Caretaker Creations: Tapas Party!

I took a trip to Spain earlier this month and, of course, was on the lookout for chemo-friendly ideas and inspiration to share when I returned. More than any single recipe, the approach of serving meals tapas-style seemed like it could translate well to a chemo setting thanks to the portion sizes, social interactions, and design creativity.

Tapas are small servings - often just one or two bites - of which several are served in progression to form a full meal. This struck me as a great option for chemo patients, as it's usually possible to force down one bite of something. If it's nasty, well, it's already time to move on to the next dish anyway! If it's great, there's probably a few more bites available somewhere, and you know there's a recipe that might be worth making in a larger quantity next time.

Another great thing about a tapas meal is the social element. Since it's not terribly practical to prepare only one bite of a meal, tapas are generally served with several portions on one plate, anywhere from half a dozen to twenty, and are shared among a group of several people. Thus, a tapas meal really demands that there be a gathering of friends for a bit of a social occasion - something that I found to have at least as much of an impact on my mood and inclination to eat as what the food was. Each friend attending could bring one or two rounds of tapas, which would make the preparation process less daunting and ensure a variety of different flavors and styles.

The final component that makes tapas fun in any circumstance is the element of presentation. Since the servings are so small, there are all kinds of creative ways to serve and decorate them. Some of my favorite presentations were served as mini fruit or veggie salads on skewers or toothpicks, bite-size prortions of fish and herbs on Chinese-style spoons, grilled meat-and-veggie kabobs, or a bowl of croquettes or olives or cheese cubes that could be stabbed with a skewer or just grabbed by hand. And, of course, beautiful bite-size desserts. Whether or not you're on chemo, it's a lot harder to resist eating something if it looks good.