Pays Basque
Alan Zelt
France and Northwest Spain, but I have always loved all things Basque, save
politics. Until we got back from our vacation, I only had six books on
Basque cooking. While a large collection by anyone's standards, the thought
of adding to the collection was just below the surface.
We started in Paris, where the SBF was on a temporary assignment. I flew
over to meet her. We had dinner at a corny old favorite of ours: Monsieur
Lapin. Naturally, I had the Lapin Moutarde. And the next day we were on the
TGV to Biarritz. We spent two nights there, about two blocks from the ocean.
As the season had not yet started, it was easy to get around, while the
prices were still under control. We dipped our toes in the Atlantic, a lot
warmer than dipping ones digits in the North Pacific!
Of course we explored the local indoor market, a wonderful treat, populated
with many warm and open stall owners. When they learned we were from
Seattle, they all seemed willing to talk about their relatives living in
California, Oregon and Idaho. I just wanted to buy up one of those
wonderful Bayonne hams, hanging in their colorful striped cloth bags. For
those unaware, this particular ham is coated in powdered Espelette pepper.
So very tasty. Then I slapped myself in the face and remembered the beagles
would catch me in Seattle as we got off the Air France flight!
We had an absolutely to die for dinner at a restaurant named Ahizpak, les
trois soeurs. Doubt the sisters were triplets, but it was scary seeing the
same person seat us, pour our wine and cook our meal!! Perhaps our finest
meal on our trip through France and Portugal. The highlight was an amazing
entree that consisted of four gutted sardines, each wrapped in basil, and
then each wrapped with filo dough, fried and served on a bed of greens with
an Espelette based sauce. Can you say seconds!! I know we were on to
something when we got home and picked up our mail. In it was the latest
issue of Gault Millau containing a write up on our restaurant.
At this point, I should offer up an observation that belies the common
belief about Western European food portions. After thinking over all the
meals we were served on our trip, we both came to the conclusion that the
food portions had grown to unmanageable proportions. I don't mind starting
with a good rillette de canard, but when it was about 8 ounces, they have
gone overboard. The Plats were also of similar proportions. Things have
really changed since so much American has creeped into Europe. Now I have to
walk even more each day to absorb it all. Finally, in complete frustration,
we gave up all deserts, save fresh fruit.
On to Lisbon where the SBF, in a different life, spent time there. We took
the overnight train, with sleeper car, into the summer night as the train
rolled on through Spain. The Portuguese Railway, while not noted for a good
wine cellar, was well stocked with plenty of plonk. For the first time in 40
years, I had a bottle of Mateus Rose!!!! This, along with a chicken dish,
and an excellent Portuguese orange worked wonders.
We arrived in Lisbon on a Friday at mid-day. Not just any Friday, but St.
Anthony's day. The patron saint of Lisbon. And that meant only one thing:
it's party time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It all started with a parade that wound down
the Avenue Libertad, starting at about 10PM. It finally ended about 4AM.
Then there were block parties all over Lisbon that went on until noon. So we
heard. We crapped out after dinner at 2AM!! Late enough for us.
For the SBF, gardens and castles galore, including a side trip to Sintra and
the Moorish castle, along with another well pimped out castle nearby.
History sometimes offers up a good joke.
As the tour books state, great seafood, piggie and chicken. I was also
impressed with some of the reds. I even enjoyed he Vinho Verdes, rather
young, somewhat bubbly green wine, clocking in at about 10%. And the most
marvelous white sangria, made with local bubbly and brandy. Deadly!!
The SBF missed one dish from her past, a rotisserie chicken piri-piri. So, I
asked the hotel manager where we could find some, since it was not really
found on menus. He pointed out a restaurant, where the owner is called, I
kid you not, the king of chicken. I guess he is the Portuguese Colonel
Sanders! We found the place, and lo and behold, everyone was eating chicken.
Suitably crispy chicken with a glaze of piri-piri oil. I painted an
additional layer and dove in. For the two of us, we received a whole chicken
(about 2 1/2 to 3 lbs, cut in quarters) and hefty plate of fries. The
chicken was wonderful. The fries, were somewhat cold and mushy. Not sure
how, but our waiter appeared unbidden five minutes later with a new plate of
fries, too hot to eat and crispy, with a suitable amount of salt on it. How
did he know!!!
Four nites and five days and we finally had our fill of Lisbon, and taxied
back to the train station for a 4PM train to Hendeye in France. One last
terror laden trip in a Portuguese taxi. They are nuts!!! Driving in Portugal
is not the best thing one can do for relaxation.
An enjoyable train ride, with a long cocktail hour, staring into the high
desert country in the part of Portugal due east of Lisbon. Then dinner, and
watching the sun set after 10PM into the mountains.
Wake up for coffee, juice and rolls was at 6:30AM. We reach Hendeye at 7AM,
with the TGV on the next track, leaving at 7:30A for Paris. The best part
was after leaving Bordeaux, heading through St. Emilion. How can one not be
inspired going past some of the best wineries in the world.
Paris was the usual for us: gardens for the SBF and another visit to the
oven in the basement of the Poilane bakery in the Cherche Midi. This was
followed by a visit to Le Bon Marche, and its wonderful food hall. Dinner
that night was a Basque restaurant around the block from our hotel in the
15th.
The next day we day tripped to Vernon, with a bus to Giverny. Almost ten
years to the day we first visited the Water Lilies.
And the next day, it was Air France back to Seattle. My carry-on included
two boules from Poilane.
The best part of the trip. Without a doubt, it was the Basque country. The
people were so friendly, the food was basic and delicious, the wine was
superb (when was the last time you had Irouleguy!!). And I was thoroughly
impressed with all the ways to work with Espelette pepper.
Oh, the cook books. When we we visited the Espelette Pepper Syndicate, we
told them that I wanted to buy some Basque cookbooks, in English. There are
plenty in French and Basque; but we found none in our travels throughout the
Pays Basque. To our good fortune, the manager of their shop told me of a
large book store in Bayonne where we might just find what we wanted. So, on
the way back to the Biarritz train station, we detoured to Bayonne. Bingo, a
book store that had exactly two Basque cookbooks in English. And just one
copy of each. Both wound up in my bag. Natch, one of them was of the best
Pinxtos in San Sebastian!
To anyone looking to go to France, but not France, who also wants to go to
Spain, but not to Spain, my wholehearted recommendation that you vacation in
the Pays Basque in June, when the weather was warm, sunny, and not yet
choked off with tourists.
cybercat
"Alan Zelt" <alz...@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:xQe5m.163$N5...@nwrddc01.gnilink.net...
> Not sure how many people are familiar with this area of both South
> France and Northwest Spain, but I have always loved all things Basque,
> save
> politics. Until we got back from our vacation, I only had six books on
> Basque cooking. While a large collection by anyone's standards, the
> thought
> of adding to the collection was just below the surface.
>
> We started in Paris, where the SBF
Stopping right here. WTF is SBF?
Giusi
"Alan Zelt" ha scritto nel messaggio
> Not sure how many people are familiar with this area of both South> France
> and Northwest Spain, but I have always loved all things Basque, save>
> politics.
Thanks for a revealing review. This year with tourism off is a great time
to see the world.
ra...@vt.edu
I have the same question . . .
Some possibilities come to mind: Second Best Friend, Son By First(wife),
Super Busty Female
Bill Ranck
Blacksburg, Va.
Michel Boucher
> cybercat <cyber...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>> > We started in Paris, where the SBF
>
>> Stopping right here. WTF is SBF?
>
> I have the same question . . .
> Some possibilities come to mind: Second Best Friend, Son By
> First(wife), Super Busty Female
Soci�t� des bourses fran�aises?
--
Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest
of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest
good of everyone. - John Maynard Keynes
The Ranger
Welcome back Alan. Thanks for the triptick.
The Basque region and Spain are two trips we hope to make within the next
few years with my daughter-units. Sounds like we should also add in Portugal
from you shared.
The Ranger
graham
"cybercat" <cyber...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:zEf5m.123$P%2....@newsfe01.iad...
The Ranger
> ra...@vt.edu wrote innews:h34smb$hug$1...@solaris.cc.vt.edu:
> > cybercat <cyberpu...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >> > We started in Paris, where the SBF
> >> Stopping right here. WTF is SBF?
> > I have the same question . . .
> > Some possibilities come to mind: Second Best Friend, Son By
> > First(wife), Super Busty Female
Short blond Finn.
Dora
Greetings, Alan! Haven't seen you here for a long time.
What a marvellous trip. Thanks for sharing.
Dora
Christine Dabney
wrote:
Short Blonde Finn. Also known as his wife. ;)
Christine
--
http://nightstirrings.blogspot.com
Christine Dabney
wrote:
>To anyone looking to go to France, but not France, who also wants to go to
>Spain, but not to Spain, my wholehearted recommendation that you vacation in
>the Pays Basque in June, when the weather was warm, sunny, and not yet
>choked off with tourists.
Welcome back, Alan!! You have been missed!!
Christine
--
http://nightstirrings.blogspot.com
Becca
Becca
Melba's Jammin'
"cybercat" <cyber...@yahoo.com> wrote:
Kari, the Short Blonde Finn he married. Met her here, I think.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller - good news 4-6-2009
"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle."
-Philo of Alexandria
Victor Sack
[snippage]
Great post, Alan! Thanks!
Tell Kaari she ought to start posting again, too!
> For the first time in 40
> years, I had a bottle of Mateus Rose!!!!
Is it drinkable now, then? It is all but impossible to find here.
Victor
Jean B.
cookbooks!)
--
Jean B.
Alan Zelt
"Jean B." <jb...@rcn.com> wrote in message
news:7bn9puF...@mid.individual.net...
>>
> Neat post! Thanks! (Of course, I perked up even more for the cookbooks!)
>
> --
> Jean B.
Something that I should pass on for all those lovers of the no knead bread,
baked in a cast iron pot, made famous a couple of years ago by the Times.
In many of the Basque cookbooks, along with the on line Basque repositories,
there are many versions of the Basque sheepherders bread. Out tending to
their flocks of sheep out in the wild remote parts of California, Oregon,
Nevada and Idaho, the sheepherders made bread the very same way. Guess there
really is nothing new. It all goes around.
Alan Zelt
"Victor Sack" <azaz...@koroviev.de> wrote in message
news:1j2lxo7.1cnpsb6ynpa80N%azaz...@koroviev.de...
The bottle has the same look and feel, along with the taste. On our return
trip on the train back to France, they had no rose, just the Blanco. Even
more vile.
Victor, you will absolutely have to search for Irouleguy wine, as a
substitute for Cahors and Madiran. The very best bottle available at a cave
in St John pied de Port cost only about E12.
graham
way too. He sat the cast-iron pot on burning bbq brickettes and put more on
the lid.
Graham
graham
BTW did you buy some of Poil�ne's pain au noix along with your miches? I'll
be in London at the end of the month and a trip to their branch there is on
the books. I've been trying to emulate the p-a-n with no luck so I'll be
getting some more reference material.
Graham
Jean B.
I gather, then, that this is a similar, no-knead bread?
Yes, as much as I want to think some recipes are new, many turn
out not to be!
--
Jean B.
Dimitri
> Not sure how many people are familiar with this area of both South
> France and Northwest Spain, but I have always loved all things Basque,
> save
> politics. Until we got back from our vacation, I only had six books on
> Basque cooking. While a large collection by anyone's standards, the
> thought
> of adding to the collection was just below the surface.
<snip>
> To anyone looking to go to France, but not France, who also wants to go to
> Spain, but not to Spain, my wholehearted recommendation that you vacation
> in the Pays Basque in June, when the weather was warm, sunny, and not yet
> choked off with tourists.
Nice to see you post again.
regards to SBF.
Dimitri
blake murphy
this is what my brain always says when i read 'dutch oven.' can't take the
boy scout out of the boy, i suppose.
your pal,
blake
Victor Sack
> Victor, you will absolutely have to search for Irouleguy wine, as a
> substitute for Cahors and Madiran. The very best bottle available at a cave
> in St John pied de Port cost only about E12.
Top of the line Iroul�guy costs anywhere from 17 to 25 euros here,
depending on the producer, vintage and cuv�e. Some Madirans, even good
ones, cost less. For example, 1998 or 1999 Ch�teau Montus from Alain
Brumont can be found for just 13.50 euros here. Some vintages of Ch.
Montus Cuv�e Prestige, top of the line Madiran, perhaps the best of all,
can be had for about 20 euros.
Victor
Nathalie Chiva
>Nice read, thanks.
>
>
>Becca
Yep, but... You did bring back some piment d'Espelette, didn't you?
Otherwise your whole trip was useless ;-)
Nathalie in Switzerland
Nathalie Chiva
wrote:
>Alan Zelt <alz...@verizon.net> wrote:
>> For the first time in 40
>> years, I had a bottle of Mateus Rose!!!!
>
>Is it drinkable now, then? It is all but impossible to find here.
>
>Victor
Agh... Not only is it not drinkable, but it gives me a headache after
half a glass.
Nathalie in Switzerland
Alan Zelt
"Nathalie Chiva" <Nathaliedotchivaatgmail.remove.com> wrote in message
news:8dgh55162n84g82ic...@4ax.com...
Hi Nathalie!
Mai oui!
Several jars of same. Also a few of puree of piment and a couple of their
double sauce.
I was in a charitable mood and did not try to sneak in much jambon de
Bayonne. (usually in double plastic seal baggies to foil the Beagles!)
And from Lisbon a couple of bags of piri-piri.
Funny thing about Piment d'Espelette is that I really have pushed aside the
black pepper in favor of this red gold.
Alan in Seattle
Alan Zelt
Well then, try and picture the SBF and I downing an entire bottle on the
train!! On the return trip, they were out of it (not sure how) and had to
drink a green/white wine, vile by twice!
Alan in Seattle
Christine Dabney
wrote:
>Funny thing about Piment d'Espelette is that I really have pushed aside the
>black pepper in favor of this red gold.
>
>Alan in Seattle
I got some from Surfas, in Los Angeles, the last time I was there.
Haven't used it yet.
How are you using it? I do have some of Paula Wolfert's books in
which she uses it occasionally...
Christine
--
http://nightstirrings.blogspot.com
Alan Zelt
"Christine Dabney" <arti...@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:jbki55dfccv5dj9tj...@4ax.com...
I use it two ways. First, I keep a jar on the table in lieu of pepper.
Second, I use it in cooking as a pepper replacement. In doing so, I am also
adding the dimension of color.
notbob
> I use it two ways. First, I keep a jar on the table in lieu of pepper.
> Second, I use it in cooking as a pepper replacement. In doing so, I am also
> adding the dimension of color.
Glad to hear it and glad to see you back, Alan. Hope you're back for
awhile. :)
nb
Ophelia
> I use it two ways. First, I keep a jar on the table in lieu of pepper.
> Second, I use it in cooking as a pepper replacement. In doing so, I
> am also adding the dimension of color.
I don't suppose you know me from Adam, but it is great to see you posting
again:)
Nathalie Chiva
wrote:
>
Too bad, there are several very good brands of Vinho Verde (Gazela for
instance), and red wine from Portugal can be great (oh, and Porto of
course, but we all know that, don't we?).
Nathalie in Switzerland
Jean B.
You know you made me go buy some. Tres expensive! (Local folks:
try Formaggio--the one in Cambridge.)
Any suggestion as a nice way to assess this the first time? I am
thinking eggs or maybe a baked potato....
--
Jean B.
Alan Zelt
We did have some good vinho verde in Lisbon, just not on wheels. We liked
the somewhat bubbly feel. And I really appreciated the 10%. Well, I would
assume that all would know Porto!:)
Alan Zelt
At about $6/jar in the Pays Basque, about one half the price in U.S. And all
that we bought were AOC.
Great on fried eggs to assess. Sprinkled on grilled chicken, too.
One thing I failed to mention was that they also sell (and I bought) Piment
combined with sel gros. Get your pepper and salt in one shake!!
I should point out that Piment d'Espelette is not hot like a hot paprika or
a regular pepper. It has a sweetish side to it.
Alan in Seattle
Giusi
"Nathalie Chiva" ha scritto nel messaggio
, "Alan Zelt" > wrote:
On the return trip, they were out of it (not sure how) and had to >>drink a
green/white wine, vile by twice!
> Too bad, there are several very good brands of Vinho Verde (Gazela for>
> instance), and red wine from Portugal can be great (oh, and Porto of>
> course, but we all know that, don't we?).
>
> Nathalie in Switzerland
Green wine is great paired with the right food. What other wine can you
name off the top of your head that you would pair with a dish of pork,
olives, clams and potatoes? Even retsina is right in the right place, which
is mostly the glass of an old Greek.