José Pizarro's Spanish Flavours: Stunning Dishes Inspired by the Regional Ingredients of Spain [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

Most of José Pizarro's recipes use admirably few ingredients - always appealing to me as an amateur cook. Spanish Flavours is a follow-up to his first book Seasonal Spanish Food. Seeing Spain, from a culinary point of view, as many countries rolled into one, Pizarro has organised the book into five chapters covering North, East, Centre, South and the Balearic and Canary Islands. It's not an original concept but it works. Fish and seafood, of course, plays a major role throughout Spanish cuisine but regional specialities are brought into the mix and inspire these recipes.

The North of Spain is represented by Griddled scallops with cauliflower puree and chorizo oil, and a recipe for Baked cheesecakes with blueberries. The East by Caldoso (meaning soupy rice) with quail, wild mushrooms, artichokes and black olives. The Centre is where peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, saffron, pork and Manchego cheese are celebrated. A recipe for Braised Iberico pork with tomatoes, chorizo, thyme and black olives is the region personified. The South has the Moorish influences represented here in dishes such as Spicy lamb albondigas, a take on kofta meatballs, flavoured with North African favourites cumin and coriander. The final region is the Islands, summed up as "simplicity, freshness and strong flavours" inspiring dishes such as Lobster caldereta (stew) and Avocado with prawns and tomato vinaigrette.

Puddings major on fruit. Almond and honey creams with lemon verbena peaches and Orange-scented apple buñuelos are must-trys. Emma Lee's photography is atmospherically rustic and there's a lovely explanatory drawing in the introduction. This book makes me want to get cooking.

Book courtesy of Kyle Books

Disclosure - I like Spanish food a lot. I used to go there when I was a kid to stay with a Spanish family, and I get a real hankering after it. So I'm very familiar with most of the Spanish joints in London and Pizarro's in particular because it is my favourite.

I loved the first book with it's recipes from his home. At first I thought this new one was yet another book of twists on regional Spanish classics. but it isn't. It's Modern Spanish dishes comprised mainly (but not exclusively) of produce from a single region so that they taste "of that region".

Some classic Spanish formats, like paella, are trundled out, as well as formats from the Med and beyond made Spanish. For example, there's a pasta with mussels and chorizo that's like linguine alle vongole with more typically spanish flavours. Griddled octopus is served with olive oil mash - a British format with Spanish ingredients.

There are a lot of very tasty combinations in here, big flavours and little or no tricksy cookery. The average home cook would not struggle.

The book is big on seafood and fish (c.40%). A lot of dishes have ham or chorizo in support, but not so many with pork products as the star, surprisingly. Very little red meat in here too. More game than red meat. That said, the red meat pages of my copy had more evidence of drooling. Flesh and fowl is probably 30% of the book. A gentleman I know very well would buy it for the red meat recipes alone.

Around 10-15 dishes that are either entirely veggie or can be adapted and there are a lot of desserts. And very nice they are too. The ideas, flavours and execution are simple and clear; most can be made ahead.

So it's a book aimed at omnivores who lean towards fish and seafood and like a decent dessert.

Dishes are rustic style - ie. very forgiving - the kind you can burn elegantly, put out on the table in the cooking vessel and let everyone help themselves. There are dishes suitable for brunch, lunch and dinner. In most cases you only need to add decent bread and salad. So far the recipes are reliable - everything I've tried has come good first time. (I'm a medium competent home cook, who avoids precision).

Hard to see what could go wrong - the dishes are simple and assured. Ingredient lists aren't long; no superfluous ingredients.

The pictures are gorgeous and say "make me". I recommend that you do.

I am moved to write a review of this book because of it's brilliance. I have been looking for an honest, uncomplicated inspirational Spanish recipe book for a long time and here it is - "Spanish Flavours". This is a book you can take off the shelf, flick through, and within moments you will have found the perfect meal for any event. Jose Pizarro speaks from the heart and conveys the soul of each of his recipes sharing something of his relationship with the dish. The recipes are easy to follow and he's very clear about what you need to create the best, and most authentic effect. The recipes are really stunning and if you are a foodie you are going to LOVE this book. I was going to list some of my favourites but there are too many to cite here. For a long time I have wanted to be able to create the flavours, personality and essence of Spain that the best Spanish cooks manage to create, and I can honestly say that this book makes it possible. Follow the recipes and you will be creating stunning dishes from the various parts of Spain and receiving huge compliments from the people you cook for. Thanks to Jose Pizarro for this amazing book. For me, this is the best cookery book I have bought in many years so I can't recommend it highly enough. If you love food buy this book!