Why, Oh Why?

[Jinmyo]

What made you choose this area to focus on for a cookbook?

[Marina Chang]

My husband and I have always found this to be a fascinating area with it’s mixture of cultures and high proportion of great cooks. When I was asked to write a cookbook, I chose this region based on the complexity of the area.

I was interested in the numerous factors that influenced the food and history of this area -- the cultural history of the Basques, Catalonian, French, Spanish, and the Occitan, with flavors and practices also left behind by the Greeks, Romans, and Moors, as well as the changes that occurred with the infusion of ingredients from the New World. I also knew that the influence of the unique geography of the area -- with the Bay of Biscay and Atlantic waters on one side, the Mediterranean Sea on the other, and native habitats of the high mountains and outlying foothills -- would lend interest in my exploration of the region’s cooking styles.

And of course, I also wanted to write about a favorite food region that I wouldn't mind visiting repeatedly.

- Marina