Spain...A Culinary Road Trip
by Gwyneth Paltrow, Mario Batali
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Book Reviews of Spain...A Culinary Road Trip
Book Review: Good Recipes, Recommended Restaurants, and a Travelogue of Spanish Cuisine.
Summary: 4 Stars
"Spain: A Culinary Road Trip" is the companion book to the 2008 PBS series "Spain: On the Road Again", in which chef and restaurateur Mario Batali, New York Times food critic Mark Bittman, actress Gwyneth Paltrow, and the multilingual Catalan actress Claudia Bassols criss-crossed Spain in search of great cuisine and sight-seeing. Mario Batali was the impetus behind that project, and he is the author of this book, which is a cross between a cookbook, a travelogue, and ad for Spanish tourism. There are 13 chapters, each corresponding to an episode of the television series and exploring a different city or region, beginning and ending in Madrid.
About 70 recipes are included. Most are simple, with only a handful of ingredients. This isn't a bad thing, as these dishes are inviting, relatively easy to prepare, and preserve the freshness and lively flavors of their primarily ingredients. Some cooks might have preferred to have a smattering of more complex recipes mixed in, however. There are a lot of seafood recipes, some vegetarian, and some meat. Dessert recipes are scarce. And Batali couldn't resist including a few dishes that are not for the squeamish (and not for vegetarians or pescetarian), like "cochinillo asado" (sucking pig) and "frito mallorquín" (containing lamb heart and liver).
Batali writes a little about each location the foursome visited: the restaurants, people they met, places they shopped, culinary specialties they savored, etc. Beyond the recipes, this is useful as a reference for those restaurants and artisanal products that you may have seen in the television series. So if you plan to visit Spain anytime soon, you will be able to find some of the great food that left you salivating. Conversations and quotes from the intrepid foodies are interspersed throughout. There are hundreds of color photos of food, people, and places. In the back, you'll find a list of restaurants and hotels, a recipe index, and an index of people and places.
Book Review: Go For A Wonderful Ride!
Summary: 5 Stars
Spain, A Culinary Road Trip by Mario Batali (with Gwyneth Paltrow) is, quite simply, a wonderful book. I received it as a gift and immediately plunged in, seeking out those Spanish culinary delights that I've come to love during my annual treks. Much to my delight, I encountered numerous items that I normally wouldn't try. However, given the interesting descriptions, I've decided the next time I'm in Spain I'll be expanding my palate.
The book itself may seem like your typical coffee table tome. Don't be fooled. Sure, the book contains many photographs but they are handsomely integrated with the recipes and text. Batali and Paltrow put the food into cultural context, one of the things I appreciate most about this book. Furthermore, the photos show a bunch of people having a great time. The enthusiasm and love for the people and food of Spain literally leaps off the page. You'll meet ordinary people as well as famous chefs courtesy of this duo.
Of course, I'm an easy sell in this department. During my many trips to Spain, I've come to love the culture. Still, I've seen my share of travel, history, and cooking books. This one is among the best. In some ways it brings to life portions of H.V. Morton's A Stranger in Spain. If you are even remotely interested in the subject, don't hesitate to plunk down your cash. You will not be disappointed.
Book Review: Food Porn
Summary: 5 Stars
OK, I admit it. I have a fetish for food porn - those luscious, mouth watering, steaming, salivating photographs that should be a part of every cookbook. OTRA certainly qualifies as a card-carrying member of that club but in this case the reader is fortunate. It is not just the food but the land itself and, of course, the gorgeous Claudia and Gwyneth that provides pleasure. In case you haven't guesses, this is a stunning book.
It's not mandatory that one first see the video but it certainly helps, especially putting events, travels and food in context. Some complained that this is not a "cook book" per se and they are right - it is a book about food and the culture of food. I had feared that the show would devolve into a tiresome journey through fancy, incredibly expensive restaurants with sparkling silverware and candles. Instead, they scour the countryside and the sea, absorb the local culture and cook in open natural areas like vinyards and beaches and backyards.
Mario has transferred some of these culinary delights to CASA MONO, his homage to the Spanish tapa. Every dish was serious yet playful in its ingredients, preparation and simplicity. The JAMON was great as was the infamous MONO sundae. Yes, this is a coffee table book but it is also a great help when preparing a small, informal dinner party. My grade - A
Book Review: Bought the book for only one recipe...and it was changed!
Summary: 2 Stars
Don't get me wrong, I loved the series - and the book is ok. I bought the book for only one recipe - the paella. The paella from the master paella guy. He made it for 4-6 people and only put in 100g of rice. Even Batalli was amazed at the scant amount of rice and he had to tell us in the series that the norm for pasta is usually 100g per person (he is always comparing everything to an Italian equivalent, which is annoying). Even so, he said it was the BEST paella he has ever had. Many years ago, I was an exchange student in Castellon and this is exactly the paella I used to eat. You eat it out of the paella pan (which in Spanish we just call the paella), which sits in the middle of the table. Even though you are feeding 4-6, the paella pan is enormous - you just want a 1/2 inch thick amount of food - the 100g of rice the master put in was absolutely right. So, I ordered the book out of nostalgia. To my disappointment, Batalli adjust the recipe and includes 2 cups of rice! The scant amount of rice is surely a good secret to know, that and a very big paella pan.
I like Mario, but you have to wonder because the guy has been coming to Spain for decades and wasn't familiar with pisto or the ensaimada in Mallorca... Shame on you Mario for not giving us the recipe from the series! That is what the book is supposed to be about!
Book Review: I Love this Book
Summary: 5 Stars
I have to be honest, this may not be the greatest cookbook, recipe-wise, in that it doesn't have a lot of them and it's mostly filled with pictures and other stuff, but if you've seen the show and sat, mouth-watering, like I have, you'll love this book for capturing the same adventurous, exotic, and ultimately succulent recipes for you to revisit and try on your own. I know for sure that I will not be recreating most of these recipes, but the ones that I will are just so amazing that they more than make up for it. I see this book more as a treasury of good food, good times and a healthy way of life we should all be living, and it makes me smile just flipping through its colourful pages. For that reason, it's one of my favourite cookbooks.
Other faves:
Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone: Recipes to Put You in My Favorite Mood
Gordon Ramsay's Sunday Lunch: And Other Recipes from the " F Word " : And Other Recipes from " The F Word "
Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook