Tapas Essentials not just for Tapas

ESPUNAS TAPAS ESSENTIALS

You usually think of Tapas as a something you eat at a party or while restaurant hopping in Spain.
I was given some samples of Espuna Canada's Tapas Essentials and made them in 3 different ways.

I used the Chorizo salami in my Spanish Omellette for what could be a Breakfast, Lunch or even dinner because it really  has everything in it.

I sliced and fried small pieces of the chorizo with diced onions, and green and red peppers and then I added scrambled eggs.  I used smoked paprika for the spice but skipped salt and pepper because of the chorizo. You could make a fold over omelette or a fritatta but this was based on an omellette my mom used to make for my dad who had some Spanish heritage.  My mom would add tomatoes instead of salami but sometimes my dad would make omelettes with salami in them.

I kept everything pretty simple because I didn't have a lot of time to prepare fancy things and it's also a super easy way to have these things on hand in case friends stop by at the last minute.

I used the fantastic salami just the way it is on a piece of sliced baguette and topped it off with some Spanish Manchego cheese and some olives and grape tomatoes on the side.  Some Marcona almonds and grapes would probably be great to have with this if I had some.

The last thing I made were the classic Prosciutto wrapped dates.  I also stuffed them with some more of the Manchego cheese but you could use any kind of cheese that melts well or even put a Marcona almond in the middle too.  These would be great for parties but I just made them for an afternoon snack.

I wanted to use the products to have a Fiesta party with friends but we didn't have the time to pull it together so I just used them in my everyday life and you can use them for appetizers, lunch, a snack or cooked in your dinner.

You could also use the chorizo salami on your favourite pizza or use the prosciutto in a paninni.

If I was having a party I would have used most of these products for a charcuterie board with some great cheeses, and fruits and nuts.

Espuna products were founded in 1947 in Olot, Spain by the Espuna family and have been family fun since then. They export 300 products to 49 countries.

To find out more about their line of products visit their website at http://www.espuna.es.
Twitter https://twitter.com/espunacanada
Facebook:  https://business.facebook.com/EspunaCanada/

PinxtosTO -A day of Tapas

 

PINTXOS TO - A Celebration of Tapas

Who:          Spotlight City Events presented by Estrella Damm 

What::        PintxosTO

Where:       Royal Bank Plaza - Front Street

When:        August 23, 2015

Why:          A taste of Pintxos Tapas and Estrella Damm Beer & other beverages

Hashtag:    #PintxosTO

Price:         $10 admission food $3-7 each tapas

It was a sunny sunday afternoon when I headed down to the beautifully set up Royal Bank Plaza terrace to try a whole bunch of small Tapas bites.   I was invited by the folks at Branding & Buzzing to attend this event organized by them and Spotlight City who know a thing or two about attending and hosting events in Toronto.  The event was the end of a weeks event called Tapas Journey that saw 20 local restaurants host a special menu of 3 Tapas and 1 Estrella Damm beer for $20.  Some of the hottest restaurant/bars in the city participated.  This PintxosTO event hosted a few of the same restaurants but I think they changed up some of their dishes a bit.  

The terrace was set up with this lovely umbrella covered seating area and then surrounded by individual restaurant vendors on the upper terrace and the level below.  This is the kind of set up I would design if I was organizing an event like this.  The vendors were spread out with plenty of room for people to get their dishes and then there were plenty of seats to sit back and enjoy the Tapas with a beer or drink of choice.  I had some refreshing lemonade from Marben and there was also Dillon's Distills and other drinks available.  It was a most comfortable way to enjoy this one day pop up.  Music playing at the perfect level and matching the theme of the event.  They even added beautiful flowers on the tables and spread around the vendors booths.  Street festivals can't do that.

Participating restaurant vendors were:

• Barsa Taberna
• Carmen
• Cava
• East Thirty Six
• Mamakas
• Marben
• Patria
• Salt Wine Bar
• Splendido

Out of town vendors 

• Donostia (NYC)
• Simply Fosh (Spain)

Beverages by:

• Estrella Damm
• Dillon's Small Batch Distillers
• Zaplain Sagardoa Cider
• Txomin Etxaniz Txakoli

While the cost of each Tapas ranged from $3-7 most were about $5.  

You would have to have a big appetite and be a pretty adventurous eater to be able to sample all of the Tapas.  There was a huge variety of cured meats, seafood, pickled items, and other assorted dishes.

Things you don't see very often that were served up included Razor clams, Snails,  Barnacles, white gazpacho, fresh anchovies, blood sausage (morcia), some of these from one very creative vendor.

Cava had a huge stand up bar booth with many different Tapas dishes spread out around the bar.  I tried the grilled chicken on a skewer and the grilled shrimp.  I would have preferred it if it was freshly grilled though.

But talk about fresh,   Mamakas had lamb on a spit roasting away and they served souvlaki in a pita.

Other things I tried included a Greek honey ball from a friend of a friend who was trying them for the first time.  They were a bit more cake like than they normally are.  

I think my favourite thing was from Carmen restaurant I had the  bacon wrapped dates with an almond inside and pork loin on bread topped with manchego cheese.  

I tried the ribs from Marben but I enjoyed their lemonade a lot more.

I wanted to eat a few more things but I was full from the 5 things I had and had to go to another food event right afterward but I wish I could have tried a few more things.  Most of the dishes were really beautifully presented and some small portions and a few things that were a bit more filling.

This event is what happens when all good things come together in a good way.

Experienced event host, high end restaurants, beautiful weather, great food and a great location.

It's very rare that they all happen at the same time.  The event organizers were very lucky to have a perfect weather day for an outdoor event.

*Disclaimer:  I was invited to attend the event but purchased all of the food and drink with my own money and all of the opinions in this post are my own.