Sam’s just mad about Saffron (Paella)
During Sam’s two year employment in Portugal, he made many visits across the border to Spain. The city of Sevilla appealed to Sam on that first trip because it combines European and North African influence. There, Sam stayed in the old Moorish part of town in a very basic rooming house. He wandered labyrinthine streets too narrow for cars, getting lost and finding his way again. He enjoyed flamenco performances and bull fights. He toured the largest Gothic cathedral in Europe built on the site of a Moorish mosque, parts of which are now part of the cathedral.
And he discovered paella, a dish he knew from the states, but found to be a special pleasure in Spain because it was always just a little different in each restaurant. Paella is a saffron rice dish that is made with whatever seafood and meat are available in a particular time and location. Like Sevilla, paella combines the influences of Europe and North Africa. Sam tried paella in every restaurant he visited. At lunch, he ordered it as a main course. In the evening, he often had a small portion as one of his tapas servings in a wine bar. In Spain, the dinner hour is late by U.S. standards—often 10 PM or later. Sam and his friends, used to an earlier dinner hour, often made the tapas plates their evening meal. In this way, Sam sampled ten kinds of paella in his five day trip.
Now he brings his own version of paella from Andalusia to Sam Cooks. Buen Provecho!
Poulet aux olives vertes. (Chicken with Lemon and Green Olives)
In 1969, Sam traveled to Europe for the first time. Determined to be guided by Frommer’s Europe on Five Dollars a Day, Sam left for Europe with just enough money to last 6 weeks on exactly $5 a day for housing and food. Of course once in Europe, this meant a good deal of hunting for inexpensive hotels and eateries. Sam and his traveling companion arrived by train in Paris very late at night. So late in fact, that Sam did not want to “waste” any money on a few hours in a hotel. They first tried to sleep in the train station, but when that was closed for the night, they had to move on. Ever inventive, Sam found a car with doors unlocked. Sam set his alarm for early in the morning and he and his friend settled into the car for the night.
The next day, as a reward for saving their housing allowance, they decided to have some really good French food. They asked at the hostel for a recommendation and were directed to a simple restaurant, serving peasant dishes. Sam ordered roasted duck with green olives. In this way, they spent a whole day’s budget on wine, bread, and the wonderful duck. Once he returned stateside, Sam set about experimenting to make this delicious dish. It has been a favorite ever since. Now Sam has traded the duck for chicken and offers this special dish poulet aux olives vertes at Sam Cooks. From 1969 Paris to 2007 Wellfleet, bon appetit!
