Hi,
Tiffany inquired about a seasoning which imparts a yellow coloring. Saffron
and tumeric have been suggested and I would like to offer another
possibility. It is a very common spice used in Hispanic cuisines which
makes me think this is what your Peruvian mother-in-law would most likely
use...especially since you mentioned the high fat quality of her cooking.
The spice is annatto, also called achiote. It has a pungent smell and is
used to make a beautiful yellow colored oil which is then used in cooking.
Technically this is very off topic. I looked in the Fatfree rules and it
says oil may be mentioned if it is suggested to use just a drop or two. So
I will post the recipe with that in mind. Also, I think people who love to
cook will be interested out of curiosity. This is from, _The Frugal Gourmet
on Our Immigrant Ancestors_.
2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup annato seeds (I found them at Winn-Dixie in the international foods
section, Goya brand. They are little rust-colored, pyramid-shaped seeds.)
Place the oil in a 2 qt. heavy saucepan and heat to about 350 degree. Add
the annatto seeds and remove the pan from the heat. Allow to cool and
strain the oil into a glass jar. Store in the refrigerator.
I think for our purposes of very low fat and fat free cooking, you would be
happier with the result from tumeric. Per pound, saffron is more expensive
than gold (literally). Tumeric is pretty cheap, especially if you buy it
from a health food store that carries food stuffs in bulk. Just a little
tumeric goes a long way and adds a beautiful yellow color and no fat.
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