Bomba Rice at Gourmet Fusion

We have now added authentic Bomba Rice from Valencia, Spain to our range of Spanish food products, great to use with our polished steel paella pans.

If you are not familiar with Bomba Rice, it is a rice which has a very hard grain, thus allowing it to absorb more liquid (and flavor) than any other rice in the world. It is, therefore, an ideal choice when cooking paella, or saffron rice, where the rice is cooked in the broth and slowly absorbs the liquid as part of the recipe, rather than pouring the liquid away, as with boiled rice.

The beauty of bomba rice is that it is practically impossible to fail with this rice. It cannot be over-cooked, maintains its consistency, and never becomes sticky. Even though it absorbs more liquid than ordinary rice varieties, the grains remain separate and individually loose from one another. It has a wonderful mild flavor, that will not interfere with even the most subtle of flavors.

Bomba rice is expensive, but if you're looking to prepare an amazing paella, it is worth the extra cost. Gourmet Fusion has the smaller bag, 1.1lb (500g) in stock, as we thought it was a good size to try out the rice, without spending a huge amount. Our Bomba Rice is Certified Origin Paella Rice from the L'Albufera Nature Preserve in Valencia, Spain, and retails for $6.99. It can be found online or in our Solana Beach store at Leaping Lotus.

Paella Pans at Gourmet Fusion Store

Our ever popular polished steel paella pans are back in the Gourmet Fusion store. We are stocking the slightly smaller 13" size, as this is the ideal fit for most domestic stove tops, so that your paella (or any other dish) heats through properly with no cold spots. This size serves up to 5 people.

Manufactured by Garcima, Spain's premier paella pan manufacturer, our polished steel pan is the traditional pan of Spain, and offers exceptional value at $19.99.

Paella Pan Care

Before first use boil several cups of water in the pan to remove the clear protective finish, and remove the label. Follow this by washing the pan by hand with mild soap and then dry with a soft dish towel. Finally, rub a small amount of oil on the pan prior to storage to prevent rust.

Additional Tips

• Never store a pan wet or allow to air dry; dry it immediately.
• Do not put your polished steel pan in the dishwasher.
• Always oil a pan before storage to prevent rust.
• Discoloration is normal (turning blue/black) and is an indication that your pan is seasoned properly.
• If you pan does rust, simply clean off the rust with a scouring pad or light sandpaper, then re-oil.

Ideal for barbecues, beach parties and picnics, Gourmet Fusion Paella Pans can be found online, at our Solana Beach store in the Leaping Lotus, or at the San Diego Little Italy Mercato (Saturdays), and the La Jolla Open Aire Farmers Market (Sundays).

Mediterranean Sale at Gourmet Fusion

Summer is passing quickly, and so we are having a Mediterranean summer sale at our Gourmet Fusion online store. All Mediterranean products have 20% off through August 17th.

Items on sale include our elegant white ceramic tagines - great for entertaining; our ever popular paella pan, olive oils, and paprika.

The entire line of Typhoon "Italian Job" striped bowls and oil and vinegar drizzlers are also on sale. These co-ordinate well with most modern kitchens, and also make great host/hostess gifts.

Ready Made Paella Meals at Gourmet Fusion

After attending a seminar at one of the food shows recently, I learned that many people would like to do more cooking, and prepare interesting midweek meals for themselves and their families, but there just isn't the time. New technology has meant that everyone is on call 24/7, and with mobile phones, emails, and text messages with you all the time, no wonder we all feel frazzled!

With this in mind, I searched for some time saving products to add to the Gourmet Fusion store, and found these two ready-made paella meals.

One is a seafood paella, and one is vegetable paella. Both are fully cooked and ready to serve.

They come in a ready to heat, easy-open tin that is in a microwave safe dish. To prepare the meal you can either place the contents of the tin into the enclosed microwave-safe tray and heat, place the tin as-is in boiling water, or simply empty the contents into a pot on the stove.

They are made from all natural ingredients with no added preservatives or coloring. They are both available in the Gourmet Fusion online store and our Solana Beach store in Leaping Lotus, and definitely worth a try!