Andaluz A food journey through southern Spain

*Starred Review* Both cookbook and travelogue, this homage to Andalusia's Arabian and Berber roots reveals mouthwatering and educational excursions into the region's little towns and the kitchens of local professional chefs and home cooks. A little history adds to the mix, as British author Dunlop (Mexican Modern, 2013) explains how eight centuries of Moorish rule (from the eighth to the fifteenth century) defined southern Spain's personality, culinary and otherwise. Glorious color photographs alone beckon; what differentiates this 100-plus recipe collection are its origins in the cafés and restaurants of Andalusia, relying on chefs to contribute the best of their best. No one will be disappointed. Both unique and familiar fare populate the pages: gazpacho, caramel bread pudding, lemon cake, and seafood paella; falafel with beet tahini, hummus, and pickles; a fig and almond roll. Chef profiles are featured in tandem with restaurant descriptions; who could resist, for instance, a table in the middle of a bullring or a chat with an 80-year-old preparing marinated turkey? Includes notes on regional specialties, like iberico ham and black pigs, and an annotated list of the featured restaurants. A true work of art and love.--Barbara Jacobs Copyright 2019 Booklist

Dunlop (The North African Kitchen) shares the culinary culture of Andalusia-an autonomous region in the south of Spain-in this glorious, lushly photographed cookbook. She organizes her cookbook by province, and includes brief biographies of a few notable cooks. Beginning with the east-which ranges from coastal Almeria to mountainous Granada-Dunlop serves up a butternut squash soup with almond and bacon, topped with a poached egg, as well as "lasagne" of filleted fish, in which marinated mackeral is layered with rice paper and ajo blanco (a puree of almonds, pine nuts, sherry vinegar, and sunflower oil). From the center-Cordoba to Malaga-comes grilled asparagus with pine nut and cumin sauce, and quail baked in pomegranate sauce. And from the west-Seville to Cadiz-Dunlop presents a mushroom and blue cheese omelet, marinated Iberian pork with raisin couscous, a skirt steak macerated in orange with spelt and pickles, and a confit of pork belly apricots, prunes, dates, and orange (Angeles Sanchez, who contributed the recipe, "loves the contrast between the fattiness of the pork belly and the acidity of the sour orange"). Desserts are welcomely subtle, such as spiced fritters with honey and coffee-roasted dates with labneh. Ingredients are easily accessed and instructions straightforward. Dunlop delights in this inviting Spanish cookbook. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.