“You could probably get through life without knowing how to roast a chicken, but the question is, would you want to?”
Nigella Lawson
Hi there,
March is Women’s History Month. So for the next four weeks and I am going to write about a woman chef who you may not be familiar with. Today I am going to introduce you to Penelope Casas. Penelope was an American food writer, cookbook author and expert on the cuisine of Spain. Casas began authoring a series of English-language cookbooks focusing on the food of Spain during the 1980s, effectively introducing Americans to Spain’s culinary heritage for the first time.
Here is her recipe for Tortilla Espanola
TORTILLA ESPAÑOLA
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
1 cup olive oil, for frying
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into ⅛-inch slices
1 large onion, thinly sliced
Kosher or sea salt, to taste
4 large eggs
Preparation:
Heat the oil in an 8-inch or 9-inch skillet over medium heat until it sizzles when you drop in a potato slice. Add the potatoes and onion one slice at a time to prevent sticking, alternating layers of potatoes and onion. Season with salt. Cook, turning occasionally, until the potatoes are tender but not browned, for about 20 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon or spatula to a colander and let drain. Reserve 4 teaspoons oil and wipe out the skillet.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs lightly with a fork and add salt. Add the potatoes and press down until completely covered by the egg mixture. Let sit 15 minutes.
Heat 3 teaspoons of the reserved oil in the same skillet over high heat until it reaches the smoking point. Quickly pour in the potato-and-egg mixture and distribute evenly. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, shaking the skillet often to prevent sticking, until the bottom begins to brown. Slide the omelet onto a plate, cover with a second plate, and turn over.
Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon reserved oil in the same skillet over high heat to the smoking point. Reduce the heat to medium and slide the omelet back into the skillet. Cook, shaking constantly until the bottom is browned, using the back of a pancake turner to neatly tuck in the edges. Continue cooking until the center is set but still slightly juicy within. Serve hot or at room temperature.
This recipe came from 1,000 Spanish Recipes ©2014 by Penelope Casas.
I hope you have enjoyed reading about Penelope Casas as much as I have enjoyed bring her recipe to your attention. If you have a woman chef you would like to see featured, just put her name in the comment section.
Until we meet again, ❤️💕Bernadette
6 responses to “WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH – Let’s hear it for the girls”
I’ve never heard of this chef! Thanks!
Your welcome – I hope to feature a less well known chef to everyone’s attention every week during Women’s History Month. Thanks for reading and commenting.
The tortilla looks delicious!
What a great idea, Bern the tortilla looks and sounds delicious 🙂
I’m a member of Cherry Bombe – a group devoted to women who are talented writers, chefs, food stylists, photographers and illustrators (not me though). In Nov. 2020 a “Friendsgiving” weeklong virtual with many new faces. Older ones such as Ina, Martha or Nigella are considered “trailblazers”. Then recently there was a zoom discussion with Joy the Baker. Lots of new and young faces and many cookbooks I’ve added to my collection.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this comment. There is a lot of food for thought in this comment. I will look up Joy the Baker and the Cherry Bombe Organization.