I’m a selfish cook. I only cook what I like to eat. And in the summer of 2009, what I wanted to eat was paella. I became obsessed with it. I had to learn how to make it. I was vacationing with my sister Maricar and her partner Klaus in Mallorca, Spain, and asked if there was a cooking class I could attend. To my delight, they invited their friend Michaela over to demonstrate how to cook a proper Mallorcain paella in an indoor kitchen.

Michaela is a home cook and native Mallorcain. Her children and grandchildren come home every Sunday for her paella.

Directions:

Heat pan on stovetop. Add a generous amount of lard and olive oil. Michaela brought her own paella pan - battered, bruised and well loved.

Saute pork, chicken, shrimps and squid.

Remove shrimps when they turn orange and set aside.

Add two medium chopped onions, one large green pepper and five medium peeled and diced tomatoes.

Add vegetable broth and cook meat until tender.

Stir in arborio rice and season with salt, pepper and saffron. Ratio of rice to broth is 1:2

Make sure all the ingredients are well mixed.

Bring broth to a boil then reduce flame. Cook uncovered for approximately 15 minutes.

Finish cooking in a preheated oven (350 degrees) for another 10 minutes until done.

The finished product. Enjoy with your loved ones.

Since then, I’ve cooked paella over and over, trying to improve it each time. I own several differently sized pans, as well as an outdoor burner. My paella pans and burner have traveled to different houses. My friends call it The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pan. Paella is always crowd pleaser and meant to be shared amongst your loved ones. Happy cooking!