Traveling Gypsy Caravann

I Didn't Miss The Year Anniversary of Renee's Passing....

2011-03-12T12:46:00.000-08:00

March 9th was the day that shook all of us to the core.... Renee our gypsy sister passed .... and she is missed so much.... her laughter, her love, her caring.... her wit and lovely charm... all missed by us.

I feel in my heart she is always with me.....

Love~

Merry Christmas and Let Us Have a Joyous New Year

2010-12-24T11:21:00.000-08:00

This beautiful photo of an angel in the sky reminds me of why I created this blog. It's because of our beloved gypsy sister Renee.... Who was taken from us way too soon, but while she was here on this earth she gave so much to all that knew her.

Dear Renee, I miss you ever single day. I remember all your wisdom, love and laughter. I've taken it into my heart and try to live each day to it's fullest. I do that in part because of what you taught me~

This holiday season has been especially hard for me and knowing that you are all out there traveling with me helps a great deal...

Happy New Year 2011
Pattee

Autumn.... Is a Time When I Reflect

2010-11-11T14:43:00.000-08:00

It's a time for peace, sadness, melancholy, looking back...
Staying inside being safe and warm. Hot chocolate, spiced cider...
Remembering our good friends and family...
I'm remembering Renee today.
Her beauty, softness, her laugh and even sometimes her "foul" language which I loved.... She was so giving in her own distress. I can't even know how many people she saved and helped... I know I was one of them.

She sent me a card once that said:
Dear Pattee,
I am thankful that you are here. I am thankful that we have met. You have a difference in the world and I love your dear Pattee.
Love Renee xoxo

So my Gypsy Sister's here a glass to our dear friend... that is the reason I even started this blog.

For you that have just joined the Traveling Gypsy Caravann... Here are some past photo's of our little clan and camp.... enjoy!

A caravan for the summer..

A nice place for a nap with a cup of tea.

Wouldn't you love to sleep here?

Outside we light candles.

Or maybe here is your gypsy caravan

We love our troupe of traveling gypsies....

We are so coy....

And sweet...
And our horses are powerful...

I hope everyone has a great week-end... and do a tiny bit of traveling... it's good for the soul!

I Have Nothing at the Moment

2010-08-21T21:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Gypsy Sisters~

A heart and a payer to you all....

Sorry Gypsy Sisters... I've Been Traveling

2010-07-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

Not like a gypsy : ( no this is by plane and automobile... not caravan's and horses. But I hope something like that will be in my future. I'll look into the crystal ball...

Do I see a caravan? A trailer? A Westfalia?

I went to NIADA this year in Chicago... The doll is the one I made with the Russian doll maker Olga Roehl... I know it's not gypsy "stuff" just thought I'd share anyway....

I'm off to San Diego on Thursday.... See you all the middle of August.... Could I please have a Westfalia to drive home!

Are You Still There Gyspy Sister's?

2010-07-06T19:59:00.000-07:00

Look into my eyes... I dare you!

It's been a strange first 6th months of this year... but only to get better~ I'm thinking about traveling... and one thing my VWBug can pull is a teardrop trailer...

Can you imagine this all dressed up?

Does This Not Look Like a Fabulous Time?

2010-06-23T17:29:00.000-07:00

I know this isn't about Gypsy life....
But I just have to share that this is where I'm going on my Birthday this Saturday! I'm so excited! I'ts wild, crazy fun!!! I can't wait! I need a little wild, crazy fun in my life!

Part circus, part dinner theatre, Teatro ZinZanni is a big night out unlike any other, a three and a half hour whirlwind of international cirque, comedy and cabaret artists all served up with a five-course feast designed by celebrated Northwest chef Tom Douglas.

An ensemble cast of aerialists, comics and crooners make every night at Teatro ZinZanni a unique experience.

An ever-evolving and constantly changing production, Teatro ZinZanni combines improv comedy, vaudeville revue, music, dance, cirque and sensuality into a dizzying and colorful new form that is never quite the same from evening to evening. The fast-paced action of the show unfolds above, around and even alongside the audience as they dine on a gourmet meal. Teatro ZinZanni is guaranteed to

Can You Just Not LOVE This Woman

2010-06-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

I wish she were my grandmother, weaving wool and stories.... Or maybe that someday I will be like her... weaving tales of long ago. Hoping my friends stop to talk around the campfire. Look into the heavens and see Renee and all the ones we loved. I definitely want her shoes..

Hope all of you gypsy sisters that I call my own are well and doing "just" what you are supposed to be doing right now!

Hello Gypsy Traveller's

2010-06-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

I'm still so far away from this blog and my main blog....

I've had to take a break from my "art dolls" and also just the sameness of life..
This is a photo that I have by my computer screen... It's a card from Renee that I love and cherish deeply. I read it everyday many times a day~
I am thinking of all you ~

So Sorry to be Away From The Gypsy Sisters

2010-05-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

This has been a challenging month to say the least and I am sorry for being so remiss... as this Blog is dedicated to Renee, our sister that has flown above us... far from the earthly plane.. watching over us and her blessed family.. She is within all of us.... her heart beats in us....
Renee you are missed....

Happy Mothers Day~

2010-05-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

I know our beautiful Renee is here with us looking down with all her love, and I know her family is greatly missing her today.

So lets sit by the fire and enjoy the company... of us here and those that we wish were here.

Light some candles and have healing hearts.

This is our virtual home but sometimes feels so real.

Renee was our fortune teller... I wonder what she would tell us now?

I am going to have a glass of wine while we sit around the fire with stories. Care to join me?

Your hostess and gypsy sister..

Let's Have Some Fun

2010-05-06T18:28:00.000-07:00

I thought maybe this week-end we should dance~ Eat some soup~drink some wine~ tell stories~laugh.
Bring our tambourines.

Gypsy Soup

3-4 tbs. Olive oil

2 cups chopped onion

2 cloves crushed garlic

2 cups chopped, peeled sweet potatoes or winter squash

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped, fresh or canned tomatoes

3/4 cup chopped sweet peppers

1 1/2cups cooked chickpeas

3 cups stock or water

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. tumeric

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. salt

dash of cinnamon

dash of cayenne

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp. tamari

Cook the chickpeas (after checking) for a few hours before you use them in the soup. In a soup kettle filled with water/stock, throw in onions, garlic, celery, sweet potatoes and seasonings. Simmer, covered, fifteen minutes. Add remaining vegetables and chickpeas, simmer another 30 minutes or so - until all the vegetables are as tender as you like them.

And of course red wine...

Did I Tell You Gyspy Sisters?

2010-04-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

That I have 7 baby chicks that will be traveling with me now... and maybe even some Gouldian finches and Indian Runner ducks!

Yes it's true~ and when I take off this summer I'm going to either leave them home with my husband a great care taker or take a couple with me...

Did I tell you that I'm planning a trip this summer ... across America. From small little Bellingham Washington to Crowhaven Farms in Pennsylvania...

If you'd like a visit from me I will see if it can be added to my trip! I would love to see you!

Look what I Found at Trader Joe's!

2010-04-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

It's perfect for our Gypsy Travels!

Gypsy's

2010-04-15T20:39:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful face....

We are beautiful women living a beautiful life...

Power... Strength...

A beautiful child...
Until the next time gypsy sisters...

A Beautiful Eulogy for Renee

2010-04-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

There's a beautiful eulogy on Renee's blog. Her dear and one of her oldest friends, Heidi, wrote this for her.
Again the tears flowed when I read it... It's so beautiful and so Renee!

http://circlingmyhead.blogspot.com

Let's Light Some Lanterns

2010-04-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

Let's pour some red wine... since I've been so ill I've not had any and today Easter Day seems like a good day for a toast. Anyone?

Lets have a feast on this Easter Sunday...

My beloved hen died in my arms today. She was only a year and a half. She went to bed healthy last night... I will miss her deeply.

Hey Sisters

2010-03-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

I'm out of commission for awhile..
I've got the swine flu and have been very very sick...

Hopefully I'll be better soon cross your gypsy fingers!

I Want to Toast All of Us Gyspy Sisters

2010-03-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

This blog is very important to me because I started it for Renee.

I told her over a year ago that I felt like I was a gypsy at heart and she told me she thought she was one also. So I told her I'd buy a gypsy caravan and pick her up and we could travel the world. She said she'd love to go on one condition... that I be her personal cook. LOL!!! Of course!!! So many months of emailing back and forth about how we would do this and what fun we'd have... I started this Traveling Gypsy Caravan blog so Renee and I would have a visual place to hang out. Soon there was Sonia wanting to join us, then Marie... and now we have 45 women that have come together to celebrate the gypsy way of life! It's wonderful. I love how it made Renee so happy. That she loved being the fortune teller of our band.

I know she knew how much she was loved and she is looking down at us with a huge smile.

EvenTho....

2010-03-18T22:04:00.000-07:00

Even tho our beloved friend Renee has gone... she is without pain... she is free... and that I am thankful.

Our Beloved, Beatiful Gypsy Sister is Gone Home

2010-03-09T19:24:00.000-08:00

We love you Renee, we say blessing to your family... We hold you in our hearts of hearts.
We will look up to the starts and see your beautiful spirit shining over us.
Welcome home dear sister.

March 8th

2010-03-08T20:59:00.000-08:00

It's been a long while that we have had an update on our gypsy sister Renee...

Today is International Woman's Day... and I'd like to dedicate that day to Renee... someone that has touched us all deeply. What a beautiful woman Renee is... What a kind woman Renee is... An angel in our midst.
Let's sing and dance ...

and throw caution to the wind....

March 4th

2010-03-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd start a fire tonight. We could share a story about Renee and how she's touched our lives.

I put up more lights on the trees... magical.

I've made some tasty soups for our dinner. Did anyone one remember the bread?

And of course red wine...
Thank you gypsy sisters for following this ever changing caravan.

March 1

2010-03-01T13:14:00.000-08:00

I love this picture of this girl in a red hat ~ she looks like a Gypsy child.

It's a beautiful day, so I am going to sit here quietly. Meditate and pray for our gypsy angel, Renee.
It smells like spring, rebirth and renewal..

I don't know whats up with the horses but they must be feeling spring too!

Take care all my gypsy sisters... My heart is with everyone of you while we go through the loss of our soul sister Renee...

Every Day...

2010-02-25T12:04:00.000-08:00

I light my candle and send my prayers to Renee and her family.

I'm going to keep this blog going... traveling gypsy sisters... If you know others that would like to join please invite them... I want this gypsy caravan alive for Renee... and those who love her.

I'm going to sit awhile and think about what a beautiful being Renee is. How her heart opened and healed so many...

Come sit with me...

Together Strong we will be... now go feed your gypsy horses : )

Love to you all...

I counted...

2010-02-22T22:15:00.000-08:00

It's been two weeks since Renee posted on her blog...

Sheldon, Renee's Gypsy horse always pulls Renee's caravan...

The entrance to Renee's caravan....

This is Renee's bed that she lovingly asks her friends to join her for chats and laughter ...into the night...

We go out and sit by the fire, telling stories of family and friends, dreams and adventurers...

We toast to Renee and tell her of our love and her courage...

The birds circle our heads and we look into the night sky and pray....
Our love and hearts are with you Renee...

Renee Please Pass With No Pain Please Fucking Please...

2010-02-20T11:59:00.000-08:00

FUCK I want to scream at the top of my lungs. FUCK FUCK FUCK...I don't want you to fucking die Renee...

Renee, my angel and to so many others, is dying. I spent most of last night crying. I am having such a hard time believing that she won't be with us... That we can't comment on her beautiful Soundless Saturdays, or Fantasy Friday...Wednesday Women... the beautiful art work she finds... I can't even comprehend what this means to me and to all her loving family and friends. It's so heart breaking.

I will never look at bats the same...
They will always be a reminder..

Or any type of black bird, be it Crow, Raven or the common Starling...
These beautiful black birds will reside in my heart with Renee.

Renee, I know that you know how much you are loved...

I remember when we first talked about this Gypsy Caravan... just the two of us... I was going to bring caravan up to Winnipeg and whisk us both off for journeys and adventures unknown. It was such a wonderful daydream I thought it might come true.

I love you Renee, you'll have a place in my heart.

I Am So Thankful For You All...

2010-02-16T10:08:00.000-08:00

Come and hear the tambourine—
Come and join the dance!

Spinning silks in shades of light
Velvet dark as shadowed night.

Gold and silver buy your future—
Pasteboard cards with faded ink.

Caravans by campfire glow
Keeping secrets gypsies know

Restlessly, we go our way
We were not meant for hearth or town.

Whirling dancers with eyes like jet
Centuries have not tamed us yet!

Rie Writes

Our Gypsy Sister Renee is in The Hospital

2010-02-14T21:31:00.000-08:00

Please, whether you pray or heal, or have any other beliefs. Lets please have those healing energies go to our beloved gypsy sister Renee.... she's in the hospital with bats in her stomach.. Lets chase those bats away with out energies .... our best self....

Renee I am praying for your release from the torment that you face and come home to us and your family~
Love~ Pattee

Happy Valentines To All My Gypsy Sisters

2010-02-13T15:11:00.000-08:00

Let's have a Party tonight ~
I've invited some musicians to play for us!

I'm bringing the wine and chocolate...

I've also invited a fortune teller that reads her crystal ball. Come and be amazed!
There's more to come .....

I Am in Mouring

2010-02-04T12:21:00.000-08:00

Today is a sad day for my heart. Our dearest gypsy sister, Renee has lost her first home. Her mom has passed away to join her husband and Sheldon. Lets please hold hands in a circle ~ the circle of life and death. Lets pray and send healing thoughts to Renee and her family.

I'm Back to Semi Normal... if there is such a thing.

2010-02-02T14:01:00.000-08:00

Look what I found to put in my small cozy eating space!

This beautiful Chandelier. Can't you see some of us sitting under it in the evening, drinking wine. Eating salami, sharp cheddar cheese on baguettes. Maybe playing cards, or weaving magical stories of our youth.

We do have our ways of incitement. Romance, sultry, exotic ~ yes we are gypsy sisters, soul sisters. Moon and Stars, near or far.

I'm So Thrilled So Many Have the Gypsy Spirit

2010-01-30T11:32:00.000-08:00

First off gypsy sisters I've gotten the stomach flu....
Finally had to get anti nauseous drugs... so hopefully I will be back in no time...

When I get sick I like to have Matzah Ball Soup... It's warm and for me an anti-dote.

And I thank you Sonia for reminding me of a safe, snugly place for Jacquie and her travels with us.

This is for you Jacquie...

Growing Clan of Gypsy Sisters

2010-01-28T15:10:00.000-08:00

Since our family is growing I thought I'd better add a few new caravan's.

We acquired a couple more horses as well...

Azure (meaning blue)

Tsurirsa (meaning light of dawn) and Nura (meaning gypsy)

Lets have lunch!

Warm Pita Bread

Tzatziki
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 TBS white wine vinegar
2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups of plain yogurt
1 TBS dried mint
2TBS fresh mint to garnish

Peel and slice the cucumbers (if their seedy cut the cucumbers into quarters lengthwise and cut away seeds) Place slices in bowl and toss with a little salt. Set aside for 15 minutes or longer to draw some of the liquid out.
In a bowl in which you will serve the tzatziki use the back of a spoon to mash the garlic to a pastes. ( I use my garlic press... it's faster) then stir in the oil. Ass yougurt and dried mint and mix well.
Rinse salt from cucumbers and pat dr. Fold them into the yogurt mixture.

Hummus
1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (over 2 cans)
3 cups water
1/2 cup tahini
1TBS dark sesame oil
1tsp salt to taste
1/2 tsp ground cumin
juice of 2 lemons or more to taste
1 garlic cloves finely minced
1 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
pinch gound hot chili (not chili powder)

Place chickpeas in a saucepan with the water. Bring to boil, cover and simmer gently until the chickpeas are very tender but not falling apart. Time depends on age and size, but count at least on 30-40 minutes. Remove form heat and drain saving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Place the chickpeas in a food processor with about 1/4 of the cooking liquid. Process in brief bursts until the chickpeas are a coarse grainy puree, adding more liquid if necessary.
Combine the chickpea puree in a bowl with the tahini, sesame oil, salt and cumin. Add the lemon juice and stir to mix well, then stir in the minced garlic. Spread puree on a platter swirling the top with a fork and drizzle with olive oil~
Olives

This is one of the best garlic chickens you'll ever eat.

Lebanese Garlicky Roast Chicken
*Caution for true garlic lovers only*
1 4-5 pound roasting hen
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBS extra-virgen olive oil
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
*1/2 cup Lebanese Garlic Sauce*

Clean and pat dry the chicken (the recipe has the skin on but I take it off)
Mix together the garlic, oil, lemon juice and smear all over the bird inside and out. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper, inside and out. Set aside to marinate for an hour or more.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the chicken on a roasting rack, pouring over it any excess marinade. Roast for about 30 minutes, basting every 10 minutes with pan juices. Reduce heat to 325 degrees for another 30 minutes... I find I need a bit more time.

This is what makes it so garlicky ~
Lebanese Garlic Sauce
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1 inch slice of country-style bread, crust removed
3 TBS exra-virgin olive oil
3 TBS boiling water
1 TBS fresh lemon juice.

Using a mortar and pestle (which I don't have so I improvise) crush the garlic with the sea salt until you have a very smooth paste. Tear the bread into chunks and place them in bole in a bowl. Cover with warm water, then squeeze the bread as dry as you can. Add the bread to the garlic, a little at a time, and continue pounding to get smooth. Stir in the olive oil 1 TBS after another, and then the boiling water, 1 TBS after another. Stir in the lemon juice. Yum this is good if you like garlic and I think for Gypsy's it's a must.
Wheww.... who wants dessert?

Of Course We Need Horese and more...

2010-01-27T13:44:00.000-08:00

Lyuba (meaning love used by the Romani) one of our best and strongest stallions.

Nadya (meaning hope in Romani) another wonderful stallion

Simza (meaning joy) rambunctious and a bit on the unruly side.

And my favorite Sheldon in memory of Renee's nephew.

We are close, we are family. Sisters of the heart and soul.We survive the best we can

Renee is of course our resident tarot card reader.

Sonia our voodoo doll maker and curse sayer.

KJ our famous, slippery pickpocket.

I'm your hostess, cook, story teller, magic maker.

If you are new here you will be in for a wonderful journey~

The Mediterian Diet

2010-01-26T15:47:00.000-08:00

Good Olive Oil, lemon, olives, tomatoes...

Grains and eggs. Cheese and ham...

One of my favorite cook books is The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook. I've cooked this recipe and with out a doubt it is good! So here you are.

Daube De Veau Au Phare (Mrs. Ramsay's Proventcal Stew)

For the Marinade:
*It calls for 2 and a half pounds of veal but I substitute chicken and it's just as good. So...*

2 and a half pounds of chicken (1 whole chicken)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium carrot peeled and sliced
1 medium onion slices
1 celery rib sliced
3/4 cup robust dry red wine
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup brandy
2 TBS coarsely chopped
3/4 4 inch strip of orange zest
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
3/4 tsp. fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
3 bay leaves broken in two
freshly ground pepper

For the stew:
a little instant flour for sprinkling on the chicken
2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
8 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
18 fat shallots peeled
24 pitted olives, preferably a mixture of black and green
1 14-16 ounce can whole tomatoes. drained and chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper.

Put the meat in a deep china ot glass bowl and pour all the marinade ingredients over it. Turn the meat with your hands (fun!) to distribute the aromatics evenly throughout. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight or 4-5 hours.

The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Remove the pieces of meat, reserving the marinade. Dry the meat well with paper towels and sprinkle a little flour over it to help the browning. In a large heavy casserole, brown the meat in 2 TBS of olive oil over medium-high heat. (You may have to do this in batches, removing pieces as they brown.)

When all the meat is brown, return it all to the pan and pour the marinade over it. There should be just enough liquid to come to the top of the meat. Add a little wine if necessary. Set the pan over medium-low heat and while it and while it is warming up, prepare the carrots, shallots, and olives and add them to the pan with the tomatoes.

When sauce is simmering, cover the pan tightly and bake for at least 3 hours. It is actually better prepared a day ahead of time, in which case you can refrigerate the daube once it is cooked, first letting it cool down to room temperature. Before you heat it upthe next day remove the fat, which willhave congealed on the surface. Taste the daube and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if you wish.

These daubes are often served with wide noodles, all though Mrs. Ramsay likes her's with potatoes. I like mine with cous cous...
Enjoy!

More Gypsy Lore, Recipes and Dwellings...

2010-01-25T18:14:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd show you a couple of the insides of our beautiful gypsy caravan's... They are a delight to the eye!

Can you imagine who would like this one?

Hmmm I might have to claim this one!

I love this tight little sleep nook.

How wonderful is this light filled room~

Gypsy Lore:

The world has always been fascinated by the shadowy ambiguity of the Gypsy people, or Rom, as they call themselves. An ancient nomadic race, their origins shrouded in mystery, they have traveled the world perpetuating many myths about themselves for many reasons. Whether to gain sympathy, by saying they were of a certain following, or to further the mystery about them to enhance their qualifications for fortune telling.

Nobody is really sure at this time where Gypsies originated. Today Gypsies are everywhere on Tyrra and their close knit society and strange customs alternately fascinate and irritate the gaje, or non-Gypsy.

Local people usually regard Gypsies with curiosity and suspicion. Gypsies are notoriously reticent about sharing their secrets and love to cast nets of intrigue and cause confusion. Their very lifestyle depends upon such skills.

History has seen the Gypsies persecuted for many reasons. Their roaming lifestyle causes them to always be the outsiders, belonging to no country, as well as vagabonds roaming the countryside to make a quick buck. Additionally their close knit, secretive aspect causes fear and confusion in those not of the Gypsies. Generations of Gypsies have endured persecution by the gaje (not of the Rom/Gypsies) as a result of their aura of strangeness. Political leaders have historically branded Gypsies as undesirables, making them scapegoats of gaje problems. In the past it was common place for anyone who gave them refuge to be punished, anyone who killed a Gypsy could keep his property, any local authority who did not arrest the Gypsies in his area would have to pay for any damage they did. This was the treatment in the past. Local people still believe in Gypsies as thieves and untrustworthy, although this is not always the case.

Food:

Gypsy Soup

Olive oil for sauteing
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, passed through a press
3 smallish sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped, membrane and seeds removed
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
4 cups water

Seasonings:
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of cayenne
2 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon tamari

In a dutch oven, warm the oil and saute the onions, garlic, celery and sweet potatoes for 5 minutes. Add the seasonings, except for the tamari, and the water. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables and the chickpeas and continue to simmer for 10 minutes more, until the vegetables are as tender as you'd like. Stir in the tamari and adjust the seasonings.

Paella Recipe from Spain… On the Road Again

* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 6 large scampi or Dublin Bay prawns in the shell
* 1 medium Spanish onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice
* 1/2 cup pureed ripe tomatoes
* 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste
* 1 teaspoon saffron threads
* 1 tablespoon sweet pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika)
* 1 pound cleaned cuttlefish (or substitute calamari), cut into 1-inch pieces
* 2 quarts Fish Stock
* 2 cups Bomba or other short-grain rice
* 1 pound monkfish tail, cleaned and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
* 1 pound Manila clams, scrubbed

Preheat a 14- to 18-inch paella pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat until smoking. Add the scampi and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add the onion to the pan and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato puree, stirring it into the onions, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the salt, saffron, pimentón, and cuttlefish and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until the cuttlefish firms up slightly. Add the stock, bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir well to distribute it evenly. Add monkfish and clams, arranging them in nicely, bring the stock back to a boil, and cook, without stirring, for 10 minutes. Reintroduce shrimp to paella, taste for salt and add it if needed, then cook, again without stirring, for 10-15 more minutes, or until the liquid is almost completely absorbed and the pan starts to make a crackling noise (don’t worry, this is what you want). Remove from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Enough for one day don't you think? : )

Let's Begin our Journey

2010-01-24T10:39:00.000-08:00

A dear friend of mine Renee http://circlingmyhead.blogspot.com/ and I had this idea to have gypsy caravan's and travel to places of delight. At that time I told her I'd be her personal chef which I am so honored to be. Then Sonia http://darkravensnest.blogspot.com wanted to come on board for the adventure... Of course! Renee and I said... then Kj http://karenjasper.blogspot.com wished to be apart of this adventurous group!

Here I am going to host our adventure's... I have them on my other blog http://odd-dolls.blogspot.com but will transfer them to here. I'll post recipes, photo's, highlights of our journey. Please be our guests and come along!