[Sca-cooks] Novice Saffron User

[Harris Mark.S-rsve60]

Ana  commented:
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Paella is the most known use of saffron in food (yes, you kan use to dye 
clothes, as the Tibetans do in their clothing, but its a waste when you 
can eat it).
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Yes, I believe that saffron was also used as a cloth dye by the medieval Europeans as well. I also suspect that Master Cariadoc was making a joke, since he doesn't like saffron in his food.
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The Spanish city of Valencia has a special paella, called "fideoada", 
where you can substitute the traditional rice for noddles.
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Do you know what sort of pasta is used? Pasta comes in various shapes and sizes, although I'm not sure which are period and which aren't. But if these noodles were substituted for the rice in a dish that was already known, I would suspect that the pasta used might be a short, rice-like pasta. Otherwise, a different pasta might be chosen. I don't think we established Paela as being a period dish. I'm not sure this helps with that, but it might help show the development of Paela or at least regional variations if someone could track where this variation is done and if there are gradual changes or areas where both rice and pasta based paellas exist.
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Crush the saffron when the paella is almost done and you will have a 
magnificent yellow orange colour in the dish.
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Are you saying crush it dry and add it to the dish when it is almost done? Add the saffron at the beginning and then pull it out and crush it near the end or crush it in place in the dish after it has been there from the beginning?

Stefan