Would Love Recipes for Paella

Sort of a side track, but this made me laugh at myself.

Whenever I get a new cookbook, I painstaking for through and mark each recipe I plan to make, as well as each one I definitely will not make. Those get marked with an X:



As you can see, no plans to make that one. :laugh:
 
Ciao Elizabeth,
I make some thing is similar as Paella but technically is Risotto. I use Tiger prawn, calamari, and Polpi. I make normal Risotto then add good red vino like Borolo, then put inside Nduja fresh Oregano, Basilico. Nduja make very rich and spicy, I always make with Arborio. I no hear of Valencia rice but I think it same kind.

Sarana x
 
:ohmy: I couldn't bring myself to write in a cookery book - well certainly not in pen.
Mine are all marked up, also with notes of how I liked/didn't like something after I made it; otherwise, I wouldn't remember anything.

I know a lot of people who inherit their parents' or grandparents' cookbooks (however far back you'd like to go) who love having the handwritten notes to connect with. Having no kids, once I die, the best I can hope for is some stranger getting one of my cookbooks from Goodwill, and laughing at one of my comments like, "This is utter sh!t, a complete waste of time and ingredients, I'd like to kick this person right in the nuts for putting this in here!" :laugh:
 
Yes, Arborio and Valencia are pretty much the same thing. Valencia though is more widely available here, and tends to be much less expensive.

Some pics and descriptions of the last few paella we have made.

Paella with pork belly chicharrones, chicken chunks, shrimp. The chicharrones were homemade and spiced like Spanish chorizo, Aleppo pepper, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder.
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And I guess I did use the Bomba.
An untraditional paella. Finally got to use my Bomba rice. There's Maine lobster (small) claw and tail meat, shrimp, chicken, chorizo, some of Craig's home cured bacon that was leftover from something else, some sofrito that I made a huge batch of and froze in portions a while back, green peas and roasted red bell strips, and, of course, some saffron.
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And the previously mentioned Cuban style. No lobster in this particular one, but we use it more often than not.
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I write in cookbooks too to make notes on technique and amounts of spices in particular. Also if it's a cr@p recipe and we never want again since it can be years between times we make things.
 
Paella is one of those dishes people get heated over. So, I would decide if you would want the recipe to be "authentic" or just the way someone's mom made it.

I've had Paella in Salamanca and Barcelona. It was wonderful both times. I've only had it at one place in the US that seemed to be like what I had in Spain. That was The Versailles Restaurant on Calle Ocho in Miami -- a famous Cuban restaurant.

CD

That is what AUTHENTIC means! Not what some chef says it means. "All in the family" is authentic and traditional. Go to 50 different families homes in Spain or any place the dish is made and you'll find 50 different recipes for this dish. Dang, I hate those two words "authentic" and "traditional". People throw them about like some one way is the be all, end all.
 
That is what AUTHENTIC means! Not what some chef says it means. "All in the family" is authentic and traditional. Go to 50 different families homes in Spain or any place the dish is made and you'll find 50 different recipes for this dish. Dang, I hate those two words "authentic" and "traditional". People throw them about like some one way is the be all, end all.
Ciao CraigC,

I say many time there no right or wrong each family will make own, in Napoli my mama made Napulitani Ragu and that different to even house next door. I only put white vino inside pan when I make Ragu, some say is wrong, What make me cross is these Chef's say is "Authentic" and if you make other way is wrong, sad is most who say Italian cuisine or Spanish cuisine or others is this or not THEY are not even of those country!!

Sarana x
 
Ciao CraigC,

I say many time there no right or wrong each family will make own, in Napoli my mama made Napulitani Ragu and that different to even house next door. I only put white vino inside pan when I make Ragu, some say is wrong, What make me cross is these Chef's say is "Authentic" and if you make other way is wrong, sad is most who say Italian cuisine or Spanish cuisine or others is this or not THEY are not even of those country!!

Sarana x

Families determine what is authentic or traditional! My Oma made sauerbraten und kartoffelklosse her own way, there were certain common ingredients with others recipes, but her's became authentic and traditional to our family! Who's to say it isn't correct?
 
Who's to say it isn't correct?
CraigC,

Nobody has right for say what is right, mama's all over world have feed their family with what they had at time not because it is in book. Some people need remember cook book is not write in stone. In simple fact I make food my family like I make good an wholesome, healthy and taste good that is way I brought up.
Sarana x
 
I suppose a little clarification is necessary.
A Mediterranean recipe. Rota is west of the Straits of Gibraltar - is that still considered Mediterranean?
Seafood - I remember prawns/shrimp, mussels and fish - don't know what kind but it had to be a firm fish. There may have been other sea creatures. No chicken, pork or beef.
Saffron - yes. Keep in mind that in '94 I had not really started any kind of serious cooking. When the bowl was presented the beautiful golden yellow color was most noticeable. It took a couple of bites for me to identify it as Saffron.
I have found lots of recipes on line. None of them appear to be what I ate.
A confusing factor is the type of rice to use. I think it is specific. i.e. Risotto is made with Arborio Rice - Paella is made with ? rice.

It may take a few phone calls but I know I can find fresh mussels if I try. The same is true for most non-indigenous seafood. I just have to be willing to pay the price. I am. All of a sudden I am craving an incredibly wonderful bowl of Mediterranean Seafood Paella.

I do not remember the last time I thought of Paella. The Rice challenge brought it to mind.

Rice made me think of Paella. Paella made me think of travel experiences.

[Mod Edit: This post has been partially edited and a new 'travel thread' formed. See here: Experiences travelling abroad (MG)]
 
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Bomba and calasparra are the ones that are probably the most available here. I happened to run across the Bomba I have in an upscale area spice store. Would have had to order it otherwise.

I googled "Spanish seafood paella recipe" and got results from quite a few reputable web sites. You might want to look through them and see if anything matches your memory.
 
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