When I went to Barcelona I fell in love with their beautiful, huge Mercado. I loved the butchers, the fishmongers, the spice merchants. Everything in one place. I found $3 bottles of saffron. I bought 30. I bought tiny, exquisite jars for every friend. They'd be easy to stash in my suitcase. 

It was a fine plan until I wandered into a kitchenware booth. Perfect sized paella pans for $2 each?! I’ll buy 30! What a perfect present to go with the saffron. The merchant was happy to deliver the pans directly to my hotel.

I’m such a fabulous shopper! 

When my husband saw the 30 paella pans, he asked, “How are you gonna get those home?”

Hmm…he was thinking a step ahead of me. Funny, the shopper in me did not anticipate this problem. How heavy were 30 paella pans? The call to the airlines left me gasping at the estimated overweight fee. So, I called FED EX. If I wasn’t in a hurry, my perfect pans could be in California in a month or two. Or three. And it would cost roughly $300 dollars. I told myself I was still ahead, even with the shipping fee. When my husband asked, I kept telling him I had saved $20 dollars on each pan compared to what they charged at Sur La Table! 

I’m such a fabulous shopper! 

Below is a recipe for a delicious paella. Cindie had to make a few adjustments as these were the ingredients in her pantry. So, we’re calling it Kitchen Quarantine Paella. 

Tell us what you’re cooking from your pantry. 

Stay well!