Tapas: The Little Dishes of Spain

by Penelope Casas

Tapas are more than savory appetizers. "They represent a style of eating and way of life," says Penelope Casas, whose Tapas: the Little Dishes of Spain presents more than 300 recipes for the mouth-watering morsels. "So very Spanish, yet adaptable to America," she says, "they cross the line into what we think of as first course or main course dishes."

In chapters such as Tapas in Sauce; Marinades, Patés, Salads, and Other Cold Tapas; and Tapas with Bread or Pastry, Casas provides a definitive selection of the traditional Spanish bar food--dishes to pass out at a gathering, to serve on a buffet, or to make a party of. Readers wishing an introduction to this versatile food, and the culinary culture in which it thrives, will want this bestselling book.

The recipe array is vast. Sauce or ragout-like tapas include Shrimp and Mushrooms in Almond Sauce, Scallops with Cured Ham and Saffron, and Veal Meatballs in Spicy Chorizo Sauce. Endives Filled with Salmon and Shrimp Melon and Apple Salad are two examples of the many tantalizing cold tapas. Prawns Grilled with Garlic Mayonnaise, Lamb Brochettes, and the Three-Layer Omelet, a mixed-egg and vegetable tortilla, are hot-from-the-stove, show-stopping tapas. Including eight pages of color photos, a glossary of ingredients, menus, and a list of recommended Spanish tapas bars, the book is a complete tapas tour. Cooks at all skill levels will find dozens of these tasty little morsels to make and enjoy. --Arthur Boehm

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Spanish Literature, Culinary, Spain, Food and Drink

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

PENELOPE CASAS is one of the best-known and respected experts on Spanish cuisine. She has written about food and travel in Spain for the New York Times, Gourmet, Food & Wine, and Conde Nast Traveler and has published six books on Spanish cuisine. The Spanish government has awarded her both the National Prize of Gastronomy and the Medal of Touristic Merit, and has named her Dame of the Order of Civil Merit. She and her Spanish husband have guided culinary tours throughout Spain.

Reviews

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great because it gives such an incredible range of dishes that it frees one to invent even more. Still, I'd much rather be standing in a tapas bar in Barcelona, sampling the fresh plates as they come from the kitchen, saving my toothpicks for the calculation of the bill.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful introductions to the recipes, and I’m definitely going to try some of these! Some look yummy, some iffy, but that’s the fun!

[SFBlau · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't hugely impressed by this book, but I was satisfied. Many of the meats are not readily available, and she repeats recipes- like clams in green sauce, then frog legs in green sauce. Same thing with garlic sauce recipes- why not just give the sauce recipes and explain they can go over a variety of meats? Felt like filler. But the worst recipe was Clams with vinegar...

She introduces it in a colorful paragraph full of promise "...Casa Sierra in Madrid, unchanged in its two-hundred year existence, has the wonderful, lively old-world ambiance of a Madrid long gone and is one of my favorite bodegas in the city. Their most popular tapas are these tiny canned clams, doused with a special white wine vinegar."
And then this:
A 10 oz can baby clams, drained and well chilled
1 TB white wine vinegar
Simply mix the vinegar with the clams and serve cold.
.....

Seriously? That's it? It doesn't even sound appetizing. There must be more going on and the author didn't get the secret ingredients. Perhaps the secret is the kind of white wine used in the vinegar- could it have been a sherry vinegar? Who knows?

However the book has some great offerings. The section on how to make proper Spanish croquettes was worth the price of the book. There are quite a few gems scattered throughout, like Barcelona Rice Salad, Shrimp Tartlets and several of the Pate recipes look simply divine. My rating may climb if the recipes prove delicious.

All in all, this is a good book to have if you entertain frequently as it is filled with interesting starters and tasty hors d'oeuvres.

[Kimberly Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another cookbook that lacks presentation... The dishes presented in the photographs are just not appetizing. The colors are that bland yellow/red/brown/orange. Just very boring looking.

The print is easy to read and the recipes are easy to follow.

Much of the food is not what is usually eaten in the U.S., unless you know Spanish families: Tuna butter canape; Canape of mackerel & cured ham; Pimiento & dry cod salad; Calves live in almond sauce; Stuffed pigs feet vinaigrette; Blood sausage in puff pastry....

I'll pass.

[Bea Krauss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cooking for one? Or for a party? Want to be a healthy eater in either case? The small plates of Spain, Tapas, are the way to liven up your menus. Easy to follow and nearly every ingredient at your local supermarket or available through Amazon. Visiting son had just been to see a nutritionist. These recipes worked for him. My own annotations go something like "yummy," "a little more vinegar," "so good," "even better the second day." Very few duds.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to follow recipes that have unusual ingredients (read ahead so you can have ingredients you need on hand) but work, and the arrangement into different sections that make sense is a plus. With this book alone, you can serve excellent tapas in your home

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really the best tapas book around. My copy is definitely dog-eared.

[Howard Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paved the way for Spanish Cooking & Tapas in USA. Still an acknowledged authority although she died in 2013. Excellent Recipes; have made almost all in book and they have all been great.

[Paul Cassedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very nifty little cook book about Spanish small plates: Tapas. I bought the book as "Travel Research" for a trip planned for February 2023. I enjoy reading about the foods and wines of the nations I will be visiting. In the weeks before my departure, I host little dinner parties for family and friends so that we can sample the foods. There are a LOT of recipes in this book I can hardly wait to try. Simple, tasty, and well written.

[Happy Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of tasty little treats.

[Nicol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dates wrapped in bacon and baked for 10 minutes...tasted like heaven. Great recipes, some basic, some involved. I'm ready to move to Spain now.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it so well, orderedd my own copy from Abe Books

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

We got this book for christmas and we love it ,good food is always a good idea in our home .Jenny ( mostly recipes )

[Degan Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feels a bit dated but still many solid recipes that are unique and not too difficult to make or source ingredients for.