Que Viva La Bodega

La Bodega has long been one of my favorite spots, and we stop in periodically.  I finally got tired of cooking and decided to venture out.  Friday night in this gorgeous autumn weather demanded that we hoof it through the Highlands and up Bardstown Road for dinner.

We were greeted at the door by a sandwich board advertising their Spanish rosé for six bucks a glass.  I had bid a fond farewell to rosé about a month or so ago, but here it was again.  The day was warm, so what the hey; welcome back, rosé.  This one was of a darker color and fuller flavor, more suitable for early autumn than the lighter shades of rosé preferred on the dog days of summer.

Mr. Hits opted for a cocktail sporting his favorite booze + flavor combination: bourbon and ginger.  The Ginger Snap combines Old Forester and Domaine de Canton Liqueur and was served on the rocks.

Tapas-wise, we typically order a showcase of our favorite tapas and audition a couple of newbies.

M1
From the Montaditos list.  Montaditos are small bites served on a slice of baguette.

Chorizo, serrano ham, goat cheese, dollop of mayonnaise and topped with a fried quail egg.
Just let that sink in for a mo.
I always order this right off the bat.  I cited it as my favorite tapa in town for the Best of Louisville Critics Panel.  The fun part of this trip was now that Mr. Hits is eating a bit of meat here and there, he could try his first M1...and his second.  Yes.  He ordered another, later in the meal.  They're that good, I tell you.  It's the richest, most decadent little bite of food there is.

Endive Salad
Yet another item I order without fail.  Crisp, bitter endive, crunchy walnuts and a light, tart blue cheese vinaigrette.  A super salad.

Patatas Bravas
These are boiled potato chunks that are then lightly sauteed.  This current version is quite different from the one we'd had many times in the past. Previously, they had been served in a cream sauce - this time, they were flavored with something spicier and drier.  We loved the old version, but didn't miss it at all.  This incarnation gets two thumbs up. 

Grilled Scallops with Romesco Sauce
This we didn't love.  Something sharp in the sauce just turned me off.  I rarely run into something I actually dislike at La Bodega - I guess I was due.

P6
From the Pintxos list.  They're called pintxos because they are stabbed with a toothpick, or literally, a spike.
Spanish tuna, boiled egg, anchovy, and piquillo pepper.
It's actually all that stuff piled onto a hard boiled egg.  A fishy, funky, salty explosion - totally up my alley.

Shrimp Sauteed in Olive Oil and Garlic
This newbie may just have landed itself a spot in our rotation.  The shrimp was served in a little crockery full of a highly garlicky and spicy olive oil.  Suspended in the oil were slices of garlic and flecks of red pepper. 

• Vampin' Lady True Confession: I don't like shrimp.  I have tried and tried and tried for years to like it, but I can't make it work.  They remain in the small category of foods I actively do not like but fervently wish I did.

I valianty tried these shrimp, and actually found them to be pretty nice (for shrimp).  Mr. Hits has always loved shrimp, so he devoured them.  The real winner for me was the garlic-red-pepper-olive-oil shrimp bath.  Another basket of bread was procured and promptly used to sop up as much of the oil as polite society allowed. I want a bottle of it to use at home.  I'd use it as a pasta sauce, drizzle it on steamed vegetables, brush it onto pieces of lavash before baking them into crispy snacks, perhaps even take a bath in it myself.

We left tapas-ed out and glowing with an olive oil sheen.  Until next time...

Adventures in Squash Part I: Introducing... The Squiche

I celebrate the unique characteristics of my favorite vegetables, sometimes to the point of endowing them with personalities. Leeks, for example, are hilarious. They're a national emblem of Wales, and they're full of sand. I adore the things.

Stuff me!

Pattypan squash are adorable. From their precious name - pattypan! - to their scalloped, top-like appearance, they are a delight.

Pattypans beg to be stuffed with things. I've stuffed them with a mixture of sauteed shallot, corn, and the squash innards I'd dug out to hollow them. Parmigiano reggiano cheese and parsley completed the filling nicely, and then a little bit of a very light custard-y mixture of egg, milk and salt topped off the little pretties before going into the oven.

I found a great recipe (and some gorgeous porny food photos) on My Pet Chicken Blog for my next foray into stuffing the pattypan.  Essentially, you're filling your hollowed out pattypans with a basic quiche + whatever you like in your quiche. And squash filled with quiche is... squiche! 

Here's how I made The Squiche:

Ingredients

Pattypan squash
Onion, sliced
Olive Oil
Quiche filling (whatever you like/have fresh in the house)
Egg mixture

• Eggs (about 1 per squash)
• A little milk
• Pinch of Nutmeg
• Salt, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

I decided to make my quiche filling with cherry tomatoes, since I had lovely sweet ones fresh from the garden.  I also had some cheddar cheese to add.

I started out by hollowing out my pattypans with a spoon, reserving the guts for later.  I ended up using the guts for vegetable enchiladas a couple days later.

• Tip: The hollowed out pattypans should be placed into the dish you're going to bake them in, because it won't be easy to move them once you've gotten them all filled with the stuffing. 

Next, I caramelized the sliced onion in olive oil.

Into the hollowed out pattypans went a layer of caramelized onions and the halved cherry tomatoes. 






On top of that went shreds of sharp cheddar cheese.

• Vampin' Lady True Confession: I keep pre-shredded cheese around.  I mostly do this with cheddar, but sometimes with mozzarella for pizzas, and very occasionally with parmigiano-reggiano for easy risottos.

On went another layer of caramelized onions, and then the egg mixture (I'd whisked all the ingredients together in a bowl) to fill out the inside of the squash.  You want them to be full but not overflowing.

• Tip: From previous experience stuffing squash, I knew to add about a quarter-inch-high layer of water to the dish.  The water helps to tenderize the little creatures while they bake. 

And they are damn cute.

20 minutes, give or take, in the oven (or until the tops are golden brown) and your little squiche are ready to devour. 











My husband, Mr. Hits, DJs my cooking. This recipe was accompanied by

The Damned: Neat Neat Neat
Daft Punk: Human After All