Day 12- In-A-Hurry Tapas Night

Since Fridays are reasons to celebrate, well, anything, we often like to have a little treat for dinner instead of the same-old cooking. And what with 2 kids and this tough economy, we can't exactly splurge on going out every Friday. So we've learned how to do the "going out" at home. For me, being a foodie, the best part of going out is the appetizers. And because I simply love a variety of things all at once, tapas is way to go for me. For those of you who may not know, tapas are (spanish) appetizers and pronounced to sound like "topless" so that when you say you are going to a "Tapas Bar" tonight, people look at you strangely.

The staple of any tapas night is, of course, a cheese plate. We often have various fancy cheeses on hand so I cut up a few different ones on a plate and throw on some crackers and grapes and olives, nuts, and raw veggies as well. You can also make a killer dipping sauce with a little butter and blue cheese crumbles zapped in the microwave till melted, then stir in a splash of milk. Crackers topped with half of a red cherry tomato are divine with this sauce. Always serve your tapas on a fancy plate with 2 glasses of wine and some candles. Bam, instant gourmet night. Your honey will think you are so creative and awesome, it's worth it just to impress! To go the extra mile, get one of those tiny champagne-for-two bottles from World Market to keep in the pantry and pop out when needed. Perfection.

Another refinement I've made on the Tapas Night is to make mini bruchettas. Walmart sells those miniture crunchy toast-looking things for 98 cents, near the deli. I always have at least 2 packs on hand for such occasions and because they are so simple to fancy-up when guests unexpectedly pop in. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and lay out the mini-toasts. Add a little blue cheese to some and top with a pecan or a walnut. To others, add a tiny slice of provolone or mozzarella cheese, a tiny slice of salami, and a tiny scoop of jarred olive salad. And to others, add a tiny scoop of goat cheese and a little slice of a jarred roasted red bell pepper. Pop in the oven at 350 for 5-10 minutes and serve on a fancy plate. Instant whore-derves. That's right...whore-derves. You know you love it.