Tales of the Magic Pan – Mushroom Paella

I wasn’t really looking to get entangled with another frying pan.

At the risk of appearing to blame yet another impulse purchase of mine on my mother, I probably wouldn’t have considered it, if Mom had not mentioned the big sale. But, it barely takes a nudge for me to buy another kitchen item. No willpower.

The minute I laid eyes on it, there was no mistaking the magic. The brilliant fire-engine-red chassis was thrilling and the sleek, aerodynamic styling exhilarating. Hey – some guys survive middle age on car fantasies – for me, it’s all about the kitchen equipment.

Who would have suspected such a spark with a pan that has such a conventional, almost old-fashioned reputation? Put aside all pre-conceived notions. To put it bluntly, this cast iron frying pan is really hot. Sizzling, in fact. We’ve now been seeing each other for several weeks, and I may actually be considering a long term commitment. No more brief flirtations with non-stick and the like. This could actually be the real thing.

Our first date...well, it was like it was meant to be. We were spellbound kids, discovering each other over bewitching paella, flavored with earthy mushrooms and sensual saffron:

Mushroom Paella (Adapted from “The Best Recipes in the World” by Mark Bittman)

(Three Servings)

¼ cup dried porcini mushrooms
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Three boneless, skinless chicken thighs
½ yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
½ pound portabella mushrooms, chopped
¼ pound chorizo sausage, sliced in 1/2 inch pieces
1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Arborio rice
1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock
Pinch of saffron threads
Salt and pepper, seasoned to taste

Cover the dried mushrooms in hot water and soak. Heat oil in an alluring 10-inch cast iron skillet. Add chicken thighs and cook until golden, about 10 minutes. Split chicken into small pieces.

Add onion and sauté about 5 minutes. Add garlic and bay leaf and cook 1 more minute. Drain porcini mushrooms and add along with portabella mushrooms. Cook until liquid begins to appear. Add chorizo and paprika and cook for 30 seconds. Add wine and reduce for about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the rice in an even layer. Cover with stock and saffron and season with salt. When the stock begins to boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

Can a confirmed bachelor chef find true happiness with the most traditional of frying pans? Stay tuned for the continuing story at “Tales of the Magic Pan,” with a nightly encore performance on SOAPnet.

©2009 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved

Wondrous Bread

Growing up, Wonder Bread was the “It” loaf in the grocery store.

I can just hear the gasps out there in the blogosphere. Stick with me. This story will improve quickly.

We had to have Wonder Bread. Hey – have pity! We were just little guys. Taste and nutrition really weren’t relevant. We were fascinated by the red, yellow and blue balloons printed on the wrapper. It was the heyday of Captain Kangaroo and Super Friends and the dawn of kid marketing. That airy, spongy white bread was entertaining, too. We would roll it into balls and pop it in our mouths. It was just that soft.

Fortunately, Mom was health conscious, and Wonder Bread made a quick exit from the household as whole grain breads began to appear at the supermarket. We dined on many varieties. My favorites were kid-friendly – date and nut bread or raisin cinnamon bread spread with cream cheese. Today, I’m a total convert as I forage for nutty grains and double fiber in the bread aisle. Wonder Bread seems so 1960s.

I’ve done some extensive study in bread, but the differences between the conditions of the industrial-sized classroom and the home kitchen can be significant. I love kneading, but I’m really challenged when it comes time for the bread to rise. In class we had proofing boxes, but my kitchen is just a little drafty. I’ve tried leaving the dough by the heater in the basement, or putting it in the oven on keep-warm, with minimal luck. I even read recently that putting the dough on top of a television while viewing is an option. I wonder if an episode of The Tudors will make the dough rise more quickly than a rerun of The Andy Griffith Show?

During the recent kitchen decluttering, the Regal Breadmaker caught my eye again. It had become invisible on the counter after many years of neglect like most specialty appliances do (I’m surprised my professional declutterer didn’t target it for extinction.). It has always felt a little like cheating to resort to the breadmaker after all that intensive, hands-on class work, but then I have an epiphany. We used monstrous electric mixers with digital programs that handled the kneading in class and we let the dough proof in temperature-controlled boxes. It’s not really that different. So why not let technology be my bread-baking friend? (Give me about three minutes, and I can rationalize and dispel most forms of guilt with a quick wave of the hand.)

I have a touch of trepidation. The big box has been asleep for several years, but it emerges from hibernation and soon it is whirring and squealing like Cinderella’s furry friends. The ingredients for Raisin Cinnamon loaf layer into the bread pan in minutes – bread flour (the high protein flour has more gluten and results in better structure), golden raisins and fragrant cinnamon. Dropping the raisins into the machine as the dough rotates and kneads is almost as much fun as those red, yellow and blue balloons of yesteryear, if not just a trifle dizzying.

Admittedly, the process is devoid of most of the Zen associated with bread baking, because the machine does the heavy lifting. While it’s not the same sensory experience, with a little help from my breadmaker the results are satisfying and the exotic, warm smells of raisin and cinnamon fill the kitchen. Spread with Crosby’s Bees Honey from Vermont, it is truly a Wonder-ful bread.

©2008 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved