Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Finally a cookbook that not only showcases Portugal without sharing the limelight with Spain, but one that also contains recipes from both the mainland AND the Azores. Ms. Ortins has written a wonderful, useful, and beautiful salute to Portuguese food that will encourage the novice cook and satisfy the advanced cook.
Portuguese are not afraid of flavor, and the author has been true to the flavors that make Portuguese food so fabulous: lots of garlic, onions, peppers, vinegars, etc. My house smells wonderful everytime I cook something from this book.
I've made half a dozen dishes from the book already. All turned out very well. Most recipes are easy enough for a novice cook; however, the recipe that gave me the most satisfaction is one I rate as "advanced". (Not that there was anything difficult about it, it just helps if you have cooked enough not to panic at using yeast or when the recipe becomes a "project".)
My spouse is of Portuguese descent and has fond memories of the foods from his childhood. (Watching him go through this book was like watching a kid in a candy shop!) Unfortunately, none of his relatives' recipes were written, and the great-aunt who made them is deceased. For years I tried to duplicate his aunt's Massa Souvada (Portuguese Sweet Bread). I've made dozens of recipes for this bread. Some were awful, some were good. Not one was IT. So, with great interest I read Ms. Ortins' Sweet Bread recipe. It was very different from the others I had tried. My husband kept saying, "This is it!"
I consider myself a capable cook, but I was daunted by the sheer volume and the time involved of this recipe. It makes 5-6 loaves! Still, you have to remember is that sweet bread -- like tamales are in Mexico -- is usually made only for holidays or Holy Days by several women in the neighborhood. This is NOT a "whip one up for dinner" recipe, nor is it meant to be.
An email to the author (who quickly responded and was very gracious) convinced me NOT to cut the recipe. So, we rolled up our sleeves and literally dove into making bread. Warning: if you have never made this bread, it is the STICKIEST dough you can iimagine. Do not panic, just follow the directions. The end result is sublime. This is THE recipe we have been searching for years. I took two loaves to work where they disappeared immediately. The four people I work with who are of Azorian descent pronounced the bread a unqualifed success. One co-worker, born in Sao Miguel, paid the ultimate compliment with "tastes just like my mom's"
That recipe alone is worth the price of this book -- although the Roast Pork with Sweet Red Pepper Paste (very, very easy) is permanently bookmarked as well. I understand that Ms. Ortins is planning a second volume, and I can hardly wait!
Portuguese recipes are very forgiving and amendable, so I'm puzzled by the negative review by the person from MA. I can't imagine what degree of handholding they want in a recipe that this book disappointed them. Granted, there aren't any cans to open, so you're going to have to use (gasp!) real ingrediants. And there isn't a picture for every step in a recipe, so you're going to have to have confidence in yourself that "coursely chopped" is not a technical term, and your whole recipe doesn't fall apart if your chop is 3/4 inch instead of 1 inch. Message to MA: Trust me -- food tastes better of you don't stress over it, and cooking is more enjoyable if you relax and enjoy the art instead of obsessing over the science. Recipes are roadmaps, not dictates.
In cooking, as with most things, a certain amount of common sense is the best tool for the job. Relax, enjoy the experience of preparing real food from real ingrediants and learning about the flavor of Portugual. Cook something, then throw open the windows and make the neighbors crazy trying to find the source of the wonderful aromas.
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