Photo Adventures with Curiosity and Learning

Where we went in and out of the village

what a day!!! Paella at its best

Preparing Paella - the old fashioned way - over an open fire

It all started with a trip to Lucia's home place, Losa -

Walking around - there were all these narrow streets and alleys - so for Rachel - a collection of alleys.

From inside the Romero home - roofs

Terrace view

Looking at roofs

And through a window

Then off across the street to the Paella kitchen - here is Lucia's mom

On the fire was the paella pan + rabbit + chicken + spices - all quietly bubbling away. The video shows this early stage + lens focus noise. Other than that - just the paella bubbling

Part 1 - cooking the meat and spices

Now we wait for several hours - so walking about the village

An alley for Rachel

Another alley

Walking up a hill to a cemetary

And a small shrine

Walking back - the cemetary

and the village from a distance

Another alley for Rachel

and another

and another

The cooking is going well - note the almond shells - waiting to be added to the fire. Another no-so-secret ingredient

Another view of the kitchen - with lemon tree and Lucia's mom cracking almonds for Christmas sweets

A closer view of her craftmanship

Another view of the kitchen: Lucia's brother, Juanmi, mom, kids and Lucia

The Professor of Paella and her student

Stirring the paella

Now - the critical part. Adding the rice. The main idea is to make a line of rice across the middle of the paella pan - then once all the line is constructed - to carefully mix to the left and right until the cook is totally satisfied with the result

A video with narration - Lucia's brother, Jaunmi - a student of their mom - building the line of rice - Part 2 - Building a line of rice across the middle of the pan

Here is Juanmi mixing the rice - Part 3 - Mixing the rice

Mixing the rice

Adding rosemary - another critical step

Another view - this is the mom's critical task

Now to adjust the fire. Initially the fire was concentrated in the center of the pan and radiating outward - for the meat cooking phase. Now its critical to restructure the fire - moving it from the center to the perimeter. In addition, orange tree root wood is used for the rice-cooking phase - about 20 minutes

Part 4 - Reorienting the fire toward the perimeter of the pan. The wood here is from roots of orange trees - a critical secret ingredient

Simmering paella

Now the most important phase - the taste test -

Cooling the liquid

Juanmi tasting the liquid - hmmm - needs a bit more salt.

Confirmation by mom

Orange tree root wood - and almond shells for the perimeter fire

Simmering

Simmering - I can visualize Josh deciding its time to add to his culinary skill set

Paella is now ready

Extracting from the fire

Transport across the street

Careful transport

Now to serve - we all ate from the paella pan - super because you could get what you really liked. Me? The liver and rabbit and chicken - then the bottom crusty rice - yum

After lunch - another exploration to their orange grove up a narrow street

About 5 km - an orange grove tended by Juanmi and dad

Almond trees

Orange blossoms - was quite cold and Lucia's dad is quite happy to see the buds of blossoms

The family - minus mom

An orange tree

And lots of oranges. Approximately 150 kg oranges are harvested from each tree

We drove to another orange grove - different type of Valencia orange

Then an area with new trees - a different type of fruit

In the background a shephard moving his flock

New trees

A sample of a 125 kg/tree configuration - I asked about harvesting and they replied that they sell the oranges on the tree. The buyer harvests them. Nice strategy

Serious Valencia oranges

Then off to another place - fresh water from a mountain spring

Seems lots of folks come for fresh water

A view of Losa

Another view of Losa

Lusia's family (minus mom)

Off to a lake - Clouds

A cut of the mountain - worn by the river below

Outflow from the dam

The lake

Flow control - sort of a huge shutter

The lake - then back to Lucia's home and back to Valencia.

C. Frank Starmer

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