Tapas in DC

My other brother, Jim (aka the food snob--lovingly) took me to lunch one day, as he always does when I'm in town. I met him at the "shop," the family-run photography studio. I had several boxes of items (junk) to mail back home that had come down from the attic. (He's my mail man, too.) Mostly, it's my stuff, from my teenage years. I guess one day, I will go through it all and read all my old love letters and notes to my girlfriends and boyfriends. It amazed me as to why I had so many letters I had written to them. Did I never give them or did they give them back to me for safe keeping? Who knows what type of incriminating evidence lie in those words written so long ago. At any rate, it will be an iteresting read one day--for MY eyes only. hehe.

After I dropped the boxes off, we headed off to Jaleo, Jim's favorite tapas restaurant. We had been there before and it is good. Of course, if Jim goes there and he returns, it's good, guaranteed. Looks like the chef is coming out with a tapas cookbook which should be an addition to my kitchen. I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

Since they didn't serve mojito's (my newly found favorite summer cocktail) I settled for the limeade. Probably better off that I didnt' start drinking at 2 in the afternoon.

We started with the olive tray. I could sit and eat olives all day.

Hehe. This was one of the specials. I got so excited abuot the tale my brother was telling me that I forgot to take a picture until only one piece was left. Too funny! This is prosciutto made from Spain's black footed pig. I didn't really know anything about these specialty hams other than seeing them hanging at the butchers in Marks & Spencer in London. Of course, my brother knew everything--where these wild pigs were from (Spain), what they ate (acorns) and how the fat on one is white, buttery and melts-in-the mouth. Ok. It was good--probably the I-knew-it-was-special good, you know? There were three types (mysteriously missing from the pic). One was basic (but better tasting than Italian) prosciutto, the other two--including the slice above--was more pepperoni-ish, a tad spicier. It was drizzled with olive oil, which was not needed.

This was another pork dish. I don't remember if it was from the pata negra. It had a fancy name to it, but basicly it was pulled pig formed into a cake. Very tasty indeed.

My all-time favorite tapa is the chorizo on mashed potatoes. Yum. I always order this when if it's on the menu. (Of course, Nashville doesn't have any Spanish restaurants!)

The spinich was delicious, and I don't normally do cooked spinach. My brother made me eat it; and I'm glad he did. It had apples, pine nuts and cranberies mixed in.


Here is another special, the special steak. It had blue cheese melted on top. Mmmmm.

Here is the pork, after we started digging into it, along with asparagas with pepper sauce and squash blossoms. I had never had squash blossoms before (only the turquiose type around my neck), and these were fascinating! You could even see the polen inside after you took a bite! It had a very delicate flavor.

It's always fun getting together with each of my brothers. Each offers me quite a different look into the world. I have learned different qualites from each. I am so fortunate to have them both so close to my heart. I love my bubbas.