Tastes of Europe

Two cookbooks just released focus respectively on French and Spanish fare.

ONE KNIFE, ONE POT, ONE DISH: SIMPLE FRENCH

COOKING AT HOME,

by Stéphane Reynaud (Mur

doch Books, $55), is packed with meal ideas that call for only about 20 minutes in the kitchen. The French author is well regarded for a string of detailed, almost scholarly cookbooks, but he says he wrote this with his friends who don’t know how to cook in mind. The food is simple and delicious – most recipes have just a handful of ingredients – and, as the title suggests, the dishes are designed to be made and served in one pot or dish.

Most of the recipes are quite meaty, and they will suit busy and hungry Kiwis as the chilly weather sets in. The pork with pumpkin uses tomatoes, herbs and peanuts to boost the avour, and a plump chicken with blood oranges and onions will entice anyone looking for an easy, lling dinner. There are plenty of unusual soups, too, including cod with coconut and lemon, and peas with tofu and wonton. A dedicated section has clever ideas for serving French cheeses, and the desserts continue the onepot theme, with rice pudding, pineapple with rum and nuts, and an aromatic apricot gratin. Bon appétit!

BARCELONA CULT RECIPES,

by Stephan

Mitsch (Murdoch Books

$55), dips into the exciting specialties of that vibrant city. Any visitor to Barcelona will remember the tapas bars and the great seafood. The tapas section of the book has all the expected recipes – pa amb, the simple tomato-rubbed bread, patatas bravas, thick potato strips doused in tomato and paprika and mayo, and albóndigas, the much-loved meatballs in a rich sauce.

There are plenty of rustic, rich maincourse recipes, tempting desserts and drinks and a useful section on Barcelona culinary basics. Perhaps the best aspect of the book is the way it explores the food culture, in an excellent introduction and numerous little notes and photos peppered throughout. And if you are thinking of heading there, Mitsch has recommended 39 places to eat, complete with a map: there’s a challenge.