Tapas & Platters & Vino – Oh My !

Main Entry: ²tapa
Function: noun
Etymology: Spanish, literally, cover, lid, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old English tæppa tap
: an hors d’oeuvre served with drinks especially in Spanish bars — usually used in plural

Literal translation : Small Plates.  I first had tapas on a trip to The Big Apple, somewhere on the upper East Side.  I instantly fell in love with the concept.  A group of people order a large selection of tapas and just “share”.  What’s not to love ?

My wife Slim and I often do the same at meal time, except we stay at home.  After all, the NYC can be expensive !  I make small dishes of shrimp, mushrooms, potatoes, roasted veggies – anything really – normally served with a good, crusty bread and a little red wine.  Tapas are normally simple dishes with little prep work that really deliver on flavor.  In a very short time you can have a meal to remember !

Another fav of our’s is “The Platter” – basically an Antipasto platter.  I’ll utilize cheeses, meats, fruits, veggies, and again a great bread.  The concept of both tapas and platters for us is basically relaxing, sharing, and taking it easy.  A large amount of our Summer meals on the patio are based around this concept – perfect for a lazy evening’s meal in front of the fire.  We’ve even entertained larger groups with only tapas & platters as the “main”.  It’s always received rave reviews.

Please take my advice, if you really want to connect (or not) with friends or your significant other at meal time – try tapas or a platter on for size.  Nothing exotic, make it your own.  We use mostly grocery store fare, though sometimes I’ll add a little something special from some of my favorite ethnic markets.  The most basic ingredient is to just “enjoy”…