Tapas Xmas Eve

[jbart65]

My wife decided a few years ago that Xmas Eve was tapas night. Not necessarily Spanish tapas, but small dishes. Seven hours of work for me - I put a new Yoshimi 240 to work - but it was worth it.

I did go more Spanish this year with my son returning home for the holidays from Granada.

Up first, home-made bread. Needed it for several other dishes. Can never get it to rise great in the winter, but it came out quite well.



Pan con tomate y jamon

A Spanish classic. Pureed some heirloom tomato in a food mill. Serrano, tomato, Spanish olive oil, bread toasted in a pan.






Manchego, fried Pink Lady Apple, garlic grilled bread



Albondigas in a Spanish tomato sauce

Maybe my favorite of the bunch. Looked fantastic in person



Fried pea and ricotta raviolis

I made my own ricotta and served with a lemon butter sauce.



Gambas al Ajillo

Another Spanish classic.



Patatas Bravas with a spicy roasted tomato aioli. Sauce was delicious. Smoky from the Spanish paprika.



Not seen: Padron peppers pan roasted in Spanish olive oil and sprinkled with French fleur de sel

[Bensbites]

I bet you had fun with the knives .

Looks like you nailed everything.

I am just a lowly home baker, but I make a mean sourdough hearth loaf. Happy to talk bread baking anytime.

[Carter]

Looks great JB...already making me hungry for lunch.

[MisoSatisfried]

Aaaand now I'm starving. Well done man!

[Ourorboros]

My wife decided a few years ago that Xmas Eve was tapas night. Not necessarily Spanish tapas, but small dishes.

This is a fairly good description of dim sum.

[Ut_ron]

Wow Jeffery those looks so good. Bet they taste better then they look

[jbart65]

My wife decided a few years ago that Xmas Eve was tapas night. Not necessarily Spanish tapas, but small dishes.

This is a fairly good description of dim sum.

So I have heard. Interesting to see how many disparate cultures end up with similar habits and traditions despite little or no interaction historically.

As an example, I have always been struck by the similarity between wontons, raviolis and pierogis. Or samosas and empanadas. Seems every culture in the world has some form of dumpling.

The Spanish tapa tradition is interesting. In Granada, we got a tapa for every drink we ordered - wine, beer, coffee. Some places even give you one for water. And customers did not just go to one restaurant - they often went to several to sample different tapas. Sort of like bar hopping in the States but with food. Most didn't order anything but tapas. The normal menu often went unheeded.

[jbart65]

Thanks gents. I happen to have some leftovers for lunch today - the albondigas! Had to get a few more before my son ate them all.

Just checked out your site, Carter. Somehow I never connected Carter Hopkins with ... you! Wow. One of these days ...


Ben, I've been baking for years. Country and French loaves, rye, pizza dough, flatbreads (pita, naan), focaccia. And recently I made English muffins for the first time (easy).

[Naples09]

Those English Muffins look great!

[Kalaeb]

Looking great. Nice work.

[gladius]

Albondigas in a Spanish tomato sauce

Maybe my favorite of the bunch. Looked fantastic in person

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Looks appetizing...I'll have to make Albondigas today (con arroz).

[jbart65]

Busy week in the kitchen with my wife's side of the family in town. Chicken piccata for 12 two nights ago, pizza last night (homemade sauce and dough). Tonite real New England clam chowder with real clams.

Unfortunately nobody on my wife's side is really fit to be in a kitchen. Even though I am working and they are on vacation, I'd never dare to ask them to make .... something!

So just me until cleanup time. Still worth it. My inlaws never eat better than when they are at my house. Most don't cook much, and those that do, don't do it well. They are appreciative.

Starting New Years Day I get to relax. Growing up in the Boston suburbs my father always bought really good Chinese food on New Years. We ate early in the afternoon, around 3 or so. Chinese restaurants were the only ones open when I was young.

I've kept to that tradition. Fortunately I have access to even better Chinese food in the DC area.

[Ourorboros]

So I have heard. Interesting to see how many disparate cultures end up with similar habits and traditions despite little or no interaction historically.

As an example, I have always been struck by the similarity between wontons, raviolis and pierogis. Or samosas and empanadas. Seems every culture in the world has some form of dumpling.

The Spanish tapa tradition is interesting. In Granada, we got a tapa for every drink we ordered - wine, beer, coffee. Some places even give you one for water. And customers did not just go to one restaurant - they often went to several to sample different tapas. Sort of like bar hopping in the States but with food. Most didn't order anything but tapas. The normal menu often went unheeded.

For dim sum, the origins are from palaces. Giant amuse buche, a way to get a taste of everything. Now it's a brunch/lunch thing.
People on either end of the Central Asian plains have steamed dumplings in their cuisines, all of which look similar. The Venitians & Genoans would have had contact, this is another thing that traveled along the Silk Road (I'm assuming). The Poles would had contact (not friendly) with some Central Asian tribes. India is just off the Silk Road & for that matter the Tibetans, whom the Indians definitely had contact with, have steamed dumplings pleated just like Chinese ones.

[jbart65]

There are loose connections, to be sure. Pierogis have been around for 800 years, but the speculation is that the Poles were influenced by the Chinese via Silk Road trading or by the Tartars when they invaded Russia.

Still, versions of dumplings also originated in the Americas long before contact with the rest of the world.

[gladius]

Jeffry, you are an inspiration: albondigas con arroz azafran (amarillo)...

[jbart65]

I am jealous. Yours look better than mine!

[Ourorboros]

There are loose connections, to be sure. Pierogis have been around for 800 years, but the speculation is that the Poles were influenced by the Chinese via Silk Road trading or by the Tartars when they invaded Russia.

Still, versions of dumplings also originated in the Americas long before contact with the rest of the world.

Given the way cooking technology advances : open fire > hot rocks/hot rock in skin of water > metal ware, dumplings make sense as an early complex dish.
What is interesting to me is how dumplings from Japan to the Caucus mountains have pleats. Time consuming, takes a while to learn how to make it look good. It does hold sauce well, but many dumplings are served on sauces, not with a sauce poured on top.

[gladius]

I am jealous. Yours look better than mine!

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I was craving albondigas since you posted.
It came out delicious! I used First Light Wagyu ground beef that my local grocer just started carrying.

[Slater]

The shrimp looks yummmmy!

[jbart65]

Thanks! I've been making Gambas al Ajillo for years, even before I knew it was a famous Spanish dish. Gets even better if you fry the shimp on high heat briefly using the baking soda trick to get a crunchy exterior.