Monday Afternoon Tapas

It's not much of a secret that Ann and I hang out at Two Dogs Taphouse in downtown McMinnville on a fairly regular basis. We've become friendly with most of the staff there and recently, we found out that three of them are moving away to Bend in mid-September to see a different part of Oregon. We made plans to get together as a last hurrah and I decided to make some tapas that we could graze on. Hanging out with younger folks helps keep us young.

Ann asked me why I chose tapas and honestly, I don't know what got me going down that path except for perhaps the vast quantity of padrón peppers in the farmers market recently. I do know that tapas are the kind of party food that I prefer: finger food that doesn't require much in the way of silverware or tableware as well as being food that I can set out beforehand so I can socialize and not have to cook during the event.

White Bean-Stuffed Piquillos

Stuffing piquillos is always a no-brainer tapa. I blitzed up a bunch of cannellini with garlic and pimentón then spooned the mix into the peppers. I was feeling lazy; ordinarily, I'd put the bean paste in a pastry bag with no tip and squirt the peppers full. One less thing to clean up, I guess. Two other great stuffings that I have done: paella-style rice for one and mashed potatoes with home-salted cod for another.

Grilled Shrimp and Olive Skewers

The flavor of olives and shrimp when grilled together is one of those one-plus-one-equals-three dishes. The sweetness of the shrimp meshes well with the slight saltiness of the olives (though these olives were not very salty). To amplify the grill char (hard to get a lot of char on small shrimp before they overcook), I made a bit of smoky pimentón sauce to garnish the skewers with. I made plenty of that sauce, put it in a squirt bottle, and I noticed everyone was squirting it on everything: it is that good!

Pork Pinchitos Morunos

Skewers (pinchos, pintxos, pinchitos) are a classic tapa and I decided to go with pork pinchitos morunos, literally little Moorish skewers. Although the Arabs (the Moors) who brought the skewers across from North Africa would not use pork for religious reasons, the dish is most commonly made with pork in modern-day Spain. The Moorish influence is honored today by marinating the pork in ras el hanout, a batch of which I made for this party. Ras el hanout is a North African all-purpose spice mix.

Searing Padrón Peppers for the Tortilla

Tortilla of Padrones and Onions

Tortillas, the Spanish egg dish similar to Italian frittatas, is another common and easy-to-make tapa. I seared padrón peppers in a hot pan with olive oil. We could have eaten them just like that in their traditional fashion, but I like their flavor with eggs, so I destemmed and deseeded them. Then I caramelized a couple large onions with fresh thyme and garlic. To assemble the tortilla, I layered the peppers and onions in a skillet and poured a dozen beaten eggs over. This went into a slow oven and baked, about an hour, until the eggs were set all the way through.

Carolina B&B and Zambra, Asheville NC

After leaving the Blue Ridge Parkway, we made our way quickly to Ashville and then into the historic Montford District just north of I-240, easily finding the Carolina B&B a few short blocks from downtown in the middle of a neighborhood of glorious turn of the century and Edwardian era homes. The house is a beautiful 1901 Arts and Crafts- (Craftsman-) style building with a mustard yellow pebbledash finish, dark 12-over-1 windows, twin chimneys, a hipped roof, and a hipped front porch that runs the width of the front of the house. Twin shed dormers on the second floor and a third in the attic give the front façade a lot of character.

Arts and Crafts-Style Carolina B&B

We Stayed in the Cottage out Back

The house is on a fairly large property, a good acre by the looks of it, and other than the obligatory swath of green lawn out front, is surrounded by gardens with mature trees, especially out back. Some of the flowers were just coming into bloom, especially the rhododendrons and Siberian iris. The wooded back lot is home to a lot of birds. Each morning we were escorted to the car by Catbirds and a pair of Carolina Wrens were constantly on or around the cottage, trilling and chirping, often toting mouthfuls of nesting materials.

Garden Fronting the Cottage

Catawba Rhododendron

Siberian Iris

Violets and Buttercups Outside the Cottage

After a brief welcome by James and Susan Murray, James gave us the nickel tour and showed us to our room out back: Ann had booked the cottage behind the house for our 3-day stay. We arrived about 5pm and James told us that they do hors d'oeuvres and wine each afternoon at 5:30 in the front parlor. We got unpacked into the spacious and nicely appointed cottage with just barely enough time for a brief shower before arriving for a glass of wine at 6:00.

We found the cocktail table in the parlor set with mixed hors d'oeuvres and a bottle each of a Biltmore red and white wine. Ann and I opted for the red which wasn't at all bad, though it was varietally vague. Kudos to the Murrays for serving the "local" wine, but a little shame to Biltmore for using California grapes to make their wine. They don't try to hide it (see the "American" appellation on the label), but they sure hope people mistake it for North Carolina wine. I'm not in the winery business and I don't have their debt to service, so I shouldn't really criticize, but somehow this strikes me as a little dishonest. Biltmore is not alone. Plenty of Virginia wineries do it too and I'm not happy about that either.

Each Night at 5:30, They Offer "Local" Wine

And Put on a Spread of Hors d'Oeuvres

Earlier in the mountains, the weather had been cold and rainy, but it cleared as we came slightly north and east to Asheville. By cocktail hour in Asheville, the weather was so nice that all the cocktail hour guests congregated on the deep front porch that runs the full width of the house. Ann and I claimed the swing at the end of the porch, where just next to us, song sparrows were apparently nesting in a shrub. They kept up their (at times deafeningly) loud calls all during our time in the swing. The hors d'oeuvres looked wonderful but I never got around to trying them, trying to save room for dinner in less than an hour.

Given that the B&B is a short walk from downtown, we left on foot at 6:45pm for our 7:00pm reservation at Zambra, a tapas restaurant. Two blocks from the B&B, my flip flops blew out and though I didn't step on a pop top on the way back to change shoes, walking barefoot on the sharp gravel of the driveway back to the cottage was no fun at all.

I'm afraid at this point I was in a bad mood and we were going to be late for our reservation. We took the car into downtown to get there as quickly as possible and made several tours around the blocks near the restaurant in a hopeless quest to find parking before I gave up and dropped Ann off at the restaurant. Several more passes through downtown yielded nothing so I once again gave up and drove back towards the B&B, finally finding parking on a side street about halfway back on the far side of I-240.

On my 10-minute walk to the restaurant, I finally saw why there was no parking, as I threaded my way through a packed eclectic crowd in front of the US Cellular Center. The Alabama Shakes were playing that evening and the concert crowd had nabbed all available parking.

I was fit to be tied at this point, hungry, tired, and exasperated with the parking situation, when I joined Ann in the restaurant, a funky, half underground space on a side street. The restaurant is pretty dark, so I had a bit of a time finding Ann, who had already chosen a nice bottle of Hacienda Monasterio Ribera Del Duero, a modern Bordeaux blend. The Spanish section of the wine list is pretty nice and I wish I had more time to explore it. Ann started with the house take on a Moscow Mule that she really enjoyed. I do wish that we had better stemware from which to drink our wine.

A Modern Bordeaux Blend from Ribera del Duero

Cheers!

The lighting was so dark, the restaurant being mostly below ground, that we only got a couple of photos while there was a touch of daylight. Overall the food was good, but not exciting. Our server did suggest that we try a dish whose description did nothing for us, but which turned out to be so good that we ordered two plates of it: Grilled Watercress on Grilled Bread with Romesco. Something about grilling the watercress gave it a delicious smokiness that when coupled with a little crunchy salt yielded a novel and delicious treat.

Among the other dishes we ate were pomegranate-braised pork spring rolls, calamari and arugula, scallops on grits, beef heart taco, patatas bravas. None of these dishes was really memorable. The calamari and arugula wasn't all that successful and the patatas bravas, a staple of tapas restaurants worldwide, were downright boring with no spicy sauce.

Calamari and Arugula

Scallops and Grits

Grilled Watercress

After dinner, we walked around the corner to The Vault for drinks and then we headed back to the B&B for the evening. I was ready for bed after a long, long day of driving, hiking, and dining.

Anniversary Paella

In the restaurant business, we celebrate our personal milestones on days off. Work days are for helping others celebrate their milestones. I wish it weren't so, but it is the nature of my occupation. This past Sunday was the day closest to our actual anniversary and to celebrate we invited a dozen or fourteen friends over for tapas, paella, and a case of Tempranillo, which our friends, who are not shy about wine, promptly emptied!



Paella Mixta

We really had a beautiful day and I kicked the hardwood fire off about ten minutes to four in the fire pit out on our patio. At 4:30, I started the chicken, which was followed by the chorizos, the tiny Salvadoran ones called tuzas (gophers), and my mirepoix of red peppers, onions, and hard Spanish chorizo. After this, into the pan with a spoonful of pimentón and my picada (parsley and garlic). Then a gallon of mixed stock (chicken, pork, mussel, and saffron), right up to the bottom of the handle rivets.

Once the stock came to a boil, a kilo and a half of rice went into the pan at 5:00 and was done by 5:25 or so. After 15 minutes of resting under a couple of towels, we all dug in, scraping big hunks of the crunchy socarrat off the bottom of the paellera.

Rear to Front: Chicken Wings, Salvadoran Chorizos, Red Prawns, Mussels

I thought I had lucked out and got some amazing red prawns. They sure look good, but their texture was pasty and the flavor very fishy. Not again for me. They are a new product that I was checking out for my seafood company. No bueno.



Figs, Goat Cheese, Jamón

For starters for our guests while I was out back tending the fire and the paellera, I made two tapas: these halved figs topped with local goat cheese and wrapped in ham. And I threw together some sautéed onions and red peppers from the garden with some thyme and eggs for a tortilla. Finally, as Spaniards will often do for a quick tapa, we raided the pantry for some marinated olives, peppers, and lupini.

Mixed Olives, Peppers, and Lupini



Red Pepper and Onion Tortilla

For wine, I picked a really smooth Tinta de Toro crianza from Finca Sobreño. It's a ripe Tempranillo that tastes of darker fruit, blackberries and cassis, without a lot of aggressive wood and with tame tannins. A great party wine.

A Nice Tempranillo (Tinta de Toro)

Tapas and Paella with Don and Terry

Wow! Wow! Wow!

That's all I have to say after visiting friends Donald and Terry on Sunday: "Wow!"


Ann and Donald with a bottle of Glen Manor Hodder Hill 2009, the wine that just won the Governor's Cup as the best wine in the state. Damn good it is too!

Carter and his mother in one of Carter's calmer moments, a rarity these days.

Check out the tapas spread the guys had awaiting us!


White bread cut-outs with olive oil, cheese, and smoked salt—addictive!

Asparagus frittata. It's pretty cool how the asparagus float in the eggs and separate themselves.

Dates stuffed with Manchego and walnuts.

Olives, walnuts in hickory salt, and Marcona almonds. The olives were my favorite. I can live on olives.

Mushrooms stuffed with corn, chorizo, and cream cheese. Yum!


We started our tapas with the 2009 Amalie Robert Pinot Meunier that I brought and what a neat wine this is! Intense fruit and excellent acidity in such a light-bodied wine. I am not sure that I could tell this from Pinot Noir if tasting blind. And then Terry surprised us by opening a bottle of 2010 Borsao Garnacha "Tres Picos." I know Borsao from the restaurant where we have carried their wines at times over the years. Still I was not prepared for this full-on modern-style prestige Garnacha with its huge fruit and lavish oak regimen. A fun wine for drinking with friends!


After many tapas, much wine, and a lot of catching up, we got around to dinner itself, starting with a fantastic salad of arugula, marinated melon, jamón serrano, and curls of Manchego.

The pièce de résistance was the paella and what cojones Terry has to attempt his first paella ever with a chef in the house! Here is the fabulous concoction both before and after cooking. It was notable for me because Terry used Valencia rice, which I have never had before. I make my paella at the restaurant from either Bomba or Arborio depending on what I have on hand. The tiny little Valencia grains were fantastic.



The guys would never let us leave without an overload of dessert, including a membrillo and pine nut tart, chocolate dipped apricots, strawberries, and grapes.


Just look at this tart! It was as delicious as it looks good.


Naturally, one must have a piece of chocolate for that last swallow of red wine.

And finally, I had to finish with this shot of the grapes just because I like it so much. I guess if you click the shutter long enough, you're bound to take a good photo every once in a while.