Tahini

Tahini is a nut butter made from ground sesame seeds. The butter easily separates into oil and solids, and must be stirred together before use. Tahini is used as a sauce or as a flavoring agent in items like baba ganoush and hummus bi tahini. When working with tahini, adding a small amount of water or lemon juice will cause the tahini to seize. Continue stirring to form a stiff whitish emulsion before proceeding.

Saffron

Saffron has always been one of the world’s most precious products. Crocus sativus is the botanical name of a crocus that originally came from Asia Minor, where it has been cultivated since ancient times. The Moors brought with them the spice az-zafaran during their invasion of Spain over a thousand years ago, Today over 70% of the world’s production is grown on the high Castilian plateau known as La Mancha.

Each year in October the crocus flowers open up in the depth of the night. At dawn there is a breathtaking purple carpet as far as the eye can see. At that moment people from Toledo to Albacete drop everything and rush to the fields, for all the saffron crocuses must be gathered before dusk, otherwise they lose their flavor.

The farmers pluck the flowers between their index fingers and thumbs and bring them to women who sit at long tables. They separate the reddish stigma with blinding speed. Finally the stigma are roasted on a sieve – over charcoal in earlier times, now by gas burners. About 200 crocus flowers are needed to obtain the single gram of saffron.
            Saffron is so valuable because it is a very labor intensive crop, and only 5-7 pounds of saffron can be produced from each acre of land. The average harvest obtained by an individual family is 8 pounds. Since the earliest of times saffron dried and preserved in the closet between layered sheets has acted as a savings bank for rural families.

The Fiesta de la Rosa del Azafrán is the high point of the year in the town of Consuegra. On the last Sunday of October, at the foot of the large white windmills, the farmers celebrate with music and dancing, and chose a local maiden to be crowned Dulcinea de la Mancha in honor of the beloved of Don Quijote.

Professionals rate saffron in terms of the intensity of its flavor and the depth of its color.

Three different grades of Saffron:
Kashmir “Mogra Cream” Indian Saffron is the world’s finest saffron. The dark red color and long perfect strands are as beautiful as they are colorful and flavorful. Kashmir saffron is difficult to obtain, which makes it higher in price.

Spanish Coupé Saffron is the top grade of the Spanish Saffron crop. Extra hand labor is used to remove every bit of the yellow saffron style material, leaving 100% beautiful pure red saffron threads -hence the name: coupé means “to cut”, as in cutting off all the yellow bits. Spanish Coupé Saffron is a truly excellent crop, especially nice for the traditional Spanish dishes.

Spanish Superior Saffron is the most widely available saffron and is a very good crop. Spanish Superior Saffron has a bit of the yellow style material left attached to some of the saffron stigmas (see photo), so it is not quite as strong as Spanish.

Saffron contains 450-500 saffron stigmas to the gram. The stigma is also called threads, strings, pieces or strands. 1 gram equals 2 tsp. whole, 1 teaspoon crumbled or ½ teaspoon powdered.

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How to Clean Squid

Holding the body firmly, grasp the head and pull gently, twisting if necessary, to pull the head away from the body without breaking the ink sac. The internal body and tentacles will come with it.

Cut the tentacles from the head just below the eyes. At the center of the tentacles is a small beak. Squeeze to remove and discard.

Set aside the tentacles to use. If the recipe calls for ink, reserve it, otherwise discard the head and ink sac.

At the top of the body, there is a clear piece of cartilage. Pull it out and discard.

If the squid has an outer spotted membrane-type skin, pull it off and discard.

Under cold running water, wash the tube carefully, inside and out, to get rid of any sand or other remaining tissues, and wash the tentacles carefully as well.

If you’re going to stuff them, you’re done. Set them aside to drain.

If you’re going to fry them, remove the side fins and keep with the tentacles for cooking since they’re edible. Let the squid drain.

If the ink sac breaks, rinse the squid under cold running water to clear away.