R.I.P. Saffron

This morning, I was all geek-happy about square root day (today is 03.03.09!) and then things just kept going south. To start off with, people had problems with other people, and said people were arguing for a major part of the morning. Then I was 5S-ing the lab all afternoon. Sore muscles and all, I made a sudden pit-stop at DD on the way back for a Boston Kreme (my first EVER donut craving!). And my pick-me-up, once I got home, was to cook something new and elaborate. Hyderabadi Biryani. Authentic. Cue: Cut to black.

I mourn the loss of my treasured saffron box. Yes, I lost my saffron!!! Unbelievable that I even blog about such a thing, but essentially true. I'd love to take the soap opera tack and blame the maid. But alas, said entity does not exist in this situation.. :)

That little rectangular box, with those precious few strands of saffron that I borrowed from my mom a year ago. Saffron of the highest quality, brought all the way from their days in Saudi. I would often look at it lovingly, as it sat in that little chiller box inside my fridge. Cozily wrapped in a little snack-size Ziploc bag. But I always waited for a big-recipe day to use it. Preferably mom's style Rava Kesari oozing with ghee.

Only, I reached the stage in my cooking where I went to bring the saffron out to soak it in a cup of warm milk, and it was gone. Just like that. No trace. And all the enthusiasm went out of me. Right now, I don't care two hoots about the biryani. Let it burn in the oven. Sigh.