In the Kitchen WITH
JOHN REARDON
HELLO MY FOODIE FRIENDS!
T
his time of year brings many family reunions, friendship gatherings, and special events that include great food and fun times. The holiday season is celebrated in myriad ways around the world. Every family has their own traditions that are rooted in cultural customs that go back for many generations. However, there is one similarity with these traditions that spans across the globe – food. Different cultures celebrate their holidays in different ways but cooking and enjoying special foods and drinks is a tradition that transcends throughout the world and all religions.
Paella is one of our family’s favorite dishes and is the iconic rice dish of Spain. Cooked with care, but not requiring the fussy attention of a risotto, it's the perfect way to cap off a happy holiday celebration. The dish has the further advantage of customization and built-in appropriateness for a couple of different special diets -- it naturally has no gluten and no dairy. Vegetarians may forgo the typical use of Spanish sausage and chicken, using a vegetable stock to cook the rice. Those that love seafood can find plenty to love going all seafood with a seafood stock to complement the required rice, saffron, tomatoes and olive oil. Paella is a perfect party dish because it’s a one-pot meal, and because it feeds all size crowds. Paella is a rice dish from Spain that has become very popular and is known around the world. It originated in the fields of a region called Valencia in Eastern Spain. Paella is meant to show off the rice itself and to highlight a few special ingredients. These can be vegetables, fish, shellfish, or meat including sausage in seafood paella and you may also find chicken in it. Do not forget the saffron -- it is the essential spice of the dish. If you are not sure what dish to serve for your holiday meal; consider Paella. At Compliments to the Chef; Your neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery Store, located at 33 Railroad Place, we sell Paella pans and other cooking tools to help you with your holiday creations. During the holiday season, the frantic pace of work and school, life slows temporarily, and we settle into the celebrations of the season. We toast the successes we’ve had in the preceding months; reflect on the life we’ve lived and rejoice with our loved ones. Create your holiday traditions. Stop by for the holiday supplies you need to eat, drink and be merry with family and friends. Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen”.
Happy Holidays and take care,
JOHN AND PAULA. 64 | SIMPLY SARATOGA | HOLIDAY 2020
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