The First Time

     I often wonder how and why I became so crazy, er, passionate about paella. There are many reasons. First and foremost,  I am absolutely obsessed with that little Iberian country called Spain. I married a Spaniard and we incorporate many elements of the Spanish culture into our daily lives such as food, drink, decor, language, books and of course soccer!
Another reason may be that at some point in my life,  my love of the culture and my interest in home cookery would collide and I would take on the pursuit of mastering this cuisine stateside.
     Now, if you ask anyone what dish they think of when you mention Spain, most will say "paella". Many would say they have tried it, but few would say they have made this iconic dish (This is the reason we created Paellapalooza, but that's another post). Come to think of it, up until about 15 years ago, I had never even attempted to make one myself. I didn't give paella much thought until about 16 years ago when we were visiting family in the most paella-y of places-Valencia, Spain. Cullera, to the south of Valencia, to be exact. The mister has family there that have been there for decades. Cullera is a quaint town nestled against a small craggy mountain on the Mediterranean. It is a beach town that swells with European visitors during the intense heat of summer.

     This first visit included meeting Tia Anita and sitting down to her table for a Sunday paella. Anita lives in the center of this tiny pueblo and as we ascended the stairs to her home, I couldn't wait to meet the mister's much loved aunt and see the paella preparation in action. Prior to this day, I had only ever seen the dish exit a restaurant kitchen and onto the diner's table. She prepared it in her small cocina. I dared not enter as there was the gas tank hooked up to the burner, resting on a carpet of newspaper to protect the flooring. (Spaniards have a way of doing things that defy fire codes.) On top of the burner was the iconic flat, round pan in which the dish is named for.
     When all was ready, we sat down to eat, I was struck with several observations that were foreign to this foreigner who thought I knew a thing or two about the yellow rice dish I had eaten in countless restaurants.

My first observation was the absence of plates. I mean, there were no plates for anyone. There were, in their place, very large spoons. I thought, "Wait, are we having soup? You know how much the mister loves soup." No, no soup. Paella is traditionally eaten straight from the pan with large spoons to scoop up all the yummy saffron'y deliciousness!

Observation number 2: The guest of honor, the paella itself. It was placed in the center of the round table. "Wow, that is a lot of rice!" Not a lot of seafood, in fact, no seafood at all. The only protein in sight were scatterings of well placed chicken and pork. Traditionally paella was prepared in the fields with whatever was available around them. Last time I checked you don't find mussels and shrimp in the campo. (Note to self: must write about seafood paella very soon).

Observation number 3: Very large white beans and very flat green beans. Yes, strewn all over the top of the rice were the biggest white beans I had ever seen. Sprinkled with some extremely flat green beans which I have been on the hunt for in the States ever since. Pretty standard in this region, not so much elsewhere.

Observation number 4: Commence eating. everyone began to indulge their appetite by scooping up bite size portions of the rice in front of them. One bit of paella "etiquette" (yes, there is such a thing) I quickly learned that day is that there is an invisible portion for each person and you take only from within that border in front of you. Everyone eating their way towards the middle.

     There were many "firsts" that day. The first time I met the lovely Tia Anita and her family. The first time I ate paella with a spoon. The first time I learned paella etiquette and the first time I realized I was in the presence of the real deal. It would also mark the beginning of my love affair with this most humble of dishes. Since then, I have been on a quest to recreate those flavors here in the States. I have come a little close, but nothing will ever be exactly like your first time.