Happy birthday, Nathan

We had a tight little gathering for Nathan's birthday last night -- Lori and me, Simone and Kyndall and, of course, the birthday boy.

I'm off on Mondays now, so I had plenty of time to prepare a favorite dish: paella. It's labor-intensive but, boy, is it good. Full of chicken, prawns, Spanish chorizo and clams, plus green beans, peas and a red pepper.

Here's the recipe from The Oregonian: Really Good Paella.

Judging from Nathan's expression, it was pretty tasty. And thanks to Simone's photography, here's what the dish looks like before it's attacked.

Simone provided the finishing touches with a wickedly good dessert made of toasted won-ton wrappers and honey, crushed almonds, ricotta cheese and strawberries. Yum.