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Spanish Food – The Perfect Paella

Looking for a traditional Spanish recipe? Without doubt, the best-known is going to be the prodigious paella … that tasty, adaptable, gregarious dish famed throughout Spain and the World.

And, what an impressive choice of recipes exist for a pleasurable paella: seafood, chicken, rabbit … or a mixture of all three! Perhaps you are non-meat eating … well, just opt for one of the several vegetarian paella recipes. Bit of a health fanatic? Then substitute white rice for whole-grain rice or wild rice.

Got a large family and not much money to feed them on? Use plenty of rice and imagination along with a tasty stock, plus whatever you can find in the cupboard! I have certainly enjoyed many paellas where there have been more bones/shells than meat/ seafood! And, very tasty they have been too, the richness of the company more than compensating for any paucity in the ingrediants.

So … how do you go about making the perfect paella? First of all, you need to choose your rice. The short-grained rice from Valencia – where most Spanish rice originates – is fine for making paellas. However, the “bomba” rice grown in the neighboring region of Murcia, is the “king” of paella rice: again, short-grained, it has the ability to absorb the stock whilst remaining firm.

Another “must” is to use saffron (“azafrán”) to create the gentle, yellow color for which this delectable dish is renowned. Yes, it is possible to buy cheaper, artificial colorings but … go for the traditional – it will bestow a wonderful aroma and unique flavor.

Many Spaniards swear a perfect paella can only be achieved when using a tasty, home-made stock. Whatever you decide, allow at least double the amount of liquid to rice. If, during cooking, the dish becomes a little dry, just add a dash more water or stock.

Another tip I have been told, on more than one occasion, is to gently fry the rice for a few minutes before adding the stock, ensuring that it is well-coated in oil. I think all Spaniards would agree that, once cooked, it is best to leave your paella to stand for a good five minutes before serving.

Perhaps the most important ingrediant for making that perfect paella, is to use lashings and lashings of love whilst preparing it – for surely, that is something we can all afford – and to enjoy to the full the marvellous company of those who will share it with you.

I shall now have to choose a paella recipe to offer you as an example! I think I will opt for a seafood paella, typical of the region of Valencia, where I live. The ingrediants are for a hearty four servings. If you are not a hefty eater, or on a diet, then reduce the amount of rice/stock slightly.

Paella Valenciana – Paella From Valencia

Ingrediants:

- 4 cups rice. – 8 cups fish stock. – 8 king-sized prawns/langoustines. – 8 mussels. – 200 gr shrimps. – 200 gr peas (fresh or frozen). – 2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped. – 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced. – 3 strands saffron, crumbled. – Olive oil for frying.

Method:

1. Sauté garlic in a paella-type pan.

2. Add tomatoes, peas, shrimps and saffron.

3. Cook for a few minutes.

4. Add rice and stock.

5. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

6. Decorate with prawns and mussels.

7. Cover paella with a lid.

8. Poach the seafood for a few minutes.

9. Decorate paella with lemon quarters.

10. Enjoy!

About the Author

Linda Plummer is English, and has lived on the Costa Blanca in Spain for 20 years. She is webmistress of the information- rich site: http://www.top-tour-of-spain.com with its FREE monthly newsletter, “The Magic of Spain”.

Spanish Food – The Perfect Paella by Linda Plummer

Spanish Food – The Tasty Tortilla

It certainly is a poor man or woman who cannot find a few eggs, a couple of potatoes and an onion in their store cupboard!

The ever-practical Spaniard realized this and thus created their marvellous “tortilla” – an easy-to-make dish that could be savoured by rich and poor alike.

Not only cheap to make the tortilla, or Spanish omelette, is immensely adaptable: you can eat it hot or cold, depending on the weather and your mood; you can enjoy a small slice as a “tapa” (snack) in between meals; or, accompanied by a multi- coloured mixed salad and crusty, fresh Spanish bread, you have a marvellous main meal!

Should unexpected guests come knocking at your door … just whip out the ever-adaptable tortilla, pour them a glass of smooth, Spanish wine and they are bound to be delighted!

Unlike the better-known French omelette, which should be made quickly and over a high heat, the Spanish omelette needs to be cooked more gently, so that the middle is not too runny.

The French omelette is best eaten straight away and always hot. Its Spanish counterpart, on the other hand, improves if left to rest for at least five minutes before eating, keeps well for a couple of days in the fridge, and can easily be re-heated in the microwave, unless you prefer it cold.

As with the French omelette, the Spanish tortilla is made in a frying pan (preferably non-stick) but, unlike the French version, both sides need to be browned. For this reason, it is possible to buy special tortilla frying pans – a sort of double pan which allows you to swish the omelette over to cook the other side!

I have to say, I prefer the traditional method of placing a plate on top of the pan, turning the tortilla out and then returning to the pan to cook the underside. But the simplest method is to place the frying pan under the grill to brown.

Whichever way you choose to prepare it, once cooked, leave it to cool a little, cover with a large plate, then gently ease out the omelette. It should be circular, about an inch-and-a-half thick, and it is usual to cut it in slices or wedges.

Having said that, you can divide it into small cubes, pop cocktail sticks on top, and serve along with other “bits and pieces” as apéritifs.

Spanish recipes for tortilla vary from region to region – also what you have in the fridge and what you fancy! You can replace the potato with, say, spinach, leave out the onion, add a bit more garlic, etc, etc. Just use your imagination!

Below is a recipe for traditional potato-and-onion tortilla. TORTILLA – Spanish Omelette

Ingrediants:

Olive oil. 1 large onion, chopped. 1 clove garlic, crushed with 1 teaspoon salt. 2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and diced. Black pepper. 6 eggs, beaten.

Method:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan.

2. Add onion, garlic/salt, pepper and potatoes.

3. Gently fry until golden-brown and potatoes slightly softened.

4. Tip potato-and-onion mixture into bowl containing beaten eggs.

5. Stir and transfer to large frying pan containing clean oil.

6. Cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes.

7. Transfer pan to preheated hot grill until top is browned.

8. Carefully tip onto plate and slice as you would a cake.

About the Author

Linda Plummer is English and has lived on the Costa Blanca, Spain for 20 years. She is webmistress of the information-rich site http://www.top-tour-of-spain.com with its FREE monthly newsletter, “The Magic of Spain”.

Spanish Food – The Tasty Tortilla by Linda Plummer

Hotel Room Horror Story

Hotel Room Horror Story By David Leonhardt

Ever since I began working for that Florida vacation rentals website, I have been plagued by recurring nightmares. I am haunted at night by the spirits of hotel rooms past.

There was a time when I traveled quite a bit on business. Thankfully, I don’t hotels hop any more. But at night I float off to a hotel room far away in time…

The day’s work done, I phoned home to check up on the kids. It seems there was a shouting match going on in my absence. It sounded like Pandemonium was winning, but Total Bedlam was making some noise, too.

“Can you just quiet down a bit,” I said into the phone.

“YOU shut up,” I heard the man in the next room growl.

I chose to ignore him. “Come on guys. Can’t you just stop fighting for a minute?”

“I’ll show you what fighting means” I heard through the wall.

“Geeze. I can’t even here myself think,” I complained into the phone.

“Hey! I’ve had just about enough of you,” the guy on the other side of the wall screamed.

Suddenly I got very scared. I pictured a burly, six-foot-two weightlifter smashing his fist through the wall. I hung up the phone, wondering how thin the walls were.

Nothing happened. No fist. No smashed wall. No burly, six-foot-two weightlifter.

I decided to go downstairs for a stress-relief stroll. As I was closing my door, the man from the next room emerged.

Fortunately, he was no weightlifter.

I was about to ask him why he had shouted at me through the wall while I was trying to discipline my kids, when he called to me, “Hey you. I was on the phone with my wife. Why did you have to heckle me?”

All of a sudden, I knew how thin the walls were.

In fact, I discovered that hotel walls come in two thicknesses:

If you’re lucky, you get “Turn down the volume on your TV!” walls. If you are less fortunate, you get “Turn down the brightness on your TV!” walls.

Fortunately, hotel rooms are immaculately clean. It’s true. The sign says so. Just as long as you don’t look under the mattress to find a 1976 copy of Businessweek Magazine and theatre tickets to a 1982 showing of The Music Man.

I don’t know why hotels pretend to be so spotless. All that junk under the bed could be used as a marketing tool. “Stay at the Hilltop Hilton and join in our under-mattress-scavenger-hunt.”

If the hotels don’t catch on, sooner or later the motels will. They can turn anything into a sales pitch. Like, for example, “Color TV” (Ooooooohh.). And “Outdoor Pool” (I think the “outdoor” feature is a nice added touch, don’t you?) And how about “Free Parking” (which is really a way of saying, “You don’t have to park your car in your room.”).

What worries me most about hotels is what they keep in the drawers. Did you ever notice there is always a bible in the drawer? Why?

When you buy a car, there is no bible in the glove compartment, although the road is where you need prayers the most.

When you dig for the prize at the bottom of the Cracker Jack box, it’s never a bible.

Even in hospitals, where a prayer might be all you have left, there is no bible in the drawer.

Only in hotels and on death row do bibles come as standard equipment.

And why just the Bible? I have had plenty of spare time to search for Torahs and Korans in hotel rooms, and I have never found any. Do Jews and Muslims not stay in hotels? What do they know that I don’t?

Fortunately, I don’t have to stay in hotels anymore. I don’t have to endure shadow-puppet shows from the guy on the other side of the wall. I don’t have to keep from reading over his shoulder. I don’t have worry about what he ate for dinner.

And I don’t have to listen to his snoring. I can enjoy my own nightmares in peace.

About the Author

David Leonhardt publishes The Happy Guy humor column: http://www.thehappyguy.com/positive-thinking-free-ezine.html And A Daily Dose of Happiness: http://www.thehappyguy.com/daily-happiness-free-ezine.html He also writes personal growth articles: http://www.thehappyguy.com/self-actualization-articles.html And sells liquid vitamins: http://www.vitamin-supplements-store.net

Hotel Room Horror Story   by David Leonhardt

What is GPS and How Can It Be Used?

GPS
stands for Global Positioning System and was initially designed to be used by the U.S. military and is operated by the U.S. Defense Department. This system consists of 24 satellites, these satellites are 12,000 miles above us, are constantly moving in a precise orbit, have an atomic clock, and are solar powered. They do have a battery backup so they will continue to run in the event of a solar eclipse, and each satellites has a small rocket booster to maintain their orbit. The first satellite was launched in 1978 and it wasn’t until 1994 when there were a total of 24 satellites. Each satellite has a life expectancy of about 10 years, so new satellites are constantly being built and launched. Each satellite weighs about 2,000 pounds and is approximately 17 feet in width when the solar panels are extended. In the 1980s the GPS became available to the public, and although it is still maintain by the U.S. Defense Department there is no charge for its usage by the public.

These 24 satellites orbit the earth twice a day and continuously sends the location of the satellite. A GPS system can tell how far a satellite is away by comparing the time difference between the time a signal was transmitted and the time it was received, the longer it takes the signal to be received by a receiver, the farther away the satellite is. If a GPS is receiving signals from three satellites it can calculate latitude and longitude. Altitude can be determined if the GPS is receiving signals from four satellites.

GPS can be used for navigating your car through traffic day-to-day or tracking a fleet of vehicles. Not only can a driver use a GPS for directions the main office knows where that vehicle is and the speed of the vehicle. GPS can be used while on vacation for activities such as hiking, camping, or hunting. Is your passion fishing but get frustrated trying to find the fish? With a fish finder which uses both GPS technology and sonar you’ll know exactly where to go to find those fish. GPS technology is also being used as a way to track your pet if he wanders off or to safeguard a pet from being stolen.

Another use for GPS is as a child finder with a receiver in a child’s cell phone or wristwatch to ensure a child’s safety. It can be used in a teenager’s car in order to both know where they and how fast they are driving. This could also be used to keep track of someone who tends to ‘roam’ but is not capable enough to find there way back; i.e. someone with Alzheimer’s disease.

As GPS technology improves, it uses will increase. Who knows where it will take us next?

What is GPS and How Can It Be Used? / Angela Mary Carter

http://CartersGPS.com

 

Passionate About Riding

The Spanish Riding School or the Spanische Hofreitschule, which literally means – Imperial Court Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Austria, is a traditional riding school for Lipizzan horses. It was established during the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1572. It was named for the Spanish horses that were, and still are, the mainstay of the riding school. Today the horses are bred in a court stud in Lipica, near Trieste in nowadays Slovenia, and at the Piber Stud in western Styria, Austria.

The methods used by the Riding School, like those of the Cadre Noir, are based on the teachings of the French riding master François Robichon de la Guérinière. The standards are just as strict at the School as they were years ago. The young stallions are taught the basics first, then, as they strengthen, begin collected movements. They are then assessed to determine if they are suitable for the demanding ‘airs above the ground.’ The riders, too, are carefully schooled, working first without stirrups and reins on well-trained horses to teach a balanced and independent seat. Performances at the Spanish Riding School include individual and pas de deux – two horses at once displays, as well as a Grand Quadrille consisting of 16 horses working in formation at the walk, trot, and canter, including flying changes, piaffe, and passage work. All riders wear the traditional brown frock coat uniform with bicorne hats, and all horses wear red and gold saddle cloths.

It is regarded as the top of the classical art of riding, with skills and traditions dating back to Ancient Greece. The Spanish Riding School in Vienna is the only institution in the world where the classic equestrian skills (haute école) has been preserved and is still practiced in its original form. Many years of training fuse horse and rider into an inseparable unit. The audience is treated to an unforgettable experience by the precision of movement of the Lipizzan horses in perfect harmony with the music.

In the course of gala performances, visitors experience unique presentations of the Lipizzans in the most beautiful riding hall in the world, which was impressively outfitted by baroque architect Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach between 1729 and 1735. It was originally built to provide aristocratic youths with the opportunity to take riding instruction. Morning training with music gives a good impression into the training program of the White Stallions; the guided tours include visits to the stables.

A new program provides one with exclusive background information about the traditional training and education of the world famous white horses of the Spanish Riding School. For the first time in the history of the High School of Riding, one of the chief riders will explain personally how the horses are classically trained. One after the other one will encounter the steps horse and riders have to take in the course of their education, and how this life-long bond is formed and cultivated.

The visitors are enthralled by the world of the noble stallions and their riders. Man and horse have to brave years of intensive training to master the High School in absolute harmony and perfection. It is a pleasure to share in the stages that make an élève into a rider and a young horse into a school stallion of the Spanish Riding School.

Passionate About Riding / Anil Gupta

Anil Gupta recommends that you visit http://www.bookings.be/city/at/vienna.html?aid=305255 for more information on Vienna hotels.