Simone Ortega | Spanish chef, 89

Simone Ortega, 89, a Spanish chef and cookery writer, died Wednesday at a nursing home in Madrid, the publishing company Alianza Editorial said.

It said Ms. Ortega's best-known book sold roughly three million copies and went through 49 printings since it was published in 1972. It is titled 1,080 Recetas de Cocina, which means "1,080 recipes."

She 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.

Ms. Ortega was the widow of Spanish publisher Jose Ortega Spottorno. - AP