I was too busy watching the cooking to take many photos and half the photos I took I had the camera setting goofed up. Here’s a blurry photo of our host. I found out last night his name isn’t really Pete.
Yesterday we went to a paella party at a farm a few exits north of our house.
Paella Pete is a regular at the farmer’s market and we’ve taken home his food on many occasions for a simple and delicious dinner.
This was was our first time at the event so we weren’t sure what to expect.
Paella cooking. Fettuccine in the background. That’s just one of many jugs of cream he added.
It was fantastic. He’s so passionate about what he does. He taught us how he makes his paella. He showed us what spices he uses and told how he does the chorizo. If I learned anything it’s that I’m way too timid with spices.
I couldn’t believe how much garlic he put in there. I’m heavy handed with garlic but nothing like this. I woke up last night feeling like I’d become the garlic. I exercised this morning and sweated up nice garlicky fumes.
The food was fantastic. The company great. There was flamenco music and dancing. And it was the perfect summer night, warm and clear.
I woke up at 3:30am to rain. Not a refreshing cheerful sprinkly rain that’s nice after a warm day. It was a cold thudding summer is finished rain
It is wonderful stuff. I’ve never made paella over an open fire, but they say it’s best when you get the flames to curl over the side of the pan to carmelize the rice along the edge. Sounds pretty tricky to me. It’s the sort of trick you try after the second glass of good Spanish plonk that has removed your ability to actually perform it.
That end-of-summer deluge arrived here this morning. It’s time to dig out the polarfleece and Gore-Tex from the back of the closet.
Ehhhh… needs garlic. (Bugs Bunny)
Looks delicious!
Anything cooked in a huge pan like that over an open flame MUST be delicious! I’m salivating.