https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/84137/easy-paella/
When people think of Spanish food, one of the first things that comes to mind is paella. This medley of herbs, spices, seafood, and meat served with rice seems to be what everyone thinks of when they think of Spanish cuisine. I’ve always known I am Spanish, it’s not some huge secret that got revealed when I looked my Grandpa up on ancestry.com, but for some reason, I had no idea what paella was until I learned about popular cuisines from the Hispanic world in my sophomore year Spanish class. Growing up all of my friends were at least 75% Italian, so I was mostly only exposed to Italian cuisine in my daily life.
I was talking to my Grandma when she came over for my paella dinner about how I had never had it before. She told me I had, and I was very confused. A popular dish in my family is chicken and rice. Well, chicken, rice, and tomato soup all thrown together in a pot. She told me that my Grandpa used to make this chicken with rice dish as a sort of discount paella. The origin of the dish is paella, but over the years it has morphed into a dish my family knows and loves as chicken and rice.
Ever since I found out what paella is, I have wanted to truly discover who I am and where I come from, and what better way to connect with my roots than through food! I had been wanting to make paella for years, so when quarantine started and I was trapped in my house I finally decided to give it a shot. The first time I made it with shrimp, as the recipe calls for, but the second two times I made it without shrimp because my Grandma is allergic to seafood. I also do not use red bell pepper because my mom does not like it. One thing that I think is really important when you prepare paella is that you pour the contents of the meat pan over the rice when everything’s done cooking. This allows for the flavors to really blend. Another important tip I wish I had known before I made it for the first time is to have all your ingredients out and ready before you start cooking. When I first made paella, I was rushing to get all the chorizo out of its casing because the chicken was already cooking. My chicken ended up being overcooked because I was not prepared.
This is such a heart-warming story! I feel like we are finally at the age where we understand the significance of our family history, at least this is how I feel. It’s nice to know others are feeling the same way! You’re so lucky you still have your grandmother around to learn from otherwise you never would have known!
Holly, I love that you were able to learn more about your own heritage and through something so amazing as food! I look forward to learning more about your discovery of your family’s past and more great dishes that I can’t wait to try myself.
I like the fact that you have used the passion blog to explore your culture even more in-depth. I am so interested to learn more about you, your family, and your cultural background through food.