Paella

Eastside Road, May 24, 2012—

GIVEN MY ENFORCED avoidance of crustacea, paella's a dish not generally enjoyed. This makes visits to Barcelona difficult, and is a recurring disappointment to the woman who shares my life — and who is incidentally The Chef hereabouts. (Though, looking back over things, we seem to have eaten at home rarely these last few weeks.)

Tonight she turned to Martha Stewart for inspiration, and the result was first-rate: I almost thought we were in Spain. I attribute this to the Spanish pimenton that we had on hand, thanks to The Spanish Table, a shop I love visiting when we're in Berkeley. Lightly smoked, this pimenton reminds me of hams hanging in cigaret smoke above the bars in Madrid or Sevilla — alas I haven't explored the ones in Barcelona, "Barcelona in the distance", as Gertrude Stein says…

With it, some raw red bell pepper strips to dip into salt; afterward, a nice garlicky green salad. My artichokes can wait until Saturday.

Rosé, Guilhem (Pays d'Hérault), 2011