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Ole for Hispanic Fare!
| Article
# : |
15012 |
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Section : |
LIFE
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| Issue
Date : |
9 / 1988 |
1,697 Words |
| Author
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Eloise Paananen
Eloise Paananen is a food and travel writer based in
Washington, D.C. |
Hispanic food is a successful blending of ancient haute cuisine and the upscale fast-food fare of the 1980s. Skillfully prepared and seasoned, the inexpensive staples of rice, beans, and corn are receiving their deserved esteem.
Although the term Hispanic food conjures up visions of tacos, enchiladas, chili, tortillas, refried beans, and guacamole, such standbys are just a small sampling of Latin American cuisine. The range of tastes is extensive, with food from twenty-two countries representing every kind of terrain and climate.
Authentic Spanish restaurants, complete with an aesthetic, intimate ambience enhanced by flamenco guitar and traditional dancers with castanets and staccato heels have prospered in America. In Washington, D.C., El Bodegon is a twenty-six-year-old establishment in a city where restaurants open and close with the blink of an eye. Jose A. Lopez-Guerra, owner for the past eight years, makes sure that the food and entertainment are top quality. The extensive menu includes a wide variety of tapas (appetizers), literally meals in themselves, adhering to the custom of old Madrid.
Despite the elegance of today's Spanish cookery, many of the dishes originated as peasant food. Flan--an egg custard-- and sponge cake, pot-au-feu, and paella began in farmhouses and were prepared differently in each region. There are about thirty different varieties of gazpacho (a cold soup) in La Mancha and Andalusia. Gazpacho was originally prepared in the fields in a large wooden bowl and eaten directly from the bowl with a wooden spoon. Americans north and south of the border have a dozen or more versions, which, unlike those made in
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