The Basque Book: A Love Letter in Recipes from the Kitchen of Txikito

This stellar collection offers 116 original, fresh recipes that without exception stimulate the taste buds and inspire cooks to rush into the kitchen. Raij and Montero, the chefs and owners of N.Y.C. restaurant Txikito, pay homage to the simplicity and deep flavors of Basque cooking. From basics such as brining, oil, mayo, and a wealth of stocks to pintxos, eggs, and stews, the chefs entice with each and every dish. Marinated mushrooms with vermouth and garlic, cold-poached shrimp with white asparagus, and open-faced fried quail egg and chorizo sandwiches demonstrate the variety and vibrancy of the offerings. A chapter on the bounty of kitchen gardens features mushroom confit, leeks poached in their own juices with chopped egg, and roasted red peppers with oil-cured anchovies, each dish distinctly flavorful and exceptional. Even a simple frisée salad is elevated with the additional of golden garlic and parsley. Eggs are cooked in every way imaginable and showcased in Spanish tortillas, with blood sausage in omelets, and deviled with tuna and foie gras. Campfire trout, butterflied and baked with jamón ibérico and garlic, is simply wondrous, as is the paprika-marinated pork loin roast. Sweets and beverages round out this superb cookbook, an outstanding introduction to traditional Basque cuisine. (Apr.)