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Kalee
Athens, Georgia
Welcome to my little world- I am thrilled that you are here. My most sincere hope is that this little blog is a source of laughter, inspiration and some seriously fabulous food (even if it is vegan!). Is it possible to maintain a vegetarian lifestyle below the Mason Dixon line? Come along with me and find out as I pound the pavement, travel and eat my way through life. Cheers!
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Saturday Soiree- Spanish Fiesta


I loved everything about our trip to Barcelona in May but one of the things that I enjoyed the most was the oh so delicious Catalan cuisine. This soiree is inspired by the incredible food of both Catalonia and Spain and is a relaxed evening of friends, good food and spirits. This menu is intended to be light and is designed to all be eaten without the use of utensils.

Menu:
Gazpacho shooters (see Wednesday's post for Gazpacho recipe). Top shooters with chopped hard boiled egg or cucumber sticks. Prepare this at least a day in advance, to ensure proper flavor and less stress for you on the day of the soiree.

Pa amb Tomaquet- This is basically the Spanish bruschetta and can be found at nearly every restaurant in Barcelona.Recipe:
1 ciabatta
4 garlic cloves, halved
4 small ripe tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

Preheat grill or broiler. Slice ciabatta crosswise into 4-6 pieces, then cut each slice horizontally. Place the bread on grill rack or on a baking sheet. Grill or broil, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about two minutes on each side.

While toasts are still warm, rub them on one side with cut garlic halves. Cut each tomato in half. Rub the cut sides of tomato on top of the toasts until only skins are left, then discard skins. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.


Selection of Spanish cheese, meat and quince (membrillo in Spanish). I would use Manchego, thinly sliced Serrano ham, and quince. Also serve salty Spanish almonds on tray. Fear not- you can buy all of these items at your local gourmet store.


Gambes a la Planxa (griddled shrimp with garlic and parsley)
24 lg. fresh prawns in the shell
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, minced

Season shrimp with salt and pepper and drizzle generously with olive oil. Place a griddle over high heat until hot. The griddle is ready when a drop of water flicked on the surface evaporates instantly. Place the shrimp on a hot surface and cook, turning once, until they are opaque throughout and the shells begin to brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with garlic and parsley; cook, without stirring, for about 30 seconds; and then turn shrimp one last time. Transfer to a warm platter and serve at once. Makes 4 servings.

Drink: Sangria (for recipe, click here ), Cava and sparkling water.

Decor: Think simple, colorful and soft lighting. Use an abundance of tea lights to create a twinkling effect. My sunflowers are in bloom, so for flowers, I would make bouquets out of the them and place in various locations. Small plates are best for this night. Why not use a collection of brightly colored salad plates for a fun look.

Music: Spanish classical guitar. If your budget allows, hire a classical guitarist to come to the party and play. If not, a cd is perfect!


Dress:
I would wear something along these lines. All three dresses can be found at edressme.com. I would wear flats of some sort to allow for easy mobility and miles of gold bangles for a bit more relaxed look. What more information about one or all of these fabulous dresses? Just click on the image for the scoop.



Want to know my picks for Barcelona? Check it out here and read a bit more here.
Adios!

*Images from ohhappyday,find.myrecipes.com
, avaxhome.ws, rienzie.com, amazon.com,ithforum.com, artecermanica.com, edressme.com

*Recipes from Williams-Sonoma

 

19 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh wow, what a great post....I want to be in Spain right now!!! LOL

I've been to Spain a few times but never to Barcelona....my husband was there in May and LOVED it :)

Happy Saturday!

Southern Aspirations said...

love it all- the decor, the food... fabulous!

Dumbwit Tellher said...

You left no stone unturned - what a terrific soiree it would be. The menu sounds delish. I have yet to visit Spain but the hubbie was in Madrid for a month before we married. He would love to live there. Fun weekend to you CH!

Summer Wind said...

those plates are So pretty!

style chronicle said...

Beautiful party! I love Manchego cheese and Sangria!

Jane said...

What a lovely theme. I love real spanish food not that over flavoured fakery from 'tapas' bars. Bring on Summer!!!

Kassie said...

Oooh, bruschetta!! You are after my own heart. :)

Basil Becky said...

Wow ..it all looks wonderful

Sanity Fair said...

Love the party set-up - and I'd always want to be at an event with gazpacho!

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

Now that is a soiree I would love to attend, especially wearing that gold trimmed number. Gorgeous!

Courtney said...

These recipes look delish and I've been in love with that pink Manoush dress for ages now!! Such a fab dress.

Unknown said...

Oooh - I just love everything Spain. If it wasn't so far from Oz I'd be there all the time! Your post has bought back lovely memories for me!
Cheers, Karen

Laura said...

Oh I adore this! I was in Barcelona in July and am in serious tomato bread withdrawal...I really need to get on the horn and make some of this.

Julie@beingRUBY said...

What a gorgeous post. I actually haven't been to Spain. Missed that one for no known reason. Well I do feel like I've had a taste of it now. The images are great and the food is making me hungry. What an appetizer!

Glad you liked my post.. I will endeavour to keep up with this series. So much easier to post on subjects you love! Have a great weekend. Julie

Unknown said...

oh my gooodness I'm so jealous... Barcelona is the place I'm dying to go more than anywhere, I'm planning on it next summer!! That outside dining area looks so dreamy, I want to be there right now...

JMW said...

Barcelona - I'm so jealous! I love the idea of an outdoor dinner party at a long table where everyone is enjoying delicious food, fine wine and sparkling conversation. Those plates are fabulous, by the way!

Kellie Collis said...

Loving that first table setting!

Southern Champagne Wishes said...

Beautiful post! What a fab idea for a dinner party! All of the dresses are so pretty!

Social Media Expert said...

Very Helpful Article. Thanks For Sharing Awesome Design And Style

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