Why can't we be friends: Paella
Can you guess where I am?—cool, misty morning with low-lying fog, clearing in the afternoon. It's Tacoma, baby! I just missed the all-time, sweat producing, dog panting, makeup smearing, record high temperatures in LA—113 in downtown LA, 103 in Santa Monica and Malibu (those poor, hot stars), and an unheard of 98 in perfect San Diego. Stepping out of the airport yesterday I felt like I was in Nebraska or South Carolina—warm and muggy—what's up, Puget Sound?
Anyways, today feels more like home, Whenever I come back, however, I am surprised how much noisier it is at 5th and D than it is at Sierra Bonita off Pico. Here we have the rattle of the 501 garage door, the September sounds of the some wheat silo thingy at the port of Tacoma, the continual thunk thunk thunking of an anonymous piledriver, the grinding of the Stadium schoolbuses rounding the corner, the racketing of the daily garbage/recycle trucks, the perpetual drill and hammer of some rich neighbor's work crew, and, oh yes, the inevitable barking dogs. Could be because we're at the top of the hill—does sound carry up?
Bob's PIcFair neighborhood is a mid-city, densely populated, blue collar (if such a thing still exists), distantly affordable, area just off a six lane, thickly traveled, east-to-west side street that runs from Santa Monica to East LA. Not the kind of environment that would spring to mind as quiet. But it is. Aside from the occasional brain-numbing throb of a too-expensive car stereo, Sierra Bonita is peaceful. Bob's little studio sits directly behind his landlord's house, Kate, the 40ish actress who plays 30 and lives with Roger the cat, lives directly over the fence, and I could reach out and touch each unknown side and back neighbor. To the south are blocks and blocks of LA-style apartments—square, stucco, two-story, ten to twenty unit—apartments with few vacancy signs.
I think, in highly populated areas, most people want privacy and quiet when they exit the freeway and turn off the car. In most of LA, front yards are seldom landscaped to attract attention. Instead, the front is the public side and shows little of the lives lived behind the walls or fences. Everything happens behind the curtain—the pool, the cabana, the fountain, the patio, the green grass, and the flowers. Bob's patio is about eight feet by eight feet, surrounded by ten foot fences or hedges, and without a peephole or crack affording a glimpse inside. The neighbors must wear headphones as I seldom hear loud music. Even cell phone talkers take their calls inside, in private.
Gives me some hope, as the temperate parts of the world become more heavily populated, that people can adjust, live shoulder-to-shoulder, and just all get along. And in that spirit of togetherness, lets all make paella. Here's an seemingly doable version from the Wall Street Journal.
Paella (WSJ) Serves 6
- 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 large, ripe tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sweet pimentón de la Vera (Spanish smoked paprika)
- ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
- 1½ pounds chicken thighs,
- preferably boneless and skinless, chopped into bite-size pieces
- Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
- ½ pound shiitake, portobello, cremini and oyster, cut into large dice
- 4½ cups chicken stock
- ½ cup dry sherry
- 2 cups Calrose rice
- 10 blanched almonds, ideally
- Marcona
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ bunch of Italian parsley
- ½ cup frozen peas
1. Slice tomatoes in half, and grate each on a box grater over a bowl. Discard skins; set pulp aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Lightly season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and brown on both sides until deep golden. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
3. Fry mushrooms until browned in oil and chicken fat. Set aside.
4. Set 18-inch paella pan over two burners at high heat on the stove top, and heat 1/3 cup olive oil. Add tomato pulp and cook until darkened, about 5 minutes. Add paprika and saffron, and cook for about 1 minute. Add chicken pieces and mushrooms; add sherry and cook until evaporated. Add chicken stock; bring to a boil.
5. In a food processor or mortar, puree parsley, garlic and almonds, with a tablespoon or two of water until smooth and stir into pan.
6. Sprinkle rice across the pan and stir until the grains are submerged, then don't stir again. Cook on high heat for 10 minutes, rotating the pan on the two burners to distribute heat. Using a small spoon, test rice and stock and add salt as needed. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking for 6 minutes. Test rice again. If it is still hard, continue cooking for 2-4 more minutes.
7. In the final 2 minutes, sprinkle frozen peas over the top and return heat to medium-high, listening for a crackling sound to ensure the bottom is toasting but not burning. Remove from heat, cover with paper towels and let sit for 5 minutes.
8. Use a metal spoon to scrape toasted rice from bottom of pan and serve
Cute video!
Love the paella recipe, thanks so much.
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