MichelleY

We were in San Sebastian in June. While there, we spent a day with Gabriella of Tenedor tours. It was a great day of Basque history, food & wine.

For a take home, Gabriella suggested we try to find the Dauro olive oil. She said it was great, especially on vanilla ice cream!!! Has anyone done this? Can you give specifics of how to do this. I think she also mentioned sprinkling a little salt on top. I purchased a bottle of Dauro at the BCN airport.

Any feed back would be great.

Thanks
MY

SeaUrchin

Ha, you try it and give us the feedback! It sounds like it might be good if there were some fruit on top too. Let us know.

nessundorma

The 'helados' I ate in San Sebastian's restaurants was some of the best ice I can recall having in recent years. It didn't have olive oil on it, but were I to try it on ice cream, I would reach for some premium vanilla ice cream.

MichelleY

I know it sounds weird, but Gabriella said it was great. Maybe I had already had too many glasses of Txacoli!!!

laclaire

I only like olive oil on Mantecado flavored ice cream, but Vanilla was not bad. I tried it once at home in Alicante. My host mom claimed to have read it somewhere. Don't put a lot on (I mean, we are not dealing with chocolate sauce here). . . maybe a tablespoon for 3 scoops, and mix it in.

Everything is better with a little OO.

Maribel

Hi MichelleY,
I loved reading your delightful trip report and so glad you had a wonderful time visiting your Basque relatives.

Glad you enjoyed Gabriella's tour as well. We ate breakfast with her in Pamplona during the San Fermín festival and of course, talked food! If she said it was great, I trust her taste completely! Some of the great Basque chefs serve "helado de aceite de oliva" in their creations.

I had one of the best olive oil ice creams of my life in Córdoba at Taberna Casa Pepe de la Judería.
Don't recall what particular brand of o.o. was used as the prime ingredient, but it was fantastic!

MichelleY

Maribel & Claire: Thank you for your replies. I was afraid I didn't hear Gabriella correctly, since I had a little buzz going from the Txacoli.

We had a great trip and used the Maribel's guides. A great resource. We need a Navarra/Pamplona guide?

Claire: what is Mantecado????

Thanks everyone again,

MY

AP6380

Otto Pizzeria in Manhattan (owned by Mario Batali) has an Olive Oil Gelato. They also have this is from their menu) OLIVE OIL COPPETTA
OLIVE OIL GELATO, STRAWBERRIES, PASSIONFRUIT GRANITA, BASIL SYRUP, CAPEZZANA OLIVE OIL & MALDON SEA SALT

I've tasted the gelato, it was really good. By the way, Otto has the best gelato that I have found in NYC as of yet.

Maribel

Hi MichelleY,
Any trip to the Basque Country requires a txakolí buzz! That stuff goes just perfectly with the magnificent seafood. Even though it can be found in the US, it's so expensive-not like the 4-6 € bottles we can buy in Getaria!

I'm working on a Navarra/Pamplona guide as we speak-hope to get it finished before your next trip to visit your family!

When in Madrid again, pay a visit to the artisanal Italian ice cream shop, Bruin, on Paseo Pintor Rosales 48 in the Argüelles quarter. They serve "helado de aceite de oliva" as well as other exotic flavors, including patxarán and cider! I love the Idiazábal cheese ice cream too. www.heladosbruin.com

And my very favorite "new wave hip" ice cream bar/lounge, Giangrossi, with branches in Madrid and BCN, will have wine flavors this fall! There's a new shop on the Cava Baja in Old Madrid.
www.giangrossi.es

¡que aproveche!

laclaire

MichelleY- Mantecado is a flavor and though I am not sure of its origins, I know that there are christmas candies called Mantecados. They are amazing cookies that taste great with coffee or any time. The flavor is sweet, nor buttery or oily, but definitely has some fat (probably lard), sort of cooked and kind of cinnamony. I think I need to eat some more to give a better description, but I love the stuff!

Brahmama

This isn't food, but it's olive oil associated! You can use olive oil as a natural moisturizer. When I gave it a try I put a little Essential Lavender oil in it, so that people around me wouldn't start getting hungry for salad.....

Eloise

Mantecado

3. m. Compuesto de leche, huevos y azúcar con que se hace un helado.

Real Academia Española © Todos los derechos reservados

MichelleY

Thanks all. I will give it a try and report back.

MY

SeaUrchin

If olive oil used as a skin treatment is good enough for Sophia Loren it is good enough for me! I use it on my legs....but I do seem to attract hungry men.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4788015.stm

cova

and just two weeks ago I had the tasting ice-cream dish at Giangrossi in Velazquez. 5 scoops of different ice-creams that were more than enough for the two of us. The best ones : ginger-lime-lemon and zabaione (sabayon in spanish).

Maribel, have you been to the Alma de Cacao shops in Bilbao ( Bidebarrieta and Rdez Arias ) ? They have taken the Arrese place at Bilbao airport, and just last week I bought a gorgeous black chocolate with olive oil and salt ... I must get more tomorrow ...

http://www.almadecacao.com

Cova

111op

Yes, Otto's olive oil gelato is very well.

But I still prefer the ice-cream at Cones. The owners are S. American, I think (Argentinian?).

111op

Oops -- is very good. Sorry about that.

ekscrunchy

saving this for my upcoming trip

Maribel

Hi eks! Welcome back! It's great to see you posting again, and I hope surgery went well.

cova,
No, I haven't tried the Alma de Cacao yet. We passed by it on Rodríguez Arias when it was closed and meant to get back but never did. It will give me a good excuse to go shopping on R.A. next time (not that I'd ever need one...)
Didn't have time to shop "properly" at the Bibao airport-day after El Prat strike and got stuck in the long check-in line (at 6:30 a.m.!)-ripple effect. Thanks for the tip!

We went in search of chocolates Saint Girons on L. Poza that you had recommended here a while back. I carry yours and mikelg's recommendations with me when in Bilbao.

Isn't the sampler at Giangrossi yummy?
For those who want to try it in Madrid, the branches are here:

Velázquez 44 (Salamanca district, near Goya)

Cava Baja (La Latina district, Old Madrid)

Alberto Aguilera 1 (metro, San Bernardo)

La Esquina del Bernabeu
(shopping mall next to the Bernabeu fútbol stadium on Padre Damián)

In Barcelona:
In the L'Illa shopping mall
Soon to come at the Puerto Olímpico

Soon to come in Valencia too.

sandi

Can't comment on olive oil, but balsamic vinegar (the aged very thick ... and also expensive ones) are great over vanilla ice cream and even fresh strawberries.