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Summer is turning to autumn in Spain, the ideal time to visit this romantic and fascinating country. Each part of Spain has its own unique attractions but my favorite is Barcelona.

Barcelona is the commercial capital of all of Spain. Located in Catalonia, it has a sophisticated, cosmopolitan character yet there is joyousness and a warmth often missing in large metropolitan cities.

Catalonia is a region of 12,000 square miles sweeping down from the green and rugged Pyrenees to the beaches of the beautiful Costa Brava, north of Barcelona, and, to the south, the golden sands of the Costa Dorado. The land is a mixture of mountains and plains, which makes the climate and agriculture varied.

The abundance and variety of available foods manifests itself in a bountiful table, which includes the unique and delicious rovellons mushrooms. They’re are used in combination with plentiful game such as partridges, quail, rabbit, dove, duck, goose and deer. There is all manner of fowl, veal, baby goat and above all, pork, whose fat has been used as a cooking ingredient throughout the centuries.

The food of Catalonia is Spain’s oldest cuisine. The first Spanish cookbook was written in the Catalan language in 1477. The book, “Llibre de Coch (Book of Cookery)” was written by Maestre Rubert de Nola, chef to Alfonso the Magnanimous of Aragon-Catalonia (1416-58).

There are culinary remnants of many ancient cuisines in the region, such as the Arab and Jewish custom of using lemon, honey and cinnamon in certain dishes. During the 14th and 15th centuries, Naples, Milan and Sicily belonged to the Spanish crown and pasta as well as many Italian dishes were introduced.

The mountainous regions of the Pyrenees have provided an ideal environment for such delicious cheeses as serrate, a dry cheese with a classic, intense taste of sheep’s milk and de Aran, a smoky round cheese whose rind is rubbed with an aromatic rum. One of Catalonia’s most traditional and delicious desserts is made with fresh, white mato, a soft and moist cheese made from goat or cow’s milk which is eaten with honey and walnuts.

Barcelona has more than 10,000 restaurants so little wonder the city has been a city of great eating places since early in the nineteenth century. The oldest restaurant in the city is Can Culleretes, which dates back to 1786. It was originally a chocolateria (or chocolate house), which is similar to coffee bars or tea rooms. Patrons would linger in the afternoon, drinking hot chocolate with rolls or sweets. In fact, it was Spain that introduced chocolate to Europe from the New World, monopolizing it until the 17th century. Chocolate is used a great deal in Catalonian cooking, but rather than a basic ingredient for rich desserts, it is traditionally used to flavor and thicken savory dishes.

Chefs in this part of Spain like to cook with fruit, especially dried prunes, pears, figs, peaches and raisins. Duck with figs (pato con higos) is one dish that is outstanding but equally unforgettable is the goose with pears, squab with peaches (pintada al melocoton).

For a memorable evening of dining and people watching, there is no better place in Barcelona than Los Caracoles (14 Carrer dels Escudellers). At first glance, this bustling, jovial place looks like a typical tourist trap, but the good solid Catalan cooking is impressive, filling and delicious. Another favorite is Casa Isidre, which has only 10 tables, so reservations are a must. This is a good place to sample the best of Spanish wines and to see some works by Joan Miró, once one of the bistro’s most enthusiastic patrons. He also frequently stayed at the Hotel Colon (Avenida de la Catedran, 7) and many of his works are also there for the viewing.

There are more pleasures than the culinary variety in Barcelona. It is a city of strange contrasts, with its old quarter bounded abruptly by wide avenues lined with plane trees and reminiscent of a dustier, sunnier Paris. The heart of the old city is the Barrio Gotico, where among a network of narrow streets with their antique shops, small grocers and bars, you will come upon Roman ruins, the medieval cathedral and the Palace of the Generalitat. Adjoining it is the crowded Ramblas, a tree-lined avenue with a central promenade leading down to the port, where the stalls selling flowers, books and caged birds stand cheek by jowl with the open-air cafes.

One cannot visit Spain without experiencing paella, surely the national dish of Iberia. While in Barcelona, though, it became a challenge to find the perfect paella. A small, family-run café, Casa Isidre came close to perfection but the finest paella came later at a tiny, roadside truck stop where freshly made paella with lobsters (caught that morning) created culinary memories that still haunt my taste buds.

PAELLA

There are hundreds of versions of paella. This recipe came from Craig Claiborne’s book, “The New York Times Cookbook,” and is the one I use with excellent results.

1 pound and a half lobster, cooked

1 pound shrimp

1 dozen or more small clams

1 quart mussels

1 pound and a half chicken

1 teaspoon oregano

2 peppercorns

1 clove garlic or more if preferred, peeled

1-1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon vinegar

4 ounces ham, cut into thin strips

1 chorizo sausage, sliced

1 ounce salt pork, finely chopped

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 green pepper, seeded and chopped

½ teaspoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon capers

½ cup tomato sauce

2-1/4 cups rice, preferably short grain, washed and drained

4 cups boiling water

1 teaspoon saffron

1 package frozen peas or 1 can peas, drained

1 6-ounce can pimentos

Remove the meat from the lobster. Shell and devein the shrimp. Scrub the clams and the mussels. Cut the chicken into serving pieces. Combine the oregano, peppercorns, garlic, salt, two tablespoons of the olive oil and the vinegar and mash with the back of a kitchen spoon or in a mortar. Rub the chicken with this mixture. Heat the remaining olive oil in a deep, heavy skillet and brown the chicken over moderate heat. Add the ham, chorizo, salt pork, onion, green pepper, coriander and capers. Cook 10 minutes over low heat. Add the tomato sauce and rice and cook for five minutes. Add the boiling water, saffron and shrimp. Mix well and cook rapidly, covered until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. With a large spool turn the rice from top to bottom. Add the lobster meat and peas, cover and cook for 5 minutes longer. Stem the mussels and clams in a little water until the shells open. Heat the pimentos and drain. Finally, use the mussels, clams and pimentos as a garnish. Serves 6 to 8.

ASK DORIS

Q: When I lived in Texas, my friend Kate used to have a sundae bar after Sunday dinner. She called the ingredients the Seven Deadly Sins. She has passed away and I have forgotten these ingredients. Now I would like to have a sundae bar and hope you can find the recipe. — Gertrude Simmons, Estero

A: Helen Corbitt was the author of the “Neiman-Marcus Cookbook.” The store, of course, which originated in Texas. Clever cooks, these Texans.

SEVEN DEADLY SINS

A large bowl of vanilla and coffee ice cream

An array of sweet sauces

1 bowl of slivered nuts

A bowl of whipped cream

A pitcher of crème cacao or hazel nut liqueur

Fresh berries such as strawberries, raspberries or blue berries

Melon balls macerated in sauterne

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Doris Reynolds is the author of “When Peacocks Were Roasted and Mullet Was Fried” and “Let’s Talk Food.” They are available for sale in the lobby of the Naples Daily News. Also available is a newly released DVD, “A Walk Down Memory Lane With Doris Reynolds.” For comments and questions regarding today’s column, contact Doris Reynolds at foodlvr25@aol.com.