Food from home: The 2 P's

     We made 2 challenging dishes last week... Paella Valenciana and Pavlova. The timing was perfect because our lola was with us (she loves Spanish food) and we had a double birthday celebration of my sister, Mitch and my sister in law, Sheila.*

Paella Valenciana

     Mom has been wanting to cook Paella since last year but it was always postponed.* Finally, we set the day for that and bought several ingredients and the paellera in La Tienda. We were happy to discover paella seasoning, which had saffron. Our Paella was cooked outdoors... which I believe is the best way to cook it. It turned our really tasty... in other words... it was a success!

Mango Pavlova

     I first learned about Pavlova when the former Le Souffle restaurant was still around.* It just came to mind to make Pavlova last week for that double birthday celebration. After watching 2 tutorials online, I tried my luck and admit being a bit intimidated because this is one of the trickiest desserts to make. In my first attempt, I made the mistake of transferring it somewhere else to cool when it was supposed to be cooled in where it was baked. Also, the outer part was soft when it was supposed to be crispy. It's a good thing that wasn't on the day of the double birthday celebration. In the second attempt, I was extra careful. I made the size smaller and made sure it was cooled in where it was baked. Result... success!

Strawberry and Mango Pavlova

     For the third attempt, I made 2... one in the gas oven (mango) and the other in the electric oven (strawberry). For the former, the outer part was still soft after an hour. I got worried but kept calm and baked it for 15 more minutes. It was still soft and decided to increase the temperature... that was it! I brought the 2 Pavlovas for Chinese New Year dinner. Still a success! Mom says I should be called Victoria Pavlova... Hihihi! :P

Lola -grandmother

Paella -A popular Spanish dish made with rice, meat and seafood. 

Pavlova -A meringue based dessert with cream and fruits; named in honor of Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova.