Spanish food has, of course, influenced nearly every school of South American cookery but the food back in the motherland is still quite distinct. Spain’s culinary history is thousands of years old and there’s so much to enjoy!
Of course, it’s hard to define a cooking tradition as rich as Spain’s in a few cookbooks but we think that these amazing Spanish cookbooks come very close to doing just that and we’re sure you will agree too.
The Food of Spain by Claudia Roden
It’s not the definitive work when it comes to Spanish cooking but it comes very close, the Food of Spain is Claudia Roden’s tour de force and it’s involved and interesting.
We liked that her recipes were always easy to follow and that anyone could make them (in fact, our kids enjoyed making her tuna empanadas with us). It’s a solid introduction to Spanish food.
Cúrate: Authentic Spanish Food from an American Kitchen by Katie Button and Genevieve Ko
Cúrate is an award winning Spanish restaurant and this book contains 125 of their finest recipes.
If you have a keen sense of attention to detail, you can recreate their dining experience at home for a fraction of the cost. And it’s amazing!
1,000 Spanish Recipes (1,000 Recipes) by Penelope Casas
Penelope’s justly renowned for her contribution to bringing authentic Spanish food West from Spain to the Untied States. She married a Spanish guy and then fell in love with his food as much as she did with him.
This is her last, epic take on the nation’s culinary heritage and it was published after she passed away in 2014. There is nothing you can find within its incredible number of pages that isn’t worth trying often several times.
Basque Country: A Culinary Journey Through a Food Lover’s Paradise by Marti Buckley
If you live fish, you’re going to love Basque cookery and this book is the greatest homage to Spanish sea food ever.
The recipes are all super easy to follow and 100% authentic, even a total novice should be able to enjoy Spanish food with this text.
La Cocina de Mama: The Great Home Cooking of Spain by Penelope Casas
This is another Penelope Casas classic and it’s a true tribute to the passion of the home cooked Spanish meal. She went to her husband’s country and spent time with his family and other families to create this.
These recipes have been handed down from generation to generation and they’re tendered with such love and emotion that it would be impossible for the results to be anything other than incredible.
Tapas Revolution by Omar Allibhoy
Tapas Revolution is a Spanish restaurant based in the UK which specializes in little plates of tasty wonders.
The recipes are perfect for an inexperienced chef and they cover just about every food group imagineable.
Grape, Olive, Pig: Deep Travels Through Spain’s Food Culture by Matt Goulding
If you’re looking to take a food tour of Spain then this wonderful cookbook is the best way to get started as it’s part travelog and part recipe ideas.
It also lays Spain out completely logically by food region and then offers awesome insights into how the locals approach food in the region. It rocks.
Rustic Spanish (Williams-Sonoma): Simple, Authentic Recipes for Everyday Cooking
Simple, hearty fare is what they serve in the average Spanish home and this book aims to capture that side of Spanish food.
There are 100 illustrated, super simple to follow, top notch recipes beautifully photographed here and they taste divine!
Moro: The Cookbook by Samuel Clark and Samantha Clark
Andalusia is a region of Spain that is heavily influenced by traditional Moorish cookery and the owners of Moro want to bring that legacy to light.
This is a love letter to the lasting influences of Moorish food on the best of Spain’s modern and exciting recipes. You simply can’t go wrong and the pictures of the food are out of this world!
The Cuisines of Spain: Exploring Regional Home Cooking by Teresa Barrenechea
This is a wonderful tour of every individual region of Spain and its culinary highlights.
We love the authenticity of the dishes within, but we struggle to source some of the more unusual ingredients which is a real shame as they look so tasty!
