Spain’s Spin on ‘Happy Hour’

Spanish bar culture gives a whole new meaning to ‘Happy Hour’ with small, delectable bar food affectionally called “tapas.” My husband and I were surprised to learn that the Spanish eat the small bites during the traditional dinner time in the States and hold off on dinner until almost 8 p.m. We actually couldn’t have a sit-down dinner until 8 p.m. It’s really the complete opposite of the restaurant culture in the U.S. where you can grab dinner from 5 p.m. onward and then around 11 p.m. it becomes bar food only. The Spanish enjoy eating their dinner late into the evening and it doesn’t seem to affect their waistline either! Maybe it’s because they fill up on apertivo first, much like that basket of chips or bread that inevitably send me home with dinner leftovers.

Stuffed Peppers

Roasted Peppers