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

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.

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.