Cena Española (Spanish Supper)

We decided on a spur-of-the-moment Spanish tapa party a few weeks back. We did our best on short notice to get an authentic assortment of super-tasty treats together. Click on the pix to see full-sized. Here's what we came up with:

Almond Garlic Soup. This is killer. It's very simple. Spanish almonds, bread, olive oil, garlic, sherry vinegar, and water all ground up in a food processor. Served cold garnished it with fresh grapes, chives and drizzle of olive oil. It look stunning, and it tastes even better.

Plato of jamon, queso manchego, aceitunas rellenas con anchoa, and tortilla española. That's Spanish ham, manchego cheese, anchovy-stuffed olives, and an egg/potato/onion frittata. Everyone thinks of paella when they think of Spain, but this assortment is far more representative, IMHO.

Pimientos del piquillo rellenos con queso de cabra, piñon, and garlic chips. That's red peppers stuffed with goat cheese, pine nuts, and fried garlic.

Chorizo frito. One of my favorite things. I like Mexican chorizo, but it can't hold a candle to the Spanish stuff. It's fried real quick in olive oil then served with the oil used to fry it. The oil picks up a bit of the pimenton flavor of the chorizo, and it can't be beat as sopping oil for your baguette.

Tortita de alcachofa y arroz y manchego. This is a little fried patty made rice, artichoke, and manchego cheese.

Tinto de verano. I'm sure this is a crime to serious wine drinkers, but so what? It's red table wine with ice and citrus soda. A quick sangria.

Dessert: Chocolate con churros with chocolate from Astorga, Spain.