In Valencia, they don’t say “let’s have paella,” they say “let’s go for paella,” because it’s an outing, a spectacle, and a discussion waiting to become an argument. The first argument is about the word itself. Paella originally refers to the shallow, wide pan used to cook rice—from Old French paelle and Latin patella, both…
My relationship with Valencia began by pure accident when I purchased an apartment, initially without any particular plan. However, when COVID and lockdowns altered how and where we worked, Valencia gradually became my second home. I did not have many expectations of the city, but it pleasantly surprised me and eventually convinced me to move…
When I was a student in the U.S., the best Indian food in the Cleveland-Akron area was served at an upscale place called The Mad Greek. They offered Greek and Indian dishes side by side, and we used to joke that the name suited them: Who had ever heard of Greek and Indian food coming…
Imagine rescuing yesterday’s stale loaf of bread with a splash of milk (or a wink of wine), a quick egg bath, followed by another one in hot oil until each slice is bronzed and crackly at the edges, custardy and yielding inside. You have just made torrijas, a beloved Spanish sweet – simple in concept, rich in cultural…
If you think breakfast is solemn and lunch inevitable, let me introduce you to the Valencian “esmorzaret”— or “almuerzo” if you prefer the Spanish label. It’s that unapologetically indulgent mid-morning break, where coffee sometimes arrives with a cheeky splash of booze, sandwiches are treated like matters of state, and everyone agrees — for at least…