No comments about Pick Your Brains About Spain (Pick Your Brains - Cadogan).

3 comments about Lonely Planet World Food Portugal (Lonely Planet World Food Guides).

1. For such a small country, Portugal has a wonderfully varied and diverse cuisine. Until now, the only other book that gave it any justice was Jean Anderson's "The Food of Portugal." This book is right-on with regional specialties like the "queijada" of Sintra, and many other delights.

   This whole series is good, and I hope it will continue to be, but this one is outstanding. I will use it on my next trip to Portugal, where I have been twice already. The food is one of the things that delights me most about the country.




2. For such a small country, Portugal has a wonderfully varied and diverse cuisine. Until now, the only other book that gave it any justice was Jean Anderson's "The Food of Portugal." This book is right-on with regional specialties like the "queijada" of Sintra, and many other delights.

   This whole series is good, and I hope it will continue to be, but this one is outstanding. I will use it on my next trip to Portugal, where I have been twice already. The food is one of the things that delights me most about the country.




3. For such a small country, Portugal has a wonderfully varied and diverse cuisine. Until now, the only other book that gave it any justice was Jean Anderson's "The Food of Portugal." This book is right-on with regional specialties like the "queijada" of Sintra, and many other delights.

   This whole series is good, and I hope it will continue to be, but this one is outstanding. I will use it on my next trip to Portugal, where I have been twice already. The food is one of the things that delights me most about the country.

No comments about Insight Pocket Guide Costa Brava (Insight Pocket Guides).

2 comments about Walks and Climbs in the Pyrenees (Cicerone Mountain Walking).

1. Author Kev Reynolds is an experienced walker and climber in the French and Spanish Pyrenees. The book describes some of the most interesting parts of the Pyrenees, and includes some 20 pages of color and black/white photographs.

   For everyone, new or already acustomed to the range, planning to make a day-trip walk or true hike in the Pyrenees this book can be of nice help for finding good ideas what areas to visit and what routes to take. Based on this book the detailed maps can be bought, and the details of the route further discovered.

   For every massif there is a 2 page introduction, followed by route descriptions (usually at around 1 page length, sometimes including a photograph). Usually the routes are for experienced walkers no problem, however overweighted first time walkers can forget to follow the routes.

   From extensive experience with the range, it must be said that Mr. Reynolds pretty well describes the tracks, without to big mistakes. Shure, you still need a French IGN map, or a less good) Spanish Editorial Alpina map, but this book gives a good impression in what to expect.

   The book further includes a short description of the HRP (Haute Route Pyreneenne), a map desciption and a bibliography. Author Kev Reynolds has also written Classic Walks in the Pyrenees (larger sized, with more photograps, describing 24-classic walks) and The Pyrenees.




2. Kev's work seems pretty thorough. I will field test the guide this july.

2 comments about Knopf City Guide: Madrid (Knopf City Guides Madrid).

1. This is not a very practical guide book. The descriptions of hotels/places to see are very brief and the guide does not suggest good itinaries to tour Madrid. Pages on the right are random photo samplings of tourist spots/hotels which give the reader a good overview of the place. The description of hotels does not include specific prices only price ranges. First time visitors to Madrid are better off getting the "Eyewitness Travel Guides".



2. Don't confuse the Knopf city guide with the Knopf Guide. The Knopf Guides are quite good. The city guide, of which I have mistakenly bought several, is very short, and devotes at least 80% to where to eat, where to stay, where to shop, where to find night life...20% or less useful info of what to visit if your'e a tourist. And the maps are pretty useless too.

No comments about The Rough Guides' Tenerife Directions 2 (Rough Guide Directions).

No comments about Walking in Portugal.

3 comments about New Tapas: Culinary Travels With Spains Top Chefs.

1. Amazing how such simple food can be so tasty. Seafood, chorizo, tomatoes and more all come alive. This book has beautiful photos too. From very simple to terribly complex, tapas cover the range. A big hit with guests.



2. 9/16/2003

   NEW TAPAS:
   Today's Best Bar Food From Spain
   By Fiona Dunlop, Photography by Jan Baldwin

   Exquisite photography qualifies this cookbook as full-fledged coffee table book. It is also highly organized as to the geography of each region of Spain which prepares you for the ingredients chefs there use:

   The Basque Country
   Catalonia
   Rioja and Old Castile
   Madrid
   The Levante
   Andalucia

   Each region is amply discussed, then the tapas creations of several chefs in each area appears with the name of their bar. Some savory recipes result:

   Smoked Salmon and Cheese on Tomato Confit
   Anchovy and Trout Caviar Toasts
   Sardines Marinated in Chili, Garlic and Bay Leaves
   Pumpkin, Chestnut Feta Cheese and Pomegranate Salad
   Chilled Potato, Tomato and Anchovy Loaf
   Ham, Artichoke, Fava Bean and Aioli Toasts
   Fried Goat Cheese with Honey
   Smoked Fish Tartar
   Squid in Tomato, Garlic and Red Wine Sauce
   Mashed Potatoes, Salt Cod and Garlic
   Chicken Legs with Prunes and Nuts in Blackberry Sauce
   Ratatouille with Quail Eggs

   The back of the books contains a regional list of recommended tapas bars, a glossary of terms and a recipe index by ingredient.

   Tapas are fun, tasty and delicious!




3. I searched high and low for the perfect Tapas book for my wife. She loves this one. Beautiful pictures, great recipes and not too many really-hard-to-find ingredients. Give this one a try.

   I only gave it four stars instead of five because not every recipe in the book has a corresponding photo. Sometimes you have to use your imagination.

No comments about Catalonia: A Cultural History (Landscapes of the Imagination).

No comments about Brazil.