Spanish food - Omar Allibhoy webchat Thurs 22 Aug 1-2pm

I love 'Tapas' type food. I much prefer grazing through small, individual, different, exciting dishes than sitting down to meat and 3 veg, apple pie and custard! Give me a buffet style meal any day . I haven't heard of Omar Allibhoy, but look forward to reading more about him and his recipes.

Tapas for me, too. I'll look forward to this, especially the quick recipes. Nothing better than grazing on tapas, in the sunshine with a bottle of wine and good company

I also have never heard of him but I love tapas. To date I have never had the courage to cook any but with a simple recipe I am looking forward to perhaps having a go.

I think I've seen him on daytime TV. I too love tapas. Seville is the place for us. Strolling from tapas bar to tapas bar in the sunshine, eating bits and bobs and drinking wine. We are off for our third visit next month.

If you would like to know what Omar sounds likes you can go here

I still don't know a lot about Spanish cooking as his very nice () voice sent me straight back to sleep.

Scroll along to about 16.30.

OMG! Have you seen his picture on the front?!!!

Omar's chat is just three days before we go on holiday to the Pyranees and Catalonia so I hope I can get an answer in time !! On 31st August we will be in Santa Susanna and it just happens to be our Golden Wedding Anniversary. Can he recommend a really nice Tapas Restaurant in Santa Susanna where we could celebrate.

"Young?! and very talented" - I don't recall reading about Mary Berry being described as "old and queen of the bakers" :P

I love tapas too and Spanish food, we had some wonderful meals in Sevilla, Cordoba and Granada when we did a road trip round those parts in February.

Omar, how about a quick and easy Spanish dessert recipe, please? Or one of your favourite dessert recipes.

I too, like Tapas but haven't really bothered making it as all the separate dishes seem a bit long winded to prepare. Does Omar have a 'Quick fix' for this? He's quite right though, Spanish food should be made as popular as Italian, go on Omar..convert me !!

I ADORE tapas, but alas, as there's only one of me- I think that they would be too diddly to make?

Unless you can persuade me otherwise?
Please?

I tried a recipe for wonderful soup we had in Bilbao called salmorejo, but it wasn't as nice as the restaurant - too oily - has Omar got a fail-safe recipe?

We had a lovely tapas meal last week in Oxford in a restaurant called Al-Andalus and it tasted as delicious as the food we have had in Bthat includes chickpeas

The idea of tapas is similar to the middle eastern mezze and I love the use of chickpeas and beans..can Omar recommend a tasty recipe using chickpeas??

I was told by an old Spanish gentleman "Tapa's" where the diet of the working man,made from all the left over from the family meal,so nothing wasted or thrown away and it was carried over to bars when the men rested during siesta time,they could have a little snack to keep them going until their family meal which would sometimes would not be until 9/10am depending what kind of job they had.
I loved learning of all the differant fillings for "Tapa's" from my Spanish friends and it is one of the things I miss about my life there.
I would treasure a copy of his book it would have pride of place I can assure you of that,sat next door to my Carlos 1 brandy.

The best ones I had were in a small bar in a square in Barcelona. I've been back since and can't find it. There was a lovely dish with chicken livers in sherry .

Oh and I had another one in Almunica, tiny purple clams in a wonderful sauce. I can't find the clams over here and can't work out what was in the sauce. I've dreamed about it ever since a,

Oooooh!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am already salivating!!!!!!!!!!!! Never made any but cant wait for Omar to give us a guided tour of his dishes and I just hope they are not as complicated or fiddly as I imagine them to be.

Off to Costa Del Sol on 31 August for 2 weeks, love our tapas and have seen Omar on tv with Rick Stein when he was in Spain. He's an amazing chef. I've made tapas myself (not as good as the authentic!) and my family and friends love it when I do a paella.

I'm sure Omar will provide a great insight into the history and flavours of tapas, like others my mouth is watering already.

I've been a fan of Spanish food since I was a young girl, when Martinez Spanish Restaurant in Swallow Street was a regular family Sunday lunch event.
I've just been given a large pack of "cooking chorizo". I'd be very glad of some ideas as to what to make with it. I've thought of putting some in a chicken and tomato stew, but what else could I do, and does it cook quickly?
I've also got some Teruel dop pork loin, it can be eaten like salami, but is there something more interesting I could with it, such as bake with onions or potatoes?

We didn't discover Spain until five years ago. That means 5 years of Tapas heaven. The culinary magic that comes from a little meat, fish
put together with a little Spanish love of life and food...................

Cari whilst you're awaiting Omar's response have a look at this Angela Hartnett recipe from today's Guardian - not too much olive oil, only 2 tablespoons per person

tortilla

Hello Omar

I'd like to have a go at cooking tapas, but I'm not sure what to put on my shopping list.

As a complete tapas novice, what ingredients would you suggest I buy?

Omar I'll be visiting Andalusia in a couple of weeks (Seville & Granada) are there any particular tapas of that region that I should look out for?

Any chance that you'll be there at the same time?

Hi Omar. What's your favourite tapas?