Cabrito, what to do with a baby goat?

Cabrito, en vacio

Paella, the basics

Can you smell it?

Paella, what is it all about?

Sure, I thought I knew how to make a paella. That was back in the old days, living in Orlando, fresh out of culinary school with issued recipe in hand. I even rewrote that faithful diction down in my bible of need to know recipes. Then, in 2002, I went to Valencia and was treated to a true 'campo' paella...at a family's out of the city chill out spot. Amazing...this huge pan with rabbit, vegetables and that ever present Nora pepper in some form or another. Then, on subsequent visits there came the restaurant visits, at the beach or in the mountains. But it was not until I started working over here did I make my first one at home....which are always the best. First at Monastrell and then at Senzone did I learn to make and then get good at making them. Nothing beats a Sunday paella!!!!

finally some peace and quiet at work

arrived today and it was sooooo quiet. A big change from the last couple of weeks. Tonight I started a veal glace, called either fondo or jugo de carne here. Some big bones today, roasted'em up real nice in the oven, leeks, celery, onions....no carrots used in this one, even though that is what I prefer. Also simmered with champinones, tomate, and shallotas after the initial straining of the bones. On the last go around its infused with rosemary and thyme.

Roscón de Reyes

Yesterday was my first Reyes, or Kings day here in Spain.....so Mette and I got a Roscón de Reyes, a special cake for the day. Inside there were three surprises, a king figurine which Mette found, making here king for the day :-), and I found the dried haba, meaning that I had to pay for the cake :-(. The other surprise was truely a surprise, a little Maggie Simpson figurine. Good cake, dipped in hot chocolate....I like some of these spanish traditions. The night before there was a huge parade in the city, on Alfonso el Sabio; unfortunately I decided to go to El Corte Ingles and got caught on the other side of the city for over an hour, trying to find a place to cross and get back home. The parade had a lot of floats with kids on them, throwing candy and small toys out to the thousands of people lining the street.
Now, we are enjoying a pleasant 3 day weekend at home together, after a long holiday 10 day seguido work week. Things should slow down a bit now, but we are also in for some interesting changes at the hotel next month, when Carmen the exec chef is going out on maternity leave for 4 months.

another day of prep for noche vieja

Another day at the restaurant, everything is really falling into place for me there. It is the days after christmas, leading up to holy kings with new years eve in the middle. My first in spain. Now at work we are getting good business in the gastronomic restaurant, and every day the chef Carmen leaves me a healthy list of things to do for the dinner on noche vieja. Today it was to cook the cabrito (yes more) that my assistant, gloria, deboned and vaccumed up for me today. I also started some kind of weird stock that carmen asked me to do....the same recipe for jugo de carne (or glace de viande as I know it) but instead of animal bones, I was to use the rodaballo carcasses from the day. Hmmm a 24 hour stock with fish bones that is something new to me, but i am not one to judge before seeing what the heck she wants to do with that. I also started a cabrito stock as well. It seems I've asserted myself as the saucier there, which is fine with me cause I like to make that stuff. Care.