Tapas transformer party prep

Tapas party reading on Flickr by beFOODled.

This month is S's birthday and this weekend I am throwing him a big tapas party to welcome him to the dirty thirties. He picked the transformer theme on the Evite, prompting some friends to inform me they expect alien robots disguised as everyday machinery in addition to tapas. I am going to have to be hostess extraordinaire to manage all of these expectations.

In the meantime, let me share with you what I have read about tapas. There seem to be several schools of thought on the origin of this custom. One theory surmises that early Anadalusian taverns served dodgy sherry wine but distracted patrons with a complimentary wedge of strong cheese or cured ham over the glass. Another theory states that tapas originated as a way to promote more drinking by producing a thirst. And yet a third states that the tapas over the glass kept out dust and flies attracted to the sweetness of the sherry. So intriguing! I had no idea Spain was so dusty.

Anyways, last night I consulted my cookbooks and have come up with the following tapas menu:

* goat cheese and herb dip (homemade)
* hummus (store-bought)
* salted almonds (homemade)
* marinated olives (store-bought)
* garlic shrimp (homemade)
* chorizo slices (homemade)
* potato and onion omelette (homemade)
* veggie tray (homemade)
* cheese tray (homemade)
* spanakopita (store-bought)

And mounds of breads (pita, baguette, crackers), cake and drinks to fill the cracks! Cooking starts tomorrow.