I discovered tapas in college. I remember my first time, at Sala, then a very hot, new restaurant on the Bowery. What a meal! Low lights, the heavy smell of all the flavorful dishes, from crusty bread with salty manchego and cured ham to spicy, perfectly greasy chorizo to garlicky shrimp--all washed down with strong, sweet sangria (to be honest, I still feel like this place has some of the best sangria I've found outside of Spain). It was like a festival in my mouth and everybody was invited!
The next day I recounted the evening to my college boyfriend, a very "meat and taters" guy, at least when we first met. His eyes lit up with sheer delight when I told him my friends and I had gone to a tapas bar the night before. "REALLY?!" he asked. After the questions got weird and my responses didn't match up to what he was hoping for we realized that we were both talking about different things: he was thinking "topless" and I, well, you know. It was one of the funnier conversations that we remembered throughout our almost five years together. Now, of course, I am clear to enunciate the word "tapas" when describing a particular dish to friends, just to avoid awkward conversations. What I do on my own time is my business, damnit!
So this week's issue of Fatty Friday is devoted to some of my favorite small plates, finger foods or gli stuzzicchini (as the Italians call them)--Tapas! Keep your eyes peeled and your mouths watering. More to come...
so excited!
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