Four Golden Rules

posted by Melissa

Getting it started.

Today I find myself strangely unsettled, as in I feel like I am not settling into any of the tasks I thought I would accomplish today.  I am not even talking homesteading here, just basic things like doing the dishes or putting away the laundry.  I keep being magnetically drawn back to the computer and find my fingers typing "fa" in the spot for web addresses (what is that thing called?)  And there it is...Facebook.  Unfortunately it is slow drama-free day on FB, so even that is not satisfying.

I am thinking is am feeling this way because the weekend was way too fun.


Friday Fiesta
My birthday was Friday and we put together an outdoor paella feast (of which, I hope you are not tired of hearing about).  Amy shared a bunch of photos of the evening on one of her last posts.  We spent all day prepping and praying that the paella pan would arrive in time (I had ordered it from Amazon and had it priority shipped.)  Wait, no we didn't.  I went to the spa!  Oh my, I completely forgot about that wonderful time at the spa!  I got the Korean body scrub and it was amazing!

So, then, after that I prepped.  And patiently awaited the pan's arrival (It finally arrived at 4pm, just in time to get it seasoned).  I mostly followed a recipe from Sunset magazine, but kept in mind a few things from the book I had read to prepare for the day, La Paella.  In the book, author Jeff Koehler goes over some techniques and tips.  These rules, in particular, were referenced throughout the evening.

Paella's Four Golden Rules:

1. Do not wash the rice first.  (and I used bomba rice, not what Sunset suggested)
2. Do not add the rice until everyone is present.  (People will wait for rice, but rice waits for no one.)
3. Do not stir the rice.
4. Do not cover while cooking the rice.

The Masterpiece.

I followed these rules religiously.  Even while other's shouted their suggestion of covering the rice, I did not.  I could not.  It was a golden rule.  And I am a Virgo, we follow recipes to a fault at times and we certainly will not break a golden rule.  

There was one point, when the flames on the charcoal grill were high, and the crowd was wondering if the rice was burning and the timer still said we had a few more minutes to go, when everything really hit a peak of energy.  Everyone crowded around the grill and voices raised to a joyful, yet opinionated tone.

"I am throwing on the seafood!" I announced.

"NO.  No, the time isn't up yet!" They shouted.

"You have to wait!"

The crowd roared back.  But I just did it.  I threw on the shrimp and a few others got their hands in to arrange the clams and mussels all pretty around the pan.  Lily got her way and, sorta carefully splashed on the remaining broth and we waited again.  Timer set, eager to see if I had made the right choice.

Another wave of excitement came when the clams and mussels started popping open.  The shrimp was pinking up nicely and we all breathed some sighs of relief and refilled our sangria cups.  Mission accomplished.  Paella had been made and we were thinking it was a success.  After letting it rest for 5 minutes we uncovered it (yes, you can cover it with a dish towel after cook, during the resting phase) and marveled at the glory of it all.

Everyone contributed to the beautiful feast.  We had amazing appetizers, delicious gazpacho, a refreshing jicama salad, yummy bread, and a dense chocolate torte for dessert.  And as always at the Boathouse, the kids put on a performance for us all.

Saturday Shower

The "other" paella.

On Saturday, we went to a really lovely shower for some friends of our's new baby to be.  And guess what?  They had a caterer there making paella!  I could not believe it.  I hovered around for a while, asking lots of questions.  And then, when I saw him stirring his paella, I decided I would stop the questioning.  A Virgo, with golden rules as ammunition, cannot pull off an "innocent" question like that.  I would have come across as a know-it-all, after only making the dish once.  Yes, to a person that makes his living making paella.

It was the only baby shower I had been to that had paella, and also the only one that had a keg of beer and a bottle of bourbon.  I tried my hand at a new drink, beer with bourbon.  I don't suggest it.

Bubble fun at the shower.

Sunday Soccer
Two games of soccer and a cookout with some of our best friends concluded the weekend.  I was up late yet again and think I am paying the price today.  Yes, the dishes still sit in the sink, the compost has not been taken out for days, and all of the laundry that was once folded is strewn over the bedroom.  I have a plan for dinner, homemade pasta.  Jamie Oliver made it look like a piece of cake, he made the entire thing in 6 minutes.  Why can't I?

But at least I blogged.  I know my family will be so happy about that.

-Melissa

The Weekend's Bounty

By Amy Baranski

Packed with social time are the four words I'd use to sum up this weekend. So much so that I spent all day  Sunday in my apartment relaxing and baking chocolate chip cookies with the yummy Bluebird Farm Emmer Flour (ground from farro).

At McLendon's in Renton.

Things ramped up on Thursday afternoon when I drove down, for the first time, to McLendon's hardware store in Renton. This past spring I spent a lot of time in hardware and gardening stores, and I love them. McLendon's is now my favorite.

As my Master Gardener mentor said, "it's more organized and reliable than Hardwicks, and it's better than the big box stores." They not only have a great canning section with some fantastic deals but a Top Pot donuts air stream trailer out front. How. Cute. Is. That. Too bad if I want a donut this month I have to make it myself.

At the hardware store, I picked up a water bath, the Ball Canning book (they update it regularly, so it's recommended to get a newer edition), and some other canning accouterments. Because it's the end of the season I was also inspired to buy a new grate for our grill and a folding six-foot table, since we've been enjoying sidewalk suppers as apartment building dwellers lately. These two purchases came in handy the very next day for Melissa's paella birthday party.

Free canning demonstration.

After the hardware store trek I picked up Melissa and we headed to The Spanish Table, a great import/specialty shop at the Pike Place Market. Disclaimer: this part of the past few days does not translate into self-reliance and in fact relies on the fossil fuels of global trade, but the plan was to make paella and tapas for Melissa's birthday. Of course, jamón serrano and jamón ibérico were necessary. Ask anyone who's ever had slices of either.

After all the running around we attended a canning workshop at Madison Market. It was a free event sponsored by the co-op and Seattle Tilth, led by Carey Thornton, the adult education program manager. Carey emphasized food safety for the majority of the session. Then, we watched and participated in canning several jars of peach jam. Having a hands-on demonstration was super helpful. Canning doesn't seem as intimidating as it once did. Now on to doing it.

Friday evening came quickly. Which meant it was paella time. I made two tapas: Cevizli Patlican (eggplant slices with walnuts and garlic) and caramelized figs with arugula and jamón serrano. The first is actually a Moroccan dish, but that country is so close to Spain I figured the flavor would not be that out of place. People seemed to like it. It calls for an intense amount of garlic. Sorry I did not take pictures of either.

Paella sidewalk supper.

The paella was magical. I've never been part of a paella party. We laid down mesquite briquettes versus the normal charcoal, and I preferred the way they burned, seemingly longer and hotter. The smell was also more pleasant. So many people were involved in the paella. I fell back, took pictures, and enjoyed the aroma and smiles on people's faces.

I spent Sunday morning compiling a rude slide show of the event. You can watch it HERE. I hope you enjoy it.

Saturday came quickly and felt like there were many chores to do. My house has been (and still is) in complete disarray. We have too many projects going on. But I managed to wash the dishes, clean and pack up the party supplies from the night before, strip the bed, do some laundry, and pull old items out of my wardrobe. If you were in my house now you'd have no idea these chores were completed. Sad.

A new meal with the beans!

Remember The Best Beans of My Life? Well, I had a lot left over and aside from eating them in salads or out of the bowl straight from the refrigerator, I decided on Saturday evening to reheat them on the stove. Joyce, Melissa's Mom, who had come up to chat, said it would be a very British thing to put an egg on top.

"Then let's be British!"

I grabbed a couple eggs and fried them over-easy. I threw in a handful of oven roasted tomatoes--for color. Their sweet tang complemented the Parmesan flavor of the beans. It turned out to be such a satisfying and delicious meal that I repeated it for myself as Sunday breakfast.

The hostess, letting others do the most-ess

posted by Melissa

Olives at the Spanish market Amy took me to today.

Spanish Paella Fiesta!
It's my birthday tomorrow.  I am having a hard time balancing "letting others do things for me" and "being the hostess."  I love to cook and plan, and as someone else said, maybe, be in control of the party.  I half-heartedly sent email invitations to some people, texted others and told some in the building doorway as I opened the door for them.   I go through my worries:  Will there be enough food?  Enough paella?  And I have never made paella before, I might totally F this up (the disclaimer.)

There are always those worries when you host a party.  I have to say, I usually handle them pretty well.  I can be a relaxed hostess.   I think it is just that this time, Amy is helping me, which I love, I really do.  Amy, thanks for everything you have done already and will do tomorrow while I am soaking in a hot tub at the spa! YTB!  (stands for you're the best!  I once got that txt from a friend and thought, why is she saying you total bitch to me?)

What I love about Amy and her party planning is that she is very thorough and organized.  What I find challenging about hosting a party together is that I am not thorough and organized.  (I used to be, then I had three kids)   And I keep feeling like I am going to screw up her party mojo.  Cause, I have been to her birthday party, and it was on point.

I'll let you know how tomorrow goes.

Yes you Can!

Tonight, in the midst of an evening where I would have rather been party planning, or pre-making sangria, Amy and I went to a canning class at the local Co-op.  I left my apartment to wails of "Don't go, Mama!  You have to stay!!!" from my youngest.  She's 6, and yes, she still throws down a mean tantrum. I peeled myself from her grip and hoped that my Mom, who she was staying home with, would be able to calm her down.  The further I walked, the less I cared.  Sorry.

Maybe Amy should have showed off her can balancing
skilz tonight at class.

The class was held in an office in the apartments above the co-op, so it was basically in an apartment.  at first it was kinda odd, but I eased into the setting.  The same way I get used to that crappy kitchen wall I still have.  Only this wasn't as crappy, just odd.

The teacher that came from Seattle Tilth,  Carrie (sp?), was great.  She really knew her canning stuff, and as much I as was not all that into going at the beginning, I felt it was totally worth it.  It was great to see the whole process first hand.  She went over all the safety tips, great books and websites for resources,  and walked us through making peach jam and canning it in a wet bath.

What I took home was to make sure I get a tested recipe, as a beginner.  I need to know that everything about my recipe and procedures are safe.  Makes sense.  Then after I get more used to the process (if I keep doing this homesteading thing) I can experiment.

Important things I remember  (after not taking notes):
-pH is imperative.  Make sure you food is highly acidic.  Below 4.6 pH (I think, you might want to double check me on that website I linked to.)  (OK, I check it for you, and yes, I was correct.)
-FAT TOM  stands for Food, Acid, Time, Temperature, Oxygen, Moisture  and these are all factors in preserving food.
-When cutting a peach, if it is a freestone variety, it is much easier.
-If you use Pomona's Pectin, you can choose the amount of sugar you add.
-If you are prepared and clean and follow directions well, it is not a difficult process.
-If your can doesn't seal properly, i.e. making that popping noise that tell you you got a good seal, then store it in the fridge and use it within a week or so.
-If it does make a good seal, store it at room temp and use it within a year.

Just wait til we try it ourselves!

Good night,
Melissa