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The Food of Portugal by Jean Anderson (paperback, $19.99, William Morrow). To set the stage, here’s an excerpt from the book’s Introduction:

      “When friends and colleagues heard that I was writing a Portuguese cookbook, the question they invariably put to me was, ‘But isn’t it just like Spanish cooking?’
      “No, it isn’t although Portuguese and Spanish cooks both rely heavily upon many of the same ingredients – tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil, to name three.
     “I’ve often wondered how the two neighboring countries can be so different despite shared terrain and roots. But dissimilar they are, mostly because Portugal, stuck down there on the southwestern tip of Iberia, was not only isolated for centuries but also lured overseas by the ocean lapping its shores.
      “It was the Portuguese who launched Europe’s Age of Discovery early in the 15th century; the Portuguese who designed the caravel, a ship that could sail both with and against the wind; who charted the west coast of Africa and rounded the Cape of Good Hope; who plucked Madeira and the Azores from the ‘Green Sea of Gloom,’ as the Atlantic was then known; who discovered Brazil, and who, not least, found the water route to the East’s treasury of spices.
      “Vasco da Gama’s ships brought precious curry, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper directly to Portugal at the turn of the 16th century. Then as Portugal’s overseas empire expanded, other exotics -- Chinese tea, African coffee, Brazilian pineapples, peppers sweet and fiery, tomatoes, potatoes – all found their way into local kettles.
      “It is the ingenious use of Old World foods and New, the intrepid teaming of ingredients that most distinguishes Portuguese cooking from the Spanish.
      “I have learned much over the years from Portuguese cooks who not only gave generously of their time and talent, but also happily handed over cherished family recipes. Now I am eager to share the wealth.”

SOPA DE PEDRA (Portuguese Stone Soup)
Makes 8 - 10 Servings
This lusty country soup comes from the broad plains of the Ribatejo Province, which begins just across the Tagus River slightly north of Lisbon. It‘s a land of spirited horses trained in dressage and bullfighting (mostly fun and games because the bulls, instead of being killed, are returned to pastures to graze.) As with most good Portuguese soups, Sopa de Pedra is popular all over the country. This particular recipe comes from the Pousada do Castelo de Palmela (shown here), one of Portugal’s luxurious government inns. Built inside the walls of an ancient Moorish castle, the pousada is less than an hour’s drive from downtown Lisbon. Like most soups, this one is better if made one day and served the next. Note: I’ve rewritten this recipe and the one that follows so they’re consistent with my website style.

           1 cup dried red kidney beans, washed, sorted, and soaked overnight in 3 cups cold water

           3 medium yellow onions, coarsely chopped

           4 medium leeks, trimmed, washed, and thinly sliced

           3 tablespoons vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil

           4 medium Maine or Eastern potatoes, peeled and diced

           4 medium carrots, peeled and diced

           6 medium white turnips, peeled and diced

           1/2 pound Savoy or green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

           2 1/2 quarts chicken broth

           1 large whole bay leaf (preferably fresh)

           1/2 pound lean smoked ham, in one piece

           1/4 pound pepperoni or chorizo, in one piece

           1/2 pound green beans, tipped and cut on the bias in 1/2-inch pieces

           1 can (1 pound) chopped tomatoes, with their liquid

           1/2 cup elbow macaroni, cooked al dente by package directions and drained

           3 tablespoons coarsely chopped Italian parsley

           Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Simmer kidney beans in soaking water in uncovered large non-reactive saucepan over moderate heat 30 to 40 minutes till firm-tender. Drain beans and reserve. Note: Though we drain soaked beans and cook in fresh water, the ever-frugal Portuguese cook theirs in the soaking water.
2. In large heavy kettle, stir-fry onions and leeks in oil 10 to 12 minutes over moderate heat until lightly browned.
3. Turn heat to lowest point, add potatoes, carrots, turnips, and cabbage and stir well. Add broth, bay leaf, ham, and pepperoni, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Add green beans, cover, and simmer 30 to 40 minutes more till vegetables are tender and flavors marry. Discard bay leaf.
4. Remove ham and pepperoni; dice ham, slice pepperoni thin, and return both to kettle.
5. Add tomatoes and reserved kidney beans, cover, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, cover, and warm 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Ladle into heated soup bowls and serve with chunks of crusty country bread.