Tapas

When we were in Spain and Portugal we loved the tapas that were served there in the bars, which are ever present there. The photo on the left is a classic bar we attended in Madrid. We were so enamoured of tapas that we've now hosted  two tapas parties.  They're so easy, because the food on offer can be prepared ahead of time in most cases. And unlike a dinner party, there are no courses, no appetizers, no side dishes, and no desserts.




These are some photos of tapas taken from our trip to Spain. Seafood is a really big deal there, even in areas that are completely landlocked.

The one below was taken at a big public market in Madrid.

This one is in Seville, a place that still serves a free tapa with every drink you order.

For our tapas party I scoured the internet and came up with some reasonably authentic recipes. On the left is the traditional Spanish tortilla made with eggs and potatoes, here topped with fresh asparagus.


Other favourites include Ensalada Russo (Russian Salad), which is made with potatoes, carrots, tuna green peas, and mayonnaise--plus whatever else you might like to add (onion, roasted peppers, capers for example).




























We also added Capresi salad on a stick and almonds roasted with smoked paprika. If you'd like to know what else we prepared, here are some of them.


Olives, green and black, stuffed and plain
Chorizo sausage
Shrimps cooked in garlic oil
Rustic bread
Manchego cheese
Albondigas (otherwise known as Spanish meatballs), patatas bravas (potatoes roasted in oil and spices), skewers of roasted pork. I'm sure there are others but I can't remember them now.  Pretty well any appetizer you can think of could be served as part of a tapas menu. And of course wine. Did I mention wine? Spain has excellent red wines and good white wines too (they're known as verdejos)

The best thing is that it's easy to do and a fun way to host a few people without stress.

If you haven't been invited yet, don't worry, we'll be doing this again in the new year. Let me know if you're interested.