Cooking Meditation - The Contemplation of Cooking

There is the housewife's routine, the fast food factory, the restaurant drudgery, industrialised catering, ridiculous 3-star chefs and then there is Cooking Meditation. This may end up being quite refined but starts off with the humble garden barbecue; food cooked on the spot and amidst everybody and everything, simple and delicious. It's the gathering around the hearth of bygone times for warmth, food and companionship. Has anything changed?

To cook means to expose raw ingredients to heat with the help of cooking utensils and thus turning them into edible food. You are all in one

dreamer creator chief chef magician alchemist
technician mechanic chemist biologist
handyman and dishwasher.

There are a few simple ways to get the job done, and the market delights with foodstuff of different

textures types origins colours character

all available at no great expense. It's no mystery, either. Everybody around you is using some or more of these with lesser or greater success, out of necessity or for no other reason than indulging in pleasure.

As an introduction for you to get started with ease I shall provide a simple guide to tools and techniques, a general description of ingredients and some ideas of how, when and in what combination you might use these. Be patient, it's all here.

'Tasty and healthy, light and fresh, easy and fun' should be challenge and motivation enough for you to give it a try. And when 'the spirit catches you' resulting in your

brain, mind, soul and heart nose, ears and eyes
wrists and fingertips palate and tongue

eventually becoming ONE with the products in your hands, you have reached a very advanced state of contemplation. Total concentration - the mind is flying, soaring. Creation! Others may meditate cramping their muscles; your meditation is cooking, simple and fun.

Actually the whole process starts with a flash of inspiration out of nowhere, an article, a photo or whatever. You get onto your bike and head for the Evening Market. The seeds in your mind are growing and by the time you get there they start bearing fruit. These keep ripening while you are wandering about, putting together and finally purchasing all that is needed to make your inspiration come true. Head home for the final, crucial, cataclysmic act of creation. It is an experience that totally cleanses you of what may worry you leading to pure pleasure, salvation and exaltation.

There goes the doorbell! My friends with their ever more refined taste buds are here. The table is set, the second part of the evening is about to begin, full of knowledge and fun.

For the desk bound office worker, from clerk to manager, CEO to politician, it offers the challenge and satisfaction of making full use of the magic of one's hands interacting with the brain and the senses.

The Sophistication of Simplicity

What really is sophisticated cooking other than to work with the least number of ingredients to create culinary art. This is more likely to happen in a jungle in Laos or Lao village hut than a 3-star kitchen in France, or Bangkok for that matter.

Sophistication is Perfection in Simplicity

That's art; read Wilhelm Busch or Albert French, listen to Mozart or Santana, look at Vincent Van Gogh. It is agonising hard work to make something appear with such magic ease to convince, captivate, mesmerise, fascinate and last as unique.

Put my recipes to the test. How few ingredients they are made of. Another thing, there is no space in my kitchen for oven or microwave.

Today architecture and interior design are a battleground of opulence versus elegance, new-rich show-offs and old-moneyed discretion. Guess what reigns supreme? The same in cooking!

Keep things simple, use home grown produce. If you do not know to appreciate the local stuff and seem to think that you must have imports to tart up your menu to impress and compete, you have already lost before even having started. Convince me with your love and ingenuity, not fanciful names from faraway countries.

The creation of a meal, the way it is produced and consumed, define a civilisation. Accordingly the infamous starred Michelin restaurants rank rock bottom while the Lao farmer's evening meal comes out on top of the list.

Cook me a simple, honest to Buddha tom som pa, like Bangon's at the Kingfisher Ecolodge in Champasak, and I shall taste whether you really know how and care to cook!

The Quantification of Quality

With regard to the debate about Quantity Measurements versus Intuition, and the very essence of this guide book, it would certainly have been smarter in terms of its marketability if I had indicated measurements for each and every item.

Weights, more often than not, are studiously converted from some weird English or American unit into very precise 436 grams. Read the food pages of any newspaper or magazine if you don't believe that such nonsense actually exists and is taken seriously to boot.

In reality, whose appetite are we talking about? Which norms would honestly apply from one person to the other, my fingertips to my wife's, teaspoon size in this country to the one an ocean across?

We are talking here about cooking the Asian way. There is neither room nor need for silly measurements!

This book is an extension of my design art. Art is not quantifiable. It can neither be measured by the size of a canvas and litres of paint, the number of musical notes in a symphony, cubic and square meters of concrete... nor in grams, fingertips and teaspoons.

This is all about experimenting and gaining confidence in due course. Trust yourself and get started; that's what it takes, no more, no less!

Early Retirement Means Longer Breakfasts

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I know nothing about importance of meals or healthy food or any other thing like that. All I know is this, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and I love everything about breakfasts. I love the smell of coffee; I love fresh orange juice; I love crispy breads and melting butter... I used to work the night shift so I could have a long breakfast. Now they call it a brunch. Worst word choice ever! If I wanted my dinner in the afternoon I wouldn't call it "lunner," would I? Anyway, when my side project, which was a web page about pets, was sold to a multinational company, I finally retired at the age of 29 and ever since, I'm enjoying long and magnificent breakfasts, any time I like, all through the day.

One of the best features of breakfast is the preparation phase. It is called the preparation phase because it "prepares" you for the joy you will have while eating and drinking the things you are "preparing". In this phase you must use the highest quality utensils you can lay your hands on. I use VillaWare. Right now I can imagine you saying, "I didn't read this page until this line just to encounter another advertisement..." Of course I will advertise Villaware without hesitation. I make my coffee with their espresso maker; I use their blender and food processor; and alternately I make Panini sandwiches or Belgium waffles everyday with their cooking utensils. If somebody should advertise their products, it must be me. Some people say France is the culinary capital of the word. I bet they never went to Italy.

When I first retired, I gave myself a retirement present and went for a world tour. I traveled in four continents except Australia and Antarctica. I saw the beasts of the world excluding kangaroos and penguins; I ate all kinds of strange things not to offend the indigenous people. For example in a strange land called Paris I ate snails and frog legs not to offend the French people. Can you guess where I loved the most? Italy was the food capital of the world for me. Before you ask, let me tell you, I have zero Italian blood in my veins.

Here I am, having another great breakfast prepared with utensils originated in Italy. Who wouldn't want to be me? I know, I would.

Drinking - Lao Style

Drinking, ritual

Water! Cafelao and Tea

Water is what everybody drinks, cold or hot. Coffee and tea are relatively new to the country. The recreational and fortifying drink used to be, and still very often is to this day, hot water (nam hohn). A glass of cool water (nam yen) as refreshment and to make you feel welcome is immediately served to any guest or customer upon having been invited to sit down, at home or at the office. In 'better' Thai restaurants it's no longer done for commercial reasons; why give something away for free. In Laos it is still a sign of gracious service.

Coffee (kafae) became known early last century with the establishment of French coffee plantations on the Boloven Plateau in southern Laos. By now these plantations produce world class coffee for export while cafelao has locally become the in-thing to drink. It is made with sweet, white condensed milk sitting on the bottom of the glass which is then topped up with solid black coffee. A truly black-and-white concoction, the Lao B-52!

Tea (nam xah) eventually descended from China. A fairly recent newcomer is indigenous green tea made from organically grown mulberry leaves as pioneered at the organic farm in Vangvieng. It has pretty much captured the local market and is in the process of seriously going international. My morning brew consists of mulberry tea for its acknowledged medicinal benefits blended with bergamot flavoured Earl Grey tea for the caffeine induced pick-me-up effect.

Wine

Hail, thou French occupiers; it is cheap, thanks. The choice of wine - red, white or rose - to go with your meal is entirely yours. In regards to which wine accompanies what food there are NO rules, that's French wine industry hype. Feel free, as well, to chill your wine to your preference because it would be pretty silly to drink red wine in the tropics at 'room temperature' as lectured in Europe.

The Rituals

On the occasion of birthdays, weddings, funerals or anything else

To keep the mood lively anybody can, and quite a few eventually will, grab a bottle of whatever liquor (lao) is available or brought along for the purpose, take a small glass and start making the rounds offering a shot to everybody. It is difficult to refuse while she herself, it really seems to be more often a 'she' than a 'he', has quite a few in the process of doing the catering with the sole intention to get you, and everybody else, drunk. It's all about comradeship though it predates communist days. Basically it is a democratic way to make sure that everyone gets royally drunk equally fast. While lifting the glass in greetings to the host and assembled crowd wishes for a winning lottery ticket and so on are very much in place and repeated often. It's a drink-up ritual, finished by you ostentatiously turning the glass upside-down to prove that you have, indeed, emptied it to the last drop.

Any day - any time when friends are gathered together

A voice is raised demanding, suffering no objection: lift (yohk kuen) your glasses which you then knock (tam) against each other. In Europe, you toast an occasion or person; here, a glass simply raised towards those present at table is an invitation and challenge for all to join in and drink, every time. The frequency of yohk kuen increases literally by the minute and participation is obligatory. Mind you, it doesn't take much persuasion!

If you do not drink alcohol make it clear to your host and companions and you will be respected for it; otherwise you cannot chicken-out, it's a communal fun affair - clink along with your water!

Laolao and Laokao

Same; none other than the local alcohol (lao) version of a Vodka or Schnapps distilled from corn or rice. Carpenters can't do without. I have observed them in mid-April, the hottest month of the year, at a noon temperature of well over forty degrees Celsius, straddle a house roof of considerable height and asking for a refill. I've tasted laokao (white liquor) over the decades starting in Thailand. It is getting better and better, that is cleaner and cleaner, not leaving behind the next morning that terrible aftertaste of yesterday's schnapps. Laolao (Lao liquor) is about to attain the quality to be mixed with tonic water. Xayoh to the Carpenters!

Laobongyaa

That's the stuff you see around sold as yaa or 'medicine' out of various glass jars with different herbs and roots inside. Each jar helpfully features a cardboard sign listing its various medicinal benefits. The more exotic varieties of Vietnamese origin feature such delicacies as cobras, scorpions and lizards. The bong stands for 'preserving' whatever is in there. It better!

Laohai

Local wine is made of rice, water and, yes, yeast. It's the yeast that makes this laohai potent for which reason its sale used to be forbidden in Thailand. This was meant to prevent people from making it easily at home and thus not paying taxes to the state for the privilege of getting drunk by their own inexpensive means. So as a foreigner you were sent into the supermarket to fetch the yeast from the farang women's bakery section. In Laos it ferments in traditional clay pots (hai) from which it is drunk by means of long bamboo straws. The volume consumed today is refilled with water to get drunk, again, tomorrow; fermentation and partying going hand-in-hand.

Beerlao

Where there is tam mak-houng, laab and som mou, there is Beerlao, no translation needed. Together with these dishes, and the love for celebrating, it has become a national icon. The ladies know how to consume and keep their alcohol down well. Don't talk about the older generation. When attending any Baci, village or temple fair, they drink you under the table. The women will lead you around in a ramwong-dance before you pass out. Gosh, they drink; yohk keun, lift your glasses!

Knowing what is bound to happen, an empty yellow Beerlao crate is helpfully placed underneath any table of three-plus imbibers which will fill up in no time with empty bottles, large ones. We are drinking here by-the-crate, mate!

It is praised by many as the region's best beer with an ever growing reputation and fan club (read the Bangkok Post's Letters to the Editor) turning it into a tourist attraction in its own right.

I remember when traveling around South America in the late sixties and ending up in some forlorn spot in the Andes or Amazon where they did NOT sell Cola, you knew you were really off the beaten track. The distribution of Beerlao to the farthest corners of the realm is a pillar of this society, a necessity for its functioning and a pride to the company employees. It won't always be chilled to perfection but, nonetheless, admirable efforts are made to this effect. It certainly doesn't need to be chilled in Samneua, it's too cold up there all year round anyway. If you end up in a spot where there is no Beerlao available at all, not even at room temperature, you certainly are a long way away from this world as we know it... or you might happen to be jungle trekking or white water kayaking with our adventure tourism company Green Discovery, and you'll be in good hands.

Calabash: Utensil or a Vegetable?

Calabash or bottle gourd or long melon is a vine generally cultivated either young or for fruit which is used as a vegetable. The gourd may be allowed to mature, dried and then used as pipe, utensil or bottle. Because of its bottle like size it is given the common name bottle gourd. The fresh fruit is light green in colour with smooth skin and white flesh. The round varieties are known as calabash gourds. It is one of the first varieties of plants generally used as a bottle not as a vegetable in the olden times. The plant derives its name from a Spanish word which means long melon.

Calabash is cultivated mainly in the tropical and subtropical areas all over the world. There is controversy regarding the origin of these plants. Some believe that they are native to Africa while others say that they are native to Asia. They grow very easily in wild. They are under cultivation in Europe much before Columbus discovered America. The rind of the domesticated calabash is waterproof and thick.

Calabash is used as a vegetable in Chinese cuisines may be fried or used in soups. The Chinese name of calabash is hulu. In Japan the larger varieties are generally used as containers while the smaller ones are used as vegetable. It is dried and sold in the form of marinated strips and is often used in making rolled sushi. In Burma it is a very popular fruit and the young leaves are boiled and eaten with hot spicy fish sauce. In Central America they are toasted and mixed with other ingredients to make a drink known as horchata. In India it is known as lauki and in Tamil Nadu the large gourds are used as floats while learning swimming in rural areas.

The shoots, tendrils and leaves are used as vegetable. The guard can be dried to make smoke pipe tobacco. Like other members of the cucurbitaceae family they are also known to contain cucurbitacins which are cytotoxins. A toxic compound known as tetracyclic triterpenoid cucurbitacin is present in the fruits and vegetables of this family and it is responsible for the bitter taste and can even cause ulcers in the stomach. In very extreme cases some individuals have died after consuming the calabash juice.

In Caribbean calabash is generally used as utensils, such as cups, bowls, and basins especially in the rural areas. It can be used as a container for carrying water as well as a equipment while going for fishing. In some Caribbean countries they are even painted and decorated and used as shoulder bags which are sold to tourists. In West Africa hollowed bodies of these plants are used as utensils for household purposes. They are used to clean rice and are also used as food containers. Small ones are used as containers for drinking palm wine. They are also used by some musicians to make musical instruments.

Choose the Maqui Berry Products In Accordance With Your Preference

Do you know that currently, the market is flooded with innumerable Maqui berry products? If you go shopping, you would find that this fruit is available in many different forms. Thus, you have the option of choosing any form that you prefer for your overall health. In general, you would get them in the form of drink, powder or supplements. Now it is largely up to you to decide the products that you want to use. However, when you buy these products, you must be careful while you select the source from where you are purchasing. This in turn, would help you to get the best.

There are many different benefits that you would get from the berry as a whole. These are rich in vitamins and antioxidants, as a result of which you would be able to use them as supplements. On the other hand, if you are looking for a detox, this can be the best option for you because it is a great product for weight loss. It can detoxify the harmful substances from your body thereby giving a purifying effect altogether which would certainly help you to a large extent.

It is true that wherever you look around, you would find plenty of products as detox, but in this sense, this type of berry seems to be the best. This detoxifying product would certainly give new ways to look after the development and improvement of your health. It would quickly help you to flush out your system, and cater to a host of other requirements. Though acai berry is also a popular fruit, but in the recent days, it has been said that the health benefits of Maqui berry are much more than that of acai berry. Thus, you can certainly go for using the different products with Maqui berry to benefit the most.

Celiac Disease Diet - How To Know What Is Safe and What Is Not

Do you have Celiac Disease and find it difficult to stick to a new, Celiac Disease Diet? You are not alone, not only is it difficult to discover what foods you can and cannot eat, but finding Gluten Free foods can be even more challenging.

Don't worry, with a little "outside the box thinking", and some common sense, you can learn how to keep you Celiac Disease symptoms under control with easy to follow diets and programs.

The first step is to not be intimidated by the phrase "Gluten Free Diet". All that it really means, is that foods that contain the wheat protein Gluten, are bad for your system. Many products that you may not think of as wheat products can contain Gluten as a filler product or may have been used as an ingredient for some processed foods.

Luckily, there is a wide variety of non-gluten alternatives available when shopping for a Celiac disease diet. Most of these alternatives loose non of the nutritional value of the gluten containing variety, and suffer no change in flavor or taste.

Some have difficulty when adjusting to these new restrictions when they realize how much wheat is actually used in our every day products. Coffee, sausages, and other non-wheat products can all contain wheat products. However, not all products are off limits. Various other products are perfectly safe and can be used as alternatives, such as:

Corn for example, does not contain Gluten is well toleratedFlax is another common grain that is good.Nut and bean based Flours are safePotato starch or flourTapiocaSoy (except for Soy Sauce)ChickpeasAnd Rice and rice products are all approved.

Products vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, so be sure to read the labels when you first start shopping with these new rules in mind

Hopefully, this article will show you that simply because you, or a loved one, has been diagnosed with gluten sensitivities, does not mean that you will be restricted to a tight, inflexible, and rigid diet formula.

These are only the building blocks, the first step along the path to Gluten Free living.

Canada Gets New Beer Label Laws

When you think about beer labels, chances are good that you picture your favorite brew's logo, or maybe you think of the interesting phrases or sayings that some breweries put on the neckbands and on the back labels. Well, for Canadian beer drinkers, things might be changing if the government has anything to say about it (and they usually do). What's on tap for beer lovers in Canada? New beer labeling laws are set to go on the books to help protect drinkers with allergies.

Beer labeling laws are complex and confusing, even for brewers that have been in the business for a long time. In addition to national laws, there's a multitude of others that must be adhered to. In Canada, beer labeling laws might be changing to force breweries to include nutritional information and a list of ingredients used in the beer. However, the laws were held up the day they were set to debut. Brewers requested to be exempted from the new laws (which are actually applied to the entire food and beverage industry). Not surprisingly, consumer advocacy groups immediately protested that the beer industry not be excluded from the labeling laws.

The new laws would force beer makers to declare the presence of any known allergens in the beer, like gluten or sulphites. They would not be forced to disclose the entire list of ingredients used to brew their beverages, though. It would also include ingredients like chocolate, nuts and other ingredients that can cause serious allergic reactions in people. Celiac disease is possibly the most recognized issue here, but there are others, such as nut allergies that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death.

One of the largest concerns driving the new regulations is cross-contamination. For instance, for specialty beers that contain chocolate, the question of whether or not that chocolate was made on the same equipment that handles peanuts and tree nuts is a very important one. Even trace amounts of these substances can be life threatening.

In a way, the new labeling might even be a boon for specialty beers and craft brewers. Many consumers with allergies avoid beers if they are unsure what ingredients were used. By clearly labeling allergens present in their beers, many brewers might actually be able to increase the number of people willing to give their brews a try. Of course, the cost of changing labels can be considerable, and should not be ignored.

Poto Cervesia,
Dustin Canestorp