By the Atlantic

This book is about cooking and lifestyle in both the French and Spanish Basque regions, since, sharing their own language, the two countries are really one nation. The small towns are unlike any other, with restaurant names that sound explosive, Berasategui, Arbalaitz, Arzak, and Atxa. Basque food is all the rage, and pinchos, using fish, garlic and saffron mayonnaise and chorizo, are very popular. From the basic recipes and sauces to complicated fish feasts, you will be able to create a Basque meal from scratch. The region and food need an accomplished cook and food historian to explain; this Caroline Conran has done.

Caroline Conran is a writer with a quiver of successful books in her armoury: from Poor Cook to the Conran Cookbook (written with Sir Terence Conran and Simon Hopkinson), to her groundbreaking translations of Michel Guérard and other French chefs. Her aim is to awaken interest in simple, well-cooked food that depends on a sound knowledge of raw materials. Her book Sud de France, published by Prospect Books, won the André Simon Food Book of the Year Award in 2012 and the Fortnum and Mason Best Food Book of the Year in 2013. Her hobbies are staring out of the window, reading, painting, drawing and sculpting, and of course cooking. She lives in London.