The New Spanish Table

November 28, 2005
Von Bremzen is in love with the gastronomic delights of Spain, offering an appealing, informative look at the cuisine that is rapidly usurping the culinary dominance of Italy and France. She offers insight into the dishes of famed chefs Ferran Adrià and Juan Mari Arzak and also shares the secrets of talented but lesser known cooks from around the country. Several of the recipes are for dishes you'd expect to find in a volume of this size—sangria, gazpacho and a multitude of tapas—but there are many welcome surprises: Eggs over Smoky Bread Hash, Coca (Spanish-Mediterranean pizza) with Candied Red Peppers, and Rice Pudding Ice Cream. Throughout the recipe section, von Bremzen (Please to the Table
) provides entertaining personal stories like "Ode to a Can of Tuna," which details a raid on Arzak's fridge that reveals an incredible tinned treat. Readers will find facts on the history, food and wine of each of Spain's regions, a primer on Spanish cheese and a look at the critical ingredients in a Spanish pantry. Regardless of their level of familiarity with Spanish cuisine, all readers will learn something from von Bremzen, who shows us why Spain is taking its rightful place near the top of the culinary ladder. Photos.

Starred review from December 1, 2005
The widely traveled von Bremzen is also the author of Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook and The New Pacific Table, among other titles. A frequent visitor to Spain since the early 1980s, she has watched the culinary revolution that has recently made some of that country's chefs into international names. Her latest book provides a fascinating look at this new cuisine, with recipes (adapted for the home kitchen) from Ferran Adriá and other celebrated chefs, but fortunately she does not dismiss the favorite regional dishes that are hallmarks of traditional Spanish cooking (she admits that her recipe selection leans to her two favorite regions, Catalonia and the Basque country). So classics like Patatas Bravas and Garlic Soup are here, next to recipes for such inventions as Cherry and Beet Gazpacho, -Deconstructed - Tomato Bread, and Scallops with Candied Lemon. There are sidebars on ingredients, history, and other culinary topics, along with stories about the chefs, home cooks, and artisans she encountered, and there are color photographs of the food and the cities and countryside throughout. An essential purchase.

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.