The most intimate Viand ever
0/Greeting: Txogitxu (very old, fat Basque dairy cows) Shinken from Vom Einfachen Das Gute.
I was interested to try this meat after reading an article about “Basque Old Cow Steaks” in the Guardian.
1/Ceviche, Peruvian style (with boiled potatoes) made with Greenland Halibut from Der Fischladen.
California-Mexican Ceviche is always served in a martini glass, very precious. I first had Peruvian ceviche in Buenos Aires, where it’s a massive plate of food, with accompaniments, the best of which in my opinion is warm boiled potatoes. I love the contrast between the plain potato and bright tangy fish.
2/Puchero, Argentine Style, Osso Buco from Fleischhandlung steamed with potato, onion, cabbage.
I learned Puchero from some Porteño friends, and this is how they made it. Recently I learned that it’s made very differently all over the world. This gave me the idea for tonight’s menu, to explore the Spanish disapora in the modifications of shared foods.
3/Quesadillas with corn tortillas from Chili & Paprika with either Taleggio or Cacciota from Vom Einfachen Das Gute
Quesadillas are a California comfort-food. I decided to make them extra luxe with fancy cheese.
4/Ensalata with two kinds of cabbage, kohlrabi, pickled black radish from Aurélie’s French Farm, red onion, piri-piri peppers, lemon juice and olive oil
I don’t usually eat raw cabbage, and I often wonder why, as I always appreciate a small raw cabbage salad perched atop the fat and spice of Mexican dishes. Tonight I decided to give this salad it’s own attention, but I made the salad itself hot to evoke its missing companions.
I love anything with flaky pastry and anything with custard, so Pastéis de Nata are delightful to me. This was my first try to make any such thing. I used this recipe. The Portuguese version calls for cinnamon, which I don’t notice in the really good ones available in Berlin at Double Eye and The Barn.
