After the Symphony concert on Sunday afternoon (Verdi's Requiem--that
Joe Green knows how to do funerals), SO and I ventured to Pike Place
Market. We got some sausages at Uli's for dinner and freezing. We also
ventured down to The Spanish Table, downhill from the market. He
decided we needed a real metal paella pan, plus Penelope Casas's Paella
cookbook. (I'm not the only one responsible for our overflowing
cookbook collection.) Added two bottles of Spanish red, and we were on
our way home.
Fast forward to yesterday. I decided to try out the pan and the
cookbook on a chicken paella. I also needed to make some freezer-worthy
food for our neighbor who's having surgery today. Since Penelope warned
that paella doesn't freeze well, I made a separate pot of green chicken
chili for her. Not too spicy. Some of the chili went into the freezer
for us as well as for her. And, since I was already playing in the
kitchen, I whipped up some mini-loaves of oatmeal bread for us and the
neighbor. (Good thing we're not getting the heat wave like you all are
back east.)
Back to the paella. I used American-grown arborio rice, since I didn't
have time to go back to the Spanish Table to get the authentic bomba
rice. Lundberg Farms in CA grows a very nice arborio. It took a while
to get everything chopped up and ready for the pan, but it came together
quickly after that. It was a hit with both of us. Maybe next time
we'll try one of the seafood paella recipes.
Cindy
--
C.J. Fuller
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