Customer Reviews

Spanish Table, The: Traditional Recipes and Wine Pairings from Spain and Portugal

5 star:		(3)
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3 star:		(1)
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This is an American pretending to know how to make Spanish tapas or Iberian food in general. Btw: I'm from Barcelona - There's not originality on his recipes, looks like the recipes were copied or borrow from somewhere else - I could safely say that his recipes are taking from other public available sources. Yes, looks good, but these recipes are available anywhere on the net. Don't buy it, just Google "Paella Valenciana" or "Tapas Recipes", "Portuguese Country Recipes", etc. That being said, the book looks good, the directions are Ok, I think there're better books up there. Try one of Penelope Casas books E.g.: La Cocina de Mama or The Foods and Wines of Spain...

Native Spanish cuisine from the Iberian peninsula is one of long tradition and distinction. In "The Spanish Table: Traditional Recipes And Wine Pairings From Spain And Portugal", author Steve Winston draws upon his many years of travel throughout the Iberian countryside and seashore communities to compile a 222-page compendium of truly outstanding recipes that perfectly showcase the versatility, breath, and variety of Spanish and Portuguese fare for any and all dining occasions. Of special note are the wine-pairing suggestions, recommendations, and commentaries. With recipes ranging from The Spanish Table's Classic Paella; Azorean Beef Stew; Amy's Chorizo Bread Pudding; and Tortilla Espanola; to Blackberry-Saffron Sorbet; Artichoke Heart and Manchego Cheese Spread; and Chocolate Port Wine Cake, "The Spanish Table" is a highly recommended, 'kitchen cook friendly', and seminal addition to any personal, professional, family, or community library ethnic cookbook collection!

I was looking to host a Spanish dinner party and used this cookbook for most of my recipes. Overall, the book gave me some great ideas for tapas, paella, and sangria. However, several of the recipes did not offer much specificity but rather general guidelines ("Use a lot of oil"). I guess the point the authors were trying to make is that there are not always hard and fast guidelines for certain ingredients, but ultimately it's a cookbook! When people have not made these recipes before, specifics are necessary.

Some of the recipes are better than others - the artichoke/manchego spread was terrible, but the sephardic migas were a huge hit. My guests also loved the traditional paella valenciana.

Overall, the cookbook was helpful and the discussions at the beginning of each chapter were extremely informative. I would not recommend if you have never cooked spanish food before.

Excellent cookbook. I saw this in a Spanish store in LA for $ 35.00. Got it on Amazon for about $8 with shipping. Excellent shape, great pics and recipes. I highly recommend it, very authentic recipes. Great Paella recipes.

I enjoy this book because it is the only one out there, that I know of, that teaches about the kitchen tools we see in Spain and Portugal. Paella pans, cataplanas, clay cazuelas, and even mortars are included as their own sections. It gets me into the spirit of the Iberian style of cooking with rustic elements and timeless classic flavors. Plus the Cocina Pobre section is great for us students on a budget!