Party Time (Fried goat cheese, charcuterie)

Just because the "Holiday season" is winding down doesn't mean we need to hold fewer parties. I spent the past week planning two for work and more with friends and family, but I don't want to stop. It's all a matter of pacing yourself, and sometimes moderating one's ambitions. Some dishes may be impressive in the demonstrable effort required, but you can still take the easy way out and, with a little attention to detail, still come off with something that looks stunning. Fried goat cheese is insanely delicious and may seem like it takes a lot of work, but it's really quite easy and, gussied up with a few other ingredients, becomes a wondrous display of variety.

Wondrous charcuterie

Season of Squash (Spanish Pumpkin Stew)

Winter is coming. And I'm not just saying that as a Game of Thrones fan. With the early sunsets and icy breezes, winter is always a great time for soup, but soup is unfortunately not typically regarded as haute cuisine. I wanted to try to make a soup that would put some excitement back on the dinner table. People may appreciate chicken noodle, but it doesn't usually elicit oohs and ahs. I also wanted to find a way to feature pumpkin, as it's the signature produce of October, without falling prey to the ubiquitous assault of pumpkin spice (insert noun). Eventually, I found my way to a Spanish stew named Berza de Calabaza. Many sources list this as an Andalusian specialty, though the recipe I settled on as a base template employs a Catalan ingredient in picada: an almost pesto-like blend of toasted bread, almonds, and garlic, as a thickener. Between the pumpkin, picada,  and beans, this makes an extremely hearty winter stew to warm the toes, stick to the ribs, and lift the spirit.

Like magic

Sweet Sangria (Sparkling Cherry Sangria)

Having recently opined on the sublime delight of tapas, I feel I'm now required to share a couple more recipes to help round one's dinner out. To start, the ideal accompaniment to tapas: sangria. Named for the sanguinary shade typically imparted by red wine, this traditional fruit punch is a classic libation of the Iberian summer. By combining a variety of sweet and tart notes, it serves as a pleasing counterpart to the generally savory and salty array of tapas.

Sweet

Tortilla Tapas (Spanish Tortilla)

One tradition dearly celebrated between our friends is the ritual of "victory tapas," where we kick back and commemorate recent successes with panoply of bite-sized Spanish delicacies. Too often, people seem to think I mean celebrating "victory topless," possibly because Williamsport doesn't have a tapas restaurant of its own. The word tapas comes from the Spanish tapar, meaning "to cover," as the original tapa is a little canapé of bread and chorizo, acting as a fly-deterring lid atop a glass of sherry. Tapas have evolved from those humble origins into a delicious array of snacks meant to be served with drinks and enjoyed casually over the course of the evening. As such, it's no surprise that we're sometimes tempted to declare "victory tapas" over victories as simple as getting up in the morning.

Victorious