Flavors of al-Andalus
The Culinary Legacy of Spain
This cookbook explores the fascinating story of
the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish
cooking.
Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet
Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through
120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables
to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to
foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such
as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed
sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish
cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe.

I’m not Spanish. I grew up in midwest America, land of corn and soybeans, got a degree in journalism and worked as a reporter in the Chicago area before coming to Spain. I arrived to spend a year or two abroad—and never left.

I collected recipes from Spanish neighbors and, on travels elsewhere in Spain, from restaurant chefs and from just about anybody willing to talk about cooking. With an index file of hundreds of authentic recipes and a passionate desire to stay in my little white-washed village in Spain, I pitched a cooking column to the editor of a locally-published English-language magazine.
Inspired by the fried calamares served in tapa bars, I wrote my first article titled: “The Squid in the Kitchen”. Squid was about as exotic as anything I could imagine in those days. My first line read “Don´t be scared. The squid really won´t squirt ink in your eyes nor the octopus entwine you in a wet embrace.” I went on to tell readers how to clean and cook squid and octopus. In 30 years of writing the monthly column, I told expats

I have two sons who were born in this olive grove and grew up with this food. Grown men now, they come home with their children, my grandsons, to help me pick olives and join me at the kitchen table.

This is a blog about Spanish food and home cooking, live from my kitchen and garden. I’ll tell you what I’m eating, where I’m eating and how to cook it—with Spanish style. Let me know what you think—we cooks love feedback!
To read more about the cookbooks I've written, follow the link (below) to another post.
http://mykitcheninspain.blogspot.com.es/2011/05/cooking-books.html
Follow this link to see a video clip of me and friends in my kitchen in Spain. The video appeared on a Spanish television program. http://mykitcheninspain.blogspot.com.es/2012/01/ven-la-cocina-come-into-my-kitchen.html