The New Portuguese Table: Exciting Flavors from Europe's Western Coast

by David Leite, Nuno Correia (Photographer)

James Beard Award-winning writer, David Leite takes you on a culinary journey into the soul of Portugal.

Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and Spain, Portugal is today’s hot-spot vacation destination, and world travelers are enthralled by the unique yet familiar cuisine of this country. The New Portuguese Table  looks at this fascinating country's 11 surprisingly different historical regions, as well as the island of Madeira and the Azores, and their food culture, traditional dishes, and wines. This book also showcases Portugal's pantry of go-to ingredients, such as smoked sausages, peppers, cilantro, seafood, olive oil, garlic, beans, tomatoes, and bay leaves—all common in American kitchens and now combined in innovative ways.

In The New Portuguese Table , David Leite provides a contemporary look at the flavorful food of this gastronomic region, sharing both the beloved classics he remembers from cooking at his grandmother’s side, such as Slowly Simmered White Beans and Sausage, as well as modern dishes defining the country today, like Olive Oil–Poached Fresh Cod with Roasted Tomato Sauce. With full-color photographs throughout and a contemporary perspective, The New Portuguese Table is the definitive handbook of the exciting cuisine of Portugal.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Portugal, Food and Drink, Portuguese Literature

256 pages, Hardcover

First published August 18, 2009

About the author

David Leite is a cookbook author, food writer, and memoirist. His newest book, Notes on a Banana: A Memoir of Food, Love, and Manic Depression, was published by Dey Street Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.

He's also the publisher of the website Leite's Culinaria, which has won two James Beard awards, as well as the writer of The David Blahg. He's the author of The New Portuguese Table: Exciting Flavors from Europe's Western Coast, which won the 2010 IACP First Book/Julia Child Award.

His writing has appeared in publications such as the New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Pastry Art & Design, Food Arts, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Sun-Times, The Washington Post and the Charlotte Observer. His awards include a 2008 James Beard award for Newspaper Feature Writing Without Recipes (New York Times), a 2006 Bert Green Award for Food Journalism, and Association of Food Journalists awards in 2006 and 2007.

David has been a frequent guest and host on Martha Stewart Living Radio programs, including “Cooking Today,” as well as a guest on Lucinda Scala Quinn’s program, “Mad Hungry Monday.” He’s also been heard on NPR’s “All Thing Considered” and is correspondent on public radio’s The Splendid Table hosted by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. He’s appeared on History Channel 2’s “United Stuff of America,” Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay,” The Today Show, “Radical Sabbatical,” and is a regular guest on WTNH-TV.

Reviews

[Stephen]

Portuguese cooking is all but eclipsed by Spanish cooking in the United States, except in those enclaves where Portuguese immigrants have settled. Portuguese cooking is not the same as Brazilian cooking, 'tho that latter shows many Portuguese influences. There are similarities between Portuguese and Hispanic cooking but similar-sounding ingredients may mean remarkably different things. For example, Portuguese chouriço, Spanish chorizo and Mexican chorizo are cousins but not the same sausage. This modern Portuguese cookbook is written for American audiences, in a very relaxed style, enhanced by little first-person stories about the recipes and ingredients. The book begins with a discussion of Portuguese regional cooking; it would have been enhanced by the inclusion of a map. The Italian word "pasta" comes from a Latin word meaning "dough." The Portuguese word "pasta" means, literally, "paste" and describe what Americans would call dips or spreads. Several delicious "pastas" are described in this book. There are also some surprising flavour combinations suggested, e.g. a sweet jam made of red bell peppers, rosemary custard, and cookies made with lemon and black olives! An updated classic recipe for piri piri sauce is worth the price of the book.

[Carole at From My Carolina Home]

I first became aware of the award winning writing of David Leite about 12 years ago when I read a very funny account in a food magazine about his love affair with his Viking stove, named Thor (http://leitesculinaria.com/10134/writ...). His humorous style quickly became a favorite of mine. Over the years I looked for his name in my favorite food magazines - Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, Gourmet and Saveur - finding many humorous tales about food and cooking. Another favorite as soon as it was published was the story of his second attempt to cook a goose (http://leitesculinaria.com/10021/writ...). I found his website around 2000, and visited it regularly to get recipes or just to read his articles. I signed up to be a recipe tester in those early days, with no idea that there was a book in the future. Unfortunately, I had to bow out after only a few months due to a move, but I have watched the website grow over the years, and receive well-deserved awards. Around the summer of 2005, David was generous enough to send me several cookbooks by other authors for a silent auction to benefit Meals on Wheels, helping to raise more than $100 for that worthy cause. I doubt he remembers that, or the box of regionally grown apples I sent him as a thank you, but I like to think those apples were made into something wonderful.

One of David Leite’s passions is his love of Portugal, Portuguese food and the people of that area, as that is his heritage. I remember reading about this on his website, long before there were things such as blogs. His quest is to educate the public about the country’s diversity, and make it known that this is a region worthy of exploration. It is a unique culture with unique takes on traditional ingredients.

The New Portuguese Table: Exciting Flavors from Europe's Western Coast won the 2010 IACP First Book/Julia Child Award. It is rich with anecdotes about David Leite’s personal experiences and remembrances as well as wonderful recipes with easily found ingredients. Foodies will love to just read this cookbook. The recipes are

Here is a sample of what you will find, this recipe is in the book along with the website - http://leitesculinaria.com/7669/recip.... I have made this several times, one word to describe it – yum!! If you look around the website recipe section while you are there, you will find a lot of recognizable names from the food world from before they were famous.

My advice is to just buy this book. I’m not giving mine up.

[Rachel]

Seeing as I have a couple Portuguese friends and have never really eaten the food (aside from Portuguese inspired-Brazilian food from another friend), I figured this book would be a good place to start. And it was, giving a primer for areas of Portugal and its islands as well as the food and wine from each particular area. The author was raised in a Portuguese "colony" in America and is now a citizen of Portugal. I was also impressed that this book won the Julia Child Award as well as good reviews from many top news and food websites/magazines. His recipes seemed to be good interesting modern adaptations of classic Portuguese cooking. My only downside with the cookbook is that a lot of the recipes feature sausages, which I currently cannot eat (though might come back and check out those recipes later when I can) and cod, which I don't like to eat . That aside, there are delicious dishes such as his two versions of Gazpacho, Cilantro Bread Soup with Poached Eggs and Braised Beef Shanks with Warm Spices that I would love to try out.

[Tina Culbertson]

The New Portuguese Table is a well written cookbook complete with family and travel stories. The author, well known David Leite, was born in the US to Portuguese parents, then returned to Portugal to find newer emerging versions of the standard Portuguese cuisine. It covers not only the food, but wine of this fine country (and its islands) blended with the cultural settings. The soup recipes look excellent and am looking forward to trying all the meat/seafood dishes included herein.

This is a beautiful book, filled with delicious looking and interesting recipes. Some call for ingredients I've never tried before which is a plus for the kitchen-curious. What a treat. The fish recipes are fabulous. I think anyone will want to include this in their cookbook collection. I love the photography as well.

[Barb]

I have yet to try any recipes in this book. It is filled with interesting information about Portugal, its cooking, immigrants, and geography. The recipes are divided into courses. The recipes seem easy to follow with a section to clarify how to find appropriate substitutions in the US. Pronunciation is provided for the Portuguese words. Aside from a missing map of Portugal, this is an excellent introduction to the culinary side of Portuguese society.

[Sarah]

More than a cookbook, "The New Portuguese Table" is a primer for modern Portuguese cuisine. I read the book prior to my first trip to Portugal and it helped immensely. I felt well-prepared to navigate Portuguese menues and better understood the rich history of the delicious dishes I was eating. Also included is handy guide to regional cuisine, and recommendations on which foods and wines you should sample. This book is must for anyone planning to visit this lovely country.

[Yaaresse]

Wonderful cookbook that includes both mainland and Azorean-inspired recipes. Everything I've made from it has been good.

The author also runs a terrific website about food and cooking.

I rate cookbooks a little differently than I do other books. Functionality carries a lot more weight to me with cookbooks. I'd give this one five stars plus some except that I found the small font an issue while trying to cook from it, especially in the ingredients list.

[Gail]

It's taken me a while to decide which recipes I wanted to copy. The black-eyed peas are really good. The rice and some other recipes are familiar because of my aunt's Brazilian cooking. I've really enjoyed this. Although I'm still not sure what mascarpone cheese is or where I might get any. I can buy cotija and queso fresco in the regular cheese aisle at Kroger, but not mascarpone. sigh Also, I'm pretty sure Portuguese chourico is not the same as the chorizo I can get in town.

[Elaine]

I won a copy from a Goodreads Giveaway.

I read quite a number of cookbooks, mostly because I love to eat and look at pictures, not because I can cook. I guess you could say I 'cook.' Just not well.

This is my first Portuguese cookbook, which I was excited to receive.

Beautiful pics, great recipes, easy to follow directions for most of them, easy enough that I could make these dishes

Sigh. If only I cooked. Well.

[Heather]

beautiful pictures. i enjoyed learning about portugal and am looking forward to cooking the signature dishes from this book. scott picked out a few that reminded him of his time in brazil that we will try.

[Shannon]

Beautiful photographs, great recipes and an excellent summary of what to eat and drink in regions of Portugal.

[Sharon Campbell]

I like v d in Portugal for a number of years. This book brought me back to the flavor sand scents that makes Portugese cooking so accessible and amazing.

[Maria Garofalo]

The New Portuguese Table

What a marvelous work. It combines the history of the many Portuguese towns and their best recipes Also all the recipes are in this book. Marvelous and hard work to be able to gather so many elements together
Thank You David. I met you many years ago in Danbury , CT and have been waiting for your next book for many years and now it is. And what a surprise
Thank you thank you

[Aasinathena]

Beautiful introduction to Portuguese Cooking !

[Stephanie]

Such a beautiful book!

[Marion Liberati]

Great recipes for Portuguese food.

[Ellen]

Terrific! Need to add this one to my library.

[Lisa]

This made me want to travel to Portugal. The food in here looked delicious, but there are so many ingredients for all of these recipes that I think that I would find it difficult to make myself. Also they are not many pictures in this book.

[Sir]

My edition contains photographs so dated as to be found in cooking magazines from the 1970's when everything was done on luridly garish table settings. The recipes are delicious regardless. I hope they updated those photographs though because it doesn't incite one to want to try a single recipe.

[Douglas Larson]

Very interesting recipes. I hope to try some of them.

[Ken]

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. This is the perfect cookbook for lovers of salt cod, and it just might be the perfect cookbook for those who dislike the mild, Atlantic fish. Leite, a three-time James Beard–award winner and proprietor of the Web site LeitesCulinaria.com, offers a wealth of recipes for the brackish dried fish, including a traditional version of pastéis de bacalhau (salt cod fritters). But cod is but one of the amaazing dishes offered here. By highlighting the eclectic ingredients and modern techniques that define the country today, Leite brings the often-overlooked foods of Portugal center stage. This fully illustrated book begins with an extensive glossary of Portuguese staples, plus a port primer and an introduction to Madeira, and ends with a chapter devoted to workhorse sundries such as fiery piri-piri paste and smoked paprika oil. Along the way home cooks are introduced to a delectable jumble of dishes that range from classic to contemporary. A comforting adaptation of the fabled stone soup is enlivened with spicy chouriço sausage; simple-yet-elegant duck breasts are sauced with white port and black olives; and a dip made with anchovies, green olives, cilantro, and whole milk is surprisingly harmonious. The desserts are comparatively docile—molasses cookies, baked custard tarts—but the recipe variation for fatias douradas (Portuguese sweet bread French toast) is truly over-the-top. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"A modern classic cookbook."
—BlackBook.com

"Three-time James Beard Award winner Leite has written a foodie love letter to a European nation. The culinary profile of the 13 historic provinces, along with a shopping guide to the Portuguese pantry, are great, but the real payoff is the 130-plus recipes that range from the veggie-rich caldo verde to such new classics as scrambled eggs with asparagus and fresh cod."
—Dana Dickey, Bon Appétit

"Iberian gem. The New Portuguese Table by David Leite, a prolific food journalist who founded the website LeitesCulinaria.com, is the best book on the subject of Portuguese cooking in years. Leite, whose parents emigrated to the U.S. from Portugal, is captivated by the way cooks there have pointed their under appreciated cuisine in new directions. He dutifully catalogs Portugal's iconic wines and traditional foods--we learn how to make clams and chouriço in a copper cataplana--but we also get decidedly new-school preparations like cheese-stuffed pork tenderloins and Filet-o-Fish-inspired salt cod sandwiches. Trad or mod, this is some winning home cooking."

—_Saveur_

"Beautifully illustrated, _The New Portuguese Table_ is a smart, delicious and highly personal travelogue through both memory and terrain."
—Maricel E. Presilla, MiamiHerald.com

"In Leite's The New Portuguese Table, the author performs a multitude  of feats: first, he provides [a] culinary travel guide to the country of his ancestors...introduces, with great  specificity, a multitude of regional delicacies...and finally presents recipes  ranging from the most remarkably parsimonious...to the more extravagant and modern. Leite's book is a stunning passport to a food and a people virtually unknown to most Americans, even though they are only five hours away from our mainland."
—Elissa Altman, The Huffington Post

"This is the perfect cookbook for lovers of salt cod, and it just might be the perfect cookbook for those who dislike the mild, Atlantic fish. Leite, a three-time James Beard award winner and proprietor of the Web site LeitesCulinaria.com, offers a wealth of recipes for the brackish dried fish, including a traditional version of pastéis de bacalhau (salt cod fritters) and a newfangled mini salt cod sandwich that is the Portuguese equivalent of McDonald's Filet-O-Fish. By highlighting the eclectic ingredients and modern techniques that define the country today, Leite brings the often-overlooked foods of Portugal center stage. This fully illustrated book begins with an extensive glossary of Portuguese staples, plus a port primer and an introduction to Madeira, and ends with a chapter devoted to workhorse sundries such as fiery piri-piri paste and smoked paprika oil. Along the way home cooks are introduced to a delectable jumble of dishes that range from classic to contemporary. A comforting adaptation of the fabled stone soup is enlivened with spicy chouriço sausage; simple-yet-elegant duck breasts are sauced with white port and black olives; and a dip made with anchovies, green olives, cilantro, and whole milk is surprisingly harmonious. The desserts are comparatively docile–molasses cookies, baked custard tarts–but the recipe variation for fatias douradas (Portuguese sweet bread French toast) is truly over-the-top. (Aug.)"
—_Publishers Weekly _(Starred Review)

"If your finances don't permit a trip abroad this year, perhaps this cookbook will provide some comfort–though it might just reinforce your urge to hit the sunny beaches of the Algarve. Leite, a noted Portuguese American food writer and publisher of the James Beard Award-winning web site Leite's Culinaria (www.leitesculinaria.com), begins by outlining Portugal's diverse regional cuisines and then describes traditional ingredients. From there it is a straightforward listing of appetizers, soups, fish, meat, poultry, vegetable/egg/rice dishes, breads, sweets, liqueurs, and condiments, with approximately 150 recipes overall. Each recipe begins with a paragraph relating its background, which adds to the book's homey feel. The recipes, many inspired by Leite's memories of his grandmother's cooking, are designed for the home cook and generally don't require exotic ingredients, although a supplier for salt cod may be necessary. A list of sources is provided for the few hard-to-find items, and color photos add to the presentation. Full of delicious-sounding recipes, this title is sure to appeal to adventurous cooks wanting to try a new ethnic cuisine and will also be popular with Portuguese American communities."
—Susan Hurst, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH (_Library Review_)

"David Leite's The New Portuguese Table is in fact three superb books in one volume: a thrilling travelogue, a thorough guide to Portuguese regional dishes and ingredients, and a transporting kitchen companion. The recipes in it will not only spirit you to an exotic, alluring place, they'll change the way you cook. We'll wager that after making Potato Skin Curls with Herbs, you will never look at potato peelings the same way again!"
—Matt Lee and Ted Lee, authors of The Lee Bros. Simple, Fresh, Southern

"David Leite takes you right to the heart of the good stuff, scrupulously (and appetizingly) exploring and explaining an egregiously overlooked and unappreciated range of flavors and ingredients. Portugal once ruled the known world, and the recipes in this book are–in many ways–the history of the world–on your plate."
—Anthony Bourdain

"This book begs the question why, in heaven's name, have we ignored Portugal for so long? David Leite's Portuguese dishes practically stand up and salute with flavor. And he is smart about the Portugal he portrays. The temptation is to look only to the past and the traditional, but David knows cuisines are restless, ever shifting beings. He gifts us with the land of his family as it was and as it is now. We'll be cooking from this book for a long time."
—Lynne Rosetto Kasper and Sally Swift, authors of _The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper

_"I am very impressed with The New Portuguese Table. It is a welcoming, wonderful, satisfying, and passionate cookbook, an enticing view of Portugal through the lens of its food. David Leite is a terrific writer and he has a lot to teach us about one of Europe's most extraordinary and diverse cuisines. Bravo!"
 —Paula Wolfert

"Long overlooked in our culinary literature, Portugal's rich, historic cuisine finally has a passionate and knowledgeable ambassador in David Leite. Keenly aware of what modern American cooks want these days, Leite has compiled an incomparable collection in which every recipe is as rewarding to eat as it is simple to make. Bravo David!"
 —Anya von Bremzen, author of_ The New Spanish Table_