Good as Lily (Minx)

Book Description

The Lily Theater is a strikingly original debut novel-an international literary sensation-based on the author's experience growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution.

When twelve-year-old Lian Shui accompanies her mother to reeducation camp, no one imagines that Lian will receive an education. But detained along with her mother are some of China's greatest thinkers and they take an interest in young Lian. She in turn delivers lectures of her own to the creatures inhabiting a pond she dubs "The Lily Theater." These ideas inform her life when she returns to school and reunites with her best friend Kim, a peasant girl through whom Lian ultimately learns about the painful failings of Mao's teachings-and of life.

Customer Reviews:

TRULY A MOVING TRUE STORY.......2005-05-26

I have studied the cultural revolution for a few years now since I've been learning Chinese. I've learned quite a bit. I learn even more from reading great books such as this. I know already almost everything there is to know but an upclose actual "real"-life experience is breath-taking. Just like almost any book about the cultural revolution. The story of this 12-year-old's story is truly fabulous about her her story growing up in the time during and after the cultural revolution that no one really knows about in the U.S. is absolutely outstanding and will hopefully become more popular and read in the United States. I also hope that more people read other books that teach us about the hardships the chinese had to go through during the cultural revolution or just life growing up in China. One good book based in modern day Beijing on a 17 growing up after the horrible time of the cultural revolution where the restrictions were endless was called Beijing Doll. It focuses more on here feelings with relationships between her friends, guys, and her family. Although I'd recommend it for teenagers because trust me it doesn't really hit adults as well as it does young adults.

But I just want to remind you that The Lily Theatre is absolutely breath-taking!

Lovable Lian.......2003-08-27

You just LOVE the main character in this book. The author writes such that you can feel Lian's love, confusion, trust and mistrust. The ending was a "letdown", I guess, but only because I have come to expect a hollywood happy ending to everything. I very much enjoyed the time I spent reading this book.

Closer Look at The Chinese Cultural Revolution.......2002-10-24

The story tells of Lian, a 12-year-old girl who accompanies her mother, a history professor at the Teacher's University of Beijing, to a pungent reeducation camp in 1972, the time when Cultural Revolution was at its full swing. Despite the horrid living conditions at the camp, Lian never imagined that she will receive an education from some of the most prominent scholars who were detained at the camp along with her mother. These teachers of all disciplines: mathematics, chemistry, language and literature, took upon themselves to share what they know with young Lian. Lian summarized what she learned from the scholars and delivered "lectures" to frogs and crickets at the pond which she dubbed "The Lily Theater" near the camp site. When she learned behind the camp walls opened her eyes to the lies behind political propaganda and helped her mend her relationship with best friend Kim. Wang's writing style is plain staright-forward. The novel tends to drag toward the end though nevertheless gives a closer look at life during and after the notorious Cultural Revolution. 3.4 stars.

A meaningful depiction of the Cultural Revolution.......2001-08-14

I walked into this novel not knowing anything about the Cultural Revolution in 1970s China. I spent most of the novel gasping in shock at the similarities of the way Chinese intellectuals and educators were treated to those in World War II in Germany. I felt that Lian was a gentle mechanism to depict how the Revolution affected Chinese citizens.

On an entertainment level, I fell in love with little Lian. This little girl who, when faced with a depraved environment, decided to go forth with her education and went so far as to develop her own history lectures. I admired her for her strength and her fragility as well.

The last quarter of the novel slightly dragged, but I hardly minded. I strongly encourage those who may not have learned much about the 70s in China to read this novel.

A Rievew of a Good Book.......2001-05-16

In Lulu Wang's novel, The Lily Theater, the reader is captured by the story of a girl coming of age during a struggling time. It was 1972; China's Cultural Revolution was in full swing, and the Communist Party of China was doing everything possible to purge their country of Capitalist and revisionist ideas. The government, then headed by the powerful Mao Zedong, set up many revolutionary prison camps, designed to change the prisoners' ideas away from those with "Western influence". In the novel, a young girl, Lian Yang, is found staying in a Youth Accommodation center while her mother, Yunxiang Yang, serves her sentence in a prison camp. Yunxiang, concerned about her daughter's rapidly spreading skin disease, arranges for her daughter to stay with her in the prison camp for the remainder of the sentence. At the prison camp, located in a rural setting hours from Beijing, Lian became acquainted with many intelligent professors who were her tutors. Two new friends, Professor Qin and Changshan became very close to Lian, helping her with problems, mostly of understanding emotions. Lulu Wang successfully develops each of these relationships, each of which become very important to Lian, especially when she is need of guidance in the unpredictable world of the new communist state. Following Yunxiang's (and subsequently Lian's) release from the prison camp, comes the reality of living in the outside world. Many things were different in the outside world, some of which made Lian wish she were back inside the simpler world of the prison camp. Appearance became an issue to worry about again, and so was socializing with the other girls in her grade and caste. Then, there was Lian's best friend Kim, whose family was in the third (lowest) caste in the society compared to Lian's first (highest) caste status. The author Lulu Wang did an excellent job throughout the entire novel of creating a friendship that saw good times, along with many hard times. Kim tried to shake the role as the class scapegoat and become accepted for her many good qualities with the help of Lian, trying break down the caste barriers. This resulted in the relationship's inevitable fate at the end of the novel. Accompanying Lian's feelings about Kim's situation, were many feelings of her own. Why was her body changing so and why were so many boys harassing her? What was she to think of her emotions and thoughts of the government's rule and laws? Who could she confide in to answer all of her questions? These were all questions running through Lian's head. Lain found sanction in nature sitting in the orchard to think things through. This grand novel, Lulu Wang's first, followed three years of Lian's life into young adulthood. Wang did an exceptional job at portraying Lian's every thought and emotion, portraying what life growing up in the revolution was like. The descriptions of most scenes are vivid, allowing the reader to be swept away. However, some scenes seem to be drawn out too long, loosing the attention of the reader, while illustrating unnecessary details of a situation or place. In essence, this novel powerfully portrays Lian's view and is a recommended for anyone interested in being drawn into a story of the modern history of China.

The Lily Theater - A Modern Novel Of China

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The Lily Theater - A Modern Novel Of China
Lulu; Translated from the Dutch by Velmans, Hester Wang
Manufacturer: Nan A. Talese / Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IWZ9OW

Book Description

Welcome to Atlanton Earth! In this second spellbinding adventure that began with Greyfax Grimwald, friends Bear, Dwarf, and Otter are joined by Faragon Fairingay, the valiant young warrior. Sent to Lower Earth at the request of Lorini, the Lady of Light, the four allies embark on a fateful quest in search for the legendary Arkenchest and its vital Five Secrets.Never before has the trio of friends ventured so far--and risked so much--for so glorious a prize.

Customer Reviews:

Hearthside stories.......2004-12-30

This book touches upon the inner youth of adults, and the imagination of children. To go on a grand epic with talking animals! This is the second book in the series where the stage is set to curl up beside a fire place and just enjoy a tale of high imagination and heartfelt wishes.

Two thumbs down.......2002-11-13

The author's stodgy narrative style takes
all the magic out of this fantasy.

Sequel to Greyfax Grimwald.......2001-09-30

Excellent way to begin a new! If you read the first one you will not be disappointed by the second! Once again Dwarf, Otter, and Bear unite and begin yet another journey! An absolute must have and a definite love to any fantasy lovers heart!

It Left A Great Deal To Look Forward Too!.......2001-07-16

After I picked up Faragon Fairingay up at the bookstore, I was very happy to find how well it picked up right where the mayhem in the previous book (Greyfax Grimwald) left off. This book doesn't let up the awesome plot and story line that the series began with in the first book. Now, in Faragon Fairingay, the main trio, the Bear, Dwarf, and Otter, set off once again. They leave the safe confines of the enchanted palace of Cypher on Atlanton Earth under the guidance of a young wizard named Faragon Fairingay. Their goal is to protect the Arkenchest, which has the power to defeat the destructive Dark Queen, Dorini. The three companions must cross the boundary River between Atlanton Earth and the Meadows of the Sun called Calix Stay to bring the Arkenchest to safety from the evils of Dorini. However, along the way through treacherous plains and forests long before they can consider themselves safe. With the aid of Faragon Fairingay's magical workings, the three companions attempt to brave Dorini's dark armies and fearsome creatures to protect the Arkenchest. The odds are growing against the good guys and their time is running short. In conclusion, the book was awesome and it left me in suspense for the third follow-up in the series (Calix Stay), and it gave me a greater appreciation for the struggles that the trio had to endure in their quest to protect the fate of Atlanton Earth. My only beef with it was the fact that this book (like the rest in the series) seem underappreciated and they're out of print too, so they're probably hard to come by. Though, the search for them is totally worth it :)

Volume 2 of the series holds interest.......1998-03-10

Volume two of this series carries the heroes past the ordeals of Volume one, and through a battle and the battle lines to a reunion with friends. Great book.

CIRCLE OF LIGHT - Book (1) One: Greyfax Grimwald; Book (2) Two: Faragon Fairingay; Book (3) Three: Calix Stay; Book (4) Four: Squaring the Circle

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CIRCLE OF LIGHT - Book (1) One: Greyfax Grimwald; Book (2) Two: Faragon Fairingay; Book (3) Three: Calix Stay; Book (4) Four: Squaring the Circle
Niel (Neil) Hancock
Manufacturer: Popular Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NRRX14

Average customer rating:

Better than the Movie!

My insights

Better than the movie

This book was very, VERY good!

Telep should write more of these...

Wing Commander: The Novel (Movie Universe, Book 1)
Kevin Droney , and Chris Roberts
Manufacturer: HarperEntertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Movie Tie-Ins | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Telep, Peter | ( T ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
High Tech | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books
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FLEET ACTION (WING COMMANDER 3) (Wing Commander)

Heart Of The Tiger (Wing Commander, Volume 3)

ACTION STATIONS A WING COMMANDER NOVEL (Wing Commander)

ASIN: 0061059854

Book Description

600 Years in the Future the Battle for Earth is About to Begin....

The egomaniacal alien Kilrathi have struck again, savaging a peaceful planet at the edge of space. And worse, they have captured a NAVCOM device that will lead them straight to Earth!

Chris Blair and his pal Maniac are "nuggets," cadets fresh from the Academy. Their first ship, the Tiger Claw, has an awesome mission: Recover the NAVCOM, and stop the Kilrathi at all costs.

But Blair's fighting wing--Earth's last hope--is seething with internal strife. For somewhere among the thin red line of heroes a traitor lurks!

Includes an 8 page full color photo insert.

Customer Reviews:

Better than the Movie!.......2006-08-31

Before I ever knew about this book I saw the Movie Wing Commander, and I was a little disapointed with it. I was expecting more, and there was a lot of potential for this story to becoma something like Star Trek or even Star Wars. But unfortunately it wasn't. Then I found out about this book, bought it and read it. And it was EXCELENT! Much better than the movie, really fun to read, really enjoyable, and not tiring at all! Great action, great story, great characters. Too bad PETER TELEP wasn't envited to write the movie script as well. I was really glad I bought it, and I recomend it for all the sci fi fans out there!

My insights.......2001-08-06

The Wingcommander universe is a bold step away from what most of us are used to. It awakens the mind with its innovations. The fact that Christopher Blair is a minority member deeply imapacts me and puts a new human face on the normally all white Scifi universe. The courage that it took to jump a garavity well must have been a monumental leap for the farm boy of Nephele. Other than Lord of the rings, this book tells a story of more courage than any other book I've read. It is so deeply moving that I hope you'll read it too.

Better than the movie.......2001-07-07

The novelization of the Wing Commander movie is defiantly better than the movie itself. It's charecters are more in depth, and the plot makes more sense. After reading the novel, I had a sense that I fully understood what happened. I didn't get that feeling from the movie.

I defiantly recommend this book to both Wing Commander fans and general sci-fi fans.

This book was very, VERY good!.......1999-12-29

Well, i thouroughly enjoyed this book. It definately gave a feel to the movie, and some more background that answered all the questions I had about the movie. It was just cool! The insight into the Characters emotions at certain points were also good. Overall i think the book was very good!

Telep should write more of these..........1999-11-30

Anybody else realise that Telep should just write MORE WC novels? I mean, anyone that can make the Kevin Droney movie script *readable* deserves some kinda reward...The book is fun to read, interesting and full of something the movie lacked: Character. Some come on Telep, a few more novels after Pilgrim Truth ok?

Average customer rating:

Great book even if you've never even heard of the game
Disappointing
A dream for a Wing Commander fan...and more
A good Book overall
Best way to start the series or end it

Action Stations: A Wing Commander Novel
William R. Forstchen
Manufacturer: Baen Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0671970038

Customer Reviews:

Great book even if you've never even heard of the game.......2005-10-02

A lot of people probably look at the title and cover art of this book and dismiss it as mass-produced pulp. However, the story itself is well-thought-out and even haunting in places. Several other reviewers have mentioned how closely the overall storyline resembles the beginning of WWII--what's really eerie is how well it describes 9/11, even though it was written back in 1998. The military drawdown, the political maneuvering that ignored the intel analysis, the badly-understood enemy engaging in small attacks before launching the big one...the scene of the Skyhook Tower collapsing now feels like a gut punch. It's a very visceral lesson in how we never seem to learn from the past.
All in all, a highly recommended read.

Disappointing.......2000-02-05

I like Forstchen's books, but this isn't up to his usual standard. The plot adheres a little too closely to the events of the Midway campaign in WWII. Sadly, the Confederation has forgotten all the lessons learned in that period, and needs to be re-taught the hard way.

I'd give this book a miss, and head straight for Freedom Flight. Then, you can go on to Forstchen's excellent End Run, Fleet Action, and Heart of the Tiger.

A dream for a Wing Commander fan...and more.......1999-12-05

I really can't say enough about William Forstchen and the Wing Commander novels he has written. In each one he adds a little bit more to what has now become (at least in my mind) one of the most involved and well-developed sci-fi epics of our era, and Action Stations is no exception. Not to give too much away, but the plot of the novel parallels the beginning of America's involvement in WWII. Some have complained that it resembles it TOO closely, but I found it a very interesting approach. The characters are well-modeled, and Forstchen's handling of the Kilrathi is amazing, showing the almost "human" side of a few of them. It adds a totally new dimension to the race that you probably won't get from the movie or the games. I also found it noteworthy that once or twice the author even makes reference to the Wing Commander: Prophecy game, which I can only hope he will eventually write about. However, the best aspect of this novel is that the fans finally get to see Tolwyn in his younger days fresh out of the Academy, and how he came to be involved in the war. It's almost hard to read about him though, considering what he eventually does, but it reinforces even more the concept of the tragic figure or fallen hero that Tolwyn is. All in all, this is a great novel with intelligent dialogue, an enhrossing and believable (if somewhat borrowed) plot, and above all a story that needed to be told. (Note: the Foreword itself leaves you yearning for more).

A good Book overall.......1999-10-26

This the best WC book since End Run(which was the best of theseries in my opinion). It is fast paced and easy to get into, yeah there are a few inconsistancies, such as the phase shielding, but it made for a more beleivable begining of the war. One of the problems with the games were that they were very obscure, about the beginings of the war, specifically with Goefery Tolwyn, and Richard Vance. You can see a lot about what was driving Tolwyn 40 years later in the Price of Freedom.

Best way to start the series or end it.......1999-10-03

I never could get in to Wing Commander books because the war was already old news. The war had become part of people's lives in the books so it was hard to jump in to it. This book does an excellent job of starting you off since in the truest since of the word it is a prequel. It goes to the very beginnings of the wing commander universe and the war with the Kirathi that it is based on. I was hooked and couldn't put the book down. People critize certain aspects such as the supposly one dimensional characters like the politicians in the book being selfish scum who care more about votes than whats right. The sad fact is they were portrayed right. This book is very realistic for a sci-fi. A must read!

The Price of Freedom: A Wing Commander Novel (Wing Commander)

Average customer rating:

Awesome!!! An absolute have to read!!!
Hey Hey!!!!
A different but not so bad take of the game IMO...
Wrought with anticlimatical apathy; exciting nontheless.
The Price of Novelization

The Price of Freedom: A Wing Commander Novel (Wing Commander)
Forstchen & ohlander
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

High Tech | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0671877518

Customer Reviews:

Awesome!!! An absolute have to read!!!.......2003-07-14

This is my favorite war book. I loved the games and the movie. It took me a while before I found out that there was a book series. I picked this book up and did not put it down until the third time through.

YOU MUST BUY THIS!!!

Hey Hey!!!!.......2002-05-21

I remember playing the game with my Uncle back in '96. I remember thinking to myself then-"Hey wait this is the Admiral T. he can't betray the Confederation!!" Now I realize that this is what made the game better. The big bad leader of the human fleets has greed and ambition. As for the book I think it is the 2nd best wingcommander book with the exception of Action Stations. It really helped tie up some lose ends left in the game.

A different but not so bad take of the game IMO..........2000-12-09

The one thing I never understood in the WC Universe was the portrayl of Tolwyn in the game versus the portrayl of the books. This is especially true for Price of Freedom, where in the game you find out something amazing about his character. I thought the book explained it a little better. Sure the game wins hands down for being more stimulating, but it's a good novel nonetheless. Most people want to see heros as unthinking patroits with no depth. But Blair's brooding and drinking is more than appropriate for a man who has seen so many die for so long but still accepting what must be done. I think people talking about the change to the Border Worlds in the novel is quick and uneventful forget how fast Blair put on a BW suit in the game without mention. And as for Sosa, I liked that she and Blair got together. Catscratch wasn't very appealing in the game, and just dropped off the universe when you save him. And I am glad Vagabond wasn't in the book much, because I hated to see him die in the game. Plus, the book brings more reality to the game as to the smaller resources and other problems of the Border Worlds rather than just letting you change over and destroy Confed fleets at will. Anyway, this is leaps better than any Pilgrim(can we say Use the Force, Luke) novel or WC movie, and is the last good WC book (until I read False Colors that is.)

Wrought with anticlimatical apathy; exciting nontheless........2000-08-14

Improved greatly over the WC3 novel. It has a superb beginning in the portrayal and history the Confed. But the excitement goes down when Blair walks matter-of-factedly into the realm of the Border Worlds with apathy as if switching college roommates. The lack of surprising element in Blair and the other crewmembers especially troubled me when the star port vet and Towyn were brought onboard without foreknowledge. Major inconsistencies with the game, such as the elimination of Vagabond and Catscrach as major characters, and the very unnatural romance between Blair and Sosa reduces the enjoyment a bit. The novel still brings you unexpected adventures, and I recommend it as an excellent companion to the game.

The Price of Novelization.......2000-05-26

(...)This book is really great because it is somthing that us as readers can somewhat relate to. From "To Kill A Mockingbird" Atticus said that you never no someone until you get into their shoes and walk around in them. That's what this is like, if you play the game and then read the book then you begin to see yourself as Blair when you read the book and it isn't really Blair it's you who is doing all the action. In the book you can read what Blair is thinking and not just watch and see what he does which makes it a lot better. The novelization of a game can never be exact and I think that the auther did a good job because he made it exciting and he made it more relistic for the Wing Commander Universe that is based off of both the games and the books. If it really happened you would most likly not fly that many missions. I reccomend the book.

Average customer rating:

Wing Commander the Novel
Peter Telep
Manufacturer: Harpercollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000K3MCLW

Average customer rating:

Start Your Shopping List!

paella lovers...

Excellent Overview of Spanish Cuisine.

If you like spanish food...this is the book to buy!!!

Delicious reading

The Cuisines of Spain: Exploring Regional Home Cooking
Teresa Barrenechea
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Spanish | European | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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The Basque Table

ASIN: 1580085156

Book Description

"It's rare to find a cookbook that distills the spirit of a people and immerses us in the context of a particular cuisine. To cook creatively, we must uncover the soul of a place so that what we prepare has an identity. Because Teresa Barrenechea allows us to truly grasp Spanish cooking, we come away with much more than a few recipes, but with the essence of her country's vital respect for food in our hands and in our hearts. A winner." --James Peterson, author of Sauces

"Teresa Barrenechea captures the essence of our country's authentic regional cooking in a way never before accomplished. I am grateful to her for enlightening us with the wealth of our culinary legacy." --Ferran Adrià, Restaurante El Bulli

"Through Teresa's loving presentation of dishes culled from home cooks—including many recipes never before published in English--you will instinctively taste how vivid flavor and simple pleasure always have been and still are at the heart of the Spanish culinary ethos." --Maricel Presilla, author of The New Taste of Chocolate

"In an era of novelistic cookbooks and florid foodie memoirs, Teresa Barrenechea takes a refreshingly straightforward approach to her subject matter, which is nothing less than the many and varied cuisines of Spain. . . . Her main mission is to tell us how to accurately cook a great deal of honest, not overly complicated, unfailingly delicious food, and at this she succeeds superbly." --Colman Andrews, editor-in-chief, Saveur, and author of Catalan Cuisine

"Teresa Barrenechea's love of and expertise on Spain's traditional food is beautifully executed in this exciting book, with charming photos and delightful stories of the people, places, and ingredients." --Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers, The River Café, London

With the world in a swoon over the gastronomic riches of Spain — from the brilliant array of its traditional tapa dishes to the daring preparations of its new generation of chefs —the timing couldn't be better for the arrival of this long-awaited cookbook. In THE CUISINES OF SPAIN, Teresa Barrenechea, one of the country 's most talented culinary ambassadors, showcases her culinary heritage through over 250 recipes culled from her extensive repertoire, and from friends and fellow chefs across Spain. The famed rice dishes of Valencia, the brilliant mojos of the Canary Islands, the hearty stews and braised meats of the interior — all of the classics are here in peak form, as are many lesser-known but equally important and intriguing regional dishes. Steeped in the history of her country, Barrenechea weaves a captivating narrative of Spain 's diverse peoples, landscapes, and ingredients, revealing how such forces gave rise to the food traditions that we celebrate today. Over 150! full-color photographs from Barcelona-based photojournalist Jeff Koehler and renowned food photographer Christopher Hirsheimer put Spain's culinary riches on brilliant display. With such a distinguished pairing of author and artists, THE CUISINES OF SPAIN is positioned to be one of the major cookbook releases of the year.

Amazon.com

Born and raised in Spain's Basque Country, Teresa Barrenechea (The Basque Table), has been very purposeful with her title, choosing the plural, cuisines, to speak of Spain in her most recent book, The Cuisines of Spain. There is no one Spanish food, plain and simple. And what the author wants to convey is a sense of place for the many delicious dishes she presents (there are over 250 recipes). It's a kind of culinary coaching, a catch up for the cooks already familiar with which dishes one can attribute to Northern Italy, say, or Sicily, or Alsatian France. Spain, and Spanish culinary traditions, remain something of a frontier. And that makes Teresa Barrenechea something of a pioneer. Exploring Regional Home Cooking: That's the sub-title of the book, and therein lies the magic.

The Cuisines of Spain is first and foremost a book to read. The author's first two chapters describe in great detail the history and geography of Spain's regions which she groups by shared climate and natural resources. She calls this "following bean stews rather than political boundaries." Woven into this tapestry are traces of the Phoenicians, ancient Greeks, Romans, Celts, Visigoths and Vandals (who left behind livestock farming practices), Moorish and Jewish culture, and, of course, the New World impacts of foods returning with Columbus--tomatoes, potatoes, corn, peppers. She gets granular--which pigs, grown where and eating what, contribute to the great hams of Spain.

She divides the book by the flow of a meal, and makes suggestions throughout which dishes would typically go together. This is if you were to choose to cook an entire Spanish meal, from tapas to dessert. You could also strive to include a single Spanish dish in your weekly meals, learning as you go, expanding a repertoire, because this is home cooking. This is about every day, not just special occasions.

The enterprising cook will find chapters devoted to "Tapas," "Cold Soups and Salads," "Vegetable Dishes and Other First Courses," "Breads," "Pies and Pastas," "Warm Soups and Legume Stews," "Rice Dishes," "Fish and Shellfish," "Poultry, Meats, and Game," "Desserts and Other Sweets," and "Beverages." There's a chapter of basic recipes as well as a list of sources for some of the more unusual ingredients.

This is a lush, beautifully illustrated and designed cookbook, as at home on a coffee table or nightstand as in the kitchen. Take the author's advice: Follow the bean stews into a new world of Old World home cooking. --Schuyler Ingle

Customer Reviews:

Start Your Shopping List!.......2007-03-10

Although I have travelled in Spain and loved the food there it never occured to me to cook it at home. I was recently given a copy of Ms Barrenecheca's "The Cuisines of Spain" and I'm so glad to have it. I haven't yet purchased the equipment she suggests (pg.51) the "cazuela" and a "paella" pan but if I find myself using the book enough I will. The food and location photographs are just gorgeous and had me reaching for my passport but instead I decided to just start cooking. I'm really liking the recipes, they are easy to follow and have an authentic feel to them AND the results taste good. It is interesting (to me) that I keep being attracted to the dishes from Murcia. Go figure. The two recipes I have enjoyed most so far are "Christmas Chicken" (p.242) from Extramadura which is really tasty and in my neck of the woods will be great for summer because you do it the day before, refrigerate it, then serve it at room temperature and "Baked Trout with Jamon Serrano" (p.227) from
Navarra, which is fast (high burner/hot oven) with a real nice combination of flavors. I'm looking forward to exploring this book and I suppose before I know it I'll be out shopping for "cazuela".

paella lovers..........2007-03-09

This is the only book you will need if you want to introduce your family and friends to authentic Spanish cuisine!
Enjoy!!!

Excellent Overview of Spanish Cuisine........2006-06-19

`The Cuisines of Spain, Exploring Regional Home Cooking' is by Teresa Barrenechea is, unlike the other prominent writers on Spanish cuisine, Penelope Casas and Coleman Andrews, a professional chef. This means here recipes tend to be just a bit more practical and interesting to eat, especially compared to Andrews, but it does not mean she will be better at putting together a really interesting book on all the regional cuisines of Spain.

Until one gets to the chapters on actual recipes, it seems as if Mme. Barrenechea has everything you need for a good survey book on a national cuisine. For starters, there is a very decent physical and political map of the Iberian Peninsula, including the Balearic Islands and an insert on the Canary Islands. She follows up on this promise by including a discussion of the culinary geography of these two important island groups in her text.

Chapter I starts out seeming like it will be giving us a history of Spanish Iberia, but turns into a survey of the culinary geography and economy of each of the main regions of Spain, which she identifies as:

Andalusia
La Ribera del Ebro
Asturias and Cantabria
Balearic Islands
Basque Country
The Canary Islands
The Castiles and Madrid
Catalonia
Extremadura
Galacia
Levante

The sections here which are the most interesting are those which are not covered well by Andrews, Casas, and in Barrenechea's book on the Basque region. Unfortunately, in those regions on which I have read a fair amount, I find Barrenechea's book a bit lacking and downright inconsistent in places. In the introduction, Mme. Barrenechea states that the Catalonian sauce, alioli is made with eggs, similar to the Provencal aioli, yet in her recipe in the back of the book (and in Coleman Andrews book on Catalonia), it is clearly stated that the classic recipe does not include egg. Barrenechea's discrepancy is probably explained by the fact that Andrews explains that while the classic excludes egg, most Catalonians actually include it anyway!

Chapters 2 and 3 are possibly the best in the book, as they deal directly with simple matters, the primary ingredients and the distinct kitchen tools of Spanish cooking. In this regard, they follow the excellent model set up in Nancy Harmon Jenkins' `The Essential Mediterranean'.

The recipes sections are organized by type of dish, with the Castilian and English names for each dish and the region from which each dish came. I find this not quite as satisfying as the organization of dishes by region, as Ms. Casas does in `Delicioso' and as Ms. Claudia Roden does in her classic `The Food of Italy'.

I also spotted some significant oversights in assigning regions. On the one hand, the author is quite accurate in describing the `tortilla espanola' as a dish done throughout Spain, but her recipe is identical to the one in her book on Basque cuisine and the photograph presents the dish in the Basque style, squared and mounted on skewers rather than the more common Andalusian method of serving in wedges. This may not have seemed peculiar except that she did not make note of the fact that the version of the dish presented was Basque.

All of this, however, is probably nit-picking, and all it means is that this book is not a definitive book on Spanish cuisine. It is certainly a very good overview of the whole subject, and a very nice complement to Ms. Casas `The Food and Wines of Spain'. But, if you wish to own more than one Spanish cookbook, I recommend you start with all of Ms. Casas titles, then Coleman Andrews' book, and then Ms. Barrenechea's book on Basque cuisine.

If you like spanish food...this is the book to buy!!!.......2006-04-17

I have tried many of the recipes in this book and I still use it as my regular cookbook. Dishes like Dorada a la sal, Samfaina, Tarta de Santiago, Trucha a la Navarra etc, etc, etc...have just that taste from home (I am spanish). It is really easy to follow and fun to read, because every recipe starts with a comment about it, a story of the dish. It also gives you some places where you can buy those "not so easy to find" ingredients. It is also very helpful that she recomends different kind of fish for a given dish, so if you can not find a particular fish you can substitute for another one.
A GREAT find.....

Delicious reading.......2006-03-27

Teresa Barrenechea takes us on a delicious journey into the kitchens and dining rooms and market places of Spain. I have had the pleasure of tasting many of these recipes, they are a delight to the senses.

Ahmad Fawzi,Director
News and Media Division
United Nations

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