what you should know 

Richly flavored and intensely aromatic, these golden-orange threads are the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus.

Harvesting saffron takes some doing: each thread is picked by hand. An acre of flowers yields only about 10 pounds of saffron, making it worth more than its weight in gold (and, ounce for ounce, the most expensive spice in the world).

not mellow yellow A little saffron goes a long way. Just a few strands -- which can smell hay-like or brightly medicinal -- add a distinct color and flavor to a dish.

to dye for Saffron has a history as a dye, both for clothing and for food. If you want to give a dish that telltale color, soak the threads in warm water for 10-20 minutes and then cook with the infused liquid.

toasty warm If you're going to use saffron threads without soaking them first, lightly toast them to enhance the flavor.

blooming Saffron crocuses are blooming right about now. If you are very industrious, you can grow your own -- Andrea from Andrea's Recipes is just about ready to harvest hers.

what you need

Saffron threads are absolutely crucial if you're making paella. You can make do with a wide saucepan or Dutch oven, but it's much simpler to go from stovetop to table in a pretty paella pan.

Joyce Goldstein explores the wide-ranging traditions of Jewish cooking in the Mediterranean in her book Saffron Shores.

If you decide to grow your own saffron, White Flower Farms offers a variety of bulbs. And if your thumb is not as green as you'd like, a copy of Gayla Trail's You Grow Girl (and regular visits to her wonderful blog) will set you on the path for prosperous gardening.

what you do

Persian chicken and rice glistens with golden beets and saffron.

Saffron is the star of a Provençal-inspired seafood stew.

Broil them, grill them, serve them on ice cream -- no matter how you serve them, saffron-infused pineapples are bright and delicious.

An elegant presentation of tapenade and saffron aioli makes pan-smoked tomato bisque a beautiful main course.

Cook and Eat created an elegant soup for any season, pairing saffron with citrus and a cranberry-balsamic meringue.

Try a Sardinian take on paella from Efisio Farris' Sweet Myrtle & Bitter Honey.

Featured: A fall-perfect featured recipe for this week's Root Source Challenge -- gorgeous saffron-pumpkin macarons. Congratulations to Helen of Tartelette!

Find more saffron recipes at Cookthink.com. And if you haven't yet signed up for a free account at Cookthink, do it now!