I have never been to Spain, so can't vouch for the recipes' authenticity, and have no other Spanish cookbooks, so don't know how it compares, but since I discovered by chance Penelope Casas's Foods and Wine of Spain it has become a trusted favourite I return to again and again, one of a very select group on my cookbook shelf that I would never want to be without. There's not much illustration (something that I actually like in a cookbook, wary as I am of over-produced volumes that seem to distrust the recipes' ability to speak for themselves), and Casas assumes that the reader has some basic knowledge, so I wouldn't recommend this book to a complete novice. But for those who are passionate about honest food with real soul (and, it has to be said, like to eat a lot of meat or seafood, as there are not many completely vegetarian dishes here), this book will win your heart. It has mine. My one quibble is that the contents aren't organized all that clearly, and the index has some holes in it, making certain recipes hard to find, even when I know they're in there somewhere, but that is NOT enough to demote this wonderful book from its five-star ranking.