The History of Basque Cuisine

This article was published at the Buenos Aires Herald:

50,000 years of culture in kitchen

Dereck Foster

The area that comprises the south-east corner of the Bay of Biscay is that which, invading a small portion of France and a larger portion of Spain, is where Basque culture and cuisine flourishes with all its traditional originality and flavour. Within the many varied regional cuisines that can be detected within Europe, that of the Basque country is an important leader. According to María José Sevilla, a food historian, who has analysed Basque culture in depth , this can be traced back at least 50,000 years and has, in its essence, undergone only cosmetic changes imposed by the advent of modern techniques and modernised ingredients.

What is the basic character of Basque cuisine? The Basque nation has always been dominated by the sea, and Basques have been notable seafarers. As a result the true flavour of Basque food leans strongly towards the sea. It is no secret that tuna and cod are important ingredients that figure in many traditional Basque recipes. Who visits a Basque restaurant does so — unless totally ignorant of the theme — expecting to discover a menu strongly imbued with fish and seafood. But we must not forget the importance that roast lamb, fungi and dried pulses also enjoy within a Basque menu.

Basques, true to their naval traditions, are great travellers, frequently emigrating — because of mostly political reasons — and setting up important colonies abroad. It is only normal that, deep in their baggage, they pack their gastronomic traditions. Argentina is no exception. We have a large and active Basque colony, larded with a great number of restaurants and food outlets with a Basque origin. As is the case with many styles of cooking, exporting to different climes is not easy. Rarely does food in different climes resemble exactly that of the original. Basque cuisine is no exception, but in spite of this we do enjoy a high level of Basque restaurants in Buenos Aires and the rest of Argentina. One of them is, without discussion, Sagardi (Humberto Primo 319, 4361-2538), nestling in the very heart of San Telmo.

50,000 years of Basques cuisine tradition, Spain has been around for 500 years tops, you do the math.

.... ... .

Salmon Marmitako

This recipe its a twist to a classic Basque Country's recipe and it was published at the Juneau Empire:

Salmon Marmitako: Stew for a Spanish fisherman

Ginny Mahar

Fall comes early to these parts. I saw the first signs in mid-August while biking out the road. Movement caught my eye at the edge of the forest; a flicker of silver and green, as one falling leaf rocked its way to the ground, and then another.

Today the driveway is littered with leaf jerky, the fireweed stalks look like they've been rolled in snow and autumn is filling our noses with its damp bouquet. It's not cold yet, just barely crisp, but something in my body knows that it's time for warming food - something that will radiate heat all the way to fingers and toes.

The recipe below has been borrowed from many generations of Spanish and Basque tuna fishermen and adapted to reflect the bounty of our own waters. Originally developed in the galley of a fishing boat, marmitako uses simple ingredients that store well. Tomatoes, potatoes, onions and peppers are brought to life with a bit of sherry, a sprinkle of capers, and the magical dust known as smoked paprika. Nestle some cubed salmon into the pot, oven-crisp some olive oil toast and you've got a dinner that will make you happy the mercury's falling.

Salmon marmitako (serves 6 to 8)

The Spanish make Marmitako with tuna, but salmon makes a fabulous understudy here. Smoked paprika, which is now widely available in the spice section of most grocery stores, adds real depth and richness to the flavor of this stew. Pair this with a crisp and light-bodied white or rose wine like Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling or Pinot Gris.

2 pounds salmon fillets, skinned, boned, and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 red bell peppers

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced ½-inch thick

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

One 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced shallots

½ cup dry sherry

Pinch cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons sea salt, divided

½ teaspoon sugar

One 14-ounce can chicken broth

2 tablespoons capers, drained

¼ cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Best quality olive oil, for garnish

1 artisanal loaf of crusty bread

1. Sprinkle the cleaned and cubed fish with ½ teaspoon sea salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.

2. To roast the bell peppers, heat the broiler and place the peppers on a baking sheet in the upper ⅓ of oven. Watch closely and using metal tongs, rotate the peppers once they begin to blacken, until all sides are evenly charred. Remove from oven. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove stems, seeds, and blackened skin. Cut the roasted pepper flesh into a large dice and set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 350. In a large (5 quart) roasting pan or oven-proof casserole dish, toss potatoes and onions with 2 tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt, and spread evenly. Place uncovered in preheated oven, 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.

4. In a medium (1½ quart) sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook, stirring 1 to 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant. Add shallot, sherry, cayenne and smoked paprika and cook 2 minutes more to allow some of the alcohol to evaporate. Add remaining ½ teaspoon salt, sugar, crushed tomatoes, diced roasted peppers and chicken broth. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes, uncovered.

5. Pour tomato mixture over potatoes. Sprinkle evenly with capers.

6. Cover and place in oven 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Meanwhile, tear the loaf of bread into serving-size pieces, brush lightly with extra virgin olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet.

7. Remove stew from oven, uncover and nestle the cubed fish evenly atop the stew. Cover and return to oven, along with oiled bread, for 5 to 7 minutes. Fish should be moist and barely opaque. Do not overcook.

8. Sprinkle stew with chopped parsley, drizzle with olive oil and serve hot in shallow bowls along with toasted bread.

Just to point to the obvious, once again, Basques are not Spaniards and Marmitako is a Basque recipe. The recipe may be the same in neighboring Spanish state but you can rest assured that they would never name one of their recipes in euskara, remember, they want the Basque language (and the entire cultural identity around it) to disappear.

.... ... .

Extreme Basqueness

This article and recipes come to you courtesy of Canton Rep:

Extreme surroundings yield extreme cuisine

Jim Hillibish

Imagine living in rugged mountain territory isolated from the 21st Century. Your land spreads over two vastly different nations.

As with many things Basque, cooking reflects their culture. These are tough sheepherders and fishermen along the Pyrenees separating France and Spain. Their isolation has allowed their culture to grow. They are accustomed to doing things their own way and protect this freedom from the outside.

The result is a cuisine drawing from the countries it touches. Then the Basque Way is applied — supercharging with strong ingredients, getting the absolute most flavor out of everything. This is not subtle stuff. Your own most flavorful American recipe would be considered way bland here.

They use strong olive oil in almost everything, and garlic to the point of tears.

Stews and soups simmer for hours. A Basque cook shakes the pan violently where we would stir. He (men often do the cooking) produces dishes ahead, knowing that flavors increase with advance preparation.

Spanish tapas, the appetizers so popular in bars worldwide, started with the Basques. Now we know why they are flavor-packed. Chorizo is another Basque contribution, a dried or semi-cured sausage of potent power from heavy and heady use of pepper and hot paprika.

Basques have endured a number of scatterings as their people seek better lives in new countries. A million of them live in Chile. There are major concentrations in Mexico. The few who have made it to the United States seek territory similar to their home country, many in Idaho. Boise has a sizable Basque population, and the restaurants to prove it.

Chorizo in wine is simple but hearty enough to be consumed only with homemade bread. Basque pot roast features the flavors of bacon, pork and garlic all melded together in a powerful mix. This is classic Basque technique.

CHORIZO IN WINE

1 pound chorizo, the softer semi-cured instead of the dried hard-cured
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
1 baby leaf
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Slice the chorizo into inch-long rounds. Brown in oil and drain off the fat. Add wine and boil. Add bay leaf and pepper flakes, reduce to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes.

Serves four with a loaf of homemade bread and butter.

BASQUE PORK ROAST

4 slices bacon, thick cut and peppered, diced
3 pounds boneless pork roast, fat included
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 large red onion, sliced
1 large green pepper, seeded and sliced
1 small jar pimento
1/4 cup white wine

Wash and dry roast. Pierce meat with a knife in several places and insert slices of garlic. Rub with salt and pepper.

Place bacon in a heavy pot and fry until crisp. Remove bacon and add roast. Brown on all sides. Add onion, green pepper and pimento. Add wine and cover, baking slowly at 325 degrees for three hours. Drippings may be converted to gravy by heating and whisking in a tablespoon of cornstarch.

Serves 6 to 8.

Note: Lamb or venison may be substituted for pork.

.... ... .

Mycologist's Paradise

This article was published at EiTB:

Mushrooms and Truffles

Igor Lansorena

Basque cuisine offers a great variety of recipes using mushrooms, making them a much-valued ingredient.

The Basque Country is a country of dedicated mycologists, or mushroom experts, as well as mushroom eaters, even though until several decades ago only very few species were eaten, out of the countless possibilities that can be found in woody and moist surroundings such as ours.

By keeping to the knowledge about the most valued mushrooms in Basque cuisine through the variety of recipes that our chefs offer, one can thus avoid long hikes in search of mushrooms as well as the risk of not distinguishing between edible and poisonous species.

Today our recipe books include varieties that until very recently were disdained, and this allows one to sample fresh mushrooms all year round.

Mushrooms are usually preferred grilled, baked, or scrambled with eggs, these methods being the best in order to appreciate the delicate flavors and textures of the different varieties. Perhaps the most exquisite is the "perretxiku" (lyophylum georgii), so fragile that it will not cope with sauces and is usually eaten scrambled with eggs. Lightly fried and then carefully blended with eggs, "ontto beltzak" (boletus edulis) are highly regarded.

The grill and the oven offer the perfect preparation for other widespread species such as "gibelurdinak", mottled or silvery (clitocybe nebularis and geotropa). Whether grilled, served with eggs, as a stuffing or a garnish, in shish-kebabs with meat, as a base for sauces, or even raw, the most commonly used mushrooms in Basque cuisine often include "senderuelas" (marasmus oreades), "barbuda" (corprinus comatus), "champiñon" (psalliota campestris), "pie azul" (rhodopasillus nudus/saevus), "niscalo" (lactarius deliciosus), and a long list of miscellaneous possibilities that can only depend on locations, time of harvest, and on the imagination of the gatherer.

It is also necessary to mention truffles, which are found in Araba, specifically in the area of Campezo, which, though not always considered by traditional cuisine, have incorporated themselves vigorously into modern cooking. In addition to scrambled egg, truffles have become one of the most luxurious additions to sauces, creams, etc. in Basque cuisine.

.... ... .

Cod "Pil-Pil"

This recipe comes to you courtesy of EiTB:

Cod "pil-pil"

Igor Lansorena

Cod is cooked in many different ways but there is one more remarkable than the others, "pil-pil".

Cod “pil-pil" is without doubt the most popular way to cook Cod. There are several traditional fiestas where people cook cod “pil-pil” in crowded contests.

To cook cod this way for four, you need four pieces of cod, four cloves of garlic, virgin olive oil and four dried chili peppers.

Leave the cod to soak the previous day changing the water three times. Cook the cod in a saucepan with plenty of water until it starts boiling.

Remove the saucepan from the stove and remove the cod from the saucepan with care, drain it and place on a towel.

In an earthenware pot, fry the chopped garlic and half the chili cut in small slices in plenty of oil.

When the garlic is brown, remove and put the slices of cod in the pot, separated and with the skin side facing up.

Shake the pot constantly in circular movements over a medium heat adding a bit of the water used to cook the cod.

As the pot is shaken, the sauce will thicken to a jelly-like texture. At this point the dish is ready to serve.

Decorate the cod with the browned garlic and the unused chili.

.... ... .

Basque Rustic Cuisine

This article was published at The Australian:

Basque in rustic glory

Christine McCabe

I WAS introduced to Basque cuisine a lifetime ago in, of all places, Reno, Nevada, at a small family-run restaurant where patrons crowded at long, communal tables tucking into steaming bowls of lamb stew.

In food-savvy San Francisco, Basque-born chef Gerald Hirigoyen has given his native cuisine a fresh, west coast twist at the acclaimed Piperade, one of this city's must-visit restaurants.

Set two blocks from the waterfront, wedged between the Embarcadero and the Financial District in a renovated warehouse, this charming eatery, opened seven years ago to rave reviews and a chef-of-the-year gong, is a long way from the humble shepherds' fare of northern Nevada or indeed the Basque country.

But Hirigoyen pays homage in the form of a large shepherd's table, anchor to the restaurant's rustic, but stylish, fittings that include an oversized clock face and a chandelier fashioned from used wine bottles.

Lunch starts late on a Friday here. Barely anyone tips up before 2pm, giving we famished tourists a substantial head start. Our French waitress is all smiles and clearly knows her way around the Spanish and California-centric wine list (where Basque wines are a feature), recommending a cava to start: d'Abbatis Brut Nature, Catalunya 2005 ($US10 ($14) a glass) made from 30-year-old parellada vines.

It's the perfect accompaniment to our entrees or tipiak (small plates): a sensational house-cured bacalao ($US12), salt cod topped with small, silken oysters and a drizzle of lemon creme fraiche, and a grande white bean salad served with boquerones (Spanish anchovies), fresh herbs and crumbled, hard-boiled eggs ($US11).

Our tipiak triumvirate is made replete with a wonderful, salty-licious terrine ($US12) of ham and sheep's-milk cheese finished with a crispy, caramelised crust and dressed with aged sherry. A perfect tapas dish designed to tickle the appetite and the thirst, never a bad thing when one is en vacance.

As the cava evaporates at an alarming rate, folk begin trickling into our warehouse bolthole, drawing up to linen-dressed tables lined with festive red, white and blue runners. You get the feeling this a favourite luncheon hideaway for city folk, set on a broad, leafystreet (there's even parking), with a relaxed, urbane atmosphere.

The mains, or handiak (big plates), are a slightly smaller, but just as tempting, selection of Basque-influenced dishes. The restaurant's namesake seems compulsory for first-timers: piperade ($US17), a traditional Basque concoction of sauteed peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic topped with serrano ham and a poached egg. It's simple but elegant, the Coco Chanel of stews. Just as light on the hips is another signature Hirigoyen dish, a braised seafood stew ($US20) of salmon, prawns, mussels, cockles and squid.

To wash down our mains we plunder the Spaniards again: a Vionta Albarino 2007 ($US10 a glass), a rather fashionable variety Stateside, and a Volver Tempranillo La Mancha (also $US10).

By mid-afternoon the small restaurant has filled with a cheerful local crowd giving it the cosy ambience of a corner cafe. There are zero tourists; one imagines they're loitering on the waterfront paying premium for Dungeness crab while missing this quintessential San Francisco dining experience.

Make a day of it by beginning at the nearby Embarcadero Ferry Plaza, exploring the wonderful food shops in this elegantly restored city landmark (artisan chocolates, cheeses and bread are specialities) before jumping a heritage trolley (or tram), reminiscent of Moscow, Milan, even Melbourne, along the waterfront. Then enjoy a stroll to Piperade if for no other reason than to order dessert. Hirigoyen's orange blossom beignets ($US8) are recommended in almost every food guide to the city, with good reason. They are divine.

Having lived in San Francisco for more than 25 years (and now operating two restaurants, including a casual tapas eatery in North Beach), Hirigoyen is firmly entrenched as one of city's leading food identities, his simple dishes a celebration of Basque tradition and Californian innovation.

He has said he doesn't want to be labelled a Spanish chef but enjoys integrating different flavours while drawing on his culinary roots.

And there's something very San Franciscan about his food: fresh ingredients prepared simply in relaxed surrounds where, with a little imagination, one can hear the jingle of a sheep's bell on a Nevada hillside.

From this blog we express our dream that one day those who write about the Basques will finally refrain from insulting our identity by calling us Spaniards.

And just so you know, there is an active Basque community in Australia.

.... ... .

Simply Delicious

The article you're about to read was published at amNewYork:

The delicious simplicity of Basque food

By Ya-Roo Yang
Special to amNewYork

While Basque cuisine is technically a Spanish regional cuisine, dismissing it as simply Spanish would be unfair.

The three provinces that form the Basque country have their own distinct language, government and culinary style, which Alex Reij, chef at Chelsea’s Txikito (pronounced “chee-kee-toe”) describes as “more connected to France than Spain.”

Food is such an important part of the Basque community that men, who normally wouldn’t be caught dead cooking at home, form secret gastronomic societies where they socialize by cooking together.

Unconvinced? Just look at the Michelin Guide and find the greatest concentration of stars in San Sebastian, Spain - the Mecca of foodies and gastronomes.

The quality of Basque cuisine lies in the ingredients derived from three distinct micro-climates. Rain provides for the fertile soil that yields beans, leeks, tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onions. Close to the coastlines, seafaring Basque fishermen catch cod, hake, octopus, spider crabs and sea urchins. Inland, in the foothills of the Pyrenees, Basque Shepherds raise beef and lamb.

“They have such incredible products: great produce, seafood, cheese, lamb and beef that really resonate with people that are into cuisine and care about food,” says Seamus Mullen, executive chef at Boqueria.

Many ingredients used in Basque cooking are locally grown others can be ordered online or purchased from Despana in SoHo. Like most ingredient-driven food traditions, Basque cooking techniques are very simple and the dishes can be replicated by any home cook with basic kitchen skills and the proper ingredients. In his cookbook Pintxos (Ten Speed Press, 2009), San Francisco chef Gerald Hirigoyen writes about how easily he cooked for a party of unexpected friends with things found in his pantry.

There is also the convivial spirit of eating. The Basque tradition of catching up with friends at a bar, before lunch or supper, for a glass Txakoli, a light effervescent local wine, and a few pintxos (pronounced pinchos), bite-sized snacks, is perhaps the most beloved part of this cuisine. Natalie Sanz, owner of Las Ramblas in the West Village, speaks fondly of the tapas bars in San Sebastian: “The bars are crowded with patrons seeking the house specialty. Go alone and you will feel like you are close friends with everybody within arm's reach.”

While New York does not have a pintxo culture, some of this is rubbing off at Basque eateries like Txikito, where diners from different parties often talk and share food with each other.

Five Cool Facts about Basque cuisine

1) The Basque were into offal before it became fashionable to be into offal: The Basque diet includes a steady staple of innards with delicacies like sweetbreads, kidney, liver and tripe.

2)Using canned and preserved food is sometimes okay: While most Basque dishes are created with the freshest ingredients, many Basque dishes actually taste better made with canned goods. This is especially true for white asparagus, piquillo peppers, Vantresca tuna and anchovies. Of course, a Basque pantry is never complete without salted cod.

3)Pintxos are great alternatives to canapés at parties: These bite-sized snacks are often bits of sausages and cheese or shrimps skewered together with toothpicks or open faced sandwiches with eggs and anchovies that make them great finger food for parties.

4)It’s the perfect food for the culinary commitment-phobe: The pintxo culture makes trying lots of different food very easy; and one can wander from bar to bar without committing to any one place.

5)Basque cuisine is also pretty good for weight conscious: The largest Basque meal is lunch, which is served around 2 pm. Supper or dinner is usually something small like a few pintxos or some yogurt.

Q and A with Alex Reij

As one of the chefs and owners of Txikito, a Basque restaurant in NYC, Alex Reij is known for her authentic yet modern interpretation of Basque food.

Q: With the sophistication of New Yorkers’ palates, why do you think there are not more Basque restaurants?

AR: I think up until recently New York wasn’t ready to sustain them. New Yorkers who have traveled know that Basque food is synonymous with quality. But Spanish regional cooking hasn’t resonated with New Yorkers. Outside of the Basque country, the food and the community were not clearly distinguished from the rest of Spain.

Q: Being that Txikito is one of two Basque restaurants in New York; do you have problems explaining the cuisine to New Yorkers?

AR: Not at all. What’s beautiful about Basque cuisine is it values a bean as much as it values a crab so I found that is a way to really engage the American diner. We don’t want to tell people how to eat. The menu is composed of ingredients that people know. If you like the ingredient, you’ll like the dish because in Basque cooking everything taste like what it is and there are no hidden flavors.

Q: With all the exotic ingredients Basque food demands, do you have problems sourcing your ingredients?

AR: Sometimes the stuff is outside of our price range. Other items, like the spider crab, aren’t available here. You could import many things but the prices are so prohibitive that it makes more sense to use local ingredients and cook it in the Basque spirit.

Q: Most of the dishes on your menu are very traditional. Are you inspired by the modern Basque cooking?

AR: I am really inspired by contemporary cooking – by Basque as well as other innovative chefs in Spain. But I am more interested in how they maintain the Basque identity - the things that are thoroughly Basque and thoroughly original. I like the continuity between the gastronomic legacy that it comes from and the food.

Five NYC Places to Enjoy Basque Food

Txikito
One of the two Basque restaurants in New York City
240 Ninth Ave. NYC
(212) 242-4730

Euskadi
The other Basque place, on the East side of Manhattan
108 East 4th Street, NYC
(212) 982-9788

Boqueria
Try the kokotxas.
53 West 19th Street, NYC
(212) 255-4160

Las Ramblas
Basque dishes include: piquillo con morcilla, bocadillo crujientes, pintxos de setas rebozadas among others.
170 West 4th Street, NYC
(646) 415-7924

Pamplona
Try the poached eggs with white asparagus or the braised short ribs.
37 East 28th Street, NYC
(212) 213-2328


Recipe: Garbanzos de Vigilia: Lenten Chickpea stew with Salt Cod and Spinach

1 pound dried chickpeas
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoon olive oil
1 carrot peeled
1 Spanish onion split in half
1 unpeeled head of garlic plus 3 cloves garlic peeled and sliced thin
Salt to taste
6 cups fresh spinach leaves
2 pounds rehydrated good quality salt cod, (torn in small pieces), or substitute 2 pounds fresh cod well-salted for 10 minutes and rinsed.

In a large pot cover the dried chickpeas with 8 cups water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand ½ an hour to rehydrate.

Drain the rehydrated chickpeas and restore them to the same pot with the onion, head of garlic and carrot. Add 3 teaspoon of salt, and cover with fresh water by about 4 inches.

Add 2 tablespoon olive oil and bring to a boil for five minutes. Turn the heat down and simmer until tender checking frequently after the first hour and adjusting seasoning if necessary. Approximately 2 hours. Remove the garlic and discard.

In a small pan heat the remaining olive oil, toss in the garlic until just golden, pour into a blender. Add ½ a cup of chickpeas from the pot, a cup of cooking liquid and the carrot and onion to the blender and carefully blend to a smooth puree.

Add the chickpea puree back to the chickpeas to thicken the stew.

Stir in the cod and spinach until cooked. Top with a thread of good olive oil.

Seems like the author of the article forgot that part of Euskal Herria is currently (and illegally) occupied by France, so "technically", Basque cuisine could be considered as French cuisine according to her. This is why people need to understand that Basques are not Spaniards nor French, it is actually quite simple, they are Basques.

Also, Iruñea (known as Pamplona) is located in Euskal Herria, so technically, the one with the name Pamplona is a Basque restaurant too.

.... ... .

The Cider House Rules

No, this has nothing to do with the one movie with the terrible actor. This is about one of the Basque Country's must cherished traditions and it comes to us via EiTB:

Cider and its rituals

Nora García

Cider is the most popular drink in Gipuzkoa. January marks the inauguration of the cider season with the opening of the cider houses.

Cider is the most popular drink in Gipuzkoa. This apple beverage may look innocent enough but its alcohol content has been known to sneak up you. It is preferably consumed within a year from its production.

The Tolosa region and particularly the town of Astigarraga and vicinity (near Donostia-San Sebastian) are a bastion of the longstanding Gipuzkoan tradition of cider making.

The process begins with a discriminating selection of apples, which are then put into a tolare (cider press). After they are crushed and pressed, the juice is poured into kupelas (wooden barrels). The juice is then fermented for about three months, when it is ready for drinking.

To enjoy cider at its best, it should be served between 13 and 15ºC. It is bottled in dark green bottles to keep the light from getting through and spoiling the fragile liquid. To serve, it is poured into a glass from a distance of 30 o 40 centimeters so that bubbles are formed as it splashes against the side of the glass, bringing out its full flavor. It is said that cider should be drunk quickly, and never left to sit in the glass too long.

The rituals of cider

January marks the inauguration of the cider season. The cider houses open their doors, beginning with the ritual probaketa, or taste test to see whether the cider is ready. A small stick called a txiri is used to poke a tiny hole in the barrel, and out comes the first trickle of cider.

Cider is typically accompanied by a traditional meal comprising a cod omelet, a thick charcoal broiled T-bone steak or some sort of fish prepared in sauce. Cheese and walnuts are the perfect way to finish off an evening at the cider house.

.... ... .

Inky Gourmet Treat

This delicious recipe comes to us courtesy of EiTB:

Baby squids in Getaria

Nora García

Getaria is the most characteristic fishing port in Gipuzkoa. Its narrow streets hold all the charm visitors are after, and its port is a kaleidoscope of images, lights, colours and smells.

The fishing fleet processed, although a large part of the labor of the "arrantzales" (fishermen) ends up on the grills and in the kitchens of some of the top restaurants in the Basque Country.

Grill houses line the streets but, in fact, the local speciality is the mouth-watering combination of freshly caught chipirones (baby squids) and onions, a dish known as "chipirones pelayo". The recipe has spread throughout the Basque Country, and is considered one of the true masterpieces of our cuisine. Needless to say, it should be accompanied by a glass of "Txakoli" wine, also from the town of Getaria.

Stuffed baby squids in ink sauce

Ingredients (3 servings):

24 small baby squid (best caught on a hook), 3 large onions, 2 small tomatoes, 1 green pepper, 4 cloves garlic, 2 sprigs parsley, oil and salt.

For the filling:

squid fins and arms, 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, a bit of chopped parsley, oil and salt.

Separate the head and the arms from the body. Remove the pen and the outer and inner membrane. Wash thoroughly. Cut the fins off and chop them up. The innards will come out when removing the head and arms. Very carefully remove the ink sac before discarding the innards. Dissolve the ink sac in a glass of water. Remove and discard the mouth and eyes and wash the squid again. Chop up the arms and add them to the diced fins.

Follow the same procedure for each squid. Dice the onion, garlic and parsley. Add them to the chopped up squid fins and arms and sauté the mixture in a bit of oil. Let cool. Use this mixture to fill the baby squid bodies, being careful not to stuff them too full as they will shrink while cooking. Fasten the end of each squid with a toothpick to keep the filling from falling out.

Put an earthenware casserole and with the burner on low slowly sauté the garlic, tomatoes, green pepper and parsley in the oil. After a while turn up the heat and add the baby squid. Let them cook for a few minutes until they brown a little. Add the dissolved ink, season and lower the heat to a simmer.

When the squid are tender (but not overly soft), remove them from the vegetable mixture. Press the mixture through a food mill. This dish can be accompanied by white rice or croutons.

.... ... .

A Thief Among Thieves

This note comes to us via the New Haven Advocate, it tells us about a wine label you can find at a wine store in town, as it happens, the new wine has a Basque name.

Here you have it:

The Wine Thief's Lapartu

By Kathleen Cei

Following the popular Viña Ladrón (in both red and white varieties), a new private label red has just been released at The Wine Thief (378 Whitney Ave., New Haven; 203-865-4845 and 181 Crown St., New Haven; 203-772-1944, thewinethief.com).

Lapartu ($10) is a blend of 2007 carménère (80 percent) and syrah (20 percent) from Curicó Valley, Chile. Thief chief Karl Ronne met with winemakers at the Korta family vineyard a year ago to come up with the signature blend among tank and barrel samples.

Ronne describes carménère as similar to a cabernet/merlot blend, while syrah's known for its spicy fruit character. The result is fuller in body, texture and structure than you might expect from a wine in this price range. Since the Korta family hails from the Basque region of Spain, the wine is named Lapartu, the Basque word for "thief."

But I bet you may be wondering why such a strange name for a wine store, well, the provide the answer at the FAQ's section of their web page:

Q: What is a Wine Thief?

A: A long glass or metal tube used for drawing samples of wine from barrels during the aging process.

Wikipedia's version:

A wine thief is a glass or food-grade plastic pipette used in the process of wine making. It may be anywhere from 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 centimetres) in length and may have a bend near one end. The wine thief is used to remove a small amount of wine from a cask, carboy, or other fermentation device for testing.

Home winemakers may also use a wine thief in connection with a length of tubing to syphon wine from one container to the other (a process called racking) or to transfer the wine to bottles.

.... ... .

Pintxos in Donostia

This article was published by Time magazine, a news outlets that often plays it by the book and insists on divesting the Basques from their history and their identity.

Anyway, here you have it:

Tapas: Bite-Size Beauties

By LYDIA ITOI

How many Flavors can a tapa hold? Originally, a tapa was a piece of bread set on top of a wine glass to ward off flies and hunger. Today, a few tapas can make a full-fledged meal. The tapas capital of the world is San Sebastián, in the gastronomic heart of Spanish Basque country — where San Sebastián is called Donostia and tapas are called pintxos.

Whatever the city's name, its streets are lined with places serving one delectable nibble after another. But even in these rich pintxo pastures, nowhere is the grazing more highly evolved than at Aloña-Berri (www.alonaberri.com), which routinely sweeps national and regional tapas competitions with its innovative offerings. Aloña-Berri's staff manage to fit more tastes in a teaspoon than most restaurants put on a platter; their architectural pintxos are so elaborate that I have counted 12 perfectly balanced elements in a single bite.

Take txipiron. Traditional tapas bars serve the tiny squid simply grilled. At Aloña-Berri the txipiron is stuffed with onion confit, artfully suspended over a thimbleful of seafood-laced martini, garnished with a fragile pane of caramelized sugar scattered with onion sprouts and red pepper, and accompanied by a cube of toasted squid-ink rice. The bar offers a 10-course haute cuisine feast in miniature for a minuscule price of $35, but don't miss the pigeon baztela cooked slowly with sweet spices, raisins and rose petals, then wrapped in a crisp filo pastry. Another standout is the milhojas, a luscious caramelized tower of coin-sized potato disks sandwiched between slices of apple, cèpe mushroom and foie gras. The only problem? One bite is never enough.

At least Time does have the courage to break through the wall of lies built by Spain and France about the Basques and they have published at least 32 articles using the term "ethnic Basques", something that must of the USA based main stream media avoids.

.... ... .

Nafarroa's Wines

Once again an article that lacks historic accuracy, this time from The News Tribune, here you have it:

Spain’s Navarre region produces fine wines

RANDY BUCKNER

The Navarre region of Spain was an ancient and powerful kingdom and has been at the crossroads of history for more than 1,000 years. Navarre is in the foothills of the stunning Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural border between France and Spain.

Navarre shares the culture and history of both countries, while still retaining its character as part of the Basque region as well.

Actually Randy, Navarre is not "part of the Basque region", Navarre IS the Basque Country. It does share the culture and history of both Spain and France, not because the Basques wanted but because they were imposed to them by their meddling, often violent and expansionist neighbors.

When most of Spain was conquered by the Moors in medieval times, Navarre became the frontier between Islam and Christianity. Charlemagne fought here. During the Middle Ages, Navarre and its capital, Pamplona, became an important stop on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela (also known in English as The Way of Saint James).

Randy, Spain did not exist when the Moors arrived on the Iberian Peninsula. At the time there was dozens of small kingdoms and not one of them was called Spain. Two more facts: Charlemagne did fight in Navarre, and was soundly defeated by the Navarrese Army at the Orreaga mountain pass in what is today known as The Battle of Roncesveaux, actually, the Basques defeated the Franks at that very same spot a total of three times, this reasserting their identity and sovereignty as an independent kingdom. Second, a portion of Navarre converted to Islam and that is how the Muslim Basque emirate of Banu Qasi came to be. This emirate fought along the Christian portion of Navarre during many wars against the attempts by Castile to conquer them.

This flow of pilgrims from Europe gave Navarre exposure to many different cultures and traditions, including contact with winemakers from the major wine regions of France.

Navarre lies directly between the Bordeaux and Rioja wine regions, and it draws its expertise, inspiration and encouragement from the steady traffic of ideas between these areas. Winemaking in Navarre traces its roots back to the Romans, who recognized that its combination of soil and climate was ideal for grape growing.

Errioxa (known in Spanish as Rioja) is part of Navarre. So, the Basques learned how to make wine directly from the Romans, not from the non existent Riojans. And guess what, Bordeaux is in Gascony, a neighboring nation within France with heavy Basque influence, so you may want to go over that theory about how the Basques got to be so good at wine making.

But I'll let you continue with your review:

Navarre is famous for growing the classic grape of Northern Spain, tempranillo, as well as garnacha (grenache), which has its roots in Southern France.

The vines here are old and gnarled, producing small amounts of very concentrated, intensely flavored grapes. Some of the vineyards are more than 100 years old. Many families have grown grapes in Navarre for more than four generations, and they take great pride in the personal attention they give each vine.

Tempranillo is the traditional red grape of Spain. It is grown throughout the northern part of the country, from Rioja and Navarre to Ribera del Duero and Castilla La Mancha. The grape produces wines which display a complex bouquet of cherries, dried leather and earthiness. In Portugal, this same grape, called tinto roriz, plays a key role in the blending of great vintage port wines.

Garnacha, better known in the United States as grenache, is the most widely planted red grape in the world. It is famous in the Rhne, where it is a key to the success of Chteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Ctes du Rhne wines. It is equally successful in Spain, where it is an important part of the blend in classic Rioja wines.

It does well in very dry regions, where the fruit becomes quite concentrated. Wines made from grenache tend to be very lush and fruity, with aromatic notes of blackberries and currants. The wines are quite fleshy and smooth. They make an ideal blend with the more structured character of tempranillo.

If you need a little more excitement after visiting the vineyards, head for the Pamplona, famous for its Festival of San Fermín and the running of the bulls. There is more here than the adventures depicted by Ernest Hemingway. San Fermín is the social expression of a local culture. The city comes alive, with hundreds of thousands of people celebrating a history and shared experience that goes back more than a thousand years.

2001 Bodegas Julian Chivite, Coleccion 125 Reserva, Navarre, Spain, $40: Aromas of black fruits, cigar leaf and wormwood radiate from this deeply-hued wine. It is full and elegant in the mouth, with tannins that firm up of the back end. Flavors mirror the nose. This will only get better with aging; 88+/88+.

2007 Bodegas Ochoa, Rosado Garnacha, Navarre, Spain, $8.50: Sporting a light cranberry color, this crisp, balanced wine delivers aromas and flavors of crisp berry fruit. Serve slightly chilled. Killer value; 86/90.

2004 Bodegas San Martin, Senorio de Unx Crianza, Navarre, Spain, $13: The nose is a complex mix of berries, warm spices, vanilla and leather. Crisp, well balanced and fruity, the palate reveals berry fruit with a hint of juniper berries. Good value; 85/88.

2004 Compania Vitivinicola Tandem, Ars Nova, Navarre, Spain, $20: Blackberries, blueberries, anise and thyme unfold on the nose, while black fruits prevail on the palate. Crisp, with moderate tannins, this wine will pair well with a hearty beef stew; 86/87.

Now, thanks to this wine tour you know more about Navarre, the ancient Basque kingdom, the reason why historians flat out lie when they say that the Basques never enjoyed of a free, independent and sovereign political entity to call their own.

So uncork your best bottle of Errioxa wine, pour some of that vibrant red liquid in your glass, raise your hand and say: Osasuna!

Which means "chears" in Euskara, the Basque language.

.... ... .

Ezpeletako Piperrak

Via France Today we get this article that talks about a condiment that is the pride of a Basque town in Iparralde, here you have it:

Hot Stuff

Since just before the turn of the 21st century, the fiery red Basque pepper called the piment d'Espelette, or in the Basque language Ezpeletako Biperra, has had its own AOC-the official recognition that the Espelette pepper has unique qualities of taste and aroma rooted in its terroir. In this case, the territory is the area of ten designated communities near the medieval village of Espelette, about 25 km (16 mi) inland from Biarritz, where in autumn garlands of peppers drying in the sun adorn the facades of the traditional red-and-white Basque houses. The ancestors of the piment d'Espelette were imported into Europe in the 16th century, along with other exotic foods and spices from the Americas. The piquant-but not explosive-peppers flourished in the local soil and warm oceanic climate of the Basque Country, and were rapidly incorporated into traditional regional dishes. They can be cut into fine strips for chicken or tuna Basquaise, ttoro fish stew and piperade omelet, or they can be used à la Basque, in powdered form as a substitute for black pepper (it's best to go lightly at first, and, to preserve its unique aroma, sprinkle the powder at the end of cooking). Today piment d'Espelette has become a favorite ingredient in contemporary cuisine throughout France. The Confrérie du Piment organizes an annual piment festival in Espelette, on the last weekend in October, and this year some 20,000 fans turned out to celebrate the country's hottest AOC product.

Maybe I forgot to mention that France is the colonialist power occupying Iparralde, the continental portion of Euskal Herria.

.... ... .

Basque Shrimp Ragout with Couscous

This recipe comes to us courtesy of a local Tulsa TV station:

Basque Shrimp Ragout With Couscous

2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 c. yellow onion slices (1/2 small onion)
1 can (15 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes
12 oz. shelled, deveined shrimp
1/2 to 1 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
1 green bell pepper, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
1 pkg. (5.8 oz.) Near East Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil Couscous

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbs. olive oil 1 minute over medium heat. Add onion sliced and saute 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, shrimp and red pepper flakes. Simmer 5 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque and pink.

Meanwhile, in a second skillet, heat remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil for 1 minute. Add red and green bell peopper slices, saute for 2 minutes.

Add 1 1/4 c. water and contents of Near East spice sack. Bring to a boil.

Stir in couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous lightly with fork.

Serve shrimp mixture over bed of couscous

Try it this Christmas!

.... ... .

Gateau Basque

This recipe comes to us courtesy of the Mercury News:

Recipe: Gateau Basque

Gerald Hirigoyen, 'The Basque Kitchen'

Posted: 12/02/2008 05:01:00 PM PST

Gateau Basque

Makes one 9-inch cake

For the dough:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon rum

2 teaspoons almond extract

1 teaspoon pastis, such as Ricard or Pernod, or an anise-flavored liqueur

Pinch of kosher salt

Seeds of 1 vanilla bean

11/2 cups flour

1/3 cup ground almond powder (see note at end of recipe)

1 teaspoon baking powder

For the pastry cream:

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons flour

11/4 cups milk

1/2 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise

1 cup (about 8 ounces) pitted whole cherries (optional)

Butter for the pan

Flour for the pan

1 egg, beaten lightly with a fork, for glaze

To make the dough, in the work bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together until well blended. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the rum, almond extract, pastis and salt.

Add the vanilla bean seeds, flour, almond powder and baking powder. Using the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients on low speed until they come together to form a firm dough. Form the dough into 2 even balls, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or more.

To make the pastry cream, in the work bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the balloon attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar until frothy. Add the flour and mix these ingredients on medium speed until well combined; set aside.

Bring the milk and vanilla bean to a boil in a large saucepan. As soon as the milk begins to boil, take the pan off the heat, remove the vanilla bean, scrape the seeds out of the pod, and stir them into the milk. Discard the pod.

Pour half the boiling milk into the bowl with the egg and flour mixture while stirring ingredients together briskly with a strong wire whisk. Bring the remaining half of the milk back to a boil. As soon as it boils, pour all of the ingredients from the mixing bowl into the pan of boiling milk while whisking vigorously until smooth. Bring to a boil and stir for 1 minute longer. Remove the pastry cream from the heat and spread it on a sheet pan or in a shallow baking dish to cool. Lay a large sheet of plastic wrap directly on top of the pastry cream and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Lightly flour a work surface and roll out one of the balls of dough into an 11-inch circle, approximately 1/3-inch thick. Carefully drape the dough over the rolling pin and transfer it to the prepared cake pan; gently press the dough down into the sides of the pan.

Spread the pastry cream in an even layer on top of the pastry dough. If desired, add a layer of cherries.

Roll out the remaining ball of dough into a 9-inch circle, 1/3-inch thick. Carefully drape it over the cake pan, on top of the pastry cream, to form the top layer of the cake. Pinch the edges of the dough together to firmly seal in the filling. Trim off any uneven edges.

For a festive look, dough scraps can be rolled and cut into decorative shapes for the top of the cake before brushing the top with beaten egg. Traditionally, a fork is pulled gently across the egg-washed top to make a freeform design.

Bake until golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack. Turn the cake right side up and let it cool completely. Transfer to a serving plate, and serve at room temperature.

For ground almond powder: This powder can sometimes be found in specialty groceries, but it is easy to make at home. Place 2 cups blanched almonds (sliced, slivered or whole) and 2 tablespoons of sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Grind or process until the nuts turn into a fine granular powder, about 30 to 45 seconds. Do not overprocess, or they might turn into paste. Makes about 2 cups.

Gerald Hirigoyen, "The Basque Kitchen"

.... ... .

Basque-phobe of the Week : Ronald Holden

Here you have a gastronomic review at the Seattle Global Gourmet Examiner by a Basque-phobe visiting the heart of the Basque Country, Navarre:

Language Lessons: Northern Spain

November 8, 10:05 AM
by Ronald Holden, Seattle Global Gourmet Examiner

Only three weeks ago, it was Italian. Now, another country and two new languages. Talking about Navarra here, in the north of Spain. My hosts for this trip. A province the size of Los Angeles County, shaped like a trapezoid, sharing its northern border with southern France, then dropping like a diamond from the crest of the Pyrenees. Called Nafarroa in Basque, but resolutely unsympathetic to the Basque separatist movement. Navarra is a kingdom, they will tell you, even as the street signs are bilingual and the capital, Pamplona, has been known as Iruña since time immemorial. Basque influences abound in the daily language, notably the tx spelling for the Spanish ch.

Pintxos, for a start. Known as tapas elsewhere in Spain, it's how you start the night. (Txori, in Seattle, is a Basque-style pintxos bar.) The other evening, four of us stopped in Bilbao (which is Basque Country) for three small bites and two glasses each; the bill was under $40. So we went to two more places.

Rabo, the tail. Rabo de buey is oxtail, rabo de cochinillo asado is the tail of a suckling pig. Kinda tough, actually, though the rest is indescribably juicy and delicious.

Caña, copa, vaso, Vasco: the first is a glass of beer, specifically. The next two are glasses or tumblers or wine glasses. And the last one is, you guessed it, Basque. Pais Vasco is the Basque Country. Which, we remind you, is not Navarra.

Boina: the traditional Basque head covering, a beret. Bought mine at a souvenir shop for $10.

Barquito. A little boat. The piece of bread you use to mop up the last of the sauce on your plate.

Txupito: a sip. By extension, the little straight-sided glass from which you drink a shot of orujo. We'd call it a brandy or a grappa, except that the orujos we've been drinking (sorry, sipping) are much milder and sweeter than the Italian version.

Echar una siestacita: your afternoon cat nap.

Sad thing to see an individual so obsessed with misleading the readers into thinking that Navarre has nothing to do with the Basque Country when in fact Navarre is THE historical Basque state.

He himself mentions that the street signs are in two languages, which happen to be Euskara (Basque language) and Spanish, but he insists Navarre wants nothing to do with the Basque Country. If so, ¿why do they have this urge to name their streets both in Basque and Spanish?

Does he know that Euskara was called Lingua Navarrorum by the Romans? And that the Basques call their nation by the name of Euskal Herria which means "land of the Euskara speakers"?

Gladly enough, two people have already taken the time to set the record straight:

jane: While you may think Nafarroa (Navarra) has no sympathy for the Basque separatist movement, you would have a hard time convincing the people I know in the northern part of Navarra. These people congregate in the tiny "Basque Basque" bars, where Basque is spoken and banners supporting bringing the Basque prisoners back to Basque country adorn the walls. Be careful to make blanket political statements based on an inadequate sampling of opinions.

tfd: Because I am am Seattleite as well as a Basque, and because I happened to catch the last post on the Basque cuisine. My gentle advise to you is that you stick to the gastronimic aspects, as you have 0 understanding of the political ones. btw its called San Fermin, grammar is important.

Because he did not care to do some research about the history of Navarre before publishing his article and because of his more than obvious bias against the right of the Basque people to its self determination, Ronald Holden is out Basquephobe of the week.

.... ... .

Recipe : Poulet Basquaise

This recipe comes to us via The Independent:

The Life Kitchen

Poulet Basquaise – chicken with peppers and smoky spices

Thursday, 30 October 2008

Thought to have evolved from a dish shepherds carried across the Basque hills in clay pots, this peppery chicken stew became the traditional Sunday lunch. You can vary the colours of the peppers, add the wonderful piquillos from the Basque Country or even their Spanish cousins. But the most important ingredient remains the piment d'Espelette, a distinctive smoky, spicy chilli that will have you hooked. If you can't get this, do your own thing and give smoked paprika a try – it's available in good supermarkets.

In a large soup pot, warm the olive oil on a medium to high heat, then brown the chicken really well on all sides.

When the chicken is fully browned, add the onions, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, tinned tomatoes and wine or water. Cover and bring just to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 40 minutes.

Add peppers, olives and piment d'Espelette, then cover and simmer for another 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened a bit.

Season with salt and pepper. If you refrigerate the stew overnight, it will taste even better the next day.

Ingredients to serve 6

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 free-range chicken, approx 2kg, cut up, or 4 legs and 4 thighs

4-5 large onions, peeled and quartered

4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

800g tinned whole peeled tomatoes

235ml dry white wine or water

2 red and 2 green peppers, sliced

1 large tin pitted green olives

1 teaspoon piment d'Espelette, plus extra to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

From 'Trish's French Kitchen' by Trish Deseine

.... ... .

Piperade's Recipe

This recipe comes to us thanks to The New York Times:

Recipes for Health

Stewed Peppers With Tomatoes, Onions and Garlic

By Martha Rose Shulman
Published: September 24, 2008

Variations of this dish appear throughout the Mediterranean region. The Basque piperade -- made with slender, slightly piquant peppers called piments d’espelette and stirred into scrambled eggs along with bayonne ham -- has some heat, while Italian peperonata is sweet through and through. A North African variety, chakchouka, is spiced with fiery harissa and a blend of caraway, coriander, cayenne and garlic, and it usually is served with eggs poached right on top of the stew. See the variations below.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 plump garlic cloves, minced

3 large red peppers, or a combination of red and yellow peppers, thinly sliced or chopped

1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, drained of some but not all of its juice

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet or heavy casserole over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes, and add the garlic and peppers. Cook, stirring often, for five minutes, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook for another five minutes until the peppers are tender.

2. Add the tomatoes, thyme, salt and pepper, bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer, stirring from time to time, until the tomatoes have cooked down somewhat, about 10 minutes. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer over low heat for another 15 to 20 minutes (or longer), stirring from time to time, until the mixture is thick and fragrant. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve as a side dish, as a topping for pizza, pasta, polenta, rice or bruschetta, as a filling for an omelet, or stir into scrambled eggs.

Yield: Serves six

Advance preparation: The stewed peppers will keep for about five days in the refrigerator.

Variations:

French Piperade

Substitute one large green pepper, or two small ones, for one of the red peppers. Add one minced jalapeño or serrano chile. At the end of step two, beat six to eight eggs in a bowl and stir into the pepper mixture. Cook, stirring over low heat, until the eggs are just set but still creamy. Remove from the heat, divide among four plates, and serve.

North African Chakchouka

Use two green peppers, two red peppers, and two Anaheim peppers. Increase the tomatoes to 1 1/2 pounds. Along with the tomatoes, stir in one teaspoon harissa or more to taste. (Harissa is a North African chile paste; you can find it in Mediterranean markets.) Add 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds, 1/4 teaspoon ground caraway seeds, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne. When the stew has cooked down to a thick, fragrant mixture, stir in two tablespoons of parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings. With the back of your spoon, make four depressions in the vegetables. Break an egg into each depression. Cover and cook for five to six minutes until the eggs are set. Sprinkle the eggs with salt, pepper and parsley, and serve.

.... ... .

Two Basque Books

Via the Idaho Statesman we get this article about two books that have the Basque Country, its culture and its the identity of its people as a background:

Bask in a couple of new Basque books

Through fiction and nonfiction, authors Dave Boling and Colleen Fillmore portray the history, beauty and strength of Basque culture.

BY ERIN RYAN - eryan@idahostatesman.com
Edition Date: 09/18/08

Every five years, Downtown Boise sees red - and white and black with a wink of green. Colors twist in the lithe bodies of Oinkari dancers celebrating their heritage and patron saints. It is Jaialdi, a time to feast with friends and family and reflect on traditions carried from distant soil on the shoulders of past generations.

The next Jaialdi is set for 2010, but in the meantime, two new books ought to stir up local Basques and admirers of their singular culture. One dreams the lives of families in the Basque Country before and after the Nazi devastation of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. The other examines dietary history and modern culinary habits of Boise Basques, weaving health aspects with customs that go beyond the plate.

'GUERNICA: A NOVEL' BY DAVE BOLING

Dave Boling once saw a Basque woman dancing on the lip of a wine glass. The image nearly became the title of his first novel, a sweeping historical romance and surprising resume bullet for a 56-year-old veteran sports writer.

Boling spends most of his time following football and basketball for the Tacoma News Tribune, but in airports and hotel rooms between assignments, he managed to write a book. Then, he managed to get it published in a year, an eye-blink by industry standards. A lot of writers who write for a living lose their hunger for it off the clock, but Boling said it felt like recess.

"All those times I woke up at 4 a.m., I didn't have to set my alarm clock. I woke up because I wanted to get writing. In a way, it was a bit of an escape," he said. "When I was really focused and the writing was going really well, I was in that town; could see it and hear it and smell it."

That town is Guernica, known as the Basque cultural capital. On April 26, 1937, Germany's Luftwaffe blasted it with 100,000 pounds of explosives. Bombs dropped for more than three hours, and machine guns cut down many of those who tried to flee. When the fire finally burned down, a third of the population was dead and 70 percent of the city destroyed.

The atrocity was a Nazi military exercise and a strategic move by Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, who hoped to break the spirit of the Basque resistance.

Many histories have been written about the city, but Boling wanted to write a story about the passion and fortitude of its people. He married into the culture and always has been struck by its vibrance.

"At first, the whole thing seemed to me to be about dancing, drinking, eating and having fun. That was at the core of being Basque," Boling said. "It was later that I learned there were these very close family ties and real reverence for their history, culture and heritage."

"Guernica" ($26, Bloomsbury USA) traces the twining lives of Miguel Navarro and Miren Ansotegui, their experiences painting vivid pictures of real events and imagined people. Boling visited the city and the surrounding Basque Country more than once while he was writing the book and worked to give his words and characters authenticity.

He researched for years, using nonfiction as a framework for his developing fiction. He consulted his Basque in-laws, professors of Basque studies and a Spanish publishing company to make sure the story rang true.

"If there has been criticism, it's that my characters are too appealing, too valiant, too strong. There is a feeling that characters have to be deeply flawed to be real. I don't agree with that," he said, joking that he has been blasted much more severely in his day job by Seattle Mariners fans.

"More than reviewers from newspapers or the literary types, I hope the Basque community really attaches to this. In a very special way, this is a tribute to them, their love for family and closeness in personal relationships and high character.."

COLLEEN ASUMENDI FILLMORE: BASQUE DIET

When Colleen Asumendi Fillmore was a child, she thought everyone was Basque. Her Irish mother had mastered the cuisine cherished by her Basque father, and the tongue, tripe and chorizo she ate seemed as normal as macaroni and cheese.

"I grew up Basque. I didn't realize it was a special ethnic group," she said.

While she did not develop her mother's skills in the kitchen, Fillmore inherited her passion for good food and healthy living. She earned an undergraduate degree in restaurant management at Idaho State University and a master's degree in human nutrition from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before becoming a registered licensed dietitian.

"I love to learn about the body, and with food, you study anatomy, physiology, organic chemistry. You come to know how anything will metabolize," she said.

Fillmore is director of child nutrition programs for the Idaho Department of Education and earned her doctorate in adult learning and leadership from the University of Idaho in 2005. Her dissertation had exactly the same title as her book, which was born in the fashion of an industry myth. A worldwide publisher of academic research, VDM offered to turn her thesis into a book.

"Basques of Boise: Adult Dietary Culture and Tradition" ($64, VDM) tells a story that is neither frilly or linear. It is a dissection of Basque food and the people who consider it part of their identity.

"The food we eat defines who we are and entwines with our sense of self," reads Fillmore's introduction. "This exploration was not intended to change a cuisine that has been in existence for hundreds of years, but instead, bring awareness to the field of ethnic dietary intake and how this unique group fits within the latest nutrition research."

Fillmore's subjects are not identified by their real names, but she said if you know the local Basque community at all, some of them will be unmistakable. She observed them participating in cultural functions at the Basque Center, counting heads, plates and portions and entering ingredient data into USDA-approved software. She analyzed about a dozen meals.

She compared its staples to those of classic Mediterranean fare, noting that fish, olive oil and fresh vegetables are prevalent. The saturated fat levels are good, as are percentages of iron, protein and vitamins A and C. Calories and sodium are a little high and calcium and fiber are a little low, but Fillmore said party menus are not ideal indicators of day-to-day balance. And, even for a student of nutrition, USDA guidelines don't hold a candle to the significance of culture when it comes to food.

"There are a lot of things I had done ever since my childhood that I didn't realize were part of the tradition forever and ever. They mean more to me now," Fillmore said. "I really believe you can tell the story of who people are by what they eat."

.... ... .

Bilbao's Best Pintxos

Like I mentioned before, it is the summer and the news outlets take a break from the political related articles about the Euskal Herria and they focus on publishing notes about travel and culture, which includes the top notch Basque cuisine.

Here you have this one from The Telegraph about the best pintxos in Bilbao:

Bilbao: a delicious nibble in the city's bars

The winners of the contest to find Bilbao's best 'pintxos' - the Basque equivalent of the Spanish tapa - have just been announced. Nigel Richardson samples some of the dishes

By Nigel Richardson
Last Updated: 1:06PM BST 12 Sep 2008

The potato omelette had just emerged from the oven and lay blinking, as it were, on the plate. Juan Mari tasted and swooned.

“This bar doesn’t appear in any guidebooks,” he said, “but I think the tortilla is brilliant. Not like the thick brick they do in Spain.” Basques routinely refer to the rest of Spain as another country.

He was right. The egg was warm and moist, the potato firm and the onion slightly caramelised. We accompanied it with a white wine from Valladolid. It was shortly after noon in Cafeteria Concha, a bar in Bilbao, and my txikiteo with four Bilbaino friends — all aficionados of snacks on a stick — had begun.

A txikiteo is a Basque institution, a bar crawl involving the frequent eating of pintxos — roughly speaking, the Basque equivalent of the Spanish tapa. But whereas “in Spain” a tapa often comes automatically when you order a drink, a pintxo costs extra. It is also, according to the rules of the annual competition to find Bilbao’s best pintxos, something that you must be able to consume standing up, in a maximum of two mouthfuls.

The pintxo started life modestly, as a piece of tortilla or ham on bread but in recent years has evolved into many mouthwatering combinations.

This evolution is partly a by-product of the so-called Guggenheim effect — the tourism boom generated by the architect Frank Gehry’s futuristic museum — and partly a result of the aforementioned competition, the Muestra de Bares de Pintxos, now in its 11th year, for which bars compete avidly.

This year’s winners had just been announced when I arrived in Bilbao, so my partner’s cousin, Juan Mari, suggested we sample a few of them. Nine hours after that first wonderful tortilla, we ended the tasting in Lekeitio, a bar specialising in tortilla paisana, with spinach and chorizo. However, they had run out of this — a happy hazard of the quest for pintxos, which should be freshly made, so we ordered a ración, which we all tucked in to — a portion, bigger than a pintxo, of seafood salad. Juan Mari touched his lips and made that petal-opening gesture with his fingers meaning “very good”.

Alasne disagreed: “Too dry.” Juan Mari amended his judgement: “It could do with more tomatoes.” And so the food discussion continued, as around us 85-year-olds clinked glasses of txakoli — a local slightly sparkling white wine — and five-year-olds skittered at their feet.

“You can’t learn in a day what we have taken 40 years to learn,” Marivi chided me. Geri and Alasne agreed. The point of the txikiteo, they said, is that it is an intimate, delicate experience that changes each time, depending on different bars and days for culinary fancies.

On this particular day, our txikiteo had involved the following 10 bars, five of them close together in the old town, the Casco Viejo. Honourable mention should also go to Victor Montes, the Harry’s Bar of Bilbao, which we omitted only because it always is included in such gastronomic top 10s.

Expect to pay €1.20 to €3 for pintxos, from €1.20 for a glass of txakoli or wine. Most bars close on Sundays, or Sunday evenings, and opening times can be erratic. If a bar is closed, simply go to the one next door.

Cafeteria Concha, Calle General Concha

This modest bar, with flashing fruit machines, does not enter the Muestra de Bares de Pintxos competition — the owner explained that his wife, who makes the pintxos, can’t be doing with all the fuss. Consequently, its mouthwatering tortilla remains something of a secret.

Zuga, Plaza Nueva (Casco Viejo)

A trendy bar serving a young crowd in a corner of the Plaza Nueva, the heart of the old town, Zuga specialises in ambitious combinations including goat’s cheese with manzanilla sherry, dried fruit vinaigrette and honey; liver with red fruits and Modena vinegar; and turkey neck — surprisingly tender and delicious — in a filo parcel on bruschetta.

Sasibil, Calle Jardines (Casco Viejo)

One of several bars that excel in, and serve, just one thing, in this case productos del mar: grilled fish, anchovies from the fishing port of Ondárroa and shellfish. There is also a small restaurant.

Gatz, Calle Santa Maria (Casco Viejo)

Gatz is this year’s winner of “best bar” in the Muestra de Bares de Pintxos and certainly one of my friends’ favourite haunts. The speciality of the house is bacalao (salt cod) al pin-pil: succulent little bombs of fish, garnished with browned slivers of garlic. There is a print on the wall featuring a footballer in the red-and-white strip of Athletic Bilbao, chatting up a girl in this very bar. “Look at his legs,” said Juan Mari. “He looks as if he eats a lot of pintxos.”

Irrintzi, Calle Santa Maria (Casco Viejo)

Next door to Gatz, and named after the ululating Basque cry, with which people are said to have hailed each other across the valleys, this has the most helpfully displayed pintxos, each flagged with neat labels, so you don’t have to ululate above the din to ask what they are. The choice is imaginative, including onion stuffed with black pudding and peppers and croquettes made with squid in its ink — a new dish.

Eguiluz, Calle del Perro (Casco Viejo)

This is one of several excellent cazuelita bars on this street, a cazuelita being a hot dish served in a terracotta pot — bigger than a pintxo, smaller than a main course. Here, they include paella, grilled prawns, meatballs, tripe, and snails and cost between €7 and €15.

Bitoque, Calle Rodriguez Arias

This small, self-consciously fashionable bar was the winner of the “golden beret” for best pintxo in Bilbao, the champion being a somewhat pretentious concoction of egg yolk, potato, pancetta and an “air” of cheese, for a steep €4.50.

Like a cocktail barman, the chef made mine while I waited and it tasted disappointing, a triumph of style over substance. Other pintxos include grilled scallops “with violet and gold potatoes”.

Café Estoril, Plaza Campuzano

Among a clutch of bars popular with football fans before and after games, it is known for its Camparis and Martinis. Pintxos include ham and green peppers, bacalao with peppers, and bonito (tuna) with mayonnaise.

La Viña del Ensanche, Calle Diputación

Wood-panelled and cheerful, with a bar carved from a single tree, this is one of the oldest bars in the city (established 1927). It specialises in hams and chorizo, and has the feel of Andalusia, reckoned my companions. There is a shop and delicatessen attached.

Bar Lekeitio, Calle Diputación

Another classic bar of Bilbao, packed with young and old, and named after the pretty Basque fishing port of which there is a blown-up old photograph on the wall. Its star pintxo is the tortilla paisana but they are also proud of their tacos with raw bacalau, garlic and parsley.

.... ... .