Spain is a nation of night owls. In all the years I have lived and traveled in Spain, I can't recall ever finishing lunch before 5 p.m. or dinner earlier than midnight. Indeed, no self-respecting Spaniard would dream of making a dinner reservation before 10 p.m., and restaurants don't begin filling up until 10:30 or 11 p.m. Tourists who arrive earlier are often bewildered to find empty restaurants. Such late hours also apply to lunch and dinner at home.
Gathering around the table for the evening meal is often just a prelude to barhopping that extends into the wee hours of the morning. I learned this firsthand when I lived in Spain as a student. I prowled the streets of Old Madrid with my Spanish friends, popping into one bar after another. Enticing tapas (small plates of nibbles) stretched the length of the counters. Invariably we finished at 3 a.m. with the potato omelet known as a Spanish tortilla, sides of chorizo and serrano ham, and a jug of red wine. Somehow, I managed to attend classes every morning—just as students and older folk alike roused themselves for the workday ahead. Theirs is an unhurried, leisurely lifestyle.
It seems to me that Spanish mealtimes evolved because of the customs of eating tapas before lunch and again before dinner, and of taking afternoon naps to avoid the intense midday sun. Of course, siestas are no longer practical, and few people return home for lunch anymore. But the late hours remain a deeply ingrained part of the Spanish psyche.
Warm summer evenings are a perfect time to re-create Spain's relaxed dining sensibilities at your home. Days are long and languid, and the weather lends itself to light meals. This menu features a selection of mostly make-ahead appetizers; prepare one, two, or all of them to serve family-style, and allow guests to take as much or as little as they please. Follow your tapas with a simple main course (either chicken or pork), and finish the meal with a fruity dessert you've prepared the day before. Don't be surprised if your guests are inclined to linger long after the stars come out.
