[Ansteorra] for the cooks...

[meadhbh]

Greetings...

Saffron (the real deal) comes from Crocus sativa... The stamens of the
plant. They are hand picked and dried.   It is THE most expensive spice we
have.  Turkish and Spanish are the same plant, but Spanish is considered to
be the highest quality. 
Turkish is probably fine.

Saffron can be used in a number of dishes, but use it sparingly.. A little
goes a long way.  I recommend crushing the stamens, letting it soak in a
small amount of warm water then drizzle it over cooked white rice.  Saffron
can also be added to stews, desserts, breads, etc.  In my opinion it has a
very intoxicating scent.  It is used widely in Spanish,Italian, Indian,
Medieval and Renaissance dishes and Middle Eastern dishes.

2 cups worth?  That is enough saffron for 4 lifetimes. Enjoy!

<small pretty bags of saffron also make great largesse at A&S
competitions... Ask any cook you know!

Meadhbh

-----Original Message-----
From: ansteorra-bounces+meadhbh=austin.rr.com at ansteorra.org
[mailto:ansteorra-bounces+meadhbh=austin.rr.com at ansteorra.org] On Behalf Of
Zubeydah Jamilla al-Badawiyya
Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2006 8:37 PM
To: ansteorra at ansteorra.org
Subject: [Ansteorra] for the cooks...


I've used Spanish saffron  before (the stamens of a specific crocus, dried).

I've never seen/used Turkish Saffron before (similarly smelling dried.. 
something? flowers? stems?). A friend just got back from Turkey, and brought

me probably 2 cups of the stuff.

What are the differences in taste?
What exactly IS turkish saffron?
Any suggestions on recipes?

Curiously,

Zubeydah





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