Bask, San Francisco

I come from a Basque family so going to a restaurant like this means competing with my grandmother's cooking, and that's dangerous. San Francisco has a surprisingly large Basque community including multiple Basque restaurants and a cultural centre, so I'm hopeful when I book dinner with friends.

The Lauburu (Basque cross) is on just about everything, which is a sure sign that the staff and owners are actually Basque. I have a lauburu tattoo which quickly draws attention from our waiter and he asks about where my family is from. It turns out the chef at Bask is from Eibar in Gipuzkoa - the same home town as my family - and the food is consequently authentic and familiar.

There are larger 'main' dishes on the menu but I think of pintxos as the ultimate Basque food, and since I'm catching up with friends from Australia some drinks and a variety of small plates is about perfect.

Charcuterie plate $15USD

Serrano ham, chorizo and blood sausage are served with lots of bread. Every meal with my family would start with chorizo and bread so this is a must for me. This is chorizo as I remember it - hard cut spicey cured paprika sausage not the soft fresh sausage mince style that is common in Californian Mexican cooking.

Goat Cheese $10USD

Covered with pistachio and honey served over sultanas and caramelised onions then baked until warm and gooey. Perfect for sharing if you can fight your other diners for the dish. The tart goat cheese is offset by the sweet honey and crunchy nuts making this a perfect multi taste multi texture dish.

Albondigas $10USD

Basque style meatballs served in tomato sauce. Meatballs might seem simple but they call out to childhood nostalgia for just about everyone. Unlike American meatballs most European meatballs are made with multiple types of meat - in this case Lamb and Beef. I'm glad for the additional flavour profile since Lamb is not that common here in San Francisco. The sauce is very traditional and worth scooping up with the bread.

Ham Croquettes $9.50USD

Another childhood favourite croquetas in many forms are common throughout Spain. These are a traditional ham croquettes with an egg and roux based soft and salty filling. Perfect drinking food.

Gambas al ajillo $9.50USD

Prawns are fried simply in olive oil and garlic and served with lemon and a spicy aioli

Brie Bites $10.50USD

Not for the dieter this is rich beyond compare. Chunks of brie are covered in breading and then deep fried, served with a sweet jam. 

Tortilla $9USD

When people in California talk about tortillas they mean the thin corn or wheat bread products, but this egg and potato frittata is what the Spanish mean. Thinly sliced onion and potato is mixed with egg and fried in a pan then sliced into portions. This rendition is covered in more of the spicy aioli served with other dishes. 

Patatas Bravas $9USD

Another potato dish and a sure hit for the family - fried potates are served in a spicy tomato sauce. Great with cold beer or cider.

Arugula Salad $10USD

All that rich food needs a few vegetables to cut through the fat. This is really a California style dish but goes well with the Basque food. Arugula is dressed and toped with beets, blue cheese, walnuts and apple. 

 Brussel Sprouts $9.50USD

Brussel sprouts are one of those foods that I have discovered as an adult. Many people find that the savoury taste is only appealing as they age but for me these were decidedly absent in my house altogether - I am the only fan in my family! This is a great classic version fried with bacon and topped with parmesan cheese. The savoury taste is excellent with the meat dishes.

Flan $7USD

Time for dessert for some of the diners! We opt for more traditional Spanish options. Flan is an egg custard baked with a toffee bottom that self sauces when turned out of the custard cup. This isn't the best flan I've had - you can see the air bubbles have not been well tapped out so that the custard isn't as smooth as I like. The taste is spot on though. 

Churros $7USD

Churros are fairly common in California where there is a large Latin population but this is just how they should be served - covered in cinnamon sugar in small bites with a rich chocolate dipping sauce. If you can fit in more fried food after all those tasty tapas this is recommended and my partner looks like a kid in a candy shop as he wades in.

My impression? The food was very authentic and tasty, there is a huge range of small dishes that is sure to appeal to just about every diner including children and fussy eaters. There's a great range of wine, beer and cider available if you want to stay for a few drinks and small nibbles. Service was good though the restaurant was very busy on a Saturday night. Well worth a stop, I will definitely be taking family here when they visit.

Bask

http://www.basksf.com

42 Columbus Ave
San Francisco, CA 94111

Basque comfort food and small plates, great for sharing and drinking

Review: Chez Panisse, Berkeley

Chez Panisse is somewhat of a legend in the food industry; it held a Michelin Star for many years and was once named the "best restaurant in America". It is the child of food activist Alice Waters and is the first restaurant acknowledged for working with local farmers and producers to secure a 'local food movement'.

Accordingly this means that the menu is a set service - no choices or substitutions and all the food is seasonal and grown in the area.

Zinfandel Flight $45USD

The restaurant often has themed specials and we were there for Zinfandel week. The flight offered the same wine in 3 different vintages rather than a range of wineries. This might sound 'boring' but it's definitely an interesting expose of the effect of aging and the peak taste for a wine - older is not always better. While my family are what you might call "wine people" our knowledge of US wines is still building so this made for an interesting pre dinner drink (or 5).

The meal we arrived for had a decidedly Spanish flair to it which suited me perfectly. The set meal varies in price throughout the week - 'date nights' such as Friday and Saturday were significantly more expensive. We happened to get a booking on a Monday night and ergo was a very reasonably priced $65USD - you can expect to pay twice that on the weekend. 

Marinated olives

I have a weakness for all things pickled and while I find the olives in California generally disappointing these were wonderful. 

Baked in house artisan breads

Good bread is so hard to find in the US so this range of crusty old world loaves was a sight to see. 

Tortilla Bacalao with dandelion and radish salad

Bacalao is a Mediterranean salted cod preparation, very strong in flavour but well suited to this Spanish style potato tortilla with seasonal greens.

Cordero Andaluz

Roasted lamb shoulder cooked with saffron and honey - served with a kale potato cake and roasted fennel. The fennel and saffron was an unusual but delicious combination that I will need to remember in future. The lamb was easily the best I've had in the US, it's not a meat they serve often. Generally when one can find it is either Mutton or imported from Australia after who knows how many weeks. Fresh light lamb was well received.

Almond Panna Cotta

Again calling out to Spanish flavours it came served with quince and Valencia orange coulis. I like the lightness of the fruit and the almond flavour, very palette cleansing after the heavy lamb dish. This super creamy texture is one I love dearly and I will often seek out panna cotta when I can.

I will say this - never in my life have I struggled so hard to get a restaurant reservation, it felt like the plot in a romantic comedy television show. My parents had missed out on a reservation the last time they came to the US and were keen to get one this time. Panisse only takes reservations 1 month in advance (no more and less will leave you without one). Despite desperately logging on at the correct time I still managed to only get a 9:45pm seating. This is definitely a night a foodie needs to plan for.

Overall impressions? The food was very good and the service at its best but the Farm to Table concept is now a well touted one and while this was definitely a top class restaurant I would struggle to call it one of the best in America. That being said the movement they created is one that must be given its dues, without restaurants like Chez Panisse the modern food movement in the US would never have become what it is. Worth a side trip on a vacation and perhaps a special occasion meal but I feel little need to return.

Chez Panisse

http://www.chezpanisse.com

1517 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA 94709
Phone: (510) 548-5525

High class farm to table dining


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Review: La Tasca, Baltimore MD

I am always excited when I find decent food near tourist centres, it affords a great place to rest after a long walk and usually affords some great people watching.

In the US it can be difficult to find genuinely Spanish food as you usually end up with some Latin hybrid. La Tasca then surprised on two counts! We were here at lunch time so we decided to get a range of tapas to pick at.

Charcuterie and cheese with 5 Choices $22USD

Who doesn't love a big pile of meat and cheese? The choices here are good imported Spanish and French products. 

Chorizo alla Parilla $7USD

Simple but delicious, the hot paprika oil dripping off is always a good sign. 

Panceta de Cerdo $8USD

A big crispy serve of pork belly for $8, I'm a little surprised by the size but it's possible I'm still not used to US food servings. 

Albondigas alla Jiardinera $6.50USD

Albondigas are the Spanish version of Polpette and like all meatballs are a comfort food classic, this one is served in a Spanish style sauce made with red peppers and herbs. 

Espárragos Verdes a la Plancha $6.50USD

Again I'm surprised at the size of the plate for under $7 but the combination of cheaper US food and the lower cost of locally produced asparagus make for one happy foodie. Simply grilled with salt and lemon, it's a great offset to all that meat. 

The food was pretty good and the prices excellent, particularly when you think that La Tasca is right on the Inner Harbour in Baltimore and stones throw from tourist delights like Ripley's Believe it or Not. Usually this kind of area is home only to Ruby Tuesday's and chain BBQ joints so I'm happy that there's real food and it's reasonably authentic. 

That being said despite the fact that there's a lot of staff in the restaurant the service is spotty at best, it takes me a long time to get attention for drink refills and the person I do talk to blinks at me in lack of comprehension regardless of what language is used. Not a good sign. 

Given that we were in the restaurant on a gloomy quiet day I would hate to see what the service was like when they were busy, but if you're in the area for site seeing then poor service is better than eating at The Cheesecake Factory!

La Tasca

http://www.latascausa.com

Casual tapas and homestyle Spanish cooking

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Twitpic food round up

I know I've been terrible with the posting but here's some of my Twitpic deliciousness of recent times:



Dim Sum at the Pyrmont Fish Market



Espetada at Bartino... Pyrmont



Beef Rendang at Chinta Ria Darling Harbour



Kalbe ssam with ssamjang at Ashfield Korean BBQ



Chorizo al a plancha and albondigas at Captain Torres Sydney CBD



Meatballs and pasta at XXII Pyrmont



Freshly smoked salmon, cheese and all the trimmings at my father's house in Brisbane, Qld



Health Potion and Mana Potion Cocktails at Mana Bar Fortitude Valley, Qld



Gnocchi, pesto oil and rocket with goats cheese at the Botany View Hotel Newtown

Review: San Churro Chocolateria, Glebe

Churros are a real warm childhood memory for me; every Christmas morning we would eat them for breakfast with my grandmother's thick hot chocolate. My grandfather had a wonderful churrera that churned out perfect star shaped donuts cooked of course in Spanish olive oil. Since moving away from my family I've found it hard to find good churros, most of the ones you do see are of the Mexican style dusted in cinnamon and without chocolate... well what's the point of churros without chocolate?! Obviously the founders of San Churro feel the same way because really... their entire menu is churros and various types of chocolate. Awww yeah.



After a boiling hot day mincing around Glebe in ridiculous goth platforms I really needed a) air conditioning and b) a seat. San Churro provided both as well as lovely cool Spanish inspired arch and tile eatery.... and of course lots of chocolate.

It's rather amusing to note that San Churro is a purely Australian chain, not an import from a Hispanic country; but they got it all just right as far as I'm concerned.



The delicious display of cakes looked wonderful, but really I was there for the churros and hot chocolate so these little tempting treats would have to wait.



Similarly so for this display of truffles but they were too pretty not to take a picture of; you can read more on the new Coleccion Clasica truffle range here.

On to what we were really here for though!



Spanish Hot Chocolate Azteca $6.50

Spanish and Italian style hot chocolate is much thicker than their French or English counterparts; often made with a flour ingredient and almost roux style. This rendition is thick and rich, claiming to be from an 'authentic Spanish recipe' I can't verify but it is just lovely.

The Azteca is a South American inspired mix of cinnamon and chilli, which I am well known for loving. It is so tasty that I am virtually incable of letting it cool enough to drink because I want it all in my mouth right now! Very very much recommended. I am very interested in trying their other Spanish hot chocolates as there are Avellana, Mint and Gianduja flavours and more.



Milk Hot Chocolate $5.90

My companion goes for a more standard hot chocolate but is very enthusiastic about his choice. You can buy this in both couverture and standard versions, with a tablet of melting chocolate in the couverture version. I however will always stick with the more traditional Spanish style.



Churros for 1 $6.90

If you buy this for two you get twice as many churros and 2 chocolate pots. Given the richness of the hot chocolate though I am very glad I only buy this for one to share as we are undone by the end of the meal.

The churros seem to be made to a very standard traditional recipe for these "Spanish donuts" which requires making a roux based pastry using butter and eggs. This is then deep fried using the largest churrera I've ever seen, the wheel is more like that of a ship than a kitchen implement! The churros are warm and light, very rich but obviously using high quality oil that has been well drained. Being lactose intolerant I ask for dark chocolate, but a choice is offered. This is evidently recently melted good quality dark chocolate and the amount that is given is more than generous.

All in all this is a very good rendition, there is always a risk when you eat out the cuisine you are served by any ethnic grandmother, because they rarely stack up. This is the exception, let San Churro be your salvation!

San Churro Chocolateria, Glebe
http://www.sanchurro.com/
47 Glebe Point Road,
Glebe, NSW 2037
02 9692 0119


Mon-Thu 10am-11pm
Fri 10am-Midnight
Sat 9am-Midnight
Sun 10am-11pm

Cafe style eating, no alcohol, no reservations
Take away available

Recipe: Leche fritta - Fried milk

In my house these were called "pellas" but I can't for the life of me find a reference to that name online so I suspect that's the Basque (Euskadi) word for the dish. Leche fritta is "fried milk" in Spanish but really it's a very thick roux based custard which is fried and dusted with sugar and spice. Not an every day dish by any stretch of the imagination but creamy and light textured with a crisp shell it's a winner with kids and parents alike. A real childhood sense memory for me and a real Spanish classic that's common in most of the Latino world.



Leche fritta

1 cup cornstarch
1 cup sugar
4 cups (1 litre) full cream milk
1 cup cream
3 egg yolks
4 whole eggs
1 cinnamon quill
1/2 tspn nutmeg
Rind of 2 small lemons
50g butter
1 tspn vanilla extract (natural)


For dredging

2 cups plain flour
2 eggs

For dusting

1/2 cup caster sugar
1 tbpsn ground cinnamon

Method

Lightly oil a glass baking dish or slice pan or line with plastic food wrap.



Separate the egg yolks and ensure that the eggs are left to reach room temperature. In a medium heatproof bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 cup of the sugar.



Slowly whisk in the cup of cream. Add the egg yolks and 4 whole eggs and whisk until smooth.



In a medium saucepan combine the milk, nutmeg, cinnamon bark and lemon rind. Heat the milk over moderate heat until small bubbles begin to form around the edge of the surface.



Strain out the bark and then gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, mixing constantly. The mixture will thicken quickly once it reaches the right temperature; do not stop stirring with a steady hand or the custard will become lumpy.



Once it is as thick as porridge take the custard off the heat and stir in the butter and the vanilla; do not add the vanilla before the mixture is off the heat as it will lose much flavour if added too early.



Scrape the custard into the prepared baking dish and smooth the surface; let cool slightly. Refrigerate until very firm, at least 3 hours or overnight or place in the freezer for 90 minutes.



In a pie plate, whisk the remaining 2 eggs with a little milk. Spread the flour in 2 more pie plates.



Cut the custard into 4cm squares. In a large, deep nonstick skillet, heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil until shimmering. Working with 6 pieces of custard at a time and keeping the rest refrigerated, dip the custard rectangles in the beaten eggs, then dredge in the flour.



Fry the custard over moderate heat, turning once or twice, until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a rack lined with paper towels and immediately sift cinnamon sugar over them.

Repeat with the remaining pieces of custard. Serve warm or at room temperature, can be served with ice cream but it really doesn't need it.

Note for this recipe I use all lactose free products; do not substitute for soy or other as the taste is too strong for the subtle citrus and cinnamon flavour.