La Paella: Deliciously Authentic Rice Dishes from Spain's Mediterranean Coast

by Jeff Koehler, Jeff Koehler (Photographer)

Overview

The most famous dish of the hottest cuisine in town right now, paella is as flavorful as it is festive. Longtime Barcelona resident and Spanish food expert Jeff Koehler fills us in on this cherished rice dish, from its origins to just what it takes to make the perfect one (even without an authentic paella pan). Thirty recipes range from the original paella valenciana, studded with chicken and rabbit, to his mother-in-law's Saturday shellfish special, to sumptuous vegetarian variations, to surprising soups and sweet takes. Stunning scenic photographs, shots of the finished dishes, plus a source list of unusual ingredients and special equipment round out this gorgeous homage to one of Spain's national culinary treasures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780811852517
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	09/21/2006
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	1,032,626
Product dimensions:	7.37(w) x 8.25(h) x 1.75(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Jeff Koehler has written about food and travel for numerous publications, including Gourmet, Food & Wine, Eating Well, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times, and has photographed books on the cuisines of Spain and Seattle's Pike Place Market. After years of travel, he settled in Barcelona, where he has lived for most of the past ten years.

Editorial Reviews

Koehler does an excellent job of deconstructing paella, an often intimidating dishes. He clearly explains the different types of rice and the best pans (from which the name paella comes); the largest section of the book focuses on the endless variations of paella, starting with the original Paella Valenciana, made with fresh beans and snails. Paella la marinera (Fisherman's Paella), one of many seafood versions, includes mussels, monkfish and squid, while Paella de pescado azul is made with bluefish and artichokes. The popular Mixed Poultry and Seafood Paella is included as well as Rosa'sfamous Shellfish Paella. Other delightful versions are Paella with Rabbit and Artichokes and Paella with Pork Ribs and Turnips. Freelance food and travel writer Koehler also presents dishes using the traditionally Spanish cazuela (a wide, shallow terra-cotta casserole) and the caldero (a heavy cast-iron or terra-cotta pot), which produce dishes that are moister and soupier than paella. Two rice pudding recipes make up the dessert section, and Koehler finishes with sources on where to buy rice-cooking equipment and Spanish ingredients, as well as a list of restaurants in Spain that will accommodate every desire. (Nov.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly