Transition back after the BasqueStage…
After living the first half of 2012 in Pais Vasco, I have returned to California. I came home with excitement, ready to start in earnest my cooking career. I left … Continue reading
Walking the Camino de Santiago
Next time you feel like walking twenty-two kilometers, I have just the trail for you. It runs from Donostia to nearby surf-spot Zarautz, and the views are out of this … Continue reading
Wrapping up at Aroa
Time flies when you’re harvesting peas, right? This maxim- and the classic …when you’re having fun- applies to our most recent and final apprenticeship at Aroa farm. Elisha and I … Continue reading
How to Grow Lots of Lettuce
One of the morning chores at Aroa is to harvest lettuce. Depending on the orders from restaurants and gourmet markets, we will harvest boxes and boxes of lettuces, escarole, baby … Continue reading
On the Farm at Aroa
I have never sneezed so much in my life. While I’ve always been a bubble kid in terms of allergies, these past three weeks have been a doozy. My fellow … Continue reading
Tending Sheep, Making Cheese: One week at Martin Txiki
“It takes ten thousand hours of practice to master a skill,” Elisha reminded me. We were watching Tere, a veteran local cheese maker, cut the curds of sheepsmilk to make … Continue reading
Lights, Camera, Action!
One of the cool things about being a BasqueStage Scholar is the opportunity to film videos and recipe demonstrations for Sammic, the kitchenware manufacturer that sponsors our six months in … Continue reading
Wrapping up at Fronton de Tolosa
The BasqueStage is sure keeping us on our toes! Fellow Sammic scholar Elisha Ben-Haim and I recently finished another stage, this time at the traditional Basque restaurant Fronton de Tolosa. … Continue reading
Rompeolas- Lunch on the Streets of Tolosa
Ever wonder what it’s like to cook for 250 people? Fellow Sammic BasqueStage scholar Elisha Ben Haim and I found out last week. We collaborated with Chef Roberto Ruiz, head … Continue reading
Wrapping up at Solana
My, how time flies when you’re having fun! I’ve finished another short stage, this time in vinoteca Solana in Tolosa. An intimate wine bar with pintxos and a menu that … Continue reading
eat. write. smile. 