Serves: 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

5 medium zucchinis, halved lengthwise
3 T butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 t dried oregano leaves, crushed
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Scoop out pulp from 8 zucchini halves; set aside. Arrange zucchini halves on baking sheet. Meanwhile, coarsely chop remaining zucchini and pulp.

Melt butter in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook chopped zucchini and onion, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.

Add red pepper, garlic and oregano. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute; cool slightly. Evenly spoon vegetable mixture into zucchini halves.

Top with cheese.

Bake 30 minutes or until tender.

I don’t think I have ever cooked with barley before. Barley is….very chewy. Not sure if I love it or not. Anywho, this soup was ok. I didn’t love it. I told Toby it didn’t knock my socks off. I used matchstick carrots instead of rounds, and I used vegetarian “chicken” broth.  With this we had a salad and some bread. Eh.

rating: 5
Quick Mushroom-Barley Soup
(from www.allyou.com)

Rice with seasonings

Scrambled egg

Shrimp

Sausage

Eggplant

Fried potato

Shiitake nimono

Shrimp : peel shell off, heat the skillet and add olive oil with shrimp. add salt, pepper and Basil

Eggplant : heat the skillet, add oil and eggplant. when it is cooked, add Japanese soy sauce with sugar, sake

Fried potato : this slice potato and boil, heat the skillet and add olive oil, boiled potato, fry it for a while and add oregano, salt, pepper and garlic powder

Shiitake nimono : boil Katsuo-dashi and Japanese soy sauce, put shiitake in it

This is Today’s Obento!

Agradezco a nuestra amiga y lectora María por compartir con nosotros el siguiente remedio.  Gracias por tu amabilidad, no sólo al leernos, sino también al compartir y rescatar la sabiduría de nuestra madre tierra.    Gracias, María!  Cuando compartimos multiplicamos las bendiciones nuestras y la de los demás.  Los invito a todos a colaborar con nuevos remedios o con sus experiencias a través de los comentarios.

El remedio:

Para calmar la tos, haga un te de orégano, recuerde que es muy amargo, por lo cual deberá de poner a hervir agua, ya cuando este hirviendo quitarla del fuego y agregar un poco de orégano seco al agua, (si la deja hervir amarga) dejar reposar un rato hasta que tome color, colarla y agregar limon y miel de abeja.

Verá que descansa de la tos.

En Madrid ya es Navidad, y no precisamente porque Freixenet o El Corte Ingles nos lo anuncien a los cuatro vientos en TV, radio o prensa. No es Navidad porque nieve o haga frío -en Madrid no bajamos de los 15ºC a 23 de Noviembre, ¡qué locura!. No es Navidad tampoco porque los supermercados estén repletos de Panetones, pavos o turrones. Simplemente se que es Navidad porque Madrid es un Caos, atascos, empujones, pero sobretodo porque Gallardón se empeña cada año en traernos antes a Papa Nöel y a los Reyes Magos y ya tiene a medio Madrid -eso si la parte más transitada- llena de hombrecitos en escaleras colgando luces y decoraciones a diestro y siniestro para que se nos vea bien desde el espacio exterior.  Y es que uno aun estaba en vestido y bailarinas hace un par de semanas y ahora sino te tomas un Christmas coffe en el Starbucks como que no pegas… Pues para todos aquellos que quieren ser diferentes o incluso pasar del tradicional besugo a la sal o de estarse 3 horas en la cocina asando un pavo embutido en el horno les dedico esta receta, porque en el fondo la Navidad es algo más ¿o no?

                                             PECHUGAS DE POLLO AL ESTILO DE MI TÍA

INGREDIENTES

2 pechugas de pollo enteras -hermositas no es cuestión de pasar hambre-
3 dientes de ajo
1 bote de orégano
1 brick de leche -entera que a la pechuga el desnatado le sienta fatal-
C/S (para quien no lo sepa cantidad suficiente) harina
Aceite para freir
OPCIONAL: crema de acetto balsámico y parmesano en lascas

ELABORACIÓN

Pide en tu puesto habitual que te den 2 pechugas enteras -no separadas como te las venden habitualmente en las grandes superficies ya envasadas- y que les retiren simplemente el huesito central sin llegar a desunirlas.
Machaca en un mortero los ajos, pon un poco de sal en el fondo para evitar que se peguen. Unta con la mezcla las pechugas, recubre además con el orégano por todas partes, e introdúcelas en un tupper o recipiente con tapa hondo. Cubre el conjunto generosamente con leche, cierralas y deja reposar en la nevera de un día para otro.
Escurre la leche sin retirar los restos de ajo y orégano que se hayan quedado adheridos a la superficie del pollo. Enharina las pechugas.
Aparte pon a calentar bien la freidora o una sarten con abundante aceite -lo ideal sería que la pechuga estuviese cubierta por el aceite para que se haga más rápido.
Una vez el aceite esté caliente 175-190ºC en la freidora, introduce las pechugas de una en una -dado el tamaño-. Sino cubriese del todo el aceite la pechuga dales la vuelta a media cocción. Una pechuga deberá estar más o menos unos 7-10 min friéndose, cuanto más grande mayor deberá ser el tiempo de cocción. Escurre la pechuga en papel absorbente. Deja reposar un par de minutos y envuelvela en papel de cocina por completo. Introducela en un tupper y cierralo, déjala “sudar”, al menos unas 2h, en la nevera. Quítales el papel de cocina y filetea la pechuga en diagonal. Sirvelas sobre una tosta de pan con una lasca de parmesano y una lágrima de aceto como en la foto.

Haz de tu Navidad  algo diferente!

PD: Para todos aquellos que habeís reclamado las recetas os diré que hasta hoy no he tenido entre mis manos el teclado de un ordenador… Mañana cookies de chocolate y naranja

Don’t forget to enter my POM juice giveaway!

I have a very big collection of herbs and spices in my pantry. I adore herbs and spices, and I like playing around with different flavour combinations in dishes. But it seems that I always come back to the same ones, because for some reason I just can’t get enough of them: cinnamon, cumin, red pepper flakes, oregano, basil, and rosemary. Those are my standbys: if I feel that I need a little something extra to jazz up a dish, I’ll toss in one or a combination of the above, and voila! Problem solved.

When we tend to gravitate towards the same kinds of foods, it’s usually because that food contains something our body really needs. We can learn something about what might be missing from what we can’t seem to get enough of. In Chinese medicine, it has to do with warming/cooling foods and the effect that these things have on the body. I was curious about the health benefits from the spices that I mentioned above, and what that might mean about what my body is lacking and therefore requires from external sources. This is an overview of what I found:

Cinnamon:

- 1 tsp of cinnamon contains the same amount of antioxidants as 1 cup pomegranate juice or 1/2 cup blueberries

- Contains polyphenols, which act like insulin and thus regulate blood sugar levels (diabetics, rejoice!)

- Has anti-inflammatory properties to prevent blood clots

- Boosts metabolism and aids digestion

- Protects against fungi diseases and can help with the healing process when you have the flu

Cumin:

- Helps with digestion and insomnia

- Boosts immune system

- Detoxifies and prevents against cancer

- Improves health of skin and skin disorders

- Combats respiratory disorders

Red Pepper Flakes:

- Rich in antioxidants

- Increases satiety, making us feel full faster and thus helps to control our appetites

- Boosts metabolism

- Kills bacteria that causes stomach ulcers and stomach cancer

- Clears congestion

Oregano:

- 1 tsp of oregano contains as many antioxidants as 3 oz of almonds and 1/2 cup chopped asparagus; gram for gram, it is 4 times as potent as blueberries when it comes to antioxidants

- Inhibits bacteria and parasite growth

- Very good source of nutrients such as fibre and iron

- Ancient Greeks and Romans used oregano as a symbol for happiness (aww!)

- Excellent source of vitamin K

Basil:

- Excellent source of vitamin K (I find that oregano and basil often go very well together, so it makes sense that they would have a similar nutrition profile)

- Very good source of iron, calcium, and vitamin A

- Good source of magnesium and potassium

- Blocks an enzyme in the body that causes swelling, thus helping people who have arthritis

- Contains flavanoids which prevent cell structure from being damaged by radiation and oxygen

Rosemary:

- Stimulates the immune system and increases circulation

- Improves digestion

- Contains anti-inflammatory compounds that reduce the severity of asthma

- Increases blood flow to the brain, thus improving concentration

- Fresh rosemary has 25% more manganese than its dried counterpart, but it also has 40% less calcium and iron than when it’s dried, so it’s good to use both interchangeably to reap all of the benefits

The Universal Food Rating System is as follows:

Excellent Source: the food provides more than 75% of your recommended daily value of that nutrient per serving

Very Good Source: the food provides more than 50% of your recommended daily value of that nutrient per serving

Good Source: the food provides more than 25% of your recommended daily value of that nutrient per serving

Spices for Health

I find it really interesting that so many of these herbs and spices have the same kinds of health benefits. And all of them are things which I know that my body really does need help with. I found the notes about digestion and insomnia particularly interesting for myself, personally. I’m looking forward to bringing this up with my nutritionist to hear what she has to say about all of it. It could be that my body needs extra help with all of those antioxidants, too.

How about you? What herbs and spices do you find yourself using repeatedly? Do you think that it might be partly because your body needs the properties and nutrients contained within those herbs and spices?

The above information about herbs and spices can be found in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, World’s Healthiest Foods, and Organic Facts.

Book: Jamie’s Italy by Jamie Oliver Theme: citrus Recipe: Insalata di Strada

This post kicks off my participation in the week 1 of the Cookbook Challenge in this hot (and eventually rainy) week. First of all, allow me to ramble before I get to the crux of this recipe. I found it really hard to be doing citrus (such a winter theme) in one of the hottest Spring week in Melbourne history. And guess what? I have no one to blame but myself because it was I, who pulled the theme out of the envelope. D’oh.

So here I was, totally stuck with this theme. I’m definitely not giving in and bake orange and poppy seed cake (although I have wanted to do that, the sticking point would be I have no cookbook that has orange and poppy seed cake – actually maybe Stephanie’s Cook Companion, but I digress) because that would be too easy.

This recipe in itself was no picnic. It is, in essence, a winter salad. Its main ingredients proved difficult: Cedro lemon? Non-existent here. Fennel? Winter vegetable. Blood orange? Well, I’d be lucky to find them. But guess what? The market provided! I went through all the stalls in the market to find decent fennel (believe me when I keep saying it’s not fennel season), some new potatoes, a head of radicchio and some blood oranges.

So you may ask what the hell is a Cedro lemon? In this recipe, Jamie writes about this salad as being a common street food in Palermo in the south of Italy where they have this special lemon which is mainly pith that gets sliced thinly and tossed into the local mixed salad. Jamie cautioned against using normal lemon. So I figured as the dressing for this salad contained blood orange anyway, why not just use the blood orange pith in its place? Personally, I had never eaten a blood orange pith before so I sliced one open and nibbled at it. Guess what? It was perfect! Score one for adaptation!

So here’s how I did up this beautiful little salad. I have to say aside from substituting Cedro lemon with blood orange, I pretty much stuck to what Jamie said. But I am cowboy when it comes to following any instructions or measuring ingredients, so here was how I did my salad.

Makes up one really large bowl of salad which two hungry people ate for dinner:

The Dressing

1. 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
2. 1 tbsp of good grassy extra virgin olive oil
3. salt & pepper
4. 2 tbsp of jarred pickled caper, squeeze out of the pickling juice
5. 2 small pinches of dried oregano
6. juice from a blood orange, save the pith for the salad

Mix everything together. Taste and adjust accordingly.

* I have no dried oregano in the house but I do have plenty of fresh ones in the pot. So a few days ago, I just picked a sprig and hung it out to dry. I have to say, drying herbs is much harder than I thought when the weather isn’t with you on it. Notice how not very dried the oregano leaves are in the picture?

The Salad

1. 1 blood orange
2. 3 new potatoes (about the size of mandarin), scrubbed
3. 3 leaves of radicchio
4. 1 handful of rocket leaves
5. 1/2 bulb of baby fennel
6. 7-8 fresh mint leaves

Start by bringing a pot of salted water to boil and add the potatoes. Don’t peel them. Boil for 20 minutes or until tender. Slice the fennel thinly and reserve some of the feathery tops. Tear the radicchio into bite-sized pieces. Slice one blood orange thinly. Once the potato is cooked, cut them into bite-sized cube while they are still hot. Toss through some of the dressing. Tear up and toss in the mint. Add the fennel, radicchio and rocket. Add the rest of the dressing and get your fingers in there and mix them up.

(slightly wilted version, 10 minutes later)

The idea of this salad (I hope anyway) to get everything thoroughly mixed together and the leaves to wilt into the warm(ish) dressing. So let it sit there about 10 minutes for tucking in. I promise you, it’s one of the more interesting salads you can make at home. We had this one its own for dinner. Jamie reckons you can serve it with grilled fish. I wouldn’t bother – it’s so good on its own.

See also: what everyone else made on the Cookbook Challenge Week 1

A variety of spices, courtesy of Brittanica

The story of spices is a long and historic perspective on the world, cataloging centuries and centuries of trade and discovery. They’re essential to the art of cooking, and effectively changed the way recipes were prepared. In essence, spices changed cooking from a necessity to a hobby, no longer committing food to the bland, uninteresting and downright awful tastes of pre-Renaissance Europe.  

According to Charles Corn’s 1999 book Scents of Eden: At History of the Spice Trade, spice is a dried seed, root, bark, leaf, fruit or vegetative substance used to enhance the flavors of other foods.

The historic trade can be traced back to 2600 B.C.E when Egyptians fed Asian spices to slaves to “give them strength,” according to the Encyclopedia of Spices. The more commonly known spices, the dinner table must owns salt and pepper, were used in older cooking to cure meat and to well, make it tolerable. In modern times, salt and pepper have become an absolute norm for any kind of cooking in any culture. In fact, most chefs (such as the ever-popular Food Network icon Bobby Flay) suggest to use salt and pepper in every recipe.

Oregano, a staple herb in Italian cooking, originates in ancient Rome and Greece. The flavor has become a normal ingredient in Mediterranean recipes, like sauces and tomato-based tastes. It was also the winner for herb of the year in 2005 by the International Herb Association.  

Paprika

 Chili powder, a combination of dried hot peppers across the world (from South and Central America to the Middle East of Asia), is grounded pepper that has a large amount of capsaicin; what gives pepper their spicy taste. The look, a fine red powder, is often confused with paprika, which also originated in the Americas.

Paprika is often associated with Hungarian dishes, according to The Spice House. Hungarian soups and meals, such as  ”Pörkölts and paprikás,” use paprika as the central spice. Pörkölt is “is a ragout made from pork, beef or mutton or chicken with onions and paprika,” says Budapest Tourist Guide. The spice is much more popular in European dishes than in America, where it is often used in devilled eggs.

Although much sweeter than other typical spices, cinnamon is still considered a spice. Most often used for baking purposes, cinnamon can also be used to add variations in meat and sauce recipes. In Mexico, the spice is often added to chocolate, adding to the sweetness, and various liquor concoctions. All Recipes offers a nice recipe for Mexican chocolate cake, which contains the sweetness of cinnamon.

Garlic, with historical and modern perspectives in mind, may be the most popular spice of all time. Traced back some 6,000 years to Central Asia, garlic is used in most if not all cultures in their cooking and thousands and thousands of recipes. The spice is extremely popular in Italian cooking, such as garlic bread.

Garlic bread, for the miraculous few who may not know, is prepared as follows:

Garlic Bread

Ingredients -

(1) loaf of bread (a baguette); (1) tablespoon of minced garlic (in jar, or manually); (1) tablespoon of mixed herbs; (1) tablespoon of oregano; (1) tablespoon of margarine or butter.

• heat grill to medium or oven to 350 degrees.
• mix herbs, margarine (or butter), and oregano in a bowl to make garlic butter.
• Cut the bread in half or into thirds. Spread the garlic butter on the pieces. Cover surfaces well.
• Cook on grill butter side down. Or place in oven butter side up. Cook until bread is golden brown.
• Sprinkle oregano and herbs when done

The finished product goes well with almost all dinners as a complimentary side-dish.

Cumin, one of the more commonly used herb world-wide, is used primarily in Spanish, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and Indian dishes, like soups, chilis, and various chicken, beef, and porn recipes. According to Culinary Cafe, cumin has a “distinctive, slightly bitter yet warm flavor.” As a seasoning, cumin works very well with sautéed dishes of all varieties, but because of the potent bitterness of the seeds, cumin can tend to overwhelm the tastes if used too heavily.

Ginger is sold in various forms across the world, from the bulky root form to a fine powder. Primarily used in Asian dishes, ginger as a seasoning is often used as an additive to common sauces, dressings, cakes, drinks, etc. In American cuisine, ginger is most often recognized in ginger-enduced baking recipes, such as ginger snaps and gingerbread.

Outside of its culinary uses, ginger has been used throughout history for its medicinal purposes. According the University of Maryland Medical Center, ginger can ”help prevent or treat nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness, pregnancy, and cancer chemotherapy. It is also used as a digestive aid for mild stomach upset, as support in inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, and may even be used in heart disease or cancer.”

Thyme leaves

The herb thyme has over 100 different varieties, including several hybrids, but only common garden and lemon thyme are used in cooking. The plant offers a strong taste that is often used in soups, stews, and chicken dishes.

Used heavily in French cuisine, thyme as a herb is used often as a seasoning to various vegetables, like onions, potatoes, carrots, spinach, and other greens. In American cuisine, thyme is an additional herb to many sauces, marinades, and other blended flavors, like Cajun recipes like gumbo.

Hundreds and hundreds of more lesser-known spices are available almost everywhere. For the typical college student who wishes to up their cooking talents, know the uses and flavors of spices. Know them religiously, in fact. Spices, found in every grocery store, are usually extremely cheap (outside of Saffron), so not having at least pepper and salt is a bit demeaning to yourself.

For a different look at history of the spices we talked about, check out this time-line and map of where the flavors started from and how their popularity rose.: Here.

So I just saw that Vicks has pulled its nasal spray because of bacteria they found in the sprays. Bacteria?? Once again I am so very glad that by using essential oils I don’t have to worry about this because most essential oils are antimicrobial and antiseptic.

What is a sinus infection?

Most germs enter the body through the nose and throat. The inside of the nose is lined with a mucous membrane that is lined with large number of blood vessels.   Nasal congestion occurs when these blood vessels expand and cause the mucous membrane to become swollen. Expansion of these blood vessels can result from inflammation that accompanies a food-allergic reaction.

Natural Remedies

Below are some natural remedy suggestions that I have used, I have heard my friends use, and things I have read.

Netti Pot – I have several friends who swear by their neti pots.

Make your own saline spray/drops – Mix about 1/2 TBSP (un-iodized) salt in 1 cup of warm water. Use a bulb syringe (or reuse a well cleaned nasal mister) to suck up some of the mixture. Gently squeeze it into one nostril at a time. I do this several times until it runs out the other one. Repeat often. This cleans out the thick mucus and relieves the pressure. It also kills the infection.

Essential Oils

• Another way to relieve sinus congestion is by inhaling steam with essential oils added. Effective oils include: Eucalyptus, Lavender, Peppermint, White Fir, Thyme and Melaleuca. It is generally recommended to alternate the oils and steam frequently, 5 or 6 times a day. I find the easiest way to do this is use a small pan, fill 1/2 full with water. Add 4-6 drops of oil in when the water starts to simmer. DO NOT BOIL. Place a towel over your head and breath the steam. Of course be careful not to burn yourself and keep the towel away from the burner or flame.

• Place essential oils on your vita flex points. Your sinus points are on the bottom of your foot on the pads below your middle three toes. I find that eucalyptus and lemon work for my allergy related sinus issues.

• Diffuse essential oils. Have the diffuser follow you through out the house during the day and evening.

• Peppermint on the bottom of feet, forehead and back of neck can help cut fever associated with sinus infections. Blend peppermint and lavender to help with headaches – place on temples, forehead hairline, and back of neck.

• Boost your immune system with essential oils. Take Oregano and OnGuard internally 3 times a day for 5-7 days.

Nothing on this page has been approved by the FDA and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your Healthcare Professional.

Smeniä nautitaan lämpimän leivän kanssa ja sillä maustetaan couscous, joitakin tagineja, keittoja yms.

Kotona sitä kannattaa tehdä pieni määrä kerrallaan ja säilyttää suljetussa tölkissä n. 6 viikkoa, sen jälkeen se on käytettävä viikossa.

1/2 kg huoneenlämpöistä suolatonta voita

1 1/4 dl vettä

1 rkl merisuolaa

1 rkl kuivattua oregaanoa

Pehmitä voi kulhossa. Keitä suolalla ja oreganolla maustettua vettä hiukan kokoon ja siivilöi se suoraan voin päälle. Hämmennä voi puukauhalla hyvin hyvin nesteeseen ja jäähdytä seos.

Alusta voita käsin, niin että vesi sekoittuu siihen melkein kokonaan. Valuta ylimääräinen vesi pois, lusikoi voi kuumaan, steriloituun tölkkiin ja sulje tölkki ilmatiiviillä kannella. Säilytä viileässä ja kuivassa vähintään 6 viikkoa.

Tämä resepti otettu täältä.

• pasta
• 200 gram gerookte zalm *)
• 1 winterwortel
• ui
• 10 kerstomaatjes
• 100 gram diepvriesspinazie
• kappertjes
• olijfolie
• crème fraîche
• peper, zout en oregano

Schrap de winterwortel en snij ‘m in kleine, dunne stukjes. Snipper de ui.

Verhit de olijfolie in een pan met een dikke bodem. Laat de wortel en ui erin pruttelen tot het lekker begint te ruiken.

Snij de kerstomaten in kwarten en doe ze bij de wortel en ui. Laat pruttelen tot de tomaat zacht wordt.

Doe de diepvriesspinazie erbij en roer totdat de spinazie is ontdooid.

Kook de pasta beetgaar.

Roer de zalm en de crème fraîche door de groente. Proef en voeg zout, peper en oregano toe om op smaak te brengen.

Leg de saus op de pasta en strooi er wat kappertjes overheen. Snel opeten!

*) Koop zalm die verantwoord gevangen is. Je kunt dat zien aan het MSC-keurmerk op de verpakking.

Ingredientes

• 6 rodajas de calabaza sin semillas de 1cm de grosor
• queso Cabrales
• queso San Simón da Costa
• queso Afuega’l pitu roxu
• queso Cheddar madurado
• pimienta negra
• orégano seco
• aceite de oliva virgen extra – sal

Pasos:

1. Disponemos las rodajas de calabaza en una fuente aceitada de horno, pincelamos con aceite y espolvoreamos con un poco de orégano y pimienta negra.
2. Colocamos los quesos en cuatro zonas, de manera que cuando se fundan cubran toda la superficie.
3. Calentamos el horno a 220ºC, introducimos las pizzas y gratinamos durante cinco minutos. Servimos inmediatamente.

Vista en: delokos

Ingredientes:

• Manjericão seco
• 4 colheres (chá) de azeite
• 1 copo de iogurte desnatado
• 1 colher (sopa) de queijo ralado
• 10 biscoitos água e sal, triturados
• 4 filés de frango
• Orégano
• Sal

Modo de Preparar:

• Misture o orégano, o manjericão, o queijo ralado e a bolacha triturada, formando uma farofa para empanar.
• Reserve.
• Em uma travessa, coloque o iogurte desnatado.
• Passe os filés de frango, previamente temperados com sal, no iogurte e, em seguida, na farofa.
• Coloque os filés empanados em uma assadeira antiaderente e regue com azeite.
• Leve para assar em forno pré-aquecido, por cerca de 10 minutos, ou até que estejam dourados.
• Vire os filés para dourar do outro lado e sirva em seguida.

Fonte: http://www.programanovasideias.com.br

School lunches weren’t always awful. In fact, sometimes what they were serving in the lunchroom ended up being the highlight of the school day. I always loved “Chef Salad Day” because that was a larger than average meal, plus it was guaranteed we would get a good dessert to offset the healthiness of the salad. And “Chicken Finger Day” was good because they served the chicken with mashed potatoes which I used as dipping sauce. So good.

But of course, there was one legendary favorite lunch, which has become immortalized along with other fond memories of elementary school like Oregon Trail in the computer lab, or that miraculous loudspeaker announcement that we would be getting out of two hours of class because the local community college was promoting their newest play in the auditorium. I am referring to, of course, the always-satisfying “school lunch pizza”.

A simple 4×6 inch flat pizza consisting of a crust reminiscent of Saltine crackers, brushed with tangy red sauce consisting of one sole herb (oregano), and covered in magical government cheese. Of course, I would do my best to scrounge up enough spare change to afford an extra “slice” of rectangle pizza for a dollar.

Every once in a while, I would get lucky because the first 15 minutes of lunch went by and the girl sitting diagonally across from me still hadn’t touched her pizza (or had only taken a small bite out of the corner). At that point, I would softly and nonchalantly ask the famous question, “Do you want your pizza?”

The weird thing is, just recently I realized that our school lunch pizzas didn’t even have any toppings. No meat! How did I just now realize that? As a 9 year-old boy, I would completely devour Burger King’s Double Whopper Combo Meal. Yet I never realized that those pizzas were just dough, sauce, and cheese.

Ingredientes:

• Sal a gosto
• 2 colheres (sopa) de óleo
• 1/2 xícara (chá) de creme de leite
• 1 xícara (chá) de leite
• 1 colher (sopa) de manteiga
• 1 colher (sopa) de farinha de trigo
• 1 tomate médio em rodelas
• 1 colher (café) de orégano
• 1 colher (sopa) de suco de limão
• 1 berinjela grande em fatias finas
• 1 1/2 xícaras (chá) de farinha de rosca
• 6 colheres (sopa) de queijo parmesão ralado
• 3 ovos batidos

Modo de Preparar:

• Coloque a berinjela em uma tigela com o sal, o orégano e o suco de limão.
• Misture bem e deixe descansar por 15 minutos.
• A seguir, passe as fatias na farinha de rosca, depois no ovo batido e novamente na farinha de rosca.
•  Coloque o óleo em um refratário e leve ao forno, em potência alta, por 1 minuto.
• Junte as fatias de berinjela, aos poucos, e frite-as por 6 minutos, ou até murcharem.
• Na metade do tempo, vire as fatias e repita o processo até que todas estejam fritas.
• Escorra-as sobre papel toalha.
• Em outro refratário, coloque a manteiga e leve ao forno, em potência alta, por 1 minuto.
• Junte a farinha de trigo dissolvida no leite e misture bem.
• Volte ao forno por mais 6 minutos, mexendo algumas vezes durante o cozimento.
• Adicione o sal, o creme de leite e mexa bem.
• Em um refratário com cerca de 30 x 20 cm, disponha metade das fatias de berinjela, parte das rodelas de tomate e do molho branco.
• Repita a camada e espalhe o queijo por cima.
• Leve de volta ao forno, em potência alta, por 6 minutos, ou até o queijo derreter. 

Fonte: Revista Água na Boca – http://www.portocultura.com.br

Hey Pesto!

Guess what, it’s spring! I only say that because of course it isn’t really. Picking broad beans is meant to be easy work, something you do on the first sunny days after what in these parts is usually a damp and cold winter, but over the last two weekends it’s been so hot that I’ve been making heavy weather of it, if you’ll forgive the pun.

But the heat has certainly got these beans going, and after completely filling the fridge with this morning’s harvest, I realised I’d have to do something with the pile of pods on the dining room table. I found a few recipes for broad bean pestos, but none of them addressed my other immediate problem: the profusion of once welcome herbs into monsterous clumps.

With the broad beans now finally all out of the ground, I thought I might as well see if I could at least begin to address the issue of the out of control mint, the rampant oregano, and the plain silly dill. With modest quantities of this terrible troika bathing in a brew of freshly picked garlic, the juice of several Meyer lemons, and some pretty basic olive oil, I boiled up as many beans as I could pod, and whizzed them into the blender with the other ingredients, and then applied the pesto to an unsuspecting bowl of penne.

Having some parmesan cheese handy in  the fridge (I completely forgot to bring any food with me this weekend) turned my morning of torment into a solo if sorrily solitary triumph. So I thought it might be a good idea to gather some photogaphic evidence, and luckily the industrial quantities I’ve managed to conjure from our productive patch means that this pesto is set to star in an assortment of scratch meals in the coming week.

Aside from my culinary cunning, however, I’m not sure what I’ve really achieved today. A few hours and several glasses of Italian plonk after the heat of the day has subsided, I’m watering the garden, including the patch where the broad beans stood so tall this morning, and I could swear that those herbs have already found a new haven.

This mint took just hours to grow

I gave the herbs on our deck a buzz cut following that first wave of mid-October frost.  The party was over, I assumed, as I set an armful of oregano and thyme and sage to dry while muttering unladylike things about being cheated out of my favorite season.

Turns out, however, that the herbs interpreted that haircut , along with the current spell of intoxicatingly delicious weather, as an invitation to sprout dozens and dozens of new leaves:

Silly herbs!  This can only end in heartbreak.  But, I figured: as long as they are here, they should come in and hop into some breakfast:

• 1/2 small red onion
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons plain fat-free yogurt
• salt and white pepper to taste
• oregano, thyme, sage (or, really, whichever herbs you have/like… but I recommend not skipping the sage, since it adds a touch of je ne sais quoi to the eggs)

1. Saute the onion with a dash of salt and pepper, until it’s all soft and jolly.
2. While that’s going on, whisk 2 eggs.  (I don’t know why I just said “whisk,” since my whisk hasn’t seen the light of day in ages.  A fork will do just fine.)  Add the yogurt and herbs and stir to combine.
3. Pour the egg+yogurt mixture onto the onions.  Cook on low for ~4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The outcome will make you quite happy, especially if followed by some apple crisp…  But more about that later, as Mr. Onepot and I are off to catch the remaining hours of sunshine along Lake Shore Drive.

Ingredientes:

• 300 g de queijo de soja (Tofu);
• Cascas de 2 beterrabas;
• 3 colheres (sopa) de água;
• 1 colher (sopa) de água;
• 1 colher (sopa) de mostarda;
• 1 colher (sopa) de cebola;
• 1 colher (café) de orégano;
• 1 colher (chá) de sal;
• 1 colher (sobremesa) de azeite de oliva.

Modo de Preparar:

• Lave muito bem e higienize as folhas de beterraba, com a casca.
• Descasque e reserve as cascas.
• Bata no liquidificador, colocando primeiro a cebola, a água, as cascas, a mostarda, o azeite, o orégano, o sal e metade do Tofu.
• Bata por 1 minuto e meio, acrescente a outra metade do Tofu e bata mais 1 minuto.
• Coloque na geladeira por 15 minutos e sirva com saladas ou com o prato de sua preferência.

Fonte: http://www.bancodealimentos.org.br

Mark and I aren’t eating out as often as we used to. It’s a recession, you know. But last weekend, we went to Buca di Beppo because I had a $10-off coupon. We had the most amazing salad. It was their regular house salad, but it had gorgonzola crumbles and crispy prosciutto on top. I am not afraid to ask a waitress how they produce some terrific ingredient, so I asked our extremely cheerful waitress about the prosciutto. She went back to the kitchen and then told me it was hand cured. I do not wish to cast aspersions on the veracity of this statement, but…I doubted it. They’re hand curing prosciutto in a chain restaurant?

So I come home and start doing some research on the internet. And, of course, I have some prosciutto in the freezer because I’m just that kind of girl. Here’s how I think Buca di Beppo does the crispy prosciutto. Set the oven for 400 degrees. Put the prosciutto on a baking sheet. I use Silpat because I hate to clean up. If you don’t have Silpat, you need to get some. It will change your life. Bake the prosciutto for about seven minutes and start checking it. When it looks like it’s on the verge of burning, take it out. As it cools, it will crisp up.

Now the Italian gourmet people will tell you it’s a crime to do this to prosciutto. It’s a very expensive ham that’s usually is eaten raw (it’s already cured so don’t get your panties in a wad). But I have to tell you, the texture of raw prosciutto is very, well, chewy. And not in a good way. No one’s going to say that out loud because nobody wants to look unsophisticated. But I’ll say it. It’s chewy and not in a good way.

But crisped up, it’s like designer bacon. I recreated the Buca di Beppo salad last night and it was pretty close to the original. Once again, as in a lot of my recipes, this is more of a procedure than a recipe. So suspend your need of measurements, and commence to making this.

Crispy Prosciutto and Gorgonzola Salad

Make the crispy prosciutto like I just told you.

Get a head of iceberg lettuce. That’s right. Iceberg. No need to be snobby about this. Cut it into chunks and use as much of it as are people to eat the salad. I make this as a main course for two so I use about half a head.

Slice some red onion very thinly. Add it. Cut some green olives into halves. Add them. I had some pitted kalamata olives in the icebox, so I cut them in half and added them, too. Take about a tablespoon of dried oregano and crush it between your fingers to let the aroma out. Add that. Salt and pepper to taste. Then, and here’s a key to a good salad, take a pinch of sugar and throw it in. Now, add vegetable oil. Not a lot. You want the lettuce leaves to shimmer just a bit but you don’t want to drown them. Get some apple cider vinegar and put your thumb over the top of the bottle. Sprinkle it over the salad. Toss it. Taste it. The dressing should be a back hind note to the other ingredients.

Add in your prosciutto. It’s really hard to add too much. I think I used about three whole slices of it. Add your gorgonzola crumbs (you can find these in almost any supermarket where the cheap cheese is sold). A word of caution. If you add too much gorgonzola, or any blue cheese for that matter, it will taste like throw up. So just be judicious.

And there you have it. You will want to eat this, I promise. And here’s another tip. I had some crispy prosciutto left over and I made “ham” biscuits with it. Oh, yes.

BUDDA Z KADZIELNICY
opowieść o łzach pewnego drzewa

Monastiraki

Każde z wielkich miast ma swój stary targ, pełen korzennych przypraw, różnobarwnych owoców i warzyw, serów, nasion, ryb i orzechów. Targ owiany tajemnicami, grzebiący ludzkie losy i kryjący stare sekrety. Targ pełen magicznych przedmiotów i artefaktów, które zagubione pośród sterty imponującego kiczu, zapomniane i zakurzone czekają na właściwego kupca, kogoś kto je dojrzy i zapłaci za nie każdą cenę. Takie przedmioty i taki targ mają również Ateny, miasto wielkiej mądrej bogini, starych drzew i gorących kamieni. Miasto mityczne, które opowiada przyjezdnym historie zapomniane.

Alon Sharr spędzał na targu Monastiraki całe godziny. Podróż wśród straganów rozpoczynał zawsze od małego sklepu z winylami u Kritona, któremu zawdzięczał miłość do rembetiko, muzyki greckiej ulicy. Z duszą nakarmioną dźwiękami harmonii i gitary Alon szedł dalej. To był dopiero aperitif. Greckie kobiety zauroczone jego pięknymi, jasnobłękitnymi oczami, zachwalały świeże granaty i figi, zachęcały do kupna soczystych winogron i słodkich daktyli, częstowały owocami. Starsi mężczyźni piekli kasztany, a dzieci podkradały z koszy pistacje. W oddali intensywnymi kolorami indyjskich jedwabi mieniły się dwa sklepy bławatne, należące do hinduskiej rodziny. Za nimi zaczynał się pchli targ, główne danie po serii wykwintnych przystawek.

Alon uwielbiał szperać wśród sterty śmiecia, wygrzebywać gazety i zdjęcia, wilgotne, śmierdzące piwniczną stęchlizną, oglądać książki w językach, o których nigdy nie słyszał, podziwiać XIX wieczne ikony, wąchać przyprawy. Wierzył bowiem, że wśród tych wszystkich przedmiotów, odnajdzie coś, co pomoże mu zrozumieć, kim naprawdę jest. Zadawał sobie wówczas w myślach pytanie, które zapamiętał z Platona, “Dokąd to i skąd Fajdrosie?”, bo choć Alon nie wiedział, czego dokładnie szuka, czuł, że znajdzie odpowiedź właśnie tu, w Grecji.

Na deser Alon szedł na Plakę. Tętniące życiem kupieckie serce miasta, pełne tawern, restauracji i kafenijonów obdarowywało jego zmysły zapachem świeżo smażonych ryb, pieczonej na rożnie jagnięciny i placków z cukinii. Spacerując krętymi zaułkami Anafiotiki Alon co i rusz przystawał, siadał na kamieniu i coś notował. Podczas jednej z takich wędrówek dotarł do skweru położonego u stóp ruin świątyni Tezeusza. W pewnej chwili jego wzrok napotkał starszą kobietę, ubraną na czarno, trzymającą w dłoniach parciany woreczek wypełniony uschniętymi gałązkami oregano. Siedziała na kamieniu i patrzyła w niebo.

Oregano

Było lato 1952 roku. Ateny rozkwitły świeżą architekturą i soczystą zielenią, gaje oliwne u stóp Akropolu niosły zapach śródziemnomorskiego słońca. Alon poczuł się jak bohater Ritsosa – “Młody Mężczyzna” z „Sonaty księżycowej”. To skojarzenie przemówiło do niego tak silnie, że wręcz czekał, aż “Kobieta w Czerni” powie swoje zaklęte słowa: „Proszę pozwolić mi iść z sobą”. Tymczasem staruszka odkiwnęła głową pozdrawiając Alona, lecz najwyraźniej nie wzięła go za przeciętnego turystę, gdyż nieoczekiwanie spojrzała mu w oczy, uśmiechnęła się i powiedziała: – Pachnie. Alon wziął głęboki wdech. Bardzo chciał poczuć zapach, o którym myślała. Zakręciło mu się jednak w głowie od dużej ilości lepkiego, gorącego powietrza, skinął więc staruszce i już miał odejść, kiedy nagle Greczynka wyciągnęła rękę, dając do zrozumienia, by pomógł jej wstać. Przeszli razem kilka kroków. Starsza Pani podziękowała, ponownie usiadła na kamieniu, uśmiechnęła się i powiedziała:

- Jeśli znajdziesz właściwe schody, wejdź na górę. Wchodź jednak powoli, rozglądając się uważnie wokół. Wchodź długo, a kiedy już dotrzesz na sam szczyt, odwróć się w stronę słońca, usiądź na najwyższym stopniu i pomyśl o mnie, a poczujesz ten sam zapach, który ja teraz czuję. Przypomni ci się gaj, w którym jesteśmy, to drzewo, słońce i kamień, na którym siedzisz. W nim zamknięte są głosy sprzed tysięcy lat. On zna tajemnice, twoje też słyszy i już na zawsze będzie naszym powiernikiem. Wszystkiego dobrego młody człowieku, czerp ze źródła, które tak kochasz. Bo to jest twój kraj, twoje drzewa, to jest twoja sztuka i twoja historia. Kiedyś to zrozumiesz.

Pewnego razu, upojony anyżowym aromatem ouzo jaki wydobywał się z kafenijonu po przeciwległej stronie Platija Eleftherijas Alon dostrzegł w głębi wąskiej uliczki otwarte drzwi jednego z domów. Jego uwagę przykuła muzyka dochodząca z sieni. Przerywany co i rusz oklaskami rodziny i przyjaciół kobiecy śpiew wydał się Alonowi znajomy. Mężczyzna wyłapywał pojedyncze słowa piosenki. Niczym wędrowne ptaki… przemierzamy kraje, gdziekolwiek byśmy nie dotarli, podąża za nami klątwa, przeklęci jesteśmy, takie jest nasze przeznaczenie… Młoda dziewczyna, do której goście zwracali się imieniem Meri, siedziała na schodach i śpiewała. Obok dwóch starszych mężczyzn, zapewne ojciec i brat, akompaniowało jej na bouzuki. Goście bili brawo, to znów śmiali się i częstowali wzajemnie winem domowej roboty. Kilku chłopaków wstało od stołu i splótłszy się ramionami zaczęło tańczyć sirtos, w niewielkim półkolu. Nagle Alon poczuł, że chwyta go za rękę dziecko o czarnych oczach i ciągnie do środka, wołane przez gości siedzących przy stole. Dziewczyna nie przestawała śpiewać.

Kadzielnica

- Chodź – powiedziała Meri. Nauczę Cię parzyć kawę. W mojej rodzinie nie przygotowujemy kawy “po grecku”, mamy własny przepis, przywieziony przez babkę z Maroka i przekazywany z pokolenia na pokolenie. Jedynie ojciec wierny jest rodzimej tradycji i nie uznaje niczego, co barbarzyńskie. Podaj mi proszę moździerz, który stoi na półce i ten niewielki przedmiot, który wygląda jak japoński imbryk.

Alon zdjął z półki starą, indyjską kadzielnicę. Było to naczynie okrągłe i brzuchate, wielkości dużego grejpfruta, umieszczonego na trzech nóżkach. Uchwyty po obu stronach miały kształt słonich głów, a rączka była niewielkim popiersiem Buddy. W wieczku artysta wyciął ażurowe otwory, przez które wydobywał się ze środka dym kadzidła. Dookoła naczynia wygrawerowano w sanskrycie fragment staroindyjskiej bajki.

Podczas gdy Alon oglądał uważnie dziwny przedmiot, Meri wyjęła z kadzielnicy kilka zielonych mieszków. Gdy obrała je z łupin, ze środka wysypały się maleńkie czarne kuleczki. – To kardamon. Wystarczy kilka zmielonych ziaren, by zwalczyć mdły smak potrawy i dodać przyjemnej ostrości. – Czujesz jak świeży ma zapach? Pachniał orientalnie. – Znalazłam tę kadzielnicę na Monastiraki. Stary Grek nie znał jej wartości, a podobno jest bardzo cenna. W naszym domu nikt jednak nie przywiązuje do tego wagi. Weź ją sobie. Od kiedy pamiętam trzymamy w niej kardamon, ale przez otworki w wieczku nasiona wietrzeją. Jest Twoja. A teraz spójrz, najpierw należy zapiec na ogniu z cukrem ubitą w moździerzu przyprawę. Dopiero potem dodać kawę… – Meri zdradzała tajemną recepturę. Alon trzymał w rękach kadzielnicę i spoglądał uśmiechniętemu Buddzie w oczy. “Co próbujesz mi powiedzieć?” – pytał w głębi duszy. Przedmiot jednak, tak jak i oblicze boga, pozostawały nieme.

Matka

Był piękny sierpniowy poranek. Meri kończyła przygotowania do podróży, gdy do drzwi domu przy Platija Eleftherijas zapukał listonosz. Alon Sharr usiadł na łóżku i zaczął czytać.

Drogi Alonie,

Mija już rok od wyjazdu, a ja wciąż nie mogę pojąć, co Cię do niego skłoniło. Przestaję powoli wierzyć, że kiedykolwiek wrócisz. Wiele lat temu utkwił w Twoich oczach odłamek szkła, który sprawił, że karmić zacząłeś swą duszę ciągłym poszukiwaniem i wewnętrznym cierpieniem. To moja wina, byłam zbyt pochłonięta karierą. Wierzyłam w duchu, że sobie poradzisz. Nie potrafiłam Cię zrozumieć, myślałam, że dałam Ci wszystko. Dziś wiem, jak niewiele ode mnie otrzymałeś. Dlatego podjęłam decyzję, że przestaję śpiewać. Mam nadzieję, że odnalazłeś to, czego szukałeś. Jesteś mądrym, dorosłym człowiekiem i sam o sobie decydujesz. Pamiętaj jednak, TU jest Twój dom i Twoje miejsce. Będę czekać.

Mama

- To od matki? – spytała Meri widząc, jak w trakcie czytania listu zmienia się wyraz twarzy Alona.
- Tak Kochanie, mama pozdrawia. Alon schował list do skórzanej torby. – Gotowa? – zapytał z lekko wymuszonym uśmiechem.

Statek płynący na Chios wydał z siebie przerażający dźwięk, niczym wieloryb raniony przez kłusowników. Spóźnieni pasażerowie, w otoczeniu niekończącej się sterty tobołków, toreb i skrzynek ze zwierzętami, w pośpiechu wbiegali na pokład. Obrazek przypominał biblijną scenę wodowania Arki Noego. Ludzie przypominający zwierzęta ratujące się przed kataklizmem krzyczeli w niebogłosy, popychali się i panikowali. Ogarnięci podróżniczym szaleństwem, zupełnie nie byli świadomi zbliżającej się katastrofy. Tłumem zarządzało kilku “patriarchów” w mundurach, zaopatrzonych w gwizdki, przy pomocy których próbowali przywrócić spokój. Sprawdzali bilety i kierowali podekscytowanych pasażerów na właściwy pokład. Alon i Meri mieli wynajętą kajutę na górze. Przemiły młody Cypryjczyk wskazał im drogę i pomógł przenieść bagaże. Statek dał sygnał do odpłynięcia. Brudny port w Pireusie ginął powoli na horyzoncie. Alon stał oparty o burtę i patrzył jak światła portu drżą w wodach zatoki.

Myślał o matce. Tęsknił, ale nie czuł żalu; miała rację wierząc, że sobie poradzi. W pewnym sensie zawsze była obok. Gdy wyruszał w podróż nucił jedną z jej piosenek. Matczyne oczy podążały za nim, sfotografowane i umieszczone na plakatach, którymi wyklejano mury i słupy. Widział je wielokrotnie w Paryżu i w Rzymie, a nawet tu, w Atenach, w sklepiku u Kritona, mimo, że muzyka zachodnia nie była w Grecji zbyt popularna. Ciągle na niego patrzyła. Jako dziecko oddychał jej śpiewem, jednocześnie dusząc się w zadymionych garderobach sal koncertowych i zakurzonych teatrów. Choć spędzał dzieciństwo wśród bukietów kwiatów, tęsknił za prawdziwą łąką. Pierwszymi ze słów, jakich się nauczył, były słowa uznania, kaligrafowane na biletach, dołączanych do koszy pełnych prezentów. Matka nigdy nie kryła swojego piękna, pozwalała się wielbić także jemu, mimo, że był tylko dzieckiem, jej dzieckiem. Zawsze była synonimem prawdziwej sztuki. Jaki jednak sens mogła mieć sztuka dla człowieka, który znał tylko słowa zachwytu.

Łzy

Kiedy dotarli na wyspę było już całkiem ciemno. Chios przywitała parę kochanków lekkim wiatrem nasączonym dziwnym żywicznym zapachem. Ojciec Meri czekał w porcie. Po krótkim, symbolicznym powitaniu, ruszyli wgłąb wyspy. Kamienny dom na południowym zachodzie, w niewielkiej wsi Mesta, należał razem z kilkoma hektarami przylegającej do niego ziemi do bogatego, greckiego rodu Livanos. Dziadek Meri, Dimitris, był jednym z najsłynniejszych zbieraczy mastichy.

- Cóż to takiego? – spytał Alon, patrząc w słońce przez kryształek mastyksu, jak przez bursztyn.
- Masticha. Łza tej wyspy i jej największa tajemnica – Meri podeszła do jednego z drzew rosnących w gaju. Zaczęła delikatnie gładzić pień, jakby chciała złagodzić ból paraliżujący roślinę. – Choć znano ją już w starożytności, dziś świat o niej nie pamięta. W Grecji jest popularnym składnikiem alkoholi i deserów. Mieszkańcy tej wyspy, co roku, w czerwcu, wyruszają na plantację drzew mastyksowych położonych tam w górze. Rytuał rozpoczyna się o poranku. Mężczyźni, kobiety, nawet dzieci, wszyscy uzbrojeni w specjalne nożyki, okulary przeciwsłoneczne i kosze czyszczą najpierw podłoże wokół drzewek, by pokryć je potem cienką warstwą białej gliny. Czynią tak po to, by żywiczne łzy mastichy, które na nią ściekają zastygały szybciej i nie brudziły się tak łatwo. To magiczne drzewo – dodała Meri głaszcząc liście – nazywamy je schinos. Rośnie jedynie na tej wyspie.

Alon oczarowany historią opowiedzianą przez dziewczynę otworzył usta. Ta położyła mu na języku niewielki kryształek. – Pogryź go – powiedziała. Za chwilę stanie się miękki i biały, można go żuć przez jakiś czas. Czujesz, jak jego żywiczny posmak rozchodzi się po całym ciele? Dziś wieczorem przyrządzimy wspólnie deser, którego nieodłącznym składnikiem jest aromat mastichy. Będzie ci smakował.

Na pniu, który gładziła dziewczyna, Alon dostrzegł nacięcia w kształcie łuku. Drzewo płakało żywicznymi, białymi łzami, jedyne świadome.

Schody

Alon szedł wąską ulicą. Tego dnia, jedynie słońce trwało niezmiennie w swym najwyższym punkcie, wskazując kierunek czarnemu orszakowi. Czterej rośli mężczyźni nieśli opartą na ramionach trumnę. Ściany domów po obu stronach ulicy przypominały pień mastichowego drzewa, pocięty, popękany, cierpiący. Z ich szczelin przezierała nicość podobna do tej, która zawładnęła sercem “Młodego Mężczyzny”. Ziemia w miasteczku zdradzała ślady wstrząsów, jakich Grecja w nowożytnych czasach nie zaznała. Trzęsienie ziemi z sierpnia 1953 roku, jakie nawiedziło greckie wyspy spowodowało straty w ludziach liczone w tysiącach ofiar.

Alon łkał w duchu. Ojciec Meri, z twarzą poważną, drżał wykonując każdy kolejny krok. Matka szła z tyłu, podtrzymywana przez braci. Orszakowi towarzyszyły opłakujące śmierć dziewczyny, wynajęte płaczki. Ich krzyki niesione przez echo powtarzały okoliczne góry.

Do kościoła prowadziły długie schody. Wchodzili powoli. Kiedy dotarli do kaplicy, Alon oślepiony blaskiem słońca przymknął oczy i usiadł. Trzymał w dłoniach starą indyjską kadzielnicę. Wewnątrz schował zebrane kryształki mastichy. Dla niej. Na pamiątkę tej podróży. Kiedy spojrzał w dół zobaczył “Kobietę w Czerni”, potem drugą i trzecią. Usłyszał głos, bliski i znajomy.

Niczym wędrowne ptaki… przemierzamy kraje, gdziekolwiek byśmy nie dotarli, podąża za nami klątwa, przeklęci jesteśmy, takie jest nasze przeznaczenie…

Konrad Piwowarczyk

I used to watch Jamie Oliver when he was The Naked Chef on the Food Network, but only watched his new show, Jamie at Home, once. In that episode he made game pigeon, which did not really look appetizing to me. I never tried any of his recipes, but admired his use of homegrown (or local/seasonal) ingredients. When I read this article last week, I knew I had to take a look at his new cookbook, Jamie at Home. While browsing through it at the book store, I saw a lot of unkosher recipes, and some graphic pictures of dead hanging rabbits and other animals. I did find a few recipes that looked delicious and very easy, and decided to give a chicken recipe a shot at home.

I actually got the recipe from the food network site (it’s the same as the one in the book), and changed it a bit (or a lot) to make it a little easier. Maybe I’ll try the original one next time…

This is my first time using fresh oregano – it is a strong herb, but has a good flavor. And it made the house smell great!

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken thighs, skin on
• 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 5 white potatoes
• Salt
• Pepper
• About 6 sprigs of fresh oregano
• 6-10 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• Olive oil
• Red wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Put the potatoes in a pot of boiling salted water and boil until soft.
3. While the potatoes are boiling, heat a skillet (I used my dutch oven) on high heat. Coat the chicken with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Brown the chicken on both sides (it took me 2 batches). Remove to a plate or bowl with a slotted spoon.
4. Cut the tomatoes in half.
5. Drain the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes.         
6. Bash up most of the oregano leaves with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle (or with a spoon in a small bowl if you don’t have one. Add 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar and some pepper and give everything another bash.
7. Add the chicken, tomatoes, potatoes, oregano mixture, and the rest of the oregano leaves back to the dutch oven.  Toss together carefully.
8. Bake for 40 minutes.

This was amazing and very easy. The potatoes were soft and flavorful from the tomatoes and chicken. The chicken was tender and juicy. The garlic cloves were soft and sweet, and although not part of Jamie’s original recipe, definitely my favorite part of the dish. Next time I’ll serve this with some rice to spoon the sauce over.

If you’ve spent even 15 minutes cooking in your kitchen and at least one meal, I’m sure you’ve sprinkled at least salt & pepper on your meal to make it more savory.  There are tons of fun spices out there that you could experiment cooking with.  Like basil, for example.  Very popular in Italian dishes, my favorite being bruschetta, basil is  a great source of vitamins A, C,  calcium, and iron and is beneficial to your cardiovascular system.  If you bought basil fresh you can keep it on your counter in a jar of cool water with a plastic bag loosely on top.

Cardamom is a spice you’ve probably never used, believe me I know, I had to look this one up.  Usually used in sauces and chai and specifically curries, cardamom can certainly allow you to expand your horizons.  You can buy this spice whole pods, seeds, or powdered.  There is green and black cardamom- green is used in curry and Indian sweets and the black cardamom is smoky and used in meats.  If you’ve ever had Szechuan or Vietnamese dishes I’m sure you can now put your finger on that taste.  Although you may try to incorporate cardamom in cooking, a lot more information out there is in regards to using this spice as a medicinal effort.  The green cardamom is used in Ayurvedic medicine as an aid for digestion and flatulence and the black kind is used in Chinese medicine for stomach conditions.  If you happen to have bad breath, chewing on a few of cardamom seeds will do the trick.

Cumin may be another spice that is collecting dust in your spice rack.  Let cumin make its way to your test kitchen in chili for Tex- Mex recipes including chile con carne, casseroled pork, and enchiladas with chili sauce.  Speaking of chili sauce, chili powder has ground cumin in it and this is what makes Mexican meals pop .  If you don’t feel like experimenting just roast some cumin seeds with your potatoes or add toasted cumin to your mashed potatoes.  Cumin is also a great spice with roasted meat as well.

Fennel has won the blue ribbon top award in my house.  You might know this spice for its licorice smell and its notoriety in Italian sausage.  In my house, I throw fennel seeds in spaghetti sauce and meatloaf (my husband always notices when I forget to add fennel).  Fresh fennel can be used as a bed for roasting fish and as a garnish in soups or salads.  You can use fresh fennel fronds as a rub for roast pork by chopping the fronds and adding lemon zest and crushed garlic.  I’ve even made fennel rolls to go with a fancy dinner, so this goes to show that fennel can be very versatile.

Mint literally grows rampant right out my front door and I wouldn’t do any justice to that spice if I didn’t incorporate those little buggers in my meals.  We are big lamb fans and I am always looking for mint recipes to compliment our rack or leg.  I’ve attempted to make mint apple jelly before, unfortunately I haven’t won my battle with the whole pectin concept, but I will keep trying.  I have settled for a mint sauce that is comparable though: stir 1 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves into 1/2 cup of boiling red wine vinegar, then add sugar til the taste is right.  If you have a surplus like I do, you could always freeze the leaves in a little bit of water in an ice tray and throw them in iced tea or a homemade mojito, perhaps?

Have you ever bought too much of an herb or just don’t get around to using it all?  Freezing herbs is a great way to keep your spices and to also reserve flavor. Lay leaves from the stems flat on a baking sheet in the freezer for about an hour then pack away in freezer bags for future use.  A note: certain spices darken after being frozen, like thyme and rosemary.   If you want to freeze herbs but keep the same bright color, like basil to use later for pesto, for example, blanch the leaves first.  To do this, boil in water for a couple of seconds and then throw in water and ice til cold.  Then drain on paper towels before packing them in freezer bags for the freezer.

You can air dry spices as well by bundling in 3/4 inch bundles and hang up-side down with any string or twine you have.  It only takes 7-10 days to have nicely dried herbs.  Don’t have the time to air-dry?  The microwave can be a fast alternative to drying spices.  Put spices in between two paper towels and microwave for a minute.  Then keep microwaving at 30-second intervals til the leaves look like they are going to crumble.  This process will only take 2-4 minutes.  Keep your dried spices in an airtight container and they will be ready for when you get an itch to experiment.

Extra herbs can be used to decorate your table when you are waiting to use them.  Put herbs like oregano, mint, sage, or thyme in a nicely decorated vase and voila- instant bouquet.  To keep the freshness even longer at night put the vase in the refrigerator with a plastic bag on top.

Christmas is coming up and infused vinegars can make a great home-made gift.  Rinse herbs such as basil, oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon, or thyme, put in bottles and fill with vinegar.  The formula is 3 cups of vinegar with 4 sprigs of herbs.  You can use any herb by itself or mix any two, or three, or four together.  It takes about 3 weeks in a dark cool place for the mixture to mesh the flavor together but the vinegar will last for 4 months.  If your herb decomposes during the process pour the vinegar through a fine strainer and it should look gift-ready again.

So, go have fun with spices and experiment with the ones you hardly touch.  Spices can be a great way to add flavor, to decorate, or to give as gifts.  Which one are you cooking with tonight?

I am finally able to sit down and tell you how great the doTERRA convention was. whew! It has been a busy week.

Convention was jammed packed full on training, research, new products, and recognitions.

Training – I now have official AromaTouch technique training under my belt! Watch out family and friends…you are going to be feeling at peace.

Research – all I can say is YAY for Frankincense and Oregano! Cell distinguishing and immune boosting.

New Products – skin care line, chamomile, coriander, PastTense, GX Assist, and bergamot

Recognitions – my team rocks! Premiers include Eugene Kerns, Rita La Voie, and Amber Sellers. I am so very proud to have them on my team

rrrrrraw

I’m finally following my urge to become a raw food vegan. It’s been about a month now where I’m anywhere from 80-100% raw! I have become so adventurous in my food purchases and so creative with my dishes – check out my Tower of Salad (recipe below).
I’ll be back in a few days, with more recipes, like Iron Maiden Smoothie (which I started my day with today) or Cacao Funkin’ Cookies, ooh and more!
–
3 raw nori sheets, torn into flakes
1 handful of spinach and 2-3 leafs of leaf lettuce, cut in strips
1 roma tomato, diced
1 small handful of sprouted lentils
1 whole small avocado, diced
2 spoonfuls of hemp seeds
*layer each ingredient*

dressing:
tahini
olive oil
lemon or apple cider vinegar
dried basil, oregano & parsley
celtic sea salt
minced onions
**make this dressing to your own taste**

Originally written by: Dr. Cass Ingram, DO

Many know Dr. Ingram as “Dr. Oregano”. The miraculous healing powers of this very sacred herb were virtually unknown in North America until the early 1990’s, even though our ancestors have used it as medicine for thousands of years, and Hippocrates wrote volumes on how to use this wonderful and sacred herb. Dr. Ingram has devoted his life to researching these healing foods and herbs and subjecting them to intensive research at traditional and prestigious institutions such as George Brown Medical University Center in Washington, D.C., Cornell University and others.

Respiratory illness is caused by many things: pneumococci, asbestosis, sarcoidosis; inhalation of lead and other heavy metals and pollution. Currently, there is an epidemic of respiratory illnesses in North America primarily due to germs, and there is one particular germ that is causing an awful lot of problems. This germ is a mould fungus. According to Webster’s dictionary, a fungus is a saprophyte, and a saprophyte is an organism that grows on dead and decaying material. Its presence in our body indicates the state of our health, so we don’t want something like that growing on us. The biggest source of moulds is contaminated air which damages and irritates the lungs and bronchial tubes, and then, to some degree, gets into the blood and the rest of the organs. Mould and fungus also contaminate grains.

SPICES – OIL OF OREGANO
I have discovered that spices are the most potent germicides in the world. I have to give credit to Judy Gray who found these spice extracts and brought them to my attention when I was sick. The most famous spice extract, of course, is oil of oregano. Judy found oil of oregano overseas and we were the first to import it into this country. Oil of oregano is the key to curing mould fungus infestation. It is valuable for a wide range of health problems such as allergies, hay fever, actinomycosis, asbestosis, blastomycosis, a big epidemic in southern Ontario, blood clots, bronchitis, cough, cystic fibrosis, emphysema, demolition lung (where people work around a lot of dust), histoplasmosis, nasal polyps, pneumonia, sarcoidosis, silicosis, sinusitis, tonsillitis, laryngitis, whatever kind of a throatitis you could have, and tuberculosis.

RESEARCH USING OREGANO AGAINST CANDIDA
In 2001, preliminary research at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. showed that the fungus Candida albicans was destroyed by certain spice extracts. Our research team used the finest spice extracts (including extracts of wild oregano known as the P73 blend, wild sage and mountain-grown cumin), which are now components in a product called Oregacyn. We tested the fungus Candida albicans, which causes untold misery, disability and death in North America today. It is the cause of sepsis in the kidneys, chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. It is a huge factor in colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, eosophagitis, hiatal hernia and gastritis. In the study, Candida albicans fungus was inserted into tissue. One part of the culture was treated with the wild oregano blend known as P73, and another part with the drug amphoteracin B which is the premier drug of last resort for people with Candida sepsis. This research was published in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry in 2002, and it goes to every major research institution in the world. The research showed that these spices completely destroyed every trace of the fungus in the culture tissue and no Candida of any kind was found. The animals who took the oregano were healthier than they were before treatment according to the investigators. The amphoteracin B, a very powerful drug that causes kidney damage also destroyed the fungus. But here is an example of a spice which was effective as a powerful drug but without the side effects. You may request the article by calling 1-847-473-4700.

RESEARCH USING OREGANO AGAINST STAPH BACTERIA
Another study at Georgetown University showed that the wild oregano blend destroyed drug resistant staph bacteria. We compared the spice extracts against vancomycin. Vancomycin is pretty good. It is the drug of last resort for staph bacteria, and it allowed about 40% of the animals to survive. Staph is nasty. But 50% of the animals taking the oregano extracts (which you will find in both the Oreganol and the Oregacyn) survived. If you increased the dose, you could possibly get 100% survival. It still has to be studied. We could spend another $400,000 or more doing research, but these spices have been used over the centuries. Wild oregano and other spices have been used for 50,000 years of human history. The Babylonians, the ancient Pharaohs, the Islamic doctors, and the British in the 1600s used them. The British said that it cured the common cold, bronchitis, chronic coughing, ear problems and diarrhea. According to the Babylonians, it was the best cardiac tonic known to the human race.

RESEARCH BY THE USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was investigating the antioxidant power of foods and confirmed that of all the foods and all the spice extracts, wild oregano was three to 20 times more powerful as a germicide than anything else tested. The result which was three times higher likely occurred because they were using farm-raised oregano. The result which was 20 times higher was obviously from wild mountainous material, which is much more powerful. So you must always use the wild.

PARASITES
Parasites can also cause lung problems. The parasites are worms, amoebas, protozoas, tapeworms, etc. There are in everything. If you travel overseas, if you drink the public water and if you eat at restaurants, there are risks, no matter how clean you are. Hulda Clark and many others proved it. If you have chronic lung disease, the second thing you must destroy is the parasites. They can live in the liver, the lung, the gut, and they can cause cancer, heart disease, liver disease, fibromyalgia and lupus. Whether your lung problem is caused by germs or parasites, spice extracts are the answer. If you who work around toxic agents, or if you would like to protect your lungs, wild oregano is the answer.

OREGACYN – THE POWER OF ANTIOXIDANTS IN SPICES
A recent study (2002) by the USDA found that of all natural antioxidants tested, spices were the best, and of all the spices, wild oregano was tops and had 40 times the antioxidant effect of apples and over five times the action of antioxidants in blueberries. If you have oxidative damage in your body, you will need something with power like Oregacyn which contains five spices, including wild high mountain oregano, wild mountain sage and high mountain cumin. Research has demonstrated that glutathione peroxidase and glutathione transferase are the key enzymes which protect the cells in the lungs from toxic or oxidative damage. Cumin has been found to have the ability to increase glutathione levels up to 700%. Here in Southern Ontario you do have your share of pollution, and some of you may have emphysema, or chronic obstructive lung disease. So a couple of capsules a day is a good way to go to protect the lungs from oxidative damage.

CASE HISTORIES
People who have used some of these spices have received enormous benefits. Spice extracts will destroy the germs and liberate the illness, whether it is a cough, congestion, sinus pressure, sinus headaches, rhinitis or post nasal drip. I was on the radio in Hamilton yesterday and a gentleman called and he said, ” I can’t get rid of the flu but when I take one to three capsules of Oregacyn a day I knock it out.” I talked to another person whose wife owns a very prominent nutrition company in New York. Their nutritional supplements were not able to heal her cough and they were afraid her asthma was going to kill her. She started taking the Oregacyn, this dried desiccated wild spice material in a capsule, just a couple of capsules twice a day and she got rid of it. And boy, were they impressed. As far as I know, they are buying the stuff like crazy. and their whole staff is taking it. There was another gentleman who had a terrible infection in the rectal area which he couldn’t get rid of. But he claims he cured it using this particular spice extract, the Oregacyn.

Question: Will oil of oregano or Oregacyn, the multiple spice extract, destroy the beneficial bacteria like acidophilus and lactobacillus in the colon.
Answer: Yes, if you take too much of any of these things, it can. For instance, if you eat three cloves of raw garlic, it will temporarily sterilize the colon. If you eat a raw onion you will sterilize the stomach for a short period of time. If you take a lot of oil of oregano, you can kill your lactobacillus. If you are taking a heavy dose of something like that, it is wise to take a friendly bacteria supplement.

To find out if you have a mould fungus infection, you can take a little self-test:

* If you have chronic joint pain that cannot be healed, give yourself a 2.
* Sinus attacks or chronic sinusitis, give yourself a 5.
* Watery eyes, give it 2.
* Itchy eyes, give it 2.
* Shortness of breath, give it a 3.
* Spastic muscles – 1.
* Neck stiffness. Give it a 1 or 2 if it is really bad.
* Spinal stiffness – give it a 5. Stiffness of the spine is now clearly associated with mould, fungus infections or mycotoxins causing damage.
* Chronic ear infections as an adult, give that a 3.
* Waking up at night; can’t sleep at night. Night time is a misery. Give it a 5 unless there is stress or another cause.
* Attention Deficit in kids give that a 10.
* Attacks of sneezing fits and runny nose, would be a 2.
* Chronic headaches – 2.
* Pain behind the eye, 1 or 2.
* Wheezing would have to be a 5.
* Dizziness – 1.
* Hives – 2.
* Dry cough – 5.
* Tendency to be allergic to everything. Sensitivity to chemicals, fibromyalgia, sensitive to everything, can’t concentrate, mental fog – 5.
* Spots on the lungs that no one can figure out – 10 unless it’s tuberculosis.
* Psychotic tendencies, anxiety, neurosis with no other cause, give it a 3.
* Itchy skin – 3.
* Itchy scalp has to be 5.
* Ringworm or Athlete’s Foot that is persistent – 5.

If you scored more than 10, this is evidence to believe that you have a chronic mould or fungus infection or sensitivity and that you have dead and decaying materials in your body.

Please refer to Dr. Ingram’s books for research references.
Dr. Ingram’s books The Longevity Solution, The Respiratory Solution, Lifesaving Cures and Royal Oil”, Royal Kick” and Oregacyn” are available at Consumer Health Organization. Please call 416-924-9800 or 1-877-389-0996.