The Food of Spain and Portugal: The Complete Iberian Cuisine [Hardcover]

Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1989

As one of the most distinguished authorities on Spanish and Latin American cooking, the author has written the definitive book on the cuisine of the Iberian peninsula, known for its abundance of fresh foods and use of ingredients such as corn, tomatoes, and pumpkins.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ortiz's ( The Book of Latin American Cooking ) fascination with food of the Iberian Peninsula began when she embarked on an educational voyage to learn about the cuisine of Mexico. This quest led her on to Spain, Portugal and the Middle East to celebrate the "culinary wedding" of the old and new worlds. Her historic and geographic perspectives, developed during a 25-year journey, can solve such conundra as why cinnamon is included in veal, Catalan-style, and chili pepper in such a dish as rabbit in "salmorejo" sauce. While these morsels of information and the fare that goes with them will whet a reader's appetite, Ortiz's coverage of the healthful traditional Iberian cuisine is neither comprehensive nor meticulously presented: we are not told which cut of meat to buy in her recipe for lamb with lemon and garlic or the correct ratio of flour to liquid in Portuguese cornbread. Instructions for the seemingly simple fried eggs, Spanish-style, are unnecessarily vague, and the author frequently calls for stocks without providing recipes . Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Ortiz, author of several good books on Latin American cuisine, now goes back to the Old World to explore the food of the Iberian peninsula. Her text is full of carefully documented regional dishes, from the tapas of Spain and hors d'oeuvre of Portugal to the versions of caramel flan specific to each country. Recommended for most collections.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 290 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum (June 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689120575
• ISBN-13: 978-0689120572
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,027,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Difference of Opinion, October 11, 2004

By 

A Reviewer (DeWitt, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Food of Spain and Portugal: The Complete Iberian Cuisine (Hardcover)

I must admit to being surprised by the rather negative review of this book by Publishers Weekly. I bought this cookbook 15 years ago, and it is still one of the most frequently used in my collection of over 100 cookbooks. Although I have never tried the Portuguese bread recipe mentioned in the review, I have tried dozens of other recipes from this book and never found any to be "vague." The recipes are authentic, easy to follow, and a good introduction to the naturally healthy cuisine of this part of the world. We particularly enjoy the poor people's lobster (monkfish cooked with olive oil, garlic, paprika, and white wine),and the simple yet tasty recipe for chicken with orange juice and fresh mint. After 15 years, I am still discovering delicious new recipes from this book. I went fishing this weekend and caught several brown trout: Navarre style trout was a hit with the whole family! Ignore the Publishers Weekly review and buy this book while it is still available.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Cookbook!, January 31, 2006

By 

raquel (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Food of Spain and Portugal: The Complete Iberian Cuisine (Hardcover)

I agree with the other reviewer. PW has got it all wrong. This is a great cookbook! I have cooked about 7 recipes and have not been disappointed once. I would say that this isn't the best cookbook for a beginner cook, but better for a seasoned cook. The recipes are simple and full of flavor with just a few ingredients. Definitely a must have for any cookbook collection!