THE IBERIAN TABLE

Keuneke celebrates good food and good health in this cookbook and love letter to the flavors of the Iberian Peninsula.

Ever since Ancel Keys published the findings of his Seven Countries Study in 1978, nutritionists have promoted the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Our understanding of how diet affects our overall well-being has changed over time, but the idea that minimally processed foods—plants, whole grains, and unsaturated fats—are good for us is well established. While on a trip to Spain, the author, a health writer and natural foods cook, discovered variations on this way of eating that would change her life. The first recipe in the book is for a vinagreta, but the author introduces this simple dressing in the context of a whole chapter on olive oil in which she explains why it’s a superfood; she suggests several ways for enhancing the oil’s health benefits while enjoying its delicious versatility. This section is followed by a lengthy and informative discussion about the gastronomic and nutritional powers of sofrito. Keuneke supports her health claims with relevant research—the bibliography and suggestions for further reading take up more than 50 pages—and she shares stories from her travels. The book includes interviews with world-renowned chefs (including Carme Ruscalleda, the only woman in the world with seven Michelin stars) and recipes for some of their signature dishes. Throughout, Keuneke offers readers a wealth of details about the cultures—Basque, Castilian, Galician, Navarrese, and Catalan—that have produced these incredible foods. Home cooks may have difficulty following some of the recipes, such as one for caldo de pescado that begins with this instruction: “Call ahead and ask the fishmonger to set aside 4 pounds of fish heads and carcasses.” That said, the author does provide an annotated list of retailers that can provide some of the ingredients readers might not find easily, and Keuneke enthusiastically and convincingly argues that it’s worth venturing beyond the supermarket to make these dishes.

A thoroughly sumptuous guide to some of the world’s most nutritious cuisines.