Espelette. . . . Espewhat?!

That's what my roommate said to me this evening while I was explaining what was going into my butternut squash soup. I learned about the spice Espelette through a fellow chef friend of mine who works at a hotel in Manhattan Beach, CA. He told me if I could ever find it, to pick it up for you don't need much of it and it has a crazy complex flavor. Most of you know i'm alllll about that. Espelette is a pepper cultivated in France. It is primarily used in Basque cuisine. Now their Cuisine deserves a few articles within itself. The reason for it's growing popularity is the mild flavor, but the peppery heat doesn't hit your palate until the very end. I knew it would be perfect in a butternut squash! The sweet flavor of the vegetable deserved a little heat. I purchased the spice through a company called whole spice. They are located in Peteluma, CA and offer so many different spices at very reasonable prices. I highly recommend getting their Harissa Blend as well. Spices are so fun so don't be shy with them. Give it a chance! :)