The Country Cooking of Spain

I am currently working on a new cookbook for Chronicle Books called The Country Cooking of Spain. Chronicle is well-known for books with a strong visual component and also one of the most successful cookbook publishers, a combination I am happy to tap into. They published my previous two books La Paella and Rice Pasta Couscous and I am pleased to work with them on another title.

The book is part of the ambitious “Country Cooking” series – although a young series, it’s already the most prestigious. The first book in the series, The Country Cooking of France by Anne Willan won James Beard awards for Best International Cookbook and Best Photography (France Ruffenach did the photos. The short video on photographing it is especially interesting.) Legendary author and editor Colman Andrews wrote The Country Cooking of Ireland, which will be published in December 2009. The equally-legendary Christopher Hirsheimer did the photos. Volumes on Italy and India will follow.

The Country Cooking of Spain will be the same size and scope as the France book - 400 pages, 250 recipes, 200 images, and plenty of text. The photographs will all be taken by me, both the location ones and the ones of the plated dishes. It’ll be a hefty book - measuring roughly 11 inches by 10 1/2 inches and weighing over 5 pounds - and there’s much work ahead, both in the kitchen and on the road.

I will be posting updates, notes, images, and perhaps even some recipes-in-progress as I work on it. Watch this page for more!

As well, check out its Facebook page , become a fan, and follow the progression from idea to weighty tome.