Saturday March 20th 7pm - Clare's Mediterranean Melange - "TAPAS" night

Hi Fellow foodies

Instead of a quote I give you a little history courtesy of Wikipedia, or how its believed Tapas evolved:

The word "tapas" is derived from the Spanish verb tapar, "to cover". According to legendthe tapas tradition began when King Alfonso X of Castile or Alfonso the Wise, recovered from an illness by drinking wine mixed with small dishes between meals. After Regaining his health, the king ordered taverns that were not allowed to serve wine to customers unless the beverage was Accompanied by a small snack or tapa. The word became a kind of loophole in the law to allow drinkers to consume alcohol.According to The Joy of Cooking, the original tapas were the slices of bread or meat which sherry drinkers in Andalusian taverns used to cover their glasses between sips. This was a practical measure meant to prevent fruit flies from Hovering over the sweet sherry. The meat used to cover the sherry was normally ham or chorizo, which are both very salty and activate thirst. Because of this, bartenders and restaurant owners began creating a variety of snacks to serve with sherry, thus increasing their alcohol sales. The tapas eventually became as important as the Spanish sherry.Tapas has evolved through history by incorporating ingredients and influences from many different cultures and countries. Most of the Iberian Peninsula was Invaded by the Romans, who introduced the olive and irrigation methods. The invasion of the North African Moors in the 8th century brought almonds, citrus fruits and fragrant spices. The influence of their 700-year presence remains today, especially in Andalusia. The discovery of the New World brought the introduction of tomatoes, sweet and chili peppers, maize (corn), beans and potatoes. These were readily accepted and easily grown in Spain's microclimates.Tapa means "member" or "cover" in Spanish. There are several explanations for why it has come to denote a type of food: * A commonly cited explanation is that an item, be it bread or a flat card, etc., would often be placed on top of a drink to protect it from fruit flies, at some point it became a habit to top this "cover" with a snack. * It is also commonly said that since one would be standing while eating a tapa in traditional Spanish bars, they would need to place their plates on top of their drinks in order to eat, making it a top. * Some believe that the name originated sometime around the 16th century when tavern owners from Castilla-La Mancha found out that the strong taste and smell of mature cheese could help disguise that of bad wine, thus "covering" it, and started offering free cheese when serving cheap wine. * Another popular explanation says that the king Alfonso XII stopped by a famous venta (inn) in Cádiz (Andalusian city) where he ordered a cup of sherry. The waiter covered the glass with a slice of cured ham before offering it to the king, to protect the wine from the beach sand, as Cádiz is a windy place. The king, after drinking the wine and eating the tapa, ordered another sherry "with the cover."

After lots of mouthwatering research I am going to do Chorizo in Red Wine, and attempt some Banderillas - skewered type things with pickled bits on. Soft drink for Tapas apparently grape juice, otherwise some Rioja or Cerveza will be on offer or does anyone like sherry? I just can not do .... sherry!!