EDITOR’S NOTE: Warm days call for easy cooking, or meals with little or no cooking, and tapas are always a fun way to serve up a delicious meal. Be sure to order the Kitchen Maven’s great new cookbook – Thrifty Comfort Cooking for Challenging Times – sales of the cookbook benefit our local food bank. See below for links to order.
By Judith Yamada, The Kitchen Maven
Tapas are a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish gastronomy. They may be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or warm (such as fried baby squid or crispy potatoes). In many Spanish bars, tapas have evolved into a sophisticated cuisine. Many American restaurants and bars now offer small plates, similar to tapas, on everyday menus, allowing patrons to sample small amounts of several specialties instead of ordering a large meal.
The meaning of tapas has changed over time. According to the official Spanish dictionary any small portion of food that is just enough to eat along with a drink is considered a tapa. The accurate meaning for the word “tapa” is “cover”. The word “tapas” is derived from the Spanish verb tapar, “to cover”, a cognate of the English word “top”.
According to old legends, in Castilla, Spain, the land of Don Quixote, red wine was a popular drink of the men who frequented taverns. And the wine barrels, in those taverns, attracted wine flies and other flying pests. So, it became the custom to cover a glass of wine with a tapa to avoid flies drowning in one’s drink.
Here are some tapas that I particularly enjoy.
FRIED ALMONDS / SERVES 4
9 ounces blanched almonds
3 or 4 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Warm the oil in a non-stick frying pan. When hot, sauté the almonds until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and immediately sprinkle with coarse salt.
WHITE BEANS WITH VINAIGRETTE SAUCE
Two 15-ounce cans white beans (Great Northern or Cannellini) rinsed with cold water and drained
1 medium red or green bell pepper (or 1/2 each)
1/2 medium size sweet onion (Walla Walla, Maui, etc.)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Stir well. Transfer to serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate one hour before serving. Serves 8-10 as appetizer.
PATATAS BRAVAS
5-6 medium potatoes
Salt to taste
1 ½ cups olive oil
Pepper sauce, mustard, tomato sauce (optional)
Peel the potatoes. Cut each potato into 4 even lengthwise pieces, then cut crosswise to ½” chunks. Sprinkle with salt. Pour olive oil into a wide deep-frying pan with a heavy bottom. Heat the oil on medium high until hot. To test the oil, drop in a chunk of potato. If it immediately starts frying, the oil is hot enough. If it doesn’t begin frying, the oil isn’t hot enough and the potatoes will absorb too much oil. Cook the potatoes about 10 minutes; using a slotted spoon, remove potatoes from the pan and drain onto paper toweling. Serve with mustard, pepper sauce or tomato sauce, if desired. 4 appetizer servings.
MARINATED GREEN OLIVES
1-pound brine cured green olives, well rinsed
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 long thin orange or lemon zest strips
Olive oil
Combine all ingredients in a bowl or large Mason jar, adding olive oil to just cover. Stir. Cover and refrigerate two or more days. Bring to room temperature before serving. Serves 4-6
MARINATED BLACK OLIVES
8 ounces (one cup) black olives
2 dried red chiles
12 cloves garlic
Red wine vinegar, as needed
Dash of lemon juice
Lightly crush the olives without breaking them and pour into a glass jar with a lid, discarding any oil produced. Add the chiles and garlic, lightly shaking the jar to evenly distribute. Pour in enough red wine vinegar to entirely submerge the contents of the jar. Add a dash of lemon juice. Seal the jar and store at room temperature for a few days, shaking the jar twice or more daily. Serves 2-4.
All these recipes would be great served with a glass of sherry or wine, lemonade, Sangria or other refreshing beverage. Enjoy!
Recipes adapted from original: Asoliva of Spain
For more recipes and for a link to purchase my cookbook, “Thrifty Comfort Cooking for Challenging Times” please go to my website at https://kitchenmaven.org
or you can find the book on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com
Remember – 100% author royalties go to the Oregon Food Bank to assist our neighbors experiencing food insecurity.