The Basque Book

Starred review from March 7, 2016
This stellar collection offers 116 original, fresh recipes that without exception stimulate the taste buds and inspire cooks to rush into the kitchen. Raij and Montero, the chefs and owners of N.Y.C. restaurant Txikito, pay homage to the simplicity and deep flavors of Basque cooking. From basics such as brining, oil, mayo, and a wealth of stocks to pintxos, eggs, and stews, the chefs entice with each and every dish. Marinated mushrooms with vermouth and garlic, cold-poached shrimp with white asparagus, and open-faced fried quail egg and chorizo sandwiches demonstrate the variety and vibrancy of the offerings. A chapter on the bounty of kitchen gardens features mushroom confit, leeks poached in their own juices with chopped egg, and roasted red peppers with oil-cured anchovies, each dish distinctly flavorful and exceptional. Even a simple frisée salad is elevated with the additional of golden garlic and parsley. Eggs are cooked in every way imaginable and showcased in Spanish tortillas, with blood sausage in omelets, and deviled with tuna and foie gras. Campfire trout, butterflied and baked with jamón ibérico and garlic, is simply wondrous, as is the paprika-marinated pork loin roast. Sweets and beverages round out this superb cookbook, an outstanding introduction to traditional Basque cuisine.

June 15, 2016

Raij and Eder Montero are the chefs and owners of New York restaurants El Quito Pino, La Vara, and Txikito. Writing with James Beard award-winning author Rebecca Flint Marx, they've produced a handsome cookbook that invites readers to cook their way leisurely through 114 Basque recipes, including piquillo peppers stuffed with cod, paprika-marinated pork loin roast, and walnut semifreddo with salted chocolate sauce. Packed with basics (e.g., poached eggs, mayonnaise, fish stock), pinxtos (small plates), seafood dishes, and more, the book will tempt seasoned cooks and armchair travelers. VERDICT Part cookbook, part travelog, this richly descriptive title is a pleasure to read and recalls evocative, landscape photography-rich works such as Giorgio Locatelli's Made in Sicily.

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