The word tapas literally translated is “top” or “cover.” There is a lot of folklore about how tapas came about; however, today we refer to them as small plates.
Bruschetta can be found on many tapas menus. This brushetta is made with delicious roasted red peppers, capers, cherry tomatoes and graded Parmesan cheese. This screams summertime. Kick it up by spreading ricotta cheese on the bread then add pepper mixture.
Iberico Ham
My first trip to Spain was to Madrid back in the early 70’s when I was in college. Gosh I’m reveling my age. We went on an art trip to take in the rich art scene in Madrid as well as spending days strolling through the Prado Museum and Plaza Mayor. What I also fell in love with were the tapas bars, they were so varied and vast in numbers. We took in the art culture during the day and tapas bar hopping at night. Each bar was unique in style as well as their tapas offering. As long as we bought a beverage our first tapas was free, they ranged from marinated mushroom, olives, or a roasted pepper bruschetta. It was a college students dream come true and all within a limited budget! Although Jamon Iberico was well out of my budget, I just couldn’t leave Madrid without tasting this magnificent acorn fed Iberian ham. I remember savoring each bite as it melted in my mouth. That night I slept well feeling fully satisfied that I had experienced Madrid.
|
|