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Paul Read
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Inside the Tortilla: Recipes for Living Another Life (The Radical Routes Series Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Paul Read (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 out of 5 stars 33 ratings
Not all those that wander are lost...
Under the unforgiving heat of the Spanish sky and in a country scorched by tourism, one man goes in search of recipes for living another life, accompanied by a chef who can only look at the ground and a hound who always looks behind everything. They reveal another another history of people, food culture though the magnifying glass of one small town.

Find out why Inside The Tortilla is: "not your typical expat handbook" and why novelist Mark Radcliffe wrote: "I'd recommend this to anyone visiting Spain regardless of whether they are going to discover the country or to turn red near Malaga; at worst it made me feel a more authentic tourist. At best, if helped me see a country."

"Absolute delight, this book will appeal to all who crave the authentic earthy experience of living in another culture. Funny moving heart-warming, great story, real characters, marvellous hound."

"Like Spain's most famous dish, Inside the Tortilla is a book that looks simple at first glance, but in reality has much more to it than meets the eye."
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  1. Book 2 of 2
    The Radical Routes Series
  2. Print length
    292 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    June 1, 2012
  5. File size
    5.0 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

From the Author

This is my first book on Spain. It came about after more than 14 years living in the country and moving from one province to another. The journey around the country gave me a certain perspective that seemed to parallel some of my other writings. Previously I have written on Tao Chi and Taoism, but this time I wished to try and combine some of the ideas from these two disciplines to my adopted country. There are several photographic accounts, podcasts and videos that accompany this book, they can be found on my web site.

From the Back Cover

Inside The Tortilla by Paul ReadLife has a habit of throwing obstacles in your path for a good reason: To challenge the undaunted, or deter the uncommitted. Either way, you must choose to look away, or to grab the proverbial bull by the horns..When one man and his faithful hound turn their backs on the Mediterranean Sea and set out on a journey into the interior of Andalusia, they go not just in search of gastronomic secrets, but the rich history, culture, politics and diet of a charismatic country as it struggles out of the shadow of its past and into the searing light of its future.A Journey deep Inside the Tortilla.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0088HECWE
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Craving Distraction Ltd; 2nd edition (June 1, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 1, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5.0 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 292 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 out of 5 stars 33 ratings

About the author

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Paul Read

Paul Read

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Paul has been practising the martial arts since he was knee high to a grasshopper.

Given he's still not much taller, he continues his studies, focusing on the extraordinary practice and philosophy of Tai Chi. Having worked through numerous styles and schools he eventually created the teapot temple from which he produces mould-breaking online 21st Century Tai Chi courses, writes books for those searching for an amusing alternative to the norm, and podcasts and videos to antagonise his enemies.

All of this has failed to alleviate his restlessness and so he fidgets his way back and forth between the Uk and Spain in search of good coffee, good conversation and fresh vegetables.

You can track him down easily as the teapotmonk anywhere - unless he hasn't paid a bill somewhere in which case it may prove more difficult.

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
33 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Caroline Angus
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Spain success story
    Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I am generally suspicious of anyone using the word ‘authentic’ when it comes to Spain. There will be half a million Brits living in Spain right now, penning out their ‘new life in Spain’ book, thinking they are special. There will be legal hoops to jump through, a charming neighbour named Juan, lazy builders, translation mishaps… blah, blah, blah. I gave up reading such books a while back, after reading a memoir so bad I tossed it out a window. But when Paul Read told the story of searching for authentic tortilla in Andalucia, there was finally a ‘living in Spain’ book with reading.

    Many pronounce to have found ‘the real Spain’ (as if there can be a one-size-fits-all Spain). If they do find such a beast, they pen the tale all wrong. Not so with Read – Inside the Tortilla reads like you’re in the moment, hearing the words from the author himself, who spares the clichés. Read’s words rang true about the Mediterranean coast being a mess, and the food being disappointing. Tourism is the ultimate double edged sword – it’s a huge industry, making money and providing employment, but it also poisons all it touches. Read goes where many an expat doesn’t bother – away from the packaged coast of Spain.

    Enter the town nicknamed ‘La Clave’ in the hills outside Granada, and a more natural way of life. We find Read finding his way, making a new life far removed from the path many expats take. We meet Andrés, who gives rise to the nickname ‘Gazpacho Monk’ as the author is known. The book dives into everyday meetings with those in the town, the fiestas that dominate Spanish life, the annoyances of having a car towed, and throwing what is akin to a Brontosaurus hide at a dog living on a roof.

    Through the story lies recipes, the classics that the Spanish enjoy eating, recipes that exist solely because of Spain’s once simple way of life. The book also tells of the town’s history, of the first Spanish Republic, and its ‘Revolution of Bread and Cheese’, and of Spain’s more recent battles, with the 2007 historical memory laws and the threat of opening old wounds. Strategies to cope with the Spanish heat are included, along tips for eating almejas (clams) – a picture of King Alfonso is required, or a suitable substitute such as Real Madrid memorabilia or a toilet roll.

    Anyone who knows Spain well will find themselves nodding in agreement at the Spanish way of life, like the old ladies gossiping at the bus stop, or the act of getting a recipe with your mortgage. Those who don’t know about living in Spain can get an introduction into what the country is really like when you step away of the microwaved version of the country found along the coast. This is no guide to moving to Spain; this book is a success story, told by someone who made a real effort to build a new life.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • R. G. Robb
    4.0 out of 5 stars A great look at one person's changed life
    Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Part travelogue. Part cookbook. Part memoir. Part how-to (or how-I-did-it). Paul Read's "Inside the Tortilla" is an inspirational look at finding and embracing change in one's life.

    Like most of Read's writings, this book embraces Bruce Lee's idea of "Take what works and leave the rest." The author, a Brit ex-pat living in Spain, takes his faithful hound and moves from the touristy bustle of the Mediterranean coast inland to the rustic city of Loja in Andalusia where he settles (and learns the fine art of Gazpacho.).

    The peace, happiness, and joie de vivre present in the story-telling reflect a simplicity I think we all yearn for.

    BONUS: Discover that a Spanish tortilla is nothing like an American one!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • cmgaa
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Read Expat Handbook for those Looking to Move to Spain.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Like Spain's most famous dish, Inside the Tortilla is a book that looks simple at first glance, but in reality has much more to it than meets the eye.

    The tortilla is perhaps the most widely-eaten food in Spain, a dish that knows no regional preference, and Read's experience in Spain mirrors this. Though he makes his home in the mountains of Andalusia, his insight on Spain is spot-on for the better part of the country, and he touches on the idiosyncrasies of this nation with humor and an objective standpoint (though, like many expats in Spain might argue, it just happens to us guiris).

    An excellent handbook for expats in Spain or those aspiring to make the move - regardless of nationality, modus operandi or understanding of Iberia. I devoured it about as fast as I could devour a homemade tortilla, and this book is vaguely familiar to my own life, save the Hound, the fridge on wheels and the breezy afternoons under the níspera in small town Spain.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Aninal lover and Reader
    5.0 out of 5 stars I just finished and loved this book
    Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Last summer "I went to Spain" with Victoria Twead" and her series of adventures in a small Spanish village. She and her husband came from Britain. I was looking for another book to take me back there. This one did, with adventure and history. I am going to start sending it out as a recommendation to family and friends.
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  • BHarri45
    5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Read......
    Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2017
    Thanks for illuminating another aspect of living in Spain from an expat's point of view.......very different kind of read....well done.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Elle Draper
    5.0 out of 5 stars Meaty for a Vegetarian Author.
    Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2013
    It's no secret that I love memoirs... and I particularly enjoy those written by people who have moved to Spain.

    This book ticks those boxes of course, with oodles of anecdotes and stories of Paul's experiences. However - that is just the tip of the iceberg. Paul also educates by including a vast amount of Spanish history in his writings. Now before you panic (like I would if someone had mentioned the H word), he writes this information in such an entertaining way and it has you gripped.

    Did I love the book? Yes. Am I looking forward to a sequel? Yes.

    This is sat very comfoprtably in my top 3 "memoirs" read so far. Highly recommended for those looking for a bit more "meat" (despite Paul being a veggie) than your average "moving to Spain" contributions.
    One person found this helpful
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  • John Kramer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A journey into real Andalucia!!
    Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2014
    Having tried the heavy built/expat enclaves of the Costa del Sol. Man and faithful hound set off to find a more authentic and rural experience. The 'real' Andalucia, eventually settling in a small town just west of Granada, lovingly referred to as "La Clave" - the key.

    Full of anecdotes and mistakes along the way, the daily trials and tribulations of being a 'Guiri' in Andalucia.....and some great recipes thrown in. You can't go wrong, a thoroughly enjoyable read.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Markymark
    5.0 out of 5 stars Showing not telling...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 8, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I tend to avoid travel books. They can be a big smug can't they? But as I was visiting Spain for about the 40th time and was quietly aware of the fact that I knew as much about the place as I did of Venus (and I may have felt if not guilty then certainly a bit uncomfortable about that), a friend suggested I look at this. At first I wasn't sure how to read it; was it a travelogue? A cook book? A love letter? But I stayed with it because of the tone as much as anything. Where travel books can so often be a celebration of the knowingness of the author this had at its heart a curiosity. I think this gave the impression that you were finding out with the author, or at least he knew of some good places to look and you were going with him. In short it draws you into what felt like a an amiable stroll. By the time I got to the recipes for what I have always considered uncooked soup I was quite comfortable wandering along with the writing looking at the sights and noticing that I was being shown little corners of culture, politics and history.
    I am not certain why that works; I think it has something to do with the form; more extended essay than regimented travel book or the scope; the recipes are a brilliant idea. But mostly I think it is the warmth. I have the sense that the author loves his subject and wants you to like it too.
    I'd recommend this to anyone visiting Spain regardless of whether they are going to discover the country or to turn red near Malaga; at worst it made me feel a more authentic tourist. At best if helped me see a country.
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  • Ray
    4.0 out of 5 stars Easy Read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 8, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Knowing a bit about Spain I could relate to the authors experiences,and imagine being in situations that he was.
    A humourous look at life's experiences in Spain.
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  • Montgomery Snapper
    5.0 out of 5 stars To live in Spain
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 29, 2014
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    How does one attempt to live in modern Spain? How does one attempt to negotiate one’s way through the maze of politics, local customs and the intricacies of a language not one’s own, and, more importantly, how does one make the authentic Spanish tortilla? These are some of the questions Paul Read attempts to answer in this hugely engaging and funny book. Unlike many ‘travel writers’ he writes from the inside looking in rather than from the outside looking in which makes his observations fresh and uncynical. Adopting “passive activity” as a way of becoming more involved as a citizen of this Spanish town brings rewards and a refreshing objectivity. This doesn’t mean there aren’t bad times and the kind of fond thoughts of home that every immigrant has. However, accompanied by his faithful hound, recipe tips, and the kind of humility Brits abroad normally forget at the airport, Paul Read seems to have found a new home in a Spain you may think you know. The great thing about Inside the Tortilla is that maybe you don’t know Spain as well as you thought. A great book.
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  • Colin webb
    1.0 out of 5 stars One Star
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 11, 2015
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    Going no wear
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  • Tracy Morgan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 28, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    What was great was the information on the history of Spain as well as the recipes. I have lived in Andalucia now for two years and I am trying so hard to integrate and submerge myself into the whole culture, avoiding other brits and living inland in the campo. I love it and I love it more when I can read intelligent and interesting accounts that impart more knowledge and information that is relayed in interesting and humorous ways. I loved asking my amigo Alejandro if he knew the relationship between King Alfonso XIII and toilet paper! (He didn't). If anyone can recommend similar books to me I would be very very grateful.
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