Happy Independence Day!

Here's a montage of shots I took last night at the fireworks show held at Kensico Dam in Westchester, NY.



You can go here to see it better.

Well over a dozen friends and acquaintances gathered for the show, and we each contributed some very tasty food, wine and other beverages. A couple of the people there were international grad students doing an internship at IBM, so this was to be a unique American experience for them.

Thunderstorms had threatened, and when the front seemed to blow through at about 6, we thought we were in the clear, until right before the fireworks were about to begin. Suddenly, the skies opened up, and I was glad the food was put away, since I needed the umbrella I had thought to take! Then, in mid-play, the Philharmonic just stopped, and the fireworks started, about 10 minutes earlier than scheduled. I guess they figured they'd better try to beat the storm, or maybe drive it off with incendiary magic. And, just as suddenly as they started, the showers died down, and we were treated to the show here.

After hanging out for an extra half hour to let the crowds filter out, I headed home, where I was met with torrents of rain, thunder, and yet another electrifying display in the skies. It was the perfect finish to a great evening! I managed to beat the storm by moments, as it was dry as I got out of my car, but drops were beginning to hit me as I opened the front door.

vegan paella

I had a potluck picnic to attend this weekend, and I was supposed to bring something Spanish-influenced. I dithered all week about what to bring (deviled eggs sprinkled with chorizo, maybe?), and on Sunday morning I still hadn't decided. But I wasn't that concerned when I decided to take a late morning nap, since I had plenty of time... Next thing I knew, it was 3 PM, and I had two hours to shop, cook, and get myself ready!

Well, the only logical thing to do was to improvise with things I already had on hand. Quick perusal of a couple of cookbooks for ideas, and I decided a Spanish rice dish would fit the bill. But not a typical one - how about a paella? Essential ingredients: medium grain rice, saffron, garlic, sweet red peppers... check, check, check... Ok, what about the protein source? Not enough time to cook chicken, don't want to worry about shellfish allergies with frozen shrimp, many folks won't want to touch clams... why not beans? A vegan paella would keep well at room temperature, and be quite a bit more crowd-friendly. Thus it went, improvising as I went, to make this simple, quick, and tasty "vegan paella" that was a big hit:



This recipe is approximate, as it's from memory. Feel free to alter it to suit your own tastes.

Saute one med white onion, diced, on med high heat, in 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil for about two minutes. Add one sweet red pepper, and when onions just begin to toast slightly, turn heat down to low and add 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until garlic begins to soften, but do not toast it (add a few drops of water if necessary.)

Add 1-1/2 cups Spanish or Mexican style medium-grain rice. (You can substitute regular long grain rice, but then decrease liquids by about 1/4 cup, and reduce cooking time to 12 minutes.) Saute rice with the vegetables until it just begins to turn opaque. Add 3 cups of hot vegetable or chicken stock, some salt if the stock needs it, 1/4 tsp. crushed saffron threads, 1/4 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp. aleppo pepper flakes. If you have to use regular red pepper flakes instead, start with less and add to taste. This is not supposed to be a spicy dish.

Stir all together, then add 1 can drained garbanzo beans, 1/4 c. brined capers and 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley. If I had artichokes on hand, they would have been a marvelous addition as well. Cover and simmer on very low heat for 15 minutes, and do not uncover during this time. The rice should be al dente, and will continue to soften a bit as it sits covered. If it's very dry, you can add a little more liquid, but not more than a tablespoon or two, or the rice will get too soft.

I'd let it wait another 15 minutes or so before I serve it, and it stayed hot in a covered container for nearly 2 hours.