saffron: a how to

{the snow has fallen now, for many hours. a blizzard friday conjures up pint-sized adventures like braving the storm to walk the block to the nearest cafe as an antidote to cabin fever. on the way over today, i saw my landlord jogging. outside. amidst the snow. she's fabulous- an older, established woman dedicated to staying healthy rain, shine or blizzard. this was unbelievable at first; the abominable snowman would have been a better hypothesis. when i realized it was her, i exclaimed loudly, 'you are a wild woman, i love you!' and immediately i felt very awkward for,  why on such a quiet day, must such a weird thing be said? i hate when i say awkward things, but it keeps happening.... but anyway, the saffron. all of this snow brings on the craving for a movie with enchiladas. with the enchiladas must come spanish rice. in the pantry at the moment, only white as a bone, japanese rice exists- it's my favorite texture. but, i LOVE the yellow color of spanish rice on my plate- it's very festive. is the best of both worlds possible? just then, i remembered a sample of whole, threaded saffron that i received as a free sample with an order of almond flour (it's a great alternative to flour for those who like baked goods that are delicious and easy and i'm picky about those things.) pulling out the packet from the abyss of the spice drawer, i was puzzled. how did these hairy looking, red, things produce beautiful, sunny  rice? the experiment ensued...}

so, what is saffron, really?

saffron is most often used to naturally tint food a golden color, but it is actually spicy as well. it is popular in Spanish, French and Middle Eastern cultures. records indicate that in Greece it was used as a potent therapeutic drug and herbal remedy. those form the upper class bathed in it and added it to lotions and beauty tonics. it comes from the saffron crocus flower. there are three strands in the center of the flower, that when dried, become the spice strands. (i did think for a split second, i'm going to eat a flower stigma, yum?) 75,000 flowers are needed to make 1 lb. of saffron, hence why the 'designer' price tag.
 

from red strand to yellow rice, a how to:

1. crush the stems
i got my mini mortar and pestle at World Market (haven) for five buckaroo's. a m&p isn't imperative though, since the stems are very fragile and the back a a spoon would probably work just fine.

2) dissolve saffron, dissolve.
     when the saffron is a fine powder, add warm water and let it dissolve for 10 minutes or so.

3)  add & cook
      rice cookers are wonderous, they make fluffy rice every time and it's e a s y. just follow the directions on the bag, adding the 'saffron water' to the amount of water directed. let the saffron water mingle with the rice while cooking.

4.) about 20 minutes later.....
      golden rice ready to embellish any plate!

      ingredients used: rice, water, saffron (it's completely natural and healthy, too)

Recipe ideas for cooking with saffron

Saffron is used in many different cuisines all over the world. In India it is used with rice and some sweets, whilst in France and Spain it is popular in fish-based dishes. Below are a number of recipe ideas for the use of saffron in cooking.

• Use saffron in the French "bouillabaisse", a type of fish stew.
• It is one of the main ingredients of the Spanish paella.
• In Italian cooking it is used in "risotto a la Milanese".
• Use saffron to flavour and colour rice.
• Use in Indian biriyani rice dishes.
• Add to coffee with cardamom for a Middle Eastern hot drink.
• Saffron is a good spice to use with fish, such as cod or halibut, giving it excellent colour and flavour.
• Use for a Scandinavian-style saffron sweet cake.
• Use to flavour ice cream, as they do in India.
• Use in all types of curries.
• Use to make Cornish saffron buns.
• Add to sauces to give it colour and a spicy flavour.
• Add saffron to crab or fishcake mixtures.
• Add to mayonnaise or garlic mayonnaise to give it a different colour.
• Add to soups for a bright colour.
• Saffron is also often partnered with chicken.

happy saffron eating!