The market tradition – the tapas bar – tejas and the cake shop – the butcher – vegetables and menestra – Francisco Gainza, the mushroom seller – scrambled eggs with zizak – beans from the New World – cooking with salt-cod – José Martin the shepherd and cheesemaker – intzaursalsa, walnut and cinnamon cream
Life on a farm – the kitchen garden – Cándida’s daily-round – beans and other home-grown vegetables – family meals and lengua a la tolosana – winter compote – Basque ‘peasant’ cooking – pickled chillies – farmhouse cider – omelettes – pig-killing day – chorizo – the pleasures of self-sufficiency
Ondárroa – anchovy and sardine fishing – costera del bonito – preparing tunny and salt-cod – the summer fiestas and marmitako – buñuelos, custard fritters – the canning industry – bream and tunny fishing – red mullet – pesca de altura – life at sea – the women at home – fishing today
The Tradition of the Kaiku-Maker
The lure of the valley – Domingo, the kaiku-maker – Domingo’s wife and cheesemaking – the workshop – birch tree felling – making a kaiku – mamia with fruit – cheesemaking – talos – shepherds’ dishes – carnival time – pigeon-trapping and game dishes – witchcraft – the village inn – traditional roast lamb
The sidrerías: Basque sociability – probateko or tastings – fueros and the local laws – the city cider houses – vats and cider-making – an evening’s entertainment – the bodegas: Pedro Chueca’s wine education – cultivating the vines – cooking with txakolí – the disappearance of the caserios-txakolí – asadores and grilled fish
The oldest street in San Sebastián – Kika Belandia’s family – pastelitos de fruta – weekend meals and sopa de pescado – shopping in La Brecha market – the competition of the supermarkets – cocido and chickpea recipes – José Ramon’s delicacy, crayfish – a social life – Carnival celebrations at Tolosa
Luciano Belandia, society cook – admittance to the sociedades – their origins in the War of Independence – idiosyncratic cooks – Luciano’s specialities – sporting activities – the secret of scrambled eggs – today’s cooks – pimientos – tapas – male dominance – fruit dishes and tocinos de cielo – the Tamborrada, a culinary fiesta
The renaissance of Basque cooking – a love of good food – Pedro’s restaurant – shopping and preparing a menu – cocina marinera and shellfish dishes – nueva cocina vasca – lubina a la pimienta verde – duck-russulas – fig and walnut millefeuille