"" Writer's Wanderings: Tapas

Thursday, September 06, 2012

Tapas

Our next travel adventure starts in Barcelona. We have been to the beautiful city several times but always as a port of call with little time to do it all. This trip we will be starting out there and spending a couple of days. Why? Simple. We want to explore more and linger in places we didn't have time before--namely Las Ramblas, the main street of the city where everyone strolls along to enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes of Barcelona.

We have never had time to sit down and enjoy a Spanish tradition called tapas. Tapas are small plates of food sort of like appetizers but are served with drinks. The origin is hard to place but there is speculation that way back when, a thin slice of ham or cheese was laid over the top of a drink glass to keep the flies off of it. Tapas means lid or cover. Of course if they were on the ham, I don't know that I'd want to eat that.

Today tapas are still served with drinks but they are not free as they used to be. You could actually make a light lunch of tapas and/or use them as a way to sample the menu of a restaurant since they are often just a smaller plate of a menu item.

I've been nosing around the recipe sites and think I may just have to make some tapas before we go. Here's an easy one I found on the Food Network.com that is basically just spinach and chick pea served on toast points. Sounds delish!

Cook 10 oz. of fresh spinach with water still on leaves until it wilts. Drain and chop. Add a can of drained chick peas, a finely diced sweet red pepper, a tablespoon of fresh chives finely chopped, the juice of one lemon, and a fourth cup of olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.

What you drink with it is your choice.

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