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The first in our recommended reading list of books that will stoke your desire for Spain or food or just a cracking story well-told, is Michael Paterniti's THE TELLING ROOM. A work of literary non-fiction, it's a book about a cheese so spectacular it induces a state of reverie upon tasting it, yes. But, it's more a book about an impossible character, Ambrosio Molinos de Las Heras, the man responsible for recreating a long-lost family recipe for this cheese of dreams that brings "... a moment of pure, gustatory pleasure..."; the mystery of how it all goes wrong; and the power of stories.
The author himself becomes entangled in the tale, moving his young family to Ambrosio's tiny village of Guzmån, Spain in pursuit of a new, old-way of life and to uncover the truth of the treachery at the heart of the story.
But, the story is always changing.
The book's title comes from a cave carved into a hillside overlooking the town, where a timeworn door opens onto a small room containing only a wooden table and two benches. Here, in "the telling room", Ambrosio and his family convene in the evenings to sustain themselves with cheese, wine, and stories. Paterniti first encounters the enormous cheesemaker in this place where fact and fiction intertwine. Along with the extraordinary cheese he's treated to an hours-long history of love, betrayal, and revenge that inspires him to write the memoir, travelogue, mystery, adventure that is this enthralling book. Â
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Pintxos are perfect for any party. This pintxo in particular is the easiest to prepare. All the work has been done; olives and peppers and onions and gherkins have already been skewered so you can spend ample amount of time taking part in the revelry you've created.
Total Time:Â 1 minute or so, depending on your strength and the ease with which you open the jar.
1. Open the jar of banderillas and place them on a plate in the style of your choosing. Job done. Now, partake in the food and drink you've prepared for the evening's gathering. Converse with friends and family in the convivial atmosphere. Share a laugh and lighthearted banter as the sun sets. Lose track of time. The soft glow of the string of lights surrounding the patio illuminates all late into night. Ruminate on topics trivial and universal. Even if answers remain elusive, find a greater understanding of each other. Banderillas are great.  Â
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Sear the small squid (chipirones rellenos) over high heat, and place them atop the previously made pisto (full recipe in this previously posted post).
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Spanish pisto is a ratatouille-esque dish, often served topped with a fried egg or manchego cheese. Here you'll only find vegetables, sautĂ©ed simply with olive oil and tomato sauce, for a healthy, vegan-friendly offering that will impress all of your friends. Crusty bread is an appropriate accompaniment. The combination is a mouth-watering, savory classic.Â
Total Time: 20-30 minutes or so, after all the chopping and sautéing. Makes about 2 servings.
1. Dice all the vegetables. Add other vegetables if you have some you'd like to be included. Dice those, too.
2. Steam or boil or fry the zucchini while you heat some olive oil in a pan and add the diced vegetables; sautée for about 10 minutes and add salt to taste.
3. Add the tomato sauce and zucchini to all those vegetables and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.
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Recipe adapted from the Simple Vegan Blog.
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When the weather turns warm, perhaps you make the transition to iced coffee for your morning cup. Consider now a similar option for your soup consumption: gazpacho. The chilled soup, originating in Andalusia, is the ideal concoction to combat the heat of the afternoon sun in southern Spain or wherever you may find yourself in this world.Â
The version attempted here is all fresh vegetables and ripe tomato, accentuated by olive oil and sherry vinegar in a flavorful emulsion. For a creamier consistency than what you see here, use additional olive oil and put everything through a more vigorous blending experience.
Total Time: 20 minutes-ish of activity, additional 30 minutes of free time. Makes about 4 servings.
1. Cut and chop away at the cucumber, red bell pepper, tomatoes, shallot, and garlic. Place some of the pieces of cucumber and pepper aside for serving. Add all the other bits to a large bowl.
2. To that bowl add sherry vinegar and a tablespoon of salt, mixing everything about, and let it sit for 30 minutes to meld flavors. Use this time for any purpose, be it utterly necessary or completely frivolous.
3. Pour the bowl's contents and all the juices into a blender or food processor. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Continue to drizzle until you've reached the desired creaminess.
4. Strain the mixture through a sieve and push all the liquid through with a spatula (it should be noted, the above example did not go through this full process; next time). Discard any remaining solids and transfer the liquid to a pitcher or bowl. Allow to cool for at least an hour, or overnight, if you're ahead of the game.
5. To serve, divide amongst bowls and top with pieces of cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, chives or cilantro, another drizzle of olive oil, cracked black pepper, and piment d'Espelette. Â
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Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit.
Towards Old Town in Donostia-San SebastiĂĄn, Spain. We try, if only for a moment, to transport you there through food.
The Chicago Tribune endeavored to discover the finest tuna in all the land for making tuna salad. "Tuna salad is the stuff of countless lunches, whether sandwiched between slices of bread, scooped onto a bed of lettuce or stuffed into plump tomatoes," writes Bill Daley, "But which brand of canned tuna makes the best tuna salad?"
None of the 13 brands tested. None of them makes the best. Be good to yourself, eat Donostia Foods Bonito del Norte tuna. Declared by family members and non-family members alike as the "best tuna ever!"
Would you like to attempt the very recipe you see above? Here's the recipe.
Would you like to read more reviews? Here are customer reviews.
Would you like to purchase this exquisite tuna? Just add to your cart below.Â
Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop Pop-Up Shop is now open in Dallas until June 3. You'll find an array of carefully selected, well-crafted goods from new designers like Sarah Hendler, cocktails from Cointreau, and some exemplary Donostia Foods products.
Goop is putting a foodie twist on a pop-up shop opening here at Highland Park Village from April 12 to June 3. The boutique will serve complementary drinks and snacks at a âGoop x Cointreau Margarita Barâ and devote a third of the inventory to culinary products, explained chief merchandising officer Blair Lawson.
For more information visit WWD.com.
Photo above via the Goop Instagram profile.
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Bar Biscay brings the food and feeling of a night out in Basque Country to Chicago's west side. Co-owner Scott Worsham tells the Chicago Tribune:
âWe just want to throw a great party every night and have people feeling so much better than when they walked in,â he said. âWeâre trying to imbue our staff with the idea that weâre not trying to have it be a âlook at usâ but âlook at the people who youâre having dinner with,â and have a great time with your friends.â
Read the full article by Grace Wong here.
Photo via the Bar Biscay Facebook Page.
Pan con tomate to start the day. Garlicky and good. Also referred to as pan tumaca, this simple breakfast can be found most anywhere in Spain. Fresh, healthy, delicious; it hits all the right notes for a melodious morning.
1. Grate tomatoes into a strainer over a bowl and add a dash of salt. Leave for 10 minutes to lose some water.
2. Toast bread and rub with garlic, because everything rubbed with garlic is better.
3. Top with chopped chives, cracked pepper, and salt. Drizzle with Donostia Foods olive oil, the greatest of all oils. Enjoy.
A dish that is fresh and flavorful, fantastic for those first spring evenings when it's finally warm enough to eat dinner outside.
Total Time: 15-30 minutes
1 jar - extra thick white asparagus D.O. Navarre (about 8 spears)
4 orange segments
2 black olives, cut in half
for the black olive oil
1/2 cup black olives
3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
for the sherry dressing
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste
for a garnish
salt
micro greens
1. Make the black olive oil. Purée olives and 1/4 cup of olive oil in a blender. In a bowl, mix the remaining olive oil with the purée. You'll have more black olive oil than you'll need for the dish, so use the excess to experiment with a recipe of your own creation. Maybe you'll discover a knack for this type of thing, tryout for Top Chef, win Top Chef, open your own restaurant to resounding success, author a series of best-selling cookbooks, and become a celebrity chef. Maybe.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the sherry vinegar, olive oil, and salt to make the sherry dressing.
3. Open the jar of white asparagus and cut the stems in half. Carefully, these are delicate.
4. Peel an orange. Cut that same orange into segments.
5. With tenderness, lovingly toss the white asparagus, oranges, sherry dressing together. Remove the asparagus and artfully place them on a plate, to be followed by artfully placing the orange segments and olives around the artfully placed asparagus. It's all about presentation, here. Drizzle the black olive oil around the plate and garnish with micro greens or something similar.
6. Eat.
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Recipe adapted from Jose Andrés.
