Spanish

This classic stew, menestra de verduras, has many regional variations, and can be made with different vegetables according to season. Constant ingredients include potatoes, carrots, and green peas; artichokes are the most characteristic. Fresh artichokes are called for in traditional recipes, but using the canned variety simplifies the process.

This classic recipe is easy and quick to prepare. Serve with Tomato-Olive Bread (page 147) and a simple homemade coleslaw.

Paella is a traditional Spanish dish of saffron-infused rice cooked with a variety of meats and vegetables. It varies from season to season and from region to region in Spain. A good paella often contains some crunchy, toasted rice on the bottom of the pot as a counterpoint to the smooth grains. Typical paellas include a mix of proteins such as chorizo sausage, shrimp, and mussels along with chicken. Feel free to mix and match, using a total of 1/2 to 3/4 pound. This version takes advantage of the springtime arrival of fresh peas and morel mushrooms. To add a bright note to this recipe, include the grated zest of half a lemon sprinkled on the mushroom layer. Consider substituting white wine for some or all of the liquid.

No special equipment needed here. Leave the paella pan at the store and let your casserole dish do the work. Packed with fresh seafood and accentuated with the alluring flavor of saffron, your kids may call this pimpin’ dish “The Bomb,” which means it’s good. This dish lives or dies by the freshness of the fish. The beauty of paella is that it is a flexible dish, so talk to your local fishmonger to get recommendations on the best catch of the day. If you don’t like seafood, the dish actually works really well without it, too.

Escabeche is a classic Spanish preparation in which you sear fish or meat, then marinate it in a vinegar sauce until it’s sort of pickled. Unlike ceviche, which is raw fish “cooked” by citrus juice, escabeche is cooked first. The bracing and acidic vinegar cuts through oily fish such as kingfish (also called king mackerel), herring, or bonito just perfectly. This super simple dish makes a light, flavorful starter that wakes up the taste buds and hits the spot on a hot day.

This burger proved itself eternally popular on the lunchtime menu of my Spanish-inspired restaurant, Bolo. It is definitely an upscale burger, featuring premium Spanish ingredients such as Serrano ham, Manchego cheese, and piquillo peppers. The rich and smoky aioli comes together in a flash but you’d never know that from its complex, spicy-sweet taste. Pressing the whole thing gives the bun a nice crispness and also marries all of the elements into a cohesive dish.

This brown-rice version of the national dish of Spain may raise some eyebrows in Barcelona, but at less than half the calories of the original, this combination of fragrant saffron, garlic, chorizo, and shrimp is a beautiful thing.

Confession: I have never been to Spain. This is actually my version of a fantabulous meal I enjoyed at a late-night hot spot in Vancouver, north of the border. It’s good because you get salty, sweet, and savory in each and every bite. Note to self: gotta go to Spain. I serve these with green beans.

Pedro Almodovar is my favorite foreign film director—I have his whole library. My favorite film and the one I most relate to: Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

Food Network is located at Chelsea Market, in Manhattan. The Lobster Place is a great seafood shop within this huge market. I made up this meal one night during a run of taping for 30-Minute Meals. I stopped into the market and took home pure white scrod, some tiny Manila clams, and a little pack of saffron powder as my inspiration. It was so delish that John and I ate it three nights in ten, sharing it with family and friends two of those evenings as the simplest, tastiest way we could think to entertain a crowd. Whether you’re feeding one or some, make a whole pot of this stoup (thicker than soup, thinner than stew), as the leftovers get even better!

Jocelyne Akoun (see page 28) also served me meatballs with tomato sauce for Friday night dinner, a typical Sephardic dish for the eve of the Sabbath. I had found centuries-old recipes for these almondeguilles or albondigas, but without tomato sauce. For me, the post–Columbian Exchange marriage of tomatoes and meatballs greatly enhances the flavor of this dish!