Summer's End in San Sebastian

It's been just over a year since we've made London our home-base. And what a year it has been. Certainly in the book of my life, this past year will be an interesting chapter. We've managed to visit nearly every place in Europe we've ever wanted to go, and made a commitment to do today, before we've even turned 30, what most say they might do when they retire. 

Summer has managed to slip through our fingers and its that time of year when days get shorter and I find myself pulling a sweater over my head as soon as I wake. Rather than totally succumb to fall we managed to squeeze in one last summer trip where beaches and food took center stage.

Angulas - Baby Eels 

Basque country in Spain is situated on the Bay of Biscay, borders France to the east, and sits just above La Rioja. Our time in Basque country was spent in San Sebastian. Mornings were spent exploring the town and hiking around, afternoons dedicated to wave surfing and sunning at the beach, and evenings were dedicated to Rioja and pintxos.

Pintxos are San Sebastian's answer to tapas. Most are littered along the bar and you pick what you like. Locals wash them down with cider, but we found we much preferred Rioja with our pintxos.

 

Others are chosen from a menu and cooked to order - like this calamari...

Or this squid, stuffed with meat and a whole shrimp!

The most memorable though may have been this Tarta de Queso from a pintxos bar in Old Town called La Viña.

Light, smooth and deliciously caramelized edges - we couldn't get enough.

We had multiple slices, every single day we were there. Nate even told me to take smaller bites and to slowly savor each bite. We've contemplated going back to San Sebastian just for the cheesecake. 

Rumor has it that the recipe includes goat cheese curd and yogurt. Now on a mission to recreate.

Comments

[OysterCulture]

That tarta de queso looks incredible and look forward to your interpretation of the dish. Of course, it looks like you could not go wrong with any of your other choices. My goodness I love your idea of squeezing the last bit out of summer. We hit the trails near Half Moon Bay yesterday and it was gorgeous. Getting my last bit of summer in here.

[elra]

looking at this Tarta de Queso, make me wish to have the recipe.

[Sam]

That tarta looks amazing! I hope you can work out the recipe.

[doggybloggy]

so far its unanimous - I am in on the queso mission as well

[lisa from dandysugar]

Incredible looking tart there! It's mouthwatering, I'm dying for a bite as I type. Can't wait to see what you come up with!

[Gina]

Sounds like a great adventure with delicious food!

[History of Greek Food]

Can't wait to see the recipes of stuffed squid and cheese tarta!

[lisaiscooking]

Hope you do re-create that cheesecake recipe. Sounds incredible!

[giao {kiss my spatula}]

need to book a ticket to spain NOW! :)

[Sophia]

That Tarta de Queso is calling out to me. Spain, here I come!

[Natasha - 5 Star Foodie]

How nice that you had a chance to do another getaway! The basque food sounds wonderful and especially that Tarta de Queso!

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1563467733]

that cake looks awesome ....

http://deliciouschronicles.blogspot.com/

[Amber]

I too am hoping you can recreate that cheesecake!

[Sophie]

I love San Sebastian!! It also has a lot of Michelin starred restaurants!!

That slice of cheese cake below, looks so tasty!!

It is great that you had a fab summer!

[zerrin]

How nice you had a wonderful summer with discoveries of these fantastic looking dishes.

[Lori]

Good for you! We share similar views. We are taking advantage of our travel now. Who knows what will happen when we are close to retiring. :)

I'm so envious of all your travels around Europe, in a very good way of course. I'm so glad you share them all!

That cheesecake looks amazing. Yes, please recreate it!

[Tangled Noodle]

Now, that's what I call a late summer fling! The dishes pictured here look incredible, particularly the stuffed squid and the baby eels (would love to try that). And like everyone else, I'm craving a slice of that tarta.

It's wonderful that you've taken every opportunity to visit as much of Europe as you can; most of all, I'm grateful that you've shared your experiences with us. Here's hoping that we all grasp opportunities - whether it's traveling, eating a new dish or anything else in life - with the same gusto!

[Lynn]

I'm chilling in my rental apartment in Haro, Spain, La Rioja wine region. Heading to San Sebastian tomorrow to begin our 3rd of 5 weeks in Spain (we are catching up with what you've been doing the last year!) Will definitely try the Tarte de Queso at La Vina, sounds extraordinary. Great to stumble upon your blog, keep the tales of your exploring coming!

[Sara]

You maight want to check this site for the recipe:

http://gourmettraveller.com.au/frank-camorra-tarta-de-queso-cheesecake.htm

[gastroanthropologist]

Sara - Thank you! Will certainly be testing this recipe out as soon as I can!

[Ron Jones]

Hi,
I have the recipe (on DVD) for Tarta de Queso from the Santiago Rivera, the chef at Bar La Vina. We were there in April and also swooned over it.
I am cooking a Iberian dinner on a farm next weekend and plan on serving the tarta de queso (with spicy caramel oranges and sauce). Made queso blanco (with extra cream) the other day and the cheesecake. It looked great (rustic top & sides, like the photos), was moist, a little too sweet but the thing that I did not like was the slightly grainy texture of the cake.

I am going to try again perhaps with part cream cheese, if I have too. Will try to make a smoother queso blanco this time. Any suggestions on how to get the cheese smoother (I was told to lower the heat a little from 185F)? Will pouring the batter through a fine mesh sieve help? Thanks.

[graci]

please post the recipe from the dvd as i can not get this dvd now!!!

[gastroanthropologist]

Graci - Sorry! I asked for the recipe from Ron and never did receive it. =(