And you do what?

OK, my first post in English HAD to be this one ☺

I'm addicted to TV cooking shows. I even tape them. And in Belgium you can watch the BBC ones and all the shows the Belgians copy from the UK or the US. So there are a lot! I've watched Masterchef (the original, the Celebrity version, the Professional version…), The Great British Bake off,  Jamie Oliver's shows (30 min meals and Oliver Twist) , Nigela Lawson's (Nigellisima, Nigela’s Christmas) and even Belgian versions of those (in Flemish!!)

I'm saying all this to demonstrate that I'm qualified to make certain statements. If I say that cooking shows sometimes do really weird stuff with Spanish food, then you know it's experience talking. These here are the mistakes that make me laugh most (because I have a sense of humour so I rather laugh).

Number 1: Croquettes made with Pata Negra. Of course!! If you are filthy rich and want to spend 25 Eur in 100 g of ham to make croquettes, be my guest! Pata Negra is sold in London at 170 £ per kilo (source: Put your menu where your mouth is, another cooking show) so, if you come across a few grams of it, please savour it slowly with a bit of tomato bread (and a glass of good wine) but DON'T waste it putting it into a bechamel sauce! And by the way, there are other types of Serrano Ham that are very good and much more affordable. While searching for silly recipes with expensive ham I've even found a Pata Negra pizza! I'm speechless (and, if you know me, you know how difficult that is).

Number 2: Paella is made with chorizo. EVERY show in the UK has shown a paella with chorizo. I've never seen that in Spain... Ever. The first time I thought I hadn't heard well. And the fact is that sometimes, with the kids screaming in the background, I need the teletext subtitles to follow. But, yes, there was James Martin explaining how there are 2 kinds of chorizo, the dry, hard one that you eat in tapas and the soft one that is used for cooking and it is great to make paella. Look, chorizo, if it is a good one, is delicious in any way, even with rice. But please, do not call it paella, call it rice and chorizo!

Number 3 : Yellow colour in paella comes from paprika. Same as with chorizo, there is spicy (picante) or mild (suave). And same as with chorizo, I think paprika is lovely. Many of my favourite dishes (soups, lentils...) start with frying garlic and a bit of paprika. But your taste buds would not stand the amount of paprika you'd need to dye a paella. Not even if you use the mild one.

To end with a positive note: I still love cooking shows and I've still found pretty good recipes of croquettes and paella in the BBC website. I promise to share my mom's croquettes recipe soon (you have it here in Spanish)