Saffron is a very expensive spice that comes from the saffron crocus. In order to obtain 500g of saffron, approximately 250,000 flowers are harvested by hand. Luckily, since it is so expensive, a small amount goes a long way. It is best to buy it in filament form but it is also available powdered. It can be prepared by either grinding in a pestle and mortar or by steeping in a small amount of boiling water for a few minutes. Although most famously used in rice dishes such as paella it also has uses in baking.In Cornwall it is put into Saffron Cake, a yeast-risen, sweet, fruit loaf. This recipe is also used to make saffron buns and when good quality saffron is used, the flavour and aroma are unmistakeable. It can also be partnered with lemon and made into a loaf cake or used with ground almonds to flavour shortbread biscuits.Saffron also goes well with seafood, so try making souffléd crab and saffron tartlets. Make a sauce with shallots, white wine, saffron and cream, and add an egg yolk and white crab meat. Whisk the egg white until stiff, and fold in. Once this has been poured into the pastry case top with a little grated Parmesan and bake.Fiona Burrell, co-author of Leiths Baking Bible, from Leiths School of Food and Wine read more

Last night, Ween continued on their tour with a date at Baltimore’s Pier 6 Pavilion. After their tour opener on Friday in Michigan, which saw the group bust-out “She Caught My Fancy” after almost eighteen years, Ween was ready to send it with a spirited performance in Charm City. Across their twenty-five song set, the band mostly stuck to songs that have been in recent rotation, which regularly played fan-favorites like “The Mollusk,” “Bananas and Blow,” “Voodoo Lady,” “Buckingham Green,” and “Ocean Man” sprinkled across the set. Perhaps most notably from the show, Ween dusted off their cover of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” for the fourth song of the night, appropriately getting the Baltimore crowd stoked for the group’s first return to the city since 2009. You can check out video of Ween’s cover of “Let’s Dance” below, courtesy of Youtube user monihampton.Ween’s performance of “Let’s Dance” marks the first time that the cover has been performed since New Year’s Eve of 2011 (and 38th time its ever been performed), with a gap of 233 shows between then and now. However, the tune was not the only special moment of the night; the group’s Sunday performance also saw “Boy’s Club” played for the 19th time ever and “Japanese Cowboy” played for the 26th time ever. Appropriately, “Joppa Road” made its way into the setlist (a main street in Baltimore is similarly named Joppa Road), which was last played in October of last year after a gap of 38 shows, marking the 25th time the number has been played for audiences.Ween Busts Out “She Caught My Fancy” After Almost 18 Years For Tour Opener [Full Show Video]Ween continues northward this week with a string of dates at New York City’s newly opened Brooklyn Steel. From there, they continue a brief tour of New England before picking up and hitting the West Coast leg of their summer tour. Thanks to Alex Leary, we can listen  yesterday’s show in Baltimore in all its glory below.[Photo: Erik Kabik]Catch Ween on the road in a city near you! read more