Tapas (Revised): The Little Dishes of Spain

This book was first published in the 80's, which by my reckoning makes it a cookbook worth buying. There are no celebrity cooks involved, just very basic, simple, time-honored recipes that are taken from all regions of Spain. It should be noted that Penelope Casas is an American who spent a good deal of time in Spain through travel, personal interest and completed university in Madrid...more

This book was first published in the 80's, which by my reckoning makes it a cookbook worth buying. There are no celebrity cooks involved, just very basic, simple, time-honored recipes that are taken from all regions of Spain. It should be noted that Penelope Casas is an American who spent a good deal of time in Spain through travel, personal interest and completed university in Madrid during the Francoist 60's. She has reported extensively on Spanish cuisine for the past couple of decades. However, it should be noted that she claims that tapas is originally an Andalusian phenomenon. The origin of tapas is truthfully debated among Spaniards and culinary aficionados, as the Basque pintxo is also reputed to be the origin of the appetizer. Note: In recent years, it has become fashionable to form entire menus based solely on tapas. This is not a traditional way to eat them, as they were meant to serve as amuse-bouches or bar snacks to keep the stomach happy while drinking. I would recommend this book for those who want to make authentic tapas without the fancy frills or pretentiousness which are coincidentally not native to the dish or the Spanish character. I would give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. I cannot figure how to operate the rating system...   hide