First things first—how are you, your family, and friends? I really hope all is well as we are going through very turbulent times.
How Everything Started
From one day to the next, I found myself at my uncle’s villa with my family, about to cook my first paella. Being born in València, “you are supposed to cook paella practically the day you are born”! Naturally, my fears and worries were high. This is a common feeling among many of my fellow Valencians. Concerns such as: are the steps correct and in the right order? What are the right ingredients, what are the right proportions, will I be able to prepare it, will it taste good, how long does the rice have to cook, and are they going to criticize me (criticism is intense when it comes to paella in València)?!
So, if it happened to me and it happens to my friends, family, and many others, it can happen to you as well… But there is nothing really to worry about: if any of the above rings a bell for you, then you are in the right place!
Paella cooking is something everyone can learn: what truly matters are the ingredients, the right training, and how much love you put into it!
“There is no love sincerer than the love of food.”
George Bernard Shaw
I was born and lived in València (Spain) until I was 22 years old. I grew up with my father, mother, and a sister five years younger than me; a time of which I have many wonderful memories that deeply and positively affected me. What I liked most was spending time outdoors, learning from nature, either in our small orange grove or working with the hives where our bees made delicious orange blossom honey.
In all those memories, a paella always, always, always appeared. It is the main tradition in València to eat this national dish par excellence on Sundays and holidays, surrounded by your loved ones. Whether they are family, old friends, or new friends—everyone gets involved and equally enjoys that long-awaited moment throughout the week.
It was precisely in these moments, so cherished by me and that I want to share with you, where unconsciously everything began: little by little I learned about the paellas that my elders cooked—in the garden, at the family chalet—asking, studying their movements, learning their tricks, and thinking about how to improve the process. In the end, after a few Sundays, it turns out that I was the one who cooked the paella from start to finish, without anyone objecting. On the contrary—they were delighted. But as mentioned at the beginning of this post, I was still terrified the first time I officially cooked paella.
“Great food is like great sex. The more you have, the more you want.”
Gael Greene
For us, this sentence would be: great paellas are like great sex. The more you have, the more you want!
This passion inspired me practically every weekend to continue making paellas for my family and friends, in my own home or in theirs, but also on many of the trips I made around the world. In New York, Taiwan, Sweden, the Dominican Republic, or London, when people found out that I was from Valencia, they asked me to cook a paella for them. And not only that, some of them asked me to teach them how to cook it! This made me think: “why don’t I show it to the rest of the world?”. So, this is how Paella Lover began. If you are interested in paella, what are you waiting for? Let’s do it!
At Paella Lover, I not only share the method of cooking paellas; I love to teach how to cook paellas with passion. I share with you the history of one of the most searched recipes worldwide, right through to the moment when your guests are “wowed”, including the ingredients of the original traditional Valencian paella and more—grocery shopping and selection, how to serve, how to make stock from scratch, the timings, the rice, etc., with easy instructions and videos, the right language, the best tricks, common mistakes, and many other useful tips and information. Oh, and a lot of fun too! You can make a party of it and invite some friends to join in the fun.
“Food can bring people together in a way nothing else could.”
Yotam Ottolenghi
Did you like this post? There will be more coming soon! Follow me on Instagram and/or Facebook to know more about paella.
Finally, if you have any questions or comments related to my story or paella cooking, feel free to post them in the comments section below.
Stay safe and… HAPPY PAELLA!!
Guillermo
