You don't need recipes for a lot of the stuff: it comes directly out of cans, like
Mejillones en escabeche,
Sardinas,
Anchoas,
Aceitunas;
and you're halfway there.

Puna...here's something you may like...paella salad. It's something my aunt and I made for a party a few years ago and everyone loved it.

Start by making yellow rice with chicken stock and seasoning to taste. Allow to cool. Make a vinegrette and pour over the rice, add enough to flavor the rice but not to make it soggy.

Now, at this point you may decide to serve it in a serving tray or mold. If you use a mold line it with plastic wrap, place the rice in the mold and press, making sure the rice sticks together to form the mold and place in the refrigerator. If you decide to serve in a tray then just place in the fridge to cool.

When the rice cools remove the mold and place on platter with lettuce or other dark green leaves. Decorate with boiled shrimp on the sides of the mold and strips of pimentos, add sliced green olives on top of the mold and serve. Leave a bowl of extra shrimp and olives on the side. The shrimp may be placed on top of crushed ice to keep fresh.

I'm resurecting this because I still need some ideas for tapas for the "cooking challanged"

Diane's mussel recipe is a must -

Pim's crab 'paste' is the second must - thou without the puffy pastry shells you mentioned! There is a better than average source of baguettes in town ...

Pim - you have no stove - I have stove but can't bake. The last time I tried serious baking was in Hawaii where (at the time) there was absolutely no proper bread by European standards and the only decent bread was carried via suitcase-full from San Francisco when returning home.

I wanted - no I craved good bread - crusty bread -baguettes - pan - so off we went to buy special baking pans, yeast, and all the other multitude of stuff that making bread consists of - no bread maker - I wanted REAL bread ....

Instead, I made a huge number of baseball bats that the neighborhood kids used to supplement their questionable soccer skills .... :p

End of my baking career ...

Eddie - despite the above saga - I'm loathe to "open tins" as a solution .... thou I have to admit - the thought crossed my mind!

Puna,

For me the easiest and the most delicious tapa are the fried fish I had in Malaga. I use a mix of sardines, smelts, and calamares, that and a glass of Sangria or Jerez and you can begin to believe that you are in Andalucia.

First dip the fish in a bowl of two beaten eggs, then lightly coat them them with VIGO cracker meal, or a bread mix. I fry mine in Canola, but this recipe is better, it uses Spanish olive oil.




Fried fish assortments

This gastronomic specialty from Andalusia combines the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet with the pleasure of relishing the flavour of great sea fish. The fried fish assortment is the extraordinary result of dipping very fresh fish in hot, clean, virgin olive oil. It barely touches the oil, only a few seconds, and the result is excellent. The most popular ones are to be found in the provinces of Malaga, Seville and Cadiz, although you can also sample them elsewhere in Spain.
http://www.spain.info/TourSpain/Gastronomia/?Language=en

However, Eddie's ideas are great too! Also very common,and delicious is a plate of serrano Jamón with slices of Manchego cheese, pour a tad of olive oil and spanish sherry vinegar, a few spanish olives and its fantastic!. Present them in a Spanish Paella clay dish with a few white asparagus, and tomatoe slices.

Buen provecho!

Puna. I have giving it a though here and there while y Dominican Republic vacations (I am still there).

You see, it is pretty difficult for me to guess what can be elegant for you re food. For me, mussels are not specially elegant.

BUT I can tell you one thing I would serve, prety typical and original (if it does not get too expensive because of the ingredients)...

... in Burgos they call them cojonudos , and they are like canapes made of a loaf of french-like bread with a fried quail egg, plus some small fried green pepper and maybe some txistorra. I am not pretty sure of the exactitude of the ingredients, if you are interested I could confrim back home (I ll be there on saturday).

Am I the only one here who thinks that once, at least most, fried foods get cold (totally)....they're pretty much a no-no? (unless you can re-heat them somehow, that is).
Specially; fried eggs, peppers, aubergines, asparagus, fish, potatoes, squid, etc........

That's the BIG problem I see with having to bring a dish somewhere, there's surely no shortage of possiblilities otherwise.

Pim, fortunately, here in the U.S. it is generally not a problem to bring in warm or hot dishes. There are several warming caseroles that one can bring in a hot dish. They are easily available at stores like Wal Mart and quite inexpensive. I do it all the time at our monthly Faculty meeting, where we all bring our favorite dish. I bring Croquetas de Jamon, my specialty, and theirs, apparently since they always request it!

pim has - once again - stated my problem! Fried food does get cold (at best - and greasy at worst). With that many people, all in formal dress - I really don't want the odor of frying food wafting through the host/hostess house.

Honestly, I figure too many others will be cooking and why should I add to the problem -

I can use a fondue warmer (sterno) to keep one tapa warm but really prefer to go with cold dishes - if needed I can always do Spanish cheeses & decorate w/ pimentos, olives and cold asparagus ....

Booklady - your wonderful fish had me salivating at 7:30 am - and the first 6 hours of the day I can handle only coffee - preferabley cafe con leche .... That recipe (minus calamaris ) is a must for cooking at home! Just reading it and imaging the aroma had me back in what I refer to as home (my heart's home) ....

Ignacio - enjoy the DR and stop thinking about my cooking needs! Enjoy yourself - and go surfing &/or para sailing .....

Bueno, Puna, you are right the smell may be too much for a black tie affair, but it is great for a country or better yet a beach picnic. I generally just use smelts. And with Sangria and some delightful Spanish CD's on the background, I can pretend I am in España.

Pim, here is the carrier that I bought at Wal Mart for $29.00, on sale, of course!!!
and it comes in a nice carrying case. It is called Gourmet Tote!

Hi Puna!
I don't know if I'm too late but here is a recipe that sounds quite interesting, easy and is served cold. I think is a new version of the famous "Jamon con melon".
http://www.tienda.com/recipes/jamonmelon.html

Chus