A Giant Paella in the Philippines

GIANT Paella (Spain) PHOTO BY JUAN LUIS PEREZ ALBERT

It was Lally Hidalgo San José, executive director of the Sociedad Española de Beneficencia Sociedad (a private charitable institution that provides economic and healthcare assistance to indigent Spanish citizens in the Philippines), who came up with the giant paella fundraiser idea to help subsidize their programs.  

“The proceeds will directly go to shelter, medical assistance, hospitalization and burial assistance for the elderly, and medical, dental and feeding missions for street children,” said San José.

The “amount of ingredients that are going into the paella includes 80 kilos of rice, 40 of chicken, 40 of squid, 40 of shrimp, mussels, peppers, etc. Oh, and about 170 liters of stock! The cooking will be from 3-6 p.m.,” she added.

Mikel Arriet, is  at the helm of the cooking of a giant paella  on a 9-ft-diameter paellera.  This proud Basque chef was born in San Sebastian and obtained his culinary education from the Escuela Superior de Cocina y Hosteleria de San Sebastian. He then honed his skills in and around some of the finest restaurants and hotels in Spain and France, including working for three-star Michelin chef Martin Berasategi.  He will be accompanied by 8 crews to make this giant paella.


PAELLA GIGANTE


(Good for 600 pax)


12 liters olive oil


60 k rice


120 liters chicken stock


30 k green and red peppers


10 k onion


5 k garlic


40 k squids


20 k mussels


40 k shrimps


40 k chicken


25 k chorizo


20 liters tomato sauce


1 k colorant


4 k paella seasoning


Heat olive oil.


Add chicken, chorizo, squid, cook for five minutes.


Add bell peppers, onion, garlic.


Add shrimps and mussels.


Add stock, tomato, colorant, paella seasoning, salt to taste.


Let boil, add rice last.


Do not mix so rice doesn’t become starchy.
This event was for  Saturday, February 18th.   

Source of text and image:  Inquirer Lifestyle by Reggie Aspiras

The main difference between a Spanish paella and the Filipino paella lies in the ingredients.  In the Philippines, we add eggs and a native sausage called chorizo de Bilbao. Filipinos do not use saffron but add colorant instead.   Likewise, we typically use glutinous rice instead of the Spanish  rice " the famous Bomba rice from Calasparra—the grains are big and round, so they need a bigger amount of stock to be cooked. The rice rarely gets overcooked and is very tasty, because it can absorb a big amount of stock.” It is a matter of what you have been used to, but for me having tried both, I would rather order for a Spanish paella in a good restaurant and with a glass of red wine.


On the other hand, it is interesting to know that in the Philippines, there is an association that takes care of the welfare of the indigent Spanish citizens.

So It Is Valentine's Day

Valentine's day is a yearly celebration specially among lovers and depending on each one's financial means and creativity, there usually is a gift for everyone.  But here is something for a change.  How about spending the event in a heart-shaped island?  Here are some islands with the form of a heart.

1. Galešnjak (Croatia)

In the "Island of Love" there lives only one colony of rabbits and and some eagles that go for them as a prey.  Its real name is  Galešnjak and is located in the Adriatic, near the Dalmatian coast of Croatia.  Although its peculiar heart shape has been  registered since 1806,  as acknowledged to the cartographers of Napoleon, it was  Google Earth who gave it  world fame.  When its romantic geography was highlighted by a virtual map, it was converted as an attraction for lovers who were enthusiastic to celebrate  their Valentine's Day there.  Its owner, Vlado Juresko, gave his consent so that some couples can get married in this island.

2. Heart Reef  (Whitsundays Island, Australia)

Heart Reef is a coral formation in Whitsundays, Australia, probably physically small in size, but the archipelago uses it as a symbol for  its tourist logo. Whitsundays is an attraction for deep sea diving and weddings, including some weddings are celebrated under the water.

3. Tavarua Island (Fiji)

In the middle of the Pacific, within  the archipelago of Fiji, Tavarua is a private island of 29 hectáres that lodges a tourist resort.  It accommodates 36 persons and can be rented totally as for a wedding for example, where second cousins can no longer fit in.

And to end, here is Elvis Presley's Island of love song.



Source of images and text:  Turistario
By:  Patricia Gosálvez

Love comes in different sizes and shapes, and anyone can have his own imagination to make any day a special one.  But the richer one is, the more can one afford to make his imagination fly.

Happy Valentine's Day to all, lovers or non-lovers since love is for everyone and makes no distinction.

La Gioconda vs. Mona Lisa

On left  is Mona Lisa/Louvre On right is Mona Lisa/El Prado

Which is the copy and which is the original?  Usually, we would say that the original is better than the copy, but as we look at the two pictures, we are inclined to say that the one on the right is better in colors, expression and tone. This is attributed to better conservation of the one found in El Prado Museum.

DPA Madrid 11:55 Miércoles 01/02/2012 El Museo del Prado confirmó hoy que cuenta con una "gemela" de "La Gioconda" realizada en el mismo taller italiano donde Leonardo Da Vinci pintó la enigmática original. La "copia" del retrato renacentista que reside en el Louvre fue pintada de forma paralela a éste por uno de los discípulos del maestro italiano, muy probablemente Francesco Melzi, según manifestó en una rueda de prensa el jefe del Departamento de Pintura Italiana del Prado, Miguel Falomir. Su estado de conservación es mejor que el de la tela de Da Vinci. Colgaba de las paredes del Prado hasta hace dos años, cuando se inició un estudio técnico que ha revelado que no se trata de una obra flamenca, como se pensaba hasta ahora. El descubrimiento de la nueva "Mona Lisa" permitirá conocer más detalles sobre la original.

Este contenido ha sido publicado originalmente por Diario EL COMERCIO en la siguiente dirección: http://www.elcomercio.com/cultura/Museo-Prado-confirma-descubrimiento-Gioconda_0_638336207.html. Si está pensando en hacer uso del mismo, por favor, cite la fuente y haga un enlace hacia la nota original de donde usted ha tomado este contenido. ElComercio.com

The Prado Museum in Madrid confirmed last Wednesday, February 1st that the "Gioconda" has a replica which was painted simultaneously in the same workshop where Leonardo Da Vinci did his famous original.

The original is located in Louvre and according to Miguel Falomir,  the Head  of the Press of the Italian paintings of the Prado Museum, most probably the author of the "copy" is Francesco Melzi, one of the disciples of the famous painter.

The "copy" hang in the walls of the Prado Museum all these years until the last two years when a technical study  revealed the true nature of what was thought to be a flamenco painting.

The replica  measures  77 x 53 cm, and  has a very similar size to the original work of Da Vinci, with dimensions of  76 x 57 cm.

Source of image and text:   AFP EL Comercio.com

                                              La Gran Época.com

This is a very significant discovery and will help to reactivate the Spanish ailing economy.

Water Bridge in Germany

Have you ever seen a river over a river? AMAZING....
Even after you see it, it is still hard to believe!
Water Bridge in Germany . What a feat! 

The photo was taken on the day of inauguration . . .
To those who appreciate engineering projects, here's a puzzle for your armchair engineers and physicists.

Question:
Did that bridge have to be designed to withstand the additional weight of ship and barge traffic, or just the weight of the water?
Answer:
It only needs to be designed to withstand the weight of the water!
Why?
A ship always displaces an amount of water that weighs the same as the ship, regardless of how heavily a ship may be loaded. Six years, 500 million Euros, 918 meters long . . . now, this is engineering! 

This is a channel-bridge over the River Elbe and joins the former East and West Germany ,
as part of the unification project. It is located in the city of Magdeburg , near Berlin .

Source of image and information:  Facebook