Tapas: Sensational Small Plates From Spain [Paperback]

Joyce Goldstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 13, 2009

An expert in Mediterranean cuisine, Joyce Goldstein brings the warmth of Spain across the Atlantic with this delightful array of tapas recipes. These treats are small, savory, and perfect for an evening in with friends. Whether reliving a delicious trip to a tapas bar in Spain or discovering these small-plate delights for the first time, readers will find Goldstein's 60 recipes authentic, easy to make, and pleasing to the palate. Nothing could be a better accompaniment to a lingering glass of Catalonian wine than a few bites each of Fried Marcona Almonds, Chorizo Sausages Sautéed in Cider, and thin slices of Serrano Ham. With a short history detailing the origins of Spanish cooking, Tapas will have crowds of fans asking for más.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Goldstein, author of Antipasti and Italian Slow and Savory, ably whittles down the expansive gastronomy of Spain into a worthy, compact cookbook. Instead of attempting an impossible feat—to include every component of the Spanish table in a glossy, chic nutshell—she wisely chooses the best of each dish, starting with five basic sauces that can be applied to the seafood, meat, vegetable and egg recipes that follow. Though a few dishes are larger than a typical small-plate (Asturian white bean stew or paprika-marinated pork tenderloin, for example), Goldstein stays true to the fundamental procedures and ingredients used in modern Spanish kitchens. Salty, spicy and sweet, Goldstein offers innovative tapas, showcasing the best of each of Spain's diverse regions. Each recipe comes with wine pairings, both Spanish and non-Spanish, and the book begins with a clever rundown of Spain's history, cheeses, cured meats and fish. While some recipes might seem daunting for beginners (cleaning squid or handling a whole octopus), there is also an entire chapter dedicated to œShop-and-Serve Tapas that require little to no preparation. With vibrant photos and straightforward instructions, this book has all the makings of a reliable source of fun, crowd-pleasing ideas for the contemporary cook. (June)
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About the Author

Joyce Goldstein is a renowned chef, author, and teacher. She has traveled extensively in Spain and published several Mediterranean cookbooks. She lives in San Francisco.

Leigh Beisch has photographed for many Chronicle cookbooks, including Holiday Baking and Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (May 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811862984
• ISBN-13: 978-0811862981
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 7.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,724 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > European > Spanish
  • #29 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Meals > Appetizers

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sensational!, July 10, 2009

By 

H. Grove "Errant Dreams Reviews" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tapas: Sensational Small Plates From Spain (Paperback)

The book starts off with interesting history regarding regional cuisine, various ingredients, and so on. It suggests which ingredients you might be more likely to find in American grocery stores these days, versus the ones you'll have to go online to find.

One chapter explains the concept of "shop-and-serve" tapas: things you can throw together after a quick shopping trip for the right ingredients. Fried Marcona almonds or marinated olives would be a good example, or stuffed eggs. My one problem with the cookbook crops up here. I know the stuffed eggs don't take many ingredients, but it's still easier to make sure you get everything you need if those ingredients are listed out separately rather than woven into paragraphs of instruction. On the other hand, here you'll also find a cookbook technique I like: often a single recipe will include a handful of variations. For instance, the piquillos rellenos (stuffed piquillo peppers) recipe offers five different stuffings.

There's also an entire chapter for eggs, fritters, and savory pastries (yum!). There are several varieties of omelet, and ham and cheese croquettes that can easily be varied until you find your favorite combination of ingredients. There are shrimp fritters, empanadas and empanadillas with a variety of fillings, Majorcan flat bread with a couple of optional toppings.

The vegetables chapter includes the absolutely wonderful "fierce" potatoes (patatas bravas); this is one of the first fried potato recipes I've found that actually makes potatoes soft inside and crispy outside (perfect!). The sauce that goes with it is delightfully spicy, with a tart and surprising flavor. You'll find chickpeas with spinach, garlicky fried mushrooms, Andalusian style asparagus, sausage-stuffed mushrooms, and more.

The seafood chapter is quite inventive and varied, from seafood cocktail to squid with peas, stuffed squid, white beans with clams, griddled tuna, fish in pine nut sauce, and quite a few more. A chapter on poultry and meat includes a surprisingly flavorful and juicy recipe for grilled chicken with honey and cumin--one of my favorites from this cookbook! (Actually, I think everything we made was a favorite.) There's quail in grape leaves, quail with apples, chicken livers with sherry, meatballs with two sauces, lamb meatballs with mint, pork in almond sauce, and other equally inventive delicacies.

We've been looking for a good recipe for fried mushrooms and fried zucchini since we tasted some in Boston years ago, and we finally found one in this cookbook! I can't tell you how delighted we were. Ingredients weren't too difficult to find, although if you don't live near some good stores you will need to go online for some recipes. We also didn't run into any mistakes in any of the recipes we tried or looked through.

If you enjoy sampling small plates of flavorful food, or think you'd like to experiment with the tastes of Spain, then I highly recommend Joyce Goldstein's Tapas: Sensational Small Plates from Spain. It's absolutely wonderful!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Defnitive book on real tapas, November 24, 2009

By 

S. Longo "Upstate caterer" (Queensbury NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tapas: Sensational Small Plates From Spain (Paperback)

Even if you know nothing about Joyce Goldstein's impressive resume, you have only to read the introduction of this book to realize this is a master work by a master chef. Tapas is a term used freely these days, but in this book, you will learn what authentic tapas are. The best news? Many of the recipes are ridiculously easy and quick to prepare. Also included is a "Shop & Serve" selection of tapas, a great way to round out two or three special tapas. Don't miss the sizzling garlic shrimp, the deceptively simple but incredibly delicious spinach with raisins and pine nuts, chorizo stuffed mushrooms and the griddled clams with green sauce. This would be a great book for a gourmet group or a book club to use for a tapas night. Directions are concise and easy to follow. The photography will leave you drooling and eager to make these recipes. A must-have book.

18 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Profound Disappointment, January 6, 2010

By 

Raymond P. Gouin "rpg-boston" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tapas: Sensational Small Plates From Spain (Paperback)

I purchased this book sight unseen on the basis of reviews that I read. Upon receipt it proved to be a profound disappointment. My disappointment is such that this is the first time that I make an effort to write a review on Amazon.

To start with, from an organizational standpoint, the titles of all of the recipes are in Spanish, with the English language equivalent appearing thereunder. Recipes continuing on more than one page are titled only in Spanish. While this is annoying in general, it is extremely disadvantageous when you come to the chapter indicies, as the English language name equivalents are very difficult to read. This affectation is nonsensical in a book otherwise written in English and intended for an English reading audience.

The choice of recipes is likewise disappointing. Tapas are suppose to be small plates, often finger-foods. A large number of these recipes are more suitable for first courses, main courses and side dishes to main meals -- anything but Tapas. Taking a general recipe and dividing it into small portions does not make it Tapas.

I own eight recipe books on the subject of Tapas. This is the one that I will use the least.