In print in Spain for over 40 years before it was translated into English in 2007, this is often referred to as the Spanish housewife’s cookbook or ‘the Edmonds of Spain’. With 1080 recipes it covers everything. The recipes are generally straightforward and may seem simplistic, often without exact measurements, written as a home cook would jot them down for a friend, so a bit of cooking knowledge is needed.

With Spanish cuisine on her mind, Felicity O’Driscoll of Cook the Books picks her favourite cookbooks. Visit the shop at 78 Kelmarna Ave, Ponsonby, Auckland or go to cookthebooks.co.nz