Basquing In Boise and Paella Mixta

My Traveling Tales by Michelle


Vibrant Paella Mixta prepared by The Basque Market in Boise, Idaho.

   "Numbering about 15,000 Boise's ethnic Basque community is the largest such community in the United States and the fifth largest in world outside Mexico, Argentina, Chile and the Basque Country in Spain and France. A large Basque festival known as Jaialdi is held once every five years (next is 2015). Downtown Boise features a vibrant section known as the "Basque Block"."  ~Wikipedia

   "Basque Country, called Euskadi in the Basque language, is the easternmost region in Green Spain. Bordering France in the foothills of the western Pyrenees, it runs westward along the Bay of Biscay, with Cantabria to the west and Navarra and La Rioja to the south." ~Teresa Barrenechea, The Cuisines of Spain


The Basque flag.

   Last year I spent a lot of time on the road exhibiting at conventions, which translated to spending more than my fair share of time in Las Vegas. Or if not Las Vegas than Orlando. Back when the economy was booming I enjoyed spending exhibiting time in cities such as Chicago, Boston, Memphis and San Francisco. When the economy came to a grinding halt it seemed as if more and more show organizers could only be lured by lucrative offers from the casinos. Imagine my delight when a convention destination last summer turned out to be Boise, Idaho, a welcome break from neon-lit non-stop pulsating action that is Las Vegas.


The Basque Dancers entertain the dinner crowd.

The convention attendees join the revelry of the Basque Dancers.

Paella featuring shrimp, clams and mussels prepared by The Basque Market.                                                                             

   The first outing for both convention attendees and exhibitors was an opening night celebration, an outdoor dinner on a closed street on the Basque Block. Three large pans of paella were prepared over large burners. And when I say large, I mean the largest paella pans I have ever seen. The three paellas comfortably fed hundreds of people. This party was the impetus for me to try my hand making paella at home. It put my mind to thinking of how a paella can be deconstructed to serve guests whose eating preferences can be vastly different. In preparing a vegetarian paella, I was freed to grill any number of meats and to have pickled shrimp ready ahead of time.
   The next night my colleague and friend, Gary and I joined the convention attendees for a scenic ride on the Thunder Mountain Line. Our first class fares included a Mystery Dinner Theatre and no host bar. The actors kept us entertained along the way with the over-the-top plot and their tongue in cheek acting. The train follows the Payette River and ascends the mountains in the Boise National Forrest.



The lively actors, the stars of the Mystery Dinner Theatre.

Dinner in a standard class car featured tables and chairs and a three course meal.

   In between the conference and the planned events Gary and I had time to walk around downtown Boise, circle the Capitol building and stroll a small open market. I liked the vibe of the downtown area and locals were decidely friendly. Following are the photos I snapped during my short tour.

  
Can you tell I am a newly minted fan of Boise? I look forward to returning again... perhaps in 2015 for the Jaialdi Basque party. Now that would be a good time. I know the food will be worth the wait and the price of a plane ticket. Not that it takes much prompting, but I'll surely get my dance on, too!  The  Basque people know how to have a good time and paella is on the table for every celebration.
   Paella is surprisingly easy to prepare as long as you have the right pan and the right rice. With a little advance preparation you can treat a block party crowd of neighbors, friends and family to a fantastic meal.

My Paella served with Pickled Shrimp and Lamb with Kokkari Dressing.                                                                       

Paella Mixta