Thank you sir. I'm going to ask a follow up question. I've got a good Mediterranean restaurant and a good Asian market that sell a lot of different spices, but I am having a hard time finding things like tamarind and fenugreek seed.

Do you have a reputable online herb and spice monger for the harder to get items?

Oh great and powerful Chef.... Unless I missed it in the index, I cannot find a Lasagna recipe....

#1 son wants to cook on Tuesday night and wants a recipe from "That AR Cooking dude"....

Thanks in advance..

"Dude" Chef is old school, we'd rather call him Maestro

oh rest assured Chef, your work here has not gone unnoticed. I'm still reading through the old one or find myself referring to it when thinking about what I'd like to cook. One lesson I've put to good use already has been your practice of brining and rinsing chicken. Before I'd have thrown it out thinking it was bad even though it wasn't outdated yet. After reading what you had to say about the blood being what goes bad I soaked a package of chicken breasts in saltwater (your ratio from the other thread....1TBSP: 3 quarts IIRC) and then a rinsing soak in fresh water for an hour or so. They cooked up fine and tasted great.

Tamarind juice can be found in Asian Markets. At least here, it comes in an 8oz plastic cylinder and it is concentrated/condensed... NOT the juice drink. I use it in my Thai Chix Satay. You have to go look for yourself, because my experience is that the young and old employees of said Asian Market, don't know what tamarind is, and will just say, "No, we don't have it." That has happened to me many times. I don't even ask any more, and I usually find what I am looking for.... usually, haha.

yeah but you can probably make more than just brownies with the Saffron.

Saffron,,one of the more ancient spices saw use in many other ways over the centuries..
Ancient Romans used to perfume their baths with saffron. Court ladies of Henry VIII's reign tinted their hair with saffron until the monarch forbade it; In the 1400's, German dealers who were caught adulterating saffron were burned at the stake.
Saffron is found in many traditional recipes from Iran, Greece, Spain and Turkey and Mediterranean port's of call

Pure saffron is made up of tiny, bright-red threads. The redder the saffron, the higher the quality. The ends of the threads should be a lighter orange-red color showing that it is not a lower quality that has been tinted red to increase it's value.

Heat releases saffron's flavor and it needs to be steeped in hot water, broth, or even alcohol before being added to food.
Pre-soaking also allows the color to disperse throughout the food.
One teaspoon of saffron soaked in 3 teaspoons of liquid; do not crush the threads and let the saffron soak for a minimum of two hours.
The mixture can be left soaking for as long as twelve hours, The leaves should double or triple their dry size.

though a WASTE of this valuable component, If you are in a hurry or have forgotten to soak the saffron, add 5 teaspoons of liquid for every teaspoon of saffron; let soak for 20 minutes. Using the back of a spoon or in a ceramic mortar, mash the threads so that a thick paste is formed. You can then add the paste to the dish when required.


When cooking with it, "little saffron" will go a long way.

When determining how much saffron to use in cooking, remember that the saffron flavor will be stronger the second day. In general, just use a pinch in soups and stews that serve 4 to 6 people.
Saffron is especially good when used in cooking seafood dishes such as bouillabaisse and paella. It is also used in risotto and other rice dishes. Try adding some to your next beef stew or tomato-based sauce. A marinade for light flavored fish, add saffron threads, garlic, and thyme to vinegar and marinate fish for about 30 min.
Saffron is also used in bread and cake cooking.


* If your recipe includes liquid (water, broth, or wine), use a little of it and pour over the saffron so you dont dilute the saffrons subtle flavor.
* Turmeric may be substituted for the color properties, not the flavor.
* DO NOT use wooden utensils when mixing saffron. Wood utensils tend to absorb saffron easily and you do not want to lose any at the cost of the product.

Though a whole lot cheaper. powdered saffron loses it flavor quickly and can easily be altered with less-expensive powders like turmeric and other flower pistel's.
If you are a serious saffron users, admirer, buying cheaper saffron won't save money in the long run, since more will be needed for the same flavor impact.

When substituting powdered saffron: use 1/2 the amount of powder as you would threads.
When storing Saffron, it is very sensitive to light and moisture. Store it in a container away from sunlight and damp and it will last for years.
It also absorbs other flavors and odors quickly.that the container you store it in is very clean and odor-free before using, preferably NEW and definitely sterile.

as far as your original question. it's your choice and your money.
there is NO true sub for saffron, if you want saffron rice on the cheap, use a bit of tumeric or yellow food coloring.

Shrimp Paella

1 to 1 1/2 pounds raw extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined*
Coarse salt
2 1/4 cups bottled clam juice or fish broth
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon crumbled thread saffron**
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup uncooked Spanish or Arborio Rice***
2 large tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons Spanish paprika
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained (optional)
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
Lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle the shelled shrimp all over with coarse salt; let sit 15 minutes. NOTE: The salt helps bring back the briny taste of the sea that most seafood, especially frozen seafood, tends to lose.
In a large pan over medium-heat heat, heat the clam juice or fish broth, wine, and saffron; reduce heat to low and keep broth hot (not boiling).

Paella PanIn a large Paella Pan or heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil.

Add onion and red bell pepper; stir to blend and cook 3 minutes or until slightly softened.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in garlic and rice and continue stirring until garlic is fragrant and the rice is evenly coated with oil, about 1 minute. NOTE: Coating the rice with the oil before adding liquid helps keep the rice grains to stay separated.

Stir in tomatoes, paprika, and salt.

Stir in hot clam/saffron broth mixture.

Return to heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer (stirring and rotating the pan occasionally) mixture 10 to 15 minutes or until rice is no longer soupy but sufficient liquid remains to continue cooking the rice in the oven.

Stir in shrimp, artichokes hearts, and peas

Transfer paella pan to the oven and cook, uncovered, about 15 to 20 minutes until the rice is almost al dente and until almost all liquid is absorb

Remove from oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let sit 5 to 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked to taste. NOTE: Paella must rest after being removed from the oven, during which time the final cooking takes place.

To serve, sprinkle with chopped parsley and arrange lemon wedges around the top of the paella. Serve immediately. To eat, sprinkle lemon juice over paella.

Mediterranean Mixed Seafood Platter
Ingredients

* 20 baby squid (tubes and tentacles), cleaned
* 3 cups milk
*
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 8 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 small onions, chopped
* 2 large carrots, chopped
* 2 tomatoes, chopped
* 1 small fennel bulb, diced
* 1/2 cup tomato paste
* 1 cup dry white wine
* 3 cups chicken stock
* 1/2 bunch fresh parsley
* 1/2 bunch fresh tarragon
* 1/2 bunch fresh thyme
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
* 1 tablespoon loosely packed saffron threads
*
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 6 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and cut into strips
* 6 baby fennel bulbs, halved
* 1/2 bunch fresh thyme, chopped
* 10 fresh oysters in shells, well scrubbed
* 20 littleneck clams
* 20 fresh mussels
*
* 6 (6 ounce) fillets fresh sea bass
* salt and pepper to taste
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 6 sprigs parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. Soak squid in milk for 1 to 5 hours; the longer the better. When the squid has finished soaking, strain, and discard the milk.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, onions, carrots, tomatoes, and diced fennel. Cook and stir until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, and cook an additional 10 minutes. Pour in wine, and increase heat to high. Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the chicken stock, parsley, tarragon, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, and saffron. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium, and simmer until the liquid has reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Strain out the liquid, and discard the solids.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add sun-dried tomatoes and fennel; cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the strained saffron broth and chopped thyme; increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Place oysters on top of the fennel, cover, and cook for 1 minute. Set the clams and mussels into the pot, cover, and cook until the shellfish begin to open, about 4 minutes. Stir in the drained squid, recover, and cook for 1 minute, just until the squid firms.
4. While the shellfish are cooking, season the sea bass fillets with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place fish into skillet, skin-side down. Cover, and cook until the skin is crispy and the flesh of the fish has firmed and is no longer translucent.
5. Pour the fennel-seafood mixture onto a serving platter and place the sea bass fillets on top. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve.



Khus Khus(Indian Dessert)
Ingredients

* 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
* 3 tablespoons almonds
* 1 tablespoon uncooked white rice
* 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
* 2 cups water
* 1 cup grated jaggery (palm sugar)
* 1 pinch saffron threads
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions

1. Combine the almonds, poppy seeds, and rice in a bowl; pour enough water over the mixture to cover by about 1 inch. Allow to soak for 4 hours; drain.
2. Grind the almond mixture with the coconut into a paste using a mortar and pestle.
3. Stir the water and jaggery together in a saucepan until the jaggery dissolves into the water to make a syrup. Stir the paste into the syrup; add the saffron and cardamom to the mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring continually; boil and stir until thick. Serve hot, warm, or cold, depending on your preference.


Risotto Milan
Ingredients

* 1 3/4 cups uncooked Arborio rice
* 1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided
* 1 1/2 quarts beef stock
* 3 tablespoons beef marrow
* 1 onion, thinly sliced
* 1 teaspoon saffron powder
* 3/4 cup dry white wine
* salt to taste
* 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Melt half of the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Simmer the onion and beef marrow in the butter for about 10 minutes. When the onion is soft, remove the onion and marrow from the pan using a slotted spoon, and set aside. (I like to leave the onions in.)
2. Saute the rice in the pan over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Stir constantly so the rice will not stick and burn. Stir in one ladle of beef stock, and keep stirring until it is mostly absorbed, ladling and stirring in more of the broth as well as the white wine in the same manner, until the rice is almost al dente. Stir in the saffron, remaining butter, and 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 4 or 5 minutes.
3. Serve as a bed for ossibuchi or by itself with as much of the remaining Parmesan cheese sprinkled over as you like.



Saffron Bread
Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 1 cup butter
* 1 cup white sugar
* 2 teaspoons saffron
* 1/2 cup hot water
* 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
* 2 eggs
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
* 6 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat; add butter, sugar and stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm. In a small bowl, soak the saffron in the hot water, let cool until lukewarm, drain and reserve the liquid.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk mixture with the reserved saffron water and eggs. Add the yeast and stir to dissolve. Add the salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, lemon zest and 4 cups of the flour; mix well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
3. Lightly oil a large mixing, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
4. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into three equal pieces, form into 14 inch long 'ropes'. Braid the 'ropes' together and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove to a wire rack and cool.




would I Pay $150 an ounce for personal use, no. but, I'm not head over heels for Saffron,
If I were running a 3 or 4 star operation, Hell Yeah..there are a hundred recipe uses for saffron if not more and the nuances found in this little flower pistil is well worth
the payback in that type of setting.

Chef

I've got one more for you, I didn't see it in the other thread. I see it hyped on Iron Chef America so much I am going to have to try it.





Duck Confit.

Chef, I've been making my own bread lately



And have been pleased with the results. I've started slitting the top to let it rise as you see, and brushing melted butter on the top while it cooks to make the top crust softer.

I've been cooking for 30 minutes at 350*, but would like to know if I can cook it longer at a lower temp to make a softer crust?

I found this recipe on the web and it's basically what I've been doing:

Amish White Bread makes 2 loaves
2 cups warm water (110degrees)
1/2 cup white sugar
11/2 Tablespoons active dry yeast ,
11/2 teaspoons salt,
1/4 cup vegetable oil,
6 cups flour ~~

I add 1/2 stick butter also.

Chef- the recipe I used had directions for proofing the yeast with sugar, but the quick-rise yeast packets I got skipped that step. Basically, I mix all the liquids (including the melted butter) with the sugar and salt. Then add 2 cups of flour and the yeast. Mix, then add the 4 remaining cups of flour one at a time, plus another 1/4 cup of water as I go. I also tried adding a cup of corn meal in place of 1/2c of flour for the second batch, but I couldn't really tell a difference. This time I used all flour, but used the cornmeal on the surface when kneading the bread and shaping the loaves. You can see bits of cornmeal on the surface of the bread in the pics.

recipe directions

Chef,

Can I "re-purpose" our our home-canned pizza sauce into enchilada sauce? What spices would I use to do that? The pizza sauce is spiced pretty conventionally with garlic, black pepper and oregano. I have the usual Mexican spices at hand, and also leaf Mexican oregano.

We have a surplus of pizza sauce, but no enchilada sauce.

I pretty much have to 'say no' to storebought enchilada sauce––it all tastes like dung to me.

TIA.

The enchilada sauce from pizza sauce worked out nicely, Chef.

I had to cut a few corners because of time constraints, but nobody noticed the difference.

May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!
a happy and safe St Patrick's day to all my readers...
Chef

Beer braised Beef and Colconnon

Ingredients

* Irish Stew:
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1 (3 pound) beef chuck roast, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 cup coarsely chopped onion
* 1 cup coarsely chopped carrot
* 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle dark beer
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
*
* Calcannon:
* 3 slices bacon
* 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
* 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
* 1/4 cup milk, warmed
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until very hot, and brown the meat in 2 batches, stirring to brown the cubes on all sides. Return all the meat to the Dutch oven, sprinkle with flour, and stir lightly to coat the meat with flour. Stir in onion, carrots, dark beer, bay leaves, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cover.
3. Place the Dutch oven into the preheated oven, and cook for 45 minutes; uncover, stir the stew, and cook until the beef is very tender and the liquid is reduced by half, about 45 more minutes.
4. Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
5. About 30 minutes before the stew is ready, make the colcannon: Place the potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two.
6. Place the cabbage into a microwave-safe bowl, and add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and microwave on High for about 2 1/2 minutes; uncover (watch out for steam) and stir the cabbage. Cover and microwave for about 2 1/2 more minutes, until the cabbage is slightly tender but not mushy. Drain excess liquid, and set the cabbage aside, covered.
7. Place the potatoes into a large bowl, and add milk, butter, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Beat the potatoes with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Stir in the cabbage, crumbled bacon, and parsley until well combined.
8. To serve, place a scoop of colcannon onto a plate, make a hollow, and fill with braised beef stew.



Corned Beef and Cabbage
Ingredients

* 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
* 4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
* 1 pound baby carrots
* 3 cups water
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 1 (3 pound) corned beef brisket with spice packet, cut in half
* 1 small head cabbage, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Place the onion, potatoes and carrots in a 5-qt. slow cooker or large pot on low heat (temp around 200degrees). Combine water, garlic, bay leaf, sugar, vinegar, pepper and contents of spice packet; pour over vegetables. Top with brisket and cabbage. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf before serving.




Shortbread Cookies
add any ingredients you wish, currents, raisins, dried cherries, even a bit of chocolate
Ingredients

* 1 cup white sugar
* 2 cups butter, softened
* 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream butter and 1 cup of sugar until very fluffy. Gradually add the flour and rice flour. As the dough gets stiffer, turn it out onto a well floured surface, and knead it until smooth.
3. Press dough into a cookie sheet, score into bars and prick with a fork. Sprinkle remaining sugar over the top, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cut along scored lines into bars while still warm. Cool before serving.

CHEF