India is home to a stunning array of gorgeous culinary and medicinal plants! One such plant is the Kokum Tree (aka the Goa Butter Tree). Known in science as Garcinia indica, it’s a fruit-bearing tree that belongs to the mangosteen family. It is native to India and mainly grows in the states of Maharashtra, Goa,…
Recently, Sandeep came across an article written by the University of Chicago. It was published under the Molecular & Computational Biology section at Phys.org. The title of article is: Common Food Preservative has Unexpected Effect on the Gut Microbiome. After reading the article, Sandeep remarked to all of us about how happy he is that…
I grew up in a family of Southern cooks. Specifically, Louisiana where food wasn’t really “food” unless it came out of the kitchen with at least some degree of Cajun herbs or spices. Sauces were big… delicious barbecue, remoulade, tarter and shrimp-cocktail, but my dad’s all-time favorite, Worcestershire, wasn’t Cajun at all. In fact, it…
If your predominant Ayurveda dosha (body type) is Kapha, then your steady nature is governed by structure, earth and water which is why Kapha-types such as yourself may struggle at times with excess weight and a general feeling of heaviness. Your skin is likely smooth, your eyes large and kind, and your stamina steady and…
If your predominant Ayurveda dosha (body type) is Pitta, then your fiery nature is governed by metabolism, digestion and producing plenty of energy. Pitta-types such as yourself are typically medium in weight and size and may have red or blonde hair, blue or green eyes and/or freckles, beauty marks and moles. Pitta types are…
Kitchari is India’s most beloved comfort food. It’s been around for countless centuries; it’s even referenced in the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata which dates Kitchari back to the 9th to 8th centuries BCE. Even before the arrival of such famous Indian dishes like Pulao and Biryani, Kitchari was there to feed the kings and…
What’s the deal with all of the avocado oil these days? It’s popular in Paleo and Keto diets and you’ll find it turning up in a lot more processed foods like commercial salad dressings, mayonnaise, all kinds of chips, popcorn, crackers, seaweed snacks, butter substitutes and more, but if you think avocado oil is the…
Beans, lentils and pulses are the mainstay of the Indian diet. They provide protein, antioxidants, several important nutrients, and quite a bit of fiber. They are hearty, healthy and delicious! Most often they are prepared with a variety of fresh and dried herbs, spices, seasonings and ghee or other healthy fats and oils, all which…
Injipuli is a wonderfully spicy treat. It’s a delicious sweet and sour combination made from ginger, spices, tamarind, chilies and jaggery. It’s really popular in the South Indian cuisines of Tamil Nadu and Kerala where it’s usually served in smaller quantities as an appetizer, or like pickles that you’d serve as an appetite stimulant prior…
Biodynamic agriculture is an ethical, ecologically sound and principled approach to farming and gardening – one that understands the deep and undeniable connection between the energetic world and physical reality. Biodynamics depends upon a fundamental understanding that all things – climate and culture, people, plants, soil, animals, insects and birds, the Earth and the planets…