Newsletter September 4, 2002

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Lydia Jensen, Editor: Lydiajj@get2netdk

Lars Jensen, Webmaster/Publisher: Lars@Eclecticcooking.com

www.eclecticcooking.com/CookingRecipes.htm

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=> Cook book review; My Kitchen in Spain

=> Article; Ready for School?

=> New Recipes of the Week

=> Hot Tip

=> Drinks bar

=> Joke/Story of the Week

=> Next week's Issue

=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Writer

=> Subscribe information

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We have another recipe for you from the cookbook My Kitchen in Spain - 225

Authentic Regional Recipes, by Janet Mendel

From the sun-drenched Spanish countryside to the seaside villages to the bustling

citytapa bars, one thing unites all of Spain: its varied and satisfying food. In this

Mediterranean land of beauty and bounty, good food is a pleasure everyone shares.

Spanish cuisine has flourished for centuries, inspired by luscious fruits and

vegetables, fresh seafood and game, artisanal cheeses, cured meats, and renowned

local wines. The influence of North African spices adds variety and unique flavors

to the diverse cooking of this fascinating country.

My Kitchen in Spain celebrates the rich flavors and regional traditions of Spanish

cooking. Janet Mendel has made her home in Spain for more than thirty years,

collecting recipes from friends and neighbors, housewives and Sherry barons, olive

farmers and restaurant chefs. From the far western province of Extremadura to the

Moorish towns of Seville and Granada to the world-famous Basque region in the

north, Janet Mendel discovers and chronicles the tastes and techniques of this

remarkable country. Now experience the authentic flavors of Spain with favorites

both classic and contemporary: Almond Gazpacho with Grapes, Sea Bass in Saffron

Sauce, Fiesta Paella with Chicken and Shellfish. With a comprehensive chapter on

tapas, Spain's enticing "little dishes," and 225 tempting recipes -- for every course from

soup to dessert -- My Kitchen in Spain will bring the food delights of Spain home to

your table.

Fiesta Paella with Chicken and Shellfish

Paella con Pollo y Mariscos

A romería is a pilgrimage to a country shrine, a grand occasion for a fiesta with

singingand dancing and paella cooked outdoors. In the fall there is a romería on the banks

ofthe river that cuts through the valley below me. A parade of riders on horseback and

decorated carts pulled by oxen or tractors leaves from town to arrive at the riverside

to claim campsites for the day. Elegant horsemen with women in traje flamenco, flouncy,

ruffled flamenco dresses mounted behind them, parade their horses around the area.

Among the trees, where children run and play, family groups get their fires burning

brightly to make big paellas. The men do the cooking, while the women unpack food

to nibble on while the rice cooks. Croquettes, olives, potato omelets, sliced ham, and

sausage are spread out on a folding table. There's plenty of wine, cold beer, and soft

drinks for the children. After the feasting, some take up their guitars and singers and

dancers gather to clap and stomp and twirl. The fiesta is in full swing!

Paella in southern Spain, where I live, usually contains chicken or rabbit plus shrimp,

mussels, and squid. The top is gaily garnished with strips of red pimiento, green peas,

and pink shrimp. Real fiesta food.

With paella, you want a happy wine. Serve a young red (tinto joven) or chilled rosé

(rosado).

12 mussels, scrubbed

1 pound jumbo shrimp

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 pounds chicken legs and breasts, cut into small pieces

4 ounces pork, cut into 1-inch cubes

12 ounces squid, cleaned and cut into rings

1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed, or parboiled fava beans

2 small artichokes, quartered and parboiled (optional)

4 cups chicken broth or water

2 cups Spanish medium-short-grain rice

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed

1/2 teaspoon pimentón

4 drops yellow food coloring in 2 tablespoons water

Freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1 canned red pimiento, drained and cut into strips

1/2 lemon, for garnish

Place the mussels in a pan with 1/4 cup water. Cover the pan and cook over a hot fire,

shaking the pan until the mussel shells open, 3 to 4 minutes. Discard the empty half

shells of the mussels. Strain the liquid and reserve it.

Cook 4 to 5 unpeeled shrimp in boiling water to cover for 1 minute. Reserve them and

add the liquid to the mussel liquid. Shell the remaining shrimp and set them aside. (If you

are preparing a broth in which to cook the rice, the shrimp shells can be boiled with the

bony backs and wings of the chicken. Add the mussel and shrimp liquid to the broth

or water.)

Heat the oil in a 14-inch paella pan over medium heat. Sauté the chicken and pork

untilthey are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the squid and continue sautéing 5

minutes more.

Add the green pepper and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more. Add the tomato and

increasethe heat so it quickly loses its liquid. Stir in the peeled shrimp, peas, and

artichokes, if using, and sauté 5 minutes more.

Pour in the 4 cups broth or water and turn up the heat to high. When the liquid is boiling,

add the rice. Combine the saffron, pimentón, and food coloring. Dribble this into the pan.

Add the black pepper, bay leaf, and salt (if the broth was salted, less will be needed). Stir

to distribute all the ingredients. Cook over high heat for 5 minutes.

Lower the heat so liquid is barely simmering, and cook for 10 minutes more. Do not stir

the paella. Arrange the mussels and cooked shrimp on top of the rice. Garnish with strips

of pimiento.

Cook for 5 to 6 minutes more, until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed.

Let the paella set for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Place a half-lemon in the center or l

emon wedges around the edges. Many people like to add a squeeze of lemon to their

serving of paella.

Serves 4 to 5

Variation: Here's an alternative method for an 18-inch paella pan to serve 6 to 8. Increase

the quantity of rice to 3 cups; increase the liquid to 6 1/2 cups. Preheat the oven to

350 degrees F. Prepare the sofrito on top of the stove. Add the liquid to the paella pan and

bring to a boil. Add the rice and bring again to a boil. Very carefully place the pan in the

oven and bake for 20 minutes.

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Ready for School? By Tina Caldwell

Lunch is am important meal during the day. Whether you are young or old, you need

to eat. Your need for nutritious meals does not decrease in importance proportionate

to your age. The packed lunch, therefore, needs to be healthy and nutritious. Many

children do not automatically know what foods are good for them, so children could

be included in planning and preparing their lunches. You can teach your children to

assist you and give you ideas about what they like, how much they can eat and what

their friends have in their lunches. By including children when packing their lunches,

you can teach them how to plan and how to prepare a good lunch as well as teach

them good hygiene in the kitchen.

You need to plan a good lunch. If your time is limited, you might try to plan or prepare

the lunch while preparing the evening meal. Sometimes "planned-overs" are great for

lunches. Planning and preparing lunches with your children gives you quality time

together, gives children a positive attitude to lunches and encourages them to eat

healthy food. It is a good investment of time in your children’s future and good health.

A good lunch should include food that is, nutritious, satisfying, and tasty, It should be

wrapped so it will fit into the school bag easily.

Try to include a piece of fruit in your child’s lunch and limit the fat content of the

sandwich or salad. Prepare a good meal to provide energy.

A lunch includes two functions. It can provide a snack and a main meal. It is important

to provide lunches which your children will eat and which they can eat during the time

allotted to them. Snacks are important as they, too, provide the energy children need

during the long school day. If your child does not eat much, it is important that you

think about how much nutrition you are providing your child.

Do not forget a dessert. Fruits and breads which contain fruit, spice or nuts are both

tasty and nutritious. If possible, wrap the lunch and put it in a box or other container. If

you have containers in various sizes, it is easy to put the "planned overs" in them after

dinner or in the evening to reduce the hectic schedule in the morning. Salads, fruit, or

breads can be wrapped and still look good when children open their lunch boxes. You

can prepare the lunch the evening and keep it in the refrigerator over night if it is

wrapped and in a container ready for the school bag. Do not forget the napkins and

straws for small drinks, as well as plastic spoons and/or forks and knives when

necessary.

Some of our recipes this week can be made ahead of time and placed in the freezer. If

you make some of the breads, you can let them cool, slice them and place them in

freezer bags before freezing them. The rolls can also be frozen. It is better not to cut the

rolls before you put them in the freezer. Sometimes they dry out too fast when you defrost

them.

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Article:

Ready for School? By Tina Caldwell

Recipes:

Coconut Bread

Lazy Bun

Spice Cake

Carrot Rolls

Walnut Rolls

For this week's edition, you may visit:

www.eclecticcooking.com/CookingRecipes.htm

This week's recipes:

http://www.eclecticcooking.com/whatnew.htm

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Try a vanilla ice-cream mixed with a little rum (or rum flavoring), marinated raisins

(marinated in rum or fruit juice) chopped dark chocolate is a nice, easy dessert.

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Nectar Punch

2 (12-ounce) cans apricot nectar

1 (6-ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed and undiluted

1-1/2 cups water

1 (12-ounce) bottle club soda, chilled

Combine first 3 ingredients. Just before serving, stir in club soda. Serve over ice.

Yields 1-1/2 quarts.

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http://eclectic-healthy-cooking.subportal.com/health/

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A cockroach will live 9 days without its head before it starves to death. (YUK!!)

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Article: Menu Planning

Recipes: More Ideas for School Lunches

Mini Pizzas

Nut Bread Butter

Sandwich Butter

Tuna Salad Filling

Cottage Cheese with Strawberry Topping

Pasta Salad

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Copyright 2002 Eclectic Cooking

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