If you know me in my real life you know that I live in a rural area. Very, very rural. I would consider sushi to be a pretty widespread cuisine, but the nearest sushi restaurant is an hour and a half away from where I live. I really do enjoy living in a rural area - it allows me time to cook and focus on other hobbies but I do miss being able to go out to dinner and eat something phenomenal without it being a 4+ hour affair.
Views from my drive to work every day.
Because going out to eat is always a big ordeal, I've been trying to make more "special" food - food that in the past I might only eat if I'm at a restaurant - at home. The other week I took on... paella! All of the ingredients were relatively easy to find - frozen Gulf shrimp (hopefully by now you know about the general "ickiness" of imported shrimp and the truly horrifying conditions they are harvested in - shop wisely), rice, chicken thighs, chorizo (which I did get at a grocery store in a near-ish city... 70 miles away). And the whole process was surprisingly easy, I read quite a few recipes from the usual suspects: NYT Cooking, Saveur, etc., but played it fast and loose with the ingredients and timing - tasting often and trying not to stir. I was really impressed with the end result - I even achieved the elusive socarrat!
To round out my Spanish feast - I made some bread rubbed with garlic and tomato. I used the tried and true Bread in 5 recipe, a quick rub with a split clove of garlic and then a rub with the cut side of a ripe tomato. I served the bread with some anchovies that were super fresh tasting - they weren't cured, just packed in oil and some vinegar, and olives. Enjoying so many foods I don't normally have a chance to eat made the whole meal just as exciting as eating in a restaurant (but comfier because I was in my pjs).
Speaking of Spanish food, if you haven't been following along with the legendary José Andrés on Instagram - you seriously should. He, along with many others, has been working daily to help feed the people of Puerto Rico (HUGE quantities of paella, among other things). If you have some time, visit his organization, World Central Kitchen, and think about donating - they're really doing some great work.
Instead of going out to eat this weekend, I hope you try to make something you would only consider getting at a restaurant, in your own home. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
