Paella

Paella

Paella is a Valencian rice dish with ancient roots that originated in its modern form in the mid-19th century near Albufera lagoon on the east coast of Spain adjacent to the city of Valenica. The dish is widely regarded as Spain's national dish, as well as regional Valencain dish ; Calencians regard paella as one of their identifying symbols.
Types of Paella

• Vegetarian paella

• Seafood paella

• mixed paella

Valencian paella is believed to be the original recipe and consists of white rice, green beans, meats,white beans, snails and seasoning such as saffron and rosemary.Another very common but seasonal ingredient is artichoke. Seafood paella replaces meat with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables. Mixed paella is a free-style combination of land animals, seafood, vegetables, and sometimes beans. Most paella chefs use calasparra or bomba rices. All types of paellas use olive oil.

french fries

dessert

how to choose best beef

1. 1
   Familiarize yourself with the names of the various cuts of steak. There are steaks that come with bones and without. For example:
   

   • Fillet steak: the most expensive cut, often consumed when eating out as a treat. This cut does not have a bone. Also known as eye fillet steak; fine texture and most tender.
     
   • Sirloin: this cut is large in size and can include a bone or may be boneless. The fillet and thin minute steak form a part of the sirloin. It can also be termed a "contre-filet".
     
   • T-bone, Porterhouse steak: these contain a large bone. Also known as strip loin steak. Good barbecued or grilled.
     
   • Rump steak: the tender, lean cut. Taken from the upper part of the round (hindquarter). Great for barbecuing.
     
   • New York cut: Boneless strip loin steak.
     
     
     
   • Skirt steak: This piece comes from the inner thigh and is coarse-grained, lean and flavorsome. Best for stews and casseroles, requires slow cooking.
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2. 
   2
   Select your steak according to your taste. Do you prefer tender pieces or is a tougher texture fine for you? The more tender the steak, the higher the cost.
3. 
   3
   Ask your butcher about the background of the meat. If it has been hung prior to sale, it will be more tender. This is more likely to occur with a boutique butcher rather than a supermarket butcher. A good relationship with your butcher is very handy and will help teach you about the best types of meat, as well as having the opportunity for getting choice pieces of meat set aside for you!

beef

pasta culture

History of pasta: drying pasta toward the beginning of the 1900

19th century Maccaronaro selling pasta

Nothing says Italy like its food, and nothing says Italian food like pasta. Pasta is integrant part of Italy's food history Wherever Italians immigrated they have brought their pasta along,  so much so today it can be considered a staple of international cuisine. Unlike other ubiquitous Italian products like pizza and tomato sauce, which have a fairly recent history, pasta may have a much older pedigree, going back hundreds -if not thousands- of years. Unravelling the long and often complex history of this dish we have to look at its origins and some of the myths surrounding it. 

Many school children were taught that the Venetian merchant Marco Polo brought back pasta from his journeys to China (along with gelato, some believed...). Some may have also learnt that Polo's was not a discovery, but rather a rediscovery of a product once popular in Italy among the Etruscans and the Romans. Well, Marco Polo might have done amazing things on his journeys, but bringing pasta to Italy was not one of them: noodles were already there in Polo's time.

There is indeed evidence of an Etrusco-Roman noodle made from the same durum wheat used to produce modern pasta: it was called "lagane" (origin of the modern word for lasagna). However this type of food, first mentioned in the 1st century AD, was not boiled, as it is usually done today, but ovenbaked. Ancient lagane had some similarities with modern pasta, but cannot be considered quite the same. The country will have to wait a few centuries for its most popular dish to make a further culinary leap forward. 

pasta

different type of pasta

how to make pizza

What You Need

Ingredients 
1 pound pizza dough, store-bought or homemade
1/2 to 1 cup sauce: tomato sauce, white sauce, or other spread
2 to 3 cups other toppings: sautéed onions, sautéed mushrooms, pepperoni, cooked sausage, cooked bacon, diced peppers, leftover veggies, or any other favorite toppings
1 to 2 cups (8 to 16 ounces) cheese, shredded or sliced: mozzarella, Monterey Jack, provolone, fontina, or any other favorite.
Cornmeal or flour (optional)

Equipment
Pizza stone or baking sheet
Pizza peel or baking sheet
Parchment paper (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 550°F or higher: Don't be afraid to really crank the heat up to its highest setting. The high heat will help make a crunchier and more flavorful crust. Let the oven heat for at least half an hour before baking your pizzas. If you have a baking stone, place it in the lower-middle of your oven.

2. Divide the dough in half: One pound of dough makes two 10-inch pizzas. Slice the dough in half and cover one half with an upside-down bowl or a clean kitchen towel while you prepare the first pizza.

3. Roll out the dough:

Method #1: Pizza Baked on Parchment: Tear off a large piece of parchment paper roughly 12 inches wide. Working with one piece of the dough at a time, form it into a large disk with your hands and lay it on the parchment paper. Use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten the dough until it is 1/4-inch thick or less. If the dough starts to shrink back, let it rest for 5 minutes and then continue rolling.

Method #2: Pizza with Cornmeal or Flour and a Baking Stone: Sprinkle a handful of cornmeal or flour on a pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet. Working with one piece of the dough at a time, form it into a large disk with your hands and lay it on the peel. Use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten the dough until it is 1/4-inch thick or less. Shake the peel or baking sheet frequently as you shape to make sure the dough isn't sticking. If the dough starts to shrink back, let it rest for 5 minutes and then continue rolling.

Method #3: Pizza Baked on a Baking Sheet: Brush a thin film of olive oil on a baking sheet. Working with one piece of the dough at a time, form it into a large disk with your hands and lay it on the baking sheet. Use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten the dough until it is 1/4-inch thick or less. If the dough starts to shrink back, let it rest for 5 minutes and then continue rolling.

4. Top the pizza: Spoon a few tablespoons of sauce into the center of the pizza and use the back of a spoon to spread it out to the edges. Pile on all of your toppings.

5. Bake the pizza: Using a pizza peel or the back side of a baking sheet, slide your pizza (with the parchment or with the cornmeal) onto the baking stone. If you don't have a baking stone, bake the pizza right on the baking sheet. Cook for 5 minutes, then rotate the pizza. Slide the parchment out from under the pizza, if used. Bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the crust is golden-brown and the cheese looks toasty.

6. Slice and serve: Let the pizza cool slightly on a cooling rack, just until you're able to handle it. Slice it into pieces and serve.

pizza

Pizza is a regular visitor to our house, only it doesn't usually come in the form of a delivery person. Making homemade pizza from prepared dough is a quick and easy dinner any night of the week. Even only really adds a few minutes to the prep time! Pile on your favorite toppings and get ready to chow down.