From Spain, the cutting edge in a can

Since the founding of Foodie Nation, there have been few laws stricter, more rigorously observed, than the fundamental: "Thou shalt not eat from a can." There is something to be said for this. Many, maybe even most, canned products are nothing more than second-rate versions of fresh. But like all zero tolerance policies, it takes only a single shining exception to make this one look foolish.

Spanish canned foods, particularly fish and shellfish, are on the cutting edge of current gastronomy. There are entire restaurants devoted to serving them, and chefs who make a point of mentioning high-quality canned ingredients on their menus. This isn't some new Iberian craziness from the mad laboratory of Ferran Adria. If anything, it's a belated recognition of some of the world's great traditional food products.

Anchovies, either preserved in oil (rich, meaty anchoas) or vinegar (startlingly sweet boquerones), buttery tuna belly (ventresca), delicately complex giant white asparagus with the texture of a fine mousse -- these are just a few of the treats that are waiting. The cooking and curing involved in the canning process is an intrinsic part of their appeal. These are certainly not second-rate imitations of fresh, but fine ingredients in their own right. They bear no more resemblance to Chicken of the Sea than prosciutto di Parma does to sliced luncheon meat.

At this time of year, when it sometimes seems holiday entertaining can sap the spirit of even the most creative cook, these conservas, as they're called in Spain, need only very minor touching up to make extremely elegant appetizers. Given the right assortment of ingredients, you could even throw a cocktail party armed with nothing more than a knife and a toaster -- and, of course, a can opener.

Whether it's something as pedestrian-seeming as sardines or as exotic as chipirones (tiny whole baby squids preserved in their own ink), the Spanish have made a fetish out of preserving food. Quimet I Quimet, a widely heralded Barcelona tapas bar, serves only food that comes from a can. Chef Joana Perez, one of three family members who cook at the restaurant, makes montaditos -- small open-faced sandwiches -- combining things like tomatoes, mussels and herring caviar, or mackerel, cornichons and sun-dried tomatoes.

At Ciudad in downtown L.A., the daily tapas menu regularly features boquerones and piquillo peppers stuffed with goat cheese and avocado. Sample Conservas, a highly praised Brooklyn tapas bar, takes a global approach, offering dishes composed of preserved foods from around the world.