Paella!
Spectacular Rice Dishes From Spain
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
From the best-selling author of Tapas: The Little Dishes of Spain and The Foods and Wines of Spain.
Unless they have traveled to spain, most Americans have never tasted a really good paella. What passes for paella at restaurants and even in cookbooks here is a pale imitation of the real thing, the vibrant Spanish rice dish that marries the robust flavors of olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, and pepper with short-grain rice, broth, and meat, fish, or vegetables. Penelope Casas is here to restore the glorious paella to its rightful place as a grain-based meal that will gratify the senses as well as be the centerpiece for easy, elegant entertaining.
Casas presents sixty different fascinating paellas, some traditional, some her own creation, showing how easily some of the preparation can be done ahead of time with supermarket ingredients. She includes a superior collection of tapas, the Spanish meal starters, two dozen simple desserts, and a handful of broths and sauces. Her passion for paella, her clear directions, and her creative pairings of fresh ingredients make this unusual cookbook a winner.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Determined to rescue paella from what the author calls its "worldwide ignominy," Casas (Tapas) offers 58 enticingly authentic recipes, most drawn from Spain's eastern coast. Cooks weary of risotto, or those simply tired of all the stirring it entails, will be attracted to the intriguing combinations of flavors that can be achieved with this other Mediterranean approach to short-grained rice. The grain imported from Spain is best, says Casas, but Arborio is more than acceptable--and while a paella pan is similarly preferred, a shallow casserole dish also works well. Preparation is within easy reach for anyone: saut ingredients briefly, add rice, add hot liquid, boil for several minutes, then pop in the oven to bake. Dishes include Scallop and Wild Mushroom Paella; Golden Rice with Shrimp and Fresh Tuna; Crusted Paella with Pork, Chicken and Sausage; and Vegetable Paella with Spicy Garlic Sauce. Casas also includes paellas with squid, rabbit and duck. There is even a Seafood Pasta Paella from Valencia that calls for no rice at all. The balance of the meal is covered with 25 recipes for tapas and first courses and another 25 for such desserts as Chocolate Flan with Almond-Flavored Chocolate Sauce and White Sangria Sorbet with Melon and Kiwi. With Casas's demystifying help, good paella will be a revelation to many.
