One of the great pleasures of running this site is the opportunity it affords me to meet new people. And such was the case with Jesus Lizaso, a sculptor from Basauri, who was coming to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to discuss showing his work in a local gallery. Jesus doesn’t speak much English and, travelling […]
I’ve decided on a new resolution, not for New Year’s, but regarding my visits to Euskal Herria. The thing is, I visit, I spend a lot of time with my dad’s family which I of course greatly enjoy, I see some friends (though not nearly all of them), and I come home. I don’t end […]
TWO YOUNG COOKS WIN IV SAMMIC SCHOLARSHIP TO COOK WITH BASQUE CHEFS Earlier, I posted about the previous BasqueStage contest for young cooks to work with world-renown chefs in the Basque Country. Well, the 4th edition of the contest has just been decided and two new young men will be joining Chef Berasategui. The following […]
I first met Gontzal Aranguren maybe 15 years ago as part of what became the Seattle Euskal Etxea — the Basque Club of Seattle. Gontzal was one of several transplants from the Basque Country living in Seattle and who became an important part of the fledging club. Gontzal is an interesting twist on the Basque-American […]
Way back in 1991, in between my sophomore and junior years at the University of Idaho, I took a year off to study both Basque and Spanish in the Basque Country through the program offered by the University Studies Abroad Consortium — USAC. I was more interested in Basque, but both my dad and my […]
Over the last maybe 10 years, my dad has really taken to making some traditional Basque foods. When I was a kid, he didn’t cook at all — typical dinners prepared by dad involved stove fires. But, now that he has a bit more time, he’s found his specialties, especially tortilla española. Along with mom’s […]
Twenty years ago, I was living in the Basque Country, in Donostia, trying my best to learn Batua. After resisting all of my parents’ efforts to get me into Basque dancing back at home, I had decided, on my own, to immerse myself as much as I could into the Basque culture. I wanted to […]
“No mus.” “Envido.” “Hordago!” Words fly as they gathered around tables, four men huddled around each one, cards changing hands as fast as chips changing sides. These men, most of them immigrants from the Basque Country who started their lives in the United States as sheepherders, were now celebrating one of the youngster’s birthdays. After […]
Press Release: November 14, 2011, (ALICANTE, SPAIN): Chef Martín Berasategui has announced the winners of the 2012 3rd Sammic Scholarship with BasqueStage at Lo Mejor de la Gastronomía in Alicante Spain. The winners are Ruth Selby and Elisha Ben-Haim, and they will join the kitchen of Restaurante Martín Berasategui, ranked in the San Pellegrino World’s […]
Continuing on the big news of ETA ending violence, here are two more perspectives that might be of interest. First, Mark Bieter, who, by the way, has a wonderful blog that you should be reading if you aren’t already, has an interview he did with Jaime Otamendi, who is “a long-time ETB journalist and host, […]
