27 Aug 2022
My family (husband, wife, daughters 13 and 14) were so fortunate to have the opportunity to experience a night cooking and eating with Irene and David at their lovely home outside of Castro Urdiales. Irene and David welcomed us like members of their own family, and customized a meal plan that accommodated our limitations (no shellfish) while still offering a series of dishes that were distinctly basque. They took the time to explain the source of ingredients used in each dish (some of which came from their own garden) and the origin of their creation (e.g. the Gilda pintxo and the Tarta de Santiago). My daughters can sometimes be picky eaters, but they so enjoyed the process of making and learning about each dish that were inspired to test the boundaries of their comfort zones. As an added bonus, Irene has WSET Level 3 sommelier certification and provided the perfect wine to pair with each dish (again with an explanation of the unique characteristics of each wine and why she selected it). In many ways, it was a combination of a cooking class, wine tasting class, and history class. All of this was great, but what made the night so special was getting to know Irene and David as people and how warmly they welcomed my family into their home.