The Post-Loaf Dinner : Astoria 7

It's a well known fact that all good things must come to an end. 

And, in my opinion, all good things that come to an end should be celebrated with a great dinner! Case in point: The Loaf. What better way to celebrate the end of a pop-up bakery than a dinner with all involved, showcasing bread at every step along the way.

The dinner took place at Astoria 7, one of San Sebastián's hippest places to stay. Bread-based pintxos to start, then a huge chunk of foie with sauces and toast.

Breadcrumbs over a sous-vide egg with green garlic and a strip of chorizo reminiscent of bacon.

Seared calamari with black 'croutons' and guindilla pepper. Here we paused for a tearful toast and salute to the team of the Loaf, Dan Lepard and all the bakers ( see photo above).

Roasted deer. So good. Then to finish with a lovely dessert, inspired by brioche. The part that looks like bread is actually vanilla ice cream, and the part that looks like ice cream was a spherical, brioche flavored goo. Awesome.

365 Tuesdays

Bread at Frutategia Baratze

We've arrived to the end of The Loaf, San Sebastián's first-ever pop-up bakery, and maybe you're wondering what the heck you're gonna do about bread.  Well, there's always the typical spot on Calle Mayor, but if you're looking for something more you'll find it at Frutategia Baratze. This tiny fruit shop has a big plastic thing in front in the mornings, full of bread. The bread is rustic bread from the caserío Barroeta in Ezkio-Itsaso, outside of Zumarraga, and it's the kind of bread that lasts for days and makes you go 'wow, that looks good.'  

2.50 a loaf
General Etxague 2 Behea

Homage to The Loaf

It's been a wild, yeasty summer.

Although my contribution to the popular pop-up bakery The Loaf has been mostly just giving classes and stealing bread, I feel honored to have been a  part of it.

Certainly quite a cast of characters, down to the masterminds behind it all, but...never a dull moment.

And some really good bread in the midst of that madness.  A little glimpse:

Your bread will be missed, little bakery that could.

But you can rest assured that The Loaf will be reincarnated at some point.  Being an artisan (or being in charge of a band of them) is addicting.

How To Make Queso

So I've been doing these classes at The Loaf all summer, once a week, spreading the gems of American cuisine.

You know, like cookies, brownies, hummus and....queso!

That's Mexican, you say? NO! (And if you know me, you know exactly what kind of no that was).

It's as American (and caloric) as apple pie. So I spread the love at my class yesterday on how to throw an American snack party. Truthfully I just wanted to see those heat-avoiding Basque people talk about how spicy it was. Also on the roster were hummus and tzatziki (dips on the short list were guacamole and spinach-artichoke dip).

I can talk as bad about the US as the next person, and I don't live there, but you know what? I sure do love our generosity with the 'bad' stuff in the kitchen (butter, cheese, sugar, etc: it's only 'bad' when it comes to quantity, people!) and our unabashed willingness to create really weird, non-traditional dishes.

Chungo is a word used here that I would translate as 'ghetto' for people under 40 and 'juryrigged' for older folks. This is chungo, even more chungo than regular queso dip, due to the scarcity of ingredients in the markets here. Enjoy!

Also, let me know what dips you think are super American...it's only when one really sits down to think about these things when one realizes how much one takes for granted that is truly culturally unique.

chungo spanish queso

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• green pepper, chopped
• tomato, chopped
• 3 containers of crema de queso, flavor semicurado
• 1/4 cup Orlando Salsa Brava (or more)

Heat some oil in a pan. Saute the onion and pepper, seasoning lightly, until transparent. Add the tomato and saute a few more minutes. Turn off the heat, adding the crema de queso and salsa brava. Enjoy. Make fun of Spanish people who say it's too spicy.

The Best Classic Brownie

Brownies. Another classic American dessert that is often imitated and never duplicated. Earlier this week, I taught another American baking class at The Loaf, this time on this wonderful baked good, invented at the start of the 20th century. The brownie is traced back to the Boston Cooking School cookbook, where it evolved from what we would call a blondie (1896), to something with a bit of chocolate, to something with more chocolate and more eggs (1908). Then, things went awry in 1954 with the introduction of the first brownie mix, aka something that does not save any time.

I love gleaning cultural viewpoints from my students during these classes, whether they're on cookies or cupcakes. My question posed this week was: "What would you call a brownie in Spanish?" And the answers ranged from "bizcocho de chocolate" (chocolate cake) to "morenitos" (little brown things). Ay ama.

So of course I had to explain the brownie polemic, about those strange people who want a bar of melted chocolate with extra sugar and an egg; and about the even stranger ones who want, indeed, a piece of chocolate cake.

I fall right in the middle. I want a brownie at least two inches high. I want a brownie that has a crispy crust on top. The outside part better crunch then be chewy. The middle better be soft and slightly underbaked. I don't want any interruptions (okay, a few nuggets of dark chocolate studding the dough is okay, but NUTS? No.) That is my ideal brownie.  And this is the recipe to end all recipes.

Baking time is the unsung hero of the brownie recipe. Talk about making or breaking something...I find that these are perfect to my taste at around 42-45 minutes, but you can take them out as early as 35 minutes for a brownie reminiscent of the batter from whence it came. Or leave it for up to an hour if you want something cakey. You DON'T want the knife/toothpick to come out clean.

So, here's the recipe that is truly the best classic brownie. Don't be afraid to mix vigorously...this is a key to the texture and shine of the batter and crust. You might want to add nuts, a swirl of chocolate, or pieces of dark chocolate. I don't.

Ah! Y para los que habeís venido a mi curso, aquí una receta para algo estilo 'blondie'.

the best classic brownie

email martikilpatrick at gmail dot com to inquire for recipe.