It goes without saying that summertime is salad time, but when the mercury rises, I actually prefer to sip my salad. After all, what could be more refreshing than a bracing shooter of chilled gazpacho? At this year's Aspen Food & Wine Classic, José Andrés demonstrated how to make his wife's gazpacho. "This is the best salad in the history of mankind. When you drink everything, life is so Read more

If you've never made paella, the traditional Spanish rice dish with origins in Valencia, I highly recommend you give it a try this weekend! This uncomplicated recipe is easy to follow and has awesome results. The paella is filling, flavorful, and delicious. It's packed with chorizo and shellfish, so it has a wonderful surf-and-turf quality. Although the recipe has you cook the paella on the Read more

When it comes to making Latin cuisine at home, I normally cook Americanized dishes like nachos. However, at a restaurant, I eat more traditional dishes that involve a side of rice and beans. While the beans vary, sometimes they're refried pintos other times they're saucy black, the rice is almost always Spanish rice. It's orange and has a distinct tomatoey taste. My friend Emily has been making Read more

Historically, walnuts haven't been an ingredient that comes to mind often when I'm cooking — I typically eat them out of my hand and in banana bread, but that's about it. But recently, I attended a seminar with cooking host Joanne Weir and the California Walnut Board and Commission, where we enjoyed a walnut-centered lunch. From that broadening meal, I learned so many new ways to incorporate Read more

There is little that compares to the beauty and simplicity of a creamy, ripe avocado. And lucky for us, they're currently in season! Early Spanish explorers discovered the Aztecs enjoying all the benefits of avocados — both as a food and an aphrodisiac. Except for the few states where they commonly grow, most states of the country shied away from this racy fruit until the 1950s. There are tons Read more

I love paella but always thought it was a complicated dish to make at home. Recently a friend gave me a paella pan to prove how uncomplicated it is to put together. After my first attempt, I stand corrected: this dish is simple and can be easily made in a large saute pan. Once most of the ingredients are prepped, the scallop paella takes about an hour from start to finish. The recipe calls for Read more

Recently, we had the chance to break bread with Chef Joanne Weir, from Joanne Weir's Cooking Class, and talk all about Mediterranean ingredients and cooking styles. One of the dishes that she taught us how to make was a Spanish coca, or pizza. The toppings were simple but satisfying: wilted chard with sweet raisins and walnuts. The result was light and satisfying, with a great combination of Read more

José Andrés is now the dean of Spanish studies at ICC — Eater Food-inspired street art from around the world — HuffPost Food The prices of chicken thighs are shooting up — The Daily Meal 7 must-try ramen spots in LA — Zagat Quick, authentic Mexican recipes — Real Simple Make a Spring pea and ricotta torte for dinner — Food52 Test your cocktail knowledge! — Delish Read more