Slim Spaniards Eat Six Times a Day
Spanish food is fabulous and...
For 21 years, I have had a love affair with Spain, and with a particular Spaniard. During this time, I have
- Struggled against,
- Gone along with,
- and eventually, converted to the Spanish approach to food.
This “conversion” has not been a small matter. It has involved subscribing to a litany of food related habits, and reconciling these with the deeply held views on food that were part of my upbringing. … For the most part though, where at first I followed along, I have come to admire the deep and complex relationship between Spaniards and the food they eat as much as the food itself. Don’t get me wrong, there is a reason why Spanish food is becoming popular throughout the world.
Spanish food is fabulous. Much of this book is dedicated to showing just how wonderful it is. However, it seems to me that eating Spanish food without understanding the relationships between Spaniards and food is only half the story. For this reason, I have been moved to understand why Spaniards take food so seriously…
A reader’s view…
“To North Americans bored with the vacuity of any number of glossy cookbooks, Celine Bak’s Slim Spaniards provides welcome food for thought. Here, finally, is a book for the thinking chef, a cookbook that reads like a cultural exploration. Bak allows national and culinary history to mix and mingle, slow-simmering such questions as why the Spanish food is gaining steady North American prominence, and how Spaniards have preserved their unique food culture despite civil war, oppression, and the pressures of twenty-first-century life. The recipes that complement each section are creatively and lovingly chosen by an author whose culinary knowledge is as personally engaging as it is savvy. Whether your interests are in healthier living, broadening your palate with centuries-old recipes, or learning about one of the great food cultures of the world, this impressive book is for you.”