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

Jeff Koehler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 21, 2006

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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 à 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.)
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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.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; First Edition edition (September 21, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811852512
• ISBN-13: 978-0811852517
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > European > Spanish
  • #19 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Cooking by Ingredient > Rice & Grains
  • #29 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Regional & International > European > Mediterranean

More About the Author

Jeff Koehler's writing, recipes, and photographs have appeared in Saveur, Food & Wine, Gourmet, EatingWell, the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Afar, Men's Journal, Virtuoso Life, and Tin House. He has also had worked included in Best Food Writing 2010.

His new book Morocco: A Culinary Journey with Recipes from the Spice-Scented Markets of Marrakech to the Date-Filled Oasis of Zagora was published by Chronicle Books in June 2012. He is currently working on The Country Cooking of Spain, part of Chronicle Books' prestigious and award-winning "country cooking" series. It will be published in 2013.

Jeff is also the author and photographer of two other cookbooks--Rice, Pasta, Couscous: The Heart of the Mediterranean Kitchen, and La Paella: Deliciously Authentic Rice Dishes from Spain's Mediterranean Coast, which has become the standard on Spain's iconic dish and was named by the New York Times as a noteworthy cookbook. Both were published by Chronicle Books.

He has photographed two other cookbooks, Teresa Barrenechea's The Cuisines of Spain and Braiden Rex-Johnson's Pike Place Market Seafood Cookbook (both by Ten Speed Press).

A Seattle native, he spent four years traveling in Africa and Asia before settling in London to do his post-graduate work at King's College London. In 1996, he moved to Barcelona, where he has lived since.

See more on his website, www.jeff-koehler.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A very appealing addition February 2, 2007

By Midwest Book Review

Format:Hardcover

Jeff koehler's recipes comprising LA PAELLA: DELICIOUSLY AUTHENTIC RICE DISHES FROM SPAIN'S MEDITERRANEAN COAST requires access to fresh seafood for success. That said, this is a culinary recipe collection that packs in paella rice/seafood dishes on nearly every page - and adds a few non-seafood dishes from rabbit to pork to boot - making for an excellent survey of the varied tastes of paella. Color photos of Spanish dishes and finished paellas liberally pepper a survey which lends to beginner use: dedicated gourmet club members and community libraries strong in ethnic cookbooks will find it a very appealing addition to their collections.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars What am I missing? December 28, 2011

By EBS

Format:Hardcover

I received this book for Christmas and was very excited about making paella over the holiday break. The intro is very informative regarding the pan and ingredients. When I read the Fisherman's Paella recipe, it appears to have some steps missing. In the recipe, clams and mussels are cooked ahead but nowhere does it tell what to do with them, only the clam broth. It says to cook the shrimp for two minutes each side. The recipe never says to remove them, but they are readded with the fish. As a paella novice, I thought the book would be more explicit. Will try Rosa's Shellfish Paella since all ingredients are accounted for although I am concerned about cooking the shrimp so long. The prawns are removed after 10 minutes, but not the shrimp.
Ah ha, in subsequent recipes, I found the clams are added with the rice and the mussels at the end. The Mixed Poultry and Seafood Paella recipe does say to remove the shrimp after cooking for two minutes each side. I will try to piece this all together for the Fisherman's Paella and hopefully will be successful.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars You must have this... October 31, 2008

By Misha

Format:Hardcover

La Paella is really great book. It describes the history of Paella, various in Paella depending of geographical location and gives you great tips to make the best Paella ever. I mean it. Just don't forget to get right Paella pan.