Making Paella

Over the school holidays, a mom from school invited the boys and I over for lunch so I could learn how to make paella. As the boys played with her son out back, we worked in the kitchen adapting her mom's handwritten recipe. It consisted of a list of ingredients, half in English and half in Spanish, and a few key instructions. The rest was pretty much up to us. We substituted chicken for all the seafood, added spices, did a taste test and added some more spice in.

Suddenly, a dish that seemed complex and onerous became easy and enjoyable to make. I love learning how to make traditional dishes from different cultures and learning it from a friend is even better.