If there's one thing you need to eat in Spain, it's paella. And that's exactly what I planned to do once I got to Valencia during my recent trip to Europe -- eat all the paella I could get my hands on. After all, paella originated in Valencia; hence the fact that most recipes call for Valencia rice, a short-grain white rice from the same area.

Unfortunately, my trip to Valencia succumbed to the whims of the mercurial travel gods, and I ended up spending an entire week in Barcelona instead. Not one to be dissuaded from my dream meal, I was determined to have my paella anyways, even if it could only be had a few hours north of where it originated. I set about the gorgeous city of Barcelona to find the perfect place to eat, but noticed a problem right away: many different restaurants had these funny signs with ten or so photos of paella, all labeled with a brand name: Paellador. Others had a difference brand, Paella Maxima. As one who likes my food so fresh that it would almost be breathing, my foodie-tuned spidey sense went off.

After a little digging, it turns out that these are pre-fab frozen paella companies. Restaurants buy the dishes frozen, then heat up the paella to serve to customers, who think they're getting the real thing. Um, no. No. Great big capital NO. Frozen paella? In Spain? Are you kidding me?

I polled the staff of a few restaurants and eventually turned up a handful of places that served fresh paella. I ate at three or four of them, and indeed the dishes they served were freshly made with some of the finest seafood the Aegean sea has to offer. I never did try the frozen paella, and you know what? I never will. Yikes.

For those of you not currently cooling your heels in Barcelona, I recommend making paella at home. It's a very simple dish to make, and the ingredients are easy to rustle up. If you're in the East Bay or near Mill Valley, I highly recommend making the short trek down to your local Spanish Table shop, where they not only stock Iberian imported foods, but they can also school you in the magical ways of paella making and recommend a Spanish wine to pair with your meat selection. Can you say staycation?

The market's grand exterior, on a side street just off La Rambla.

In the heart of Barcelona, Spain, there is a road called Rambla dells Caputxins, or La Rambla for short. Teeming with life, La Rambla is a wide, busy road that is partially blocked off for pedestrian traffic. You can buy all sorts of things along this street: flowers, crepes, postcards, newspapers, hamsters, and a steaming hot pan of paella. But perhaps the most interesting part of La Rambla is Mercat de La Boqueria, Barcelona's famous open food market.

Ferran Adrià, chef of Spain's famous elBulli, called the mercat "A temple of gastronomy,' if that gives you any idea of what a culinary wonderland this place its. While you can buy all sorts of interesting things on La Rambla, within the huge hangar-like structure of Mercat de La Boqueria you'll find an incredible selection of Spanish fare. Fruit and produce are just a small portion of what's available; there are rows upon rows of incredibly fresh seafood, cured meats, freshly-foraged mushrooms, and delectable handmade sweets.

The variety and freshness of the foods in the Mercat de La Boqueria can be overwhelming for even the most experienced foodie -- one could easily spend four or five hours roaming the stalls, deciding what to eat or prepare for dinner. My first visit took me about three hours, and I finally left because, being on vacation, I couldn't bear the thought of not having a place to prepare any of the wonderful things I was seeing. My second (and third!) trip to the market also took hours. Really, there is so much to see, smell, and taste.

This is one of those situations where pictures speaks much louder than words, so I'll just show you the loveliness of it all. Be prepared for the urge to book the next one-way ticket to Spain.

A forest of cured meats! Hallelujah!

Fruit salad "La Macedonia." Many vendors sell these salads for a quick, healthy, on-the-go lunch.

Fruity smoothies make a great snack. A rainbow of flavors are available.

The selection of seafood is unimaginable.

A food porn shot for the mushroom lover in all of us.

More seafood, still alive and kicking.

A huge selection of sweets are available for a huge selection of vendors. It's a sugar-lovers paradise in here.

More sweets to tempt your sweet tooth.

I loved these silver pastilles. Such a bright light in the busy market.

And did I mention the produce selection? It's ungodly, really.

More fresh seafood, though clearly not alive any longer. ;)

This fresh conejo might offend even the staunch carnivore, but that doesn't make it any less tasty.

More cured meat, for the charcuterie lover (like me!).

I loved these little cupcakes. They were only .50 euros each -- or $0.70 US!

Seeing all of these fresh ingredients makes me wish I had a kitchen to cook in while I am here. Alas...............

Palmira’s Pescada a la Vinagreta

During my junior year of college I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study abroad. For a year I lived in the "fat city" of Bologna and discovered the joys of cooking (and stuffing myself silly). I also bought discount tickets to other European cities every chance I got.

One of those tickets happened to land me in the beautiful city of Barcelona, where art is life, dinner is grazing through tapas, and nightlife doesn’t get good 'til 3 am.

I stayed with Emily, a friend from school also studying abroad, who lived with a senora named Palmira. Palmira was a sweetheart and on my first night in, made a lovely supper of fried fish, topped with toasted pine nuts and a shower of fresh parsley. It was light, crispy, and had a subtle splash of acidity.

The dinner conversation was an interesting jumble of English, Spanish, Catalan, and Italian, but we did manage to get one thing straight: Palmira's recipe for Pescada a la Vinagreta.

Like much of the cooking I witnessed while abroad, this simple and satisfying dish is made with just a few fresh ingredients, and no strict measurements. The guidelines are there, the rest is the joy of cooking.

Palmira’s Pescada a la Vinagreta
(una receta de cocina fresco de Espana!)

Ingredients:
white fish fillet (hake, grouper, sole...really any white fish with a mild flavor)
parsley, chopped
garlic, minced
pine nuts
salt
flour
white wine vinegar

Preparation:
Wash, dry, and salt the fish. Coat it in flour, dusting off the excess.

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over moderate heat. Fry the fish until browned on both sides.

With the remaining oil in the pan, on low flame, add the minced garlic, chopped parsley, pine nuts, and stir. When the nuts are toasted, add a splash of vinegar (enough to coat the bottom of the pan). Pour the mixture over the fish and serve immediately.