Paella MS

i only learned to cook paella here in the USA challenged because no one made the paella i was accustomed to,because at home, i ordered it from libby. through the years i have refined the paella and found a comfort zone of what i put in my paella. i used reciped combined from pat dayrit, nora daza and enruiqueta david perez and have come up with one uniquely my own. i wish i could afford the seafood so easily available back home but are ridiculously expensive here. so i settled for a mix of boneless skinless chicken breast with boneless pork cubes, the ubiquitous chorizo de bilbao, thankfully available here, casubha (our saffron wannabee) red peppers, a choice of tomatoes (whole, crushed, puree, sauce) i just use whatever I have on hand, bouillon cubes for added flavor, shrimps, seafood mix and when i remember, mussels on the half shell, boiled eggs, and petite pois (peas). have come to the point that i can whip this up in minutes (kidding, hour and a half minimum)

so coming home after a hectic grab and go from the supermarket, freaking out that there was no chorizo de bilbao (thank goodness my hoarding nature left me with one pack in the freezer, have to get more) got me to prepare everything for Roel who asked for the paella. why should i take the time? Roel is younger than us but had a total body failure and from a once hale and hearty fellow, is now bed ridden with dialysis every other day, waiting for a triple bypass, and trying to get better. but he sorta kinda cajoled us to bring him some, so we did. but he couldn't even eat the portions given, his diet has been restricted, thoughts of lechon are wishful thinking for him and from a once gourmand, he is now given a painfully spare and sparse diet.

i am humbled by the fact that he asked for my paella, if I didn't do this for him and he suddenly disappeared, i would be forever feeling guilty, but i delivered and i hope roel enjoyed even the visuals of the paella.

life is short and the festive paella is a small offering to a friend who is facing his life's mortality.