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Category Archives: Basque
I am writing this post with a smile on my face and skip in my heart. The smile is because the lovely and talented Cheryl Lu Lien Tan reached out to us a couple weeks ago and asked us to be part of the launch of her new book, A Tiger In the Kitchen. Cheryl’s book is a memoir about discovering her Singaporean roots while cooking along side her family in Singapore. I can hardly wait to read the book, if it is anything as delicious as her site, we will not go hungry. Cheryl has asked a handful of people to share a family recipe today, something near and dear to our taste-buds as well as our hearts. It was a hard to decide between my family’s recipes and the recipes I have learned from Lenny’s family; hard decision when half of your household roots are Basque and the other half is Portuguese. Even though the food from both cultures are somewhat similar, they are just as different. Definitely does make for deliciousness all the time.
 
The skip in my heart is because I am sharing a recipe that was a childhood favorite of mine. You see, my grandmother Helen, use to make this dish very often, it was a staple in her house as well as my great-grandmother’s and Tia’s homes. I, remember, fondly, of opening the front door and the sweet but pungent arms of garlic wrapping itself around me and leading me into the kitchen. There my grandmother Helen, stood stirring a bubbly pot of potatoes with garlic and parsley. I could not wait for it to be placed on the table; instead, I would grab a spoon and sip the warm soothing broth, feeling the potatoes gently mash against the roof of mouth. I loved it! I loved every garlicky taste. I loved the smell in the kitchen. I loved the smile on her face. I loved the warmth that was everywhere around us. Perfect. Soothing. Comfort.
This opportunity to share a family memory, was the gentle nudge that we have been needing, as we have been wanting to start sharing more of our family recipes with you. We talk about it often, then skip onto something else. Thank you, Cheryl, for stirring the pot – so to say.
What is your favorite family recipe?
Recipe: Basque Parsley Potatoes
3 russet potatoes, peeled, washed and cut into cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small head of garlic (about 16 cloves), sliced paper-thin
3 cups of water
1 tablespoon salt (more or less to taste)
handful parsley, washed, dried and minced
Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven. Add half of the garlic, stir and over low-heat, cook until lightly golden. Do not let the garlic get crispy or dark brown, the taste will be bitter. Add the potatoes, rest of the garlic and stir, just enough to coat the potatoes. Add the water and salt. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a low simmer and cook until the potatoes are soft but still a bit firm; about 20 minutes. It will depend on how large the cubes are. Turn off heat. Season a bit more, if you like a little more salt. Serve. Eat.
* I like to turn off the heat and let the dish sit for about 30 minutes, in the cooking pot, before actually serving. Then gently reheat. This recipe goes very well with a nice piece of fish or roasted meat.
The Picon, also known as the Basque Cocktail of the West is a familiar term around many Basque homes. It is vague as to where it originally was made but some say it was in Bakersfield at the famed Noriega. The drink is made of Amer Picon, which is a French aperitif that is made with herbs and burnt orange peel. Amer Picon was invented by a gentleman by the name of Gaëtan Picon in 1837, and the drink evolved from begin a French aperitif by the hands of the Italians, where it fell into the hands of the Basque. The Basque Americanized the drink into the Picon Cocktail also known as Picon Punch. It is near impossible to find the original Amer Picon in the states and now the recipe has transitioned to use Torani Amer.
I remember when we were kids and we got to tag along on an “adult” dinner down to the Winnemucca Hotel, the adults would always drink Picons. I loved the pretty color of the drink and I loved how happy it made everyone; I could not wait to try one myself. Years later, I found myself, back at the same watering hole when my sister was getting married. This time we were old enough to play along in their drinking games. Eager to try the forbidden drink, I bellied up to the bar and ordered a round. As the cold ruby red drink rolled between my lips, onto my taste-buds, I was left gasping and speechless; this potent drink was nothing as I had fantasized about for so many years. Instead, I was shocked and scared; too many of these and the wedding party would be dancing on the bar-top in no time.
Times have changed and taste-buds have grown. Over the holidays my brother in-law reintroduced me to the famed picon, but his version. Still the vibrant ruby red with a potent aroma but lighter in taste and gentler on my taste-buds with the addition of club soda and minus a brandy floater. An acquired taste, I am sure; but, still a nice addition to your cocktail party when you want a little something different to wow your guests with.
What is your favorite unique cocktail, that no-one has probably ever made?
Recipe: Basque Picon Cocktail
*originally these were served in mugs, we like to use pretty cocktail glasses
*inspired by Shawn Espinosa
2 oz Torani Amer Liqueur
crushed ice
1 teaspoon grenadine
splash club soda
lemon twist
Fill a glass with some crushed ice. Pour the Torani Amer Liqueur over the ice. Top with the grenadine and fill the glass with club soda to just under the rim. Rub the rim of the glass with the lemon twist, then add to the drink. Serve. Drink.
If you enjoyed this dish, you may enjoy these others as well:
Amer Punch Recipe
Pican Punch
Pican Beer
Cold/flu season is upon us. We came home from a week of traveling through Yosemite and Northern Nevada to what we thought was a cold. Hence a certain someone woke up with the flu. While he is laying on the couch watching bad tv and guzzling left-over V8 V-Fusion + Tea; I am letting a big pot of rich chicken stock simmer, while I whip up an old Basque remedy; a cure for all that ails you, garlic soup.
I remember my great-grandmother, grandmother, Tia and mother making this soup when I was a child. I hated it. Not because of the garlic, I loved that, the more the better. Instead it was the soggy bread that sat in your bowl. Some things should not be soggy and bread is one of them. I never was able to get past the moist, gooey bread that was cradling the sweet but pungent garlic broth; I would have rather been sick.
I stumbled upon this recipe by accident one evening when I was intending on making something else. It was good, so good, that I decided to make it perfect as well as gluten free. This thick soup is flavored with lots of garlic that is slowly cooked with olive oil, a pinch of dried red chilies and is thickened with potatoes instead of bread. The smell of the simmering garlic, is almost enough to make you well; but, as you sip each spoonful, your body starts to feel better. Stronger. Happy.
What do you like to cook when you are sick?
Recipe: Garlic Soup
1 head of garlic, about 21 – 25 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced into small slivers
3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
1/4 teaspoon dried chili peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups of water
kosher salt to taste
1/2 handful of italian parsley, washed, dried and minced
sprinkle of piment d’espelette as garnish
Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or large saucepan, over low heat. Add half of the minced garlic, stir and cook until fragrant, about 3 – 5 minutes. Do not let it brown or it will be bitter. Add the potatoes, stir. Add the chili pepper, stir. Add the water and the rest of the garlic, stir and bring to a low boil. Lower the heat to a very soft simmer and cover. Let cook until the potatoes are falling apart, about 40 minutes. Gently mash with a potato masher or in a food processor. Season to taste with salt. Stir in the parsley. Gently reheat for about 5 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of piment d’espelette. Serve. Eat.
If you enjoyed this dish, you may enjoy these others as well:
French Garlic Soup
44 Clove Garlic Soup
White Bean and Roasted Garlic Soup with Kale and Sausage
Also, a gentle reminder, if you could use an extra $100 this holiday season, you know to stock up on garlic; jump over here for details!
Creamy yellow lentils are simmered with your soup basics (carrots, celery, onions) and flavored with sweet butternut squash and spicy Basque chorizo to make this cozy winter time soup. Add a perfectly poached egg and you have the perfect meal to warm your soul after a cold day outside.
Bea over at La Tartine Gourmande inspired me to make this meal for us. As soon as I saw the photo on her site, I knew we had to eat it as it has two of our favorite ingredients, lentils and chorizo and one of Lenny’s favorite additions to any meal, the runny egg. I did make a few minor adjustments to the recipe as I used what we had on had, as well Bea’s recipe calls for white lentils and I have yet to find them.
You will love this filling soup – it is comforting, spicy and sweet all in one bite!
Recipe: Yellow Lentil Soup with Chorizo
* inspired by Bea’s recipe
2 cups dry yellow lentils
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, scrubbed clean and sliced
1 14oz can diced tomatoes, would have used fresh but they looked terrible
1 cup butternut squash, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 leek, white part only, chopped finely
4 twigs of thyme
3 stalks of parsley
4 cups veggie or chicken stock, I used veggie as I had that on hand
4 cups cold water
3 chorizo, sliced into circles
2 poached eggs
In a large pot, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, celery, thyme and chorizo and sweat for about 5 minutes, stirring every so often. Do not brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the lentils, carrots, butternut squash, parsley stalks, water and stock. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes until vegetables are soft. Season with salt and pepper. Bring heat to low, to keep warm. Prepare poached eggs. To serve ladle soup into a serving bowl and top with poached egg. Sprinkle a bit of paprika over the top. Serve. Eat.
Green lentils are slowly simmered with spicy Portuguese chorizo, leeks, carrots and celery to make a hearty autumn soup.
Zen (Zen Can Cook) and I were having a twitter converse the other evening about all things Basque, in particular, about him growing up in the region and I being of the Basque heritage. At the end of the conversation I was hungry for all things Basque in particular the comfort food of my youth.
My great grandmother came over to the states in the mid 1910′s from her native country the Vizcaya Spain region. I admire her for leaving her family, friends and country to seek new adventures at such a young age and being a woman on top of that - I am sure I get my sense of adventure from her or at least I like to *think so*. After being in the New York area for a bit she found herself in Northern Nevada at which time she fell in love, got married, had 8 kids and lived on a working ranch, yes, they herded sheep, just as they did in the old country, hence where my other love of eating lamb came from!
I have fond memories of her during my early days of youth. You see she passed away when I was 10, so I never really got to know “her”. I do remember going to her house, almost every afternoon, for coffee and cookies, the reason for my coffee addiction! I remember her praying and going to church and I would tag along sometimes. I loved the veils she wore over her pulled back gray hair and the mystery behind her going, the prayer beads and god. If she had lived longer, I probably would have continued going to church, with her, maybe I quit going because god took her from me at such a young age? I remember pots of “stuff” cooking on the stove, stuff that always smelled great and more times than not it tasted fantastic. I am sure if she lived longer, I would have loved to eat tripe at an early age, as now, I love it!
There are a few dishes that I remember eating often and one of them was lentils. I loved how small these little beans were and how the skin slipped off on the top of your tongue and what was left was a smooshy little bean. I use to be able to eat bowls of them. As well I loved all the garlic that was added to the pot and the smell of it slightly burning in the oil right before the lentils and broth was added. And I loved the spicy chorizo that was added to the mix. I have not made lentils in some time and usually when I make them now, it always ends up as something else, not soup. Thanks to Zen, I was provoked, to pull up some recipes that are tucked away in my memory and now I would like to share one with you.
Recipe: Chorizo and Lentil Soup
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 leek, finely sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
3 carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 chorizo, cut into slices *used Portuguese Chorizo as I cannot find Basque Chorizo in our area, we bring Portuguese chorizo from Boston, when we are out there
1 cup green lentils, cleaned and picked through
64 oz chicken stock
1 dry farmed tomato, left whole
Heat olive oil in a soup pot, add leek, celery and carrots. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, add the chorizo and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the garlic (I add the garlic at the end of sauteing as it is suppose to have added health benefits if not overcooked), lentils and stock. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, then toss in the tomato and continue cooking for about 15 minutes longer or until the lentils are tender. Serve. Eat.
It was really nice to spend the past couple of days in the kitchen with my mother and sister Susan, preparing Christmas dinner. We spent the days making Christmas wreath bread, homemade baguettes, roasted ham & lamb, butter, apple/cranberry pie, bittersweet chocolate tart and just bonding. At one point I looked around the kitchen and realized that all that was missing was Tia Anne. We did not have a pre-decided menu nor was it going to be a formal occasion, we just knew that we wanted to make food that would be comfortable, traditional and even new – it was a Basque/American Christmas dinner.
Basque style clams
Roasted Leg of Lamb
Butter Lettuce w/Pomergrantes and drizzled with Lemon/Mustard dressing
Mini twice baked potatoes
Apple Cranberry Pie with Dorie’s Perfect PIe Crust
Bittersweet Chocolate Tart with crushed Candy Canes
Merry Christmas to all & to all a good night!
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