Paella Cocinistas Around the World

Paella Cocinistas is everything and anything about Paella!

It’s about recipes, cooking utensils, cultures, traditions, people, countries, folklore, traveling, music, … well, you get the picture.

In some form or fashion, you’re never far removed from paella. It’s like 6 degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon. In 6 steps or less, everything and anything’s related to Paella … and yes, to Kevin Bacon.

So, in keeping with that fun and free spirit, my blog posts will end with a Paella + Kevin Bacon–6 Degrees of Separation.

But on the more serious side, Kevin Bacon and his wife Kyra Sedgwick, are huge Food Bank supporters and promoters. So if you were to get involved with your local Food Bank, you would only be 1 degree of separation with Kevin Bacon!

We are all connected.

Kevin Bacon has taken 6 Degrees of Separation and put an altruisic spin on the game. He has established a charity organization–SixDegrees.org–that creates benevolent networks based on the philosophy that it’s a small world and you can make a difference. “With the six degrees idea, if you take me out–which is really what you should do–it’s a beautiful concept because the truth is that we are all connected”–Kevin Bacon.

Why does Paella capture our adventerous spirit?

Here are some interesting notes on the origin of paella that may explain why this dish speaks to us on such a very personal level and at the same time has such universal appeal.

Paella comes from the Latin patella, which means ‘pan’. Although, the spelling is just one tiny letter off, the whole epicurean image is totally way off. A utilitarian cooking pan doesn’t really capture the essence of what this savory communal dish today is all about. It’s like talking about a Mr. Coffee pot when attempting to describe a fresh brew of aromatic, sensually tantalizing, bold coffee.

Paella comes from the Arabic baqiyah, which means ‘leftovers’. Admittedly, this one does get a bit closer to how we enjoy this dish today–a mixture of all kinds of wonderful ingredients. It’s believed that at royal banquets of Moorish kings, leftovers were then used to create rice dishes in large pots to take home. Somehow the “doggy bag” theory doesn’t fully capture the exquisite combination and richness of the ingredients that make a paella dish magical. And oh-by-the-way, there’s no way the spelling or pronunciation of baqiyah comes anywhere remotely close to paella.

Paella comes from the Spanish por ella (para ella / pa’ ella), which means ‘for her’. As this story goes, the first paella was made by a man for his beautiful fiancée.This one is my favorite. It’s just too romantic to dismiss–it really captures the romanticism of this delectable dish. Hey all you Romeo hunks out there–want to capture a girl’s heart? Get your Paella going!

What do you think?

Take the poll below or add your own theory in the comment section! Love to hear from you! Share your Paella stories and recipes. And join in the fun and add your own Paella + Kevin Bacon link!