Spanish food and family by: Yvette Miller

                Growing up, there was nothing quite like spending the weekend in the kitchen cooking with the family.  It was our time for sharing and talking.  Sure, we sat together at the table each night for dinner, but it’s just not the same as working together to create a meal.

                A big part of Spanish food is that it’s far more than just a means of survival.  Food is a work of art, something beautiful to share.  It can be a way of saying “I love you” or “I care” to another person.  Cooking is a time of family – a time of tradition.  It can even be a representation of trust and faith, like when you are left to make a meal on your own for the first time, or taught a family recipe that has been handed down from generation to generation.  When you stop and take all of this into consideration, you realize that the food isn’t actually about just the food, but it’s about the family and the people you cook and share it with.

                As my nana once said, “Una familia que cocina junta se queda junta.” Or rather, “A family who cooks together is a family who stays together.”

Recipe for Seafood Paella:

Seafood Paella

(All measurements are approximate.)

Seafood Paella is a colorful dish often served for a special occasion or at large gatherings.  Often prepared by a group of two or three, this dish only requires oen pan for cooking, and is usually considered a simpler meal to make.  Seafood Paella is a popular type of paella due to the fact that Spain is a peninsula and there is a large supply and variety of seafood available.

            Serves 4

            3 tbs.  olive oil                                               Pinch of Saffron Threads (0.2g) crumbled

            1 Spanish Onion                                          (Generous) 1 c. Peas

            2 Large Garlic cloves, chopped                   12 Large Cooked Prawns (shrimp) in the

            5 oz. Frying Chorizo, sliced                              shell

            11 oz. small squid, cleaned                         1 lb.  fresh mussels, scrubbed

            4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, diced            1 lb. clams, scrubbed

            2 ¼ c. chicken stock                                     4 cooked king prawns (jumbo shrimp) in   7    tbs. dry white wine                                                   the shell    

            1 c. Paella rice                                                         

            ________________________________________________________

           

1.)  Heat the olive oil in a paella pan or large frying pan, add the onion and garlic and fry until translucent.  Add the chorizo and fry until lightly golden.

2.)  Cut the bodies of the squids into rings and the tentacles into pieces.  Add the squid to the pan and sauté over a high heat for 2 minutes.

3.)  Stir in the pepper and tomatoes and simmer gently for 5 minutes, until the pepper is tender.  Pour in the stock and wine, stir well and bring to a boil.  Stir in the rice and saffron and season well.  Bring the liquid back to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

4.)  Gently stir in the peas, prawns, mussels, and clams into the rice, then cook for another 15-20 minutes, until the rice is tender and all the mussels and clams have opened.  (Discard any that remain closed.)

5.)  Remove the pan from the heat and arrange the king prawns or scampi on top.  Cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle the paella with chopped parsley and serve from the pan, accompanied by lemon wedges.