Passion touches everything in Spain. The larger country of the Iberian peninsula—flanked by Portugal on its southwestern Atlantic coast---conjures dramatic sights and sounds: Flamenco dancers! Bull fighting! Just mention Spain and romance is in the air.

With its dramatic profile that includes rugged mountains, both mild and wild seacoasts, green valleys and arid plains, the Spanish peninsula was vulnerable to invaders for centuries.

Each group of “visitors” made an indelible, tasty impression:
• Phoenicians planted the first vineyards,
• Greeks established olives and olive oil, wheat and honey,
• Celts raised pigs, leading to a rich tradition of sausage and ham,
• Romans put in more vineyards, olive trees and built roads for trade routes,
• Moors grew rice, sugarcane, almonds, citrus, eggplants and artichokes, and
• the Moorish influence also brought cumin, saffron, nutmeg and black pepper: all spices strongly associated with Spanish cuisine today.

Just as foods were introduced to the Spanish kitchen by invaders, the Spanish explorers to the Americas in the 16th century brought New World foods to the European continent. These new exotic additions to the kitchen sparked a culinary revolution in European cooking:

• Peppers and chilies, corn, green beans and kidney beans,
• Tomatoes, avocados, summer and winter squash, pumpkins,
• Regular and sweet potatoes, pineapples,
• Vanilla, chocolate, cashews, Brazil nuts, peanuts
• and even turkeys!

Perhaps the most enduring Spanish culinary tradition is the tapas bar. Establishments humble or grand have been serving “small plates” of savory dishes for hundreds of years. Many Spaniards stop for a quick drink and a tapa or two before the midday meal or in the afternoon, but the evening hours are when tapas bars are at their busiest and most convivial.

Plan a few dishes for your own tapas offerings:

Smoked paprika is a prized ingredient in Spanish kitchens, and it’s easy to show off its robust flavor. Smoked Paprika Butter makes a stunning culinary statement when served atop grilled steak, or with pork or chicken kabobs as a tapas offering.

A bold sweet-spicy rub made of smoked paprika, cocoa, cinnamon, ginger and brown sugar creates a distinctive flavor sensation with pork in Sweet Smoked Pork Tenderloin.

Romesco Sauce is an iconic Spanish nut-thickened sauce made from roasted pepper, olive oil, garlic and almonds. This versatile sauce with its subtly haunting flavor enhances every food it accompanies, whether slathered on roasted fish or grilled chicken, or as a dip for fried potatoes at a tapas bar. Thinned with a little vinegar, it can dress potatoes or vegetables.

Spanish Gazpacho Salad features the ingredients and flavors of the classic Spanish cold soup, in salad form. Tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and onion are tossed with a perfectly blended vinegar-olive oil dressing spied with fresh parsley and spices.

Potatoes are a staple of the tapas table. Spanish Skillet Potatoes shows off classic ingredients like olives, prized Spanish manchego--a sheep milk cheese--and roasted red peppers.

Almonds show up in Spanish dishes savory to sweet, and their subtle nuttiness shines in a simple Almond Meringue Cookie (Gelletas de Almendra). These delicately flavored bites melt in the mouth, and are a simply elegant top-off to any meal.

Buen provecho!