Serendipity in the form of Tapas - Portland Variety Café

Brandade - Portland Vareity Cafe - Toronto

We don't get out to nicer places as we used to.  In Vancouver we were out upto 4x a week. With two kids under 3, it's alot to ask of a grannie nou nou.  In any case, when opportunity comes knocking, we make it happen.  We got Gala tickets to TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) this past weekend so I decided to make us dinner reservations at a Susur Lee restaurant too.  Madness I know.   What restaurant even remotely near TIFF would have tables available on a Saturday night right?  Well, not many.  So I booked at Bent, the sons' restaurant a bit further away.  We love the food there.  That said they had changed the menu and D was disappointed when I told him.  But in the end it didn't matter because our Movie ran longer than we had anticipated with the speeches from TIFF, the director and the primary actors.  We stood out on the busy King Street TIFF zone at a loss of what to do.  We wandered over to Lee, hoping for bar seats.  They were full for another half hour even at the bar so we decided that we'd try the other restaurants on that intersection and if nothing, we'd head home to a west end place.  Valdez was full and Buca had already gone too bar-ey.  We stumbled into Portland Variety because it looked the least busy.  That said they were packed but the least packed.   I was unarmed with reviews or writeups.  In fact, when the hostess sat us at a last minute, early departure, and she asked how we heard of them, I said, honestly, we stumbled out of TIFF without a plan.

Garlic Shrimp in Pil Pil - Portland Variety Cafe - Toronto

We took a peak at the menu before being seated in case it was an all steak or charcuterie place that I would not stay for.  It was tapas.  Now, if you're a regular reader, you'll know a couple of things about me and Tapas.  1. I lived in Spain for over 2 years so I know a thing or two about Tapas. 2. I am annoyed by Western restaurants over charging for small plates under the hospices of Tapas.  The second is particularly irksome because it goes against the very spirit of Tapas.  Yes you can get expensive food in Spain but it is very high end and usual the size of a substantial main and you aren't paying for Pan con Tomate.  But when you charge high end prices for what should be casual fare.. booo and then list yourself as moderately priced because each dish is less than a 'real' main, I'm going to be bothered.  I call it 'Tapa' fatigue.  That said, it wasn't a charcuterie so we stayed because I was starving.  Glad we did.  I stayed when I saw Cassava fries on the menu.

Cassava (Yucca) Fries - Portland Variety Cafe - Toronto

More South Am than spanish, but we honeymooned in Ecuador and Cassava or Yucca was everywhere next to corn so Yummo!  We sped ordered, the guy came over to say hello and I shot four orders at him.  It was so busy that I thought it was the best thing to do.  Yucca came first.  It was piping hot, a tad on the dry side and there was no dipping sauce. Still overall, good but could have done with an Aioli or something.  Next came the grilled Artichokes which I have not seen done properly since Barcelona and still haven't.  They were the size of halve ping pong balls and under seasoned.  Served hot, which I'm always happy about in a place where I'm worried that because of the crowds, things may sit too long at the pass.  They did not.  Still, it was a meagre plate, so I started to worry.  Then came the Garlic Shrimp in Pil Pil sauce.  OUTSTANDING.  I mean OUTSTANDING.  I have not been that please with a dish in a restaurant for years.  The flavours, the spice were great and the Shrimp where cooked perfectly.  We were sopping up the oil with the bread, which we had to go out of our way to ask for.  D had half a Cornish Hen with Piri Piri sauce.  He dipped his fork in the sauce and smiled.  We'd recently had some bad store bought Piri Piri and this was miles above.  We will never touch that jar again.  As his Hen arrived I noted the table nearby received their Marrow.  Now I am not a fan by any stretch of the imagination but D is and he rarely gets to have it.  It was a nice portion cut along the length and I told D he should order it but thankfully, our server did say it would take a while and knowing we had not alot of time, we decided to wait for next time.  Our last dish was the Brandade which we make very well from scratch at home.  We scraped every molecule from the bowl.  It was very good.  It wasn't overly Potatoey, which lots of restaurants do to 'stretch' the saltcod.  It was piping hot.  Our meal was eaten with a decent Garnacha.  They ran out of glasses so we did wait abit.  That said, they had only opened a few months ago so perhaps a bit ill prepared for the TIFF onslaught.  I saw a table outside had ordered the Patatas Bravas and they looked delicious.  I know already, what I'll be ordereding next time.

Cornish Hen with Piri Piri - Portland Variety Cafe - Toronto

Now, I have no idea why this place is called Portland Variety except for the 1890s style aprons and bowties on the servers.  But the food was excellent, service congenial and we'll be back.  I enjoyed the Tapas here more than Patria which we visited a few months ago.

Empty Brandade - Portland Variety Cafe - Toronto

Food: Fantastic
Price: $$$-$$$$ (higher if you order a proper main)
Ambiance: modernised deli upfront and typical King West buzzy in back.
Wine: Decent selection, could use more by glass variety since tapas
Service: kind, helpful, happy to help
Family friendly: maybe during the day, tables far too close together but bathrooms are on ground level!!!

Portland Variety Café
416-368-5151
King West
587 King St W
Toronto, ON M5V1M5

Friday, March 25th - Mis Trucos - Creative yet Autentico Tapas

Polenta Fries with Cheese Fondata Dip

I have passed this place numerous times and never tried it.  It is in a very unlikely situation despite being right on Davie off Thurlow.  It is actually a bit off Davie as well.  I'm sure if you've been strolling down Davie you'd have 'missed' it too.  It is in what appears to be a lonely 'heritage' house that has been converted into storefronts.  The restaurant is up the stairs behind the shops as if in the second floor of the house.  In the summer they sprawl out on to a roof top patio as well.

As we're somewhat chained to the St. Paul's hospital area for a few weeks, we asked some colleagues of D for recommendations for places to eat.  Mis Trucos came quite well recommended.  And as I have a bias to lovely Spanish food, I stopped listening to the rest of the list :)

It is a small, dainty place that could easily be the size of a small studio apartment.  I would say it's a well hidden gem for the area if not for the full house of patrons who would tell me that I'm quite late to the party.  We ate at the bar since we had to be back at St. Paul's in little more than an hour.  Well, normally, bar service is faster since you can grab the attention of the servers but not so here.  The slow service was probably my only disappointment.

Ash Covered Cheese Plate

There was a decent selection of classic and spins on classic Tapas (small plates) and Pinxos (pinchos - single bites).  Having lived in Barcelona for a few years, I tend to have fussy expectations of dishes people like to randomly call Tapas so they can charge full price for small plates.  If it is just a small plate, just call it a small plate and don't give it the spanish monicher of Tapa.  Well, Mis Trucos managed to hit a decent authenticity even though playing on the theme which was awesome. 

Crispy Bread covered Prawn with Aioli

As a minor digression, you should know that most reviews and listings for restaurants will list average 'dish prices' when categorising the cost level of the place.  So if a place features 'Tapas' then you may see them listed in a modest cost level but really the per person cost for the dinner is not because you will order several.  I give the price range based on what you will actually eat and not the per dish cost.

Bacalao Bunelos with Smoked Paprika Aioli

We started with the Polenta Fries with Cheese Fondata.   They were cooked perfectly and managed to have a nice balance of lightness and substance.  That was followed but something quite unusual that D's colleague raved about, Prawns wrapped in very thinly sliced Bread with Aioli.  This was so simple yet absolutely delicious.  We also had the Ash covered Cheese plate and Braised Octopus which were yummy.  The Octopus was tender and well seasoned.  I think my favourite Tapa for the night was a toss up between the Polenta fries and the Bunuelos, Salt Cod Fritters with Smoked Paprika Aioli. The Bunelo is a small fritter with out the Potato filler like the other popular Spanish tapa called the Croqueta. 

Braised Octopus in Tomato Foam  with Ham Chip

The price range was much more appropriate for Tapas than similarly themed restaurants in town.  The service was on the casual slow side but nothing as painful as our night at Bin 941 a couple of nights ago.  In fact, I made a point of complaining at Bin 941 that we had been waiting excructiatingly long, nearly 40 minutes for our last dish despite the server telling us that it was being plated as we spoke.  Well, the other server we managed to flag down refused to apologise and said she wanted to check the pos first.  Nice.  Shockingly rude and terribly slow service that night at Bin 941.  If I'm in the mood for tapas next time, I think I'll find my way a few blocks west at Mis Trucos instead.

Ambiance: slick yet cosy
Service: casual yet friendly
Cost: $$

Mis Trucos

Robson Street/West End
1141 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC V6E
www.mistrucos.ca
(604) 566-3960

.

Friday, Sep 24th - Comfort Fusion - Korean-Spanish Curriend Spinach Fideu

Korean Spanish Comfort Fusion

I'll catch up on the days I missed especially the amazing dinner we had at West last Saturday this weekend.  I was feeling sorta blue today and when that happens, I seek the warm, huggy comfort in certain dishes that I used to love to make when I was a student or living elsewhere.  Dishes that conjure wonderful memories and taste awesome, of course. 

When I was in grad school in Barcelona, I used to travel to other parts of Spain whenever I had the chance.  During the summer, my flatmate and I flew down to Sevilla to visit a classmate working there for a term.  It was probably the third hottest place I have been.  It was so hot that there was 'fake' shade erected all over the city.  In all the narrow streets of the old town, tarps and fabric had been hung between the buildings to provide a bit of comfort.  I remember that E, a mexican, refused to wear shorts despite the sweltering heat.  It is a strange thing that many of Spanish and Mexican male friends think shorts are for the beach or for little kids.  It was 37C for crying out loud!  We spent the days running from shade to shade.  We found what is still in my books today as the best Tapas bar I have ever been to.  It is the shade of the Cathedral. 

I don't recall the name but I am sure I could find it again today, 5 years later.  It was a hornet's nest activity.  The kitchen was open concept surrounded by a bar where all the patrons sidled up.  The counter was made of slate.  Whenever you ordered anything off the chalk menu, the server would jot it down on the counter in front of you as the tab.  The best Tapa I had was this Curried Spinach and Chick Pea dish. It was very lightly Curried and came piled on a dish the size of a saucer.  We ordered two.  I replicated at home in Barcelona after that using local spices and artisan Chick Peas.  I still do it that way when I fancy it. 

One weekend, I was feeling a tad homesick.  Korean food was really hard to comeby in Barcelona.  So I concoted what has come to be one of my top ten comfort dishes.  These are distinct from standard Comfort Food.  Instead of using the spice mix to make the Spinach Tapa I used Korean Curry cubes.  As well,  instead of making the obligatory white rice which I would normally have had with Korean Curry, I made the dish to emulate a Paella.  Paella is not only made with rice.  It is also made with Fideu noodles.  They are short stubby spaghetti sized noodles.  If you do it right, the Noodles on the bottom become crispy.  MMMMM.  Of course, I don't have a gas stove here like I did there so I have to cover the cooking dish now to get it hot enough.   So it is a complete, bizzarre amalgam of Korean and Spanish dishes that is unbelievably good.  I have made it for my flatmates, friends and D and they agree.  See, I feel better just writing about it.... well that and my belly is full of it too :^D

Korean Spanish Curried Spinach Fideu

300 g Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed
1/3 sliced Onion
2 cloves Garlic, small, chopped
1/2 inch fresh Ginger, julienned
1/2 tin Chick Peas (Garbanzos)
1 Chili, chopped
1 t Black Pepper
125 g Fideu, noodles (What are they? They look like 2cm pieces of Spaghetti, there are Italian and German equivalents. Most familiar to North American's floating in Lipton's Instant Chicken Noodle Soup)

Add 50 g of Korean Curry Cubes to 2 c Boiled Water and set aside to soften.

In a 10", nonstick fry pan, heat 1-2 T Olive Oil on Medium heat.  Sautee the Onions, Ginger, and Chili until the Onion is soft, 3 minutes.

Add the Spinach, Garlic and Pepper.   Mix thoroughly.  Add the Fideu and mix to distribute throughout the pan.  Stir the Curry Cubes before pouring into the pan.  You may want to add another 1/4 c of water to swirl out any remaining Curry.  Stir.  Add the Chick Peas and mix to distribute. 

Cover and let simmer on LOW heat for 20 minutes.  If you have a gas stove or if you don't like the noodles to be too soft, don't  cover.  The other reason that I cover this dish is because our fume hood sucks or rather it doesn't and I don't want the house smelling of curry for a week.

Friday, Sep 10th - Dinner Party - Mushroom Crostini, Paella de Mariscos and Watermelon Gazpacho

Seafood Paella

We had friends over for dinner after much Outlook and Agenda juggling.  It only took 2 months.  Not bad.  K and V are readers of my blog and Twitter followers but not Twitters.  I don't know for certain if their fans or they read out of humourous curiousity. Eitherway they're reading, yay! 

They're quite into food and wine as we are so planning on having them over is that much more fun.  V joked that she'd taken an extra spinning class to prepare :^D.  It was going to be a bit trickier being a Friday so the Time Management Machine had to have her thinking cap on.  If it were a Saturday or Sunday, we'd leisurely cook and prepare bits all day, particularly the dessert.  I had to start that first, of course. 

I chose to make a Paella for the main.  The thing about the Paella is a bit of a double edged sword.  It is quicker and less complicated than some mains so works well for a Friday dinner party but you cannot really prepare it too far in advance or it will get cold or mushy.  So I was cooking for a while when K and V arrived and had some snacks and appetisers.  It was alright since our kitchen is open plan so is conducive to cooking and talking. As well, they were interested and enjoyed the process as well, I think.

D bought a lovely mix of Olives for the coffee table and Roasted some Cashews for the guests (badam-cha).  Blogging after a dinner party is a lot of work and probably too much reading.  We normally have 4-5 courses so I will not post all the recipes but will tell you about each.  D roasted some unsalted Cashews with some Paprika, Brown Sugar and chopped Fresh Rosemary for a cocktail snack.

For a starter or a rather large Amuse Bouche, we made some BBQ Flatbreads/Crostini with the dough we made yesterday for the BBQ Pizza.  So what is the difference?  The name and the toppings of course :^)  The first one was a Mushroom Ragout that is pre cooked and then placed on the crust as per the instructions on my BBQ Pizza post.  The second was a Flatbread/Crostini with 1/4 c of Local Blue Cheese crumbled sparingly all over then just before serving, top with fresh Baby Arugula, which we grow on our balcony.  It grows like weeds!  I love Blue Cheese but the Mushroom was was unbelievable and probably the more popular.

Mushroom Ragout BBQ Flatbreads/Crostini
(Serves 4-6 as appetiser)

1-2 T extra virgin olive oil
1-2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 T finely chopped Shallots
2 t chopped fresh Thyme, divided
2/3 c Shiitake or Oyster Mushrooms, julienned
1 Portobella Mushroom, sliced
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
1 T Sherry/Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 c Masala/Sherry Wine
1/2 t Cornstarch
1 T Crème fraiche

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot and cook until translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let the garlic brown. Add half the thyme and all of the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Let the Mushrooms cook over medium-high heat, do not over stir so they will brown. ~5 minutes.

Add the Vinegar and reduce until the pan is dry. Combine the Cornstarch in the Masala until dissolved and add to the pan. Cook until reduced and there is almost no liquid left in the pan.

Remove from heat and stir in Crème fraiche. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Use as the topping on the BBQ'd flatbread on the BBQ and garnish with the other half of the Thyme.

We served them and the Cashews with an Artazuri Rose 2009 http://bit.ly/artrose09

For our Soup, D made a lovely chilled Watermelon based Gazpacho.  It had all the key ingredients similar to a Tomato Gazpacho, including Tomatoes but the bulk of the base, is 2 lbs of Chopped, Seeded Watermelon.  Instead of blending all the ingredients you only blend the Watermelon and the Cucumbers, Celery, Onion, Pepper, and Tomato go in finely chopped.  D topped the lovely Fuscia bowl off with a meaning full dollop of Creme Fraiche and a sprig of Mint.  Creme Fraiche does not really come fat free.  It is 40% milk fat and tastes like 120%.  I do not care for the creme on the soup but the others did.  I would say it is optional. 

We served the soupe with a Basa Rueda Blanco 2008 http://bit.ly/basabl07

Our main was a lovely Paella de Mariscos.  When I realised I was out of Spanish Casparilla rice and only had Basmati or Arborio, I opted to use the Arborio.  The thing about Arborio is that it does not plump without coaxing and time.  That is why it is primarily used in Risotto.  The Casparilla or Medium Grain white need only be added to the pan with the broth after sauteeing the aromatics.  The Arborio needs stirring and time.  It was okay.  I cooked it 3/4 of the way along while I chatted with K and V then I added back the Sauteed Vegetables, and Seafood.  I covered it for 5-10 minutes because your home stove is rarely big enough nor hot enough for a 4-6 person Paella Pan. 

You're looking at 300-400 g of Arborio rice for 4 people with 2 lbs of a variety of Seafood to have a decent Seafood to Rice ratio.  I have reduced the amount of rice over the years.  It is about 1 1/2c.  I used, Squid, Manila Clams, fresh, and Jumbo Tiger Prawn.  Essential to Paella and not open to compromise is the use of Saffron.  You need to use for the characteristic aroma and bright yellow hue it infuses into the broth and rice.  When in season, I make a mean Spot Prawn Paella too!

I like to serve it on the table and serve the first helping and allow guests to serve themselve seconds or to take the bits of seafood they want.  Serve with Lemon Aoli.  You could make your own mayonaisse but why?

Lemo Aoli (Easy)

2/3-1 c low fat May
2 cloves Garlic, finely minced or using a Garlic Press
1/2 Lemon, juiced and zested
Whisk the ingredients thoroughly and set aside, covered in the refridgerator for at least an hour.
We finished the Basa with the Paella then opened a Red, Artazuri Garnacha http://bit.ly/artgar08
 
For dessert, I baked a Blueberry and Chocolate Crumble.  That was the first thing I made as soon as I walked in the door.  It is quite a simple dessert to assemble.  D had offered to make a pie but we had used all the AP for the pizza dough and weren't convinced Wholewheat flour would work in a pie crust.  I will post the crumble in full on it's own at a later date.  K and V brought some Yummo ice cream to have with it. 

We served dessert with a M. Chapoutier Banyuls sweet wine:  http://bit.ly/90FMlx

April 21st - Tortilla de Patatas - Spanish Potato Omlette slightly Canadianised

I remember the first time I heard of the dish before I moved to Spain.  A friend at work was talking about his favourite meal that his mom made, Tortilla. I thought nothing of it until he started to describe it with eggs and potatoes.

It is a Spanish staple and not only for breakfast.  Actually, you would see it more often as an appetiser or Tapa.  It is often the first or only dish a Spanish guy will learn to make on his own. Seriously. Or at least that was the case with all the guys in my Grad school.  :^D  I remember one night my buddies H & DF cooked for a bunch of our friends since they were normally doing most of the cooking.  DH from Canarias, was very very particular on how a proper Tortilla was made:  No pepper, do not brown the onions thinly sliced potatoes cook well on both sides.  My friends would often cheat a bit and nuke the potatoes to par cook them.

I like to avoid nuke-abuse whenever possible. As well, I think you lose alot of flavour by not browning the onions slightly and underbrown the egg.  I have made some minor adaptations but try to over complicate it like D and O think I do with my experimenting.  One thing I have not figure out how to do is to have a nice FIRM Tortilla de Patatas without over cooking egg like the store bought kind that come vacuum packed in all grocery shops in Spain. I'll figure it out eventually.

Canadianised Tortilla de Patatas

2 medium Potatoes, something waxy and not floury
4 large Eggs
1 small White Onion
1 clove Garlic (calm down, I like Garlic)
1 t Paprika for Garnish
1-2 T fresh Parsley
Sea salt to taste

Mise en Place all the ingredients.  Peel, slice and dice the Potato.  You could leave just a slices but I want to be able to toss them in the pan.  Slice the onions in to thing slices.  Mince the Garlic.  Gently beat the eggs. 

You will need a medium sautee pan, sloped sides.  Use non-stick if you are worried.  Have a plate slightly larger than the pan at hand.

Heat a 1/2-1 T Olive Oil in the pan on Medium-High.  Sautee the potatoes for 5-7 minutes until mostly cooked.  Let aside on the plate.

Heat 1/2-1 T Olive Oil in the pan on Medium-Low heat.  Sautee the Onion for 2-3 minutes. If you want to be more authentic, stop when the onions are softened.  I like to see a bit of brown on the edges.  Add the Potatoes back for another 1-2 minutes to blend the flavours.  Add the garlic, toss for a minute.  Spread out the ingredients so they are evenly spread out.  If the bottom of the pan appears dry, add another 1/2 T Olive Oil to the pan.

Pour over the Eggs.  Move them around a bit to help the cooking. Low and slow.  3 minutes or so.  When you can shimmy the Tortilla around the pan; or lift and see the Eggs are just cooked to slightly brown,  loosen with a spatula to ensure it is all free of the pan.  Slide out on to the handy plate.  Do it quick.  It is less likely to break.

The uncooked side is face up on the plate now.  Then hold the plate with one hand underneath like you're a snooty waiter.  Hold the pan upside down in the other.  Cover the Tortilla with the pan.  In one fast motion flip the pan and plate over back into the pan.  Cook 2 - 3 minutes, depending how well you like the middle down.

Slice and serve with a dash of Paprika and Parsley.  We had this with some small Tomatoes with Salt and Pepper and some sauteed Chanterelles you could use Organic Oyster as well if Chanterelles are not on sale or too pungent for you.  MMMMM

April 16th - Bacalao and Manchego Soufflee - Salt Cod

I fancied using the last bit of Salt Cod or Bacalao we had in the fridge.  I tossed around what I felt like making with it but knew I wanted something of substance as a main, not something like a sautee or stirfry.  I thought I would go for a Spanish inspired soufflee.  I love soufflees and after living in Spain for a couple years, I have a warm fuzzy place in my stomach for Spanish food.

There are some basic ingredients you will often found as foundational to Spanish food as well as those you will not find in it.  Garlic, Onions, Olive Oil, Eggs, Tomatoes, Bacalao, Sweet Paprika are in alot of the classic dishes.  You will not often find spicy Spanish food.  That is often a misconception because of South American and Mexican food.  My friends cannot handle Black Pepper.  You will never see it on the table next to the salt shaker in a restaurant.  You can request it but it would be unusual.  As well, they do not brown their Onions or Garlic when they cook.  That throws me off but I grew used to it.  I remember making Tortilla de Patatas once with some friends and I had gently browned onions and Danny started to pick out the browned ones.  Hilarious.

Anyhoo, of course another gorgeous Spanish treat is Manchego.  I made perfect sense to use it as the cheese in a dish like a soufflee.  I have made a number of souflees over the years from Classic Cheese, playful Caribbean Seafood, Spinach or Broccoli and Feta.  MMMM, so if you have a good and solid base recipe, you can create alot of creative variations.  You do need to be mindful of balancing acidity both from a flavour aspect and stability of egg.  I thought about adding Lemon Juice or Zest but was worried about curdling the milk and deflating the eggs.  I might have used more Paprika.  I used the hot variety and it was not detectable at all.  The mustard was nice.  Barely there but added contour.  MMMMM

Bacalao and Manchego Soufflee

(Serves 2 if this is all you are having. Could serve 4 with a side.)
250-300 g Salt Cod, weighed at the start
(start soaking over night or day before, changing water every few hours, keep in fridge)
1 T Olive Oil
1/4 c Butter (+more for the dish)
4 T (1/4 c) Flour
1 c Milk

1 t dry Mustard
1/2 t Paprika, hot
1/4 t fresh Nutmeg, grated
3 cloves Garlic
1 small Shallot, minced (ping pong ball sized)
5 large Eggs, separated
1 Egg yolk (because I corrupted the white on the 6th egg with a bit of yolk)
50 g Manchego, grated (1 c, fluffy)
25 g Parmesan, grated (1/2c, fluffy)

1/4 c Cream of Tartar (optional)
no Salt
no Pepper

In a large bowl, place the Salt Cod and fill with water.  Change the water as often as you want to remove the salt.  It is best to go over night or a full day.

Melt 1 T of butter.  With a brush, brush the 9" Soufflee dish with the butter.  Stroke the sides in an upward direction.  You could do this with softened butter and some wax paper too.  Place in fridge for 20 minutes.  Repeat the buttering. Leave in fridge until you are at the Egg White stage.

Place the fish in a large sauce pan filled with water or half water half milk.  I do not like to waste the milk :^).  Simmer for 20-25 minutes.  Drain, cool, flake.  Flake to the size you like.  I like it quite large, bite sized pieces but you can make it as fine as you like.  Drain well so you do not introduce extra water to the soufflee batter.  I do this all in between while chopping.  I pick my critical path and go.

Preheat the oven to 395 F or 200 C.

In a large saucepan, medium heat the Olive Oil, use a nice one.  You do not have too but if you do, do not put the heat up too high or you lose the fruity spanishy goodness.  Fry the the Garlic and Shallot for 1 minute.

Add the butter.  When melted, add the flour 1 T at a time, while you whisk.  Keep stirring when all the flour is in for another 1-2 minutes to cook the flour a bit.  Add the milk and whisk.  You want it thicker than a typical bechemel sauce, thicker than cake batter.  Add the Paprika, Nutmeg and Mustard.  I added them before the milk and it was like I tried to gas myself.  Do not do it.  I do it often enough when I fry spices when I do a curry.

Lower the heat to low.  Stir or whisk and add the yolks 1 yolk at a time.  Keep stirring to aoid scrambling the eggs.  Keep stirring for 1-2 minutes and turn the heat off. Stir in the cheese thoroughly. Gently stir in the fish.  I tried not to break the fish flakes but you don't have to if you don't care.  Set aside.

Turn your attention to the Egg Whites. Add the cream of Tartar to the whites and turn the mixer on high.  Beat for 3-5 minutes until stiff peak stage but not dry.  If you tip the head of your mixer back, the white on the beater should stand up.  I like to go 30 s beyond that.

With a large spatula, stir in one large scoop (1c) of the whites without worrying about deflating the whites.  You are lightning up the base.  Add another cup if you need to.

Since my mixer bowl is bigger than my sauce pan, I put the base into the Egg Whites.  I dump the lot into the egg whites.  Fold together.  With your large Spatula, slice down the middle, scoop up the bottom to the side. Turn the bowl a quarter and repeat, round and round.  You want it well combined but don't over do it.  It is okay to see some whites.

Pour into the soufflee dish.  You can white the batter from the sides if you want to encourage climbing more. I did not.  Place it in the oven in the middle.  Bake for 25 minutes.  It will still be a bit creamy in the middle.  You want the top golden but not dark.  I do not like the taste of over browned eggs.  Some recipes have the oven at 375.  I might play with this next time to allow longer cooking for 30-35 minutes.

Serve with large serving spoons with a nice simple green salad. YUMMO!

We started the cooking process with pretty Pares Balta Cava, crisp, tart green apples.

We had dinner with a Quail's Gate Pinot Noir 2006.  I will admit I was pleasantly surprised by this wine.  I had not anticipated how nice it would be.  It was well balanced, nice body.  Could have had a bit more length but it was not the end of the world.

Feb 20th - Curried Spinach and Chick Pea Fideu and Kalbi

Kalbi

Curried Spinach Fideu

I first had a dish similar to this in Sevilla as a tapa. It did not have the fideu noodles in it though. My old flatmate E and I were visiting a friend working there for the summer and I think we went back for it a few times. It was awesome and I'll never forget where it was in the shadow of the cathedral. The orders are taken by efficient and experienced servers who wrote your tally on the slate counter in front of you. I adapted this to a paella like dish by adding the fideu noodles which are 1" cut spaghetti noodles which are served in a variety of paellas. You can find italian and german equivalents of these noodles too. I use Korean curry cubes in a pinch but I'll use a high quality curry powder if I have more time.

D and I had been painting for most of the day so we were at a bit of a loss as to what to eat if we were going to hit any Olympic venues. So I offered to make this and he had some Kalbi as well since he had so much in the freezer from Mom he never gets the chance to eat when I'm home.

Curried Spinach and Chick Pea Fideu

300g frozen chopped spinach
1/2 tin of chick peas drained (you can use the whole tin if you want)
150 g fideu noodles (these look like the chopped up spaghetti noodles you might see in instant chicken soup)
50 g curry cubes or 2-3 T curry powder
1/4 onion thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic
1/2 inch ginger minced
1 jalapeno (optional)
3-4 c water, hot to boiling

Defrost the spinach in the microwave for 4 minutes or on the counter for the day.

Add 2 cups boiling water to the curry cubes and set aside to soften. Stir to emulsify.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or paella pan. Sautee the onion until soft. Add the garlic, ginger and jalapeno. Sautee until you smell the garlic, 2 minutes. Add the spinach. Stir for 5 minutes.

Add the noodles and the curry broth. Add 1 c more water to loosen the rest of the cubes at the bottom. Stir thoroughly and flatten with back of spoon so as many of the noodles are submerged. Reduce heat to bare simmer. Leave for 15-20 minutes. When noodles are mostly done, turn heat off and leave covered for 5 more minutes. Serve hot.

D had Kalbi. As I'd said my mom sent him home with loads of it. I've become well accustomed and stocked with gear for this tradition. It's usually at Christmas which is freezing in Toronto. The bags are in ice bags with freezer backs and frozen solid and travel in cold cargo. We normally don't wait long in Vancouver and we're home in 20 minutes.

Kalbi is KOREAN. Oddly and ironically though it may seem. Many Koreans could barely afford meat during most of my parents childhoods. Rice was a luxury for that matter. That said, we have this worldwide reputation now for being carnivores. Weird. Even weirder since me and my sister V are not. Anyhoo. I love Kalbi or at least I did. I still love the smell. There is nothing that get's me raising my nose searching, than BBQ'd kalbi. My mom's is easily and hands down the best. She's known for it in her circle. Well, she's known for her cooking in general. You'll never have as good in restaurants though you'll have good kalbi if you go to the right places. But homemade Kalbi just can't be faked or mass produced.

Mom has perfected it over the years. I've seen her experiment with pureeing her onions in a blender to save time in the massive batches she used to make as well as encourage the marinade more thoroughly. I've seen her test with honey, sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup. I've seen her finally concede that MSG was not needed and possibly a bad thing. What she's landed on is the WORLD'S best Kalbi and therefore, something I won't share right now. Firstly, because I forgot to write it down. Secondly, I feel I need to generate more buzz before I give it all away:-P. NO, it's really the first thing.

Kalbi in the Broiler

1 person: 8 ribs or slices, well that's generous but D doesn't have rice with it. When we do, at Mom and Dad's he'll have 5.

Defrost, ideally overnight in the fridge. Otherwise defrost in the microwave on DEFROST for 5-7 minutes.

Have the broiler on high and put the rack on the top most rung. Heat your broiler and drainer pan before you lay the kalbi on. (but don't leave it in there after your first batch or you'll have a smokey problem) 2 minutes on each side, as per D's doneness. Koreans would go for 5 to char and crisp up a bit more.

Serve with rice... or not, D didn't. He also had some marinated gotchu... marinated peppers my mom made as well, for banchan.

Nothing beats the BBQ though. If you have a BBQ filled and gassed up, go for it!

YUMMO!

Jan 24th - Sunny Side with Stilton on Pumpernickel / Croquetas with Greenbean Cous Cous

D made breakfast today. Sunny side up eggs on pumpernickle toast with Stilton blue cheese. I call it pumpernickel because that is what the tag says and it is dark brown. However, I have not found very aromatic rye or pumpernickel bread in Vancouver. The best approximation are the pumpernickel bagels at Siegel's bagels on Granville Island. None of that tangy or mouth filling flavours of the fluffy, chocolate coloured wannabees available at most supermarkets. Oh well. The Stiltong (English blue cheese) definitely enhanced the bread. MMMM

D had a side of sauteed mushrooms and I had sauteed brussel sprouts. D hates brussel sprouts. I mean, he will eat them out of consideration to me or mom but of his own volition, you will never seen trimming and cooking them. I luvs them. They are one of my favourite vegetables.
Dinner is Croquetas from last week. I froze half the batch and am defrosting them on the counter. I will pan fry them as before but I may also keep them in the oven just after to make sure they are piping hot in the middle.
Greenbean Cous Cous

1 c cous cous
2 c water
1 t instant all natural veg stock
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 inch fresh ginger minced
1 med hot chili minced
1/2 t herbes de provence
1 t kosher salt
zest 1 lemon
juice 1/2 lemon
Ground pepper to taste
2 T pine nuts, browned in a dry pan, briefly
1/2 lb green beans, steamed 5 min, rinsed in cold water, chopped

In a large mixing bowl, pour in the cous cous, instant stock, salt, herbes de provence.

Boil the water. Pour over the cous cous, cover with a pot lid and set aside for at least 1/2 hour.

Add the lemon, garlic, ginger, chili, toss and set aside. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

In a pan, toss the pine nuts until the oils start shine, and they brown slightly. This will go fast from brown to burnt because of the high protein levels so don't go anywhere. 1 min max. Add to cous.

In a pot, place a steamer or not. Add half a finger tip of water. Bring to boil. Add greenbeans and cover. Cook for 5 minutes. Drain immediately and rinse with very cold water to stop over cooking that turns them that well known swampy green colour. If you do this fast, they will be cooked and a brilliant green. Chop into 1 inch pieces and toss into cous cous.

YUMMO!

Jan 17th - Croquetas de Pescado (Spanish Fish Croquettes)

Croquetas de Pescado

This is hands down my favorite Spanish tapa. My favourite dishes include Arroz Negro, Espinaca al Curi and Gazpacho. But what I always hope to see come to Vancouver is a decent croqueta without Jamon. The Spanish croqueta or croquette is a bechamel or white sauce base one and not a potato base like other mediterranean or french types. Don't fear the bechamel. In this case and not many for a bechamel, it doesn't matter as much if it goes too far and gets too thick because you need it thick enough to make balls rather rugby ball shapes.

The classic variety are Croquetas de Jamon or Ham or Bacalao. You'll also see Pollo or Chicken often enough. Salt cod can be expensive and takes 24 hours to desalinate. So often restaurants won't offer this variety or they'll 'cheat' you on the Salt Cod. (Reef doesn't :-D) Therefore, I obviously love to make salt cod dishes at home where I can be as generous as I please. My ackee with salt cod is replete with lovely salty nuggets of fish.

Today, I am making a combo of smoked Peppered Salmon and Bacalao Croquetas because D bought some smoked ready to eat salmon for me last week but I never go to it. I'm always looking for portable protein that I can eat so he buys it whenever he's in Choices Market. It's yum. I was already desalinating a large piece of Bacalao for an all Salt Cod croquette but when D reminded me we needed to finish the salmon, I changed course. Actually, we had planned on making omlettes with it but we bought those scones yesterday at the Seaside Bakery in Blaine. The piece I cut had two bits because I'm trying a bowl desalination rather than the big clunky baking dish where I always spill in and out of the fridge. So the wee tail piece, I used today. The other, I'll probably use this week for a Brandade or Ackee dish.

Croquetas de Peppered Salmon y Bacalao
Serves 4-6 people..
100 g butter
1/2 c finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
3/4 c flour
2 1/2 c milk
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t fresh grated nutmeg
1 t dry parsley
olive oil
6 oz fish (300g)
salt and pepper to taste
Bread crumbs
Flour to coat
1 beaten egg

If you're using salt cod, simmer water for 5 minutes. Drain. Cool. Flake. The smoked fish, just chop or flake. Set aside.

Mince the onion and garlic. Sautee until soft in some oil. Add the butter in chunks. When melted. Sprinkle in the flour while mixing. It will turn into a paste fast. It's okay. Cook for a few minutes. Brown if you have time.

Pour the milk in 1/2 cup at a time. Whisk until smooth. Turn up the heat a bit if your milk is cold. Add the spices. Whisk until it thickens. You're looking for brownie batter consistency.... i.e. thicker than pancake batter but thinner than bread dough.

Add the fish. Mix. I poured it all into a bowl at this stage to quicken the cooling. Set aside. You can cover if you want. I'm not going to let it sit that long.

With two spoons, form egg shapes or rugby ball shapes. drop in flour to LIGHTLY coat. Drop in beaten egg and dredge in bread crumbs. Set aside. When you're down cool the lot in the fridge until you're ready to fry. I made my own breadcrumbs by toasting 3 slices of bread and quickly blitzing in a food processor. 3 slices was perfect.

This made about 16 tT sized croquetas. NEXT time I will use less milk - bechamel so the fish to filling ratio is higher and makes less croquettes. Oh well, cook and learn.

Fry in some shallow oil on medium high. Don't crowd the pan if you've left them in the fridge. The cold with lower the temperature of the oil. I did 4 at a time.

We had a simple mixed green salad on the side with Balsamic, Tarragon mustard and White wine vinagre dressing. For dipping we had some (totally not authentic, spanish-wise) tapenade, salsa and guacamole.

YUMMO! Four a piece is fine. Believe me.

Jan 14th - Café Barcelona - Vancouver

(Photos were take with the cell phone.)Last minute audible from D. He reminded me that we had thought about seeing a movie at the Vancity theatre called the "Yes Men Fix the World". Vancity is great for indie films, documentary, and foreign films. Vancity is not so great on member management and junk email. I get so many notices for updates that I've stopped reading them. As well, I've had to buy 3 memberships over the last year because of various events and their lack of ability to merge their emailing list with any other system or even paper printout. Grrrr

Anyhoo, I was supposed to make Spinach and Goat Cheese soufflee but the movie was at 815 so we decided to eat downtown after the gym. I also hadn't planned for that so found myself trying to towel off in the shower with my facecloth.
I chose the Barcelona Café because I pass it all the time on my way home. They had a Vespa parked out front when they first opened. It reminded me of the 2 years lived in Barcelona where people park their scooters everywhere there is space.

It's the closest Spanish Tapa and Pinxo joint to authetico that I've been to here in Vancouver and I've tried a few. I lived in Barcelona for two years and travelled all over. I lived in San Sebastien for work for a few months as well and I have a pretty staunch view on authenticty but I'll temper my review. I was telling D that when I was living in Spain, it was really hard to get real Indian or Thai because they had to 'cool' down their spices for the Spanish tongue. Contrary to popular belief, spaniards don't like spice. They think black pepper is spicy. You won't often find a pepper shaker on tables in restaurants. But I we thought, Vancouver is more diverse so they should stay true to their style and there was one dish which I was disappointed that they had to 'westernise'.

Spaniards are extremely proud of their cuisine. It is firmly part of their identity. They believe their food to be the best in the world. Now, you might find that said by other cultures but I've not seen it so universally believed as I had for Spain. The only other would be, perhaps, Italy but they'd still come second to how unanimous they are on this to a point it seems 'closed minded'. I suppose it might come from post Franco/fascist sense of national pride. All good. For me, it took a little bit of adjusting. I was not accustomed to the amount of olive oil used and the lack of rice or other starch on the plate as a default. I like spice. I did miss the spice but as I started to make my own spanish food, I made the appropriate adjustments :-D

I took one look at the menu and I knew right away that this place had potential. Don't get me wrong. I like Bin941, Cobre and Sanafir. I'm not as big a fan of places serving overpriced small portions under the banner of tapas like Uva. The menu is very straight forward, simple and mouthwatering just on a quick read.

The menu was split into sections for Tapas Cold/Hot and Pinxos (pronounced PINCHOS, basque or catalan use of "X"), then salads and desserts. There are tapas or 'raciones' are small plates. They are roughly the size of an appetizer. There are also cold or hot Pinxos which are the equivalent of a large amuse bouche or hors d'oeuve. Then the simple green salads and desserts. The prices were exceptionally reminiscent of Spain, 3-9$ for a Tapa and 3-4$ for a Pinxo.

When I say authentic I mean it reminded me of Barcelona where bars, and tapas bars abound. They're not necessarily posh sit down restaurants. This is like one of those though their decor is slight more upscale. There was a lovely flamenco guitar cd playing. Perfect.

We started with the white anchovies in vinagre, "Boquerones en Vinagre". They're traditionally a type of ceviche with small white anchovies but unlike the typical anchovies these have not been cured in salt so they are not salty. They were yum. We then ordered the classic "Patatas Bravas", potatoes with Aioli and Tomato sauce. Actually, it's not typically tomato sauce. It's normally hot sauce. I was luke warm on their rendition of this dish. The potatoes looked like they had potential but the tomato sauce made them soggy. The tomato sauce was more like tomato puree so there was too much water. As well, the aioli was on the side. Weird. A purist serves, piping hot crispy potatoes covered in aioli with a the 'red slightly spicy sauce' on top. It's one of the rare slightly spicy things in the spanish repetoire. I'm okay with them because you gotta have patatas bravas if you're going to a real Cantina.

Next we had the Octopus, "Pulpo". It wasn't quite the same but it tasted the same. Pulpo is octopus and NOT squid or calamari. When you order this type of pulpo in spain, you get toonie sized coin slices of the tentacles. It is very spongy. I'm actually not a big fan but the use of olive oil and paprika on this dish is yum. This however, I suspect, used purple squid or smaller octopus because they were sections of the tentacles which were, as you can see, very small. So they were chewy instead of spongy. This was a very nice dish.

We of course had Pan con Tomate, bread with tomato. It's a standard as well. This was altered as well and unlike the patatas, where it was a chef's take on the dish, this was just completely untraditional. Though, I have to admit, it tasted like I remember and even slightly fresher. The 'real' pan con tomate is a large broad slice of a round loaf. It is rubbed with garlic then you take ripe tomatoes cut in half and rub its 'guts' into the bread, really rubbed in. The 'meat' of the tomato is tossed. Then you drizzle the bread with nice olive oil. In this case, they did a 'bruscetta' style pan which I think was an attempt to satsify the local vancouverites who lurve their bruscetta. I am so tired of bruscetta. Didn't it go out with quiche yet? BUT BUT like I said it tasted very nice. They used sliced baguettes topped with chopped tomato 'guts' and olive oil. Their oil was really nice.

Those were the standards. On top of those we had some pinxos which are one hors d'oeuvre served on a slice of baguette. In Spain, you'd eat as you want from the counter and keep the toothpicks and you'd be charged for the count. MMMMM Though unnecessary, they still served with a toothpick. I liked it. We had the Txorra, sausage which D really liked and later asked for the source. Ask me. We also tried the Anchovy with goatcheese and piquillo pepper. Then finished with the Blue Cheese Mousse. The last was very 'modern' but very nice.

I will also add that I wish they had more spanish wine on the list. The best one on there was the Thelmo Basa. A nice bright white. Try the Crema Catalana, a slightly nutty creme brulee. They also have sangria specials and entertainment on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

I will go back!

Cost: $$ - $$$
Ambience: Cozy
Staff: Very friendly and warm
Location: Right downtown and close to shows and clubs
Cleanliness: Newly established

YUMMO!



Café Barcelona
www.cafebarcelona.ca
1049 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1L4
(778) 885-5522

Saturday, July 25th - Tortilla de Patates (omlette) and Sweet Onion Tart

Spanish Omlette - Tortilla de Patatas with Tomato Salad

Sweet Onion Tart w Anchovies and Olives

Photos only to start :-D

Friday, July 24th - Seafood Fideu

Photo to start :-D

Mussel and Clam Seafood Fideu

Saturday May 9th - Pancake Puffs and Prawns...not together

My adapted for puffs Low Fat GOLDEN fluffy pancake batter

1/3 c whole wheat flour
1/3 c unbleached flour
1 c milk
1 egg white
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1 T oil
melted butter

Sift all dry ingredients in a bowl.

Beat egg white until medium stiff.

Add oil and milk to dries and mix until until just moistened. Do not over mix or you'll make them chewy.

Fold in the egg white foam. You can be as gentle as you want. I wasn't because I was hungry. If you have time, you can let this rest for a few minutes. Like I said, I was hungry.

Place your cast iron pancake puff pan on medium heat. When it is hot, brush with melted butter. Pour batter to fill 2/3 of the way. (or more if you want them bigger)

You'll see them bubble like normal and pull away from the cup. This will take a few minutes. If they're brown all over, evenly, your heat may be up too high. Turn them over with a skewer or small knife.

Serve with sliced strawberries and maple syrup.... and chocolate cashew spread, if you're like that :-D
For lunch, we headed down to Granville Fishermen's pier. It's on the seawall just west of Granville Island. It was the 3rd annual... or something... pretty sure it's 3rd or 4th, I went to the first a few years ago. Much more low key and free then. ANNUAL BC SPOT PRAWN FESTIVAL.

BC SPOTTED PRAWNS are quite a bit different from your typical prawns and king prawns. The body is much meatier, cylindrical, and quite large. They're delicate and sweeter as well. Also they don't seem to shrink as much when they're cooked. Interesting as well, is that they are pink when they're raw and not grey. They're a very sustainable and eco friendly species with a rapid developmental cycle. The season is very short, a few months only. As well, unfortunately, a bulk of the spot prawns are sold to Japan. Grrrrr. Leaving fewer to the average consumer in BC.

The festival is the kickoff to the fishing season of the prawns and all the local area top Chef's participate. There were two sessions and we went to the first. There were ten chefs/restaurants representing: TOJO's, Bin941, Hyatt's, Blue Water Cafe, Fuel, Bishop's, PearTree, the Met, and Elixir.

Table 1:
I had Tojo's Spicy spot Prawn salad topped with spicy sauce and bonita flakes
D had Bin 941 crispy Prawn head with poached spot prawn, ebi mayo with watermelon

Table 2:
we both had Bishop's spotted prawn with kale buds and metchosin flour gnocci and rhubarb gastrique
missed Pear Tree and they didn't indicate their dish

Table 3:
we both had the Hyatt Regency Spot Prawn fondue ravioli with spot prawn bisque
missed the C restaurant poached spot prawn with North Arm beetroot with tarragon mayonnaise

Table 4:
I had the Fuel restaurant spot Prawn boil
D had the Diva at the Met Wild Nettle Veloute with spot prawn ceviche relish

Table 5:
I had Blue Water Cafe Sesame spot Prawn with Edamame puree (yummmmo) and sake yuzu sauce
D had spot Prawn cocktail with grapefruit and truffle salade with artisan lemon granite.

Each portion was meant to have at least one prawn (and they're huge of course) and if you had the ravioli it was inside and on top :-D. Prospect Winery was there serving samples of 7 varietals of their wine. It was alright. The Pinot Grigio was perfect for that day. Bright and Sunny, redolent of papaya and tropical fruit. Sweeter than I expected or seek of a gris but for that lovely day out on the pier, it was great.

We walked over the the fisherman's pier to buy some spotted prawn (probably too many) and bought an albacore tuna loin for another day.

Came home in between activities and had a quick

Arugula and Strawberry Salad

Toss washed arugula leaves with sliced strawberries and diced avocado in a simple olive oil and balsamic vinegrette. YMMMM

Later, D had a hummous craving. See recipe in Feb 1st, Super Bowl Sunday.

Dinner was a favourite of mine, PAELLA.
MY Spotted Prawn with English Pea and Roasted Red Pepper PAELLA

for 4 - 6 people

2 cups (had half a cup if this is for 6) bomba short grain rice or high quality short grain white rice. or (arborio but there are adjustments for risotto rice, you'll need more liquid and at least 15-20 minutes more time)
1 cup onion chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 cup of fresh peas (i bought english peas in the market and shucked them. Far fresher and sweeter. advice though, don't pick up the pre bag if you can. take the time and pick ones you can feel have peas in them. I had at least 40% of mine with peas that were only a sunflower seed sized)
2 large roasted red peppers sliced. (as I've mentioned before in the redpepper dip from last Friday, you can use good quality Italian/Spanish jarred ones in a pinch)
1.5-2lbs FRESH spotted prawns.
Add another 1/2 lb firm white flesh white fish if you want, I didn't this time.
2 l veggie or fish stock.... I used lobster stock homemade from a lobster dinner months ago.
Few springs of oregano fresh
1 t saffron
1 envelope Paella spices from a Spanish specialty store. Pick one that has low salt and I insist you have one that says AZAFRAN listed as an ingredient. Using the spice pack says to use water and not stock but I don't risk that lack of flavour. Otherwise, a good stock, fresh herbs and your own saffron is a preferable alternative. I mean really using the envelope says to only add water but I add stock, saffron and good coarse salt and fresh pepper and could have left it out. It's just a comfort thing for me. I brought it back from my last visit to Barcelona. Ive seen it in shops on Commercial since. I'm fairly certain I saw it in Trader Joe's.

Ingredients easy peasy right. It is but requires attention and patience. It's fun though.

Bring the stock to a boil with the saffron in a small sauce pan and reduce to a bare simmer and have too hand.

Chop and ready all your ingredients. Rinse the prawns thoroughly.

In a large 18-20" paella pan add olive oil and on medium heat sautee the onions. Stir until soft, a few minutes. Salt and Pepper. Add the rice and probably a bit more olive oil. Make sure all the rice is coated and glistening. Stir until starts to smell nutty. A couple of minutes. If your pajn is too big for your element, you'll want to move it around. Add a splash, 1/2 cup of white wine, nothing sweet (optional)

Add enough stock until all the rice is covered. Reduce heat. Stir to mix but don't over stir. This sounds like risotto yes. YOu can add all the stock at once if you like right away. I like to maintatin the heat and don't want to 'boil' the veggies. About half way along, say 20 minutes, add the peas and the red peppers. When you're about 10 minutes away or about 30-35 minutes along, add the prawns to the top add some water if you're out of stock. LEAVE THE SHELLS ON. LEAVE THE HEADS ON. ALL OF IT ADDS FLAVOUR. Salt and Pepper, cover with foil or a wok that's big enough if you have it. Turn up the heat to just above medium. 10-15 minutes. I like to let it rest with the heat off, on the element for another 10, particularly if the game is still on and you're waiting for an intermission.

THIS DISH WAS FABULOUS. Seriously lick your fingers GOOD. We had a great spanish wine with it, Ramos-Paul 2004 red blend. Yumm perfect for Spanish BC blend meal. So decadenet really because you'd normally only have a handful of prawn. The traditional has rabbit and chicken and sausage, all things I can't take the taste of. So I like seafood only ones that I can control the ingredients. ACTUALLY in spain, there are far more varieties of paella then people know here and we all do the typical mariscos one. There is a valencian one with only squid that's awesome and that's the home of paella.

We saved the prawn shells and heads for stock.