Secrets of Saffron or Recipe for a Book Club

Secrets of Saffron: The Vagabond Life of the World's Most Seductive Spice

Author: Pat Willard

There are few words as evocative as saffron. Over thousands of years it has perfumed the halls of Crete's palaces, made Cleopatra more alluring, and driven crusaders and German peasants to their deaths. While spices that drove adventurers to the ends of the earth, such as cinnamon, mace, and ginger, have become commonplace, saffron remains tantalizingly exotic. Nothing more than the dried stamens of the autumn-flowering purple crocus, it might as well be fairy dust. Resistant to modern horticultural technology, the fragile blossoms must still be gathered by hand from the ancient fields of Iran, Greece, Italy, southern France, and Spain.

Secrets of Saffron is the story of this extravagant rover. Guided with wit and assurance by acclaimed food writer Pat Willard, we roam the rich landscapes of history and personal memory. We dine in the heavenly gardens of Persia; bathe with Alexander the Great; are served golden swans at the medieval court of France. With Willard's help, we also discover the quiet comforts of saffron, from soups that have eased illness to pies that defy death, until we arrive at last in the present day at a small garden in Brooklyn.

Told in sumptuous prose, complete with fabulous ancient and modern recipes—including a Moorish wedding feast, a luscious creme brulee, and a balm for an aching heart—Secrets of Saffron will awaken in you a voracious desire for the private pleasures of this most precious spice.

"I am impressed by Pat Willard's singleminded devotion to one of my favorite subjects. I have been under saffron's spell for some time and it is an integral ingredient in my cooking. I love the romance of its noble and complicatedhistory, as well as the painstaking process of cultivation." —Todd English, author of The Olives Dessert Table

"Saffron, the haughtiest, most expensive, and most mysterious of spices, has found its rightful biographer in Pat Willard, who plumbs its historical, mythological, and psychological depths with illuminating insight and a richly evocative (and surprisingly personal) prose. For saffron lovers, this book is a necessary read; for those like myself who have previously equated that spice with such culinary esoterica as gold leaf flakes or wild fennel pollen, Secrets of Saffron is a revelation—and a highly enjoyable page-turner, as well." —John Thorne, author of Outlaw Cook and Pot on the Fire

"An admiring account of an exotic spice with a long and varied history, by a food writer whose imagination keeps the story light and lively... a charming little gift for an inquisitive cook."—Kirkus Reviews

New York Times Book Review - Patricia Fieldsteel

[Willard's] insights on the role of food in history, and how its use can reveal profound truths about different cultures, are fresh and thought provoking.

Publishers Weekly

In Secrets of Saffron: The Vagabond Life of the World's Most Seductive Spice, Pat Willard (Pie Every Day; A Soothing Broth) weaves an exotic, mysterious narrative about the 2,000-year history of saffron based on fact, legend and the devices of her own imagination. Whether used by Cleopatra to make herself more desirable or by the Amish in Pennsylvania Dutch country to add zest to their everyday dishes, saffron's medicinal and flavorful charms have been found irresistible by people the world over, especially in Spain and India, where its use is best known. With an unerring ear for satisfying storytelling, Willard delivers another inventive, almost magical read. Agent, Anne Depue. ( May 1) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Shirley Reis - KLIATT

Anyone who has ever used this seasoning must have wondered why it is the most expensive spice in the world. Here is the description of how, when and where it is cultivated, along with its history. One may find it difficult to comprehend that a single spice could provide such compelling and interesting material that it warrants an entire volume, but this fascinating book takes readers on a merry romp through the ages from the ancient civilizations to our contemporary society. History truly comes alive in the telling of how saffron has been used, through a blend of personal stories, myths, history, quotations, ancient remedies and modern recipes. A practical guide to buying, using and even growing saffron is also included. KLIATT Codes: SA—Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2001, Beacon, 225p. index.,

Kirkus Reviews

An admiring account of an exotic spice with a long and varied history, by a food writer whose imagination keeps the story light and lively. Since the blossom of the crocus plant is the source of saffron, Willard (A Soothing Broth, not reviewed) opens with the legend of the Greek youth Crocus, who was turned into a flower by a nymph grown weary of his attentions. Various ancient Mediterranean peoples-the Sumerians, Persians, Minoans, Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans-used saffron not just to flavor foods but as a perfume, a dye, and in cosmetics and medicinal concoctions. (For the latter, Willard includes numerous recipes, complete with directions for use.) There are even recipes for an ancient bouillabaisse and an ancient brodetto to illustrate the differences in the French and Italian approaches to this saffron-flavored dish. Into her richly embroidered history of the spice-imagined conversations and thoughts have been freely added for color-Willard inserts her personal experiences with it: her initial discovery of its special comforts, the saffron crème brûlée pie she served her family after her mother died, childhood dining adventures in Pennsylvania Dutch country (a Schwenkfelder cake recipe is given here), and a trip to Spain to witness the annual saffron festival in the little town of Consuega (lots more recipes). Eventually she plants a field of saffron-yielding crocuses next to her Brooklyn home, a labor-intensive venture that yields enough of the precious stuff for one grand party and reveals to Willard the secret of saffron's eternal appeal: "that so little is needed to turn life into a sumptuous feast." For newcomers to saffron,sheconcludes with a brief primer on buying, using, and growing the spice, and she appends a generous assortment of saffron recipes that just didn't find a proper home elsewhere in her narrative. A charming little gift for an inquisitive cook.

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Recipe for a Book Club: A Monthly Guide for Hosting Your Own Reading Group

Author: Mary OHar

Unlike other basic reading group guides, "Recipe for a Book Club" combines good eating with good reading for the millions of Americans who participate in book clubs. Written by two sisters who formed their own monthly reading and lunch groups that continue to meet,"Recipe for a Book Club" starts in January and ends in December, with a reading theme for each month and a menu and recipes to go with it, a featured favorite book and author, suggested reading list, and interesting questions to ponder and discuss. From JanuaryâЂ™s theme of New Authors to DecemberâЂ™s theme of Inspiration for the new year, this attractively illustrated guide is ideal for all reading groups, whether brand-new or long-established.

Table of Contents:

Introduction
January - Debut Books
February - Classical Romance
March - Heritage
April - American Lives
May - Memoirs
June - Sports, Travel and Leisure
July - American Classics
August - Art, Music and Award-winners
September - International
October - Mysteries
November - Adventure
December - Inspirational