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Girls’ Night In: A Tapas Feast at La Casa de Laurita

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Saturday night I had a craving for Spanish food.  This isn’t particularly unusual, seeing as manchego with olives and a Spanish tortilla are comfort food for me in a way that mac and cheese never has been.  I had a date to catch up with Laura who was happy to eat anything, just so long as we could sit outside and enjoy the beautiful summer night.  As we ran through the tapas places in the city with outdoor patios, we realized we were going to have to do a blue haired special or wait until after 9:00pm to get a table if we wanted some decent tapas.  While 9:00pm is a perfectly reasonable hour to eat dinner in Spain, we were feeling just blue haired enough that we didn’t want to wait.  So the idea was born that we’d make our own tapas and enjoy them on Laura’s roof.  We both welcomed the long stroll to the store, but when two girls who love to eat find themselves in Whole Foods, an easy tapas dinner can quickly turn into a multi-course feast!

What we planned to get at Whole Foods.
What we planned to get at Whole Foods.
The resulting tapas feast!
The resulting tapas feast!

I can’t share recipes with you, because we didn’t use any, but I can tell you the four things you must have on hand: olive oil, garlic, rock salt and red wine.

Pan con tomate. We simply grated tomato and garlic, spread it on toasted bread and drizzled it with olive oil!
Pan con tomate. We simply grated tomato and garlic, spread it on toasted bread and drizzled it with olive oil!
The making of fried Padrón peppers and a Tortilla Española
The making of fried Padrón peppers and a Tortilla Española

I tried to remember how my Dad had taught me to make the Spanish tortilla, but we made the mistake of using way too large of a pan.  What resulted was a tortilla so large it couldn’t be flipped.  Instead we finished in the oven and flipped it onto a plate… and it was delicious!

We were going to do grilled squid and garlic shrimp, but by the time we got to this course we were both getting full and ready to be off of our feet, so we combined them into one big delicious garlic seafood dish. I've always loved the ones with the legs!
We were going to do grilled squid and garlic shrimp, but by the time we got to this course we were ready to be off of our feet, so we combined them into one big delicious garlic seafood dish. I’ve always loved the ones with the legs!
In the front you'll see a spinach dish with raisins and pine nuts. This is something I often order at tapas restaurants because I want more greens, but have never actually seen in Spain!
In the front you’ll see a spinach dish with raisins and pine nuts. This is something I often order at tapas restaurants because I want more greens, but have never actually seen in Spain!

When mid-way through the cooking (and simultaneous eating) process we found ourselves getting full, we realized we were going to have to call in reinforcements.  As usual Courtney timed his entrance perfectly, arriving just as we sat down to eat. Despite making a pretty good dent, we all got to enjoy leftovers the next day and were in agreement that La Casa de Laurita is our new favorite tapas restaurant in D.C.

Johanna

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