Radishes and arugula are two of my go-to salad ingredients—their shared pepperiness always makes for a bright and biting combination that cuts through any rich, fatty flavors in the rest of the meal. The trouble is that when you are dealing with flavors as strong as these, a mustard- or lemon juice-based vinaigrette is sometimes too abrasive resulting in a palate-killing salad. The mother-and-daughter Ortega team (Simone and Inés) have solved the problem by creating a dressing that uses cool and creamy yogurt in place of oil to dress these spicy components. More

These Albóndigas or little meatballs, fried and braised in a saffron scented tomato sauce, are a tapas bar staple. They are much lighter both in texture and flavor than their Italian-American counterparts but the basic preparation is very similar. The meatballs are made from a mix of ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, parsley, and white wine, then coated in flour and deep fried. More

A small note accompanying this recipe for Vegetable Tortilla from The Book of Tapas by Simone and Inés Ortega advises the cook to serve leftovers cold with a little mayonnaise spread on top. Maybe I've got it backwards but when I started making this tortilla, I was envisioning that exact preparation. In fact, I intentionally made the tortilla a few hours before I planned on eating it so it would have time to cool. More

In my mind deviled eggs have always been a distinctly American hors d'oeuvre. But after doing a bit of poking around, it seems these hard-boiled and stuffed eggs have been enjoyed for centuries and possibly date back to ancient Rome. The Book of Tapas by Simone and Inés Ortega has several different preparations of huevos rellenos, all of which make for an ideal predinner snack. More

I thought I'd begin our week of tapas from The Book of Tapas by Simone and Inés Ortega with one of the most well-known and loved tapas dishes around, Patatas Bravas. Preparation of patatas bravas varies widely—some versions are fried while other are boiled, sauces are tomato or vinegar-based, and sometimes the patatas are topped with chorizo, chicken, or fish. A garlicky aioli usually finds its way into the mix, either on the side or drizzled on top. More