Sheep Tales Gathering | Basque Food In The West: There to Here and Then to Now

The 2026 Festival will again feature the storytelling arm of our event - the Sheep Tales Gathering.  This event will feature esteemed, James Beard nominated Boise resident and chef – Dan Ansotegui.  Dan is a well-known local Basque chef in Boise owning and operating such restaurants as Bar Gernika and Ansots Basque Chorizos & Catering, and founding The Basque Market.

Dan will be joined by John Ysura who has a PhD in history with a specialty in the history of the Basque diaspora of the western United States, as well as Patty Miller who is the Basque Community History Project Director for the Basque Museum and Cultural Center in Boise, Idaho.

Together, they will present "Basque Food In The West: There to Here and Then to Now" speaking about how Basque food has changed from the farmhouses of the Basque country of Spain and France, to the Basque owned boarding houses, and to today's Basque restaurants throughout the U.S. This presentation addresses food as culture and the influence of the Basque culture and community experiences in their contemporary culinary work and how these fit with today’s consumers who want to know where their food comes from, how it is raised, how to prepare it and how it is a part of current culture.