Take in the taste, not look, of tapas

Chefs will put out their best for a benefit for the Academy of Arts

STORY SUMMARY »

THESE DAYS, Spanish-style tapas are sexy thangs, fancied up for the sake of trendy dining. They have very humble roots though: The original tapa was a slice of bread, meat or cheese draped over a glass of wine to keep bugs from falling in.

For real. Look it up.

Tapas have come a long way, but try calling up that bug-blocking image as you sip sangria and nibble on a tapenade-topped toasted crostini slice.

In fact, an opportunity arises at the Honolulu Academy of Art's "Showcase 2007" next weekend. The benefit art-show-sale-dining-affair is themed "Salud!" -- with tapas served up by 11 Oahu restaurants to a backdrop of flamenco music.

Perhaps there will be bugs. Certainly there will be wine, so you can test that age-old use for tapas.

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EVERYONE appreciates a pretty plate of food, but with tapas, that's not the point.

"People have kind of made them sexy -- Asian tapas and all that," says Ed Kenney, chef/ owner of Town and Downtown restaurants, who's sampled a good share of tapas in Spain.

"It's simple beer-drinking snacks. You go from bar to bar and every bar seems to be known for one or two. But they're really not pretty."

'SALUD!' » Benefit event: 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 12 » Place: Honolulu Academy of Arts » Cost: $85, to benefit Academy education programs » Call: 532-6099 » On the Net: El Mundo de las Tapas: www.arrakis.es/~jols/tapas

In fact, Kenney winces at the thought of his tapas being photographed.

All for a good cause, though. Kenney and 10 other chefs will be putting their best tapas forward at "Salud!," the Honolulu Academy of Arts benefit gala Aug. 12.

His little plates of prosciutto-wrapped dates and fried peppers emerge from the kitchen looking quite attractive, in a minimalist way. Kenney calls them "rustic."

Which would be appropriate to their history.

Most food references place the origins of tapas in the Middle Ages in certain regions of Spain, where wine or sherry was served in glasses or jars topped with a slice of bread, cheese or meat -- to keep insects and other foreign matter out. Tavern owners starting dressing up these accompaniments, and so it began.

The Web site El Mundo de las Tapas, originating in Madrid and devoted to the history and culture of tapas, goes back further to the story of King Alfonso the Wise in 13th-century Castile.

For health reasons, the king was advised to take small snacks between meals, accompanied by some wine. Alfonso later made the pairing of food and wine a matter of royal decree, El Mundo says.

"This was a wise precaution to counteract the adverse effects of alcohol on those people who, through lack of money to buy a nourishing meal, drank alcohol on an empty stomach."

It was also a custom at the time for field workers to take a between-meal snack with wine (in winter, for its warming qualities) or cold gazpacho (in summer), as the midday meal was traditionally served late.

Tapas probably originated as a way to survive until the day's big meal, but today tapas eaten in bulk can actually be turned into the big meal.

In Spain, Kenney said, "It's a way of life, like plate lunches here."

Tapas are better party food than a plate lunch, though, being small, often hand-held and easy to juggle along with a drink.

Kenney has made tapas a monthly part of the menu at Downtown in the Hawaii State Art Museum, served on First Friday nights. The menu varies each month, but might include small plates of cured meats, olives and cheese, steamed mussels, braised beans, risotto and various finger foods.

He's still working on the dish he'll be serving at the Art Academy affair, to be based on the duck prosciutto that he's curing right now, and perhaps a nice summer fruit, such as mango.

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MAKE IT YOURSELF

These recipes are from last month's First Friday menu at Downtown (First Friday takes place this week, by the way, if you'd like a taste). The recipes are rather casual when it comes to the ingredient lists, but that's the nature of tapas.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Dates

Dried dates
Whole almonds
Mozzarella cheese
Prosciutto

Split dates and remove seeds. Within the cavity of each date half, place an almond and a little piece of cheese. Wrap each stuffed date with a 3-inch strip of prosciutto. Secure with toothpick if necessary.

Grill or broil until prosciutto is browned and crispy in spots.

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Blistered Peppers and Pan con Tomate

Extra virgin olive oil
Sweet peppers (such as shishito)
Sea salt
Crusty bread such as a baguette, cut in 1/2- inch slices
Garlic clove
Sweet overripe tomato, halved

Heat oil to 350 degrees.

Fry peppers in oil until blistered, about 5 minutes. Remove, drain and sprinkle with salt.

Brush both sides of bread with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill, broil or toast bread.

Grate garlic and tomato (run cut side of tomato over wide holes of a grater). Combine the two and scoop mixture onto bread.

Serve 3 to 5 peppers with slice of bread.

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Spiced Sangria Roja

1/2 cup sugar
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
2 cloves
5 allspice berries
2 star anise
10 peppercorns
1/2 cup water
1 750-ml bottle fruity red wine
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup brandy
1 orange cut into chunks
1 lime sliced into thin wheels
1 lemon sliced into thin wheels

Combine sugar, spices and water in saucepan; bring to boil. Allow to boil 1 minute, then remove from heat. Let cool and strain.

Combine with remaining ingredients and allow flavors to meld for an hour or more.

Serve over ice in tall glasses with some fruit in each glass. Serves 6 to 8.