18 Wednesday Sep 2013
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Twenty years ago, just after I moved to Sevilla, I was given this copy of Janet Mendel’s fabulous Cooking in Spain. It’s covered in food stains and has a good number of pages marked with colourful paper clips – basically a well-used and well-loved book.
Twenty years ago I never would have imagined that twenty years later Janet Mendel herself would be sitting in my livingroom autographing this book for me.
15 Wednesday May 2013
Posted in books, food & drink
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… this was delivered yesterday!
It was recommended awhile ago by my friend Fiona (aka Scribbler in Seville) when I was trying to find the English name for a fish I only knew the Spanish word for. It’s a great illustrated catalogue of fish and shellfish that includes several translations, and it also includes over 200 recipes. I have to say that the recipes came as a bonus because I thought I was just buying a reference book. It’s also the first book I’ve bought in ages. What was the last book you bought?
06 Tuesday Nov 2012
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Shortly after Azar died there was a knock on the door and a delivery man handed me a package from Amazon. This isn’t a particularly unusual occurrence here at casa az, except that in this instance I hadn’t actually ordered anything from Amazon. Turned out it was a prezzy from the lovely Deb. She’d seen this book on my wish list and sent it along, saying how reading can sometimes be a good escape from life, and that she hoped the book would help.
And well, I only opened it today! I suddenly found myself with an hour to kill before a tapas tour and was good and tired of sitting in front of the computer. And then I remembered my book! I have to say the whole process was wonderful. Opening a fresh new book (when was the last time I did that?) and turning to Page One. And then laughing out loud before I even got halfway down the page – good ol’ Bill Bryson. I hope this means I am going to go back to reading Real Books again. I remember when I used to read a book a week…
Thanks again Deb. It was a lovely gesture and a perfect gift.
30 Monday Apr 2012
Posted in books, cooking, food & drink, friends
I blame my iPhone. Used to be that I would polish off at least a book a week, but ever since I got Pippin that number has dwindled to an embarrassing handful a year (!). Which is why it’s taken me a couple of weeks to get around to enjoying Kerstin Rodger’s Supper Club.
You may recall that Kerstin (aka @MsMarmitelover) visited Sevilla awhile back and was my houseguest for a fun & food filled weekend. Well, she also very generously risked going over her RyanAir baggage weight allowance and brought me a copy her fabulous book Supper Club – my own signed copy!
And it is truly a delightful read.
Sandwiched between an extremely useful step-by-step section on how to start up your own underground restaurant and a fun collection of themed dinner ideas are lots and lots of scrumptious recipes with beautiful photos. Being pretty much vegetarian (the occasional bit of fish is becoming even more occasional) Kerstin invited other “secret supper” chefs to share their favourite meat dishes. It’s a book full of heart and humour and I can’t wait to try out some of the recipes. I am also now extremely envious of all those people on Twitter talking about what an amazing time they had at this or that Supper Club evening…
For more foodie fabulousness check out Kerstin’s blogs:
The English Can Cook
The English Can Eat
11 Wednesday Jan 2012
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Apparently this video has gone viral since I first saw it via Twitter yesterday morning. In case you’ve missed it, here it is. Wonderful stuff. Filmed at Type Books in Toronto.
casa azahar 