Savoring Tapas at Home

For those of us who love food and we who also love a variety of mouth watering tastes from many different dishes, Tapas is a fantasy come true. There are few sights that are more pleasurable than a bar or table covered with a copious assortment of plates, filled with lip-smacking good food to choose from. Will it be the dish of tiny brown meatballs or the thick slices of the lean, spicy sausage nestled on small squares of bread or maybe the wafer thin crackers topped with fresh slivers of silver-skinned herring or is it going to be the small plate of russet colored mushrooms sitting in garlic sauce that we choose? Our Tapas choices are abundant and tantalizing.

“Tapas”, is the distinctive practice of Spanish bars serving small plates of their savory house specialties or finger food. Invariably, locals and tourists alike gather throughout the day in their favorite Tasca (as these bars are called) to eat and drink and sometimes debate politics or simply enjoy the company of others. Maybe it is the combination of food and drink in Tascas or their relaxed atmospheres that invites lively conversations between total strangers; whichever it is, they are as much a social experience as they are havens for food lovers.

One of my favorite Tasca’s in Barcelona is self-service, offering anywhere from 50 to 80 (I never counted just how many there actually are) varieties of finger food lining its two- tiered counter top. It is a bustling place, with tables inside and out that are always teeming with locals and tourists. Long trays filled with small plates of food, each with delectable morsels pierced with a tooth pick, are constantly replenished with fresh ones and there is never a lack of variety to choose from. The cost of the meal is tallied by the beverage servers, who add up the toothpicks from the empty plates on the table, the long ones are more money than the short ones. Other Tascas are closer to what we know of as “traditional bars”, with small plates of food lining the back portion of the bar and served by the bartender. Whatever kind of Tasca it may be, they are always a fun place to eat and mingle or simply be with other people.

It might be more romantic to just fly off to Spain to experience the many different foods of Tapas, but it is not necessary. We can easily recreate the casual atmosphere of eating “Tapas-style” right here in our own homes. There are no rules for Tapas. The food is whatever we want it to be. It can be finger-food or small servings of savory fare or a combination of the two; simple or sophisticated, the choice is ours. Economically, Tapas is also an ideal way to stretch the food budget by serving leftovers along with freshly made dishes as part of a Tapas-style meal or snack. This month, surprise your friends and delight your family with a “Tapas-styled” meal accompanied by a pitcher of homemade, fruity Sangria or an elegant glass of dry Fino styled Sherry.
Here are four easy to make recipes that can be enjoyed Tapas-style in small portions.

Potato Vegetable Salad
Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes, peeled, boiled and diced
¼ cup cooked and diced carrots
¼ cupped cooked peas, fresh or frozen
2 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of sugar
¾ cup of mayonnaise, homemade preferred.
1 clove of garlic, crushed
Combine the potatoes, carrots and peas in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar together. Gently fold this liquid mixture into the bowl of potatoes and vegetables. Let this sit for several hours, allowing the potatoes and vegetables to meld with the liquid mixture. Then add the mayonnaise and crushed garlic to the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour or until ready to use. This dish is best served at room temperature.

Pork Balls
Ingredients:
¼ pound ground pork
2 tablespoons beaten egg
¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon minced parsley
8 blanched almonds, ground
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt to taste
¼ cup olive oil or enough to generously coat fry pan
Mix all the ingredients together except the lemon juice and shape into small balls that are less than one inch. Then dip the balls into the lemon juice and fry until golden brown. This dish can be served warm or at room temperature.

Mushrooms and Garlic Sauce
Ingredients:
3 cloves minced garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1½ tablespoons flour
1 cup beef broth
½ dried red chili pepper cut into 3 pieces, seeds removed
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
½ pound mushrooms, halved or whole
Heat the garlic in 2 of the 3 tablespoons of olive oil until tender but not brown. Remove from the heat and sprinkle in the flour while constantly stirring the oil and flour. Then gradually stir in the beef broth (the broth should be warm to room temperature but not cold). Then add the chili pepper slices, 1 tablespoon of parsley and lemon juice and stir until smooth. In a separate fry pan sauté the mushrooms in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil until brown and tender but not soft. Combine the mushrooms into the garlic sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes and serve. Garnish the plate with the remaining parsley.

Marinated Chickpeas
(Prepare one day in advance)
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 hard boiled egg yoke
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 glove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon small capers
Pass the egg yoke through a sieve into a mixing bowl. Beat the oil and vinegar with a wire whisk, add to the egg yoke and stir in the onion, garlic, parsley, capers and chickpeas. Refrigerate overnight and garnish with additional chopped parsley before serving at room temperature.

The fun of Tapas is eating small amounts of food from a large selection and going back for more and more. This month break the mold and bring a taste of Spain into your home with Tapas. Fill a table with these dishes, or your own recipes, along with a stack of small serving plates, add a pitcher of sangria with lots of fresh oranges and apples or a bottle of dry Fino styled Sherry, or both, and enjoy a breadth of Spain in your home.

Anyone wishing a Sangria recipe is welcome to contact me at bernardberlin@q.com

Enjoy!