Tapas in Gaborone (What Rebeca's Missing, part 2)

Shanthi and I enjoy the challenge of trying to replicate some of our favorite meals from our favorite restaurants in the Boston area with the limited ingredients available to us here in Gaborone. One of our favorite restaurants in the Boston area is Taberna de Haro, a Spanish tapas place that errs a bit on the side of overpriced and over-oiled, but serves up some delicious food. In a city where going out for tapas means going to Dali (in Somerville), Tapeo (on Newbury St.) or Solea (Moody St. inWaltham...all three operated by the same owners), or Tasca (on Comm. Ave. - the vegetarian dishes there are blah) it's nice to see a DIFFERENT tapas menu for a change. Taberna de Haro also has an incredible wine list, which introduced me to Riojas, specifically those from the Sierra Cantabria winery (which was our choice for a red wine to be served at our wedding).

Taberna de Haro (on Beacon St. at the St. Mary's T stop on the green "C" line) has some wonderful items on the menu, including their Cabrales con sidra (a pungent breadspread made of cider and Australian blue cheese...I suspect they use "Roaring Forties Blue", an outstanding and uniquely flavored blue cheese from down under), and my absolute favorite, Papas Arrugadas: Canary Island potatoes con mojo picon [a red sauce made from olive oil, red wine vinegar (or balsamic vinegar), garlic, salt, a bit of cayenne pepper and a few tablespoons of paprika]. I've tried to replicate the papas arrugadas on my own many times and have come close, but not quite there. I think that I am missing some secret ingredients...possibly sumac and ground thyme as the flavor that hits the back of the throat is a bit like za'atar. Since I have not been able to get my hands on any sumac (or ground thyme...or za'atar), just the paprika alone makes a decent, if incomplete, offering. Even if they don't use sumac in the papas arrugadas at Taberna de Haro, I think they should. I think that would (or will) clinch it and can't wait to try it some day.

Another dish we enjoy at taberna de haro is the sauteed spinach and garlic. They add sultanas (golden raisins) to the dish, but as neither of us care much for raisins, we leave them out. The key is to chop the garlic into somehwat large chunks and sautee in a bit more oil than seems reasonable.

And who doesn't like sauteed mushrooms and garlic? While I would normally be all about adding fresh thyme to the mushrooms, when you consider the flavor strengths of the other tapas to be served it's probably better to keep the mushrooms rather simple...they pack plenty of flavor as is.