Sauce vierge is French, but there's no reason not to incorporate it into tapas and pintxos. International cooperation is good, for both diplomacy and food.
The sauce itself is simple, straightforward, and flavorful; and has a thousand variations. At the heart is a combination of olive oil, chopped tomatoes, lemon juice, and basil. What you see pictured includes shallots, salt, and pepper. You might also include parsley, chives, capers, coriander, tarragon, chervil, or some other unmentioned herb or spice. Experiment. Make something new. Unheated, you'll have it ready at a moment's notice (some recipes call for heating, like this one from the New York Times; to each his own).
Often served with shellfish or other seafood, it's difficult to go wrong with how you use sauce vierge. Above, you see white asparagus. Below, you see octopus in olive oil. Both are excellent options. You might consider it with Bonito del Norte tuna or piquillo peppers or sardines; you have options. However you choose to serve it, you'll be sure to enjoy the results.
The Robin Hood restaurant in Madrid, Spain charges the rich and feeds the poor. Paying customers at breakfast and lunch allow the restaurant to serve dinner to homeless people, free of charge. An 80-year-old Catholic priest, known simply as "Padre Ángel", opened the restaurant in early December, saying, "I want them to eat with the same dignity as any other customer, and the same quality, with glasses made of crystal, not plastic, and in an atmosphere of friendship and conversation."
For the full article, please visit npr.org.
Photo above by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
Our partner and friend, Pedro Rubio de Urquía, was recently the erudite host and guide for the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper and writer Alya B. Honasan. With Pedro's guidance, the reader travels the length of "The Journey of Olive Oil", from the hand-picked olive trees through the extraction process, and glimpses the still artisanal approach to creating the best bottle of olive oil possible. As Pedro says with a chuckle, "The concept is like good wine: Taste, enjoy, then open a second bottle.”
Read the full article at inquirer.net.
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For a simple, classic example of a pintxo from Donostia-San Sebastián, just skewer a guindilla pepper, a Cantabrian anchovy fillet, and a manzanilla olive on a toothpick. Allegedly invented at Bar Casa Vallés in San Sebastián and named for Rita Hayworth's character Gilda in the eponymous film that opened the same year. A classic with a hint of spiciness that stands the test of time.
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Total Time: Basically no time.
1. Just skewer the three ingredients on a toothpick and you have your pintxo. Later, after your guests have proclaimed how delicious it is and lavished you with praise, casually mention the Rita Hayworth trivia then take a knowing sip of wine. Bask in the awe.
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Our manzanilla olives stuffed with anchovy are our best seller, and we now have 100 reviews to prove it.
What are people saying about these olives? This:
Thank you to all that have enjoyed these olives. For more reviews or to place an order, please visit our anchovy stuffed olives product page.
Since 1984, Loaves & Fishes has been working to end hunger in the western suburbs of Chicago through multi-faceted, anti-poverty programs that help empower individuals and families toward self-sufficiency.
For their dedication to community, compassion, and hope, Donostia Foods is proud to have made a food donation to this exemplary organization.
For more information on Loaves & Fishes, and how you can help, please visit loaves-fishes.org.
If you'd like to assure delivery in time for Christmas, please place your order by...
Orders after the 18th may get there in time, they may not. We can't make any guarantees.
Happy holidays to all and best of luck in the new year.
Finding a special gift for that special foodie in your life can be difficult. Look no further. Our 'Gilda' Pintxo Gift Box (above) brings together all the necessary ingredients for that most traditional of all pintxos found in San Sebastian. Want to inspire memories of wandering the cobblestones of the Parte Vieja (Old Part) of the town, stopping in at each pintxo bar to enjoy a bite, a drink, and a smile? This is that gift box.
So, you've decided to host a holiday party. Good times ahead. Beyond the obvious eggnog in reindeer mugs and assorted cheeses and dips, a variety of pintxos and tapas will make your party go down in history.
For a full list of serving suggestions, visit our aptly titled Recipes & Serving Suggestions page. Below, you'll find a few highlights:
A coca is a flatbread, pizza-type dish from the Catalonia region of Spain, topped with any assortment of ingredients. For our New World experiement, we actually used Naan found at the local market and warmed in the oven, because why not? The toppings include a white bean puree with piment d'Espelette, manchego cheese, octopus in olive oil, tomato sauce, and chives.
Verdict: The puree needs some work. From various recipes found on the Internet, make sure to add enough spice to make it interesting. Certainly worth attempting again.
