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Saffron is characterised by a bitter taste and a hay-like fragrance; these are caused by the chemicals picrocrocin and safranal.It also contains a carotenoid dye, crocin, that gives food a rich golden-yellow colour. These traits make saffron a much-sought after ingredient in many foods worldwide. Saffron also has medicinal applications.
Saffron is derived from the flower of the saffron crocus. There are three stigmas in each flower. The stalk connecting the stigmas to the rest of the plant are often dried and used in cooking as a seasoning and colouring agent.
Saffron, which has for decades been the world’s most expensive spice by weight, is native to Southwest Asia. It was first cultivated around Greece. History
The history of saffron cultivation reaches back more than 3,000 years. Cultivators bred wild specimens by selecting for unusually long stigmas, as far back as the late Bronze Age. Since 700BC, documentation of saffron’s use in the treatment of around 90 illnesses has been discovered.
Saffron is used both as a spice and as a medicine in the Mediterranean region, with usage and cultivation slowly spreading over the centuries, to other parts of Eurasia as well as North Africa and North America.
There are a handful of “premium” saffron types. For example, ‘Aquila’ saffron is cultivated in the Navelli Valley, near L’Aquila, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. There, saffron is grown on just eight hectares of land. At present, this is its exclusive domain worldwide. It is distinguished by the shape and colour of its stigmas and styles as well as its high safranal content. These give ‘Aquila’ saffron an unusually pungent aroma. In addition, high crocin content results in exceptional colouring ability. ‘Aquila’ was first introduced to Italy from Inquisition-era Spain by a Dominican monk. Thereafter, for the duration of the Middle Ages, ‘Aquila’ became Europe’s most sought-after cultivars.
But in Italy the biggest saffron cultivation, for quality and quantity, is in San Gavino Monreale, Sardinia. There, saffron is grown on 40 hectares (comprising 60% of Italian production); it also has very high crocin, picrocrocin, and safranal content.
Another premium saffron is the Kashmiri “Mongra” or “Lacha” saffron, which is among the most difficult and expensive for non-Indian consumers to obtain. It is even hard for Indian consumers to obtain, as most stores in India sell the cheaper Spanish saffron. Kashmiri saffron is recognisable by its extremely dark maroon-purple hue, among the world’s darkest, which suggests the saffron’s strong flavour, aroma, and colouring effect.
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Looking for recipe ideas that are easy to follow, inexpensive and relatively guilt-free too? Try incorporating an American household favorite — canned tuna!
For something a little different that promises to please guests and family, Bumble Bee provides some delightful, recipe ideas made with canned tunas new gold label Prime Fillet. Keep this gourmet quality solid white albacore tuna ready in the pantry for parties, unexpected guests or family get-togethers. Then, whip up an affordable gourmet-style meal that will have your guests convinced youve prepared something truly elaborate and extravagant. As an added bonus, they will enjoy canaps or entres that are delectable, but without those serious calories.
Specially developed by two of Californias leading chefs, here are recipes that demonstrate how canned tuna is no ordinary ingredient.
* Mediterranean-Style Rigatoni Pasta with Prime Fillet Albacore
Recipe by Chef de Cuisine Fabrice Poigin, Bertrand at Mister As, San Diego
This simple and flavorful pasta dish with a Mediterranean flair is ideal whether sitting down to dinner with the family or celebrating with guests. Chef Fabrice suggests complementing this with a glass of 2001 Spottswood Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces unsalted butter
1 large sweet onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 red bell peppers, deseeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 vine ripe tomato, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
A sprig of rosemary
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 small jar of Spanish olives (green olives stuffed with pimientos), drained
2 6-ounce cans of Bumble Bee Prime Fillet Solid White Albacore, drained
1/2 pound rigatoni pasta
1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives
Dry aged parmesan, grated
Pinch of crushed red hot pepper flakes (optional)
Directions: Bring water to boil in a large pot according to package directions in preparation for cooking the rigatoni pasta. Heat 2/3 of the olive oil and 4 ounces of unsalted butter in a large saut pan over medium-high heat until nearly hot but not smoking. Add diced onions and cook for approximately 5 minutes until soft. Add diced red bell peppers, reducing to low-medium heat and cook until peppers are soft. Add diced tomato, minced garlic and 1/3 teaspoon of rosemary sprig leaves. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Cover and cook over low heat for another 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of dry white wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Then, add drained whole olives and Bumble Bee Prime Fillet tuna in solid pieces to sauted mixture. Cover and cook until tuna is heated through (approximately 3 to 5 minutes).
Cook the rigatoni pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the package directions or until al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander, leaving behind a little moisture. Toss the pasta, tuna sauce and water, then place in a serving dish or on individual plates. Drizzle remaining olive oil over the top and garnish with thinly sliced chives and grated dry aged parmesan. Top with a pinch of crushed red hot pepper flakes, if you prefer a little more bite.
* Delicate, Festive Albacore Tuna Canape
Recipe by Chef de Cuisine Fabrice Poigin, Bertrand at Mister As, San Diego
An easy-to-follow, elegant-style canap for entertaining guests or just treating yourself to a unique way of serving up albacore tuna! Serves 6 to 8.
Ingredients:
1 6-ounce can of Bumble Bee Prime Fillet Solid White Albacore, drained
2 finely diced shallots
1 tablespoon chives, thinly sliced
1 soup spoon crme fraiche
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Sourdough bread (optional)
3 ounces of comt cheese or aged white cheddar, sliced thinly
Extra crme fraiche for garnish (optional)
1/2 ounce domestic caviar (optional)
Chervil sprigs (optional)
Directions: Mix together Prime Fillet tuna, shallots, chives, crme fraiche, and salt and pepper. Spoon mixture onto toasted triangles of sourdough bread or into Chinese ceramic serving spoons. Top each serving mixture with a slice of cheese and place in a pre-heated oven (300 degrees) until cheese begins to melt — approximately 3 minutes. Remove toasties or Chinese spoons from the oven and top individually with a dot of crme fraiche, and then a dot of caviar (optional). Finish with a sprig of chervil to garnish.
* Prime Fillet Albacore Tuna and Potato Casserole
Recipe by Chef Gerald Hirigoyen, owner and executive chef, Piperade and Fringale Restaurants, San Francisco
Recognized in Food & Wine magazines 2003 Top Ten Best New Wine Lists, Chef Gerald suggests complementing this entre with a glass of 2001 Turnbull Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
4 medium Anaheim chilies, seeded and thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
8 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups vegetable stock or canned vegetable broth
6 to 8 saffron threads
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 mild dried chili pepper
4 6-ounce cans of Bumble Bee Prime Fillet Solid White Albacore, drained
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Pinch of piment dEspelette (Basque chili pepper) or mild cayenne powder
Directions: Warm 1/2 cup olive oil in a large casserole over high heat. Add onions, Anaheim chilies, bay leaves, and garlic and saut for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, wine, vegetable stock, and saffron. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Add salt, pepper, and dried chili pepper, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the tuna and saut for 2 to 3 minutes, or until warmed through. Stir only occasionally to avoid breaking apart the fish. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Discard the bay leaves before serving. Serve in shallow soup bowls, and sprinkle with the parsley and piment dEspelette.
About the author:
Look for Bumble Bee Prime Fillets upside-down gold can in most supermarkets nationwide. For more information on Bumble Bee, visit www.bumblebee.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
Written By: ARA
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Go to any family restaurant with Italian dining in mind and you are likely to order chicken parmesan, pasta alfredo, spaghetti and meatballs, or maybe a pizza. It is easy to think that some pasta, some marinara sauce, a crust of Italian bread and a glass of wine is the beginning and end of Italian cuisine, especially if you grew up in the United States. There is much more than red sauce and starch on the agenda for most Italian regional cuisines, and with all of the various regions and cultures in the boot on the ocean, Italian regional cuisines have as much range as your average New York City block.
There is the tourist region of Tuscany, on the northwestern coast of Italy. Tuscany is sought out for its simple but delicious dishes, seasoned sparingly with basil, parsley, and thyme. Tuscan bread and a little bit of olive oil is a big part of the seafood dishes of the Tuscan region.
Abruzzo, a little known treasure in the middle eastern section of the boot mixes chili peppers into almost all of their dishes. Like many other regions in Italy, there is a mixture of mountain and seafood dishes. Pasta is very often a first course, instead of a part of a stew or entre. Most of the chefs in the Abruzzo region are skilled at hand rolling their own stuffed pastas, and crepes are used in meat dishes, rolled in savory sauces or put in to broths. Polenta is enjoyed with hearty sausages and rich, meaty sauces.
Sardinia, an island off of the western coast of Italy is home to a rich fishing tradition as well as a beautiful mountainous inland landscape. This, in addition to a rich heritage of not only Italians, but also Arabs, French, Greeks, and Spaniards, has made the island home to a diverse culture of seafood and meat dishes spiced with fennel and saffron. Stews and rich, hearty pastas make up a large part of the local cuisine in Sardinia, as well as sheep milks cheese.
Emilia-Romagna is perhaps the most sought out region of Italy in terms of local cuisine. It is often called the market basket of Italy. Located in northern Italy, Emilia-Romagna is home to many of Italys most renowned dishes, like Prosciutto di Parma, Mortadella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and balsamic vinegar. Chefs in the Emilia Romagna region have a penchant for gregarious presentation and rich spices.
Much like the American idea of Chinese food, the American idea of Italian food is only the tip of the iceberg. Italian regional cuisine is marked by the countrys locality to northern Africa and other Mediterranean countries, as well as a diverse local landscape, ranging from mountains to oceans. Sheppards, shopkeepers, farmers, and fisherman all contribute to one of the most diverse cultural cuisines in the world. Next time you are in the mood for Italian food, try something a little bit different than your usual spaghetti and meatballs, maybe a saffron seafood stew or a polenta. Rest assured, you wont think of the words Italian cuisine the same again.
About the Author
This article provided courtesy of http://www.organic-foods-guide.com
Written By: Steve Wilcott