1080 Recipes by Simone Ortega, Inés Ortega Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of 1080 Recipes
Book Review: Phaidon Phails with this "cook" book!!
Summary: 1 Stars
This is an unnattractive, often inaccurate loose list of food ingredients for as many Spanish dishes as they could cram into its pages to make it a BIG book. By no means is it a cook book. What a dissappointment!Book Review: Pretty book
Summary: 4 Stars
While many of the recipes are not something I would try, I bought this for the beauty of it and it doesn't disappoint. The illustrations are superb and the printing is wonderful.Book Review: The Ultimate Spanish Cookbook
Summary: 5 Stars
I went to Spain for a summer because I was in love with the language, and I returned with what can only be described as an obsession with the cuisine. While there, I cooked with Maribel (my madrileña hostess), spent hours wandering through markets in cities all over the country, and passed countless nights hopping from tiny bar to tiny bar sampling tapas with friends. Before I left Madrid, I asked Maribel for guidance in my future cooking endeavors. She beckoned me into her kitchen, reached up to a short shelf above the pots and pans, and pulled down her beloved dog-eared food bible, 1080 Recetas De Cocina. "You must get a copy of this book," she told me in Spanish. "Follow the recipes exactly. This has everything."
A couple weeks later, I purchased a copy of the book in Salamanca. In the three years since my return home, I have carefully steered myself through many rewarding home cooking experiences equipped with 1080 Recetas in one hand and a Spanish-English dictionary in the other. The results are always delightful.
I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this translated version of the book for several months now. I finally received my copy yesterday, and I am happy to report that it does not disappoint! At first sight the gorgeous cover took my breath away. When I opened it I discovered all my favorite recipes inside, lovingly translated to English and converted to U.S. customary units of measurement, beautifully complemented by the vibrant illustrations of Javier Mariscal.
The book does cover everything -- tapas, condiments, sauces, fresh vegetables, quick dishes, and savory meats. The recipes are well written and easy to follow.
To echo Maribel: You must get a copy of this book!
Book Review: The cooking actually made in Spain's households
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the cookbook Spain's households have used over the past several decades for their everyday cooking.
It shares with books like The Joy of Cooking in the US, The Silver Spoon in Italy, and Je sais cuisiner and Recettes Faciles in France that:
- It's been around for a long time
- It has sold literally millions of copies over the years
- Recipes are consistently reliable (actually work, that is the reason of their long-time success), even if some times you can find better ones in other books
- Recipes tend to be simple (as I said, for everyday cooking)
- The design is somewhat sober and the book includes few pictures
Although 1080 Recetas de Cocina contains many Spanish recipes, is not a book specifically on Spanish cuisine, but it aims to contain most of the dishes normally made in Spanish homes, even if some are not originally Spanish. Some foreign dishes are adapted to Spanish taste (e.g. Italian pasta is not normally eaten in Spain "al dente", but a little softer).
Book Review: There may be some unit conversion problems
Summary: 1 Stars
I just got this book as a present. I was very excited to try something from it because it is so graphically and volumetrically impressive. Looked in my cupboard and figured I at least had the ingredients for Quiche (Recipe 56). So I dove right in, and not being much of a pastry chef failed to realize that to "Gradually stir 1 1/4 cups water", into a pastry dough comprising only 1 3/4 flour would be a disaster. About 1/2 cup water into the gradual stirring I realized I'd made more a batter than a pastry dough. Clearly the unit conversions have not been carefully edited, and the recipes have not been tested by an English speaking tester. I worry that unless you already know what you are doing, you will be led astray by this sort of carelessness.