Category : BasqueStage
Perhaps you’ve been wondering where Susy, our Sammic Top Chef Scholar, ended up after her stint at Ezkurtxerri, the pork farmers. Well, she’s been working the fields above Getaria at Aroa, one of Basque Country’s most exquisite farms.
And the verdict? It’s pretty back-breaking, if beautiful work. Beautiful because the people at Aroa are devoted to producing the finest vegetables, herbs, and fruits. One of their legendary products are their guisantes de lágrima, or tear-shaped peas.
Absolutely beautiful both raw and cooked (as is much of Jaime Burgana’s produce), these peas are sold at premium prices (think 200-300 euros a kilogram). It’s all in the care, the cost of seeds, and the labor that goes into their collection.
For more details on Susy’s next destination, stay tuned to her blog and follow us on Twitter.
Roberto Ruiz is a young Basque chef making quite the name for himself within the country. He is obsessed with raw material, demanding the best for his restaurant, Fronton. So much so, in fact, that he goes himself to the market to handpick his produce daily, and treats this carefully selected veg with equal care in the kitchen.
The winner of our Rising Stars Sammic Scholarship for BasqueStage will stage with Chef Ruiz for the first three months of 2013. They can expect a complete immersion course into the traditional cooking of Basque Country.
Chef Ruiz trained under all the star chefs of the area, including Martín Berasategui. He was named this year the Best Restaurateur by the Academia Vasca de Gastronomía. He is also the founder of the Association of Tolosa Bean Growers. This area, and restaurant Fronton in particular, is known for its bean. Served as a stew with traditional accompaniments, it is a venerated dish that Ruiz prides himself on cooking to perfection.
One lucky winner will experience a stage under this dynamic, energetic chef, at his restaurant Fronton as well as his wine bar, Solana.4, his bakery, TPT, and his cooking studio, Sukatalde.
Category : BasqueStage
Disculpa, pero esta entrada está disponible sólo en English.
In what has become more or less a BasqueStage tradition, we invited our brand new stages Brenden Darby and Luuk Hoffman to show their stuff Basque-style: in a traditional dining society. These txokos are the backdrop for both the most exciting and the most traditional meals in this corner of the world. So it’s only fitting that it be their introduction to Basque cuisine.
Brenden and Luuk prepared a five course (!) meal, starting light with a watermelon salad (featuring fresh and stewed watermelon) studded with jamón ibérico. Then sea bream with cucumber and coconut. Light, refreshing and delicious!
Then we turned to weightier plates of rabbit and pork. Brenden and Luuk did a great job with plating and sauces…you are looking at some talented stages (don’t forget to keep up with them on their blogs). Check out that rabbit three ways (on the right):
And finally, a sweet ending to a delicious meal.
Here’s to many more!
Category : BasqueStage
Disculpa, pero esta entrada está disponible sólo en English.
Category : BasqueStage
Earlier this week, we announced the top 30 finalists in the race for the IV Sammic Scholarship for BasqueStage. This talented bunch now has to show us what they’ve really got.
The first stage of round two is for the candidates to craft a video.
This video will be between one and two minutes, and the candidate will have the chance to explain who (s)he is, why (s)he wants to participate in BasqueStage, and any other things considered interesting and relevant. These videos, will be uploaded to Vimeo (or Youtube), and then posted to the candidates’ blogs. This video is not (necessarily) a cooking demo, as they have been in the past. Candidates have total creative control.
This is the first step in getting to know our top 30, whether it’s at a market or in front of their computer. Candidates should designate it in the text of the post as ‘BasqueStage Candidate Video’ and send a link upon completion.
Follow along as they compete to show us who deserves to be in Basque Country, Spain, on their culinary chance of a lifetime, with all expenses paid.
Stay tuned!
Category : BasqueStage
Today is THE LAST DAY to apply for BasqueStage.
What are you waiting for? Get on over to the application, which takes about ten minutes to complete, and get your name in the mix!
Do you need some motivation? Why should you apply for this incredible opportunity? Well, we’ve got some reasons for you, if you really need them:
- What other chance will you have to be surrounded by so many Michelin stars (four three-star restaurants, plus the many with one and two stars)?
- Learn how to make all the traditional Basque dishes, like kokotxas al pil pil and patatas con chorizo.
- Don’t just do a stage. Get PAID to do a stage.
- There are about a million miniature reasons to live in this region of the world. They’re elaborate, delicious, and they’re called pintxos (not tapas).
- Live among and learn more about one of the world’s most intriguing cultures, the Basques.
- Practice your Spanish (and Basque).
- Learn to cook under the wing of one of the great masters, Chef Martín Berasategui, who has restaurants across the world with Michelin stars.
- Step straight into the spotlight as you chronicle your experiences on your BasqueStage blog, twitter, and videos.
- One word: visa. We’ve got you covered.
- Finally, don’t take our word for it. Check out the experiences our stages (current and past) have had on their blogs.
Good Luck!
Thirty second round finalists will be announced on Monday.
Category : BasqueStage
Today and tomorrow are the last days to apply for the IV Sammic Scholarship for BasqueStage. That still leaves you time to get your application in for consideration.
Maybe you’re still on the fence. Perhaps you aren’t sure what kind of person is BasqueStage material. One way to get the answer to that question is to visit our former and current stages’ blogs.
We’ve asked our current stages, Elisha Ben-haim and Ruth Selby to give us what they think are the top qualities that a future stage should have. Read on and then get in your application!
- Be hardworking.
- Be thick-skinned. “This is a very old school kitchen,” adds Elisha.
- Speak some Spanish. “Everything is in spanish, not having the language skills automatically puts you one step behind,” Elisha says. Ruth seconds that, saying “Things happen fast here, and they often happen in Spanish. You can get by with only English, but you’ll get so much more out of the experience if you come with a little Spanish in your back pocket. If you don’t speak a word, even just learning some basic vocab demonstrates that you’ve done your homework, and you want to contribute to the team.”
- Be willing to learn.
- Know what motivates you (hint: it should cooking). Elisha says, “If you are sure you want to be a cook you will push hard every day to make the most what’s going on no matter what.”
- Have a good attitude. “Both in the kitchen and out, you should want to get out, see and learn as much as you can while here,” adds Elisha.
- Pay attention to detail. Ruth breaks it down: “BasqueStages have to work in a 3 star kitchen where details matter; in Sammic marketing videos where minutiae matter; and in the blogosphere where details are what set you apart. It’s important to be focused and to care about the little things, like your uniform, your word choice, and your photographs.”
- Bring your knives-sharpened. “I’ve realized what a great knife culture we have in kitchens in the US. Some people here don’t even have their own knives. You do yourself a big favor if you come with quality knives, ready to rock,” Ruth adds.
- Have patience and be humble. “It can be frustrating, humbling and occasionally infuriating to work in any kitchen, and this kitchen is no different. I remind myself how much I’m learning every day, and how fortunate I am to be here,” says Ruth.