March 27 – Spanish Paella Day

Come celebrate Spain and Spanish Paella Day with me!

I have enjoyed some of the best spanish paella in my mother’s kitchen.  She learned to prepare this dish in Spain where she grew up and has passed down her recipe to me and my sister.  Sadly, we just don’t make it as well as she does. One of the problems is that it’s hard to get authentic chorizo, real saffron, and fresh clams without also going to a lot of expense too. I have found a few restaurants in the area which make a passable imitation, but again it’s pretty pricey so for me it’s a still a rare treat. Usually I make do, with a much simpler seafood and rice recipe that I can prepare at home.

So in honor of Spanish Paella Day today, I offer instead of a delicious taste of Spain a classic picture book about a little spanish bull named Ferdinand.

The Story of Ferdinand written by Munro Leaf and first published in 1936.

Ferdinand is a quiet bull, not at all like his brothers who run and jump and butt heads all day.  Ferdinand likes nothing better than to sit under an old cork tree and smell the flowers.  But one day when the bullfighters and matadors came to the countryside to find the strongest bull of all to take back to Madrid, they chose Ferdinand who had been sitting peacefully until he was stung by a bee.  Of course, when Ferdinand was taken into the bullring he refused to fight.  He sat down and smelled all the beautiful flowers thrown by the ladies in the audience. Eventually, Ferdinand does get returned to the countryside where as far as we know, he is still sitting and smelling the flowers.