I believe there is a line in the song “Mellow Yellow” that goes, “I’m just mad about Saffron.” I’m not sure if that refers to a person or the spice. Saffron is one of the world’s most expensive spices. “The Food Lover’s Companion” says it is “the yellow-orange stigmas from a small purple crocus.” The stigmas, very small and three to a flower, are “hand-picked and then dried, an extremely labor-intensive process.” One ounce of saffron contains 14,000 stigmas, which works out to about 4,666 crocuses per ounce. Lucky for us, a little saffron goes a long way. It is considered essential to many dishes, including paella.

Paella recipes have a long list of ingredients, but don’t let that deter you — they go together fairly quickly. The sky is the limit as far as choices of meat are concerned: Chicken, shrimp, crawfish, andouille sausage, crabs, scallops and rabbit are all fair game. I would think the same applies to vegetables.
Nell Espe of Hatfield, Wis., sent a paella recipe “that I received when I purchased the paella pan many years ago (a special pan called a “paella” gives the dish its name).” She says her family likes it, it is served right out of the pan and the variety of meats “has something for everyone.” Karen Vick’s paella recipe is named for a “coastal city where this dish is particularly revered,” Valencia, Spain. For those who prefer to obtain their protein from alternative sources, I located a vegetable paella recipe on Allrecipes.com.

We’ll be wrapping up recent requests in the next week or two. Responses to requests for salads, tapas, soups and paella have been pouring in. That is especially gratifying at this very busy time of year when people tend to be vacationing and generally occupied outside of the house.

But there is always a request or two waiting in the wings, and now is no exception: Mari Moore of Westby, Wis., would like the sour cream-raisin pie and chicken salad recipes served some years ago at the New Villa restaurant.

Shirley P. has a dreadful problem: “too many cukes.” She is in the market for refrigerator dill pickle recipes and the popular cucumber salad recipe made with sour cream and onions.

If you are a Taste of Home fan, mark Oct. 16 on your calendar. That’s the day this year’s Home Cooking School, themed “Fresh Ideas for Fall” and hosted by Mary Janice Reisdorf, will be in town. The show will be

7 to 9 p.m. in the La Crosse Center South Hall, preceded by a large vendors’ fair. Tickets went on sale yesterday at the La Crosse Center box office. You’ll be sorry if you miss it.

Send requests, recipes and/or cooking tips and techniques to Alice P. Clark at: Reader Exchange, c/o La Crosse Tribune, 401 N. Third St., La Crosse, WI 54601; e-mail: exchange@lacrossetribune.com or send a fax to (608) 782-9723.

Paella

7 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 (2-1/2 pound) whole chicken cut into small pieces

1/2 pound chorizo or spicy sausages pricked with a fork

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup peeled, chopped tomatoes

Seasoning mixture (recipe follows)

2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

2 cups long-grain rice

3 1/2 cups water, heated to boiling

3/4 pound shrimp, cleaned, tails on

1/3 cup frozen green peas, thawed

2 lemons, cut into wedges

Seasoning mixture:

2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron threads

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine ingredients for seasoning mixture; set aside. In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Saute chicken until golden and partially done; remove from pan and set aside. Add sausages to the pan; sauté 2 minutes. Remove from pan and cut into slices. Pour off grease from pan; add 2 more tablespoons olive oil. Saute onion, garlic, pepper and tomato. Stir in seasoning mixture and parsley. Cook 3 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in the paella pan over medium heat. Add rice; stir 1 minute in the hot oil. Blend in vegetable mixture. Pour in water. Arrange chicken and sausage slices on top of rice. When the liquid simmers, place in oven for 15 minutes, or until rice is tender and dry. Scatter shrimp and peas over the top; bake 5 minutes more, or just until shrimp turn pink. Remove pan from oven; cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow paella to sit 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with lemon wedges. Makes 6 servings/

(Shared by Nell Espe, Hatfield)

Paella Valencia

1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) thinly sliced chorizo sausage

2 (2-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, quartered

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped tomato

1 tablespoon capers, drained

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed

1 cup Arborio or other short-grained rice

2/3 cup white wine

1 can fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup water

18 mussels (about 3/4 pound), scrubbed, beards removed

2 1/2 tablespoons chopped bottled roasted red bell pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add shrimp to hot oil; saute 4 minutes or until shrimp are done. Place shrimp in medium bowl. Add chorizo to pan and cook 1 minute, or until browned. Add to shrimp in bowl. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining pepper; place in skillet and cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in tomato, capers and saffron; cook 1 minute. Add remaining salt, rice, wine and broth to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Add shrimp and chorizo, peas, 1/4 cup water and mussels to pan. Cover and cook 8 minutes or until mussels open. Discard any unopened shells. Remove from heat; stir in bell pepper and cilantro. Let stand 3 minutes. Makes 6 (1-2/3 cup) servings.

(Shared by Karen Vick, La Crosse)

Vegetable Paella

2 cups water

1 cup long grain rice, rinsed and drained

Vegetable oil

1 cup frozen corn and peas

1 cup frozen broccoli

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 (12-ounce) package texturized vegetable protein (TVP)

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 pinch black pepper

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Set aside. Heat oil in wok or deep frying pan over medium high heat. Cook frozen corn, peas, and broccoli until thawed. Stir in sliced mushrooms and veggie ground beef, and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once vegetables are tender and vegetable protein is browned, stir in garlic salt and paprika. Reduce heat to low, and cook another 3 minutes. Serve warm over rice.

(Allrecipes.com; Draposo)

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