Baba Roon

 We had the great good fortune of being invited to a gastronomic society last weekend to partake of babarrunak, a kind of red bean grown in the Tolosa area. It is (not kidding) traditionally served with boiled cabbage.
Yes, that's right-beans + cabbage.

With a side of blood sausage, if you are inclined. It was musical event, as it were. I forgot my camera, so I stole pulled some lovely photos from the internet of the town of Orio, where the society is located. They are famous for their rowing team, which also rows on the ocean. Now that I think about it, maybe beans+cabbage makes sense...This particular gastronomic society allows women as guests but not in the kitchen. Traditionally women have been the heads of the household here and dominated the kitchens, so guys wanting to go cook made their own no-girls-allowed societies. That is all slowly changing. We sat down all together at a big long table and carried on in three languages and got real full. I am thinking of starting my own society, hmm...