A Party Menu with A Spanish Theme

Part of the buffet table\

Viva España

Tapas

Marcona Almonds Plain & Rosemary

Green & Black Olives

Mancheco Cheese

Iberico Cheese

Grilled yellow, orange and red peppers in olive oil *

Tortilla España *

Prosciutto

Andalucian  Tomato Bread *

Gourmet Breads

*~*

Gazpacho *

*~*

Chicken Marbella *

Rice *

Salad

*~*

Spanish potato, egg and onion torte

Desserts

*~*

Wine

Soft drinks 

Sangria by Hallie 

I cooked the starred items;  Peppers broiled on the grill, weather cooperating.  The Tortilla Espana (potatoes, egg and onion cooked in oil) I also made the day before.  I don't flip it, but put it under the boiler to finish.  The chicken begins marinating the night before the party.  I cooked it and the rice immediately before dinner.  Made the gazpacho the day before, too, an ancient 1964 recipe from Gourmet.  Very easy and very good.  Had to learn how to change the settings on my mandolin type slices for the potatoes.  Husband had a better knack than I did, so I let him slice away.  The Andalucian  tomato bread is also what Spaniards eat for breakfast as I did today.  Surprisingly tasty, and also simple to make. Desserts were American fare, as was the salad.  When friends volunteer to cook, you have true friends indeed.  The Chicken Marbella is from the Silver Palate Cookbook, a classic recipe. We played Spanish music to heighten the mood.  Viva España

Roasted peppers and ham

                                                                   Not always easy to find the proper Spanish ingredients in our suburb, but thanks to Trader Joe, Roche Brothers and Whole Foods, with stops for paper and plastic products at Christmas Tree Shops and The Dollar Store, we got everything we needed.   The party venue was our condo clubhouse, so everything had to be schlepped there and back.  Yikes!  

Edith's superb sour dought bread.  Yum!

Grapeshot 

Links to Outstanding Recipes + Politics But Not As Usual

Below are links to the recipes in yesterday's photos with some notes about Chicken Marbella.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/BAKED-APPLES-STUFFED-WITH-HONEY-ALMONDS-AND-GINGER-232891

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001175chicken_marbella.php
Notes for Chicken Marbella: I used legs, thighs and breasts. Meat with bones always tastes better, likewise skin, even if you remove it later. Used French olives with Herbes de Provence instead of the called-for olives, which the store did not have. Everything else pretty much the same. Parsley and oregano from the garden. For the wine I used white vermouth, my standard white cooking wine.

If anyone has the Silver Palate Cookbook (the original), apparently the recipe is from there.

My friend Joan brought the most fabulous cookies, cookies supremely tasty and not too sweet. We have old-time taste buds that like sugar, but not overpowering sweetness. I'm finding that some of the current dessert recipes are too damn sweet. But not these. Don't know where they are available. Effie's Cookies. Don't they even sound old fashioned. They look totally plain, but zowie, what a nice flavor. One could even say comforting.

http://www.effieshomemade.com/

We were six at dinner Monday, and the table was quite jolly with good conversation. Writers always carry on in a spirited manner. Annie the cat schmoozed shamelessly. Thisbe, of course, was under the bed.

Last, but hardly least is a link to the New Yorker recommendation for Barak Obama. It's so thoughtful and reasoned, so unlike the Republican campaign of vituperation and slander.

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2008/10/13/081013taco_talk_editors?yrail


Onward,

Grapeshot