We enjoy the small plate style of Tapas now and then and two of our favourite dishes are Patatas Bravas and Crab Cakes. While it’s lovely to go to Meditrina or Martine Cafe (two of our favourite local tapas restaurants) and order many small plates to share- occasionally we like to make our own at home.

Patatas Bravas (brave potatoes) are very easy to make and so delicious.
In exploring some Spanish cuisine I’ve found that spicy foods are not often the standing order. A Spanish friend of mine once complained that black pepper was too spicy. So these potatoes are for those with “machismo.” 

Patatas Bravas

• Potatoes as many as you like, scrubbed and dried -about 2 pounds will serve four people
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 large or 3 small dried chiles- I use Guajillo, remove seeds and break up into pieces
• 3/4 teaspoon of toasted and ground cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 2 Tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
• pinch of salt
• olive oil for frying
• one bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• salt and pepper to taste for finishing
• chile salsa mayonnaise or romesco sauce for serving

Boil the potatoes until almost tender- about 10-12 minutes. Drain and cool them.
While the potatoes are cooling, place the garlic and chilies in a mortar and pestle and pound them until a smooth paste forms, add the cumin, paprika, vinegar and salt and mix well. Set aside.

Slice the potatoes about 1/4″ thick or even a little thicker. Heat a heavy, wide skillet for a few minutes over medium flame and then add olive oil to thinly coat the bottom. Add the sliced potatoes in a single layer and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Fry until golden on one side and then flip. They will stick at first- but will release once a crust is formed. Fry the other side until it releases and add the sliced pepper and fry until the pepper is tender. Add a tablespoon of the garlic-chile paste and turn the potatoes into it to coat all sides. Fry for a few minutes and then serve. Drizzle a  bit of mayonnaise mixed with some salsa to taste over the top or serve a romesco sauce on the side.

The chile-garlic paste will keep for a few days in the fridge so you can cook extra potatoes and make these a few times, or use the paste in other dishes to add some spice.

I know it’s not usual to use King Crab in crabcakes but I had some on hand and they were delicious.

King Crab Cakes

• 1 cup cooked king crab meat, picked over for shells
• 1/2 cup red onion minced
• 1/2 cup celery minced fine
• pinch of old bay seasoning
• pinch of chile powder- I use Rick’s homemade mmm
•  a couple of teaspoons of mayonnaise
• about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of moist bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• panko bread crumbs to coat
• salt and pepper to taste
• chile mayonnaise or romesco for serving

Mix all except the panko crumbs until you have a light mixture that will hold together when pressed lightly. You may have to adjust the bread crumbs but don’t add too many or you will make the crab cakes heavy. Form small cakes and coat with panko crumbs. Fry in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat in a little olive oil until cooked through and browned on all sides. Serve with a bit of chile-mayonnaise or romesco sauce.

I made a nice Pom spritzer – with Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice and a bit of San Pellegrino sparkling water and lemonade to go with these one night. Janny from Pom Wonderful was nice enough to send me some a while ago. I do really like and use their very healthy product and have posted about it before, we make a lot of Pom martinis and cocktails around here. I also like it in smoothies, have used it to make granola, had it over cereal and we even add it in a splash to our water with meals for a refresher. There is always a bottle in our fridge.

Try using some in Sangria- I made a pitcher of that on another night that we had Tapas.

Pom Sangria

• one bottle nice Spanish red wine like Rioja
• 1- eight ounce bottle Pom Pomegranate juice
• 1/2 cup orange brandy or Gran Marnier
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• Sparking mineral water such as San Pellegrino to taste
• Sliced fruit- oranges, lemons, limes or even grapes and peaches etc.

Mix the first 5 ingredients making sure the sugar dissolves. Add sparkling water to taste to dilute or add fizz. Add the sliced fruit and enjoy responsibly.

Do you ever enjoy an evening of Tapas- what are your favourites?

xo

Recently, I decided to host what I affectionately like to call a “crafternoon” -an afternoon of laughter and creativity. I invited my Mum, my sister who lives close by (Sherry) and one of my best friends- (Bonnie). We had lots of fun, good food and laughter. These  along with a little glue, glitter and some pretty paper were happy remedies for some of the stress of our world at the moment. 

A couple of years ago I did the same thing on a little larger scale with about 13 invited guests. I decided to scale back a little this year but didn’t want to miss out on it all together.

One of the things I’ve decided to do this year is to finish projects that are not completed but have been hanging around for some time waiting on me. I also have a tendency to pick up pretty yarn, paper or other craft and art supplies but not make the time to use them. So I’ve decided that my friends and I should get together and do this kind of thing more often.

Sherry was kind enough to bring over her Cricut machine (it’s an electronic die cutter) it makes cutting out shapes and lettering a breeze. I may have to put one on my own list after this because it was so fun to whip up the parts for our Valentine’s cards-custom made out of the paper we chose right there on the spot.  Mom brought some adorable 3-D shapes for Valentine’s including a “love bug” or two. Bonnie learned that she actually likes using stamps and ink.

Here’s the menu and I have to confess I am missing some pics because I was having a good time and forgot to take them before some of the food was gone

• Crab Dip and chips /crudites and Stonemill Spinach and Artichoke Dip (purchased)
• Petite Rolls (Bonnie called them “roll Poppers”
• Spinach Salad with warm Bacon Vinaigrette
• Gabi’s Wild Rice casserole
• Chicken Royale -my way
• Strawberry Daiquiri Punch
• Elvis- Love Me Tender Cake
• Butterscotch Pots De Creme

Crab Dip for chips or crudites

• 1/2 pound of cream cheese

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1 cup mayonnaise

• 1 minced green onion

• 2 cloves minced garlic

• garlic salt to taste

• a large pinch of Old Bay Seasoning or fish herbs

• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 3 dashes smoked Chipotle Tabasco sauce

• 3/4 to 1 pound minced cooked crab meat well drained

• Z’atar

Mix all ingredients except green onion and crab together in mixer or food processor. Stir in green onion and crab. Chill for a couple of hours to meld flavours. Sprinkle Z’atar on top. Serve.

Petite Rolls -sorry no pic but I promise they were tiny and cute ;(

• 1/2 cup sugar, divided

• 1 cup lukewarm water

• 1/4 pound butter, melted and cooled

• 3 eggs

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 4-1/2 cups all purpose flour plus more if needed

• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Dissolve 1 teaspoon of the 1/2 cup sugar into the lukewarm water and sprinkle the yeast over. Let sit until foaming to proof. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the 1/2 cup butter, eggs and proofed yeast. Beat until well combined. In a medium bowl, combine the 4-1/2 cups of flour the remainder of the 1/2 cup of sugar and the salt. Add to the wet ingredients and beat well. If necessary add more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, but remains soft and slightly sticky. Place in a greased bowl, turn to coat the dough and cover. Refrigerate for 8 hours. Remove from the fridge and let the dough come to room temp for 1/2 hour before rolling out to 1 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a well floured 1 inch cutter and place almost touching into a parchment lined and greased and floured jelly roll pan. Let rise, covered in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in bulk. Preheat the oven to 400F and bake for about 12-14 minutes or until golden. Brush the tops with butter while warm and serve.

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

• 4 cups Spinach washed well and dried thoroughly

• 1 bunch green onions, sliced

• 1 bunch radishes, sliced

• 1 can Mandarin oranges in light syrup, chilled and drained well (or one navel orange sectioned with juice over the bowl)

• 6 slices bacon, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• freshly ground black pepper- several grinds

Combine the spinach, green onions, radishes and oranges in a large salad bowl and keep chilled. Fry the bacon pieces until crisp starting in a cold frying pan over med low heat.Mix the vinegar, sugar and salt together and add to the pan (don’t breathe in the vinegar fumes) stir until sugar dissolves. Add to salad in bowl and toss gently. Serve immediately.

Gabi’s Wild Rice casserole

• 4 cups mixed white and wild rice cooked and cooled.
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can artichoke bottoms or hearts chopped
• 2 small cans sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup concentrate
• 1 can cream of chicken soup concentrate
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup pecan halves

Mix all of the ingredients together except pecans. Stir well to combine, spread in a buttered 9×13 inch baking dish, top with pecans. Cover and bake for 40 minutes at 375F, remove foil and bake until pecans crisp- about 10 minutes more.

Chicken Royale- my way

• 8 half chicken breasts, pounded flat to a uniform 1/4 inch thick

• 1 package Boursin cheese, divided into 8 pieces

• 8 ounces cream cheese, divided into 8 pieces

• 1 cup finely chopped pecans (or enough to coat the cheese balls)

• 16 leaves washed spinach

• 16 slices of Prosciutto

• salt and pepper

• 1/2 cup rose or white wine

• 1/2 cup raspberry vinegar

• 1/4 cup raspberry jam

• 2 Tablespoons butter

Mix each piece of Boursin with a piece of cream cheese (to make 8 total) into a walnut shaped ball. Roll in the pecans until coated. Salt and pepper chicken and place 2 spinach leaves in the center of a pounded chicken breast piece, top with a cheese ball. Pull the breast around to cover the cheese. Wrap a piece of prosciutto around the breast and cross with a second piece of prosciutto to completely enclose the seams. Place in a baking dish. Repeat with all remaining. You should have eight chicken packets. Bake in a preheated 375F oven for about 30-40 minutes or until chicken is done. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the wine, vinegar and jam and cook until boiling. Serve over the chicken.

Strawberry Daiquiri Punch

• one 8 ounce package frozen sliced strawberries

• 1 can frozen strawberry daiquiri mix

• 1 can frozen pineapple juice

• 24 ounces sparkling lemonade

• 12 ounces ginger-ale

• water and ice to taste

Elvis’ Love Me Tender cake

This is just a concoction. I’m just going to give you the link to Epicurious for Elvis Presley’s Favorite Pound Cake recipe. But do make it. Then slice a pint of fresh organic strawberries lengthwise to make “hearts” macerate with vanilla sugar and some Gran Marnier or Orange Brandy. Make a fresh ganache (heat cream until boiling pour over equal amount of chopped choc add a small knob of butter and a little Amaretto if desired) use Valrhona Alpaco or other really good chocolate and enjoy!

Butterscotch Pots de Creme

I didn’t get a pic of these either although they were to die for -if it hadn’t been bad manners we all would have licked our wee lion’s head ramekins clean on the spot. I will be making these again- when my waist can recover. The recipe is on Epicurious too here’s the link- Butterscotch Pots de Creme. I used dark brown sugar instead of the pricier Demerara and raw sugar for the Turbinado listed. If they were any better with the other sugars I’m not sure I could take it. Mmm oh my…..

Well that’s it for the Valentine making bash! I send you all lots of love!

xoxo

P.S. I am not making the super Spinach dip that all of the other Craving Ellie crew are making today I have a huge Costco purchased tub leftover from the above and really can’t justify making more. I will try the recipe another time though- I promise. And I send my apologies to Cathy at The Tortefeasor for not playing today  but I do love her site- go on check it out. And for a list to check out the other Ellies’ Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip here.

xo

Gabi

It’s time for Blog Party again and that lovely hostess with the mostess- Stephanie from Dispensing Happiness is holding Blog Party#37  with a Retro-Party Redux theme to kick off a fabulous 4th year.  So I’ve decided to go a bit classic and swank with a cocktail named after legendary New York hot spot- The Stork Club.  This was the place to see and be seen for the ultimate in glamour and was in business from 1929 to 1965. There’s even a 1945 Hollywood light romantic comedy featuring it and starring comedienne  Betty Hutton, called (of course) The Stork Club.

As an exclusive club- it was not without its issues and Grace Kelly reputedly refused to ever go back after leaving as a protest for the shabby treatment  that Josephine Baker was receiving from the staff. That’s the Princess Grace I respect and love. I hope had the club had lasted into modern times it would have seen the light and changed its ways.

So here’s my cocktail:

The Stork Club cocktail

• 1-1/2 ounces Gin
• 1/2 ounce Triple Sec
• juice of 1/2 lime strained
• 1 ounce of orange juice
• dash of Angostura Bitters
• twist of lemon peel for garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with crushed ice. Add the Gin, Triple Sec, juices and bitters. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist (My tip: use a church key tool to cut zest into a long piece and wrap in a spiral around a chopstick and chill to make a corkscrew twist if desired.)

For lots of ideas and a great read on vintage cocktails check out this great book:

“Cocktail Hour Authentic Recipes and Illustrations from 1920 to 1960″, by Susan Waggoner and Robert Markel.It’s delightful to read and see all the great vintage illustrations.

-And for my hors d’oeuvre I’m bringing a somewhat classic cheese puff canape. BTW this lends itself to all kinds of add-ins like tapenade, ham, sundried tomatoes, pesto etcetera- the sky’s the limit and you can change the cheese as well if you wish:

Hot Cheese Puffs

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 3 minced green onions including green tops
• 3 dashes smoked chipotle Tabasco sauce
• enough Hellman’s/Best Foods mayonnaise to bind
• 10-12 slices fine textured white or even wheat or ten grain bread, crusts removed and cut into triangles, rounds or whatever shapes you like

Mix the cheese, green onions, Tabasco and mayo together. Under the broiler toast one side of the bread triangles until light brown. Flip them over and top evenly with the cheese mixture. Return to the broiler for about 3 minutes or until browned, puffed and bubbly. Don’t burn your tongue

This time I’m also wearing a special party frock (haven’t decided which one yet) just for the occasion- can’t be swank with out it-

Oh… and I’ve decided that my escort must wear tails:

So thanks for the swellegant party Stephanie -I’ve had a lovely time- see you next month!

Update: here’s a look at all the party fare and the lovely guests: Blog Party #37 roundup!

Today is Pioneer Day here in Utah and it’s a BIG holiday with a BIG parade and fireworks. People actually camp out from the day before along the parade route. I am descended from several American/Utah Pioneers but I think I am really more of a Fourth of July kind of girl -must be my colonial and immigrant ancestors taking precedence.

 So I spent this morning oil painting on my front porch and listening to a Glenn Miller recording as the helicopters hovered overhead and the parade goers made all kinds of madness tromping through my neighborhood to get to the parade. I don’t begrudge them the fun- I just get a bit tired of the crowds and the garbage that the inconsiderate ones leave behind. 

By the time the afternoon rolled around and I was writing the earlier post for waffles that I put up today I suddenly realized that today was also the deadline to RSVP and put together an appetizer and a cocktail for blog party. Because…. it’s that time again -lovely Stephanie over at Dispensing Happiness is having her 36th (wow can you believe it!) blog party and this month it’s Blogger’s Choice!

I kept my appetizer simple (simple is my favourite blogger’s choice) and brushed some wonton skins with a little butter, popped them into a mini muffin tin and filled them with some of the marinated feta I made a few days ago. A quick bake for about 8 to 10 minutes at 350F (my toaster oven works great here) and they were ready to pop into our hungrily awaiting mouths.

We enjoyed them with a very refreshing cocktail and a quiet moment in the garden.

For the cocktail I looked through The Ultimate Book of Cocktails by Stuart Walton and splashed together a couple of “Kempinsky Fizzes.” Who knows where the name came from but they were very refreshing- a definite keeper. You could make these non-alcoholic by substituting black currant syrup for the Creme de Cassis and leaving the vodka out.

Kempinsky Fizz- for each cocktail do the following:

Chill a tall glass and half fill with ice. Add :

• 6 teaspoons Ketel One vodka
• 2 teaspoons Creme de Cassis
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice
• top off with cold good quality sparkling ginger ale

Cheers! …and congratulations to Stephanie for being “the hostess with the mostess” of blog party for three years now!!