones on March 19, 2013

    A good recipe for when you get your hands on some wild boar.

  • MarciK on September 15, 2023

    I loosely followed the recipe because I had ground wild boar. I used all the same ingredients but needed to adjust the cooking. I did thicken the sauce to a gravy. It was good, but I’m looking forward to trying it after the cinnamon has had time to meld with the gravy more. If I can ever get ahold of boat shoulder, I’d love to try the Catalan version. I suspect that is the version in the photo.

• Salmon in brandy sauce (Salmon al brandy - Asturias)

  • TrishaCP on November 25, 2013

    A good solid dish for a weeknight that comes together fairly quickly. Salmon fillet is poached in a broth of onion, garlic, tomatoes, fish stock, brandy, and chile pepper (I subbed a chile de arbol). I didn't blend the sauce, but would recommend doing so if you want to make it less rustic. Not the most memorable recipe from this book, but not a bad meal either.

  • kateastoria on June 21, 2015

    Somehow this was a very blah result, which given the ingredients didn't make sense.

• Monkfish with brandy (Rape al brandy - Catalonia)

  • TrishaCP on June 10, 2013

    A really simple and delicious fish dish- I used striped bass rather than monkfish. Fish is browned in olive oil, and then simmered in a broth of water, tomato paste, garlic and brandy. Other than the fact that I couldn't get the brandy to flame per the recipe, this was a great success that I will make again.

  • zorra on October 17, 2015

    Just right for two people. Added a bit of butter at end to sauce, which is also nice on accompanying steamed green vegetables. Love it when a supermarket search leads me to use my newest cookbook.

  • Geric on June 05, 2021

    We loved this dish. The burning of the Brandy was very entertaining and really added extra flare to the evening. The sauce is simple but effective. I had no parsley but will add it next time.

• Lamb stew with peppers and tomatoes (Cordero al chilindrón - Aragon, La Rioja, and Navarre)

  • TrishaCP on June 14, 2013

    This dish has flavor well beyond the sum of its parts. Truly stunning how few ingredients taste so good. Only rated 4 stars because I needed to cook the lamb one hour longer than the recipe indicated to get it tender. I added my peppers (used jarred piquillo since I had them on hand) about half-way through cooking. Simply cooked polenta was a great accompaniment.

• Garlic chicken (Pollo al ajillo - Castile - La Mancha)

  • Prim on February 16, 2014

    Excellent. I made it with chicken thighs, skin on. After browning the chicken and making the sauce, I put in a casserole dish and baked in the oven. Also, thicken the sauce a little with a couple tablespoons of flour.

  • Zosia on April 09, 2016

    I've made recipes similar to this before, all of which were delicious, but I decided to make it with dry sherry in place of the wine. It was like an entirely new dish, and one I will be repeating. A new family favourite.

• Chicken, rabbit, and bean paella (Paella Valenciana - Valencia)

  • zorra on September 10, 2015

    Made a hybrid of this & another recipe here. Used chicken thighs, chorizo & clams (no rabbit or snails). Green beans were a colorful ingredient, but I had to have red pepper too. Incorporated white wine & a jar of clam broth as part of the liquid. I always underestimate the time it takes to make a paella, but it's worth it.

• Vegetables with tomato and hard-boiled egg vinaigrette (Verduras de la huerta con la salsa vinagreta - Murcia)

  • L.Nightshade on August 01, 2012

    This is a very nice treatment for mixed vegetables. I did the vegetables as written, dropping them into boiling water in stages. First potatoes and leeks, then artichokes, then asparagus. But I had to fetch out the potatoes as they were fully cooked when the leeks were still too firm. With the potatoes pulled early, everything came out fine. The basic dressing is made up of olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, pepper, chopped parsley, chopped tomatoes, and a chopped hard boiled egg. I made the variation, which also includes chopped red onion, capers, and chopped olives. My one further (unauthorized) variation was to add a crushed clove of garlic. This vinagreta is poured over the warm vegetables and they are tossed to absorb the flavors. This is a colorful and tasty vegetable dish. The hard boiled egg adds an extra dimension to the dressing (and I don't even like hard boiled egg). I made extra dressing just to put on a salad or roasted potatoes, I might even add an anchovy or two.

  • Zosia on April 09, 2016

    This is such a versatile dish and a great way to highlight seasonal vegetables. I used cauliflower and green beans cooked until tender-crisp and they went beautifully with the vinaigrette.

• Little pies with a tomato, pepper, and tuna filling (Empanadillas de atún y pimiento - Valencia and majorca)

  • Allegra on April 24, 2013

    Loved these flavour-packed morsels! The dough was nice and forgiving from all of the olive oil. It needed a thorough working to bend to my will, but after cutting (3'' round) I used the dowel that I keep for dumpling wrappers to re-stretch when it shrank. Kept some of the tasty filling aside without tuna for a vegetarian; that was equally delicious. With my smaller cutter and a reserved amount of filling, I reaped about 50 emanadillas. I imagine that this would also be wonderful with chorizo in place of tuna.

  • Bloominanglophile on April 23, 2013

    My family really enjoyed these empanadillas. The dough is a bit tricky: it is very oily (I let it sit for a couple of hours at room temperature and it oozed olive oil). It also does NOT like to be re-rolled right away. Knead the scraps together and then let it sit for awhile to soften back up. It is very stretchy, so can be manipulated around the filling and sealed fairly easily. I got 24 empanadillas from this recipe using a 3 3/4" round cookie cutter.

  • Zosia on April 09, 2016

    These were a big hit and not too difficult to make. The filling was boldly flavoured and the dough was quite forgiving and easy to work with as long as you allowed a few minutes rest when it became too elastic. I loved that they were baked, not fried.

• Eggplants stuffed with meat (Berenjenas rellenas de carne - Balearic Islands)

  • jtodes on June 27, 2014

    Very good. Substitute ground lamb for pork. Increase spices a bit.

• Mushrooms with garlic (Champiñones al ajillo - Mediterranean Spain)

  • twoyolks on April 30, 2020

    This is mushrooms sauteed with garlic and that's exactly what it tastes like.

  • Bloominanglophile on August 24, 2014

    Olive oil, garlic, lemon juice or wine (in my case--sherry), and parsley elevate the humble button mushroom and makes for a nice tapa!

• Seafood paella without shells (Arroz del señorito a la marinera - Valencia)

  • twoyolks on July 14, 2014

    This was pretty good but didn't really pick up the flavor or color from the paprika or saffron. I had some trouble getting the top of the rice and shrimp to cook so I covered it with aluminum foil for the last 5 minutes. I don't think that the clams added much to the paella so would consider omitting them in the future.

• Boiled meats and chickpeas with vegetables (Cocido Madrileño - Madrid)

  • twoyolks on December 07, 2014

    The chickpeas were the best part of this as they absorbed a lot of the flavor from the meats. The skimming of the broth took quite a while. The meat basically falls apart when it's finished cooking.

• Spinach with Béchamel and hard-boiled eggs (Espinacas con Bechamel - Navarre)

  • twoyolks on January 17, 2013

    The sherry overpowered everything else in the dish.

• Garlic mayonnaise (Alioli con huevo - Catalonia, Valencia, Balearic Islands)

  • twoyolks on December 25, 2013

    The base itself is relatively mild but the garlic can pack a wallop.

• Tomato vinaigrette (Vinagreta de tomate - Catalonia)

  • twoyolks on May 22, 2017

    I really didn't care for this.

  • Zosia on September 10, 2014

    I've been making this regularly since summer tomatoes became available; excellent with all greens, particularly bitter or peppery lettuces, but is equally good with steamed vegetables like green beans. Flavour improves after a few hours at room temperature.

• Ham croquettes (Croquetas de jamón)

  • twoyolks on August 17, 2012

    I used matza flour for the first coating and panko for the second coating and they came out quite well.

  • Zosia on April 09, 2016

    I had no idea these were made from a (very thick) bechamel sauce! The mixture was quite easy to work with chilled and the flavour was fantastic.

• Vegetable soup with peas (Puré de guisantes)

  • twoyolks on March 26, 2013

    My wife described this as spring in a bowl. I'd consider running the soup through a food mill instead of using an immersion blender next time. The soup was only very slightly thickened from the pureed vegetables.

• Red wine sangria (Sangria - Andalusia)

  • twoyolks on December 25, 2013

    There wasn't as much fruit flavor as I'd like and it tasted too alcoholic.

• Zucchini with onions and oregano (Zarangollo - Murcia)

  • Bloominanglophile on September 06, 2013

    A friend of mine taught me this basic side dish many moons ago. I usually cube my onion and zucchini, however. I have never seen it in a cookbook until now! I picked the oregano from my garden, but the flavor was not really detectable in the finished dish--maybe add a bit more?!? Also, the zucchini flavor needed some enhancing with a bit of acid at the end. I used sherry vinegar, as I thought it fitting for a Spanish dish.

  • Zosia on April 09, 2016

    This had wonderful flavour but I just didn't care much for the soft texture.

• Marinated leg of lamb (Cordero en adobo de Guadalajara - Castile - La Mancha)

  • LouiseStaley on September 07, 2012

    Delicious and very forgiving on the time. It ended up on the stove for over 3 hours yet still emerged glossy, succulent and very tasty. The combination of saffron, honey and the marinade made a nice change to roasting a leg with rosemary and garlic. Highly recommended and I will make it again.

• Cream of pumpkin soup (Crema de calabaza - Asturias)

  • LouiseStaley on August 07, 2012

    Not quite sure what I did wrong here because even with what seemed a mountain of salt and pepper being added and another squeeze of lemon juice this was lacking in flavour, especially lacking in pumpkin flavour.

• Sardines in a pickling marinade (Sardinas en escabeche - Andalusia)

  • tagubajones on March 19, 2013

    Delicious and the fish keep for a few days -- maybe longer but they've never stayed in my fridge longer. Cleaning the fish takes a few minutes but once done it all comes together fairly quickly. I have re-used the pickling marinade for additional picklings. Have thought about freezing it and seeing what happens upon defrosting...

  • Pimlicocook on June 01, 2021

    Delicious, and so easy. Will make again and again.

• Orange flan (Flan de naranja - Valencia and Murcia)

  • tagubajones on March 19, 2013

    Easy and tasty.

• Almond soup (Sopa de almendra - Extremadura and Castile)

  • tagubajones on March 19, 2013

    This was a delicious and unusual (to me) dessert. Very enjoyable.

• Chestnut and chocolate flan (Flan de castañas y chocolate - Andalusia)

  • tagubajones on March 19, 2013

    Delicious and a bit on the mysterious side. The booze-chestnut combo is very satisfying.

• Pumpkin dessert (Arnadí de calabaza - Valencia)

  • tagubajones on March 19, 2013

    Delicious and not so difficult. I've started mixing sweet potato and pumpkin.

• Roasted red peppers with anchovies (Pimientos con anchoas - La Rioja)

  • tagubajones on March 19, 2013

    Fairly easy to make and delicious. Highly recommended. Fish and pepper are in perfect balance.

• Laced coffee (Carajillo)

  • tagubajones on March 19, 2013

    Shazam.

• Chicken and shrimp with almond and chocolate sauce (Pollo con langostinos - Catalonia)

  • psj926 on May 18, 2013

    This recipe is fantastic. I have bragged about it since I made it and have made it several times since.

• Pasta with peas, chicken or rabbit, and pork chops (Fideos en cazuela - Catalonia)

  • Zosia on April 09, 2016

    Very rich and hearty with every noodle infused with the delicious flavours of the cooking liquid since the pasta is cooked like rice via the absorption method. I used a tagine and cooked the meat in it first so the browned bits added an extra layer of flavour. I substituted pork tenderloin for pork chops.

• Medley of spring vegetables (Menestra de primavera - Navarre and La Rioja)

  • Zosia on April 20, 2016

    This was a lovely way to serve new spring vegetables. I cooked them in the broth only until tender-crisp and served them with just a drizzle of the flavourful wine sauce.

• Potato omelet (Tortilla de patatas)

  • Zosia on April 09, 2016

    There are apparently several tricks to making this successfully: stewing the potatoes and onions was one I learned to do and that resulted in incredibly creamy potatoes that remarkably still held their shape and sweet onions that melted into the omelette. It's a step that took extra time but was worth it for the end result.

  • KCKB on December 02, 2023

    A solid, classic recipe. Another helpful trick: if your pan doesn’t have a good lid that’s the right shape to become a family heirloom for tortilla flipping, a similar-sized plate with a smooth, gently-curved surface can also work really well. Also, it’s always wise to hedge your bets and stand over the sink when you flip!

• "Wrinkled" potatoes with red and green sauces (Papas arrugadas y mojos Canaries - Canary Islands)

  • Foodycat on July 09, 2014

    I only made the red sauce - seriously addictive.

• Tolosa red bean stew (Alubias rojas a la Tolosana - Basque Country)

  • lkgrover on February 08, 2020

    I have other stew/braises with country-style pork ribs, which I enjoy more. I found this bland, except for the Spanish chorizo. I did not use morcilla sausages nor guindilla chiles.

• Roasted peppers and eggplants (Escalivada - Catalonia)

  • lkgrover on September 04, 2024

    Simple recipe for mixed roasted red pepper & eggplants. Good side dish for a Spanish meal.

• Grilled vegetables (Verduras a la plancha - Catalonia and Mediterranean Spain)

  • swegener on May 01, 2015

    this is such a simple dish, but so good! I'd never grilled scallion's before and they were yummy, if hard to eat!

• Watercress soup (Potaje de berros - Canary Islands)

  • Charlotte_vandenberg on May 12, 2024

    Recipe doesn’t seem to be in my book, although isbn matches.

• Bread pudding (Pudín de pan - Andalusia)

  • e_ballad on May 03, 2019

    Delicious & an absolute doddle to prepare. From a personal preference perspective, I might reduce the quantity of nuts. Though listed as optional, the PX sherry is a must!

• Mashed potatoes with olive oil and scallions (Patatas aliñadas - Andalusia)

  • Ganga108 on April 08, 2023

    P237 in my edition of the book. A glorious bowl of roughly mashed potatoes with OO and spring onions. She has a similar recipe in Med. This has become our go-to mashed potato recipe.

• Sweet roasted tomatoes (Tomate confitado - Andalusia)

  • Ganga108 on December 20, 2021

    I have been cooking slow roasted and oven dried tomatoes for 3o years, near enough. We adore them, and the level of dryness can be adjusted depending on your mood or requirements or time available. Some are left "squishy" for salads, tapas/mezze and nibbling. Others are dried much further and used in much the same way but with an intense flavour and chewy texture. The first ones I ever made were sprinkled with sumac (before cooking), and since then have used all varieties of flavours including pomegranate molasses, quince molasses, cumin, lots of pepper, dried mint, mustard oil, .... etc Claudia has introduced the Spanish version here - sweet tomatoes - sprinkled with sugar (I use a soft brown sugar), seasoning and olive oil. Slow roasted, delicious. This can be made with small teeny tomatoes or larger ones, just adjust the cooking time.

• Fine Cooking

  ...it’s amazing that she offers just the two hundred or so here. Her aim was to feature the most delicious she could find, though, and it’s clear she succeeded.

  Full review

• Boston Globe by T. Susan Chang

  There are not many cookbook writers who can pull off a book as ambitious, thoughtful, and deeply nourishing as "The Food of Spain".

  Full review

• Lisa Is Cooking

  Reading the book was like a whirlwind, guided tour of Spain, and cooking from it is like stopping in at private homes along the way.

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