Dinner parties can seem like a daunting affair. All those courses to prepare, the fancy table setting, how many people you can realistically accommodate, not to mention being chained to the stove when your guests are over.
Take a deep breath, relax, and serve tapas! The best part about a tapas party is that you can do a lot of the prep work ahead of time, and there's significantly less cooking involved -- in fact depending on what you serve you may not even have to turn the stove on.
Tapas, or small bites, have been come increasingly popular over the years, with many restaurants choosing tapas-style menus over full course dinners. People can nibble at a bit of this, and a bit of that, and eat as much or as little as they desire. If they don't like one dish, they have plenty of others to focus on. The casual atmosphere of a tapas party also means your guests will undoubtedly have a good time. Where dinner parties can seem overly formal, tapas get-togethers are meant to be fun and relaxed.
Wondering what to serve? Aim for a variety of cheese, meats, breads, and vegetables. Don't forget to include a few vegetarian options for the veggie-lovers in the crowd.
Here are a few suggestions of what to put out at a tapas party, courtesy Chef Caesar Guinto:
-Cheeses -- especially Manchego cheese, the hard sheep's milk cheese from Spain. Named for the La Mancha region, Manchego cheese has a sharp, nutty, sometimes peppery flavour. Put out a decent-sized wedge and a knife for serving
-Chorizo sausage -- the popular Spanish sausage doesn't need much preparation. Cut the sausage into coins, fry it in a bit of olive oil, then bake it for a few minutes in the oven until cooked through
-Mixed olives
-Serrano ham -- similar to Italian prosciutto, Serrano ham is thinly sliced and flavourful
-Sliced ripe, red tomatoes with capers and onions
-Good quality bread
-Bottles of olive oil and vinegar, for drizzling and dipping
-Spanish Potato Tortilla -- it's nice to have one or two warm dishes that have been prepared, but this one can be done a few hours in advance and served at room temperature
-Potato Croquettes
Those are just a few suggestions but feel free to serve your own nibbles. The options are endless!
suzanne.ellis@cityline.rogers.com
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