To kick off the Paella Party for the Slugs, I served an array of tapas and let them mix their own Spanish wine cocktails.
Tapas
The word tapas is derived from the Spanish verb tapar, meaning “to cover.” And they are not so much a kind of a food as a Spanish way of eating. The food is brought out on a small plate that can act as a lid on top of a glass or mug, presumably to keep out dirt, dust, and bugs.
Tapas can be grouped into three broad categories, depending on how you eat them. Cosas de picar are things to nibble and generally refer to finger foods. Pinchos might require a toothpick or other small utensil to eat. And cazuelas usually are served in sauce, such as albóndigas.
I bought these tiny plates (affiliate link on Amazon) that fit nicely on top of wine glasses. Tapas!
Kalimotxo
And I offered them two DIY Spanish wine cocktails to start while I worked on the Paella Mixta. I thought that these were traditionally made with red wine and Coca-Cola. I had a slightly more bougie cola. Then I did some research and realized that Coca-Cola didn't become the cola of choice until 1953 when the first Coca-Cola company opened in Spain. Before that, it was based on an cola drink. So, mine is actually even more traditional!
There is no real recipe and I had the kids mix their own to their tastes. But it's usually equal parts red wine and cola, served ice cold. A squeeze of lemon or lime is optional.
Side note: I do not use expensive or quality wine for wine mixers. Two Buck Chuck would be fine, but I think this was a regenerative organic red wine from South America. And the cola was Fentiman's Sparkling Curiosity Cola. Salud!
Comments