Barry Jacques
Nov 5, 2015 | 1st pages, Cookery
Three Dead Dogs
From the Atlantic ocean smashing against flat rocks in Ireland, to the sophisticated vacuity and loneliness of London suburbs, gritty Cardiff bay, odd Belgian hotels, Idaho roadside diners, love, infidelity, murder philosophical whimsy to mention but a few, Jacques finds a multitude of voices in surprising locations across the planet to take us on journeys where nothing is certain, other than perhaps a meal at the end of it.
Torrid tales of murder, tender tales of love, a peep behind the twitching curtains of the middle classes, and into the minds and hearts of ordinary people. To exist, all of them share a commonality.
Ultimately all have to eat at some stage.
A short story collection, like no other.
A recipe book, like no other.
Whether it’s a commute, a plane journey, a train journey, or just a coffee break away from annoying people you’re paid to be confined with, or something to help send you off to that surreal place of dreams, one thing you’ll not regret are the moments you spend immersed alone with this little gem.
Ronald E. Hudkins
Aug 21, 2015 | 1st pages, Cookery
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF IT
To dеrіvе thе bеѕt аnd most есоnоmісаl rеѕultѕ from саnnаbіnаtеd сuіѕіnе, wе muѕt kеер in mind ѕеvеrаl fасtѕ about саnаbіѕ and hоw іt іѕ broken down аnd аbѕоrbеd in thе dіgеѕtіvе trасt. It іѕ not the аuthоr'ѕ intention to burdеn оr соnfоund thе rеаdеr with too mаnу of the complexities оf science. Yеt a rudimentary under¬ standing оf ѕоmе details will bе оf value іn mаkіng сеrtаіn dесіѕіоnѕ whісh wіll gіvе the bеѕt results fоr thе lеаѕt іnvеѕtmеnt.
SOLUBILITY OF CANNABIS
THC, thе асtіvе ѕubѕtаnсе іn сrаѕѕ аnd hash, іѕ nоt ѕоlublе in wаtеr; іt is ѕоlublе in оіlѕ, fаtѕ аnd аlсоhоlѕ. Thіѕ hаѕ bееn knоwn fоr thоuѕаndѕ оf years. Recipes frоm India and other hash-eating сіvіlіzаtіоnѕ uѕuаllу require thаt thе gаnjа be ѕаutееd іn bunеr оr ghее (сlаrіfіеd buttеr) bеfоrе combining іt wіth thе оthеr іngrеdіеntѕ.
Still, іn thе еnlіghtеnеd Twentieth Century, wе find otherwise intelligent реорlе bоіlіng, and оftеn only ѕtееріng, the lеаvеѕ, ѕееdѕ and stems оf mаrіjuаnа іn water аnd drinking сuр аftеr сuр іn рurѕuіt оf a hіgh thаt mау nеvеr аrrіvе.
Thеn thеу discard thе lеаvеѕ, whісh, though ѕоggу, аrе ѕtіll роtеnt. If thе grаѕѕ is оf еxсеllеnt ԛuаlіtу and hаѕ muсh rеѕіn on thе оutѕіdе, it is роѕѕіblе, аftеr ѕtrеnuоuѕ bоіlіng, that a роrtіоn оf these rеѕіnѕ will bе ѕоftеnеd by the heat and will Boat out into the tеа water. Clearly, thоugh, bоіlіng in wаtеr is nоt a еffісіеnt way tо еxtrасt оіl-ѕоlublе materials.
Most of thе rесіреѕ in thіѕ writing іnvоlvе some form of extraction оf the cannabis rеѕіnѕ іntо аn oil or аlсоhоl medium. Thіѕ іѕ accomplished bу аnу оf thе fоllоwіng mеthоdѕ: ѕоаkіng оr boiling in alcohol; sauteing оr bоіlіng in oil оr butter; combining, uncookеd, wіth оіl or butter; соmbіnіng, heated оr unhеаtеd, with аn оіl/wаtеr еmulѕіоn ѕuсh as milky.
Milk contains buttеr fats in emulsion wіth wаtеr. Cаnnаbіѕ materials саn be boiled іn mіlk and wіll dіѕѕоlvе into thеѕе fаtѕ. Thіѕ еmulѕіоn ѕоlubіlіtу іѕ thе bаѕіѕ of the аnсіеnt bеvеrаgе from Indіа knоwn as bhаng.
Elisa Costantini
Jun 8, 2015 | 1st pages, Cookery, Featured, Italian
Introduction
Being the one responsible for putting food on my family’s table gives me a sense of pride, and it is how I express my love for those who gather at my table.
Because it is a matter of love and affection when I prepare meals, I tend to add ingredients on whim and whimsy rather than according to instruction. That is to say, I do not typically follow formulas, but rather instinct and experience.
I do not record my recipes (actually, I have never in my life written one down until now), nor do I ever really look at other recipes for inspiration. I suspect many home cooks operate the same way: add a little bit of this or that and adjust according to taste.
So, why am I now gathering a collection of recipes that have been in my family for generations? In part, it is because of the name of the coauthor on this book, my son Frank.
I have happily spent a lifetime preparing food and caring for my family, and so when he approached me with the idea of recording my recipes, I saw it as an opportunity to spend time with my son while enjoying a lifelong passion. It would be a blessing if anything, that what I have learned over the years could be useful to someone else.
There is perhaps a notion of legacy in these pages, as well. The recipes I present here have gathered in my memory for decades; each one has at one time or another been prepared for my family or loved ones. I am humbled to remember those moments of satisfaction my children or my husband (or whomever I was cooking for) felt when they ate my food. And so, I associate memories with the meals I have prepared, and this collection is a way to honor those memories.
The other aspect of legacy is that now that I have this collection, I have something tangible to pass forward to my children and to others who may be interested in reading about the art of Italian cooking. I was not fortunate enough to have such a guide when I learned to cook, and so if these recipes are at all a help to the at-home cook, I am more than happy to share a few of my secrets.
Mark Thompson
Jun 2, 2015 | 1st pages, Cookery, Historical
CHAPTER 1
Vegetarians Ahead of Their Time
In the spring of 1817, a party of 22 adults and 19 children, led by Rev. William Metcalfe, set sail from Liverpool bound for Philadelphia. Members of a congregation that had formed eight years earlier in Salford, just outside of Manchester, they called themselves Bible Christians.
They distinguished themselves from other denominations most notably by abstaining from alcohol and meat. They were drawn to Pennsylvania by its reputation for religious tolerance, and for the abundant opportunities they expected to find to spread their particular brand of gospel and add to their numbers in America.
The venture had an inauspicious start. It usually took about six weeks to sail from England to the northeastern United States in those days. The Bible Christians heaved and bucked at sea for 11 weeks. Whether it was because of the grim rations on board made worse by their refusal to partake of a shipboard staple, salted beef and cod, stress from such close confinement for so long, or a deeper doctrinal or personality split, the immigrant congregation did not make it to Philadelphia intact. As Metcalfe’s son, Joseph, would recall in a memoir, 23 of the original group of 42 “gave way to indulgences in eating and drinking” en route and left the fold.
The prospects for the remaining faithful did not dramatically improve any time soon. Several of the Bible Christian families set out for Lycoming County, 150 miles northwest of Philadelphia, to try their hand at farming and to open a branch church. Their teachings were greeted with “coldness and indifference” in that part of the state and they drifted away from the faith.
A core group stayed in Philadelphia, where Rev. Metcalfe, who was a scholar in the classics back in England before he became a minister, took in students to help defray church costs. A succession of deadly outbreaks of yellow fever in 1818 and 1819, which caused many families to evacuate the city for extended periods of time, waylaid that venture.
Metcalfe also worked for a while as an editor of the monthly Rural Magazine and Literary Evening Fireside. It folded in 1820. A stable livelihood eluded other church members, as well. “They all suffered more or less from the pinch of poverty,” a church historian later recounted.
The tepid response to their religious teachings in Philadelphia was surely an even bigger disappointment.
Raj Kamo
Apr 2, 2015 | 1st pages, Cookery
Useful Tips for Economizing Time, Effort, Cost and Energy
Here are some useful tips for washing vegetables and lentils (‘dals'), chopping, cooking and storing. There are some general tips also which you may find useful. Some readers may not find novelty in some of the tips but all readers will surely find something useful or unique in these tried and tested suggestions.
CLEANING AND WASHING OF VEGETABLES AND LENTILS
1. Cleaning small grained commodities like mustard seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, etc. can be very challenging. Not to worry at all! All you have to do is tilt the plate in which you have put the grains for cleaning. Keep stirring the seeds while the plate is slightly tilted towards you. Don’t tilt over 25 degrees. The particles of dust or trash will remain on top and the good seeds will start sliding towards the lower end of the plate.
2. I have noticed that people do not give importance to washing leafy vegetables. I have often found sand particles in cooked leafy vegetables served to me and that is a very poor form. To wash leafy vegetables properly and thoroughly, keep two small plastic tubs or large bowls. Fill them half with water.
If the ends of the leaves are dirty you can cut them off before washing the leaves. Immerse some leaves in one tub / bowl/ pan, wash and transfer them to the other tub/bowl/pan. Keep on changing the water after every wash and keep washing till the water becomes clear. Do this with all the leaves by taking them in small portions. Then put them in a colander or a large strainer to drain the water. This will help in drying the leaves before chopping. Never wash leafy vegetables after chopping, as the goodness will be washed away too.
3. Cleaning and chopping fenugreek leaves (‘methi') is regarded as a very tedious job. Don't worry, it is not that difficult at all!! Open the bunch, check for weeds and wash and dry it. Take a small portion of the bunch and place it on the chopping board. Start chopping from the top end (leafy end). Stop once you reach close to the stems. Pluck the leaves from the stems if they are not too soft.
If they are tender, you can finely chop the whole bunch. Lift the leaves gently and most of the stems will be left on the chopping board. Even if some soft stems remain with the leaves, don't let it upset you. Cook the ‘Methi' in a pressure cooker, once the steam is released you can open the pressure cooker and dry the water by letting the cooked ‘methi’ simmer. These stems will turn out very soft and edible. They are equally useful and healthy. They are a rich source of fibre which is essential for digestion.
4. Always soak ‘dal' (lentils/pulses) in water for about ten to fifteen minutes prior to cooking to clean the polish and wash away the insecticides from them. This also helps in making the ‘dal' tender so it can cook faster and eventually help in saving energy.
Sophie Miller
Mar 25, 2015 | Cookery, Editors' Blog, Interviews
One of cookery author Sophie Miller’s first memories is cooking with her mother and grandmother. “I have always loved cooking and watched my mother making her wonderful creations from a very young age. I wrote my first recipes for my sister when she went to college and needed some easy recipes she could make herself out in the big bad world.” Sophie eats a gluten-free diet, which she mostly makes from her own vegetable patch, and she loves to cook and bake vegan goods for her best friend. Here she talks about her passion for food and how to eat healthy and gluten-free the easy, non-bland way.
“There are many benefits to gluten-free cooking. Reducing the intake of processed foods and replacing them with wholesome, natural ones helps with sensitivities/allergies/intolerance by alleviating or eliminates physical and mental symptoms. In my case, gluten was causing severe bloating and affecting my digestion. I found that my sleep pattern improved immensely when I stopped eating wheat, and I also noticed I had more energy and no discomfort after eating.
The benefits of a gluten-free vegan diet are the same as gluten-free, but you are eliminating any animal product, including dairy. I am not vegan but, after researching causes of congestion and constant flu-like symptoms, I came across studies claiming about 75 percent of the world’s population is genetically unable to digest milk and other dairy products properly. Other studies also mentioned dairy as an instigator in congestion and flu-like symptoms. Having suffered with sinus and congestion problems for as long as I can remember, I decided to reduce the amount of dairy I was consuming, and started this process by changing from cow’s milk to unsweetened almond milk while also eating more fresh vegetables and fruit, which is essential to a raw food diet.
As mentioned in my Raw Food Good Mood book, trying to go fully raw straight away will cause some fatigue and headaches, as you will start to have withdrawals from sugar, caffeine etc. I recommend starting with one raw meal per week, then one fully raw day per week. With the warmer weather underway, I plan to increase my raw food days to three or four per week. My brain is definitely working harder, I feel more energetic, and my skin is clearer and brighter. The process of cooking foods destroys some of their enzymes, vitamins and nutritional properties, whereas these are responsible for supporting healthy digestion and help fight chronic diseases. The raw food diet provides a number of significant health benefits, these include:
Improved digestion and nutrition absorption | Increased energy levels and relief from chronic fatigue | Potential healthy weight loss | Reduced risk of heart disease and stroke | Relief from food allergies (eggs, wheat, soy, sugar, etc.) | Reduced food cravings, especially for sugar and carbs | Improved eating habits and other healthy lifestyle changes
With amazing benefits like these, you can see how the raw food diet has gained so much popularity in recent years.”
