Spain a Culinary Road Trip or Jamie at Home

Spain... A Culinary Road Trip

Author: Mario Batali

From Mario Batali, superstar chef and author of Molto Italiano and Italian Grill, comes an eating tour throughout Spain with his friend Gwyneth Paltrow.

SPAIN . . . A CULINARY ROADTRIP will be the four-color companion book to a prime-time PBS 13-part series airing in Fall 08. The premise of the show is simple: Mario Batali and Mark Bittman are single-minded, food-obsessed friends who are constantly on the lookout for the food, wine, and cooking that is unique to Spain--and in this TV series they will find it. The actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Claudia Bassols are eager to enjoy all the pleasures the country has to offer. In nearly every episode, however, each pair will be lured into the worlds of the other. The four of them on the road together will make for a very fun showcase of the pleasures of Spain, including road trip adventures, and the country's art, history, culture, and music as it's never been seen before--all in the course of an anything-goes road trip.

Each page features gorgeous and candid photos, blocks of text describing the region and the food. While mario will have the primary voice, we will hear from Mark, Gwenyth, and Claudio throughout the chronology of their trip. There will be six recipes per chapter and the recurring sidebar "Que Es"--about Spanish food or cultural items most readers may not know about.

Jamie at Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life

Author: Jamie Oliver

Jamie Oliver:

"This book is very close to my heart. It's about no-nonsense, simple cooking with great flavors all year round. When I began writing it, I didn't really know what recipes I would come up with, but something began to inspire me very quickly . . . my vegetable patch!

I came to realize last year that it's not always about looking out at the wider world for inspiration. Being at home, feeling relaxed and open, can also offer this. I love to spend time at home in the village where I grew up, working with the boss, Mother Nature, in my garden and seeing all my beautiful veggies coming out of the ground.

Inside you'll find over one hundred new recipes, plus some basic planting information and tips if you fancy having a go at getting your hands dirty as well!"

Library Journal

Oliver, host of numerous TV cooking shows and author of seven other cookbooks, is just as passionate about food and cooking as he was when he burst on the scene in The Naked Chef . One of his newest fascinations is with gardening, and this companion volume to a PBS series of the same name shows off the fruits of his labors in the garden he started several years ago. His recipes have always featured fresh, seasonal ingredients, but here they are organized by season and within each section by ingredient, from Crispy and Delicious Asparagus and Potato Tart in spring to the Best Winter Veg Coleslaw. Each chapter includes gardening information (e.g., how Oliver grows asparagus), and there are dozens of gorgeous color photographs. Highly recommended.