Perambulate the Parte Vieja of Donostia-San Sebastián and sample the pintxos with Tom Mullen, writing for Forbes Magazine.
“There are three secrets to making a good pintxo,” Juan Mari explained. “It must be easy to make, have excellent taste—filled with flavors, and also be elegant.”
A collection of Spanish seafood conservas serving suggestions sure to delight. Spain maintains a tradition of preserving some of the finest examples of Cantabrian anchovies, mussels, sardines, octopus, and more. The suggestions below are but a small example of that tradition, put forth in pintxo form.
For additional serving suggestions, see our aptly titled recipes and serving suggestions page.
Sauce vierge is French, but there's no reason not to incorporate it into tapas and pintxos. International cooperation is good, for both diplomacy and food.
The sauce itself is simple, straightforward, and flavorful; and has a thousand variations. At the heart is a combination of olive oil, chopped tomatoes, lemon juice, and basil. What you see pictured includes shallots, salt, and pepper. You might also include parsley, chives, capers, coriander, tarragon, chervil, or some other unmentioned herb or spice. Experiment. Make something new. Unheated, you'll have it ready at a moment's notice (some recipes call for heating, like this one from the New York Times; to each his own).
Often served with shellfish or other seafood, it's difficult to go wrong with how you use sauce vierge. Above, you see white asparagus. Below, you see octopus in olive oil. Both are excellent options. You might consider it with Bonito del Norte tuna or piquillo peppers or sardines; you have options. However you choose to serve it, you'll be sure to enjoy the results.
The Robin Hood restaurant in Madrid, Spain charges the rich and feeds the poor. Paying customers at breakfast and lunch allow the restaurant to serve dinner to homeless people, free of charge. An 80-year-old Catholic priest, known simply as "Padre Ángel", opened the restaurant in early December, saying, "I want them to eat with the same dignity as any other customer, and the same quality, with glasses made of crystal, not plastic, and in an atmosphere of friendship and conversation."
For the full article, please visit npr.org.
Photo above by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images
Our partner and friend, Pedro Rubio de Urquía, was recently the erudite host and guide for the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper and writer Alya B. Honasan. With Pedro's guidance, the reader travels the length of "The Journey of Olive Oil", from the hand-picked olive trees through the extraction process, and glimpses the still artisanal approach to creating the best bottle of olive oil possible. As Pedro says with a chuckle, "The concept is like good wine: Taste, enjoy, then open a second bottle.”
Read the full article at inquirer.net.
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For a simple, classic example of a pintxo from Donostia-San Sebastián, just skewer a guindilla pepper, a Cantabrian anchovy fillet, and a manzanilla olive on a toothpick. Allegedly invented at Bar Casa Vallés in San Sebastián and named for Rita Hayworth's character Gilda in the eponymous film that opened the same year. A classic with a hint of spiciness that stands the test of time.
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Total Time: Basically no time.
1. Just skewer the three ingredients on a toothpick and you have your pintxo. Later, after your guests have proclaimed how delicious it is and lavished you with praise, casually mention the Rita Hayworth trivia then take a knowing sip of wine. Bask in the awe.
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