Tapas of pepperoncini and anchovies (Spanish: pintxo de guindilla y anchoas) is believed to be the original Basque tapas. Apparently, in one bar in the old part of San Sebastian, the owner used to serve olives, anchovies and pickled pepperoncini to his customers. One of the customers got the idea of combining them all on one spike.
Franks Cookbook
Basque and Croatian Recipes we cook at home. Quick, easy to make, and delicious recipes from Croatia, Basque Country, and beyond.
We love to cook, and while we aren’t great chefs by any means, the food we cook at home is simple, locally sourced, and tasty.
We also like to keep the preparation time below 30 minutes, because we want to eat well but we don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen.
We eat lots of veggies, fish, and seafood, and very little meat. We can eat eggs every day prepared in a thousand different ways. Although we love rice dishes, we try to eat them a little, usually once every two weeks. We can eat sweets three times a day, every day. But we don’t because we try to avoid sugars as much as possible! We aren’t great bakers, so you won’t find too many recipes for cakes and cookies. Except when we share some of our family’s recipes.
We love tapas-style diners! And more often than not, that’s how we organize our dinners at home. Small quantities of various dishes, rather than a large portion of one or two dishes.
Homemade mayonnaise recipe
I love homemade mayonnaise. When I just moved to Europe, I couldn’t find a good mayonnaise in the grocery stores. European mayonnaise is too sour for my taste. After tasting them all, I turned to a simple solution. I started making my own mayonnaise. Below I share my recipe for homemade mayonnaise.
Spanish omelet (Spanish tortilla)
Spanish omelet (Spanish tortilla) is a typical Spanish dish. It is one of the main picnic dishes in Spain. It is a delicious dish that can be served cold or warm. With a glass of chilled sangria, it is even better.
Fish stew (for 4 persons)
Fish stew is a popular dish in the coastal Croatia. There are many regional and local variations of this recipe, depending what’s swimming in the nearby waters. Fish stew is so popular in the coastal Croatia that almost every house has its own recipe.
Mussels alla buzara
Mussels in a white wine sauce is very common dish in coastal Croatia. Mussels are of a good quality here, and they are cheap, especially in southern Croatia.
Fish Cake (for 4 persons)
Fish cake is a Basque seafood recipe. It is simple, easy to make and delicious. It is a great dish to have in a fridge over the summer. Frank’s saying goes: it is better to have a fish cake in the fridge than money in the bank. If you like a seafood, you would certainly love fish cake.