Fresh Tomato and Pepper Salad – Pipirrana
This salad, served in tapa bars, is nearly identical to the one I’ve enjoyed in North Africa. The main difference is that the Andalusians use chopped parsley and the Moroccans use chopped fresh cilantro. Ham, shrimp, or sliced fish roe can be substituted for the tuna.

6 medium fresh, ripe tomatoes, chopped
3 spring onions or 1 small onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, finely chopped
1 small cucumber, peeled and diced (optional)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 (3-ounce) can tuna, drained
1 egg, hard-cooked and chopped.

Combine the tomatoes, onions, peppers, cucumber, and garlic in a bowl. Sprinkle with the salt, parsley, and cumin. Drizzle with the vinegar and oil and toss the salad gently. Arrange it on a platter. Garnish the top with chunks of tuna and chopped egg and serve.

Serves 6 as a starter; 18 to 20 as a Tapa

Deviled Eggs with Shrimp and Olives – Huevo Relleno con Gambas y Aceituna
This Spanish version (of deviled eggs), typical of tapa bars, makes an unusual alternative, with shrimp and olives in the stuffing. Tuna can be substituted for the shrimp to make this an economical dish, and, if desired, the egg yolks can be eliminated, to make a low-cholesterol version.

8 eggs, hard-cooked
Lettuce leaves, for serving
½ cup cooked, peeled, and chopped shrimp
3 tablespoons chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
2 teaspoons minced onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup mayonnaise
1 red bell pepper, roasted, skinned, and cut into strips (or canned pimiento)
Cherry tomatoes, for garnish (optional)

Peel the eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and set them aside. Remove a sliver from the bottom of the whites so they will sit flat. Place the lettuce on a serving platter and set the whites on it.

In a bowl, mash four of the yolks. Add the shrimp, olives, onion, parsley, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, salt, and olive oil and combine well. Scoop this mixture into the egg whites so each white is just filled.

Stir the mayonnaise with the remaining 1-tablespoon lemon juice until it reaches spreading consistency. (If necessary, thin with a little water.) Top each egg with a cap of mayonnaise. Grate the reserved yolks over the stuffed eggs. Lay a strip of red pepper on top of each. (The eggs can be prepared and kept chilled for up to 3 hours before serving.)

Garnish the platter with cherry tomatoes.

Serves 16

Crispy Potatoes with Hot Sauce – Patatas Bravas
This tapa bar favorite is usually prepared to order. A plate heaped with the crisp potato cubes topped with the piquant sauce is placed in the middle of the table for several friends to share. Spear the cubes with cocktail picks.

½ cup smooth tomato sauce
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot pimentón*
½ teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 pounds baking potatoes, such as russets or Idahos
Olive oil, for frying
Salt
Garlic Mayonnaise (optional)

*Pimentón is Spanish paprika.  It comes in varying intensities -- sweet, bittersweet, and hot --depending on the variety of pepper from which it is made.  Paprika can be substituted if pimentón is not available.

In a small bowl, combine the tomato sauce, garlic, oil, cumin, pimentón, oregano, and vinegar. Set aside.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 ½ inch cubes.

Pour oil into a deep skillet to a depth of 1 inch. Heat the oil until it is shimmering but not smoking (360°F). Fry the potato cubes for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat so the oil is just bubbling. Fry the potatoes for 10 minutes, or until they are cooked all the way through. Then raise the heat again and fry until they are golden and crisp, about 3 minutes more.

Drain the potatoes on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Heap them in a bowl. Dribble the sauce over them. If desired, garlic mayonnaise also can be dribbled over the potatoes. Serve them with toothpicks or cocktail forks.

Serves 6

Garlic Mayonnaise – Alioli
Refrigerated, the sauce keeps for 2 days.

½ cup bottled mayonnaise
4 garlic cloves, crushed
½ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt

In a bowl, whisk the mayonnaise until smooth, add the garlic, then slowly stir in the oil. Stir in the lemon juice and add additional salt, if necessary.

Makes about 1 cup

Chicken Sauté with Garlic and Sherry – Pollo al Ajillo
Although dry Sherry (fino) is excellent, I especially like to prepare this chicken dish using a medium Sherry, called oloroso seco. … Don’t be shy about the garlic! The whole garlic cloves are left unpeeled so the skins prevent them from burning. Real aficionados of this dish eat the whole, sweet cloves of garlic along with the chicken. The chicken is usually served with Spanish Fries (recipe follows) added right to the sauce. Chunks of bread are essential for dipping into the garlicky juices.

2 pounds small chicken wings and thighs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 whole head garlic (12 to 16 cloves)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons Spanish brandy (optional)
½ cup dry or medium-dry Sherry
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cut off the wing tips and discard (or save for stock). Divide each wing into two joints. Cut the thighs lengthwise along the bone. Pat dry the pieces of chicken and dust them with salt and pepper.

Lightly smash the garlic cloves to split the skins. Set aside eight of them, unpeeled. Peel the remaining cloves and slice them.

Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and sauté just until golden, 1 to 2 minutes, then skim them out and reserve.

Add the chicken pieces to the oil and fry over medium-high heat, until the chicken is browned on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the unpeeled cloves of garlic, the bay leaf, brandy, and Sherry. Continue cooking over high heat until the liquid is almost cooked away and the chicken begins to sizzle again, 8 to 10 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with the reserved fried garlic bits and chopped parsley.

Serves 6 to 8

Spanish Fries – Patatas Fritas
These crispy fried potatoes are much like french fries, but, fried in olive oil, they take on a Mediterranean flavor. They accompany meat dishes of all kinds, including stews, and are often added right to the sauce.

2 pounds baking potatoes (4 medium), such as Idaho or russets
Olive oil, for frying
Salt

Peel the potatoes. Wash and pat them dry. Cut them lengthwise into ½-inch wide slices. Cut the slices into strips ½ wide.

Pour enough oil into a large, deep skillet to fill it to a depth of 1 inch. Heat until the oil is shimmering but not smoking (360°F). Add the potatoes and fry them until lightly golden, about 12 minutes.

Drain briefly on paper towel and sprinkle with salt. Serve hot.

Serves 4 as a side dish

Lemony Cheese Custard Squares – Quesada
This dessert, which is more like a custard than like cheesecake, come from Cantabria, a small region on the northern coat of Spain, which produces several extraordinary cheeses. It is made with soft, fresh cheese, before the curds have been pressed or salted. You can use unsalted cottage cheese, beaten smooth; fromage blanc; or yogurt that has been drained in a colander lined with cheesecloth for 1 hour. The smooth lemony squares are especially good served with sliced strawberries.

4 to 5 slices stale bread, crusts removed
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
3 tablespoons butter
¾ cup sugar
3 eggs
2 cups fromage blanc or other unsalted fresh cheese

Break the bread into pieces and pulse in a food processor until the bread is reduced to fine crumbs. There should be 1 ½ cup of crumbs. Remove 3 tablespoons of the crumbs and reserve them in a small bowl.

Combine the milk, lemon zest, and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and remove form the heat. Let cool until lukewarm, then remove and discard the cinnamon.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Pour the milk over the bread crumbs in the food processor. Process until smooth.

Cream the butter in a mixing bowl at medium speed. Gradually beat in the sugar, then the eggs, one by one. Add the fromage blanc and combine well.

Stir in the bread and milk mixture from the food processor.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch rectangular baking pan and sprinkle with the reserved 3 tablespoons of bread crumbs. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake until the custard is set and a skewer comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

Allow to cool in the pan. Loosen the edges and turn out onto a work surface. Cut the custard into pieces that measure approximately 3 by 2 inches. Arrange them on a serving platter.

Makes 18 squares