Sábado, Febrero Siete, 2009
paella
in Spanish cuisine, a dish of saffron-flavored rice cooked with meats, seafood, and vegetables. Originating in the rice-growing areas on Spain's Mediterranean coast, the dish is especially associated with the region of Valencia. Paella takes its name from the paellera, the utensil in which it is cooked, a flat round pan with two handles; paella is traditionally eaten from the pan.
Oh, look! A chicken! Where did that come from? Read on......
Saturday morning and once again a plethora of decisions. (every blogger is required by national blog law to use the word 'plethora' at least once)
I had a hankering for pancakes this morning but I wasn’t quite sure if I wanted banana or potato. I checked my pantry of ingredients and determined I was lacking not only in baking powder, but the Spanish word for baking powder. (levadura en polvo, I learned later) Living in Sayulita, you just don’t drive down to Safeway, go to the baking aisle, pick out the best baking powder and drive home. First of all I have no car in Sayulita and more importantly, there are no Safeways in Sayulita. Most so-called ‘grocery stores’ are no larger than a small American bathroom. Called tiendas. And they speak very little or no English, so you have to know the Spanish words for the items on your list. Waving your hands and speaking loudly doesn’t actually work well. That might come as a shock for many gringos. Perhaps now you understand the need for me to take some Spanish classes.
Leche, patatas or papas, huevos, sal, cebolla, harina, levadura en polvo, and plátanos, Milk, potatoes, eggs, salt, onions, flour, baking powder, and bananas were on the list and with backpack, coins, and hat (petate, dinero, and sombrero)…..I was off.
So where does paella come into the story? Keep reading......
After searching the tienda for my ingredients with limited success, I decided to walk to the north side of town, two additional grueling blocks, and popped into Rollie’s a long standing Sayulita restaurant known for their …..breakfast. (and dinner, which is when they serve Paella) On occasion, they have 1 or 2 orders of Paella remaining from the night before. I was feeling lucky, and this morning they had one left. For the budget minded person who might be reading this, Rollie charges 130 pesos for the dinner Paella and only 80 pesos for the breakfast version which is identical except its cold. For those that are mathematically challenged, 80 pesos is about $5.71 However, the portion, coupled with a package of fresh tortillas, is huge and will easily make 8-10 Paella tacos to feed 4-5 carnivorous tourists.
The dish is fantastic and includes a generous portion of a chicken breast, numerous shrimp, fish(Dorado), sausage, and a behemoth portion of saffron infused rice and veggies. In culinary terms: totally yum, dude! If you wanted to stretch the meal even further, scrambled eggs are the key.
Enjoy! I certainly will for the next few days.