Since our trip to Spain in 1999, Larry and I are always on the lookout for good, authentic tapas here in the Bay Area. César in Berkeley is an upscale tapas bar in Gourmet Ghetto, and is pretty authentic. I received the cookbook for Christmas (thanks, Larry!), so we had tapas for dinner tonight.
Everything was excellent tonight, except for the Mushrooms. I don’t like mushrooms, but Larry wasn’t crazy about these either. The calamari (I used fresh Monterey Bay squid) was very simple to make, and it was excellent. The potatoes were really authentic with the alioli. My new deep fryer worked like a pro – everything was very light and not greasy at all (high temperature oil is the secret).
We picked up some authentic ingredients at The Spanish Table, including Pimentón and mebrillo (quince paste), which tastes amazing with Manchego cheese (place thin slices of each together).

• Fried Squid (César, p. 161)
• Patatas Bravas (César, p. 124)
• Mushrooms al Ajillo (César, p. 111)
• Alioli (César, p. 195)
• Manchego Cheese with Membrillo
• Sourdough Bread