1080 Recipes
by Inés Ortega, Simone Ortega
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Book Reviews of 1080 Recipes
Book Review: The Ultimate Spanish Cookbook
Summary: 5 Stars
I went to Spain for a summer because I was in love with the language, and I returned with what can only be described as an obsession with the cuisine. While there, I cooked with Maribel (my madrileña hostess), spent hours wandering through markets in cities all over the country, and passed countless nights hopping from tiny bar to tiny bar sampling tapas with friends. Before I left Madrid, I asked Maribel for guidance in my future cooking endeavors. She beckoned me into her kitchen, reached up to a short shelf above the pots and pans, and pulled down her beloved dog-eared food bible, 1080 Recetas De Cocina. "You must get a copy of this book," she told me in Spanish. "Follow the recipes exactly. This has everything."
A couple weeks later, I purchased a copy of the book in Salamanca. In the three years since my return home, I have carefully steered myself through many rewarding home cooking experiences equipped with 1080 Recetas in one hand and a Spanish-English dictionary in the other. The results are always delightful.
I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this translated version of the book for several months now. I finally received my copy yesterday, and I am happy to report that it does not disappoint! At first sight the gorgeous cover took my breath away. When I opened it I discovered all my favorite recipes inside, lovingly translated to English and converted to U.S. customary units of measurement, beautifully complemented by the vibrant illustrations of Javier Mariscal.
The book does cover everything -- tapas, condiments, sauces, fresh vegetables, quick dishes, and savory meats. The recipes are well written and easy to follow.
To echo Maribel: You must get a copy of this book!
Book Review: Ain't no 'Silver Spoon'...
Summary: 2 Stars
I have to hand it to the Phaidon press... Once they start a good thing, they sure can smell the profit motive of the next hook. If you loved the "Silver Spoon", as I do, then it was a natural conclusion to snap up this beautiful follow-up, in the same vein. Namely, to get Spanish cooking (hot, hot, hot these days,) into a corner and make it cry "chorizo!" Unfortunately, the reason that every Spanish household has a copy of this in the kitchen is that "1,080 Recipes" is the Spanish "Joy of Cooking".
Now, I'm not saying that every American shouldn't have "Joy" lying around... It was my first cookbook, and it still sees more frequent use than any other in my collection as a good reference and starting-point for my cooking. But how many such books do I need? The answer is one, and when I'm honest with myself, even the "Silver Spoon" has a few too many Italian-icized French recipes in it to be a true "bible" of Italian cooking, it is just that it's SO MUCH BETTER than 1080 to begin with.
All in all, this cookbook really doesn't teach me anything. Where the sheer quality of the content drove my love of the "Silver Spoon", I was left clammy by "1,080 Recipes". I've already got the Spanish recipes I need, with far better instructions, from "Joy"... What I wanted was something more cutting edge, more technical. I'll have to keep looking.
Book Review: The cooking actually made in Spain's households
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the cookbook Spain's households have used over the past several decades for their everyday cooking.
It shares with books like The Joy of Cooking in the US, The Silver Spoon in Italy, and Je sais cuisiner and Recettes Faciles in France that:
- It's been around for a long time
- It has sold literally millions of copies over the years
- Recipes are consistently reliable (actually work, that is the reason of their long-time success), even if some times you can find better ones in other books
- Recipes tend to be simple (as I said, for everyday cooking)
- The design is somewhat sober and the book includes few pictures
Although 1080 Recetas de Cocina contains many Spanish recipes, is not a book specifically on Spanish cuisine, but it aims to contain most of the dishes normally made in Spanish homes, even if some are not originally Spanish. Some foreign dishes are adapted to Spanish taste (e.g. Italian pasta is not normally eaten in Spain "al dente", but a little softer).
Book Review: There may be some unit conversion problems
Summary: 1 Stars
I just got this book as a present. I was very excited to try something from it because it is so graphically and volumetrically impressive. Looked in my cupboard and figured I at least had the ingredients for Quiche (Recipe 56). So I dove right in, and not being much of a pastry chef failed to realize that to "Gradually stir 1 1/4 cups water", into a pastry dough comprising only 1 3/4 flour would be a disaster. About 1/2 cup water into the gradual stirring I realized I'd made more a batter than a pastry dough. Clearly the unit conversions have not been carefully edited, and the recipes have not been tested by an English speaking tester. I worry that unless you already know what you are doing, you will be led astray by this sort of carelessness.Book Review: An absolute must have recipe book!
Summary: 5 Stars
I first started traveling to Spain in 2001 and I fell in love with Spanish cuisine. I realized that my good friend, who cooked all the time, was using a book called 1080 Recetas. She said that every Spanish household had it and that it was how she learned how to cook. When I saw that this recipe book was translated in English, I was ecstatic. Finally! I have been cooking a variety of recipes with this book (no picture required in order to get it right, although the illustrations and photos are exquisite) for almost a year. I am COMPLETELY satisfied and I have evolved as a cook. Now, after having lived in Spain for two years, and four years later (and currently) in the States, I can say that I have a bit of Spain with me.