We had lots of fun at our 31st Annual Paella Party! A big crowd came out on a gorgeous sunny Sunday to learn a little about the Spanish specialty and, of course, eat some.

Per tradition, our presentation included a cooking demonstration. This year, Zingerman’s Deli’s Head Chef Rodger took Rebecca and Meredith, the two winners of our Paella Pro Contest, under his wing to teach them the finer points of preparing the dish.

When asked why she entered the contest, Meredith, who was an exchange student in Spain while in high school, said her love fondness for Spanish cooking was her motivation. “I knew that if it was going to b made at Zingerman’s, it was going to be authentic and good!” she explained. “I’m always looking for new meals to add to my cooking repertoire—especially those that get family gathered around the table and eating together.”

Paella Pro winners Meredith and Rebecca cook with Chef Rodger

Rebecca, who entered in hopes of escaping her cooking rut, enjoyed the experience “It was so much fun learning from Chef Roger. I could really tell how much he cares about and loves what he is doing. I had such a great time learning about paella and left with a renewed passion for cooking,” she said.

Hopefully, some of these delicious photos will inspire you to try to make your own paella in your home kitchen. We’re already looking forward to our 32nd Annual Paella Party!

We call Matiz’s Bomba Paella Rice “the pinnacle of paella making.”

One of the first steps to the chicken and chorizo paella.

Behold the finished product.

Pardon peppers cooking in the pan

A treat not to be missed

Our favorite Spanish products, like Ortiz tinned bonito were feature in our mini marketplace

A little snack for those who waited in line.

Looks like our Paella Pros had a good time!