Rating: 
Summary: delightful
Review: I'm a tough customer for cookbooks, but this one is a winner on many fronts for me. The recipes are exciting and different from the many other European regional cookbooks, the history is interesting, the photos are beautiful, and best of all for me, the recipes are nearly fool-proof. I delighted my friends one night recently with the lamb stew - fabulous - and my husband has made the haricots verts salad a staple in our home. The gateau basque and chocolate "rocks" are both unforgettably wonderful. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in adding some wonderful new flavors to their kitchen.
Rating:
Summary: delightful
Review: I'm a tough customer for cookbooks, but this one is a winner on many fronts for me. The recipes are exciting and different from the many other European regional cookbooks, the history is interesting, the photos are beautiful, and best of all for me, the recipes are nearly fool-proof. I delighted my friends one night recently with the lamb stew - fabulous - and my husband has made the haricots verts salad a staple in our home. The gateau basque and chocolate "rocks" are both unforgettably wonderful. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in adding some wonderful new flavors to their kitchen.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, educational and yummy!
Review: I've had "The Basque Kitchen" in my small kitchen for a few weeks now. While it (book) fits perfectly, the recipes and ingredients have become second nature to me and my family. I've had a chance to attempt a few meals and all have turned out excellent. I actually thought of never retuning to Fringale or Pastis, but my kitchen cannot compare to the service and ambience. And my wife would be a little upset not being able to taste her favorite Basque wine from Irouleguy. Having been in the Basque area a year ago, I found myself salivating over the beautiful pictures and well written stories. They have brought back the incredible memories of my trip. I just had to pull out my photo album from my trip. Pictures of Biarritz, Bayonne, St. Jean de Luz as well as the smell of the wonderfully fresh fish markets and coastal fishing villages have me calling for a return trip. Although I might skip the painful running with the bulls in Pamplona. Ouch! Enough said, I feel the book, stories, recipes, photos are excellent. A non-cooking friend of mine has been enthralled with the stories in the book and is looking forward to a trip to Pastis and Fringale. 5 STARS
Rating:
Summary: Exposes Us to Unknown Place and Its Cuisine
Review: Nestled between the two cusine powerhouses of France and Spain, the Basque are influenced by these two, yet retain and developed a food tangent of their own.Here, Chef Hirigoynen shares his passion for this region and its food. He takes liberties at times to add his own touches, which he has been serving up in his restaurants in San Francisco. He provides a complete two page listing of sources for the hard-to-find ingredients as well as a listing of restaurants, etc. if one tours the Pyrnees region. I've tried with delight the Sea Bream with Garlic Vinaigrette "A La Concha", Lamb Stew with Mixed Nut Pesto, and Quince and Goat Cheese Layer Cake with Candied Pine Nuts.
Rating: 
Summary: OK French-inspired California cuisine. Basque? Not much.
Review: So Seared Ahi Tuna Steaks with Onion Marmalade and Lentils is Basque? Because there's tuna in it and the Basque dish, Marmitako, is also based on tuna (bluefin tuna, by the way)? No. Mr. Hirigoyen's dish, which can be perfectly OK, is the typical French/Californian concoction with maybe a touch of Asian in it. Again: very fine, but Mr. Hirigoyen should avoid using the misleading word, "Basque", in the title. The Basque Country is about 85% on the Spanish side of the border, south of the Pyrenees and the Bidasoa river. While the "Spanish Basque" chefs have remained adamantly Basque, and have indeed "Basquified" to a large extent all of modern Spanish cookery, the "French Basque" chefs have let themselves, for many decades, become thoroughly "Frenchified", learning in French culinary schools and following the edicts of classic French cuisine. This becomes apparent in Mr. Hirigoyen's constant use of butter, not to mention many of his techniques. One of the top two chefs now working in Iparralde (i.e. the French part of the Basque Country), Christian Parra of L'Auberge de la Galupe in Urt (the other is Firmin Arrambide, of Les Pyrénées in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port), once told the French magazine Gault-Millau: "You know why the Spanish Basque chefs are better and more creative than we are? Because we all have a well-worn copy of Escoffier's cook next to our kitchen, and the Spanish Basques haven't even heard of Escoffier." Jokes aside, Parra and Arrambide are now the leaders because they have rejoined the overall Basque movement led by Juan Mari Arzak of Donostia (San Sebastián): a return to the Basque sources (and some important Spanish ones, like Jabugo ham and virgin olive oil) to start creating from them and not from Paris-inspired fashions, products and techniques. I have the impression that Mr. Hirigoyen left the Basque Country before this movement took off on the French side of the border, before French Basque chefs became Basque again. His ignorance of southern (Spanish) Basque recipes and culinary traditions, which represent a large majority of the Basque cooking heritage, is rather amazing, as other reviewers have pointed out. By the way, in case anyone's interested: I am a journalist, and occasionally a wine and food writer, based in Spain, but with extensive experience in France and the United States. So I think I know what I'm writing about in this case.
Rating:
Summary: Our chance to visit true Basque cuisine--at home!
Review: The Basque Kitchen is a beautiful book. From cover to cover, photographs offer the reader vast exposure to the Basque country and its unique cuisine. A carefully crafted introduction orients the reader to the culture in which Hirigoyen developed his talents. For years, San Franciscans have been fortunate to enjoy Hirigoyen's exceptional talents for at Fringale and Pastis. Now those who wish to can experiment with his recipes at home. I particularly like the manner in which recipes bring Basque customs to American tables by using ingredients most folks can easily gather in local markets. We can all learn from Gerald Hirigoyen and his wife how to enjoy fine food (and good wine!), not only in their restaurants, but in our own homes. This book has become my favorite gift for friends!
Rating: 
Summary: Beautfiul Book, Unusual Recipes, Needs an Editor
Review: This book is full of gorgeous pictures and inviting, unusual recipes. Most of the recipes are relatively simple, although some hard-to-find ingredients are used. Its a great book; it could have used some more careful editing. Some of the directions seem puzzling or incomplete. A good book for an experienced cook, but probably a poor choice for a novice.
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