Note: This edition of The Art of Spanish Cooking has been updated to include Metric equivalents.
This is not only a cookbook devoted to authentic Spanish recipes which are little known to Americans, but also a travelogue with descriptions of places, people and restaurants, historical notes, and anecdotes based on the author’s firsthand experiences during her recent trip to Spain.
Unlike the foods of Mexico and the other Latin American countries, true Spanish cuisine is not highly seasoned—its flavor results from the skillful blending of the very best ingredients. Each province of Spain has its own characteristic and distinctive dishes, and Betty Wason has collected the best recipes from each region. Valencia is famous for its intricate rice dishes, while the Andalusian foods have an almost Oriental flavor. The cuisine of the Catalans, in the east, resembles the cooking of Southern France, and the recipes from the Basque country have a Celtic character.
There is a chapter about the interesting and unusual things the Spanish do with eggs, one that deals with famous rice dishes, and chapters on poultry, meats, fish, and shellfish. One of the outstanding features of the book is the section devoted to “Aperitivos”, since sherry is the wine for which Spain is world famous. Attractive illustrations appear throughout the book.
The Art of Spanish Cooking will appeal to potential travelers as well as to cooking enthusiasts, for Betty Wason communicates the color and atmosphere of Spain as she describes the country’s distinctive and delicious cuisine.
This is what the critics are saying about Betty Wason’s Cooks, Gluttons and Gourmets
Vogue: “Everyone is talking about the cook’s tour of history, by Betty Wason, who has appended rare but do-able now recipes to her exploration of storied cooks…”
Washington Post: “More than a history of cookery—it’s a history of mankind.”
Library Journal: “…a record of men’s tastes and manners through the ages, written with humor…fascinating reading for every member of the family.”
Radio Station KTIB, Louisiana: “An absorbing history of food over the years since civilization began.”
Rex Stout, in the New York Times Book Review: “If you open this book at any page just for a glance, ten to one you will finish the page and then some.”
----
Betty Wason, author of Cooks, Gluttons and Gourmets and Dinners That Wait, is a freelance food publicist for a number of public relations firms and food and wine importers. She was born in Delphi, Indiana, and holds a degree in home economics from Purdue University. She has been an associate food editor of McCall’s and The Woman’s Home Companion, and an editor at the General Foods Kitchens. During World War II, while a CBS correspondent in Europe, she wrote Miracle in Hellas: The Greeks Fight On. She lives in Pleasantville, New York, with a large collection of old and new cookbooks.
