Spanish

If you only have sweet Spanish smoked paprika on hand, you can mix 1 1/2 teaspoons of it with 1/8 teaspoon cayenne as a substitute for hot Spanish smoked paprika.

Erin Rutherford of Charlotte, North Carolina, writes: "This sauce was a hit with my supper club — I served it with filet mignon encrusted in black pepper, cumin, and sea salt, and it was killer. It would also pair well with swordfish."

Chocolate a la Taza Light and tender buñuelos de viento are often dipped into chocolate a la taza, a hot chocolate drink thick enough to coat them.

This sweetly refreshing summer cooler contains no alcohol, but the wild-berry tea and pureed strawberries give it that sangria color. For guests who prefer their beverages a bit more spirited, B. Smith recommends adding white Muscat or light rum to taste.

When the use of chocolate became common in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, chocolaterías opened in Madrid, serving hot chocolate to weary voyagers and the homeless. In Spain, the warming elixir is distinguished by the addition of spice, but especially by its rich, frothy texture, achieved by heating and beating it several times. Traditionally, a wooden hand mill called a molinillo is used, but a whisk works as well.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Start the meal with gazpacho, then offer crusty bread, marinated green and black olives, and sangria with the salad. End with raspberries atop vanilla custards.

This recipe—inspired by a similar dish served at the fabulously fast-paced lunch counter Cal Pep, in Barcelona, Spain—is terrific with pork chops or roast chicken. Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 25 min

The divine lamb dish featured here is a perfect example of the excellent food served at El Olivo. This romantic restaurant, in a restored olive-oil mill, is a great spot to wine and dine someone special — the many wax-drenched candelabra are very nice touches. Service is impeccable, friendly, and attentive, including a sommelier at the ready to pair Spanish wines with the delicious local cuisine. El Olivo is one of three restaurants located in La Residencia, a beautiful resort in the western Majorca town of Deià. Serve this refined Spanish dish as they do at the restaurant, with sautéed purple potatoes, mushrooms, baby carrots, and broccoli.

Salmorejo Cordobés In Córdoba, gazpacho is reduced to its most basic elements, with no cucumbers or peppers, and is known as salmorejo. It takes on a saucelike consistency but is still considered a soup and is served in small portions. It is scattered with chopped hard-boiled egg and julienne strips of serrano ham, both indispensable to achieving salmorejo's fullest flavor. Salmorejo is sometimes used as a dip.

Ajo Blanco Malagueño This gazpacho from Málaga gets its pure white color and creamy consistency from blanched almonds. Sweet green grapes are the essential counterpoint to the tang of garlic and vinegar. The addition of shrimp comes from chef Bartolomé Rodrigo Lucena.

In the cuisine of Spain, a tortilla is an open-face omelet.

The garlic is added in two lots here to get two different flavors. The first amount is sautéed with other vegetables at the beginning of the recipe in good Italian or Spanish fashion. The second goes in near the end to provide a bite. The tomatoes provide most of the liquid.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. To go with the chicken, toss some greens with lemon vinaigrette, mix fresh chopped parsley into rice pilaf and cut a crusty load of bread into thick slices. Cantaloupe doused with sweet Marsala is a great finish.

Serve with: Crusty baguette slices and a salad of arugula dressed with Sherry vinaigrette. Dessert: Vanilla ice cream topped with warm caramel sauce.