El Farol: Tapas And Spanish Cuisine

Rediscover Traditional Tapas Infused with a Southwestern Flair with
New Book El Farol: Tapas and Spanish Cuisine


SANTA FE – JANUARY 21, 2004 — Aromatic garlic and paprika, onions and pungent olives, Manchego cheese—these ingredients are hallmarks of traditional Spanish cuisine. Spain is celebrated not only for these bold flavors, but also for tapas, small portions of hot or cold food meant to accompany a glass of wine, sherry or beer. What happens when the extraordinary flavors of Spain are married to the unique flavors of the American Southwest? Find out in El Farol: Tapas and Spanish Cuisine (Gibbs Smith, Publisher, $29.95 HC, 1-58685-101-2, 212 pgs., 44 color photos, April), the first book to blend these rich cultural traditions and create a whole new category of contemporary flavor.

Santa Fe’s oldest restaurant and cantina, El Farol has served artists, locals, and travelers since 1835. Today, it is one of the city’s finest restaurants, serving award-winning traditional and contemporary Spanish cuisine by Executive Chef James Campbell Caruso. Now El Farol: Tapas and Spanish Cuisine presents the most requested recipes from the restaurant, including basics like Lemon Caper Aioli and El Farol Preserved Lemons and hot tapas dishes such as Argentine Beef Empanadas and Croquetas de Salmone. El Farol: Tapas and Spanish Cuisine features more than 120 recipes for hot and cold tapas (Marinated Peruvian Purple Potatoes, Shrimp Escabeche with Black Olives and Mint), as well as soups and stews (Posole Clam Chowder, Oxtail Soup), main courses (Paella de Puerco y Espinaca, Grilled Lobster with Chipotle-Mustard Vinaigrette) and desserts (Lavender Goat’s Milk Flan).

The El Farol restaurant also boasts one of the most extensive Spanish wine lists in the country, and a section on choosing and serving Spanish wines is included in the book, along with a helpful list of staples to stock in the pantry. El Farol: Tapas and Spanish Cuisine and Chef Caruso will inspire food lovers to experiment with exciting Spanish, Latin American, and Pueblo Indian-influenced flavors at every meal.

A native of Norwood, Massachusetts, James Campbell Caruso was “home-schooled” in cooking and eating Mediterranean foods in his large Italian-American family. Moving to New Mexico in 1988 inspired him to learn more about Latin American and Spanish foods, which he did through experience, research, and cooking tours of Mexico and Spain. As Executive Chef at the legendary El Farol Restaurant, James combines his love of cultures and food to create a unique cuisine that brings together the best of traditional and contemporary flavors of Spanish-speaking countries. Chef James also works as a chef and instructor at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, and is the author of many articles on cooking and restaurant culture. James has been at the El Farol for over four years; he lives in Santa Fe with his wife and two children.

Founded in 1969, Gibbs Smith, Publisher specializes in books on design and architecture, and also features titles from categories including western, holiday, cooking, inspiration and children’s activity (featuring the celebrated Sierra Club Books for Children series). Additional cookbooks from Gibbs Smith, Publisher include the New York Times best-selling 101 Things to do With a Cake Mix, The Golden Door Cooks Light and Easy, and Russel Wright’s Menu Cookbook: A Guide to Easier Entertaining.