I was recently invited to El Pirata Detapas to meet 26-year old head chef Omar Allibhoy and his friend Danny before they embarked on their Tapas Revolution “mission” across England.
We tried some of the “tapitas” Omar and Danny will be cooking in their journeys and had a great time learning about their quest to teach the British public how to cook and enjoy tapas.
(Ajo Blanco - Chilled soup made of garlic, almonds, white bread and sherry vinegar)
(Marinated peppers on rustic bread)
Omar’s passion and enthusiasm for the cuisine of his home country are contagious and it wasn’t long until he was telling us about his giant “T” (for Tapas) plotted over a map of England, and pinpointing some of the locations where their 550-mile culinary crusade would take place.
(Omar and the "T" Trail)
The idea is to show to a cross-section of the country that tapas are a style of dish that can be easily recreated using local ingredients and in anyone’s kitchen. Omar and Danny will be offering a free Spanish cooking class and tapas to anyone who lives, works or just happens to find themselves at any of the locations on their “T” trail.
(Cooking rice with rabbit and sausages)
1. The centre-spot of his beloved Anfield (home to Spanish super-striker, Fernando Torres)
2. Grimsby (the UK's capital of fish - a key ingredient in many of his dishes)
3. Cowes, Isle of Wight (where Omar will be cheering on the 'Spanish Armada' during race week)
(Piquillo peppers stuffed with salted cod on rustic bread)
To get a taste of Omar's lovely cooking, all would-be diners need do is suggest a place somewhere along the 'T' to meet him, providing crockery, cutlery and perhaps some liquid refreshment. Omar will do the rest. Anywhere on the 'T' will do. Locations intersected by it include Manchester University, The Peak District, Doncaster, Derby, various lay-bys carparks and public spaces, even Blenheim Palace.
If you would like to join Omar and Danny in their Tapas Revolution crusade, or to view the "Tapas T" map and follow Omar's journey, visit: http://www.tapasrevolution.com/.
To book a meal on the "Tapas T", email Omar on omar@tapasrevolution.com or send him a tweet @TapasRevolution.
looks utterly delicious!
ReplyDeleteNice idea, i like the thought of tapas as a philosophy rather than as a selection of particular dishes to be slavishly recreated. I will endeavour to catch Omar somewhere on the trail and see what he's whipping up from local ingredients.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
ReplyDeleteI think this is an excellent idea. And they are right that we could do similar things with a bit of effort in the UK. Let's hope the revolution is complete when I come back : )
ReplyDelete@ Mel - hi Mel, long time no see! Hope you and Kelsie are doing fine in Berlin, we are missing you at our London Cooking Clubs!
ReplyDelete@ The Grubworm - please do, and let me know if you manage to meet him. I think this culinary journey is a great idea.
@ Ortega - Thanks!
@ Tom - it sounds as if you are already planning to get back! Can't wait to go to HK and see you there for a personal culinary tour of the island!