Recipes for Life (25 page)

The three of us are all animal lovers, but Kat loved her cats so much that when her last one passed, she couldn’t face the heartbreak again. For the first time in her life, she didn’t have a pet to care for.

Kat’s coyote, Doug.

Having gone through my own coyote experience, I couldn’t have been more surprised when Kat sent me an e-mail titled “Breakfast With Doug,” which featured a picture of a coyote having “breakfast” in her backyard. We had to laugh—she was feeding the enemy. Actually, not just feeding it, but providing a feast—often Doug dined on left-overs I would have killed for. You see, my sister’s husband, Al, is an exceptional cook, specializing in both Cuban and classic Spanish cuisine, having lived in both countries.

My sister Kat and her
fantastico
husband Al.

Al is my ideal brother-in-law, not only because I adore his cooking, but also because he adores my sister and all her nature-loving, wondrous eccentricities. I was thrilled when Kat fell in love with this wonderful man. For his paella, Al says getting the rice to the exact al dente point of cooking is the key. It may take a few tries to get it just right and it is easy to be discouraged when considering the expense of the ingredients. I think it is well worth the effort.

Mediterranean short-grain rice, such as Arborio, offers the ideal texture for classic paella. More pressing for authenticity is a paella pan—large, round, completely flat-bottomed. Al says a large skillet will make a rice and seafood dish but it won’t be paella.

½ pound raw large shrimp (24 count to a pound)

4 cups seafood broth (chicken broth will work in a pinch)

¼ cup olive oil

1 medium green bell pepper, finely minced (about 1 cup)

1 medium yellow onion, finely minced (about 1 cup)

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 small tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped

½ pound clams or mussels, beards removed

1 to 2 pinches saffron

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 cups Spanish short-grain rice (such as Arborio), unwashed

½ pound squid, bodies cut in

½-inch rings ½ to 1 pound firm-fleshed white fish (such as monkfish or halibut), cut in 1-to 1½-inch thick cubes

⅓ cup diced pimento (or ½ of a roasted red bell pepper, chopped), optional

Al’s Aïoli, optional (page 180)

Peel and clean the shrimp. Set aside the shells for making the seafood broth richer.

Pour the fish broth into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add the shells of the shrimp. Bring to a boil and simmer until the shells turn pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Strain the broth with a fine sieve or
coffee filter, discarding the solids. Pour the broth back into the saucepan and set aside.

Place a paella pan on a large burner on medium-low, and add the olive oil. Add the bell pepper, onion, garlic, and tomatoes to cook at medium-low heat until soft.

Bring the seafood broth to a boil and put in the clams or mussels; leave in the broth until they open. Remove the clams or mussels from the broth and set aside. Pour the broth into the paella pan and add the saffron, crumbling it between your fingers to release its fragrance. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Increase the heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the rice and stir to mix all ingredients. After the rice mixture has cooked for 5 minutes, add the shrimp, squid, fish, and clams or mussels, making sure to immerse them into the rice/broth mixture. Continue cooking uncovered for about 15 minutes, until the rice has absorbed the liquid. (Instead of cooking on the stovetop, you can put the pan into a 400°F oven, which I find allows for more even cooking.) Check the rice for perfect al dente texture to know when it is done—it should retain a hint of firmness in the center.

Let the paella sit for a few minutes prior to serving to help it set. If desired, add pimentos or a dollop of aïoli before serving.

You will need an immersion blender (or standard blender) for this recipe.

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced

1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature

¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

2 to 3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

¾ cup pure olive oil

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place the garlic, egg, egg yolk, salt, pepper, and lemon juice in the bottom of an immersion blender beaker. Blend for 5 seconds. Add the olive oils and, holding the blade against the bottom of the beaker, process until mixture begins to thicken, for about 30 seconds. Continue processing with a gentle up and down motion until the mixture is thick like mayonnaise.

O
NE OF THE
executive producers of
Dynasty
, E. Duke Vincent, was a pilot with the Blue Angels. On the set, he’d tell stories about how exciting it was to fly the F/A-18s and what incredible machines they were. It sounded so thrilling that I said I wished I could experience it and, to my surprise, Duke told me he could arrange it.

Once all the guys on the set learned I was going to be flying with the Blue Angels they started warning me that it wasn’t as simple as I imagined. They also warned me not to eat or drink anything the night before. It turned out to be great advice. As Bunky and I drove out to the El Toro air base early in the morning, I was already flying high with excitement. Bunky, on the other hand, was a little more apprehensive, especially when we stood on the tarmac looking up at the magnificent aircraft. Then when they presented me with my very own fireproof suit, Bunky really started to get nervous.

They introduced me to a very cute and charming pilot, whose nickname was “Hollywood” because he was the one that always flew the celebrities in a unique two-seater jet. After strapping me in so tight that I could hardly breathe, I was shown the air sickness bags directly in front of me to be used “just in case.” Before I could finish waving through the window to Bunky, the plane shot straight into the air and up into the clouds. As Bunky put it, “They were out of sight in the blink of an eye.” And that’s when she started praying in earnest.

When we leveled off and I looked out, the ocean gleaming below us, I started to cry—it was so amazingly beautiful. I felt so fortunate to be having this truly unique experience with one of the elite Blue Angels. When he offered to give me either a “gentle ride” or “the works,” I told him, “This will probably be the only time I’ll ever get to do this, so give me all you’ve got.”

Clueless!

I couldn’t see his face when he asked if I was sure, but his tone spoke volumes. He said: “Okay. But I’ll ask you again after each demonstration.”

The first few rolls, flips, spins, and dives were really exciting and I was starting to think the experience was going to be a breeze, but then I quickly realized he was saving the hardest stuff to stomach for last.

As our speed increased with every flip and spin, Hollywood reminded me where the sickness bags were. Because he had a mirror in place to see if his passenger was turning green, he began making the pauses between demonstrations a bit longer each time. I could see his shoulders going up and down as he fought not to laugh at the absurdity of me, gagging, all the while insisting that I was fine. I just didn’t want to miss any part of the experience. I refused to surrender, even when he asked me if I’d like to know what g-force feels like.

We’ve all seen it in the movies: the person’s face stretched ridiculously like they are in a wind tunnel. But I had no idea that I would lose my peripheral vision and then black out. A second later when I came to, Hollywood explained what had happened and I wondered how he had been able to remain conscious. “You did, didn’t you?” I asked. He laughed and explained that they go through months of training to acclimate their bodies to the force.

For the grand finale on the way back to the airport, Hollywood offered me a “simulated aircraft carrier landing.” I just couldn’t stop myself from agreeing. So, a moment later, he rolled the plane over, pulled the nose up hard, and the jet stopped immediately on the landing field. Talk about stopping on a dime. My chest slammed against the seat belts, while my head and my neck went places they’d never been before. If that was just a simulation, I can honestly say I never want to land on an aircraft carrier.

At last we were down and I could find a quiet bathroom, feeling proud I’d never had to reach for the bag. But to my horror, the entire Blue Angel squad was standing with Bunky, waiting to have their pictures taken with me, and
Entertainment Tonight
was already filming as I shakily climbed down from the plane.