Paella is often made with shellfish, like shrimp and mussels.
Spanish food is fresh, natural and simple. Spanish dishes often include garlic, tomatoes, onions, almonds, olives, olive oil, sherry, saffron, seafood, chicken and game. If you want to eat like the Spanish, try making these dishes for lunch. In Spain, everything stops for a long, leisurely midday meal. Dinners are usually lighter and can occur quite late in the evening.
Sangria
A delicious alcoholic beverage to serve with a Spanish meal is sangria, a wine punch. While there are many variations on the recipe, usually sangria consists of wine (traditionally red wine), fruit and seltzer, often with brandy. Sangria is best when served ice cold.
Tapas
Tapas are small plates of food that are shared communally, making them great for parties. In Spain, tapas are not a meal, but a social snack; however, they have become popular as a meal option in America. The word tapas comes from "tapar," meaning "to cover." The first tapas was a piece of ham on top of a sherry glass, placed there to keep out flies. Tapas options are numerous and usually vary in Spain by region. Common components are olives, cheese, nuts and cold cuts. The small plated dishes can be served cold or hot.
Gazpacho
Gazpacho is a chilled raw soup that is traditionally tomato based. It is perfect for summer when produce is at its ripest. Traditionally, it is a broth made of tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, olive oil and vinegar, sometimes with bread pounded in. Gazpacho variations can be made with a base of yellow or red tomatoes, cucumber, or even watermelon, yielding a rainbow of vibrantly colored soups.
Paella
Paella is a rice-based dish flavored with the pricey golden spice saffron. Usually, paella is made with shellfish, but it can also be made with chicken. Paella is cooked in a flat, round, metal pan with two handles called a "paellera." It is often served in the paellera and eaten out of it as a communal dish. Paella should not be mushy or greasy. The short grain rice should be loose and dry. In fact, burning some of the rice on the bottom of the paellera is preferable and is considered the best part of the dish.
Spanish Desserts
Popular Spanish desserts are often made of eggs and milk. The creamy confections include custard, flan and crema catalana, which is a lighter cousin to French creme brule. Many Spanish desserts use almonds and almond flavoring. Sweet breads like churros, long loops of fried dough, are also popular.
Tags: made with, made with shellfish, often made, served cold, tomatoes cucumber, with shellfish
