Sala One Nine - Flatiron

After a long day at work (for my cousin Roe), we decided to go to Sala One Nine around 6:30 pm for some dinner and drinks. Sala One Nine is located in Flatiron, on 19th between 5th and 6th.

We arrived to this dimly lit spanish tapas restaurant, and were asked if we would be partaking in happy hour or traditional dinner service. Since we still had 30 minutes left for happy hour we decided we would like to take advantage of it, and were seated in the front bar section. 

We each ordered a glass of sangria (red and white) and began catching up and perusing our menus. Since my cousin had been here before she took the lead with some recommendations, and eventually we decided on the dishes. 

Sangria

Side note - I ended up trying both the white and red sangia ($5 on happy hour menu) and I think I preferred the red. The white ended up being a little too sweet for my taste. 

Although our waiter struggled to manage all of the tables in the bar area (including those actually seated at the bar), he was easy enough to flag down when we were ready. I will also give him credit because he didn't write anything down which tends to make me nervous, however he got everything correct so I guess I can trust him now.

We started with an order of Datiles, aka dates filled with almonds and wrapped in bacon. Obviously anything wrapped in bacon is amazing, and these were no exception. The bacon was perfectly cooked, the dates were soft and sweet, and the almond added a nice crunch. Five dates come in one order, but I probably could have eaten 100 of these... so yummy!

Mouth watering Datiles

The next dish to arrive was "Queso de Carra con Miel," or fried goat cheese served on a bed of honey and topped with candied onions. SO GOOD. The outside was nice and crispy, the inside creamy and tangy. The honey and onions both offered a sweet component that went perfectly. All and all this was a simple and well executed dish. 

Queso De Carra Con Miel

I would also like to note that they sent out a nice hunk of fresh Italian bread which came in handy with our dishes. They also kept it coming which is greatly appreciated.

Next was the Patatas Bravas - red bliss potatoes on top of a spicy red pepper sauce, topped with alioli. The fries were very yummy, pretty spicy, and very gone by the time we were done with them. I usually don't order potatoes because they just seem like a waste of space in my stomach, but these were actually really good. They were definitely on the spicy side, but not so spicy that I wasn't able to eat them (I'm not usually a fan of spicy). My only complaint is I would have preferred more crunch from the potatoes. They had a nice firmness to them, but I still would have liked a more crunchy component. 

Patatas Bravas

Lastly (well what was originally intended to be last) was Gambas Al Ajillo, or shrimp sauteed in olive oil, garlic, and guindila peppers. Our shrimp arrived sizzling hot  - which Roe and I BOTH learned the hard way... my tongue still hurts. Again, really great dish. Lots of delicious garlic taste, the shrimp was perfectly cooked, and the broth was perfect for some serious bread dipping. I should also mention that with these tapas came several more glasses of Sangria. 

Sizzling Shrimp

After the plates had been cleared and we were enjoying exchanging stories of our crazy, I mean colorful, mothers (they're sisters), our waiter approached us with a request. He asked if we would be willing to move to the bar because they needed a four top and we were seated next to another empty two person table. In exchange for our compliance they offered to provide us with a complimentary drink or dessert. We happily moved (we were a little tipsy at this point), and sat patiently at our new location waiting for the dessert menu to arrive. Once it was delivered we briefly looked it over and ultimately decided on the roasted golden delicious apple, vanilla, and cinnamon in puff pastry with caramel - "Manzana Asada. 

Manzana Asada

This was basically a whole apple, baked inside puff pastry, served with fresh whipped cream and carmel sauce. It was a very light dessert, and although I felt the apple needed a little bit more seasoning, overall it was a solid dessert, and a great end to our night. 

I would say the only major downfall of Sala One Nine is the one stall coed bathroom situation happening (not okay), however that turned out to work for my cousin who was asked for her number while waiting in line (lucky bitch). 

Sala One Nine was every bit as delicious as Roe told me it was, and I will absolutely be visiting this Flatiron gem again soon. 

Kayla's "21st Birthday Anniversary"

Last weekend I went home to upstate NY to celebrate my younger sister's 22nd birthday. I decided to use this as an opportunity to try out a new recipe - especially since everyone would be three-sheets-to-the-wind anyway and would eat whatever I made. I mean if that doesn't scream perfect opportunity then what does?

After the long drive home on Friday, I finally made it, changed my clothes, and hit the town with my sister. We went to Bombers Burrito Bar in  Schenectady, and met up with some of our mutual friends who still live in the area - although secretly we  were hoping to catch a glimpse of Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, or Eva Mendes, who are all currently filming a movie in our area. When we failed to see them, we eventually decided to call it a night. 

We arose early Saturday morning and hoped to immediately start preparing the food and decorations for her party... but we instead spent the majority of the morning cleaning up my little brother's mess which had successfully consumed our entire basement.  After cleaning up we finally headed to the grocery store, followed by the liquor store :) - my menu for the evening was going to be salsa, buffalo chicken dip, caprese pockets, and white sangria. 

I've already posted a brief recipe for salsa, but here it is again....

The key ingredients are green peppers, tomatoes, garlic, jalepenos, red onion, cilantro, and lime. You should also season with garlic salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to add heat. 

        

I think that grilling the peppers and jalepenos just a little adds a
great smokey flavor to the salsa! They don't need to be cooked
through, just enough to have a nice char on the skin.

Ta-da! There would be two thumbs up but as you can see, he has a chip in the other hand.

Since I have an entire blog post dedicated to buffalo chicken dip, please feel free to check that out - I've actually updated it with some more photos about the process.  I will now jump right into the fun stuff - my caprese pockets. 

So these were a lot more work than I had anticipated. I was kind of tired from making the previous two dishes, so I couldn't really give this one my all. I made about 20 pockets and finally gave up because I was getting tired, and I needed to shower and start on the sangria... which was clearly going to be the most important "dish" of the night... especially if everyone was going to enjoy the pockets. 

For the pockets you will need the following ingredients:

Puff pastry

cherry tomatoes

fresh basil

mozzarella cheese (I used the smallest balls I could find... ha ha ha)

salt, pepper, and garlic salt

additional suggestion: drizzle the inside with a little balsamic vinegar OR serve some on the side.

So I started by rolling out the puff pastry... I soon realized that I suck at using a rolling pin. Suck. When you're doing this make sure to use enough flour so that nothing sticks. I should probably mention that you first need to let the puff pastry thaw before you roll it. I waited a little too long though and it got very sticky. I would recommend using it when it's still a little hard. Probably about 20 minutes into the thawing process.

I know it looks ridiculous... cut me some slack please. 

After you have rolled out the dough so that it's about an inch or two longer on each side, you need to find a cup or small bowl that will allow for about a 3 inch diameter. Use this as a "cookie cutter" and cut out a bunch of circles. 

Once the circles are cut, slice a cherry tomato in half, layer a basil leaf on top, top with 1 - 2 balls of mozzarella, and sprinkle with a little salt, pepper and/or garlic salt. After you do that, use a little bit of egg, and brush the edges of the puff pastry.

The greasy box in the back is a box full of pastries my sister
and I had picked up while out and about running our errands...
energy food!

Fold the puff pastry over and use a fork to seal the edges. 

So you might be saying to yourself, hmmm this seems a little time consuming - well you'd be right. This did take me a little bit of time, so I would recommend doing all the prep work beforehand, and then you can just assemble them in a more assembly line style - I think this would help move things along faster. 

I put together these puff pastries earlier in the day, and planned to pop them in the oven once party guests started arriving... I will get back to whether-or-not this happened a little bit later.

On to the fun stuff - Sangria! Here's something everyone needs to know about me... if I find white sangria on a restaurant menu, I'm ordering it. Morning, noon, or night, Monday through Sunday, I love white sangria. Sooo I decided I would make my own. I know everyone is hoping this will be followed up with a picture... but obviously both it and I were gone by the time I thought to take a photo. Regardless, here's the recipe:

White Grape Sangria

• 1 bottle of white wine, I used sauvignon blanc - one of the super big bottles
• 1 bottle of white grape juice
• 1 cup of vodka (approximately)
• Fresh fruit: (I used what looked good in the store)
• 2 green apples, chopped 
• 1 mango, chopped
• 1 bag of grapes, 1/2 frozen, 1/2 not frozen and halved

I chilled everything first, and then mixed it all together in a big bowl with a ladle for easing serving. The grapes acted as ice cubes, but I also served it with ice on the side. Don't add ice to the actual sangria because it will just water it down... and no one wants that.

The sangria was delicious... so delicious... and unfortunately I consumed a few glasses just before I put the pockets in the oven. My mom called to me while I was in the hot tub (obviously having forgetten about the pockets) and informed me that the pockets were done (We baked them in a 400 degree oven for 20 - 25 minutes. The puff pastry should be a nice golden brown).


Moment of truth....

I thought they tasted good, but they were a little bland, and definitely would have benefited from some salt and pepper. Next time I will absolutely s+p both the outside and inside of the pastry. After trying one I accepted the fact that they could have used a little more TLC, and headed back to the pool - only feeling slightly defeated. I was ecstatic, however, when I came back inside and saw a full kitchen of kids and only one pastry left! Alas, my excitement was short lived because not long after entering the kitchen my mom quietly informed me that the dog had eaten them all... 

Look at that face... I clearly couldn't stay mad.

All and all I would say that the party was a complete success. The weather turned out perfectly and was conducive to a pool party. The entire night was filled with great friends, somewhat delicious food, and lots of hot tubbin'. Oh and the most important - Cake from Villa Italia! (Amazing bakery located in Schenectady, NY).

Happy birthday Kay! <3