In Catalonia, noted Spanish chef José Pizarro showcases the food of the Catalan region. The book is a tribute to the rich cultural heritage of the area, celebrating traditional ingredients with generations-old recipes, as well as a number of new dishes. Pan con tomate, patatas bravas, chicken stew with langoustines and Crema Catalana will be recognized by anyone familiar with Catalan cuisine. Moreover, Pizarro offers up his own versions of roasted goose and escudella (in a recipe called "Escudella, My Way").
Each recipe in Catalonia is accompanied by lush, full-color photography--of the dishes in question, as well as of regional sights and scenery. The result is a cookbook that is as much a travelogue and photography book as it is a collection of recipes. Pizarro recognizes food as a "wonderful way of encoding and capturing history on a plate," and Catalonia has a wonderful way of capturing it altogether on the page. --Kerry McHugh, blogger at Entomology of a Bookworm