Basque cuisine and culture appeal to the most passionate of epicures, though that doesn’t make them in any way inaccessible to the rest of us, either.
In The Basque Book: A Love Letter in Recipes from the Kitchen of Txikito, Alexandra Raij and Eder Montero share Basque history, culture and over a hundred recipes from their NYC restaurant Txikito, elevating simple ingredients to art forms. That said, Basque cooking isn’t for everyone. It helps if you like eggs, fish, salt or olive oil – and preferably, all of the above. But it’s okay, Raij and Montero know not everyone is an anchovy person (though if you’re not, you’re missing out – just saying).
The book starts with fundamental techniques, then moves into sections on pinxtos (think tapas), vegetables, eggs, seafood, soups and stews, sweets and drinks. The less adventurous will find accessible recipes for chicken or ham croquettes, lamb meatballs and tortillas, and for the more exploratory cooks there’s an extensive section on salt cod, squid in its own ink and much more, especially with seafood.
In all, this book’s an excellent continuation of the current trend in creating gorgeously illustrated cookbooks that double as a history lesson.
Learn more: The Basque Book: A Love Letter in Recipes from the Kitchen of Txikito
This book was provided by Blogging For Books; all opinions are our own.
