Paella Valenciana

Paella Valenciana

(Recipe based from Spanish by Pepita Aris)

As I cleaned my freezer today, I stumbled upon the last piece of the "Jabugo Chorizo" I have been saving for a special occasion to make paella with. Surprisingly, I also have some prawns from Louisiana, a box of New Zealand mussels and package of calamari I got from last week's food rummaging trip at the farmers market. Well, It shouldn't actually be a surprise that I have all these since I tend to hoard food. Guess what's for dinner? Si -- PAELLA.

Moving to the crisper -- red bell pepper, check. Green bell pepper, check. Green beans, check. Fava beans, nada... well, I'll substitute it with some soybeans, a staple at my house, so, check. Moving to the spice rack -- saffron, check. Smoked dulce paprika, check. I know that somewhere in the cupboard, I have bomba rice, tomatoes, garlic, onions and olives (another staple at my house). I love snacking on olives as much as I love them with my dirty martinis.

If I have a signature dish, it would be Paella. Growing up, my Mama would prepare this dish only for Fiestas and Pascua (Christmas), thus, categorized as the special dish in our home alongside Pescado Relleno. Her recipe, which I typically use, makes use of short sweet rice instead of bomba and chickpeas in place of Fava beans. Most people think that paella is intimidating to cook, but it really is not. The key to making good paella is using the right pan and evenly distributed heat. The only spice you need to make a very good paella is saffron and smoked paprika ( I use dulce).

This recipe uses white wine. As a rule, I use the wine that I will serve with the food for cooking. In this case I'm using Vhino Verde (Portugese), although, I doubt that there would still be enough for serving by the time I finish cooking *wink*. Personally, I prefer a good Rioja - a Muga perhaps, or a Campo de Viejo to go with Paella, but then again, I am very partial to Spanish Reds.

Ingredients

6 tbsp white wine

1 lb mussels, scrubbed

1 cup fava beans (in this case soybeans)

5 oz green beans

6 tbsp olive oil

1 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast, bite pieces

1 lbs prawns

1 lbs squid/calamari

1 large Spanish onion, diced

2-3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced

2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

chopped parsley

3 1/2 cups chicken stock**

pinch of saffron in 2 tbsp of hot water

1 1/2 cups paella rice, washed and drained**

8 oz chorizo, sliced diagonally

10 pcs olives

smoked paprika, salt and pepper

**I used bomba rice, which soaks up very large quantities of liquid while remaining very firm-grained during cooking. It could take up two to three times the level of liquid you'd use for standard Spanish rice.

Heat the wine and add the mussels. Discard any that do not close when tapped. Cover and steam until opened. Reserve the liquid and mussels separately. Discard any that do not open. If using blanched half shells like I did, arrange them in a steamer, put a dash of white wine, sprinkle with sea salt and steam for 5 minutes.

Briefly cook the soybeans and green beans in boiling water, then drain and run cold water to stop from cooking. Pop the soybeans out of the shell.

Heat oil in paella pan. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Brown chicken and set aside. Do the same with the shrimp and the calamari. Tip: I usually cook the chicken, seafood and vegetable about "3 minutes under cooked" so the additional cooking it will go through when mixed with the rice won't toughen the chicken & seafood or make the veggies soggy.

Heat the remaining oil. Saute the chopped garlic and onion until garlic is fragrant. Add tomatoes, & tomato paste, then the rice. Add chicken stock, the reserve mussel liquid, the saffron liquid and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring every now and then to make sure that the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. When the all the liquid is almost absorbed by the rice, stir in everything except for mussels and olives. Lower heat, cover pan with foil, and cook for another 10 -12 minutes, moving pan every 2-3 minutes to evenly cook the rice. Alternatively, you can cook it in a 350 F oven for 15-18 minutes or until rice is done. Arrange the mussels and olives on the top before serving.

TWD: Creamiest Lime Cream Meringue Pie

Tuesday, 08/25/09 at 5:33 PM

Lime pie is one of those desserts I never cared about. I always thought that it was too unsophisticated, made of instant pudding flavored with some-kind-of-pretend-citrus and smothered with frozen whipped cream, yikes! The brownie monster, however, always orders the lime pie when it's available on the menu. I never understood why until I had a taste of it at AJ's Seafood and Poboys about a couple of weeks ago. It was pretty kick ass, or at least the one I had there. But then again, everything I ever had at AJ's is very good, plus Bill the bartender and the rest of the crew there are awesome! Anyway, I am pretty psyched on trying my hand at my first lime pie, and the best Lime Cream Pie Recipe at that!

Still Tuesday, 08/25/09 at 10:57 PM

I hate to make excuses, but it's the end of the month, a.k.a. psycho-days at work, so I am running a little behind on my baking. Seems like my TWD will be Tuesday and Wednesday with Dorie this week! I'm halfway done though. The cream is 'chillin' like a villain' in the reefer right now. I will wake up early tomorrow, make the pie crust, whip the meringue and assemble the pie.

Mise en place was a breeze (so is clean-up). It took me almost 15 minutes to get the temperature to 180 degrees F. I used two strainers on top of the other since I do not want any of the zest to be in my finished product. As what Thomas Keller says, "When in doubt, strain".

Wednesday, 08/26/09 at 11:26 PM

Verdict: According to the Cookie Monster aka Lime-Pie expert, the pie lives up to its name as Creamiest Lime Pie ever! Between us, we finished one and a quarter of a 5-inch tartlet pan serving.

The meringue did not come out as good, aesthetically, as what I am used to, but nonetheless, it still tasted good. I enjoyed the "torching part" the most, LOL!

To Linda of Tender Crumb, awesome choice of recipe. I was so inspired with your story! To all TWDers, great job! To all my readers, thanks for stopping by as always.
Playing Around: I substituted 1/4 of the graham cracker with almond meal. It gives it a nuttier taste which I love.

For recipe, check out Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours or Linda's blog.

Not just another "Herb Garden"...

Brick Chicken with Herb Butter

I love summer for plenty of reasons -- longer days, flip flops, summer dresses, picnics, the weetle kids playing in the courtyard, frisbees & kites flying at the park, open air farmer's markets and the availability of lots & lots of head-spinningly beautiful fruits, veggies, flowers & herbs-- fresh herbs!

Growing organic herbs and living in a townhouse is not exactly the best combination. One year I planted them on my deck, for convenience and aesthetic reasons, and they did not thrive since it was partially shaded. The next year I tried it in my backyard, which is full shade, so obviously, no luck there. For a couple of years, I shared a garden with a friend where they thrived alright, but the garden was located almost 16 miles away, so that was not convenient. This year, I planted them in huge terra cotta pots in the front of my house where they can bathe in the sun's glory all they want, and viola!, perfect spot for happy herbies!! Plus, I'm kinda adhering to the permaculture design here, ahem. I also love that welcoming effect it has for people who come visit. I usually catch them running their hands over or sniffing the rosemary by my front door. It makes them smile, as with me, and it is always a great way to start a conversation.

Earlier this season, I declared war against the little buggers that were feasting on my sweet basil. I do not know where they got the idea that they can sample the best leaves of my basil plant without having to help me water or fertilized them! And yes, they do sample, they do not even have the decency to eat the whole leaf before moving on to another perfectly good one! Grrr... Thank the herb goddesses, the chile peppers-dishsoap-water combo I spray on the plant stopped them in their tracks. "Bwa-ha-ha!! Victory is mine!".

I have a good assortment going -- my rosemary, which I had for 3 years now, laurel (bay), savory, thyme, parsley, mint, oregano, chives, 'perilla' also known as japanese basil, sweet basil, thai basil and spicy globe basil.

Herbs are happiest when you use them. I have been cooking with them, adding them to my drinks (mojitos, caipirinha & tea), giving them away and cooking with them some more. I use them for pesto, salads, bouquet garni for sauces and stew, perilla for sushi, parsley and chives for garnishing & omelets to name a few. You can even use it as a baster when you grill to lend a mild hint of herb in the food.

Dinner tonight was Brick Chicken with Herb Butter. You see, chicken is my least favorite meat, and the breast part especially. It's too unforgiving when cooked incorrectly, either you get a dry piece of crap or a bloody one, yikes! I've learned a few tricks to flavor it and keep it from drying out. I always brine my chicken for at least an hour, using sea salt & herbs (in this case, the same herbs i added to the butter). I then pat dry it with paper towel and marinate it for another hour in sunflower oil.

I made the herb butter by mixing a cup of fresh herbs (basil, thyme, oregano, chives & savory), sea salt, freshly ground pepper and a cup of unsalted butter in the food processor for about a minute. The herb butter can keep for about a week in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

I slather herb butter over everything -- bread, fish, scallops, shrimp, mussels, clams, lamb, steak, pork chops, veggies, pasta or rice. For special occasions and holidays, I put them in molds or cut them with cookie cutters depending on the theme/occasion/table setting or roll into a log and cut them into medallions, fancy!

In this recipe, I used about 3 tsp. of herb butter over the chicken before grilling.

I would normally use a brick, but I want to try a little trick that I picked up from then finalist (now this Season's winner) Melissa d'Arabian of Food Network's "The Next Food Network Star". In place of the brick, I used a cast iron skillet, and it did work perfectly! Before slicing & plating, tent with foil & let the meat rest for 5 minutes to allow the juices to run back. I served it with a side of couscous and caramelized veggies sauteed with some of the herb butter.

Towards the end of summer, I will prepare the herbs for my winter stash. I air dry most of them except for the basil, which I chop & freeze in ice trays. I will infuse some in oil or vinegar for flavorful salad dressings and dipping sauces. Thus, I will still have a little bit of summer when the winter chill sets in.

Big in Japan!

Sushi (寿司, 鮨, 鮓)

When I was a kid growing up in the Philippines, while America was swept by the Rubik's cube, the Cabbage Patch Kids, Pacman & Ms Pacman, MTV and Knight Rider craze, I was obsessing over all things Japanese-- Hello Kitty, Little Twin Star, Bunbougus (stationery) - candy scented paper and envelope sets, stickers, iwaku scented erasers (shaped like fruits slices, hearts or minicas), scented felt pens in pastel colors, wallets, watches, key chains, rings, hair ties, bags, pencil cases, lunch boxes, drinking straws, plush toys, mirror & comb sets and even cologne. I remember when Kerokerokeroppi was introduced, it was love at first sight for me! Even then, green was the new black!

Then there's Manga and Anime -- Marionette Generation, Voltez V, Mazinger Z, Shaider, Bioman, Daimos, Macross, Voltron, Starblazer, Robotech, The Flying House and my favorite - Astroboy.

Now that I'm a big kid, I prefer Japanese films over anime. Sanrio is replaced with Japanese pottery, ink painting in silk, origami and haiku. And then there's the food -- my favorite, to name a few are yakisoba, tonkatsu, gyudon, tekka maki, tekka nori maki, takoyaki, teppanyaki and the ultimate favorite - sashimi.
One thing that will never change is my love for Japanese chocolates and sweets. Can you say, Meiji?? Not only are they yumyum, but also so darn cute!

This October, Astroboy flies off the screen. I can't wait to see it and be reminiscent of the good ole' days! Until then, I'll content myself with some sushi.

I leave you with a little lesson in Nipongo --

"Moshi moshi" means "Hello"

"Arigato Gozaimasu" means "Thank you very much"

"Doozo" means "Please"

"Hai" means "Ok"

"Itadakimasu" means "Let's eat!"

"Gochisoosama" means "That was delicious!"

"Sayoonara" means "Goodbye"

TWD: Applesauce Spice Bar

Applesauce Spice Bar
(Karen of Something Sweet by Karen picked Applesauce Spice Bars for this week's TWD from Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours)

Mondays used to be my least favorite day of the week, until I joined TWD, now I look forward to it! Either I am anormal or just way too optimistic!

Apples, applesauce, caramels, cinnamon, allspice-- the base ingredients for this cake reminds of autumn, my favorite season of the year! When the smell of the cake baking started filling the house last night, I thought about all the things I affiliate with autumn-- love, falling in love, coziness, tenderness, warm spiked apple ciders, beautiful fall foliage, comfy sweaters and toe socks! LOL! This cake brings out the girly girl in me!

The cake was perfect-- the nutty sweetness of the brown sugar balanced the slight tartness of the applesauce.. the plumpness of the raisins (which I soaked in rum) was a good contrast from the crunch of the pecans and surprise bites of apples.. the moistness of the cake and the melt in your mouth soft caramel glaze.. hmm...

I was still feeling euphoric this morning when I dropped them off at the local fire station. I had to restrain myself so hard not to hug all the firefighters, local heroes, a.k.a. local hotties, LOL! Their beautiful (umm.. sexy?) smiles made my staying up 'til 2AM all worthwhile.

The batter do not require the use of a mixer, so prep time was less than 15 minutes and clean-up was a breeze!

Hanger Steak with Pesto

Hanger Steak with Pesto in a bed of Pappardelle

I love steak, and I prefer mine medium rare. Being the purist that I am (in most things), the only seasoning that touches my steak is salt and lemon. But it's the height of summer, and my basil plant is growing like crazy, so I decided to top the steak with pesto. In a bed of pappardelle and a side of steamed broccoli, it is very yum!

TWD: Brownie Buttons

Brownie Buttons with White Chocolate Glaze

(Chosen by Jayma of Two Scientists Experimenting in the Kitchen from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home to Yours)

In a world where "brownie-wanna-be's" or pretentious brownies abound, it's refreshing to find brownies that taste like brownies, like these little bad boys! To me, this is exactly how brownies should taste -- light crust, rich, dense yet moist. The hint of orange gives it a fun twist! They are so good I am keeping them all for myself.. well, whatever is left over from the damage done by the brownie-monster!

Next time I make this, I will add some ancho chili powder for heat, skip the frosting and sprinkle some sea salt on them instead.. yum!

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffin
Makes 12 muffins

My friend Jason gave me a quart bag full of shelled pecans from his parents' Pecan trees last month. So these past few weeks, I have been mulling over what I should do with them. Too many weeks and 1/2-of-the-bag gone -- Bill started snacking on them, and I started adding them to my Greek Yogurt in the morning (which by the way is great with honey, dates and pecans) -- I finally settled on making it with my favorite muffin, inspired by the overripe bananas in my counter (yet again)! This is my favorite recipe for banana nut muffin, and actually, it's the ONLY banana nut muffin that comes out of my kitchen.

Ingredient

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 stick butter
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 overripe bananas, mashed
1 ripe banana, diced
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin pans with Wilton Bake Easy (a product I totally recommend), set aside. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat together the sugar, and butter until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and mashed bananas and mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients, then fold in the nuts and diced bananas. Scoop and distribute evenly in the muffin pan. Bake for 22 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

TWD: Classic Banana Bundt Cake

Classic Banana Bundt Cake with Nutella Frosting

Bundt cakes hold a special place in my heart. My Mama is a great cook, and I learned to cook from her. She can turn any mundane dish into something spectacular, but my Mama is no baker. One of my earliest memory is my Mama making a Pineapple Bundt Cake, and burning it (LOL), yet I remember it to be one of the best cake I've ever had. She told me that she was making it specially for me. Funny, that was the first and last time I remember her baking (LOL).

This is my first Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) entry, although, I have been reading most of the members' blogs for years now, and I have been using Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home To Yours for sometime. Her recipe for the Perfect Party Cake is the bomb! There is a running joke among my circle of friends that if I make a version of the "Perfect Birthday Cake" for your birthday, you are in the "inner circle" of the circle.

I am excited with the recipe chosen by Mary of The Food Librarian. I have this Terra Cotta Bundt Pan I haven't used since I acquired it, and I want to see how it fares compared to the Metal and Silicone Bundt Pans. I also have overripe bananas in my counter I need not be wasting.. so all is good! Now I think I hear the Nutella calling...

Boeuf Bourguignon & Clafouti: my salute to "Julie & Julia"

About a month ago, my cooking group was invited to the screening of the movie "Julie & Julia." I had seen previews of the movie earlier (it was in my "to watch list") so it was a treat to see it a month in advance, and for free! Sweet!!

The movie was heart warming. I was able to relate with the joys and frustrations both women went through in and outside of the their kitchen. Like them, cooking to me is therapeutic, my safe place when things are just not the way it should be. I also got the affirmation that I am "normal", in the sense that there are people like me who are way too passionate about cooking and food, and can get overly excited over a microplane. LOL!

To salute both women, I decided to make the infamous Boeuf Bourguignon, the recipe that gave Julia Child her break, and to have a taste of Julie Powell's most "challenging" day.

For side dish, I made boiled potatoes, Julia's recommendation from the book, using the fingerling potatoes from my last visit to the farmers market. I have cherries from when I made Valrhona Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes earlier this week so I decided to make the Clafouti for dessert.

It took me (7) hours from start to finish, including food shopping & cleanup, to cook 4 recipes (technically, if I count the brown braised onions and sauteed mushrooms) from the book. For Julie Powell to cook through the book in one year, she really is something else!

Verdict: SO WORTH IT! I thought that with that much wine in the recipe, it will overpower everything. Instead, the beef complemented and brought out the sweetness of the onions and the earthy, buttery taste of the mushrooms. It truly is one of the best known way to prepare beef!

To Julia Child and Julie Powell, I salute you both! And to all of you, Bon Appetit!