by Veronika Lazabal

Created on: July 17, 2008

OLE! A Spanish Tapas Party to Impress

Searching for a fun dinner party idea that's both elegant and easy? How about a Spanish tapas party? Tapas are bite sized foods that are traditionally paired with wine, and can encompass everything from chunks of ham and cheese to fried calamari- and everything in between. The best part of a tapas party? Since most tapas are served at room temperature, it's easy to have a lot of the work done ahead of time. That means that you can spend the party with your guests, not slaving away in the kitchen.

The Game Plan
Set the mood for your Spanish fiesta by lighting candles, dimming the overhead lights, and playing some Flamenco music. (Flamenco CD's can be bought for a bargain at most stores that carry international music. Wal-Mart and Target both carry them for next to nothing.) Decide where the food is going to be set up. If you are having a large crowd, you may want to set up a table, buffet style. However if your group isn't huge, a better idea might be to set up several stations throughout the party area. Try three small tables, with one or two tapas on each station. Replace the tapas at each station about every 40 minutes. That way, everyone will get to taste everything, and not fill up on one item.

Refreshments, Anyone?
Traditionally, tapas are paired with sherry. Step things up and your own soiree by setting up a table with a couple of varieties of sherry, a bottle or two of cava (Spanish sparkling wine), and a pitcher of sangria. This will let your guests pair different tapas with different wines.

The Main Event
The focal point of your party will be the delicious morsels of food that will be coming out of your kitchen. Making sure that everything is bite sized and pre cut will eliminate struggles at serving time. Most of your offerings should be eaten with the fingers- try to avoid anything that needs more than one utensil. Start light- thin slices of delicious Serrano ham and manchego cheese, small cubes of hard salami, and bits of fried basil will whet everyone's appetite and set the pace. Tortilla is a thick Spanish omelet that leaves room for your creativity- add what you'd like. Here are a couple more recipes to get you started:

Gambas al Mojo de Ajo
"Gambas" are what the Spanish call large shrimp. This is one of the most popular tapas in Spain. No one will no how simple they were to prepare!

1-2lbs large shrimp- peeled deveined. (You can leave the tails on as a "handle")
4 cloves of garlic- finely minced
1 teaspoons Paprika
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