---
No preamble necessary. It's all in the title. Totally acceptable for this to be breakfast three to five days a week.
1. You know how to make this.
---
---
If an incredible flavor-to-ease-of-preparation ratio is something you seek, this romesco sauce is for you. Originating from the Catalonia region of Spain, fisherman first devised this superb sauce as an accompaniment to their fresh catch, but it truly goes with just about anything. Fish, grilled vegetables, pork... other things. You get the idea.
With the aid of a food processor or blender you'll be done in a quarter of an hour, leaving you with plenty of time to contemplate time itself. Our relationship with it, the constant push yet perpetual lack of it, our propensity to squander it... also, you can make the sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week.
1. Pulse the first 8 ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped. Then, with the motor still slowly running, add the olive oil with similar slow determination and continue to process until as smooth as desired.
2. Above is it. No more directions. You're on your own, henceforth.
---
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit.
In Basque Country, you'll find piment d'Espelette sprinkled on salads in place of cracked black pepper, rubbed onto cured ham, or stirred into sauces and stews. The eponymous peppers of the village of Espelette in France are harvested in late summer and early autumn and strung by hand on the facades of buildings throughout the hamlet to dry in the sun, and dried further in wood-burning ovens prior to being ground into powder.
Complex, with a subtle spiciness, we thought we'd try adding piment d'Espelette to some summer cocktails to make unique twists on tried and true beverages of summer. When you have a friendly gathering on the deck on a warm summer's day, it's always good to shake up something new to drink.
Bloody Mary with piment d'Espelette
Whether you have your own secret Bloody Mary recipe or enjoy one of the many mixes readily available, you and your guests will enjoy a bit of piment d'Espelette along the rim of the glass and stirred in to taste. For a ready-made accoutrement, add a banderilla of gherkin, guindilla, olive, piquillo, and cocktail onion.
Maragrita with piment d'Espelette
We followed Geoffrey Zakarian's classic margarita recipe with piment d'Espelette added to the sugar and salt along the rim. A refreshing, resounding success.
You might also try experimenting by adding piment d'Espelette to grapefruit juice and vodka cocktails, mango daiquiris, or your other favorite summer drink. The possibilities are endless.
---
Total Time: 10 minutes. About 6-8 servings.
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, coat the almonds in oil and espelette. Toast for 8-10 minutes, tossing occasionally.
2. Eat warmed or cool.
---
Our attempt at Geoffrey Zakarian's classic margarita with espelette recipe on a summer's evening.
You can find the piment d'Espelette here, and the full margarita recipe on the Food Network.
---
An easy tapa (with the aid of a food processor or blender), The asparagus and romesco sauce complement each other well. So well, in fact, people will taste this and say, "Wow... wow, this is good." Enjoy the impressed looks sent your way.
Total Time: 15-20 minutes.
1. Set aside the white asparagus. All you'll need to do with these is open the jar.
2. For the romesco sauce, pulse the first 8 ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped. Then, with the motor still slowly running, add the olive oil with the same slow determination and continue to process until as smooth as desired.
3. Spread the romesco sauce on a plate and place asparagus atop the sauce.
4. Eat.
---
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit.
Espelette chili peppers hang from the facade of a building in the village of Espelette in French Basque Country.
---
What is Piment d’Espelette? Red chili pepper from the Basque region of France, just across the border from Spain, in the Nive Valley. The powdered form of Espelette pepper provides a subtle heat, and can be used as a colorful substitute for ground black pepper, cayenne, or hot paprika.
Only Piment d’Espelette grown and packed in one of just ten villages nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees is given AOP certification, a protected designation of origin that assures quality and authenticity. From one description I read, that had been (somewhat) translated from the French, this seal “implies a close link between this specific land, the product and the talent of men.” So, there you have it.
The chili pepper’s name comes from the village of Espelette (Ezpeleta in Basque), one of the aforementioned ten quaint villages. The winding streets are closely lined with small, old houses and boutiques maintaining the tradition of drying the eponymous peppers from their facades.
The pepper first arrived in the village in 1650, when a Basque sailor returned from the New World with the vibrant pepper. Over time, the pepper because a cornerstone of Basque cuisine, a ubiquitous ingredient even deemed worthy of its own festival, celebrated annually on the last weekend of October with traditional dances, concerts, parades. As good an excuse for a party as anything.
Visit the links below to learn more about Piment d’Espelette and the village which provides its name.
Espelette Tourism Guide from Eusk Guide. If you're considering a trip to Basque Country, this is a good place to start.
Luke Nguyen’s France. Luke visits the village of Espelette, sees some peppers, has a great time.
Another delicious pintxo without the prep. Just open a jar of marinated grilled artichokes, a jar of Cantabrian anchovies, and add a dash of piment d'Espelette, paprika, or other spice that in your best judgement would work pretty well.
Total Time (preparation and cooking): 5 minutes (if that)
