I
have become charmed by Chimichurri, the lovely green sauce made from finely
chopped parsley, garlic, oregano, olive oil, and red wine vinegar (with a
splash of chipotle salsa, for a certain daring je ne sais quoi). Or
sometimes with other herbs, with lemon juice instead of vinegar, with sherry
vinegar, or other variants.
Though
the sauce is originally from Argentina, the origin of its name is
uncertain. My preferred theory is
that it came with the Basque settlers in the 19th century. “According to this theory, the name of
the sauce comes from the Basque term tximitxurri,
loosely translated as ‘a mixture of several things in no particular order.’" (That, alone, is charming; it would
make a good title for a poetry collection or many other bits of my writing.)
And
though it’s South American, and complements that cuisine quite excellently, it
feels very Mediterranean to me as well, like the Mallorcan sauce made with
parsley, garlic, and ground almonds.
Or like pistou, or pesto.
The Italian, Spanish, and French cultures have carried at least this
recognizable element of their old world cuisine with them to the new world.
Here
is a good page to tell you more.
images: The Café Sucré Farine
YUM! talk about fresh and delicious sounding.
ReplyDeleteand not a cilantro in sight... thank god!