Pintxos: Small Plates in the Basque Tradition

by Gerald Hirigoyen, Lisa Weiss

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. 

 

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction

208 pages, Hardcover

First published February 17, 2009

Reviews

[Scottsdale Public Library]

A beautiful look at traditional Spanish 'small plates' or tapas. Many of the dishes are obscure, especially those incorporating traditional Basque seafood ingredients, but the photography alone is worth giving this cookbook a try.
A must-read for anyone interested in Spanish culinary techniques and ingredients. - Meagan

[Stef · Rating 4 out of 5]

read this years ago but came back to it for keto ideas and found lots! some combinations I've tried before and some I never will because they're just too much work for the home cook, but i found combinations I had forgotten about or never considered. adding to the repertoire. :)

[Catherine Woodman]

Gorgeous cook book, with glorious pictures and great food--small plates, some of which require ingredients not likely to be found outside the region, but alot of things that are very reasonable to make, and it definitely made me want to visit the region and taste some of this wonderful food in situ.

[Avi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book will not radically change your life or your dinners. Most of the recipes are pretty simple and at this point kind of cliches in the sense that they or similar versions of them have been thoroughly adapted by American chefs.

[Karen Tripson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The chefs voice is clear and welcoming

Hirigoyen's voice is seductive in the description of his boyhood memories in the Basque Country and his long experience as a restaurateur in San Francisco. He's never lost his appreciation for his beginnings. Like many Basque cookbooks I've read, it's not super complicated. You have to be patient with some recipes but they all depend on beautiful ingredients.

[Don]

Two books that present the “small plate” cuisine of the Iberian peninsula. Tapas presents the basics for easy preparation of these classic recipes. Pintxos takes a decidedly innovative twist on the tapas concept, combining traditional Basque fare with a contemporary California influence. The size of the plates may be small, but these recipes are full of big flavors!

[Cheery · Rating 2 out of 5]

This cook book's layout could be improved. The recipes have complexities I prefer to avoid in my kitchen. Yet, the flavors and dishes intrigue me enough to savor a Basque meal at Hirigoyen's restaurants (or simply buy his book and attempt making his dishes at home). Bottom line: I enjoyed reading this cookbook.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pintxos are tapas in the Basque tradition. This is a great book to peruse for inspiration. I don't typically follow recipes word-for-word, and this is an example of a nice book to glean ideas from to adapt and twist to local ingredients and the tastes of guests.

[Degan Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great selection of delicious bites, divided into sections with the caveat that no party should have too many items of any one type. I made quite a few things from this book and while I don't feel the need to own it, I would refer back to it if I were going to have another Spanish event.