tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post8038830776327974327..comments2024-03-11T22:00:04.309-07:00Comments on Life and Spirituality : You are what you eat, and drink Ashok http://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-84161382109449841842010-08-27T07:04:14.017-07:002010-08-27T07:04:14.017-07:00I’m so glad you enjoy it Ashok. Yes, the aroma is ...I’m so glad you enjoy it Ashok. Yes, the aroma is wonderful and the added health benefits are a plus. I haven’t been to look for Marmite yet. But at least I know it’s there now :)Rebbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08117210892683574784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-57478262467311592532010-08-26T09:19:33.516-07:002010-08-26T09:19:33.516-07:00Rebb,
Thanks for suggestion about cinnamon in tea...Rebb,<br /><br />Thanks for suggestion about cinnamon in tea. It adds a wonderful aroma and taste and many health benifits too. I intend to use cinnamon in tea on a regular basis now. Ashok https://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-84785736725446039422010-08-19T20:13:33.628-07:002010-08-19T20:13:33.628-07:00Rebb,
Marmite is much more popular in UK and Aust...Rebb,<br /><br />Marmite is much more popular in UK and Australia than in US or Canada. However I have found it stacked in ordinary supermarkets in Canada quite frequently. I am quite certain it will be easily available in your area. The first time one tries it one may not like it immensely because it has a strong taste. It should be used very sparingly at first. After a few times one gets hooked to the taste. It dissolves in boiling water and can be used to flavor soups instead of a Chicken cube. All in all it is healthy because it is rich in B vitains. Ashok https://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-35326734184092795812010-08-19T08:42:23.018-07:002010-08-19T08:42:23.018-07:00Ashok, I don’t think I’ve tried cheese on toast, e...Ashok, I don’t think I’ve tried cheese on toast, except for grilled cheese sandwiches. I have not heard of marmite (vegemite). I looked online and it sounds interesting. I’m going to see if the local specialty food store has it. Thanks for the suggestion.<br /><br />And, yes I agree, it is the simple gifts of nature or of thoroughly enjoying a meal that are the best. We are lucky children of Mother Earth. :)Rebbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08117210892683574784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-639060245382613372010-08-19T05:09:43.841-07:002010-08-19T05:09:43.841-07:00Rebb, It only takes a minute or so to powder the c...Rebb, It only takes a minute or so to powder the cinnamon in a grinder we use for grinding other spices. thanks for the suggestion. Warm buttered toast is my usual snack and this is one more variation when in a sweet mood. Otherwise, I sometimes add a bit of cheese or marmite( vegamite) that has a nice savoury flavor to the buttered toast. Have you tried it? Ashok https://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-59720821531727117862010-08-18T08:45:38.328-07:002010-08-18T08:45:38.328-07:00One more thing I meant to say about cinnamon is if...One more thing I meant to say about cinnamon is if you have the powdered variety, cinnamon toast is wonderful! Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon, to your liking, over warm buttered toast and it melts in your mouth. Mmmm.Rebbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08117210892683574784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-73450916068025108342010-08-11T19:17:22.325-07:002010-08-11T19:17:22.325-07:00Fried Okra is delicious and that is about the only...Fried Okra is delicious and that is about the only way we have it here. Otherwise it has a not so nice sticky feel.<br /><br />Yes I like fish shallow fried as well. Actually fish is nice in so many different ways and hardly requires any spicing. Just a bit of salt and some lemon juice makes any fish great. However, my favorite does remain the deep fried,crisp batter covered English style fish served with tartar sauce and cole slaw for salad. and dried smoked salmon is a very fine snack with wine instead of cheese (also very expensive unless the smoking has been done at home)<br /><br />Some of the nicest things of life is to listen to the song of birds first thing in the morning, admire trees and flowers over a cup of tea or coffee and later in the day to have at least one very special meal that one enjoys thoroughly. These are some of the most beautiful things given by Mother Earth to her children. Ashok https://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-27372529412906468712010-08-11T08:43:21.167-07:002010-08-11T08:43:21.167-07:00Keiko, I’m glad you found the comments. Some store...Keiko, I’m glad you found the comments. Some stores sell a Mexican hot chocolate, sold in solid disks that you have to break off and melt in milk. I think it’s basically coco, sugar, and cinnamon. It is so good and rich. The brand is Ibarra. It’s in a bright yellow and red box.<br /><br />About the sushi rice. Yes, we’re all full of surprises. I realize that in the real sushi world many many years of training goes into learning proper techniques from watching programs on TV. It was my humble attempt to also please. Wow, I bet your plum wine was delicious. If I ever make miso soup again, I will definitely try adding a whole package of bonito flakes. Thank you for your tips!<br /><br />That salad does sound very delicious. It reminds me of another salad, and as Ashok mentioned about variations, the one I’m thinking of has finely chopped broccoli and raisins. It’s a good way to eat raw broccoli. I will look for the recipe and post it if I find it. It is quite simple and similar.Rebbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08117210892683574784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-25481813612178441432010-08-11T08:29:15.472-07:002010-08-11T08:29:15.472-07:00Ashok, You remind me of a cookbook I bought some t...Ashok, You remind me of a cookbook I bought some time ago. It’s called “5 spices, 50 dishes: Simple Indian recipes using five common spices” by Ruta Kahate. I didn’t get too far in the book. I did prepare her recipe called “New bride chicken curry,” which I enjoyed very much; sweet potatoes with ginger and lemon, which was a nice sweet and tangy combination; and I was thrilled to discover a new way to prepare okra with her “Crispy okra raita” recipe. I would have never thought to fry okra, as I only knew of it used as a thickener for gumbo. I once made a type of ratatouille and topped the individual bowls with fried okra. How divine! <br /><br />Yes, Japanese food is fascinating. Again—the arts—it’s not only delicious and nourishing, but most lovely to look at.<br /><br />I see you enjoy your share of fried foods too. Surprisingly I prefer fish fried directly in a little bit of oil, rather than deep fried, like fish and chips. I do enjoy a good platter of fish and chips, but it’s not easy to find good recipes in restaurants around here and usually the servings are too large for me. I love anything potato and mashed potatoes and gravy is a big comfort for me. I could eat gravy by the spoonfuls. I enjoy salmon fillets sprinkled with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and dry dill. Then fried in a little bit of oil at medium high heat, allowing the skin to crisp. Well cooked salmon skin is delicious. <br /><br />It sounds like you eat nice, healthy lunches. I like lentil bean soup. I have trouble eating yogurt. My first meal seems to be 2 to 4 cups of coffee and when I’m out the door, I may stop for either two hash browns at McDonalds with either coffee or orange juice; or I will stop at the bakery for a late and a chocolate chip cookie. If I’m really hungry, I’ll get a McDonalds breakfast sandwich meal.Rebbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08117210892683574784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-40242601030000664422010-08-10T18:08:50.455-07:002010-08-10T18:08:50.455-07:00Keiko,
That Salad sounds wonderful. Very traditio...Keiko,<br /><br />That Salad sounds wonderful. Very traditional, with just the right ingredients and with the finest leafy vegetables, lettuce, cabbage and spiced with cilantro, onions. Sounds yummy indeed and simple to create as well.<br /><br />As you pointed out the trick of the salad will be in the cabbage, having the right kind, choosing the right inner leaves and having it chopped nice and fine.<br /><br />Perhaps variations of this salad could be by adding some or all of grated carrot, baby spinach leaves, sliced button mushrooms and adding some sliced almonds or pine nuts instead of sunflower seeds. Ashok https://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-12093241866731772902010-08-10T09:00:42.886-07:002010-08-10T09:00:42.886-07:00Ashok,
It's interesting. Maybe, it's a c...Ashok,<br /><br />It's interesting. Maybe, it's a coincident, but a German friend of mine made the wonderful salad and we went to a concert in the park. The last time we were there, we stayed until the concert was over, but this time, she wanted to go home early. It was getting cold, so that worked out. Now I think about it, maybe she became sleepy. The salad was made of iceberg lettuce, cabbage, a bit of onion and ciantro, sprinkeled with sunflower seeds and a few other nuts, raisin and dried cherry. The dressing was like that of Chinese chicken salad, but she used olive oil, a bit of sesami oil, rice vinegar, and I think she added a little sugar, too, plus salt and pepper. I think the trick to this delicious salad was very finely chopped white part of cabbage. It was crunchy and sweet. As far as I saw the ingredients, there were no leafy part of cabbage. And the yellow part of iceberg lettuce was soft and crunchy at the same time. They were all cut into bitesize, so it was easy to eat. Often, restaurants serve in the sizes too big to bite.keiko amanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10009453048859594709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-60387082778175614752010-08-10T06:01:28.092-07:002010-08-10T06:01:28.092-07:00Just to add I started the post by saying that ever...Just to add I started the post by saying that every food has some effect on our behaviour, for example some documented effects are - lettuce causes sleepiness and was consumed by ancient people after dinner. Peas in very small quantities can relieve excitement but in larger quantities can cause depression. Ashok https://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-69536687334906638072010-08-10T05:58:33.893-07:002010-08-10T05:58:33.893-07:00Cos lettuce is the most common form of lettuce in ...Cos lettuce is the most common form of lettuce in turkey, northern Iraq and Syria, and I think in Greece and Rome as well. Instead of a round head it is a bit elongated. Its inner leaves are as crisp as iceberg lettuce but they have a sweeter and less leafy taste. Quite delicious actually. I think it is one of the more original forms of lettuce that was consumed in ancient times in areas where it grew. Ashok https://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-74189851754242404392010-08-10T00:04:25.406-07:002010-08-10T00:04:25.406-07:00Ashok,
I've never heard of cos lettuce.
About...Ashok,<br /><br />I've never heard of cos lettuce.<br />About the salad, I was surprised how good it was. I don't know if I can get all the ingredients right away because I have to walk. But I'll let you know when I make it.keiko amanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10009453048859594709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-54448180144315902012010-08-09T23:11:29.709-07:002010-08-09T23:11:29.709-07:00Keiko,
Will look froward to your Salad recipe.
I...Keiko,<br /><br />Will look froward to your Salad recipe.<br /><br />Is cos lettuce available where you live? It makes a very nice lettuce otherwise iceberg leetuce is neat too but i prefer that in sandwiches to salad.<br /><br />Mayonaise (sp?) especially freshly made at home is a dressing I like a lot with any salad and even fried fish. I think it is healthy too with its mix of healthy things like eggs, olive oil and vinegar Ashok https://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-43462384402278404312010-08-09T23:01:15.130-07:002010-08-09T23:01:15.130-07:00Ashok,
I had dinner, but your comments made me hu...Ashok,<br /><br />I had dinner, but your comments made me hungry. Tomorrow, I have to go to a market and buy lentil and cinnamon and a few other things. Also, yesterday, I had a great salad, so I want to make it. If it turns out great, I’ll let you know. <br /><br />I also like good fish and chips. But, around here, there is no such restaurant, and fish and chips or tempura need a lot of oil, so I don’t cook them. About breakfast, it’s my ritual everyday to have oatmeal, banana, and milk with coffee. That’s my happiness. Also, I love lentil soup. Recently, I found one restaurant near my house that served good lentil soup. And to my surprise, their bread is good.keiko amanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10009453048859594709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-61472325857662800312010-08-09T23:00:47.744-07:002010-08-09T23:00:47.744-07:00Rebb,
I love cinnamon tea, and I add cinnamon pow...Rebb,<br /><br />I love cinnamon tea, and I add cinnamon powder to my coffee in café. I learned it from a Mexican restaurant here. <br /><br />About preparing sushi rice, I’m surprised that you have tried it. Yes, it’s a lot of work when you do it from scratch. It’s labor intensive. I used to blow air using a large fan in my hand while my mother mixed rice with rice vinegar and mirin (sweet sake). But when I make it in the U.S., I use a package already prepared for it. It’s a granular type, so it’s easy. Oh, plum wine. I made that once. I think I added crystallized sugar to Japanese green plums and leave it for a year or so. I had a tree in Japan, but I gave the wine away before I tasted it. Now, you reminded me of my missed opportunity. I rented the house and couldn’t carry such a large and heavy bottle back to the U.S. <br /><br />About miso soup, making the soup base with bonito flakes and a piece of konbu is the best way to do it. I have to confess that I recently bought a bottle of already prepared soup base. Anyway, to make a good base soup, it takes a lot of bonito flakes. My okinawan friend said her family put a whole big package of bonito flakes into a pot. No wonder it tastes good. Anyway, once you have a good soup base, and it has boiled, then you can add miso paste. The amount of miso should be about one thumb worth for one small cup. Once you add miso, shut off the stove immediately. Miso soup should not be kept boiling. Miso soup that boiled after adding miso would not taste good.keiko amanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10009453048859594709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-11640659412451982112010-08-09T23:00:14.987-07:002010-08-09T23:00:14.987-07:00Ashok and Rebb,
Oh, my goodness. I was missing a...Ashok and Rebb,<br /><br />Oh, my goodness. I was missing all these comments. I don’t know why I no longer receive notification from your blogs.keiko amanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10009453048859594709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-18013744434588763632010-08-09T21:16:20.479-07:002010-08-09T21:16:20.479-07:00The food I mentioned in the last comment was the d...The food I mentioned in the last comment was the dinner. My lunch is now invariabaly steamed rice, lentil bean soup, yogurt and a seasonal salad.<br /><br />The first meal of the day is invariabaly an egg, toast with butter and a cup of coffee.<br /><br />Besides the three meals here I have some cups of tea soon after getting up and in the late afternoon usually I avoid snacks but if I really feel like it the favorite snack is simply a buttered toast. Ashok https://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-64964797270914882782010-08-09T21:11:30.609-07:002010-08-09T21:11:30.609-07:00Rebb just to add, my favorite food, after trying a...Rebb just to add, my favorite food, after trying all sorts from all over the world though is Just a fish fillet fried in the way it is done in English fish and chips or some stir fried button mushrooms along with some potatoes as chips (which I avoid now to avoid the fat) or as mashed potatoes or roast along with some sauce or gravy and some steamed or stir fried fried vegetables, and when very hungry along with a buttered dinner roll or two. As a change though I love pasta italian with a rich tomato sauce or a dish of Macroni and Cheese spiced with some garlic. Another variation I like from time to time is soup and noodles or soup and sandwich. Ashok https://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-12119277311008232002010-08-09T21:05:13.018-07:002010-08-09T21:05:13.018-07:00Rebb, thanks for enriching this post with your inf...Rebb, thanks for enriching this post with your informative comments. Your cinnamon suggestion sounds great and I am going to try it. We have cinnamon sticks siting around the kitchen shelf at all times but It never occured to me to use it in tea. I have tried a lot of other herbs and flowers in tea though, from time to time and we usually add basil regularly. Adding cardamomm to good tea is common in India.<br /><br />Japanese food is fascinating especially the way it is presented with delicacy and beauty although I have not had very many occassions to eat it. I like Japanese tempura a lot. Ashok https://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-31652875870386457862010-08-08T08:32:43.847-07:002010-08-08T08:32:43.847-07:00Keiko, I also like Plum wine, which I would order ...Keiko, I also like Plum wine, which I would order with my meal in the Japanese restaurant. My significant other and I enjoyed eating Japanese food—it was one of our favorite cuisines—I learned how to make sushi and would do just what you say to prepare the rice and we loved it. Of course after that, I would add the vinegar, sugar, and dash of salt mixture and gently cut through the rice and let it sit. I stopped making Sushi and rolls after a few months of doing it, however, because it’s a lot of work. I would also make miso soup and used bonito flakes and konbu to prepare the water before adding miso paste. I could never get the miso to taste the way it did in the restaurants we loved. I even tried different types, but it wasn’t the same, but still good.Rebbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08117210892683574784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-31391870660378053952010-08-08T08:25:57.495-07:002010-08-08T08:25:57.495-07:00A very informative blog, Ashok, as well as the add...A very informative blog, Ashok, as well as the additional comments. It makes my mind/memory go in many directions.<br /><br />I grew up mostly eating my grandmother’s Mexican cooking, which always included beans, rice, vegetables that she cooked in chicken stock, and some form of meat or other tasty Mexican entrée. I grew found of the taste of vinegar and till this day, I relish in the flavor of it. I add red wine vinegar to my top ramen soup and in restaurants, if the salad dressing is a vinegar based one, I will drink up that which sits at the bottom of the bowl. The only potentially bad thing about the Mexican diet is the use of lard, but it adds such a nice flavor to the foods cooked with it. My grandmother would have me say a prayer in Spanish before every meal. Because of that experience, and my long interest in Buddhism, mostly by the readings of Thich Nhat Hanh, in combination this could be why when I eat food prepared (not processed—which unfortunately, I eat a lot of now, but I’m working on it along with my clutter), I approach food like it was something special. I usually smell before I put in my mouth and when I’m feeling especially mindful, I imagine where it came from (thanks to Thich Nhat Hanh) the hands it went through and the whole journey to end up before me.<br /><br />I’ve read also the benefits of Cinnamon and my grandmother always had a fresh pot of Cinnamon tea that she made from the sticks of cinnamon, which we refer to in Spanish as Canela. I would drink that with my meals. I recently bought some sticks, but they are still sitting in their package.<br /><br />It is wise, as you say, for each individual to see how they react to different foods that they introduce into their diet. And everything in moderation.Rebbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08117210892683574784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-44951649378421946942010-08-05T22:45:30.104-07:002010-08-05T22:45:30.104-07:00Thanks Vincent,
I did try to email through hotmai...Thanks Vincent,<br /><br />I did try to email through hotmail but an error message came that it should be com not co at the end. I shall try another time but after reading on the reference you have quoted. Thanks a million once again. I shall get back to you with progress as and when. In the meantime I have added another post of a spiritual sort. Ashok https://www.blogger.com/profile/13678997673056672234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292614577950697575.post-68354442519311193482010-08-05T21:29:14.908-07:002010-08-05T21:29:14.908-07:00Ashok, it was my email address, not a website. I g...Ashok, it was my email address, not a website. I gave it in that form so as not to be picked up by programs that crawl through and gather email addresses for spamming purposes.<br /><br />It is important to distinguish tiredness from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) which is also known as ME (myalgic encephalitis).<br /><br />CFS is not about being tired, but has a range of symptoms. You can look it up on the web. What may have cured me, and certainly gave me some ideas about life, was <a href="http://www.mickeltherapy.com/information.html" rel="nofollow">Mickel therapy</a>. <br /><br />I say it <i>may</i> have cured me because in fact my cure happened instantaneously during the first session, which it isn't supposed to do! I discovered all the hard work when I had trained to be a therapist and saw how hard it was to get through to patients - even though in my case it was so easy.<br /><br />Whether your own fatigue is connected with CFS is something you may be able to determine by reading up on the subject. You could start with the Mickel site but I am out of touch with it now and would not give it 100% endorsement.Vincenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18297306807695767580noreply@blogger.com