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The curry yogurt goes with a multitude of things, really. The octopus in olive oil is at the top of the list, but you can mix and match and concoct your own standout dish. Or just spread it all over some toast. That's good, too.
Total Time: 7 minutes.
1. In an appropriately sized bowl, mix together the yogurt, curry powder, lime juice, brown sugar, and salt. Do this all to taste, and make the sauce your own. Want even more spice? Add red pepper flakes. Want more sweetness? More brown sugar for you. Experiment. Learn about yourself. Emerge a better person for it.
2. In a pan, heat up the octopus until you get some nice charring.
3. Serve on a plate worthy of this delicious offering.
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The pinnacle of pizza, in no time at all? Yes. All who partake in this particular pizza will be pleased with their lunchtime decision, the afternoon to follow, life.
Total Time: 10 minutes.
1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Put all the ingredients on top of the naan. How much of each is up to you. Make this your own.
2. Cook for 10 minutes or so, until the cheese is properly melted and the time is right to enjoy your creation.
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No need to complicate things when time is short and the ingredients are exquisite. Just three things are required for this astoundingly good appetizer.
Total Time: very little.
1. Lather those slices of a rustic loaf in olive oil and place them in a pan over medium-high heat. Cook until the desired, golden crispness.
2. Place anchovies, a lot or a little, on these toasts.
3. Enjoy.
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In San Sebastián, the biggest festival of the year starts at the stroke of midnight on January 20th. The city flag is raised in the main plaza of Old Town to begin La Tamborrada de San Sebastián, the celebration of the city's patron saint, with drum parades and festivities in every neighborhood for the next 24 hours. A tradition dating back to (at least) 1836, today more than 147 companies march through the streets and fill the city with song.
How did such a raucous party come to be? According to Eusko Guide, during the Peninsular War Napoleon took control of the city, his troops banging their drums as they patrolled. Donostiarran women, collecting water for their families at the city's fountains, responded by mocking the occupiers, banging on their buckets in defiance.
Since then the festival has evolved. The famous culinary clubs (sociedades gastronómicas) form many of the bands that now march, the drummers donning chef's garb. Traditional foods are served. And most importantly, for a full 24 hours everyone in the city, young and old, celebrates overcoming tragedy, coming together as one, and happiness for all. Inauteriak datoz! Carnival is coming!
photo credit: Donostia Kultura
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photo credit: San Sebastián Turismo
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What's one of the traditional dishes that accompany these revels? Angulas. Tiny elver eels, warmed lightly in olive oil with a touch of garlic. As authentic angulas are quite expensive to source, the true product is typically reserved for special occasions. Such as this, obviously. Bring a taste of the celebration stateside with a tin or two.
Would you like more information on La Tamborrada? Look no further than this article from award-winning author, trained chef, and industry expert on Spanish and Basque cuisine, Marti Buckley.
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Christmas gift-giving always brings a certain amount of stress that may hinder partaking in the season's merriment. These book suggestions for the food lovers in your life will hopefully alleviate some of that anxiety and allow you to indulge in a full allotment of cheer.
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Basque Country: A Culinary Journey Through a Food Lover's Paradise by Marti Buckley
"Firewood in the oven, the crackle of a fire, the profound aroma of earth, and a countryside teeming with life -- these are the 'flavors' of the morning at Etxebarri, my restaurant in the tiny village of Axpe, Bizkaia," writes chef Bittor Arginzoniz in the foreword of this book on all things Basque."These smells, sounds and sights are typical of a Basque village."
Author Marti Buckley, an American who has lived in Basque Country for over eight years, evokes all of these smells, sounds and sights in this collection of recipes and histories that represent so much of the character of the region. From anchovies to piment d'Espelette, pintxos to txakoli, dining societies to cider houses, Buckley, a "seeker of essences", brings to each page the magic of Basque Country.
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Vegetables Unleashed: A Cookbook by José Andrés and Matt Goulding
Are vegetables sexy? If you need persuading that the answer is yes, José Andrés will do so with his trademark lust for life. Whether "grilling a peach until its flesh takes on the texture of a lobe of foie gras," or "slicing a tomato still warm from the sun and hitting it with a few crystals of coarse salt until it sheds tomato tears on the plate," writes co-author Matt Goulding, "If you don't believe in the sensuousness of produce, Jose has done his best to change that in these pages." From recipes centered on the produce of each season to conservas like guindilla peppers, white asparagus, and piquillo peppers, even the most ardent carnivores will have a new appreciation for the possibilities of plant-based dishes. As Andrés writes, "Seek out the life-changing bites."
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Salt Smoke Time: Homesteading and Heritage Techniques for the Modern Kitchen by Will Horowitz, Melissa Dobson, and Julie Horowitz
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." This quote from Albert Einstein adorns the back cover of this tome that delves into time-tested techniques for the modern kitchen. Will Horowitz specializes in "smoked, pickled, and preserved foods, with a focus on developing more sustainable food systems through the study of food history and nature" and in these pages you'll find detailed explanations of a variety of preservation techniques to make your own conservas, what preserved foods to stock your pantry with, and the recipes to use them in, including a particularly enticing pickled green tomatoes with caramelized shallots and cinnamon.
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The Bonus Tchotchke Suggestion: Casa Burner with Pinon Natural Wood Incense
Not especially food-related, no, but tchotchkes are as fun to say as they are to give as gifts. Want to elicit a smile? Give a loved one a thoughtful tchotchke. What tchotchke fits the bill? How about one that has a woodsy, wintery aroma wafting from it's tiny chimney? Create the ideal ambiance for a cozy winter's afternoon with this tiny pueblo dwelling, featured amongst the selection of fine-yet-affordable gifts in Bon Appetit's The Under $25 Gift Guide Full of Gifts You'd Never Guess Were Under $25 (along with some sensational anchovies you may recognize).
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A national grocery store of some renown offers a fine selection of Indian fare, packaged and ready to eat after but a few minutes of heating. The particular offering used above, of garden vegetables and paneer cheese with spices and cashews is made all the more mouthwatering with the addition of Bonito del Norte tuna loins as a protein. A conservas lunch as quick as it is delicious.
Total Time: A few minutes.
1. Warm the Jaipur Vegetables in the style of your choosing.
2. Top with Bonito del Norte tuna. Perhaps give it a moment to cool slightly, and let the spices mix with the fish. Contemplate the ease with which you've created such a flavorsome meal. Enjoy.
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More specifically, a white bean purée. For expediency, you can find such a creamy spread at your local market under the guise of a dip or white bean hummus. If time is on your side, you can create your own in about 30 minutes following these instructions from Leite's Culinaria. A simple montadito that can be made in moments (once you have the purée ready and waiting ahead of time).
Total Time: depends.
1. Put all the things above on top of each other, in the order pictured.
2. While sampling what you've made, perhaps you'll find yourself gazing out the window at the skyline of Chicago, softly lit in the late afternoon sun as clouds roll in off the lake. Offices in skyscrapers going dark as their dwellers depart for the night, apartments brightening as their inhabitants return home. The far too early frigid air snapping at it all, almost visible against the plumes of warm air emanating from chimneys from here to there. Something like this.
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Photo by Chuck Bandel
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On view until December 1, visit The Dalí in St. Petersburg, Florida for this exhibition featuring food photography, behind-the-scenes looks at restaurant life in Basque Country, and images that celebrate Salvador Dalí's homeland. Then stop by the museum's Cafe Gala to enjoy a tste of Spain yourself.
For more information, visit The Dalí.
For more photographs from Chuck Bandel, follow him on Instagram.
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Photo by Bon Appétit
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Bon Appétit's Best Weekend Ever culminates in this bash that brings together the 10 best new restaurants in America. For anyone that finds themselves in Brooklyn this weekend, tickets are available. You may see a tiny fish or two.
For those farther afield, peruse the 50 nominees for the Hot 10 and find the nearest best new restaurant to celebrate.
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Dress your salad properly.
Total Time: 3 minutes.
1. Put all of the above in a food processor and blender and hold the button down until you've reached desired consistency.
2. Allow flavors to meld in the refrigerator and store it there, as you do with salad dressing.
2. Consume with a nod of satisfaction every time you use it over the course of the next week.
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A Bundle of Asparagus, 1880.
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In 1880, Eduoard Manet sold the above painting, A Bunch of Asparagus, to collector and art historian Charles Ephrussi. So delighted with the work was Ephrussi that he paid Manet 1,000 francs, 200 above the asking price. In response, the artist quickly painted the single sprig below and sent it to Ephrussi with the note, "there was one missing from your bunch."
A Sprig of Asparagus, 1880. Musée d'Orsay
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We apologize if you found yourself in a situation where you had to settle for a poor substitute and were left wanting. No more. The best are back. Our manzanilla olives stuffed with piquillo pepper are available for order once again. Replenish your supply today, so you'll always be satisfied.
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