Telegram & Gazette
By Barbara Houle, Food Editor

WORCESTER, Mass. - Small bites with big flavor are on the tapas menu at One Eleven Chop House at 111 Shrewsbury St.

Executive chef Garry D. Payne has created little dishes that are perfect for today's way of eating. The focus is on simple yet bold flavors - comfort food at its best.

Tapas are a way of eating that is fun. Quality food can be consumed at the bar, quickly, and at a minimal cost, according to Mr. Payne, who recently updated and expanded his menu. The bar food that once was considered only appetizers before a meal now have become a meal, he said.

Tapas in America isn't anything new. In the '80s, major food publications proclaimed tapas the hot new food trend. Restaurants jumped on the bandwagon, introducing appetizer foods of international cuisines and borrowed the word to describe their own little dishes.

Tapas have an uncertain origin, although it is reported that they began at least a century ago in Spain's sherry region. Linguistically, the meaning of tapas is a plural extension of the word tapa ("lid"), from tapar ("to cover"), allegedly referring to slices of cheese or ham used to cover glasses of sherry in bars. The tradition of serving small portions of bar food free with a glass of beer, wine or sherry followed.

Mr. Payne of Newton considers tapas a style of eating rather than a kind of food. It is about small portions and sharing, he said. At the Chop House, customers perch on high wooden chairs at the long bar to eat tapas that range from modern dishes, such as orange glazed duck confit, to traditional ones like mussels, chorizo and garlic. Prices range from $5.99 to $7.99 for a meal.

In Spain, tapas generally remain true to their Spanish roots. In America, however, chefs often adapt tapas to the lifestyle. Chefs create their own versions of tapas, Mr. Payne said.

Imported ingredients, such as olive oils, aged vinegars, chorizo and cheeses, are used in imaginative preparations. Wines or sherries usually accompany a meal.

Mr. Payne, a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, has worked at the Chop House since 1999. He formerly worked as executive chef at Stephanie's in Boston and sous chef at Grill 23 & Bar in Boston. He describes his culinary background as "high-end eclectic cuisine, strongly influenced by French, Italian, German, Asian and Mediterranean cooking styles." He is ever alert to what's in season and what's healthy.

Try these dishes and you'll know why tapas are a success. Mr. Payne has included wine selections to accompany the food.

SHRIMP WITH TOMATO AND GARLIC
4 large shrimp
2 ounces Roma plum tomatoes, quartered
.25 ounce chopped garlic
3 basil leaves
.5 ounce extra virgin olive oil
1 ounce claim juice
salt & pepper to taste

Pour extra virgin olive oil in medium-sized sauté pan. Place shrimp into hot oil and sear on each side. Add garlic, tomatoes and clam juice. Cook for 2 minutes. Add basil, salt, and pepper. Suggested wine: Cambria, "Katherine's Vineyard," chardonnay 2001, a thick, creamy, buttery wine that complements the richness of the shrimp.

MARINATED CHICKPEA SALAD
5 ounces canned chickpeas
0.5 ounce red pepper, julienne
0.5 ounce zucchini, julienne
0.25 ounce yellow squash, julienne
0.25 ounce sun-dried tomatoes
1 TBSP. lemon juice
1 TBSP. extra-virgin olive oil
1 TBSP. balsamic vinegar
Radicchio (red leafed Italian chicory)

Mix lemon juice, olive oil and vinegar. Mix chickpeas, red pepper, zucchini, squash and tomatoes. Toss wet ingredients with dry ingredients. Serve on leaf of radicchio. Suggested wine: Rancho Zabaco, zinfandel, Dry Creek 1999, a pleasantly fruit-flavored wine with notes of dark cherry that compliments the nutty flavor of the chickpeas.

TASSO HAM AND SEARED SCALLOPS
5 ounces scallops
1 ounce tasso ham (See Note)
2 ounces heavy cream
1 ounce clam juice
1 TBSP. canola oil

Note: Tasso ham is a Cajun specialty that most times is difficult to find outside of Louisiana. It is available through mail order. You can substitute prosciutto or pancetta for the tasso ham in this recipe.

Pour canola oil in medium sized sauté pan. Sear the scallops in the hot oil. Add the clam juice, ham and cream. Reduce until the sauce thickens. Serve with scallops. Suggeseted wine: Bixio, Pinot Grigio, Italy 2001, a light, fruity balanced wine.