Simone Ortega

Spanish chef Simone Ortega has died at age 89

MADRID, Spain - A publishing company says Spanish chef and cookery writer Simone Ortega has died at the age of 89.
Alianza Editorial says Ortega died Wednesday at a nursing home in Madrid but it did not know the cause of death.

The company says Ortega's best-known book sold around 3 million copies and went through 49 printings since it was published in 1972. It is entitled "1,080 Recetas de Cocina," which means 1,080 recipes.

Ortega came from a family of French origin but was born in Spain's Catalonia region. She won top culinary awards both in Spain and France.

Ortega was the widow of Spanish publisher Jose Ortega Spottorno and is survived by three children.