Problems with your kids? Here is the solution:

eat them! Maybe with some hot spicy potatoes, locally known as patatas bravas.

I will give the name and address of the place (in Barcelona) to all interested parties -)

August 10, 2012 | Categories: food, restaurants | 3 Comments

Tapas!

Guess almost everybody knows what tapas are. If you don’t: tapas are a wide variety of smacks, appetizers in Spanish cuisine. The name tapas come from the verb tapar, to cover. There are several explanations for why it has come to denote a type of food:

• A commonly cited explanation is that an item, be it bread or a flat card, etc., would often be placed on top of a drink to protect it from fruit flies; at some point it became a habit to top this “cover” with a snack.
• It is also commonly said that since one would be standing while eating a tapa in traditional Spanish bars, they would need to place their plates on top of their drinks to eat, making it a top.
• Some believe the name originated sometime around the 16th century when tavern owners from Castilla-La Mancha found out that the strong taste and smell of mature cheese could help disguise that of bad wine, thus “covering” it, and started offering free cheese when serving cheap wine.
• Another popular explanation says that the king Alfonso XIII stopped by a famous tavern in Cádiz (Andalusia) where he ordered a cup of wine. The waiter covered the glass with a slice of cured ham before offering it to the king, to protect the wine from the beach sand, as Cádiz is a windy place. The king, after drinking the wine and eating the tapa, ordered another wine “with the cover”.
• The origin of tapas was most likely with Felipe the 3rd (1578-1621 and reigned from 1598 until his death), who passed a law in an effort to curb rowdy drunken behavior, particularly among soldiers and sailors. The law stated that when one purchased a drink, the bartender was to place over the mouth of the mug or goblet a cover or lid containing some small quantity of food as part of the purchase of the beverage. The hope being that the food would slow the effects of the alcohol, and fill the stomach to prevent over imbibing.

Some tapas…

• Aceitunas – olives, sometimes with a filling of anchovies or red bell pepper
• Albóndigas – meatballs with sauce
• Alioli – “garlic and oil” in Catalan, the classic ingredients are only garlic, oil and salt, but the most common form of it includes mayonnaise and garlic, served on bread or with boiled or grilled potatoes, fish, meat or vegetables.
• Bacalao – salted cod loin sliced very thinly, usually served with bread and tomatoes
• Banderillas, or pinchos de encurtidos, are cold tapas made from small food items pickled in vinegar and skewered together. They are also known as gildas or piparras and consist of pickled items, like olives, baby onions, baby cucumbers, chiles (guindilla) with pieces of pepper and other vegetables. Sometimes they include an anchovy.
• Boquerones – white anchovies served in vinegar (boquerones en vinagre) or deep fried
• Calamares or rabas – rings of battered squid
• Carne mechada – slow-cooked, tender beef
• Chopitos – battered and fried tiny squid, also known as puntillitas
• Cojonuda (superb female)- a kind of pincho, it consists of a slice of Spanish morcilla with a fried quail egg over a slice of bread. It is very common in Burgos, because the most well-known and widespread Spanish morcilla is from there. It can also be prepared with a little strip of red, spicy pepper.
• Cojonudo (superb male) – a kind of pincho, it consists of a slice of Spanish chorizo with a fried quail egg over a slice of bread.
• Chorizo al vino – chorizo sausage slowly cooked in wine
• Chorizo a la sidra – chorizo sausage slowly cooked in cider
• Croquetas – a common sight in bar counters and homes across Spain, served as a tapa, a light lunch, or a dinner along with a salad
• Empanadillas – large or small turnovers filled with meats and vegetables
• Ensaladilla rusa – “(little) Russian salad”, made with mixed boiled vegetables with tuna, olives and mayonnaise
• Gambas – prawns sauteed in salsa negra (peppercorn sauce), al ajillo (with garlic), or pil-pil (with chopped chili peppers)
• Mejillones rellenos – stuffed mussels, called tigres (“tigers”) in Navarre because of the spicy taste
• Papas arrugadas or papas con mojo (see Canarian wrinkly potatoes) (Canary Islands) – very small, new potatoes boiled in salt water similar to sea water, then drained, slightly roasted and served with mojo sauce, a garlic, Spanish paprika, red pepper, cumin seed, olive oil, wine vinegar, salt and bread miga (fresh bread crumbs without the crust) to thicken it
• Patatas bravas or papas bravas – fried potato dices (sometimes parboiled and then fried, or simply boiled) served with salsa brava a spicy tomato sauce, sometimes served also with mayo or aioli
• Pimientos de Padrón – small green peppers originally from Padrón (a municipality in the province of A Coruña, Galicia) that are fried in olive oil or served raw, most are mild, but a few in each batch are quite spicy.
• Pulpo a la gallega (Galician-style octopus) or polbo á feira (octopus in the trade fair style) in Galicia, is cooked in boiling water (preferably in a copper cauldron or pan) and served hot in olive or vegetable oil. The octopus pieces are seasoned with substantial amounts of paprika, giving it its recognisable red color, and sea salt for texture and flavour.
• Pincho moruno (Moorish spike) – a stick with spicy meat, made of pork, lamb or chicken
• Puntillitas (Andalusia) or chopitos (central Spain) – battered and fried tiny squid
• Queso con anchoas – Castilla or Manchego cured cheese with anchovies on top
• Rajo – pork seasoned with garlic and parsley, with added paprika, called zorza
• Setas al Ajillo – fresh mushrooms sauteed with olive oil and garlic.
• Solomillo a la castellana – fried pork scallops, served with an onion and/or Cabrales cheese sauce
• Solomillo al whisky – fried pork scallops, marinated using whisky, brandy or white wine and olive oil
• Tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelette) or tortilla española – a type of omelet containing fried chunks of potatoes and sometimes onion
• Tortilla paisana – a tortilla containing vegetables and chorizo 
• Tortillitas de camarones (Andalusia) – battered prawn fritters
• Zamburiñas – renowned Galician scallops, often served in a marinera, tomato-based sauce

Bom profit, and thanks, Wiki! We tasted a lot of them, but with many more to go!

June 5, 2012 | Categories: food, restaurants | 9 Comments