This week on What’s Cooking, World? I am proud to introduce one of my favorite food bloggers on the whole blog-o-sphere. Directly from Barcelona, Spain Núria writes about one of her favorite places of her beautiful country, the Basque country, and shares with us a delicious Codfish recipe. Please put your hands together for the lovely and beautiful Núria of Spanish Recipes.
I’m posting about Bacalao al Pil Pil, first because I think it has a funny name… Pil Pil. And second because I’m cooking all these catalan recipes lately and I wanted to give a wider vision of my country.
The evergreen Basque country is a region I admire and love. The first time we visited it with my husband was back in 94 during a hot summer. Traveling north is always a good thing during Mediterranean summer and the temperature was dropping while we were heading north. The food we ate during our journey was so remarkable that it’s one of the things that stands out when we remember that trip.
We didn’t have a car back then and we borrowed my father’s. Started our way up to the north and stopped for dinner at the Leyre Monastery (picture enclosed) in Navarra, were my husband asked for some Pochas con guindillas… Beans with hot chilli. Teardrops fell from his eyes while eating those guindillas they were so hot and spicy I would have died there if I had tried just one!!!! The Monastery has a Restaurant and also rooms. I highly recommend it.
Next dinner I remember was in Pasajes de San Juan (picture enclosed of the cute village) in a beautiful restaurant (too bad I don’t remember the name) but it was quite famous, it had Hollywood stars’ black and white pictures hagging on its walls whom once upon a time were there eating and feasting and whom probably had the foodie experience of their lives… I had a Bacalao al Pil Pil… and I also had the experience of my life and the best time! Many other dishes followed like some kokochas, some stuffed piquillo peppers, some hake in green sauce. My Bacalao will never be as good as the one I ate there 
The people of the Basque country treated us so nicely and their food seduced us from the first second… if you have the chance… go and visit it!!!
To see the Pil Pil Codfish recipe visit this Núria’s post.
13 Replies
Thanks so much Ben for your warm and nice words!!! And thanks for giving me the chance to show the world my cooking skills… he, he, he. Hope you enjoy the dish
Salud y buen provecho to everyone!
Posted on April 28th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
This is the first I’ve heard of What’s Cooking,World? I’d be interested in knowing more about it. Can we include recipes that we’ve been experimenting with, but have no ethnic/cultural connection to?
Posted on April 28th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
I love this column, Nuria, and this idea, Ben! Fabulous…
Posted on April 28th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Nuria and her blog is best kept secret in the food blog world….you go chica!
Posted on April 28th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I have already commented on Nuria’s post but I also wanted to add how wonderful and informative Nuria’s blog is. There is always something different and interesting on there to read. I’m reall loving this feature Ben…keep it up.
Posted on April 28th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
A nice one. Makes me want to visit the Basque. I tried the Bacalao in Portugal, which was good. This one looks equally yummy to me.
Posted on April 28th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
How ovely to read about this. I like this weekly guest Blogger Ben. Great Idea.
Posted on April 28th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Nuria, what a beautiful place to visit and wonderful dish to present!
I thoroughly enjoy these guest entries too.
Posted on April 29th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Great collabertion guys!!! Thanks for sharing some information about Spain Nuria. I missed out on the highschool trip and have wanted to go ever since.
Posted on April 29th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Yay~ props for the Basque country! I have tried my darndest to find piquillo peppers here but hasn’t happened yet. I haven’t clicked through yet, but thanks Ben for the opportunity to add another great food blog to my list.
Posted on April 30th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Very cool post! I love all of the information and the recipe is great!
Posted on May 2nd, 2008 at 12:33 pm
My partner has just gotten really into Basque cooking, mostly because of their appreciation of hot peppers. Thanks for the post and references, it’ll be great as he tries to dig further into this cuisine. (p.s. it’s also so refreshing to see another male blogger!)
Posted on May 4th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Just wanted to say great job with the blog, today is my first visit here and I’ve enjoyed reading your posts so far
Juan
Posted on July 1st, 2009 at 2:07 pm
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