Traditional Recipes of Spain Series

The Axarquía is a small, remarkable corner of Andalusia in Spain. It has witnessed some of the most culturally cataclysmic events of the last 40,000 years of European history, such as the arrival of the first modern human beings in Europe, the invasion of the Phoenicians, Byzantines, Romans, Visigoths, Arabs and most recently, the Christians. It is a bountiful area with fertile soils and a good climate. However, it is not always an easy place. In just a few years the climate of the area can fluctuate from abundance to drought. The geography of the region makes access very difficult; to this day many of its villages are remote, often inaccessible. These extraordinary historical, climatic and geographical conditions have made the Axarquía an area of great diversity. One of the most interesting facets of the region is its cuisine. It is full of Roman, Arab, Jewish and Christian culinary traditions, many of which are obvious in the 200 plus recipes contained in this book. To give a better insight into the culinary origins in this collection of recipes we have divided the book into the following chapters: GENERAL: - The geography, landscape and climate of the Axarquía - A short History of the Axarquía and gastronomic influences - The Agriculture of the Axarquía - Traditional ingredients - Village by Village: A short Gastronomic tour of the Axarquía RECIPES: - Starters, Salads and Gazpachos - Soups of the Axarquía - Main Dishes of the Axarquía - Goat's Meat dishes - Lamb dishes - Rabbit dishes - Pork dishes - Poultry dishes - Stews and Fricassees - Casseroles - Fish Dishes - Sweets and Confectionary - Breads and Tortillas - Wines and other alcoholic drinks of the Axarquía - Tapas of the Axarquía - Timetable of Meals in Andalucía - Traditional Breakfast in the Axarquía - Merienda - Table, serving and restaurant etiquette in Andalusia The cuisine of the Axarquía is a delicious and exciting voyage of exploration in Spanish taste, country life and European history. We hope you enjoy the journey!

For any traveller crossing Spain it is soon obvious that every region has its own distinctive culinary specialities. Look a little closer and we realise that every province also has its own specialties. Indeed, when we really begin to dig deeper, we find that most villages also have their own very particular recipes. This high degree of culinary diversity may come as a nice surprise to many a jaded palate. Sadly, in much of the industrial world we are accustomed to bland, standardised and utilitarian food. Even at times like Christmas, when good food should be central, few really local specialities exist in our rather monochrome "Westernised" gastronomy. Gladly, Spain mostly avoided this "industrialisation" of food so that most people remain avidly interested in and proud of their own food products and their regional dishes. This attitude probably explains the huge number of Michelin stars in the country. Spain is a treasure trove of food diversity, with centuries of cultural influences from Romans, Arabs, Jews and Christians contributing to many of the dishes still served today. Spain is blessed with a pride and love of its own traditional recipes, combined with a range and variety of ingredients that many a chef outside of Spain can only dream about. Christmas is a special time in Spain and there are few people in the world as capable of making Christmas into a truly special occasion. The Spanish have a love and understanding of good food. Taken together with their ability to enjoy a good party, Christmas in Spain is truly a culinary delight. Here we present you with just some of the multitude of traditional Spanish Christmas Recipes. Enjoy them and Feliz Navidad!

Here we present a collection of 280 Traditional Vegetarian Tapas Recipes of Spain. Tapas are a unique, ancient and delicious feature of Spanish traditional cuisine. They come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, ranging from a simple slice of bread and cheese, through hearty hot stews and soups, to elaborate and delicate, exquisitely presented gourmet canapés. Every region of Spain has its own favourites, often based on local products. Despite the preconception that Spanish food is dominated by meat and fish, the reality is that at least half of the traditional tapas recipes in Spain are in fact vegetarian. The author, Malcolm Coxall, a lifelong vegetarian and lover of Spanish gastronomy, has collected a delicious selection of traditional meatless tapas. As he says: "Just because you don't eat meat or fish, it doesn't mean you have to miss out on Spain's most famous food culture - the tapa. Indeed, the opposite is true; Spain has at least as many vegetarian tapas as there are with meat and fish ingredients. More than 3000 years of multi-cultural evolution in food preparation in Spain has given us one of the world's most inventive and diverse culinary traditions. The Muslim Moors, the Jews, the Christians and the "New World" all brought new radical ideas to agriculture and traditional cooking in Spain. In a country where meat is still often considered something of a luxury, meatless dishes are common. Tapas are no exception to this. So here we present just a tiny sample of the vast array of meatless tapas available in the country. Enjoy!" For this collection of recipes we have divided the book into the following chapters: Preface 1. Introduction 1.1 History of the Tapa 1.2 The "Tapas Culture" 1.3 Traditional Ingredients and Techniques 2. The Recipes 2.1 The Recipes - An Introduction 2.2 Tapas, Canapés and Montaditos with Bread and Toast 2.3 Pâtés 2.4 Pickles, Marinades, Jams, and Conserves 2.5 Soups, Creams, Sorbets, Purees, Porras, and Sauces 2.6 Potato Tapas 2.7 Croquette Tapas 2.8 Rice and Pasta Tapas 2.9 Tapas made with Beans, Nuts, Lentils and Chickpeas 2.10 Salad Tapas 2.11 Vegetable Tapas 2.12 Mushroom Tapas 2.13 Tortillas 2.14 Stews and Fricassees 2.15 Empanadas and Pies 2.16 Cheese Tapas 2.17 Sweet Tapas List of recipes - Spanish names List of recipes - English names

Spanish cuisine is extraordinarily varied, intertwined as it is with the country's amazing history, and its cultural and geographical diversity. Every Spanish recipe has its own story! But Spanish traditional baking is in a league of its own. Spanish bakery has it all - from flat bread made on campfires by Celtic shepherds to honey fritters from the Moorish Caliphates. We have the favourite pastries of Catherine de Medici, lemon cakes made for fertility rites in rural Aragon, and tarts made for the Habsburg emperors by closed orders of Spanish nuns. The story of Spanish bakery is full of adventure, intrigue and humanity. No other part of Spanish cuisine reflects the story of Spain as well as its traditional bakery and many of Europe's oldest baking traditions come from Spain. Here we present over 250 traditional baking recipes of Spain - but not just that. This book is also a social, historical and cultural journey. We hope you enjoy the journey - we are sure you will enjoy the recipes!