Tapastry European appetizer is catching on in States as the ideal finger food for any social gathering

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Curious eyes, noses and taste buds recently made their way around my kitchen, which, for one night, was transformed into a cornucopia of flavors and sights spreading from a small table to the counter and stovetop.

Olive tapenade on wedges of pita bread, fresh Mozzarella with tomato, spicy shrimp with prosciutto and goat cheese, marinated mushrooms and more; it was a virtual overload of senses (and colors) accompanied by homemade sangria.

Prepared by a dozen or so friends and colleagues, these little dishes were both simple and complex to make, and intriguing to the eye and palate. For a moment, my small Bangor apartment didn’t seem like Maine but a cozy bar in Barcelona – save for the cast-iron radiator and ’70s-style linoleum in the kitchen.

“It’s a tapas party,” I declared weeks before, when I invited people, mostly in their early- to mid-20s, to my home.

“Topless party?” some asked quizzically, not sure if they heard me right.

“No, tapas,” I replied, stretching the word as far as it would go. “It’s Spanish,” I explained, for tasty morsels of food served up in Spanish bars.

Originating in Spain, tapas have popped up in bars and restaurants across the United States. Served with a glass of wine or sherry, these small plates of food can be as simple as several slices of crusty bread and rounds of creamy goat cheese and as exotic as pickled anchovies artfully presented in endive leaves. Similar in portion size to antipasto and hors’ d’oeuvres, tapas are a vehicle for socializing informally over food and drink at a bar or restaurant.

Rich Hanson, owner and head chef of Cleonice Mediterranean Bistro in Ellsworth, says tapas originated at bars in Spain’s southern region of Andalusia.

“Flies would come in and land in their drinks,” Hanson says. “So bartenders would put a plate on top of the glass, and then they got to thinking, ‘we might as well put something on there.'”

Tapas have evolved from slices of bread and cheese to more exotic dishes incorporating squid, anchovies, braised rabbit and some ingredients you’re better off not knowing.

Hanson offers 25 different kinds of tapas, ranging from Artichoke Pesto Bruschetta to Grilled Octopus with Piri Piri Sauce, a plethora of dishes without having to commit to just one entree. This style of eating has caught on on this side of the Atlantic – even in downtown Ellsworth.

“It has became this sort of urban thing and has kind of evolved into a cafe culture,” Hanson reflected. “We approached [tapas] from the angle of an appetizer list; as people became more familiar with it, some people will come in and have a few different things.

“The thing with tapas, this whole style of eating, you can go it as a gourmet kind of thing,” he added, stressing, “but, really, it’s a working-class, community kind of thing.”

Having experienced tapas in Washington, D.C., I wanted to introduce this new bit of culture to my Maine friends. I also wanted to show you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to do it.

And so, the tapas party was born.

As it turns out, “theme parties” are in right now and tapas is a theme that is just quirky enough – and easy enough – to pull off.

Here’s how:

First thing: keep it simple. The staples of a tapas party are basic: bread, olives, cheese and wine. Once you’ve got these ingredients down, you can move on to more complex dishes.

Even though tapas originated in Spain, it doesn’t mean you can’t branch out. In fact, all the Mediterranean countries have unique culinary traditions and a rich assortment of ingredients and small dishes.

Depending on the size of your party, you need to first determine how much food you’ll need. People have a tendency to overdo it, so even if you don’t think you’ll have enough, you probably will.

I took a slightly different approach.

I wanted friends to really experience tapas – that is, not just eat the fruits (or olives) of my labor. So each invitee had to bring something. Not a dessert or a drink, but an actual dish. To be fair, I made it easy … sort of. I did some Internet and cookbook research on tapas and found a dozen or so recipes, ranging from the rudimentary (marinated mushrooms) to the difficult (croquettes).

For bread, I used two different types of pita, along with French bread and Melba toast.

Olives can be served marinated or as tapenade, a spread made by crushing the olives and adding olive oil and whatever spices might be on hand. Tapenade can be used as a simple dip, or as a filling in hollowed-out cherry tomatoes, or as a topping on a brioche, baked to a slight crisp.

Unless you’re feeling particularly adventurous, stay away from recipes with difficult-to-find ingredients like saffron threads or foreign cheeses.

Hanson said some of his favorites are Spanish meatballs, roasted peppers in almond sauce and escalavida, a roasted vegetable salad. Most can be made quickly and easily, a great many can be made in advance and served at room temperature while others can be partly prepared and then finished at the last minute before serving.

The best thing about hosting a tapas party? You get to keep the leftovers.

Red and Green Pepper Tapas

2 large green bell peppers

2 large red bell peppers

1/4 cup olive oil

6 cloves garlic, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 F. Roast the peppers on a baking sheet for 15 minutes. Turn them over and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and wrap them separately in a paper bag. Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, peel the skin off each pepper and remove the seeds. Slice into thin strips. Heat the oil in a skillet over low heat. Add the garlic slices. When it is golden brown, add the pepper strips. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes, shaking the skillet occasionally. Serve warm or cold with sangria.

Shrimp in a Spicy Sauce

2.4 pounds shrimp

1 large onion

2 cloves garlic

4 ripe tomatoes

1 tablespoon bread crumbs

4 ounces olive oil

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 glass of brandy

4 ounces white wine

4 ounces fish stock

Salt, pepper, parsley

Wash the shrimp and gut them by breaking the middle fin of the tail and pulling. Heat the oil in an earthenware dish big enough to hold the shrimp and sauce. Saut? the shrimp with the dish covered until they turn red. Remove and fry the chopped onion and garlic until golden then add the blanched, peeled and chopped tomatoes. Lower the heat and fry for 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and a teaspoon of sugar, if the tomato is too acidic, and sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Mix and add the cayenne pepper, shrimp and brandy. When hot, flambe then add the wine and stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve from the dish sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Herbed Goat Cheese and Proscuitto Shrimp

12 tablespoons goat cheese

1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon

1 teaspoon chopped fresh chervil

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

2 teaspoons minced garlic

Salt and pepper

12 large shrimp, peeled, tail-on and butterflied

12 thin slices of proscuitto

2 tablespoons olive oil

In a mixing bowl, blend the cheese, herbs and garlic together. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Press 1 tablespoon of the filling in the cavity of each shrimp. Wrap each shrimp tightly with one piece of proscuitto. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the stuffed shrimp and sear for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until the shrimp turn pink and their tails curl in towards their body. Remove from the pan and place on a large plate. Garnish with parsley.

Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Olive Tapenade

1/2 cup Spanish olives with pimento

1 1/2 teaspoons drained capers

1 teaspoon brandy, preferably a Spanish brandy such as Solera Gran Reserva

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

32 small cherry tomatoes

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

The tapenade: In a food processor, pulse the olives until chopped fine. Add the remaining tapenade ingredients and pulse until olives are minced.

With a sharp knife, slice the stem end (1/4-inch down) and the bottom ( 1/8-inch up) from each tomato and discard. Using a 1/4 teaspoon, remove the juice and seeds from each tomato half, leaving the outside shell intact. Spoon a generous 1/4 teaspoon of the tapenade into each shell and garnish with the parsley.

Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

1 pound tomatoes

1 teaspoon vinegar

3 teaspoons virgin olive oil

A large pinch of brown sugar

Fresh basil

Salt

Pepper

White cheese (Mozzarella works best)

Slice the tomatoes into thin slices and place on a serving dish. Dice the cheese and sprinkle the pieces over the tomato. Mix the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar well. Pour over the tomatoes and cheese. Chop the fresh basil leaves, and sprinkle over the tomatoes. Put the salad in the fridge until you are ready to serve it.

Escalavida (Roasted Vegetable Salad)

2 yellow or red onions sliced into thick rounds

1 cup olive oil plus oil to rub on onions

2 eggplants cut in half

3 large fresh tomatoes, or 6 whole canned plum tomatoes

2 red bell peppers, cut in half

1/2 cup lemon juice

3 cloves garlic

Salt, pepper, parsley to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the onions, eggplants, and peppers cut side down in a baking dish and rub with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until tender when pierced (about 30 minutes). In a separate pie pan, roast the tomatoes with olive oil until they blacken (about 15 minutes).

When the vegetables are cool, use a spoon to scoop out the flesh of the eggplant in large chunks. Peel the peppers and tear into large pieces. Coarsely chop tomatoes. Combine the vegetables in a large bowl and add the lemon. Crush the garlic cloves with a mortar and pestle with a sprinkle of salt, and then add the garlic paste to the vegetables. Add parsley and season with more salt and pepper.

Roasted Mushroom Salad with Romesqu Sauce

For sauce:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup peeled garlic

1/2 cups slivered or whole almonds

1/2 cups breadcrumbs

1 dry chipotle or other hot pepper pod soaked in 1/2 cup warm water

3 peeled roasted red peppers

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1/2 teaspoon hot Spanish paprika

1 tablespoon fresh oregano

Up to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

For mushrooms:

1 pound button, baby bella or crimini mushrooms

1/2 pound portabella or shitake mushrooms

3 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher or sea salt

1 red onion sliced thin

For sauce: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic and oil in a pie plate or oven proof dish and roast for 10 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs and almonds to garlic and roast for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Process the garlic, breadcrumbs, and almond with the olive oil until it forms a smooth paste. Add the hot pepper, roasted peppers and tomato paste and blend until smooth. Add the sherry vinegar, paprika and oregano and pour in the olive oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

For the mushrooms: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the mushrooms in chunks and spread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil and sea salt. Bake for ten minutes. While hot, transfer to a large bowl along with juices, and toss with red onion and romesqu sauce.

Gambas Ajillo (Shrimp with Garlic)

1 pound Maine shrimp

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup slivered garlic

1 to 4 hot pepper pods

1/4 cup dry sherry

Sea salt and pepper

Parsley for garnish

Plenty of crusty bread for dipping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put oil, garlic and pepper pods in an oven-roof dish. Heat the oil and garlic in oven until the garlic begins to sizzle. Remove from oven and stir shrimp and sherry into the oil, and cook until shrimp are done. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with parsley and serve with plenty of bread for dipping.