• by Michael Shields , January 25, 2005

The CURRENT ISSUE OF FOOD & WINE is all about Spain - Spanish cuisine, top restaurants in Madrid and Barcelona, along with travel recommendations for visiting the Spanish countryside. And readers, particularly those of us in the frigid Northeast, will likely want to book a ticket as soon as they put the issue down (or at least start cooking).

One highlight is the tantalizing section "Best Tapas From the Best Tapas Bars" - the recipes are complex, but the enticing photographs distract from the potential work involved.

Food & Wine isn't all recipes of course - it tells interesting stories: about how the Camper shoe company has launched a chain of restaurants specializing in rice balls, about a quirky Madrid winemaker who travels the countryside selling $8 bottles of fine wine, as well as a profile of one of Spain's top chefs.

Food & Wine is also part travel guide - providing straight listings of the best places to stay and eat in various Spanish cities as well as a first person account of a spring visit to a secluded farm outside of Seville.

But the standout piece in this month's issue looks at artisanal Spanish cheese makers. So called 'cheese ambassador,' Enric Canut provides an overview of the finest in cheeses, including recipes sprinkled with bits of history (many cheeses were illegal during the rule of Francisco Franco, and much of the artisanal trade was lost for decades).

"Enric's Cheese Tray" provides readers with a detailed account of the properties of various cheese incarnations, along with more corresponding recipes - even for basic sandwiches. These inspire without intimidating

With all the various shelter and food magazines out there selling the easy and relaxed kitchen (like say Everyday Food), Food & Wine continues to promote elegance, even when presenting recipes for grilled cheese. And they do it quite well, with no apologies. Foodies can attempt greatness, and even non-cooks can fantasize about travel to Spain (or going out for tapas).