La cocinera de Castamar tells the story of an agoraphobic cook, at the house of a Spanish nobleman whose heart she conquers, against all odds. Clara, the main character, lives in her own small universe, the kitchen of Castamar, where the only windows to the outside world are the dishes she cooks with so much passion. But she also is an independent woman, who knows how to read and write and who lives on her own, in a world full of enemies and lies. The Duke of Castamar, on the other hand, is a young widower who lost his beloved wife in an accident, a modern man for his times… The characters of the novel are very beautifully drawn, the setting shows a tremendous amount of research. The recipes grant additional value to the book, inspiring us with lovely descriptions of the kitchen scenery, the smells and the ingredients of the dishes, very much in the style of Laura Esquivel’s Como agua para chocolate. Yet, at the same time, La cocinera de Castamar, with all its mysteries, intrigues and surprising twists, takes a new turn on sagas like Downton Abbe
