Have you ever been to a tapas restaurant or been to a tapas party?  Well if you ever have a chance, you should.  It is a great experience because you get the opportunity to try a wide assortment of delicious dishes – and many of these dishes are naturally gluten-free.  So what exactly is a tapa?  Tapas are Mediterranean or Spanish small dishes and/or appetizers.  The concept behind tapas is to serve small dishes that everyone shares.  This style of cuisine lends itself to parties because people are not so focused on a sit-down entire meal, but rather smaller portions of food in a variety of Mediterranean flavors. 

So, how about a hosting your own tapas party?

It may seem daunting to prepare multiple dishes (perhaps more than you normally would if you just served a sit down dinner), however it can be accomplished rather easily with good prior planning.  Not all of the dishes have to be difficult.  Tapas can be both hot and cold.  Cold dishes might be simple appetizers like olives and cheese – which is very simple to prepare and can be placed on serving dishes a day in advance.  

Spanish tortilla

Hot dishes are also generally easy to make and can be prepped ahead of time and cooked just before serving. Here are some of our favorite warm/hot tapas dishes:

Spanish tortilla
Shrimp in Garlic
Peppers Stuffed with Feta & Spinach
Meatballs with Almond and Garlic Sauce
Marinated Pork
Roasted Vegetable Sauté

Meatballs with Almond and Garlic Sauce

For a different and fun party, let your guests choose tapas from your pre-designed menu and do the final cooking themselves.

If you’ve ever sat down to a meal at a restaurant and looked around the table at everyone’s plate and thought, ‘I wish I could try just a bite of that, and that, and that….’ You will find your destiny at a tapas party!

Enjoy!

- Chef Jessica

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