Tapas, travelin', and tortillas: Ay mi!

A variety of Tapas!
(spain-recipes.com)

    Hola chicos! This next post will definitely be different from the previous foods that we've talked about because we'll be leaving the cupcakeries and cafes behind to travel to one of my favorite places in the world: Espana! For those of you who can barely speak english, let alone spanish, Espana means 'Spain.' This country is known for a variety of things, from its beaches to cathedrals, bull fights to tomato festivals, and even its sexy, robust accent. One thing you may not think of when you hear "Spain" is food. Or even worse, when you do hear this and think of food, you think tacos and enchiladas with salsa and chips. Well, I'm here to stop this terrible, frustrating misconception! Let's get one thing straight before venturing into the vast mundo of Spanish food...It is NOTHING like Mexican food. So stop thinking so! I'm sure now you're wondering, "Jeeze, what's the big rant about? How can they be different?" Excuse me for the rant, but it's one of my biggest pet peeves to ignorantly group one culture, whether it be their people or food, with another. Anyway, I'll stop this mini rant. This is about the food after all!
   To continue, Mexican food, along with other food from Latin cultures, is known for its common staples such as rice and beans, tomatoes, peppers, and many spices usually combined in a flour or corn bread tortilla. Spanish food, en la otra mano, is traditionally not spicy. If you go into a Spanish restaurant you will never find chips and salsa and you'll most likely not be able to order a burrito. Some popular Spanish staples are pork, seafood, rice, and potatoes, with a variety of veggies. And the Spaniards also have their own form of tortilla! However, it's very far from a piece of thin bread! The Spanish use the word tortilla to mean 'omelette.' Tortilla Espanola, my favorite dish I ate while I was in Spain last summer, is a potato omelet with finely chopped onions, eggs, salt and pepper, and olive oil. Just for you, my special readers,  I'll give you a great, even healthier, recipe for tortilla Espanola at the end of writing! This dish is served as an accompaniment to any meal of the day and is especially popular at dinner time as a tapa.That's one little word for a big variety of flavors and ingredients! Many Americans, I'm sure, don't know what a tapa is. Tapas are smaller portions of Spanish foods, served in bars mostly, for a light dinner. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day in Spain, so people don't really want a big dinner because they're already filled up.

Tapeo in Boston (Photo by Greg Neises)

   So where can you find tapas? Sadly, not in my beautiful hometown of Nashville (This might be a good thing because I'd probably be 30 pounds heavier at the end of the summer if there was). They're also not very popular in New England, but this is understandable because this region is made up mostly of mom 'n pop places and chains. Spanish restaurants are more popular in the southwest and big cities, where there is a lot of hispanic and latin influence. Thankfully there are tapas places in Denver and Houston; and I'm even more thankful that I ate some while I was in both cities! The first place I ever had tapas was actually Tapeo in Boston, Massachusetts. It's located on Newbury Street, amidst a variety of pricey boutiques, cafes, and other stores. As you first walk in, the atmosphere transports you from a busy Boston street to a shady Madrid hotspot. After sitting, a speedy masero brings you a hot basket of bread and asks for your drinks while you peruse el menu. Because the portions are small tastings, you should order many of them (My mom and I usually order 4 or 5 each). The food is delicious and quick and I definitely recommend the Queso de Cabra. It's a small pan filled with baked goat cheese and a tomato sauce (Remember- It's NOT spicy and NOT salsa!). It's customary to dip the bread into the mixture for a savory, melty, overwhelming bite of flavor that sings to your taste buds. Not only that, but combined with other sabores from other dishes, like the Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic shrimp in olive oil), and of course, the Tortilla Espanola, which is the best I've had in the 'states so far, your whole mouth will be in ecstasy. If you're ever in Boston, visit Tapeo for comida deliciosa, sabor tradicional, y servicio buenisimo!


   In Denver, my mom (My tapas partner-in-crime) and I went to the 9th Door restaurant, which I also highly suggest for tapas sabrosas. As always, we ordered about 6 plates each. Hers included many with chorizo, a very popular Spanish sausage, and jamon serrano, a very thinly sliced ham, so I couldn't sneak a bite of hers to try. But I ordered plenty of my own! My order included Boquerones (White anchovies smothered in olive oil and rosemary), Patatas Bravas (Baked potato slices with olive oil and spices),  Gambas al Ajillo (Although these didn't compare to the ones at Tapeo), Vierias con azafran (Seared sea scallops with citrus saffron sauce), and my favorite, la Tortilla Espanola. The 9th door had a great selection of different tapas and every day they serve around three specials of the day. Besides tapas, 9th Door also prepares racciones dishes. But be warned- racciones are far from tapas size. These are much larger portions of food, rather than just tastings. Common racciones include paella and fuller meat portions. The best tapa I had at 9th door was definitely la Tortilla. The presentation was extremely modern and it came with three different types of dipping sauces. The romesco sauce (The bright orange sauce on the right) was a bit sweet and acidic at the same time, but not spicy. The modern twist on this classic Spanish dish was its cubey appearance when it's usually sliced like a pie. Todo en todo, I would hit up 9th Door again any time. I give it a 4/5 stars, solely because the gambas were a bit weak on flavor.    
   Being so in love with tapas, I've tried many times to either make my own or try tapas I've had before. If you haven't realized by now, tortilla is my favorite tapa, so of course I've tried my own variations of it. While tortilla is pretty darn healthy for you, I've come up with a way to make it even healthier. Especially for people watching their cholesterol! Normally one tortilla takes about 7 full eggs, 2 potatoes, 1 white onion, and seasonings to taste. But my unique original recipe uses only egg whites and a rutabaga (A healthier potato substitute). I prefer the rutabaga over the potato because of the sweeter taste that it gives to the overall dish. I'll post the recipe bellow so you all can try it at home for a bite into the delicious world of tapas. But be warned, the most important (and challenging) parts of this little omelette are the stick and the flip. I'm sure you're wondering que en el mundo I mean. "The stick" is the stick to the pan that the veggies and the egg have on the skillet. In a normal recipe, olive oil is used to solve this. While olive oil is great for you as opposed to butter, it still adds a lot of fat when used. For anyone watching their fat content, I recommend using olive oil spray which cuts the calories and fat by at least half. The only problem with this is, you have to continually spray the veggies and the pan to keep "the stick" from happening. The other problem is "the flip." You have to flip the tortilla in order to cook both sides evenly. So when you believe the first side of the omelette is cooked, take the pan and place another plate with a larger circumference above the pan. Then flip the tortilla onto the plate and slide the uncooked side back onto the skillet to finish cooking.
     That's all so far on tapas, but trust me, there are so many more than what I described. Although tapas places aren't too popular yet around America, I challenge you to try and find one or even to look up different tapas recipes to make for yourself. Remember, you may not think you can cook, but really it's as simple as "pan comido!"

-The Oaklavore

Cherry on Top's Tortilla Espanola:

12 egg whites
Olive oil spray
1/2 of a rutabaga
1/2 of a white onion
Salt/Pepper to taste
Parsley for garnish

1 medium sized skillet

First, chop the veggies. Chop the onion into very small cubes. They're mainly used for a little flavor and you're not meant to really feel their texture. However, with the rutabaga, slice it into 1 inch rounds or chunks (A food processor helps SO much with this step). They make up the main substance of the tortilla. Once all the chopping is done, spray your skillet with the spray and turn the eye onto medium heat. When the pan is hot, add your vegetables. Spray and stir them periodically to keep from burning and once the rutabaga turns from a light yellow to a brighter yellow (You can pull one out to taste and see if the slice is soft), add your egg whites. Wait about 5-7 minutes, continually checking the underside of the tortilla. It should be similar to an omelette. Once you think the underside is cooked enough, perform the flip mentioned in my blog above. Then let the tortilla cook another 5 minutes so the egg is done throughout. After this step, slide your beautiful tortilla onto another plate, sprinkle it with parsley, and cut it however you'd like to serve. Buen aproveche!

Una Tortilla terminada!

More pictures:

Las Boquerones

Patatas Bravas

Vierias con azafran