Traditional Basque Cooking Cookbook

Additional Details

Description: Basque cooking has long held a unique position within the culinary world. Its distinction is not in its individuality but in its quality -- it is merely the best cuisine that the Iberian Peninsula has to offer. Any dish labeled a la donostiarra (San Sebastian style), a la vizcaina (Vizcaya style), or a la vasca (Basque style) is worth ordering in any restaurant if it is an authentic Basque dish; you cannot really go wrong. 

Sr. Busca Isusi discusses the history of Basque food from prehistoric times to the modern age -- the kinds of food eaten, the cooking utensils utilized, and the methods of preparation used. Vegetables, meats and poultry, eggs and dairy products, desserts, and beverages are all included in this book, originally published as Alimentos yguisos en la cocina vasca in San Sebastidn, Spain. The longest chapter deals with the exceptional fish and seafood found in the Basque Country. The Bay of Biscay is one of the world's most fertile fishing grounds, and it is said that no seafood tastes quite as good as when it comes from those cold waters. 

A recipe section at the end of the book includes many well-known dishes, including piperrada vasca (Basque omelet), porrusalda (a vegetable stew), chipirones en su tinta (squid in ink sauce), txangurro a la donostiarra (spider crab San Sebastian style), and natillas (soft custard). 

Interest in food is an important element of Basque culture, and culinary methods are not simply the concern of professionals. The region's first gastronomic society was founded in San Sebastian in 1870, and similar groups now exist in nearly all the major cities as well as some of the smaller towns and villages. 

Modern methods of transportation and food preservation are currently altering diet and cooking techniques in many regions of the world, including the Basque Country. However, both Basque laymen and professional chefs feel that it is important to continue preparing the traditional Basque dishes upon which their fine culinary reputation is based. 

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Condition: Bookboards, interior pages and dust jacket are in beautiful condition.