Cooking and Loving

About the Book

Constance Hamilton wrote the book of which this is a part in Spanish ; and, having had it published to wide acclaim and excellent reviews, decided to embark on its English version, confident that her easy ecclectic approach to cooking, generously spiced with pinches of anecdotes and humour, would also appeal beyond the borders of the Spanish language. You will find that Connie’s cuisine has a strong Mediterranean taste ; but that she is as equally at home in French fare as she is acquainted with the secrets of Indian and other Far Eastern cooks. Written colloquially, the book is infused with charm and spontaneity, making it highly readable and wonderfully easy to follow.

About the Author

Born in Santiago, Chile, I began my life in Europe, which was to mark me forever, at the age of seventeen. Prior to that, and living in the country, I would roam the hills with our bulldog, looking for flowers and herbs, and would fry potatoes in perforated tins with a candle inside for fuel. I was not always welcome in the kitchen, for daughters of « well to do » families seldom were at the time; but being somewhat too free and stubborn, and used to having my own way, I would often succeed in convincing my nanny, the cook, into helping her make bread and would fashion my own pastry doves while at it. In Europe, my simple country life would change completely. In Stockholm I would venture into the kitchen where Marianne, our Portuguese cook, who had worked for Laurence Olivier, would only allow me a peep, promising recipes that were never forthcoming. But I started making my own concoctions and began to collect cookery books. Moving to Italy would change my perspective forever… For many a time I ambled on, popping into restaurant kitchens and markets and asking questions, fascinated by anything new and different. Italian and Mediterranean cuisine would mark me perennially. Ten years later I ventured into the kitchen semi-professionally embarking, albeit shyly, on my first money rewarding business. Later still, I began giving cooking lessons. The eighties were a time dedicated to the hotel business, and I worked with Sheraton for several years, acting as a PR director in Rio de Janeiro, Santiago (Chile) and Cancun, in Mexico. It was not until the nineties, after having taken a course at the Académie de Gastronomie Française Ritz Escoffier, at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, that I started dedicating my life full time to teaching, interspersed with some catering and followed by writing. At the same time I worked closely with wine producers in Chile, such as Miguel Torres from Spain (and Chile) and Montes Wines and Lapostolle, also from Chile. I have written over forty articles on gastronomy, travelling, wine and culture for major newspapers and magazines in Chile as well as for Slow Food in Italy. Montes Wines also asked me to attend with them the Salone del Gusto in Turin (Italy), and I have been invited to visit vineyards in France, Italy, Portugal and Spain, apart from Chile and Argentina. Finally, not without travelling frequently (this time to Asia, where I spent some time visiting the spice plantations in Kerala, India, and took some lessons in Vietnam), I set about the task of producing my first book. As I write this, I find myself in Istanbul, preparing an article on Turkish cuisine. I hope to be able to keep on travelling and writing; not only about food; perhaps I might venture into « seriously » writing a novel; if I do, it wouldn’t surprise me if it came fairly loaded with food !... Patricia Ossa (illustrations) A close friend of the author, Patricia Ossa, a Chilean painter and illustrator, has dedicated her life to the Arts and has exhibited her work in New York, Paris, Rome and in most of Latin America. Hamilton’s feeling for the kitchen has been masterfully interpreted and reflected in her candid illustrations.