one year i had a series of diner parties monthly. this ended when i moved into a studio. perhaps someday it will be revived. In any case, i did all the cooking for the first one-- later ones were done pot-luck style. The main dish was a paella, and it was incrediably delicious... and a nightmarish amount of work. I'm still seeking an easier yet still tasty paella recipe.. but until there, here is the one that worked for me.

PAELLA

Phase I - Make the chicken & broth
Put 3lb or so of chicken parts (or a whole fryer) in about 10 cups of water with salt and pepper. Add a couple of bay leaves and a few whole cloves. You can also add things like onion, garlic, celery, carrot, leeks, etc as you would when making chicken soup. Cook until the chicken is tender. Strain & save the broth, and discard (or eat) all the solid bits except the chicken meat and the bay leaves. Tear the chicken into manageable pieces and set aside. (I've had paella where the chicken was left on the bones, and I find it rather difficult to eat.)

Phase II - Things to be sauteed
olive oil (for sauteeing)
garlic, several cloves, sliced, crushed or minced
onion, 1 med to large, chopped
1 large bell pepper, finely diced (you could add a small hot pepper
also if you felt like it)
3-4 medium tomatoes, chopped, left sitting in some wine
chorizo, cut into 1/4" slices (i've used kielbasa when i can't get
chorizo - it doesn't matter as long as
it's that kind of firm sausage)
shrimp, shelled and deveined

Heat some olive oil over high heat in a *large* pan (they actually sell paella pans, but you can use a large saute pan or even a wok). Add the garlic and saute until light brown. Add the onions, cook until translucent. Add the pepper, cook a few minutes more. Add the sausage and shrimp. When the shrimp are done (they've *just* turned kind of orange-red-pink and are curled up -- don't overcook them), add the tomatoes and their wine. Turn the heat down a bit.

Phase III -- The Wet Part
You will need:
the chicken broth, chicken & bay leaves from Phase I
a small sack (a couple pounds, I guess) of live mussels and/or clams
3 cups rice
oregano, thyme, ground pepper (black or white, a little cayenne if you like)
saffron

Prepare the shellfish (remove their beards, wash the shells, make sure none of them are dead). Put roughly six cups of broth into the pan with the cooked veggies, sausage and shrimp. Add spices to taste (don't forget the bay leaves). The saffron should be maybe 2-3 threads -- it's the big flavor here. Stir thoroughly, then add the shellfish. Cook for a few minutes, and the shellfish should start to open. When they are well on their way, start sprinkling the rice over the mixture, gently folding it in as you go. Be careful from this point on not to mangle the shellfish -- you don't want a lot of empty shells when you're done. When all the rice is in the dish, let it cook for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Add the rest of the broth and the cooked chicken pieces. Continue cooking until the rice is "right" -- tender, not too dry, not too wet. Take out the bay leaves (or don't bother if it's just you).
I've had this with peas in it (I made it with peas...C), which was quite good. You can use any kind of shellfish, vary the veggies, change the spices, substitute bite sized pieces of boneless pork for the sausage, etc etc. Use your imagination and have fun!