Traditional Basque Cooking: History and Preparation

Briefly looks at the history of Basque cuisine and provides traditional recipes for vegetables, meat, poultry, game, fish, seafood, eggs, and desserts

This unpolished translation from the Spanish, which explores culinary history and techniques of the Basque region, requires a fairly sophisticated and tolerant audience. For example, readers are informed that "the persistence of recipes for roasted meats in largely masculine cooking is noteworthy." Context makes the sentence more comprehensible, without making itor pages of sentences like itmore fluent. Lengthy conjectures on early cooking may, at some points, stand more on confidence than evidence. Conversely, discussion of the modern chocolate industry is limited to three unenlightening sentences. However, even with its shortcomings, the volume does offer English-speaking readers a cookbook of another modern culture, written within and for that society. Consequently, students of Basque social customs or of international cookery may find the book and its 44 recipes valuable. The author is a Basque chef and food writer. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.