For those of you who missed the opening of the current show, An Evening In Napa Valley, Sat., April 24, was a lot of fun. The show runs through the end of May and includes great landscapes and still lives by Linda Rogers, Linda Brown, Scott Fitzgerald and Neil Jacobe.

While the Napa Valley paintings are still hanging, we will host our next gourmet food tasting event,The Art of Tapas, Sun., May 16, 2-5 p.m. Tapas are the little meals of Spain. Perfect for entertaining, they consistently deliver the wow factor. Tapas can be served as a selection of olives, Spanish cheeses topped with quince paste or the almond meatballs that I have been making for almost 20 years. Spanish cuisine is healthy: long on olive oil, vegetables, seafood, chicken, short on portions of red meat. It includes such exotic spices as saffron, smoky paprika, and mineral enriched sea salts.

We have had problems finding the ingredients for these Tapa recipes over the years. It’s one of the reasons we started carrying some gourmet food here at The Gallery On Glassell. Nothing is worse than going to the trouble and expense of making paella for your friends and family only to find that you cannot buy quality saffron at the places you regularly shop. Great saffron is crucial to great paella!

The oceans that surround Spain and Portugal produce some of the world’s best seafood. The tuna, squid and giant sardines that come from those waters are vital elements in many Spanish dishes. In general, you will find the tapas long on flavor; short on calories and cholesterol.

We’re stepping it up for this event: stocking up on the paella and tapa supplies. And, we’re bringing in great new serving trays, talavera plates and terracotta cazuelas. If you haven’t visited us in awhile, make a point of stopping in this month for the great display of art and gourmet food.

Jim Hathcock