Tapas Tapas Ta-Pas

The long awaited tapas party has come and gone. A sure success, we filled a small house with small plates of delicious traditional Spanish plates along with not so small wheels of traditional Spanish cheeses. After weeks of preparation and research, two cheese plates were made with some of the oldest and well-known cheeses of Spain.

First, was from the Manchega sheep, known as, Villajos Manchego. Hailing from La Mancha, Spain this firm cheese definitely has the gamey and grassy taste that sheep milk tends to lend us, but its sharpness is not at all overpowering. Alone, you can keep it, but paired with the infamous, Membrillo, a sticky quince paste and a Martinez Lacuesta Rioja turns out to be a Spanish pairing orgasm or as the Spaniards like to call it orgasmo.

Next, was a cheese that had one of the most wearable packaging I’ve seen yet. Torta de la Serena comes wrapped in a cotton cloth, that after a couple sips of Cava we were wearing around our heads. This unpasteurized semisoft sheep’s milk cheese comes from the Merino sheep in the region of La Serena. Eaten with a piece of chorizo and a sip of the wonderful Pado Florentino Tempranillo, you will be hollering, “Vive al queso!”

Taramundi Asturin is a cheese that was easy to forget. This mixed milk of cow and goat has a buttery texture and is ideal for melting or sauces. Fondue anyone??? It should be paired with a crisp white wine.

If I had to use one word to describe the Queso Cabrales it would be STRONG! Made from cow, sheep and goat milk, this ménagetuois of a cheese, lingers in every part of your mouth. The sweetness and acidity of a Moscatel and the fierceness of the Cabrales creates a smoothness of that of the tango.

Here are cheese and olive skewers I made. The olives are stuffed with lemon, hence the halved lemons used to hold them. Goya makes these and you can buy them at any grocery store in the Spanish aisle. They also make olives stuffed with anchovies. They are unbelievable. The cheese is a Spanish Murcia al Vino. I’ve talked about this cheese in previous blogs. Its soft and smooth texture complements the mild and sweet paste.

Due to the sweat, tears and hundreds of phone calls between my mother and I, I am forced to mention the other wonderful tapas that we created for this party.

Deviled eggs, which is where the sweat and tears came from. A lot of work, but well worth it. They not only look really good, but taste even better.

Like any good Spanish family, we had Jamón and plenty of it. For a long time I was truly scared of it. I’m not sure what I thought was going to happen, but I did have a few nightmares where it came alive. Now that has passed and I have embraced the Jamón as if it was one of my own.

All of the cheeses were purchased at http://www.latienda.com/ , an online market that sells specialty Spanish cheeses and other Spanish gourmet items. It is a great resource to learn about cheese and one that I visit quite often.

The Menu

Squid with Caramelized Onion
Traditional Catalan Flatbread
Baked Clams with Chorizo
Artichokes with Jamón
Deviled Eggs with Capers
Onion Confit Tartlets
Empanadas
Potato and Onion Tortilla
Meatballs in a Saffron Sauce
Shrimp in a Green Mayonnaise
Shrimp with Garlic
Cumin Carrot Salad
Pimento Cauliflower Salad
Chicken Thighs with Honey Sauce