A Spanish Cookbook a la Mediterranea
by
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"España es diferente," yes, Spain is different, but in many ways, it is not. Historically, Spain has served as the doormat for both Europe and Africa. The Nineteenth Century Spaniard seems to have developed an identity crisis. Spain, for better than a century, was unable to decide if it was the tail end of Europe or the beginning of North Africa. This identity crisis has served to isolate Spain from Europe and most of the world. In the process, it has created a unique national character that is diferente. Under the iron fisted regime of Franco, this tradition continued for about twenty years, 1939 - 1960, making Spain one of the poorest and most isolated countries of Western Europe. In those days, one visited Spain because it was cheap, the food was good, the people were friendly, the climate was ideal, and many of the visitors acted like characters cast from a Hemingway novel or short story. Little of Spain’s culture, history, or current events were prevalent outside of Latin America, where a strong bond with the "Mother land" continued. It has only been in the last thirty years, or so, when Spain hosted a number of the US military bases and tourists flocked there to see if there was any validity to the Ministry of Tourism’s slogan, "España es diferente," that Spain discovered it was an integral part of Europe. More importantly, that it is an essential part of the Mediterranean community. Today, Spain is a bustling, teeming, energetic partner in the European Community Market. Geography, and the influence of multiple cultures, has made it an indispensable part of the Mediterranean, and it was only a question of time before it identified with that community. Its values and corresponding culture made this fact inevitable. The value I have tried to single out is the diet. The principle foods are matelote and rice, otherwise known as cocido and paella. The secret of these dishes is in the basic ingredients - rice, potatoes, chick-peas, grains, olive-oil, and various legumes. All of which are fundamental to the Mediterranean food diet. What makes these dishes unique is that while many ingredients are basic, it is the little bit of this and the little bit of that which is added by the cook. There are many things one can make do without, including books, but no enlightened person would dare live, for long, without a cookbook. I have spent the last twelve years acquiring from my family, and friends, the unique bits and pieces that are additive to foods that I grew up with. Tasty soups. Delicious seafood. Mouth watering dishes with meat or fish cooked according to age-old recipes. Many of the recipes contained in this book have been in my family for several generations. This project was started as an effort to document my family’s style of home cooking and to share it with my four American daughter-in-laws. It was hoped that they would then share some of it with my grandchildren. Along the way, others heard of this endeavor and encouraged me to share my recipes with them. Because of all the recent emphasis on Mediterranean foods, I have now become convinced that this effort might have an even broader audience. The writing of this book has been an international family effort. From Spain, my mother, aunts and cousins contributed. Here in America, my husband translated the recipes from Spanish to English. My daughter-in-laws helped convert the recipes into their nutritional constituents, and my mother-in-law edited the book. While the dishes are unique, they are still very Mediterranean in substance and are very much a part of the Mediterranean Food Pyramid. Along with capturing the essence of these colorful and resilient dishes, we have tried to approximate the food values each of these recipes embodies. I hope that this book will help enlighten you about Mediterranean cooking, particularly the recipes with a Spanish accent, and help cultivate an appetite for Spain that extends beyond its foods.
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About the Book
I have spent the last twelve years acquiring from my family, and friends, the unique bits and pieces that are additive to foods that I grew up with. Tasty soups. Delicious seafood. Mouth watering dishes with meat or fish cooked according to age-old recipes. Many of the recipes contained in this book have been in my family for several generations. This project was started as an effort to document my family’s style of home cooking and to share it with my four American daughter-in-laws. It was hoped that they would then share some of it with my grandchildren. Along the way, others heard of this endeavor and encouraged me to share my recipes with them. Because of all the recent emphasis on Mediterranean foods, I have now become convinced that this effort might have an even broader audience. The writing of this book has been a international family effort. From Spain, my mother, aunts and cousins contributed. Here in America, my husband translated the recipes from Spanish to English. My daughter-in-laws helped convert the recipes into their nutritional constituents, and my mother-in-law edited the book. While the dishes are unique, they are still very Mediterranean in substance and are very much a part of the Mediterranean Food Pyramid. Along with capturing the essence of these colorful and resilient dishes, we have tried to approximate the food values each of these recipes embodies. I hope that this book will help enlighten you about Mediterranean cooking, particularly the recipes with a Spanish accent, and help cultivate an appetite for Spain that extends beyond its foods.
About the Author
Maria del Carmen Asquerino-Frey comes from the small
town of San Lucar de Barrameda, Spain in the Province of Cadiz, which is a
culinary wonder and rich in history. San Lucar is a Pre-Phoenician Columbus
sailed from San Lucar in his efforts to circumnavigate the world. Her husband
is a career civil servant. They married in San Lucar and have four grown
children. She has traveled extensively through Europe and the United States.
The Recipes in her book have their origins in old San Lucar. Some are from her family, others are from Spanish friends and neighbors. Many of the recipes have been in her family for generations. Over the years she has collected and memorized these family recipes in the hope of introducing them to others interested in authentic Spanish food. The recipes represent bold colorful tasty dishes laden with a Spanish accent that are rich in the Mediterranean custom and expression.