Pintxos: Small Plates in the Basque Tradition [Hardcover]

Gerald Hirigoyen (Author), Lisa Weiss (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 1, 2009

An authentic small plates cookbook from the top Basque chef in America.

Acclaimed chef Gerald Hirigoyen's sophisticated and delectable small plates, served at his restaurants, Bocadillos and Piperade, set the standard for tapas in San Francisco. This book features 75 distinctive California-inflected versions of Spanish tapas and French Basque dishes (including Salt Cod with Piperade, Roasted Beets with Moroccan Spices, and Oxtail Empanadas with Spicy Mango Dip) specially written for the home cook. Conveniently organized by type of dish--grilled, soups, braises, skewers and toasts, sandwiches, bean dishes, and fried foods--and illustrated with the exemplary photography of James Beard award-winning photographer Maren Caruso, PINTXOS is all you need to host an authentic and stylish tapas party at home.

"[Bocadillos is] the most captivating and authentic-feeling Spanish tapas-style restaurant in the city." --Michael Bauer, San Francisco ChronicleReviews“[A] tasty and broad array of small plates that will tantalize and satisfy.”—Publishers Weekly 

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hirigoyen, chef/owner of San Francisco's Piperade and Bascadillos and author of The Basque Kitchen, makes a worthy contribution to the rapidly growing number of cookbooks from the Iberian peninsula. Hirigoyen focuses on pintxos, Basque for tapas or finger foods, a specialty taken very seriously in his homeland. Many of the selections can be made ahead of time, and many are served at room temperature. Recipes are paired with wine suggestions, including such hard-to-match plates as fried chicken sandwiches, lamb's tongue, and artichoke chips. Dishes are grouped by food type—little sandwiches, stews and braises, fried bites, skewers, etc. Highlights include duck breast with oranges and green olives, tuna belly with lemon confit, tomato and watermelon salad, and fava beans with crème fraîche and mint. A detailed pantry section includes recipes for such staples as aioli, with lemon and orange/saffron variations; ham dust; garlic chips; and veal stock. With 75 recipes and 50 full-color photographs, Hirigoyen showcases a tasty and broad array of small plates that will tantalize and satisfy. (Apr.)
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Review

“[A] tasty and broad array of small plates that will tantalize and satisfy.”
—Publishers Weekly 
 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press (April 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580089224
• ISBN-13: 978-1580089227
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.8 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #98,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > European > Spanish
  • #33 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Meals > Appetizers

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice recipes but not an impressive coverage of the stated topic January 7, 2011

By C. J. Thompson

Format:Hardcover

I suppose the two authors of this book cover themselves to some degree by using the words 'in the Basque tradition' in the subtitle, but I was rather expecting a look at variations on dishes that are either actually currently served in Spain, or that else have been traditionally prepared in older Basque cookery. Some recipes *do* specify that a given recipe is fairly typical of restaurants in certain Spanish communities (and some are otherwise immediately recognizable as typical Tapas dishes) but the bulk seem to be creations of Gerald Hirigoyen that were just merely 'inspired' by his experiences of Basque cuisine. As is noted in the introductory text, many cuisines have equivalents to Pintxos and, in the final analysis, I have to really wonder why this book can really be any more about the Basque variation of the appetizer than, say, Meze, Zakuski or plain old Hors-d'oeuvres. I like many of the recipes I read, and will certainly try some, but I really wanted a book that educated me about Pintxos actually offered in Basque-country. I do not believe I got that here. I rather think that this book is an unfortunate collaboration between a good chef who cannot write and a good writer who does not understand food (or foodies) very well.

Oh, finally.... if one is going to include pictures in a book (and the ones in this volume are technically and artistically excellent), then why (OH WHY???) not make them pictures of the actual dishes instead of the graphically pleasing, but largely irrelevant images that accompany the various recipes? I might have given 4 stars if the authors/publishers had followed this simple idea.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Party by Pintxos May 14, 2011

By Aceto TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Gerald Hirigoyen is from San Sebastien, that beautiful Atlantic coast town on the little crook neck between France and Spain. It is neither. It is Basque, from the striped colored cloth to the bright red pepper. Stay there and take pleasant day drives over to Bilbao (see the Guggenheim) and to Biarritz (19th century playground of Europe). Authentic Basque cookbooks are the devil to come by. This one rhymes well and is honest to the ham bone. If you want a book to drive a long or even a short party, come hither. Beginners welcome. Experts will find their nuggets.

This is a fine collection of Basque inspired tapas (for pintxos just say PEEN-chos) recipes, nicely organized and with wine parings. From griddle, beans, fried bites, little sandwiches, bites on bread, stews and braises, soups, salads to the skewers from which the book gets it's name (pinchers) these are treats. The back of the book offers recipes for panty items to have at your ready like piperade and basic sauces. You get a simple explanation of vinegars with a reduction tip to make moscatel vinegar as a usable substitute for aged (sweet sixteen plus) balsamic. Most balsamic we see is too young for anything but salad.

The Basque dinner hours are late and long. You cannot be fooling with complex timing and rigidity. This is food to ignite your party and fuel it through the wee hours. From "Figs Marinated in Sherry with Aged Goat Cheese and Basil", "Baby Beets, Cucumbers, Olives and Feta Skewers," "Caramelized Onions with Idiazabal Cheese", "Seared beef with Piquillo Pepper and Shallot Jam", to "Chicken Skewers with Yogurt-Mint Dipping Sauce" and "Duck Breast with Oranges and Green Olives"....

The "Tomato and Watermelon Salad" sounds dissonant, but just taste the cucumber, avocado, herbs, vinegar and olive oil. These recipes are well written and easy to follow. Such recipes are a good introduction to cooking for the less experienced who need not feel intimidated to try; and for the 20-30 year old crowd who want something easy and tasty when you invite friends over without having to spend the day in the kitchen or spend a lot on money on dinner.

For those above thirty, this is the serious working part of the book. When we want to carry a stew that is new to all, look here. A pot, a ladle and a stack of bowls carry the day. No need to serve hot from the hob. Same with soups.

I have been pleased, usually, by the publications from Ten Speed Press in Berkeley. The pages are crisply and functionally laid out for us. The photography is not overbearing. The book is durably bound and made from heavy stock and seemingly, acid-free paper. Read more ›

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Appetizers for a Meal that Never Comes April 4, 2010

By Edward Fristrom

Format:Hardcover

While every review so far has the word "Basque" in it, the book isn't just Basque. Hirigoyen has french training and runs two restaurants in California, so there are some dishes here that you wouldn't find looking at restaurants in Northern Spain. One dish is essentially duck l'orange with olives thrown in, and there's a calamari dish with black-eyed peas; both recipes speak to how much his dishes are informed by his biography. I like these dishes however, and the more traditional tapas you can find there as well. I only draw the line at "Scallops with Lychee Gazpacho" which was sickly sweet and evoked no landscape or culture in particular. The bottom line though is that I'm a self-taught amateur cook, but I felt like I could tackle most of these small dishes. The only challenge is really hunting down ingredients. Trader Joe's carries some common ingredients like piquillo and guindilla peppers, but you really need a Spanish specialty store nearby to get full coverage for the recipes which call for piment d'espelllette, choricero peppers and ventresca tuna. I review the book with more detail and humor at: [...]

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Pintxos: Small Plates in the Basque Tradition April 24, 2010

By Ralph Lowry

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Excellent cookbook, delicious recipes, easy to follow. Some of the ingredients are a bit exotic and difficult to find, but worth the search or purchasing from specialty purveyors on-line.

12 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars New tastes to please the most critical May 5, 2009

By Laura Ellis

Format:Hardcover

I am always looking for new foods, new ways to present old foods and new techniques to prepare them. This book is a treasure! The food of the Basque region of Spain has them all, and this book presents them in a tapas-like format. Pintos is the Basque version of tapas. Great party foods!

5.0 out of 5 stars tapas February 8, 2013

By Alice H Krause

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Relative to other tapas cookbooks, I love to see the photos. The recipes are incredibly luscious and made several of the dishes for a holiday party. As always arrived in several days, and in perfect condition. many thanks.