Welcome to Saffron Lane, a blog dedicated to seasonal food, celebration and life. I'm Elizabeth, a chef, food writer, recipe developer and food stylist.
My culinary career began at an early age. While other ten-year-olds were setting up lemonade stands, I was meticulously crafting gourmet chocolates and picking fresh berries from the backyard (to pair with them, of course) for my stand. Among the many lessons that summer, I learned that chocolate doesn't sell very well after hours melting in the sun, no matter how great it tastes.
Raised in a passionate family full of inspired cooks and culinary entrepreneurs, food was always the focal point at family get-togethers. With a bi-coastal upbringing, I was exposed to a wide variety of cuisines and quickly learned the importance of eating locally.
After years of study and hands-on experience in various culinary styles, my focus came full circle when I moved to San Francisco in 1999:
Simple, seasonal, style-driven and beautifully presented food, recipes and photography.
Channeling my energies towards a career I love proved to be the right choice. I was chosen as a finalist on season two of The Next Food Network Star. I've also appeared on Dining Around with Gene Burns and have been featured in The James Beard Foundation's JBF Notes. My work has appeared on Shape.com, SFGate, Slow Food Marin, MoreMarin and in Edible Marin & Wine Country. I'm also a regular contributor to the innovative recipe-search site, Gojee.com and a featured author on Glam Media's Foodie 100.
My goal with this blog is to inspire you. I’d love to get you in the kitchen more often (because you want to) and ignite (or reignite) a strong sense of curiosity about food. After all, good food evokes memories, pleasure and emotions -- the fun and most essential things in life.
I’d also like to invite you to celebrate more often. Throw parties for the people you love, celebrate the milestones and savor life ... with a big dose of passion.
To connect: inquiries[at]saffronlane[dot]com
All of the content on this website is original content produced by me, unless otherwise noted. All content is under copyright and may not be used without permission. If you’d like to use a photo or recipe, please just email with your request. I’m usually more than happy to share.
Tag Archives: chicken soup  Oh, summer. We’re going to miss you. Your ruby watermelon, just-picked berries and luscious stone fruit will soon be just a memory. Pomegranates, persimmons and hearty winter squash will begin to take your place at the farmers’ market as fall makes its slow debut. Although summer 2011 has two weeks left to live, we’re... 
Tags: black beans, butternut squash soup, chicken soup, chicken tortilla soup, fall soup recipes, healthy fall soups, healthy soup recipes, hearty fall soups, poblano peppers, pumpkin, pumpkin soup, soup recipes, summer soup recipes, unique soup recipes
This looks so hearty and flavorful! It’s perfect for autumn, and I love the pumpkin color of the soup. 
Elizabeth
Thanks, Jess. The pumpkin was actually an after thought, but it made all the difference in the world. Love when that happens. 
Love this! Chicken tortilla soup is my comfort food: I go to it under any number of states of duress/despair/illness. Never have I considered adding pumpkin! Amazing and inventive, per usual.
Thanks, Kimberley. I love that you turn to Chicken Tortilla Soup under duress. Try the pumpkin, if you get the chance. It’s such a subtle flavor but really adds a lot of depth to the broth. 
Adding pumpkin is a wonderful idea! I agree with you that this is the best way to dip your toe into fall even though it is very hard to say goodbye to summer. Love your bowls, too
Thanks, Nicole. Yes, I always tend to resist but then the cozy food of fall always seems to win me over. 
Elizabeth
Hi Brenda, thanks for visiting my blog and taking the time to comment. It’s always very appreciated. I’m not sure what you’re referring to, however? 
Okay, based on our email conversations my previous comment that was never posted was something along the lines of: I made this soup because I had all the ingredients on hand and I didn’t care for it. The flavor was bland and thin with no complexity. The meal wasn’t a total loss because I was able to spin it into a version of my chicken tortilla soup. I do absolutely love the addition of pumpkin to add fiber and antioxidants. That is inspired and will be a permanent addition to future soups. To answer your question about how closely I followed the recipe: Those are basically the changes I made. I was quite excited to see so many things I was looking forward to cooking with listed in the title. I even had fresh cilantro! I was able to morph it into my soup and I even learned the pumpkin in the soup trick so it wasn’t a wasted effort but if I wasn’t able to think on my feet, as it were, it would have been a disappointment.
Elizabeth
Thanks for taking the time to re-submit your comment, Brenda. I’m sorry the recipe didn’t entirely work out for you. It was also posted on Shape.com with good results, but perhaps I’ll go back and do a re-test to make sure the spices are correct. Again, many thanks for your feedback; it’s always greatly appreciated. 
Candace
I don’t know if you’re still checking comments to this post but I made this last night. It was super easy and delicious (I cheated and used a food processor for the onion and used minced garlic). My poblanos were pretty spicy so I didn’t get a lot of the pumpkin flavor. I added a dollop of plain yogurt to mine because I’m a spice wuss. Good stuff! I wish I had nutritional info from this page but I think I figured it out. Thanks for the recipe!
Elizabeth
Thanks for the feedback, Candace. Poblanos can be tricky — sometimes they’re milder than others, I’ve found. Nonetheless, I’m happy you enjoyed (and shortcuts are always welcome.)! 
Heather
This is on the stove simmering right now and let me tell you the house smells AHHMAAZING! I only omited the coriander because I didnt have it. I have doneva taste test. This is going to be a regular! Thank you!
Elizabeth
Thanks, Heather! I’m so glad you’ve found success — it’s one of my favorites! |
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