 | Jack Fasciano is President and Owner of Angelo's, a Wichita tradition for 45 years. Angelo's was founded in 1959 by Angelo and Anna Fasciano in Derby, KS. Jack is their oldest son and began in the business as a youngster doing dishes, grinding garlic and making pizza sauce and sausage. At the age of 12, Jack was Derby's first pizza delivery person. He delivered pizzas and other Italian dishes to friends and neighbors in a little red wagon. In 1960, the Fascianos opened their first 'real' restaurant at the corner of Harry and Hillside in Wichita, at one time having four locations in Wichita and one in Hutchinson. Over the years Jack has worked along side his father, mother, aunts, uncles and cousins perfecting recipes and maintaining the family tradition of wonderful 'Southern Italian Comfort' food. Today, Jack keeps that tradition alive in a quiet neighborhood at 1930 S. Oliver. If the Italian aromas don't bring you in, you can't miss the sign with Lion on top. You can contact Jack at (316) 682-1473. |
Food & Drink
2006-03-30 14:20:00
Tell me about the spice...saffron
: Can you tell me about the spice...saffron?
ANSWER: I have used Saffron in many Italian dishes. The thing that I remember most about saffron is from my mother. She used to say, “Spill everything before spilling the saffron.” I remember it is expensive on a per gram basis. I found a lot of information about saffron at one of my favorite web sites, http://www.italiancookingandliving.com/. Let me share it with you.Saffron is a spice of superlatives. It's not only the most expensive spice in the world (two grams cost as much as one gram of gold) but is also said to be the most ancient. Saffron crocuses were cultivated as early as 2300 B.C. King Solomon grew them in his gardens, Babylonians made them into perfume, and Cleopatra used them in her cosmetics. The spice comes from the three tiny stigmas in each flower, which are dried into 'threads' and sometimes ground. But beware: Because it takes more than 75,000 plant stigmas to make one pound of ground saffron, it is often adulterated. The threads are sometimes mixed with the male parts of the flower, the stamens, which have no culinary value. In 15th-century Germany, where the spice was used for both baking and medicinal purposes, those found to be cheating the public were burned at the stake or buried alive along with their impure product. The stigmas must be removed whole from each crocus flower before it wilts. They are then either dried over the embers of a charcoal fire (the traditional European preparation) or bound and dried in the sun (in Iran). The powdered form of saffron should be a red-orange color; if there is any bright yellow mixed in, other products have been added, such as ground crocus stamens, turmeric or other plant products. Powdered saffron has the advantage of dissolving more easily than the thread form of saffron, but once it's powdered, it can lose its potency with age. We recommend purchasing the thread form whenever possible, or buying powdered saffron from a reputable source with a high turnover. Saffron has been grown in Kashmir (on the Indian subcontinent) and in the Middle East for a millennia, but it has also been cultivated in Europe since the Middle Ages. In Tuscany, fields of the purple crocuses are tucked among rolling vine-covered hills and are harvested in October. Saffron has a delicate flavor that lends itself equally well to savory and sweet dishes. Starches, like rice or pasta, or mild sweets, like panna cotta, particularly benefit from the perfume and color of a few saffron threads. When cooking with saffron, be sure to steep it in an acidic or hot liquid for at least 10 minutes to extract the flavor (good quality saffron can release its aroma and flavor for up to 24 hours). Then mix the infused liquid directly into your recipe. One word of caution: Use saffron sparingly. A pinch should suffice for an entire dish, and too much may cause a bitter flavor.
