Blasta Books #6: Tapas

Authors Anna Cabrera and Vanessa Murphy met in 2008 and quickly realised that their love for all things food, wine, sangría, vermouth and all the rest made them a perfect match.

Anna, a native of Barcelona, moved to Ireland in 2001, while Vanessa had lived in Spain on and off over the years. It’s safe to say their love of all things Spanish is in their blood. While there was already a Spanish offering in Ireland, they were missing so many dishes from home and their travels around Spain that the idea for their Dublin restaurant, Las Tapas de Lola, was born.

Tapas are the perfect party food and even better icebreakers (great for first dates!). They can be enjoyed at a table, bar or simply as finger food. It’s all about sharing. And the best part is that you don’t have to commit to one dish – you can sample them all.

The recipes that Anna and Vanessa have shared in this book are the way they love to prepare them. There are thousands of different ways to create so many of these dishes, but that’s the joy of Spain. Each region, city, village, bar and family has their own version that’s been handed down over the years. Now you can make these your own too.

"Tapas by Anna Cabrera and Vanessa Murphy just bursts with deliciousness. I know that making a feast out of many small dishes can be more work than a mere main course and dessert kind of a meal, but I defy you to read this without wanting to invite people around to share these dishes straightaway." - Nigella Lawson

“Here’s the thing about Anna and Vanessa: the girls are a pair of punks. They may not sport Mohican haircuts and safety pin-festooned leather jackets, but they’re actually the Sex Pistols of Spanish cooking. Tapas is a blast of a book, and its energy echoes the warmth, humour and hospitality that has made Las Tapas de Lola one of Dublin city’s best-loved places to eat. Their vermut and tinned seafood parties are the must-make moment of 2023.” – John & Sally McKenna