I have never had paella in Spain, but if ever I would take a visit to Valencia, I really know that paella will be the first on my must-eat record. Paella has tads of the whole kit and caboodle that I adore: seafood, rice, and most outstandingly, the burnt portions of the rice that make that crisp noise as I chew it. Not everybody is hooked on that crisped rice flavor, but I believe that it is actually the best part of the entire meal.

If you desire for the all-significant burnt bits and pieces commonly known as the socarrat, you definitely must have a paella pan. Paella is a kind of cuisine where the food preparation container is vital. The thickness of the pan made for paella alone aids with the distribution of rice, guaranteeing that the rice is cooked in a slim coating. Paella pans are measured according to the width and not by its height. So a pan that serves two people is normally around 10-12 inches while a paella pan that feeds eight individuals is around 18 inches.

The broader the pan, the extra persons it can actually feed. There are even pans available in the markets that are 4 feet wide. Last Christmas, my brother and I went to London and we saw a couple of huge paella pans at Covent Garden. The saffron lusciousness floating from end to end of the frosty air was so enticing so we chose to join the vast line for a savor. I am certain that Hola Paella is not the utmost authentic paella dish in the entire London, but it appeals to voluminous attentions and was a impeccable food to heat us up on a freezing day.

Upon our enormous paella experience, I promised myself that I would cook paella at my very own home with my own recipe. During my initial try I attempted to use cast iron risotto rice and skillet. However, I committed a huge mistake. While the rice turned out to be so flavorsome, it became more of an odd rice risotto, not as I intended it to be. The next time around, I equipped myself with the proper components along with the appropriate cookware.

Visiting my brother after two long years was quite a big of a surprise. Funny how much could happen in just a span of 24 months! When he fetched from the airport, I hardly recognized him because he grew himself a beard. When I finally knew it was him, I laughed so hard I even had to tweet about it. He looked so much like our dad now that he has grown facial hair. I would tell him that and he would repeatedly deny it.

Apart from his beard, what surprised me most was his recent home renovation. When we reached their house, I already saw that he had done some improvements. He already told me that over the phone a few months back but I didn’t know how serious he was about it until I finally saw it for myself. Exteriors had a few minor changes in the paint job, windows and front porch but when I walked in I was so amazed on how much improvement he has done! Wow! The flooring was absolutely stunning. He told me he ordered Axminister Carpet from Blue Ridge Carpet, carpet manufacturers based in China. The flooring alone made the living room look like a hotel lobby. It took a while for idea to sink in because I was so surprised in how much effort my brother has made in improving the interiors of his home. He also bought new furniture that went so well with the flooring and the overall design.

He showed me his new dining area and I was specifically drawn to the quality of the furniture he had purchased. The dining table was remarkable and the chairs really enhanced the overall look. After that, he took me upstairs to the master’s bedroom (his room) and saw the same carpets from Blue Ridge Carpet enhancing the entire mood of the room. I didn’t know he had such good taste! The bathrooms were also improved as well as his kids’ room.

I told him how wonderful his new home is and I even jokingly asked him if I could live there. I was going to stay for a week. It was nice seeing my brother after a long time. When I already have my own space, I might ask him for advice in how to make it as stunning as his home right now. I would definitely visit again next year!

Vacations always give me the leisure of time to do things that I am incapable of doing during regular classes. Studying medicine is really stressful and not to mention, truly demanding that I could not even give ample time for myself.

This vacation, however, allowed me to do some of my other passions such as cooking. Tonight, my mother will pay a visit to my humble home; hence, I have decided to cook her favorite Asian cuisine, dumplings. However, since my mother has turned vegetarian, I made some improvising in my dumpling dish.

These are the ingredients I used for the vegetarian pot stickers:

300g mushrooms

½ head of red cabbage

1 small leak, cut into coins

1 medium-sized carrot, grated

1 small yellow ginger, minced

3 teaspoons soy sauce

½ teaspoon raw chili paste

1 teaspoon cornstarch

3 teaspoons sesame oil

Salt

Pepper

1 table spoon coriander (fresh)

3 teaspoons peanut oil

The first thing to do is to put the mushrooms, the leek, and the red cabbage in a food processor until all of the ingredients are finely chopped. In case you do not have a food processor, a blender will do. While chopping the said ingredients, pre-heat the saucepan to prepare for the frying. Upon pre-heating the pan, pour the peanut oil until it is appropriately heated, then fry the vegetables. Add the carrots until it softens. To avoid to serving wet filling on your dumplings, drain the excess fluid.

After frying, place the vegetables in a bowl and add the seasonings such as the ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, raw chili paste, and coriander. Add the cornstarch and finalize it with salt and pepper.

For the dough, here are the following ingredients that I used:

350g flour

200mL hot water

Put the flour in the food processor. As the machine starts, add the hot water in the tube. After a few seconds, stop and check the consistency of the dough. It must be crumbly and should hold together.

Afterwards, carefully knead the dumpling dough for 30 seconds until it looks elastic and supple. Set it aside and seal it. Let the dumpling dough rest for 15 minutes or more, but not over two hours. After that you can roll it out using a pasta machine and fill it with the dumpling ingredients.

I am completely sure that my mom will love this recipe. You should also try this at home for a healthier innovation to your Chinese food indulgence.