IWNA

I first discovered tapas

at a Chicago restaurant called

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba, and quickly fell in love with what I saw as a low-risk

dining style: Ordering tapas permitted me to sample a variety of unfamiliar

tastes in petite portions. The small dishes stacked up as we ordered

rounds of savory delights just as we ordered rounds of drinks, giving me

bites of at least a dozen different classic Spanish favorites.

A couple of decades later, I couldn’t be happier that the tapas

concept has been embraced throughout the U.S. And it remains —

of course — a familiar choice in its birthplace, Spain.

The Birth of the Tapa

Spanish tapas are a tradition like no other, with colorful — if myth-

ical — origins. Once upon a time, it is said, Spanish publicans

placed slices of bread atop cups of wine to keep out the flies. Or,

depending on your source, it was a concerned king who com-

manded that no subject drink a glass of wine without consuming

some food with it. And still another tale claims tapas are rooted in

the practice of covering glasses of bad wine with strong cheese to

mask the smell. The Spanish word tapa means “lid,” giving weight

to the first or third story.

Whatever the origin, most importantly — and according to all the

stories — a tapa never performs solo; it always accompanies a drink.

What remains today is a custom that at its core translates to enjoying

the company of friends with drinks and small bites of food.

Tapas in Modern-Day Spain

In a country where most people don’t eat dinner until 10:00 p.m. (or

later!), tapas can serve as a tide-me-over through the evening. However,

the practice of

tapeo

(going for tapas) is an activity all its own, in which

partakers commonly flit from one establishment to another — a drink,

a tapa or two, and time to move on to the next spot. Often eaten stand-

ing up at bustling

tascas

(taverns), tapas were traditionally served free

with drink orders. Today, this practice is less common, although the

southern city of Granada remains a free-tapas stronghold.

Tapas also appear on some

restaurant menus, and diners

can purchase a multicourse meal

of mini repasts such as spicy

patatas bravas

(fried potatoes)

and slices of dry-cured

serrano

ham. When eaten as a meal,

tapas aren’t served all at once,

but rather in rounds — each

diner ordering a tapa (or two),

with plenty of sharing and sam-

pling of one another’s choices.

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IntervalWorld.com INTERVAL WORLD Spring 2015

PATATAS BRAVAS

A tapas menu isn’t complete without this dish of crispy

potatoes and spicy sauce.

4 large, waxy potatoes (Yukon gold)

Oil for frying

Salt

1/2 onion, minced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon ground thyme

3/4 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup mayonnaise

Boil potatoes until just cooked, rinse, and let cool before peel-

ing and cutting into 1-inch cubes. Heat 1 inch of oil to

medium-high in a deep, heavy-bottomed skillet and carefully

add potato cubes, frying until crispy and browned. Drain on a

paper towel–lined plate, season with salt, and set aside.

For the sauce (

salsa brava

), sauté the onion in 1 table-

spoon of oil from potatoes until translucent. Add garlic and

sauté until just brown. Remove from heat and add paprika,

cayenne pepper, and thyme, blending well. Stir in tomato

sauce and mayonnaise, and add salt to taste.

Spoon sauce over potatoes just before serving. Makes six

to eight servings.

SANGRIA

Nothing says

fiesta like a

pitcher of sangria,

yet there are

countless

variations on this

Spanish classic.

Substitute and

interchange fruit,

liquor, or even

white for red wine.

1 bottle red wine

1 orange, sliced in rounds

1 lemon, sliced in rounds

1 lime, sliced in rounds

1 apple, diced

1/4 cup sugar or to taste

1/4 cup rum

1 liter ginger ale or seltzer water

Mix wine, fruit, sugar, and rum in a large

pitcher and allow to infuse for an hour or

more. Add the soda just before serving for

maximum sparkle. Makes about 10 servings.

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