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The Basque Book: A Love Letter in Recipes from the Kitchen of Txikito [A Cookbook]
Chefs Alexandra Raij and Eder Montero share more than one hundred recipes from Txikito—all inspired by the home cooking traditions of the Basque Country—that will change the way you cook in this much-anticipated and deeply personal debut. Whether it’s a perfectly ripe summer tomato served with just a few slivers of onion and a drizzle of olive oil, salt cod slowly poached in oil and topped with an emulsion of its own juices, or a handful of braised leeks scattered with chopped egg, Basque cooking is about celebrating humble ingredients by cooking them to exquisite perfection. Chefs Alexandra Raij and Eder Montero are masters of this art form, and their New York City restaurant Txikito is renowned for its revelatory preparations of simple ingredients. Dishes like Salt Cod in Pil Pil sauce have fewer than five ingredients yet will astonish you with their deeply layered textures and elegant flavors. By following Raij’s careful but encouraging instructions, you can even master Squid in Its Own Ink—a rite of passage for Basque home cooks, and another dish that will amaze you with its richness and complexity. The Basque Book is a love to the Basque Country, which inspired these recipes and continues to inspire top culinary minds from around the world; to ingredients high and low; and to the craft of cooking well. Read this book, make Basque food, learn to respect ingredients—and, quite simply, you will become a better cook.- Food & Wine Magazine, Editor’s picks for Best of 2016
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 5, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 10, 2016
I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book. Firstly, I was surprised by the size, it was much bigger than I had anticipated. Based on recipes from the authors' New York restaurant Txikito, it's beautifully done both inside and out. With lovely photos which showcase most of the dishes mentioned.
I especially appreciated the introduction which explained to me the nature of Basque cooking and how the authors have been inspired by this cuisine. One of the best things mentioned is that Basque cooking is about simple ingredients and taking the care to bring out the best from whatever ingredient or product one is using. I found it interesting that Basque cooking doesn't necessarily have a “star” ingredient of a meal, like say a piece of meat. Instead every dish is treated with respect and reverence often focusing on products in season.
Following this idea the book is arranged in a way that lays out the fundamentals of Basque cooking, starting with sauces and how to build a meal. The author notes that mastering the sauces will make preparing other dishes that follow in the book, much easier. This is followed by a focus on Pintxos or Tapas, vegetables, eggs, cod, soups and stews and grilled meats, desserts and beverages.
There is so much information and explanation in this book that I think most readers will come away with a good understanding and real appreciation for the art of Basque cooking. From simple and seductive recipes such as Eder's Avocado Salad, and “Messy Egg” with rough cut potatoes to hearty meals like Basque red beans with braised meats there is something for everyone in this book. And frankly, the heart and soul that the authors put into the book shows on every page.
Thanks to Blogging for Books for allowing me to review this book in exchange for an honest review.
More reviews at: www.susannesbooklist.blogspot.com
I especially appreciated the introduction which explained to me the nature of Basque cooking and how the authors have been inspired by this cuisine. One of the best things mentioned is that Basque cooking is about simple ingredients and taking the care to bring out the best from whatever ingredient or product one is using. I found it interesting that Basque cooking doesn't necessarily have a “star” ingredient of a meal, like say a piece of meat. Instead every dish is treated with respect and reverence often focusing on products in season.
Following this idea the book is arranged in a way that lays out the fundamentals of Basque cooking, starting with sauces and how to build a meal. The author notes that mastering the sauces will make preparing other dishes that follow in the book, much easier. This is followed by a focus on Pintxos or Tapas, vegetables, eggs, cod, soups and stews and grilled meats, desserts and beverages.
There is so much information and explanation in this book that I think most readers will come away with a good understanding and real appreciation for the art of Basque cooking. From simple and seductive recipes such as Eder's Avocado Salad, and “Messy Egg” with rough cut potatoes to hearty meals like Basque red beans with braised meats there is something for everyone in this book. And frankly, the heart and soul that the authors put into the book shows on every page.
Thanks to Blogging for Books for allowing me to review this book in exchange for an honest review.
More reviews at: www.susannesbooklist.blogspot.com
August 9, 2016
The first thing I noticed about this book was how incredibly thick and dense it was. There's something I love about dense book -- it's so full of information, and The Basque Book was no let down. Filled from cover-to-cover with beautiful photography and commentary, it was almost overwhelming.
I live in Boise, which has a robust Basque community (hence requesting this book for review). What I did not realize, however, is how unique their food and culture is. So many of the dishes in this book look amazing, however, I live in Boise -- they don't exactly sell squid ink at Walmart. There are also a lot of seafood recipes, which are difficult for me based on my location. Not the book's fault, but I wish I would have been able to use the book fully -- I was definitely limited.
This was a beautiful book, but is definitely suited for those who are more advanced at cooking and have access to specialty ingredients. I rated it a 4/5. I received a copy of The Basque Book in exchange for my honest review through Blogging for Books.
I live in Boise, which has a robust Basque community (hence requesting this book for review). What I did not realize, however, is how unique their food and culture is. So many of the dishes in this book look amazing, however, I live in Boise -- they don't exactly sell squid ink at Walmart. There are also a lot of seafood recipes, which are difficult for me based on my location. Not the book's fault, but I wish I would have been able to use the book fully -- I was definitely limited.
This was a beautiful book, but is definitely suited for those who are more advanced at cooking and have access to specialty ingredients. I rated it a 4/5. I received a copy of The Basque Book in exchange for my honest review through Blogging for Books.
April 2, 2018
Very nice photography and a good mix of recipes from a cuisine that, despite getting a lot of attention from foodies, doesn't seem to have all that many good cookbooks out there.
Some of the recipes are pretty advanced, and some of the ingredients will require some effort to get (and there really aren't good substitutes). Also, this isn't really a "I'll make this on a Tuesday night" type of book for most working people. Last and not least, although the book is pretty heavy, I found that it didn't actually have as many recipes as I expected.
Some of the recipes are pretty advanced, and some of the ingredients will require some effort to get (and there really aren't good substitutes). Also, this isn't really a "I'll make this on a Tuesday night" type of book for most working people. Last and not least, although the book is pretty heavy, I found that it didn't actually have as many recipes as I expected.
September 9, 2020
Purchase The Basque Book here for just $15!
This is more than a cookbook, it is a journey around the Basque region of Spain. Using recipes, photographs and cooking techniques you will feel like you are right in the Basque countryside. Up your culinary skills whilst learning about a beautiful part of the world.
Elisa - The Book Grocer
This is more than a cookbook, it is a journey around the Basque region of Spain. Using recipes, photographs and cooking techniques you will feel like you are right in the Basque countryside. Up your culinary skills whilst learning about a beautiful part of the world.
Elisa - The Book Grocer
April 30, 2021
It's subtitled "A Love Letter in Recipes," and indeed, here we have a culinary, cultural, and historical guide to a perhaps underrecognized region. Closer to home, I'm unfamiliar with Alex's New York restaurants, and now I'm looking forward to visiting. Meanwhile, find here insights in transforming simple ingredients into memorable, remarkable dishes. Lush, full-page photography inspires and clarifies recipe targets, while extensive chapters on fundamentals, the culture of pintxos and bakalao, the lure of the sea and festivals all transport.
September 30, 2016
Cooking is a perfect vocation for people who like to find and make connections' says the author of this exquisite Basque Book, and based on my experience, I particularly agree with. Food brought a lot of new friends and happy connections into my life, and helped me to start a journey of tastes and colours that I hardly imagined less than ten years ago.
The Basque Book is first and foremost about a cuisine whose history and menu we easily ignore. After starting to read the book I tried to think about one single Basque restaurant I know in Europe, particularly in Germany or France or Switzerland. Nothing by far, and I am usually quite in my own element when it comes to remember unique food memories.
The recipes, organised in chapter dedicated to main ingredients or cooking methods - Fish, Eggs, Stews, Vegetables - are the usual meal served at the Txikito restaurant in NYC. There are 114 recipes, based on 14 years of daily cooking experience, of a Basque chef and his Jewish-Argentinian wife. The ingredients are basically simple, but combined in infinitely delicious way. The success is a matter of practise: 'If you know how to pitch out good raw ingredients, you can cook Basque food'. The good news: it is not a highly technical cuisine, so all you need is to be in the right environment to learn the right moves and taste matches. Another good news: 'Basque food makes you a better cook. It teaches you to respect ingredients, embracing and amplifying their natural flavors'.
More than a way of eating, Basque cuisine is also a high-end identity matter: 'Cooking is very much its own language and by maintaining their culinary traditions, the Basques kept alive a food-driven lexicon, assured many Basque words lived on even for urban Basques'. At the end of the book, an extensive lexicon is provided in order to offer to the reader the proper explanations for the terms and ingredients used. For instance, did you know that the Basque version of tapas is pintxos bar?
The recipes presented can be easily organised in variants of menus to be served all round the week. Before the reader is introduced to the recipes as such, there are specific explanations given about ingredients such as salt - how to used, how much and why, often in combination with oils for various preserves too, how to develop your art of mayonnaise - if you have any, as I am a complete illiterate in this respect - or how to properly prepare the sweet onions 'the foundation of all the Basque mother sauces'.
Shortly, it is a book worth a read, interesting not only as a cookbook, but for the entire anthropological and historical approach.
Disclaimer: Book offered by the editor in exchange of an honest review
The Basque Book is first and foremost about a cuisine whose history and menu we easily ignore. After starting to read the book I tried to think about one single Basque restaurant I know in Europe, particularly in Germany or France or Switzerland. Nothing by far, and I am usually quite in my own element when it comes to remember unique food memories.
The recipes, organised in chapter dedicated to main ingredients or cooking methods - Fish, Eggs, Stews, Vegetables - are the usual meal served at the Txikito restaurant in NYC. There are 114 recipes, based on 14 years of daily cooking experience, of a Basque chef and his Jewish-Argentinian wife. The ingredients are basically simple, but combined in infinitely delicious way. The success is a matter of practise: 'If you know how to pitch out good raw ingredients, you can cook Basque food'. The good news: it is not a highly technical cuisine, so all you need is to be in the right environment to learn the right moves and taste matches. Another good news: 'Basque food makes you a better cook. It teaches you to respect ingredients, embracing and amplifying their natural flavors'.
More than a way of eating, Basque cuisine is also a high-end identity matter: 'Cooking is very much its own language and by maintaining their culinary traditions, the Basques kept alive a food-driven lexicon, assured many Basque words lived on even for urban Basques'. At the end of the book, an extensive lexicon is provided in order to offer to the reader the proper explanations for the terms and ingredients used. For instance, did you know that the Basque version of tapas is pintxos bar?
The recipes presented can be easily organised in variants of menus to be served all round the week. Before the reader is introduced to the recipes as such, there are specific explanations given about ingredients such as salt - how to used, how much and why, often in combination with oils for various preserves too, how to develop your art of mayonnaise - if you have any, as I am a complete illiterate in this respect - or how to properly prepare the sweet onions 'the foundation of all the Basque mother sauces'.
Shortly, it is a book worth a read, interesting not only as a cookbook, but for the entire anthropological and historical approach.
Disclaimer: Book offered by the editor in exchange of an honest review
May 12, 2016
The Basque Book by Alexandra Raij and Eder Montero is far more than a cookbook. It’s a primer on a new approach to cookery, an exploration of Basque cuisine and culture and a love story. There is more personal narrative and explanatory text than the average cookbook. The latter is important because Basque cuisine does have a few significant differences that set it apart.
For example, I have never considered brining onions in cold salt water prior to cooking in order to season them more effectively. The onion sauce that is the base of many recipes is new to me, as is the heavy use of salt and olive oil. For example, using a couple tablespoons of salt on a steak? Who would do that? Well, these chefs would before cooking and then brush most of it off so the steak is not salty, but beautifully seasoned.
There is a chapter on some foundational ingredients and sauces in Basque cooking, on the whole Basque approach. I think it’s something worth reading twice over because it has the potential of shifting how you cook, not just in these recipes but in your daily cooking. This cuisine has a very different foundation than what I am used to, so in that aspect, the book was a revelation.
This is definitely a book for seafood lovers. There’s lots of recipes with anchovies, though mostly anchovies in oil. My Swedish cooking background makes me shudder a bit because I want my anchovies in water or in salt. However, they recipes call for salting the anchovies to firm up the flesh so there’s that. But there’s a lot more than anchovies. There’s cod, mussels, crab and every other fishy thing you can think of, it seems.
There are a few, not many, recipes with other meats. She details a way of cooking steak that I am eager to try. I mean, if the pages of this book could be flavored, that page looked like the best steak on the planet. I have never cooked a steak that way, never heard of cooking a steak that way, but I can almost taste it. Unfortunately, my budget is not stretching to big rib steaks, so I will just imagine it for now.
Normally I test the most tempting instead of the most questionable recipes before I write my reviews. For lunch today, I made the Potato and Romano Bean Stew. I chose that recipe to test for this review because it sounded so unlikely. Can the broth really be rich in that cooking time with just some salt? Reading it, I was not able to picture it being particularly delicious. It’s so simple and unadorned. Could it really work? My thinking is that if this recipe as delicious as the introduction promises, then Raij and Montego are miracle workers.
As an aside, slicing the garlic paper thin made me think of Pauly in Goodfellas. True confessions, I did not use a razor.
Well, they were right. I just ate a bowl and am going to have a second. It is delicious and so simple, easy and affordable, some potatoes, beans, salt, garlic and olive oil. Of course, that is the theme of this cookbook, there are many layers of flavor in simple ingredients if they are prepared with intention.
If you love to cook, this is one of the cookbooks you simply must have because it will change the way you cook in subtle ways. I am eager to try incorporating the Basque way of preparing onions into other foods, not just these recipes, but into other cuisines to see how elevating that basic ingredient will add depth and richness to those recipes. I have depended so much on mirepoix in creating new recipes and making standard dishes, but perhaps I might try sofrito instead and see where that takes me. I am excited, not just by these recipes, but to see how my own cookery evolves with these new basics.
I received a copy of The Basque Book from the publisher via Blogging For Books.
http://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpres...
For example, I have never considered brining onions in cold salt water prior to cooking in order to season them more effectively. The onion sauce that is the base of many recipes is new to me, as is the heavy use of salt and olive oil. For example, using a couple tablespoons of salt on a steak? Who would do that? Well, these chefs would before cooking and then brush most of it off so the steak is not salty, but beautifully seasoned.
There is a chapter on some foundational ingredients and sauces in Basque cooking, on the whole Basque approach. I think it’s something worth reading twice over because it has the potential of shifting how you cook, not just in these recipes but in your daily cooking. This cuisine has a very different foundation than what I am used to, so in that aspect, the book was a revelation.
This is definitely a book for seafood lovers. There’s lots of recipes with anchovies, though mostly anchovies in oil. My Swedish cooking background makes me shudder a bit because I want my anchovies in water or in salt. However, they recipes call for salting the anchovies to firm up the flesh so there’s that. But there’s a lot more than anchovies. There’s cod, mussels, crab and every other fishy thing you can think of, it seems.
There are a few, not many, recipes with other meats. She details a way of cooking steak that I am eager to try. I mean, if the pages of this book could be flavored, that page looked like the best steak on the planet. I have never cooked a steak that way, never heard of cooking a steak that way, but I can almost taste it. Unfortunately, my budget is not stretching to big rib steaks, so I will just imagine it for now.
Normally I test the most tempting instead of the most questionable recipes before I write my reviews. For lunch today, I made the Potato and Romano Bean Stew. I chose that recipe to test for this review because it sounded so unlikely. Can the broth really be rich in that cooking time with just some salt? Reading it, I was not able to picture it being particularly delicious. It’s so simple and unadorned. Could it really work? My thinking is that if this recipe as delicious as the introduction promises, then Raij and Montego are miracle workers.
As an aside, slicing the garlic paper thin made me think of Pauly in Goodfellas. True confessions, I did not use a razor.
Well, they were right. I just ate a bowl and am going to have a second. It is delicious and so simple, easy and affordable, some potatoes, beans, salt, garlic and olive oil. Of course, that is the theme of this cookbook, there are many layers of flavor in simple ingredients if they are prepared with intention.
If you love to cook, this is one of the cookbooks you simply must have because it will change the way you cook in subtle ways. I am eager to try incorporating the Basque way of preparing onions into other foods, not just these recipes, but into other cuisines to see how elevating that basic ingredient will add depth and richness to those recipes. I have depended so much on mirepoix in creating new recipes and making standard dishes, but perhaps I might try sofrito instead and see where that takes me. I am excited, not just by these recipes, but to see how my own cookery evolves with these new basics.
I received a copy of The Basque Book from the publisher via Blogging For Books.
http://tonstantweaderreviews.wordpres...
October 17, 2016
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review.
I don't know too much about Basque culture, so I was pretty excited to receive this book. It is a really beautiful book too. The hardcover binding is fantastic and feel like it will hold up really well to use. A lot of the paperback cookbooks I have get beaten up after even a few uses due to the binding, so I appreciate the hardcover format quite a bit.
The pictures are terrific. There is a nice mix of photographs featuring various recipes from the book and ones showing off the Basque countryside and people. I feel like the writer made a real effort to capture the feel of the culture and what makes it unique. This is present from the introduction of each section through to the ingredients used in the recipes. Sometimes the chapter theme and the ingredients coincide, such as when eggs or fish are the topic. Throughout the book she drives home how important simple quality ingredients are to Basque cooking. There are many elements here that are similar to Spanish culture, but the writer does a good job of keeping this book distinct.
This book as a whole feels directed more toward experienced cooks, though not necessarily professionals. It does give guidance on some techniques and anyone could probably pick out a recipe and follow it easily enough. There are points where the writer is speaking to the reader assuming they have some knowledge of cooking that could be off-putting to less experienced cooks. While there are quite a few pictures of the end results, not every recipe receives this treatment. It seems like less experienced cooks want that photo to show them what the end result is supposed to be.
Anyone with an interest in Basque or Spanish cooking should pick this up. There are some great authentic recipes here and the presentation is phenomenal.
I don't know too much about Basque culture, so I was pretty excited to receive this book. It is a really beautiful book too. The hardcover binding is fantastic and feel like it will hold up really well to use. A lot of the paperback cookbooks I have get beaten up after even a few uses due to the binding, so I appreciate the hardcover format quite a bit.
The pictures are terrific. There is a nice mix of photographs featuring various recipes from the book and ones showing off the Basque countryside and people. I feel like the writer made a real effort to capture the feel of the culture and what makes it unique. This is present from the introduction of each section through to the ingredients used in the recipes. Sometimes the chapter theme and the ingredients coincide, such as when eggs or fish are the topic. Throughout the book she drives home how important simple quality ingredients are to Basque cooking. There are many elements here that are similar to Spanish culture, but the writer does a good job of keeping this book distinct.
This book as a whole feels directed more toward experienced cooks, though not necessarily professionals. It does give guidance on some techniques and anyone could probably pick out a recipe and follow it easily enough. There are points where the writer is speaking to the reader assuming they have some knowledge of cooking that could be off-putting to less experienced cooks. While there are quite a few pictures of the end results, not every recipe receives this treatment. It seems like less experienced cooks want that photo to show them what the end result is supposed to be.
Anyone with an interest in Basque or Spanish cooking should pick this up. There are some great authentic recipes here and the presentation is phenomenal.
May 9, 2016
This large cookbook captures the unique beauty of the Basque region. I think this is the first cookbook I've ever seen focusing on this area between France and Spain. The cooking is unique and anyone will be delighted to learn of it from the expert chefs themselves- Alexandra Raiij and Eder Montero! Interestingly, this book combines the timeless tradition of the Basque area with award-winning recipes from the authors' New York-based restaurant! This combination is sure to amaze and please every cook and diner.
Personally, although I thought this book beautiful and exciting, I will not be using this cookbook very much because there are too many seafood recipes. Since I do not live near a reliable and fresh source for seafood, I rarely indulge in such meals.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
A collection of 100 Basque recipes from Alex Raij and Eder Montero, the acclaimed chef-owners of New York City restaurants Txikito, La Vara, and El Quinto Pino.
Few cuisines have captured more diners' imaginations, or inspired more chefs and restaurants around the world than that of Spain. And within the Spanish culinary pantheon, Basque cooking from the north is considered one of the country's most fascinating and essential traditions. In Basque, star chefs Alex Raij and Eder Montero take readers on a tour of the Basque countryside, in the process revealing the iconic ingredients, cooking techniques, and traditional dishes that define Basque cooking. They also share dishes from their award-winning New York restaurants, all inspired by the Basque kitchen but featuring elegant preparations and delightfully unexpected flavor combinations. The result is a complete primer on Basque cooking, with a wide array of recipes, ranging from a simple pil pil or refrito to showstopping pintxos and mains.
Personally, although I thought this book beautiful and exciting, I will not be using this cookbook very much because there are too many seafood recipes. Since I do not live near a reliable and fresh source for seafood, I rarely indulge in such meals.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
A collection of 100 Basque recipes from Alex Raij and Eder Montero, the acclaimed chef-owners of New York City restaurants Txikito, La Vara, and El Quinto Pino.
Few cuisines have captured more diners' imaginations, or inspired more chefs and restaurants around the world than that of Spain. And within the Spanish culinary pantheon, Basque cooking from the north is considered one of the country's most fascinating and essential traditions. In Basque, star chefs Alex Raij and Eder Montero take readers on a tour of the Basque countryside, in the process revealing the iconic ingredients, cooking techniques, and traditional dishes that define Basque cooking. They also share dishes from their award-winning New York restaurants, all inspired by the Basque kitchen but featuring elegant preparations and delightfully unexpected flavor combinations. The result is a complete primer on Basque cooking, with a wide array of recipes, ranging from a simple pil pil or refrito to showstopping pintxos and mains.
June 30, 2016
I have heard of the Basque region, but knew very little about their cuisine until I got this book. It's a fascinating read, and delicious to eat from! There is a wide range of recipes here, from the simple but sublime, to the more complicated and delectable.
Summer Tomatoes with Sweet Onion is a great example of the simple, yet sublime. Perfect, vine-ripened tomatoes paired with sweet onion and not much else is just summer dancing on your palate.
Classic Spanish Tortilla is a slightly more complicated with multiple flip and turns (which sounds easier than it is!), yet worth the effort. Lentils with Chorizo is just a match made in heaven, and don't even get me started on the desserts!
Let's face it. Most of us will never get the opportunity to explore this amazing region in person, but you can get a little taste of it in your own home with this delightful book.
I received a copy of this book from the Blogging for Books program for my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Summer Tomatoes with Sweet Onion is a great example of the simple, yet sublime. Perfect, vine-ripened tomatoes paired with sweet onion and not much else is just summer dancing on your palate.
Classic Spanish Tortilla is a slightly more complicated with multiple flip and turns (which sounds easier than it is!), yet worth the effort. Lentils with Chorizo is just a match made in heaven, and don't even get me started on the desserts!
Let's face it. Most of us will never get the opportunity to explore this amazing region in person, but you can get a little taste of it in your own home with this delightful book.
I received a copy of this book from the Blogging for Books program for my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 8, 2016
What a very interesting book about Basque cooking, its wonderful region, food and style of cooking. The book does not only have recipes but each is accompanied by a little paragraph of information to go with it. The recipes are easy to make and very tasty. This is not in your face Spanish food, but food that is more subtle and simpler but by no means inferior. It relies on seasonal and fresh, well produced ingredient cooked with care. A wonderful book, fabulous photos and very informative about a region that I knew little about.
This book was provided to me in return for an honest and unbiased review
This book was provided to me in return for an honest and unbiased review
September 2, 2016
4.5 stars.
I received a free copy of this title via a Goodreads Giveaway. Many thanks to the author and publisher for their generosity!
Fascinating look at the world of Basque cuisine. There is something for everyone - from the pro home chefs who aren't challenged by recipes with dozens and dozens of ingredients to the more amateur home chef who prefer recipes with only a handful of ingredients.
The only reason I knocked off half a star is that when it comes to cookbooks, I need a picture every recipe. After all, you eat with your eyes first. I would have liked to have seen more pictures included.
I received a free copy of this title via a Goodreads Giveaway. Many thanks to the author and publisher for their generosity!
Fascinating look at the world of Basque cuisine. There is something for everyone - from the pro home chefs who aren't challenged by recipes with dozens and dozens of ingredients to the more amateur home chef who prefer recipes with only a handful of ingredients.
The only reason I knocked off half a star is that when it comes to cookbooks, I need a picture every recipe. After all, you eat with your eyes first. I would have liked to have seen more pictures included.
June 23, 2017
This cookbook has beautiful photographs and the narrative is a nice introduction to the foods Basque cuisine. If you are familiar with Basque cooking, you are probably familiar with many of the unique ingredients and recipes. However, for a novice cook, this book if probably too advanced. Many obscure ingredients and recipes that probably wouldn't be found in the average cooks kitchen. Nonetheless, it is a lovely cookbook and a nice addition to kitchen of anyone who either collects cookbooks or enjoys reading about/cooking different ethnic recipes. "In compliance with FTC guidelines, I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads."
April 12, 2016
I was given an e-copy from NetGalley for an honest review... This was such an intriguing book. I loved the personal touch by the author. You can tell that the recipes were well tested and loved. I have made some of the recipes to test how easy they were to create and if they were as tasty as they sounded. I was very happy with the results. There is lots of love in the pages of this book. I reviewed an e-copy and cannot wait to be able to purchase the actual book.
May 31, 2016
3.5 Stars
An in-depth introduction to Basque eating, drinking, and cooking with beautiful pictures and eclectic but authentic recipes. It's interesting and well-organized, but for more advanced cooks. There's quite a few seafood recipes, so some ingredients may be harder to come by for landlubbers. There's a nice section on wine that I loved. For more experienced chefs and anyone interested in Basque culture.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
An in-depth introduction to Basque eating, drinking, and cooking with beautiful pictures and eclectic but authentic recipes. It's interesting and well-organized, but for more advanced cooks. There's quite a few seafood recipes, so some ingredients may be harder to come by for landlubbers. There's a nice section on wine that I loved. For more experienced chefs and anyone interested in Basque culture.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
June 2, 2016
The Basque Book by Alexandra Raij with Eder Montero is so much more than just simply a cookbook. Along with the many different recipes there are excellent informational introductions for each recipe as well as for each section. I can't wait to try out the recipes. If you're an adventurous cook or just looking for something different, this book will have some recipes for you.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 29, 2016
This is a Basque-fusion cookbook based on the author's Txikito restaurant. The recipes aren't too complicated for the most part but some of the recipes might produce a bit much for home use and would be hard to scale back. They are weighted towards the carnivore end of the eating spectrum. The few tapas recipes are interesting, but I have a fairly good tapas book already.
It does make me want to eat Basque food again and look for a more home-style Basque cookbook.
It does make me want to eat Basque food again and look for a more home-style Basque cookbook.
October 4, 2016
100 beautifully photographed Basque region recipes heavy on seafood and items that you are recommended to import from Spain. Both of those options aren't really feasible for me where I am and at the financial level I am at. I did enjoy looking though.
June 22, 2016
A beautiful blend of culture & delicious recipes. Beautiful pictures with interesting stories. A total joy.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews