Food: Small plates satisfy senses
PANAMA CITY — How many times have you said, or heard others say, “I could just make a meal on that,” while sharing appetizers.
“We see quite a few eating it as a meal,” said Brandi Cook, chef at Chez Amavida, which serves a variety of Small Plates, such as the Trio — Hummus, Olive Tapenade & Roasted Red Pepper Spread served with bread.
Tapas, “the edible art of Spain,” according to Dali Café & Tapas, are a variety of small plates intended to be eaten as a meal. “Tapas” — derived from the Spanish verb tapar, “to cover,” have come a long way from their origins as small pieces of bread to cover drinks.
Playful petite creations now stimulate the taste buds with variety, perfect for socializing — even if it keeps the conversation turning back to food.
“Anything can be tapas if served on a small plate or in a small cup,” said Dali Café & Tapas owner Belen Price. “I make a plate of paella and make tapas out of it. I base my tapas on what I see from the market, what is fresh, and then create plates.”
On a recent Friday evening, Dali reopened its doors for a private party, where tapas took center stage.
“I served the Tortilla De Patata Espanola, very typical for Spain. It was served on bread,” said owner and chef Belen Marquez Price, originally from Zaragoza, Spain.
Price plans to reopen the restaurant in October after taking time off to travel to Spain for inspiration and another Spanish cook.
“Spain is now in a very good position, a lot of inspiration with tapas, a lot of fruits and fresh vegetables. A lot of restaurants do tapas here as very big appetizers. The idea of tapas is very small portions. Choose two to six tapas and have them for a meal rather than a plate of one thing. When I have tapas, I am expecting to be eating a lot of different things,” Price said.
She finds fresh Gulf seafood at Buddy Gandy’s for her paella, with the variety depending on what is available. “I see beautiful grouper, Gulf fish or shrimp. I try to use everything local-grown in Florida,” said Price, who includes the St. Andrews Waterfront Market on her Saturday stops. “A lot of times people ask me for a recipe I had. Fruits and vegetables change with the season. I’m constantly creating dishes.”
In Spain, tapas usually are served on a long bar, while guests mingle and enjoy wine.
“Over there, a lot of restaurants are in the same area, and people go bar hopping for tapas,” said Price, who was serving sangria with her tapas. “They use an honor system. They use toothpicks (in their tapas), and how many toothpicks you have on your plate is how many they charge you for.”
Her upcoming itinerary in Spain will include stops in Madrid, as well as Pesquera de Duero, where her mother is from.
“Wine is very important there,” said Price, who is friends with the Moro family of Bodegas Emilio Moro winery.
The Spanish way of life was the inspiration behind La Crema Tapas and Chocolates in Rosemary Beach, which owners Kevin and Kimberly Neel opened after their trip to Barcelona, Spain. Their bistro has become a place to linger while sharing tapas and drinking Spanish wine with friends.
Price encourages others to get inspired and create their own tapas. She said the Tortilla Española can be eaten as a meal by itself — “make sandwiches, for breakfast. It is delicious cold and it is a great snack if you go on the boat,” but she really likes to use it for creating a tapas tower.
“It can be prepared ahead of time for parties. Once you get the basics down on how to make the Tortilla Española, you can use your imagination and creativity and add other ingredients like, for example, spinach, olives, tuna, chorizo, peppers, ham, cheese, etc.,” Price said. “Que aproveche!”
Dali’s Tortilla De Patata Española
3 medium potatoes
1 small white onion, preferably Vidalia
1 medium zucchini (it keeps the tortilla nice and moist)
6 eggs
¼ cup and 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley
Sea salt
Peal potatoes and wash them.
Cut all vegetables in small, penny-like size pieces, mix and add some salt.
Heat ¼ cup oil in a frying non-stick pan. When the oil is hot, add potatoes, zucchini and onions. Mix well with the oil until vegetables are coated. Cover and let it cook medium heat until tender. Stir occasionally. (It’s OK if some of the veggies get a little gold and crunchier.) When done, put them on a colander to get the excess oil out.
In a bowl, beat the six eggs, parsley and garlic. Add the veggies, fold all the ingredients until they are well mixed and add more salt to taste.
On a small medium-low heat frying pan, put 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the veggies and eggs and mix. Cover and let it cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until it starts getting done in the center. Shake the pan gently occasionally to avoid getting the tortilla stick to the pan.
If you do not own a frittata pan, put the plate over the frying pan and turn the tortilla upside-down, leaving it on the plate. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and gently slide the tortilla back to the pan leaving the cooked part on top. Let it cook for about 10 more minutes on medium-low heat. When done, take the tortilla out of the pan using the plate again.
Make tapas tower:Start with slice of baguette, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, top with slice of tomato, slice of Tortilla, slice of Idiazabal Spanish cheese and/or Piquillo Peppers, then drizzle with a little olive oil.