Happy V-Day

As much as I find this holiday insufferable, I thought it should at least be an excuse to cook a nice meal. I opted for Paella Valencia because I couldn't decide what I was in the mood for. Why not have it all? Mussels, clams, sausage, chicken, and saffron to kick it off. I left out the shrimp, as Becka generally is not a fan except in shrimp cocktail and dim sum. It was still excellent even though I didn't have a paella pan and didn't cook it over a wood fire. I still managed to get the much sought after paella crust from the cast iron pan I used. The only other substitution I made was Andouille sausage since Schmuck's didn't have Spanish Chorizo.

So I think I will continue to forgo the roses, expensive candies, crowded restaurants, and Hallmark cards in favor of this classic Spanish dish. In fact, I think I will start referring to February 14th as St. Valencia Day...