namahatta.org - Congregational Development Ministry

This letter was sent exactly one year ago. Guavas are in the shops everywhere in Sydney. So it's timely to 'run it by you one more time':

C. Schneider from the Gold Coast asked:

"...what recipes can you share that use guava fruit as an ingredient? I have some home grown guava and would like some interesting ideas for cooking with it."

I replied:

Well of course you can eat them fresh, or puree the flesh and make a smoothie with yogurt or milk and a sweetener as follows: Blend 300g (10 ounces) guava flesh (seeds included) with 2 cups chilled full-cream milk, 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar, 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk and some ice cubes.

You could also make a Fool, and old English fruit cream. This is my favourite. Pass two cups of ripe guava flesh through a seive, fold through the strained juice of two limes and two cups of lightly whipped cream. Pour into tall dessert glasses and serve immediately.

Or you could make a guava jam or chutney.

"Service is the rent that you pay for room on this earth."

-Shirley Chisholm

Yet another 'old-but-gold':

J from Jamaica asked:

"I just want to know why milk scorches and how to prevent it. I would be grateful for the info as it is for a project. Thank you."

I replied:

Milk scorches when the fat protein molecules sink to the bottom of the pot and stick because, although the cream floats on cold milk, when you heat it those fatty molecules sink and accumulate on the bottom.

A way to avoid the scorching, believe it or not, is to first add a little water in your saucepan - enough to just cover the base.

Bring the water to the boil, then add the milk on top and cook as required. That initial water will reduce the accumulation of those sticky molecules. Sounds silly, but it works.

Always choose a heavy-based pot to avoid scorching, especially one that conducts heat well. Stainless steel, by the way, is a poor conductor of heat, and is prone to hot spots.

And remember, while heating the milk, stir it continuously with a wooden spoon (a flat-edged variety is my favourite) until it boils. This will also help keep the bottom from burning.

Once the milk is boiling, and you need to keep cooking it (depending on the recipe) turn the heat down a little, because less stirring is needed since the milk (and all those fat/protein molecules) are now circulating.

And finally, if you add sugar to the milk (providing the recipe calls for it) this will reduce the tendency of the milk to burn.

I've finishing archiving all my overseas travels. You can read my updated Travel Diary here.

Why not every scientist worships at Darwin's feet
John Lennox, The Age
August 18, 2008

Next year marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's 'On The Origin Of Species'. The momentous occasion will be celebrated with new books, articles, documentaries and editorials. One commentator has called for a public holiday in Britain to honour Darwin - the "humble Shrewsbury family man who changed the world forever".

Scattered among the world's top scientists are those who do believe in a conscious intention behind nature's processes. I think of people such as Francis Collins, director of the Human Genome Project, and Professor Bill Phillips, winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1997.

The presence of such people poses awkward questions for the view that evolutionary theory and a sophisticated scientific brain lead inexorably towards atheism. There must be more to the so-called "science versus God" story than this.

Indeed, the fact that there are brilliant scientists who believe in God and brilliant scientists who don't makes it clear that the conflict is not a simplistic one between science and religion, but between opposing world views - naturalism and theism.

Read whole article...

"There is no death. How can there be death if everything is part of the Godhead? The soul never dies and the body is never really alive."

- Isaac Bashevis Singer, Nobel laureate, 'Stories from Behind the Stove.'

I've been cataloguing my blog archives. Enormous amount of good stuff there. Here's another oft-asked entry:

S. from Adelaide, South Australia asked how to make homemade yogurt. Here's my recipe.

Home-made Yogurt

Yogurt is an indispensable ingredient in vegetarian cuisine, being nutritious, tasty, and easily digestible.

It is a source of calcium, protein, fat, carbohydrates, phosphorus, vitamin A, the B-complex vitamins, and vitamin D. The lactic acid content of yogurt aids in the digestion of calcium. Yogurt encourages the growth of "friendly" bacteria in the intestines that help destroy harmful strains. And yogurt is quickly assimilated into the body.

Yogurt is made by adding a small amount of 'starter' (which can be either previously prepared homemade yogurt or commercial plain yogurt) to warm milk. Under certain temperature conditions, and after some hours, the live bacteria in the starter will transform the milk into yogurt, which can then be refrigerated and used as needed. If you prefer a slightly thicker, firm yogurt, you can add milk powder at the beginning.

PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes
SETTING TIME: 4 - 10 hours
YIELD: 4 cups (1 litre)

1/3 cup fresh milk (optional)
1/2 cup full-cream milk powder (optional)
4 cups (1 litre) fresh milk
3 tablespoons fresh plain yogurt

If you prefer thicker yogurt, combine the 1/3 cup of milk with the milk powder, whisk until smooth, and set aside.

Bring the milk to the boil in a heavy, 3-litre/quart saucepan, stirring constantly. Remove milk from the heat and whisk in the optional powdered-milk thickener. Transfer the milk into a sterilized container and set aside to cool.

When the temperature of the milk has reached 46°C/115°F, add the yogurt starter and whisk until smooth. The milk temperature should not exceed 44°C/111°F, which is the ideal culturing temperature.

Place the container of warm milk in a warm place for 4 - 6 hours. You can place the container inside a sealed plastic bucket of warm water or wrap it in a towel or heavy blanket. The container may also be placed in an oven with the pilot light on, in a preheated electric oven which has been turned off, or in a wide-mouthed thermos flask.

Check the yogurt after 5 hours. It should be thick and firm (it will become thicker after refrigeration). Refrigerate, covered, and use within 3 days. After three days, the yogurt makes an ideal curdling agent for production of Home-made Curd Cheese (Panir).

Note: If your home-made yogurt does not taste as nice as expected or is something other than yogurt, consider the following points:

Over-boiling the milk without proper stirring can cause the milk to scorch or burn. This will give the yogurt an unpleasant taste.

If the milk does not sufficiently cool before you add the starter culture, it will curdle.

If the milk cools too much before adding the starter culture, it will remain milk.

If you do not ensure continuous warmth during incubation, the yogurt might fall to a less-than-desired temperature. Over warming during incubation causes spoilage.

Over-incubation (allowing the milk and yogurt to sit for longer than required) will produce a strong-tasting, tart yogurt.

Non-sterile containers may introduce foreign bacteria into your yogurt, causing bad tastes. Do not disturb the yogurt while it is culturing.

I know I am deathless ...
We have thus far exhausted trillions of winters and summers,
There are trillions ahead,
And trillions ahead of them.

Walt Whitman's poem "Song of Myself" from Leaves of Grass, 1st (1855) edition, editor, Malcolm Cowley. New York: Viking, 1959.

Vicki from Central Coast, Australia writes:

"Is Fish Oil the new Snake Oil? It disturbs me when I see the amount of Fish Oil supplements available & the push by the media that we all need this.

As a vegetarian I worry about the impact on the marine population. If we really do need omega 3 etc. What is the vegie version?

My reply:

If we believe the scientists and the media, it seems we need Omega-3. Fish oils supplies it adequately. But I don't want to eat fish oil either.

Omega-3 fatty acids have traditionally been supplied in the diet by deep water fish, unrefined vegetable oils, green leafy vegetables, sea vegetation and through free-range animal meats.

Unfortunately with the industrial revolution, and consequently, the mass refinement of foods, delicate Omega-3's are either destroyed, transformed to toxic compounds in processing, or purposely removed to avoid spoilage of shelf-dated foods. The most abundant source of animal derived Omega-3 comes from cold water fish.

The most abundant source of vegetable Omega-3 comes from flaxseed oil. While it is possible to derive Omega-3 in the diet from fish or flax, there is a foundational difference between the types of Omega-3 supplied by each source.

Only the Omega-3 derived from vegetable sources such as flaxseed oil has been found to be dietary essential. That is, all forms of Omega-3 can be formed in the body once vegetable Omega-3 is ingested. This is good news for vegetarians. In other words, it is not necessary for vegetarians to resort to consuming animal meats or fish oil supplements to obtain the health benefits of nutritionally required Omega-3.

So unrefined, fresh, organic flaxseed oil is the easiest and best source for a vegetarian. Flaxseed oil contains more Omega-3 than any other source at a whopping 55%. Citing the potential for lower blood lipid levels of Omega-3 in vegetarians, the American Dietetic Association has taken the written position that "it is recommended that vegetarians include a good source of ALA in their diet." The Association goes on to list flaxseed oil as the richest source of ALA.

I am asked about Omega-3's often, and a while ago I blogged an answer to a similar question. A reader in West Virginia sent me this excellent advice:

"For a fraction of the cost of flaxseed oil, you can buy actual flaxseeds and grind them yourself in a little spice or coffee grinder. Flax oil is never fresher than immediately after grinding. Purchased oil should be in a dark container and kept refrigerated, as Omega-3's go rancid faster than other oils, accelerated by light and temperature.

Additionally, you get the fibre from the seed, which has its own set of benefits. Flaxseeds are 40% oil.

We add it to soups and oatmeal porridge. It does have a slight taste, but ignorable. It adds fat feel to the taste.

Low cooking of ground flaxseeds in a bit of water creates an eggwhite substitute, though the heat may have an adverse effect on the Omega-3's.

Omega-3's are also known to help with mild depression and post partnum depression.

In a more traditional setting, the straw of the flax would be used to make linen, and a flax field in bloom is beautiful, a sea of blue flowers."

Read lots more...

"The beef industry has contributed to more deaths than all the wars of this century, all natural disasters, and all automobile accidents combined. If beef is your idea of 'real food for real people', you'd better live real close to a good hospital." - Neal D. Barnard, M.D., President, Physicians Comittee for Responsible Medicine, Washington, D.C.

Here's an oldie but a goldie:

Sam Stewart from Australia's Gold Coast wrote:

"What is it about beans that cause so much gas? What can be done to make them less volatile"

Kurma replied:

Though beans are nutritionally excellent, they have the unfortunate side effect of causing the formation of gas in the lower digestive tract. This digestive dilemma can be mollified by adopting some or all of the following practices:

Discard the soaking water prior to cooking

Some nutrition (in the form of minerals) is lost, but you are getting rid of up to 80% of the oligosaccharides that cause flatulence. The standard way is to soak the raw, unsoaked beans in cold water overnight (in a cool place to avoid fermentation) then drain them, throw away the soak water and cook in fresh water.

Some cooks suggest that an even better way to remove the oligosaccharides is to bring the unsoaked beans to a boil for 3 minutes, remove from the heat, cover, and allow to soak for 4 hours, then drain and cook in fresh water.

Cook the beans thoroughly

You should be able to easily mash the cooked beans with a fork. Thorough cooking softens starch and fibres, making digestion more efficient, the main reason why refried beans are easier on the digestive system than whole beans.

Give your body time to adjust

If you don't eat beans often, your body never fully adapts to the extra work required to digest the complex sugars in beans. Beginning with small amounts, try eating beans at least 3 times a week while gradually increasing quantity.

Choose beans that are easier to digest

A general rule is that the sweeter the bean, the easier it is to digest. Adzuki, Anasazi, Black-eyed Peas, Lentils, and Mung beans top the list. The most difficult beans to digest include Navy, Limas, and whole cooked Soybeans.

Cook beans with a bay leaf, cumin, epazote, or kombu

Certain herbs have gas-reducing properties, with epazote being one of the most effective. Add 2 teaspoons dry or 6 fresh leaves to a pot of beans before cooking. Kombu sea vegetable also works well and has the added advantage of replenishing some of the minerals lost in soaking. Add a two-inch strip per one cup of dried beans during cooking. A couple of bay leaves simmered with cooked beans is also excellent. Asafetida, ginger and cumin are also excellent additions later in the cooking process, when the beans are seasoned, to counter the oligosaccharides.

Avoid beans that are cooked with added sweeteners, or come in a can.

Some people who easily digest most freshly cooked beans have trouble with canned or sweetened beans due to the way they are prepared and due to added carbohydrates. The famous baked beans are navy beans (hard to digest for a start) that have been cooked without discarding the soaking water AND with extra sweetener added - a very explosive combination.

Click here for more on the status of flatus.

"I hold that when a person dies
His soul returns again to earth;
Arrayed in some new flesh disguise
Another mother gives him birth
With sturdier limbs and brighter brain
The old soul takes the road again."

- British poet laureate John Masefield

By golly, is this the most-asked question on my blog? I think it is.

Dennis B from Carson City, Nevada USA writes:

"My wife wants to buy a microwave oven. I have my doubts about their safety, nutrition-wise. Should I follow my heart here, and tell her no?

My answer:

Well, far be it for me to step in between you and your wife, but here's some facts. You decide:

Microwave exposure causes significant decreases in the nutritive value of foods researched.
The following are the most important findings:

1. A decrease in the bioavailability [capability of the body to utilize the nutriment] of all Vitamin C, Vitamin E, essential minerals and lipotropics in all foods;

2. A loss of 60-90% of the vital energy field content of B-complex vitamins, in tested foods;

3. A reduction in the metabolic behavior and integration process capability of alkaloids [organic nitrogen based elements], glucosides and galactosides, and nitrilosides;

4. A destruction of the nutritive value of nucleoproteins in meats;

5. A marked acceleration of structural disintegration in all foods.

Also it was found that microwave ovens caused:

6. Creation of a "binding effect" to radioactivity in the atmosphere, thus causing a marked increase in the amount of alpha and beta particle saturation in foods;

7. Creation of cancer causing agents within protein hydrolysate compounds* in milk and cereal grains [*these are natural proteins that are split into unnatural fragments by the addition of water];

8. Alteration of elemental food-substances, causing disorders in the digestive system by unstable catabolism* of foods subjected to microwaves [*the metabolic breakdown process];

Also:

9. Due to chemical alterations within food substances, malfunctions were observed within the lymphatic systems [absorbent vessels], causing a degeneration of the immune potentials of the body to protect against certain forms of neoplastics [abnormal growths of tissue];

10. Ingestion of microwaved foods caused a higher percentage of cancerous cells within the blood serum [cytomas - cell tumors such as sarcoma];

11. Microwave emissions caused alteration in the catabolic [metabolic breakdown] behavior of glucoside [hydrolyzed dextrose] and galactoside [oxidized alcohol] elements within frozen fruits when thawed in this manner;

12. Microwave emission caused alteration of the catabolic [metabolic breakdown] behavior of plant alkaloids [organic nitrogen based elements] when raw, cooked, or frozen vegetables were exposed for even extremely short durations;

13. Cancer causing free radicals [highly reactive incomplete molecules] were formed within certain trace mineral molecular formations in plant substances, and in particular, raw root-vegetables; and,

14. In a statistically high percentage of persons, microwaved foods caused stomach and intestinal cancerous growths, as well as a general degeneration of peripheral cellular tissues, with a gradual breakdown of the function of the digestive and excretive systems.

More good reasons to revert to good old home-style slow cooking in the way nature intended!

Ray Lovelock from Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England asks:

"How can I make a simple yeast-free bread? My wife is intolerant to yeast."

My reply:

This recipe has never let me down. If you want a fast and easy homemade bread recipe with a good texture and a delicious tangy flavour, this is the one for you. Because it contains no yeast, this bread is best made and consumed on the same day. The quantity makes one loaf.

Buttermilk Soda Bread

2 cups, about 300g (11 ounces) unbleached plain flour
2 cups, about 300g (11 ounces) wholemeal (whole wheat) plain flour
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups buttermilk (or some sort of cultured or sour milk)
sea salt flakes

Preheat the oven to 220° C / 425° F. Lightly flour a baking tray. Sift the flours, cream of tartar, bicarbonate of soda and sea salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre of the mixture.

Pour in almost all the buttermilk, then stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Feel the dough. It should be slightly sticky. If too dry, add the remaining buttermilk. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.

Gently knead the dough for 1 minute (do not over knead).

Shape the dough into a round and place on the prepared baking tray. Cut a 1.5cm (½-inch) deep cross into the dough and sprinkle with the sea salt flakes.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden and cooked through (test with a wooden skewer - if it comes out clean, it's done).

Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Allow to cool then cover with a dampened towel until required.

Serve: break off chunks or cut into slices.

Note: you can add nuts or dried fruit to this recipe.

Rice puddings are found in nearly every area of the world. Recipes can greatly vary even within a single country. The dessert can be boiled or baked. Different types of pudding vary depending on preparation methods and the ingredients selected. The following ingredients are regularly found in rice puddings.

rice - long/short grain white rice, brown rice, black rice, basmati, or jasmine rice
milk - whole milk, coconut milk, cream or evaporated
spices - nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger etc.
flavourings - vanilla, orange, lemon, pistachio, rose water etc.
sweetener - sugar, brown sugar, honey, sweetened condensed milk, fruit or syrups

The following is a short list of various rice puddings from different regions.

East Asia

Kao Niow Dahm (Thai) Black Rice Pudding
Banana Rice Pudding (Cambodian)
Babao Fan (Chinese) Eight Treasure Rice Pudding
Pulut Hitam (Malaysian) Black glutinous rice pudding

South Asia

Kheer (Pakistani/Indian) with slow-boiled milk
Firni (Pakistani/Afghan/North Indian) with broken rice, cardamom and pistachio served cold.

Middle East

Firni (Afghan/Pakistani) Rice ground to powder cooked with milk and sugar, usually flavored with cardamom, garnished with slivers of pistachios and almonds, as well as with gold or silver warq (decorative, edible foil). Today, restaurants offer firni in a wide range of flavours including mango, fig, custard apple, etc.
Sütlaç (Turkish) with milk and vanilla
Muhallebi (Turkish) with rice flour
Moghlie (Arab) with anise and ginger
Riz bi Haleeb (Arab) with rose water
Shola-e-zard (Persian) with saffron

Europe

Arroz con leche (Spanish) with cinnamon and lemon
Arroz Doce or Arroz de Leite (Portuguese) with milk, cinnamon and lemon
Budino di Riso (Italian) with raisins and orange peel
Milchreis (German) with cinnamon or cherries
Mliena ryža (Slovak)
Orez cu lapte (Romanian) with milk and cinnamon
Risengrød (Danish) with milk and cinnamon
Risalamande (Danish, after French: Riz à l'amande) with whipped cream, vanilla, and almonds, often served with cherry sauce
Ryzogalo (Greek) with milk and cinnamon
Riskrem (Norwegian)
Risengrynsgrøt (Norwegian)
Risgrynsgröt (Swedish)
Rijstebrij (Dutch)
Riža na mlijeku (Croatian)
Sutlijaš (Bosnian)
Sytlijash (Albanian)
Teurgoule (Normandy)
Oriz na vareniku (Montenegrin)
Tejberizs (Hungarian) with milk, cinnamon or cocoa powder

Latin America

Arroz con leche (Latin American) varied preparation
Arroz con dulce (Puerto Rican) with coconut milk

That reminds me - I tasted an amazing rice pudding in Istanbul, suppled to me by one of my students named Ramiz. Here's a photo I took of it, and below is the slightly rough recipe given to me by another Turkish friend.

Turkish Rice Pudding (Sütlaç)

6 cups of milk
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup short grain rice
1 tablespoon of rice flour or corn starch
3 - 4 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Wash and drain the rice. Bring 3 cups of water to boil and add rice to water. When rice is cooked, drain it. Place rice and milk on heat. When mixture begins to boil, add sugar and stir occasionally, then turn the heat down. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Make a paste of the rice flour with a little amount of water and stir into milk mixture and continue stirring. Simmer some more. Turn off heat and add vanilla extract. Pour pudding in individual containers, and bake until brown on top. Serve warm or hot, or let cool.

Some more rice pudding information....

Today (for my Australian readers, anyway) is the birthday of Lord Balarama, the eternally youthful brother of Lord Krishna. This evening I'm attending the Hare Krishna festivities here in Sydney. Last year at this time I was in Perth, and the year before Johannesburg, South Africa. My, how time flies.

In sacred Vedic theology, it is described how Lord Balarama is the first personal bodily expansion of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All other incarnations expand from Him. In Lord Krishna's earthly pastimes, He plays as Krishna's older brother.

Together Krishna and Balarama enact many pastimes as cowherd boys in the land of Vrindavana. Lord Balarama carries a plow and club and is known for His great strength. Whereas Krishna is blue, Balarama is white. I spent a week in the earthly Vrindavana, apparently situated in Uttar Pradesh state, India, at the end of last year.

Lord Balarama is the bestower of spiritual strength, an essential and special blessing needed for us to be successful on the long and sometimes rocky road that is spiritual life. It is especially auspicious to invoke Lord Balarama's generous benedictions on this day.

It is described:

"Powerful Lord Balarama is sixteen years old, full of the luster of youth and has a fair complexion the color of crystal. He wears blue garments and a garland of forest flowers. His handsome hair is tied in a graceful topknot. Splendid earrings adorn His ears and His neck is splendidly decorated with garlands of flowers and strings of jewels. Splendid armlets and bracelets ornament Douji's graceful and very strong arms and His feet are decorated with splendid jeweled anklets.

Lord Balarama's beauty is enhanced by the earrings touching His cheeks. His face is decorated with tilaka made from musk, and His broad chest is ornamented with a garland of gunja. Balarama’s voice is very grave and His arms are very long, touching His thighs.

The splendour of Lord Balarama's transcendental form eclipses many millions of glistening rising moons, and the slightest scent of His boundless strength is sufficient to destroy many armies of demons. Although He knows the supernatural power of His younger brother, Krishna, still, out of love for Him, He never leaves Krishna alone in the forest even for a moment. Balarama is Sri Krishna's dearest friend and is a great reservoir of the nectar mellows of many kinds of transcendental pastimes."

I like the phrase 'The splendour of Lord Balarama's transcendental form eclipses many millions of glistening rising moons'. It's a nice meditation, especially since today, as well as it being the purnima (full moon) there is a partial lunar eclipse.

That's quite remarkable as there was a total lunar eclipse on Balarama's Birthday last year.

Most of Eastern Europe and Africa, and a large portion of Western and Central Asia and India, will see the entire eclipse. South America, Eastern Asia and Australia will observe part of the event.

This partial eclipse is the second of the two lunar eclipses in 2008, with the first being the total eclipse that fell on February 20, 2008. The next lunar eclipse will be a penumbral eclipse occurring on February 9, 2009, while the next total lunar eclipse will occur on December 21, 2010.

Technically the eclipse falls on the 17th very early morning, and will be visible in Sydney at 4.25am. According to the Vedic Lunar Calendar, this is still Baladeva Purnima since the days are calculated as starting and ending at sunrise, not midnight.

seeds in this photo may appear larger than they actually are

Martha from Benalla, Victoria, Australia asks:

Hello Kurma, can you tell me something about fenugreek. I've never used it.

My reply:

An erect annual herb of the bean family, indigenous to western Asia and south-eastern Europe, Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is cultivated for its seeds, which, although legumes, are used as a spice.

The seeds are small, hard, yellowish-brown, smooth and oblong, about 3mm (1/8th inch) with a deep furrow across one corner. Fenugreek has a warm, slightly bitter taste, reminiscent of burnt sugar and maple.

The seeds are used in Greece and Egypt and especially India, where they are lightly dry-roasted or fried to extract their characteristic flavour. One should note, however, that over-roasting or over-frying fenugreek results in an excessive bitter taste.

Whn soaked overnight the seed coat beomes soft and jelly-like, and in this state it is one of the chief ingredients of a paste of bitter herbs called halba or hilbe, popular with people of middle-eastern origin.

The leaves of the fenugreek plant are also popular in Indian cuisine. Known as methi, they are used in vegetable dishes, breads and savories. Easily home-grown, fresh young fenugreek leaves are wonderful in salads, dressed with oil and lemon.

The young plants are used as a vegetable, being harvested when they are about 20cm (8 inches) high and tied in bundles like mint or parsley. Fenugreek can be sprouted, and the sprouts lend a pungent favour to salads.

Fenugreek is famous as an ancient medicinal herb. American Indian women took the soaked seeds after childbirth to expedite healing. It was also renowned as a useful cure for constipation, as a powerful expectorant, and is today used in Europe as an herbal infusion to break up respiratory congestion.

The seeds are a carminative (they relieve flatulence), and they are a useful treatment for diabetes.

Modern research shows that fenugreek seeds lowers blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Externally, the seeds are useful as a poultice for abscesses, boils and carbuncles. It is also great as a cure for dandruff - soak some seeds in water overnight, grind up into a paste, apply in the scalp and hair, and rinse. You will be dandruff free, although you will smell a little of curry! A small price to pay...

Fenugreek seeds are available at Indian or Middle Eastern grocers. The fresh leaves (if you are shopping outside India), can occasionally be found in markets or can be home-grown.

Well I got your attention didn't I?

More on Chapatis

Radha Priya Devi from USA asks: "Is there some secret to making nice, soft chapatis, which can be easily torn with one hand on a regular basis?"

My Reply:

Well to start with, I am not an expert chapati-maker because I don't cook them often. Poories - yes; chapatis, well they are much harder to regulate.

All these factors should be taken into consideration:

* Using the right flour and the same flour each time: The flour must be first-class atta, imported from India or a pukka local brand.

* You must use the right amount of water in the dough, and the water temperature must be correct.

* You must utilise correct kneading procedures and knead for the correct duration.

* Resting time and place for the dough must be considered.

* You must execute the correct technique in rolling. This includes optimum thickness of the discs, using the same pin each time, knowing how much flour to dredge them in and then pat off before griddle-baking.

* Regulating the baking on the griddle: correct heat under the pan, same pan each time, time baked on each side, and the proper utensil to turn the chapati and then hold the chapati over the flame, duration on the flame.

* Finally, puffing all the air out of the chapati and correct stacking and serving.

There's a lot to consider here, and in the real world, perfect conditions do not always take place. So the chapati police won't be knocking on your door if your chapatis are less than perfect.

Oh, by the way:

I've had a lot of nice feedback about that amazing puffed chapati. Just letting you know that I didn't take the photo.

It belongs to Manisha. Visit her blog.

Some more great breads, with recipes and step-by-step photos.

Sudakaran Sangaran from Malaysia asks:

"The Beijing Olympics have started with such a grand opening promising much faster, higher and further achievements in the sporting arena. We all know that diet plays a critical role in the performance of these Olympians. Eating right for these sporting stars equals to success in their respective fields. How relevant is vegetarianism to the modern day Olympian? Many still harbour the misconception that a vegetarian diet will only weaken atheletic prowess. Hope you can share some interesting information on this. We can only ask this question once in 4 years!

Carl Lewis, vegan athlete and winner of 9 Olympic Gold Medals

My reply:

Hello Suda. It's a myth that muscles, strength and endurance require the consumption of large quantities of animal-based foods. This myth began before anyone even talked about protein. During the Olympics, it's a good time to take a look at some amazing athletes who are champions and vegetarians:

Charlene Wong is a champion figure skater who represented Canada in the 1988 Calgary Olympics. She began competing at the age of 6 and in 1980 was named to the Canadian Team and represented Canada in the Junior World Championships. She was highlighted in The Vegetarian Sports Nutrition Guide by Lisa Dorfman.

Paavo Nurmi, a Finnish runner, was a vegetarian since the age of 12. He is often considered the greatest track and field athlete of all time. A long-distance runner, he competed in the 1920, 1924 and 1928 Olympics, winning 12 Olympic medals.

Chris Campbell, wrestler, trained for the 1980 Olympics but did not compete as the American team boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics. At age 37, he began training again and secured a place on the US team, winning a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics, becoming the oldest American to medal in Olympic wrestling. He says, "I take care of my body. I don't eat meat, and I do yoga every day. It makes a difference."

Carl Lewis, vegan athlete, won 10 Olympic medals, including 9 golds, in a career that spanned from 1979 to 1996, competing for the US. He said, "most athletes have the worst diet in the world, and they compete in spite of it."

Surya Bonaly, professional figure skater, represented France in the Olympics of 1992, 1994, and 1998. She is also now a US citizen. A vegetarian, she has appeared in PETA ads protesting Canada's baby seal hunt and English and French fur trade.

Debbie Lawrence, vegetarian racewalker, has been a three-time Olympian (1992, 1996, and 2000) and is the world record holder for the women's 5K racewalk event. She attributes her success to hard work and a vegetarian diet.

Murray Rose, a vegetarian since birth, has six Olympic medals. He was born in 1939 in Nairn, Scotland, but he moved to Australia with his family at an early age. He was an Olympic champion at age seventeen. He was known for his vegetarianism during his career, earning him the nickname, "The Seaweed Streak." He competed in the Olympics from 1956 through 1960, winning six medals.

Al Oerter, discus thrower, won four Olympic gold medals for the US - in 1956, 1960, 1964. He was also an abstract painter.

Edwin Moses, hurdler for the US, is a gold medalist who went eight years without losing the 400-metre hurdle. Over his career, he won two Olympic gold medals. After retirement from track, he in completed in a 1990 World Cup bobsled race in Germany and won the two-man bronze medal with US Olympian Brian Shimer. Edwin Moses is a vegetarian.

Leroy Burrell, sprinter, twice set the world record for the 100 metre sprint. He won a gold medal for the US in 1992 in Barcelona. He is a vegetarian.

As stated in "Vegetarian Diets" by the International Center for Sports Nutrition, Olympic Coach Magazine, Winter 1997:

"If care is taken to include a wide variety of foods, vegetarian diets can be nutritionally adequate to support athletic performance."

"Whether an individual is a recreational or world-class athlete, being a vegetarian does not diminish natural talent or athletic performance. As far back as the Ancient Games, Greek athletes trained on vegetarian diets and displayed amazing ability in competitive athletics."

Looking at these 10 vegetarian Olympic athletes, it's clear that the need to eat meat to be strong and a champion is a myth. A whole foods, plant-based diet will give an athlete all the excellent nutrition he or she needs to be a winner.

Prince Charles warns GM crops risk causing the biggest-ever environmental disaster
By Jeff Randall August 12

The mass development of genetically modified crops risks causing the world's worst environmental disaster, The Prince of Wales has warned.

In his most outspoken intervention on the issue of GM food, the Prince said that multi-national companies were conducting an experiment with nature which had gone "seriously wrong".

The Prince, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Telegraph, also expressed the fear that ... read more ...