Dear Fellow Food and Wine Lover,

Happy New Year, and wishing you all the best for 2008 from the Gourmet Safari team.

The month's spotlight is on sizzling San Sebastian Spain.  We wanted to let you know that we are now serving up this hot Cookery in San Sebastian food adventure for 2008!

Now that everything is fully baked, here are the latest details:

Located in the beautiful European city of San Sebastián, in the Basque Country, a land with a huge gastronomic tradition and very close to the French border is where you'll find your cooking school - born in response to the growing need to train chefs in Spain. San Sebastián is known for its famous "La Concha" Bay and its popular "tapas" bars and prestigious restaurants (many of which are Michelin Star Rated). Situated right on the north eastern coast of Spain, San Sebastian is a sparkling jewel in the Basque Country. The famous cooking school where you will experience your introduction to Basque cuisine is near the harbour, in the traditional old-part of town, in the city centre. Classes are given by the founder, Luis Irízar's daughter Visi Irízar and a team of prestigious cuisine professionals.

The 2008 program at a glance includes:

6 nights at Pension Aldamar, including breakfast

3 cooking classes, all in English at the fantastic school location

Welcome dinner

Farewell dinner

Excursion to Rioja, including visit to wine museum and lunch

Excursion to typical village, including aperitif/coffee

Airport Transfers

English-speaking guide to accompany the group! 

Dates for 2008: 

Arrive on Sunday July 20

Depart Saturday July 26

Music to our ears...
The dates Cooking in San Sebastian cooking tour will coincide with the San Sebastian Jazz Festival which is on from July 22nd to 27th.  This year's 43rd edition of Spain's top Jazz Festival brings big names in the world of jazz to San Sebastian's stages for the top music event of the summer and will be 'in full swing' with plenty of free concerts every day until midnight and later.  This culinary experience combines a unique cultural experience as well, as the timing perfectly coincides with this world-renown Jazz Festival.

Tour Price for 2008:
$2,030 Double Occupancy per person in Canadian/US Dollars. Price is excluding airfare.

If we have a minimum of 10 participants, everyone saves $100 per person...so let's create a group and save!

Click here for further details and to view this fabulous itinerary and come to San Sebastian and 'feel the heat and sizzle'!

Recipe of the Month.

Prawn and Bacon Brochettes

Brochetas de Gambas y Bacon

This is a famous Basque Pintxos dish, the Basques live for cooking and eating. This combination of prawns and bacon is very popular and very traditional, and can be found at most Tapas bars. It is an ideal treat for your guests when having a party at home!

Ingredients

5 oz jamón or thinly sliced bacon

24 medium to large uncooked, headless prawns, peeled

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 lemons, quartered

Preparation

Cut the bacon (or jamon, if using) into pieces which will wrap generously round the prawns. Place the wrapped prawns down flat on a board and skewer them through the fattest part and the tail, making sure the jamón is firmly fixed. Season generously and drizzle with the oil.

On a high heat, grill or barbecue the prawn and bacon brochettes for 2-3 minutes on each side, so the jamón crisps up. Alternatively, roast in a hot oven (425ºF) on an oiled baking tray for 8-10 minutes. Squeeze over the juice of the lemon wedges and serve immediately.

Uncorked!

The Prawn and Bacon Brochettes are best with... a typical 'txakoli' Basque white wine that is produced in the region's provinces. Txakolí is a distinct wine made from grapes - Ondarribi Beltza for the reds, Ondarribi Zuri for the whites - cultivated in the provinces of Vizcaya and Guipúzcoa. Generally young, light, and fresh tasting, it is available everywhere in the Basque Country, but especially in coastal areas, where it is a perfect match for seafood. Its effervescence makes it comparable to young whites. 

Rioja Alavesa, another of the regions of the La Rioja wine-producing area, and the wines from there are much fruitier than the other regions.

Cider has long been drunk in Basque Country as well, but the wine, perhaps because of the proximity to the Rioja region, is of greater cultural importance.  Cheers!

Trendspotting.

The Basque Country's Pintxos and Txokos.

When you are in San Sebastian you will experience two solidly established trends of the Basque Country gastronomic culture - Pintxos and Txokos. Bar counters display numerous pintxos, the equivalent to tapas in other areas of the country. It is traditional to barhop before lunch of dinner, which is essentially a regional sport. One makes the rounds consisting of popping in and out of several bars, usually the same ones every day, grabbing a pintxo and drinking a txikito (a small glass of wine) in each one. It is a way to meet friends and acquaintances without arranging a specific date, before heading home for a proper meal.  I say, when in Rome...

Wishing you a delicious 2008.

To find out more about any of our culinary vacations please feel free to call me at 416.238.9987 (Toronto) or 1.800.839.5795 (in North America).  Email works well too at jackie@gourmetsafari.com.

Sincerely, Jackie

PS: Please help save the environment by recycling this email -- help spread the word and forward it to all your friends!