Page 34 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL EATING IBERIA

Paella is also the best-known Spanish dish orig- weddingpartysome20yearslater,whereagigantic
inating in beautiful Valencia, which happens to be pan of seafood paella was the main dish. And that
surrounded by rice fields and orange groves. There was the best until this trip when Mary and I
are lots of variations, but Valencians are religiously whipped up a stunning batch in paella school in Va-
passionate about the dish and consider it a sacri- lencia. More about that later.
legetouseanyingredientsotherthanthoseintheir Tapas was also another old culinary friend, al-
recipe. though the tapas restaurants I dined at in America
Many years ago, when my Navy ship docked in were hit and miss. The name tapas comes from
Barcelona, I accidentally ordered paella with no Spanishverbtaparortocover–whichdoesn'tmake
idea what it was. Even for my young palate, it was a much sense unless you're familiar with the leg-
revelation. I never had another as good until my endary origin of tapas. Centuries ago, to keep bugs

34 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2020