Petica's posterous http://peticawatson.posterous.com a place to plonk stuff posterous.com Wed, 25 Aug 2010 06:01:08 -0700 Coconut Oil Miracle: Fourth Edition: Amazon.co.uk: Bruce Fife: Books http://peticawatson.posterous.com/coconut-oil-miracle-fourth-edition-amazoncouk http://peticawatson.posterous.com/coconut-oil-miracle-fourth-edition-amazoncouk
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Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:56:20 -0700 Salamongundi, Feasts and Big Lunches http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/04/14/salamongundi-feasts-and-big-lunches http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/04/14/salamongundi-feasts-and-big-lunches The Big Lunch I really wanted to set this up in my street, like the Jubilee street parties of my childhood, where we played catch the egg and had slowest bicycle races. I am not really sure where my priorities lie at the moment so maybe I shouldn't start this new thing. LOADS of good ideas on this site, which inspires Big Lunches up and down the country on July 18th this year. http://www.thebiglunch.com/ideas-and-inspiration/ I also want to make a mental note to myself to research feasts and feasting from an anthropological point of view....many have done this, see below. I just want to put some time aside to go back to more academic studies of the world and food and how we relate to it. RADIO BBC radio 4's Food Programme http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnx3 (episode on Feasts:Last broadcast on Mon, 12 Oct 2009, 16:00 on BBC Radio 4 (see all broadcasts). Synopsis: Feasts have been a feature of human life since humans first mastered fire and climbed out of the trees, but what function do feasts have in today's largely urban society? Sheila Dillon visits the Thames Festival Feast, a modern urban harvest festival, bringing food back into the heart of the city and recreating a sense of community. Grape treading, sacred mayonnaise making and mobile food gardens make a vivid modern feast. Central to it a table spanning Southwark Bridge, its tablecloth printed with collections of Londoners' food stories. The traditional feast has been disappearing from rural areas, but the Welcombe community in Devon some years ago introduced a Christmas Salamongundi to bring the community together to celebrate. Poet and author John Moat explains how it came about. Sir Roy Strong, author of Feast outlines the social, political and religious subtext of historical feasting and, with Rev Richard Coles, comments on the dining TV reality show, Come Dine With Me. BOOKS Feast: A History of Grand Eating by Roy Strong, published by Jonathan Cape Ltd; ISBN-10: 0224061380,ISBN-13: 978-0224061384 Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human, by Richard Wrangham, published by Profile Books,ISBN-10: 1846682851, ISBN-13: 978-1846682858 Food: The History of Taste, edited by Paul Freedman

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Fri, 02 Apr 2010 11:25:01 -0700 Films that will change your life... hopefully http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/04/02/films-that-will-change-your-life-hopefully http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/04/02/films-that-will-change-your-life-hopefully I've been compiling a list of films that are life-changing in some way. In style, they may not be cutting edge or even deserve to be thought of as a real 'film', however it's the content I'm interested in for the purposes of this list. How many have you seen? You may have seen many of them already. And I'm aware the list is not comprehensive ! Feel free to add any you feel should be on the list. In time these will have synopsises. Documentaries and links will also be included eventually FOOD ISSUES:
  • Fast Food Nation
  • Supersize me
  • Food Inc
  • The Future of Food
  • McLibel
  • Supersize Me
  • Supermarket Secrets
  • A Farm for the Future
BODY AND EATING:
  • The PH Miracle
to continued SPIRITUAL GROWTH:
  • What the Bleep do we know?
  • Celestine Prophesy
  • The Secret
  • Peaceful Warrior
  • Bruce Lipton: The Biology of Belief
  • Doing Time Doing Vipassana
  • tbc
ENVIRONMENT /THE PLANET/SOCIETY
  • Who Killed the Electric Car
  • The End of Suburbia
  • An Inconvenient Truth
  • The 11th Hour
  • Outfoxed
  • The Corporation
  • The Age of Stupid
  • Adam Curtis' films
  • Flow
  • A World Without Water
  • The End of the Line
  • Crude Awakening
  • Baraka
to be continued...

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Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:10:55 -0700 How the blood of the human and the blood of the plant are THE SAME! http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/04/01/how-the-blood-of-the-human-and-the-blood-of-the-plant-are-the-same http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/04/01/how-the-blood-of-the-human-and-the-blood-of-the-plant-are-the-same and arguments for eating raw food... [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_ZCLbHDXWg&hl=en_US&fs=1&]

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Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:19:40 -0700 a font of entrepreneurial ideas: Springwise http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/23/a-font-of-entrepreneurial-ideas-springwise http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/23/a-font-of-entrepreneurial-ideas-springwise

This website is quite interesting, if you like ideas.

http://springwise.com/

People post ideas they've seen happening - you can't post if you haven't seen the idea implemented. You can also browse by industry, so here is Food and Beverage: http://springwise.com/food_beverage/index.php?page=10 and here is Eco stuff: http://springwise.com/eco_sustainability/ Three of my faves:
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Eco-minded bathroom fixtures are no longer hard to find, but they still tend to focus more on function than on form. One notable exception is W+W, a combined toilet and sink from Spanish brand Roca that combines compact style with green-minded thinking. Launched last fall, W+W is a single, L-shaped unit in which the sink and toilet are not only attached but also integrated internally. Specifically, wastewater from the sink is used to fill the toilet's cistern, thus saving as much as 25 percent of the water that would normally be used. An automatic cleaning system prevents bad odors and bacteria, while a specialized tap controls the water's temperature and flow for maximum energy savings, Plumbing Park reported. Developed by the Roca Innovation Lab and designed by Gabriele and Oscar Buratti, the prize-winning W+W is priced at EUR 2,731. An eco-iconic innovation to bring to the green but style-conscious masses near you...? Website: www.roca.com.es/w+w/w+w/en/index.html Contact: www.es.roca.com/en/contact
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If the energy people expend dancing and working out can power cellphones, lights and other electrical appliances, why not apply the same concept to all the energy spent by millions of people every day simply walking along city sidewalks? That's exactly the premise behind Pavegen slabs, which can be inserted among regular sidewalk sections to capture the kinetic energy people spend just walking. Each rubber slab from UK-based Pavegen Systems gets depressed by about 5 mm each time it gets stepped on. Using just that small movement, it can convert the kinetic energy used into electricity, which is then stored in the slab. Specifically, 5 percent of the energy harvested is used to make the slab's LED glow, making it clear to users that their energy has been captured. The rest can be used to power pedestrian lighting, information displays and many other applications. Pavegen's patent-protected technology has also been used to harvest energy from users' footsteps on stairs; custom branding is available. Following recent tests in East London, Pavegen is now seeking both investors and additional testing sites for its eco-iconic innovation. One to get in on early...? Website: www.pavegensystems.com Contact: hello@pavegen.co.uk Spotted by: James Graemer
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Games have long been used as an educational tool, and not just for kids. Canadian Akoha, for example, encourages players to be more kind. Now, along similar lines, Play Rethink invites users to redesign everyday objects to make them more sustainable. Play Rethink ("The Eco-Design Game") is an effort from London-based Rethink Games to help people think—or rethink—how to make everyday objects and services more socially and environmentally friendly. Each game includes a multicoloured wheel and 98 drawing cards along with an eco-strategies key card and an instruction sheet with activities. With each spin of the wheel, players get a card asking them to rethink a particular everyday object, such as a chair or a vacuum cleaner. They then describe their idea for a more sustainable approach by drawing it on the card. Ideas players are particularly proud of can be uploaded onto the Play Rethink website, where others can rate, comment and be inspired by them. What's more, each month Rethink Games selects one idea to serve as the project of the month, and it's currently working on setting up partnerships with organizations that can help develop those ideas further. Play Rethink is sold online and through select London retailers. Pricing is GBP 24.95, with refill card packs available for GBP 5.95 each. Corporate workshops to help promote innovation are also available. Facilitating the idea generation process is all very good and well, of course; what will make this really interesting, however, is a way to turn the best ideas into reality. RedesignMe found a way to do that through partnerships with manufacturers, and it also took the critical step of paying the Generation C(ash) consumers whose ideas got used. Play Rethink may be a game, but it's also another way to tap into the global brain. Who will help pave the way toward some real results? (Related: iPhone game gets kids into the (hidden) park.)

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Sun, 21 Mar 2010 22:17:12 -0700 Foodie documentaries on BBC4 http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/21/foodie-documentaries-on-bbc4 http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/21/foodie-documentaries-on-bbc4 I've just been watching "The Man Who Ate Everything" presented by Andrew Graham-Dixon, about Alan Davidson, a diplomat who wrote the first Oxford compendium of food in 1978, and founded Petits Propos Culinaires, a journal of food studies and history. He had travelled widely and tried everything- when I switched on Andrew G-D was in Laos, funnily enough where I've just been and where he was ambassador until 1975. Diplomats are - so lucky - particularly in those days, like my parents, they were discovering the world and could bring it back to Europe and in a way that is no longer possible. Sallie Morris was another diplomatic wife friend of ours in Malaysia who was also writing about south east Asian food in the 70's. These great docs are of course, on BBC4, part of the Exquisite Cuisine Season..here they are: (Funny to see Fast Food Nation in the list though, it's a drama film made by American Eric Schlosser who recently did Food Inc ..) Bread: A Loaf Affair. The story of the rise of the popular loaf and how it has shaped the way we eat in Britain. _____________________________________________________________ Carluccio and The Leopard. Antonio Carluccio travels to Sicily to discover more about Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's novel The Leopard. _____________________________________________________________ Christina: A Medieval Life. Michael Wood traces the story of a real-life peasant of 14th-century Hertfordshire. _____________________________________________________________ Clarissa and the King's Cookbook. Clarissa Dickson Wright tracks down Britain's oldest cookbook and traces its influence. _____________________________________________________________ Fast Food Nation. Film in which a fast food marketing executive takes an eye-opening trip around Middle America. _____________________________________________________________ Fat Man in a White Hat. New Yorker magazine writer Bill Buford dons a white hat and works in a series of French kitchens to investigate whether French food is all it's cracked up to be. _____________________________________________________________ Fear of Fanny. Dramatisation of Fanny Cradock's career, based on interviews with her friends and family, revealing the private vulnerability behind her tart public persona. _____________________________________________________________ France on a Plate. A gastronomic tour through French history, from Versailles through to ethnic fusion food. _____________________________________________________________ Hannah Glasse: The First Domestic Goddess. Clarissa Dickson Wright presents a profile of the author of The Art of Cookery, the best-selling cookery book of the 18th century. _____________________________________________________________ In Search of the Perfect Loaf. Documentary which follows Tom Herbert's efforts to bake a prize-winning loaf of bread. _____________________________________________________________ Kings of Pastry. Documentary chronicling the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France pastry chef competition. _____________________________________________________________ The Man Who Ate Everything. Andrew Graham-Dixon presents a profile of the influential food writer Alan Davidson.

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Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:42:48 -0700 Foodie Lurve Schools - reviews http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/14/foodie-lurve-schools-reviews http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/14/foodie-lurve-schools-reviews Another idea I had recently was to combine two of my "interests" - Food - and Flirting. I should start a local food lovers' group for singles... anyway in the meantime, I discovered some already existing... so I'm going to set about going to them and over time, should have some reviews... GOURMAND LOVE SCHOOLSWhisky blending for singles. Glengoyne distillery, near Glasgow. Tel: 01360 550 254. • Flirting With Flavour cooking course. Caffè Caldesi, London W1. Tel: 020 7487 0750/9. www.caffecaldesi.comWine-tasting dating. National events, dates and prices vary. www.grapevinesocial.com Tried this once - quite a good revolving system but unfortunately it was a little bit lowest common denominator for us, even if it was in posh Fulham.. Parship dating classes. Leiths School of Food and Wine, London. www.parship.co.uk Leith's is no doubt brilliant but DO NOT TRUST PARSHIP, the Independent's dating site. Terrible - in fact the reviews are so bad we wouldn't be going too far when we say it's a scam. So not sure how the two would combine. I will check out. FEEL FREE TO ADD TO THESE BY COMMENTING BELOW - THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE IN LONDON OR INDEED THE UK!

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Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:33:00 -0700 Green Food http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/14/green-food http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/14/green-food

Green Smoothies For Beginners

Basic Balance

1 mango 1 cup kale 1 cup water Yields 1 quart

Rocket Fuel Smoothie

2 cups green or red seedless grapes 3 golden kiwis, peeled 1 ripe orange, peeled, seeds removed 1 small leaf of aloe vera, with skin 5 leaves red leaf lettuce 2 cups water Yields 2 quarts

Party in Your Mouth Green Smoothie

1 small pineapple, cored 1 large mango, peeled ½ head romaine lettuce ½ inch fresh ginger root Yields 2 quarts

Morning Zing Smoothie

4:½ bunch dandelion greens 2 stalks celery ½ inch fresh gingerroot 2 peaches ½ pineapple Yields 2 quarts

Parsley Passion Smoothie

1 bunch fresh parsley 1 cucumber, peeled 1 Fuji apple 1 ripe banana 1–2 cups water Yields 2 quarts

Savory Green Smoothies and Soups

Mediterranean Soup

3 cups spinach 3 stalks celery 1 sprig oregano 1 sprig thyme 1 red bell pepper 1 large avocado 1 cucumber 1 jalapeño pepper 1 lime, juiced 2 cups water Enjoy with dulse leaves or flakes. Yields 3 quarts

Soup Gazpacho

3 leaves kale, stems removed 1 bunch basil 3 large tomatoes 2 stalks celery 1 red bell pepper 1 large avocado 1 lime, juiced 1 cup water 2 cups love Yields 2 quarts

Thai Soup

2 cucumbers 1 large avocado 1 lime, juiced 3 cloves garlic 6 leaves curly kale, stems removed ½ teaspoon dried turmeric powder ½ inch fresh gingerroot 2 cups water Yields 2 quarts

Cucumber Dill-icious Soup

2 cucumbers ½ bunch dill 1 large avocado 5 leaves dinosaur kale, stems removed 2 stalks celery 1 lime, juiced 3 cloves garlic Yields 2 quarts

Green Puddings

Kent Mango Bliss

2 Kent mangoes 1 bunch chard, stems removed 1 pear 1 banana Serve with kiwi. Yields 3 cups

Green Pudding

1 bunch fresh parsley 5 grape leaves ½ pineapple 1 Abbot pear 1 orange, peeled 1 cup water Yields 2 cups

Persimmon Pudding

3 fuyu persimmons, peeled, seeds removed 3 cups baby spinach 1 ripe banana Yields 2 cups

The Pear-fect Smoothie

2 d’Anjou pears 7 leaves purple kale, stems removed 1 leaf aloe vera 1 banana Yields 2 cups

Applesauce

4 apples 1 banana 1 head romaine lettuce ½ teaspoon cinnamon 2 cups water Yields 3 cups

Green Smoothies for Body Care

Aloe Facial Cleanser

½ cucumber ½ avocado 1 large leaf aloe vera, with skin Apply on skin as a sunscreen, or after sunburn, or to improve overall skin health. Keep on skin 10–30 minutes, then rinse off. Yields 1 cup

Super Green Smoothies

Victoria’s Favorite Dark Green

1 bunch dandelion greens 4 Roma tomatoes 3 cups water Yields 2 quarts

Heavy Metals Be Gone

1 bunch cilantro 2 cups stinging nettles 1 bunch fresh parsley 3 stalks celery 1 lemon, juiced 2 mangoes 2 cups apple juice Yields 2 quarts

Green Smoothie Monster

4 leaves kale, stems removed 4 leaves chard, stems removed ½ bunch fresh parsley 1 leaf aloe vera ½ bunch dandelion greens 3 pears 1 banana 3 cups water Yields 2 quarts

Dark Green Love

1 bunch dandelion greens 1 medium cucumber 3 cups water Yields 2 quarts

Green Smoothies for Adventurous Souls

O-mega Aphrodisiac

3 cups wild purslane 1 small watermelon 3 limes, juiced Yields 2 quarts

Revitalizing Energizer Smoothie

6 young grape leaves (they contain resveratrol, which triggers longevity genes) 3 leaves dinosaur kale, stems removed 2 mangoes 1 pint strawberries 2 cups orange juice Yields 1 quart

Summer Splendor Smoothie

4 leaves chard, stems removed 3 stalks celery 1 head fresh parsley 6 apricots 3 peaches ½ vanilla bean Yields 2 quarts

“Bitter Delight” Cocktail

1 large leaf aloe vera, with skin 4 leaves chard, stems removed 3 cups chickweed 1 banana 1 peach 1 pear Yields 1 quart

Green Smoothies for Children

Miner’s Lettuce Smoothie

3 cups wild crafted miner’s lettuce (wild edible) 2 ripe pears ½ pint blueberries 2 cups water Yields 2 quarts

Coco-Tango

Thai coconut, meat and water 5 leaves kale, stems removed 2 nectarines 2 peaches 1 mango Yields 2 quarts

The Laughing Gorilla

½ head romaine lettuce 2 ripe bananas, peeled and frozen 2 oranges, peeled, seeds removed 1 mango 2 cups water Yields 2 quarts

Emerald Applesauce

4:5 apples 1 bunch fresh parsley ½ inch fresh ginger root Yields 3 cups

Green Smoothies for Pets

Poochie’s Gourmet Green Smoothie

1 cup kale 1 banana 1 cup water 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon kelp (granules or powder) Add some torn nori sheets; dogs love it!

Fluffy’s Delight

1 cup wheatgrass clippings (or any other grass, not sprayed) 1 cup water 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 capsules fish oil (pour on the smoothie, in the bowl) Pinch of catnip (optional) Yields 7 servings: You may freeze it in an ice-cube tray and serve it by the cube. Recipes courtesy of the Boutenko family

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Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:52:38 -0800 Green smoothie... http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/10/green-smoothie http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/10/green-smoothie You should drink this every day if poss.. But you need a juicer. After you've juiced each veg/fruit, scoop out the pulp and put it in a container in the freezer. You can add this to the pan next time you are making soup. Or muffins. broccoli, 3 heads celery, 3 sticks ginger, an inch lemon, a half or whole apples - 2 or 3 spinach, a handful barley grass powder get from health food shop spirulina, get from healthy food shop.

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Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:08:14 -0800 Food Waste http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/09/food-waste http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/09/food-waste Following on from my Bloody Well Smell It post, I want to investigate how food outlets and restaurants in my local area deal with their waste. Here's a professional service for food waste collection and composting, but it's based in Essex. I wonder if anything similar exists in Brent. I need to get a campaign going under the Transition umbrella... and then tie it to free compost for our gardens... Juniper Food Waste Run by a team of dedicated and experienced professionals, our sole purpose at Juniper is to provide a food waste collection service that is cost effective and efficient, that addresses corporate social responsibility and regulatory requirements, in a manner that is environmentally sound.

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Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:24:27 -0800 Raw colourful salad yum number1 http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/08/raw-colourful-salad-yum-number1 http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/08/raw-colourful-salad-yum-number1 Mash up an avocado with some feta cheese, lemon juice salt and pepper. make a vinaigrette. Chop up - small - the following : (obviously you can bung in any veg you have in the cupboard/fridge) a couple of sprigs of spring onion some french beans (don't steam, leave raw) a pepper - red or yellow grate a carrot maybe some home grown sprouted seeds Throw on a handful of mixed nuts, sunflower seeds - and a few raisins. Mix the vinaigrette in and put some dollops of the avocado cheese on top. and feel virtuous!

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Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:12:33 -0800 Rainbow cake??? http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/05/rainbow-cake http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/05/rainbow-cake I found this on another blog and I just HAVE to try it one day, even though it could be disgusting! Maybe I'll do it with merangues instead.. Here's the link: http://whisk-kid.blogspot.com/2009/08/say-it-with-cake.html
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Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:34:43 -0800 The Falafel King http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/05/the-falafel-king http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/05/the-falafel-king For many years I have been addicted to the falafels of a small outlet called Falafel King, just near the bridge on Portobello Road. They put cabbage and tahini in the pitta with their falafels but the best thing is their chilli sauce - delightfully, juicily GREEN and runny I was always ask for triple the amount anyone else has. I've asked a couple of times over the years what's in it, but they kept it a closely guarded secret. However, I'm pleased to say I can now tell you, having worked it out. It's just coriander (masses) , vegetable oil, and green chillis. Radical man. Maybe some lemon.Whizzed in a whizzer-upper.

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Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:36:41 -0800 Coconut water - miracle food number 1 http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/03/coconut-water-miracle-food-number-1 http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/03/03/coconut-water-miracle-food-number-1 Our miracle food for the week is: Coconut Water ! The natural electrolyte! Coconut water happens to be one of the purest liquids known to man, and the health benefits of coconut water are numerous. Don't bother with those sachets of manmade electrolytes when you have a runny tummy; this is what you should be drinking as it's packed with organic electrolytes, sodium, potassium, magnesium. When you need rehydrating, or a sports drink - THIS is the one to pick, don't let any of that fake artificial Lucozade stuff go near you. Drinking coconut water helps in breaking down and eliminating all forms of kidney and bladder stones. It is also known to calm nervous and emotional imbalances. Coconut water aids in flushing the liver, since it contains lauric acid, which gives it anti-microbial properties and makes it suitable for treatment of some liver ailments like hepatitis. And it contains glucose, which acts as sugar for energy in the body when taken, vitamin B's, for  replenishment of worn out cells and tissues, and vitamin c, for the immune system
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etc. Of course, Polynesians, Asians, Brasilians, etc have known this for centuries. And now Madonna & Demi Moore and co are investing in the Vita Coco brand. If I had any money and knew how to invest, I would too! Although - I have to say - it's far nicer out of  a chilled and freshly macheted coconut on the beach than out of my fridge in freezing London. see more on electrolytes and why they could be the key to understanding your body under the tag "electrolyte" .

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Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:56:16 -0800 Thai snake head fish recipe http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/24/thai-snake-head-fish-recipe http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/24/thai-snake-head-fish-recipe I'm not sure you'll find snake head fish here, so we'll have to try this with any white fleshy fish I reckon. It's the typically Thai flavours of the sauce that are so important and the crispy fried skin of the fish that gives the deliciously satisfying texture on the tongue. Ooh - and if you can find half a thing of bamboo you could use it as a plate! [caption id="attachment_664" align="alignleft" width="600" caption="Snake-head fish"]
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[/caption] Fry the fish - veg oil - or why not try coconut oil if you have some - much healthier. Or olive oil. Make sure the oil's really hot before putting the fish in and be careful to not let the skin stick to the pan. When it's fried, put it to one side. Now chop up: 1 tblespn of galangal and another tblespn of ginger, or 2 of ginger (grated) 1 tblespn of lemongrass 2 shallots, chopped finely 2 red chillis, small - sliced then crushed in a pestle & mortar 2 tblespns of coconut milk Then put a little more oil in a wok, and put in the mixture and fry until the wafting of lovely flavours begins. Then add 1 tblespn of soya sauce and a spoon of sugar. Then the Thais add monosodiumglutamate MSG) but we're not going to do that, we'll just add a bit of a crumbled stock cube instead. Not too much. Simmer all this for a bit then pour over the fish!

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Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:16:56 -0800 Amazing dairy-free milk http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/18/amazing-dairy-free-milk http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/18/amazing-dairy-free-milk Hurray! I've finally discovered a non-dairy milk I actually like the taste of! Kara Coconut milk - it's drinking milk, not the coconut milk you'd use for Thai curries. And, it's better than soya and rice milk as it's even healthier. It only got released on the market recently - it's cholesterol and lactose free, and contains the richest source of Lauric Acid of any kind of milk. Lauric Acid is a medium chain fatty acid, which is healthier than saturated animal fats and also helps control cholesterol. http://karadairyfree.com/ Coconut milk is from the coconut flesh, not the same as the coconut water, which sits in the middle of the fruit, which is also full of electrolytes - a natural isotonic beverage. (see other posts) http://www.talkingretail.com/products/product-news/14219-kara-dairy-free-the-...

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Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:51:53 -0800 Sprouting - the joys of http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/16/sprouting-the-joys-of http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/16/sprouting-the-joys-of I've given up using the 3 tiered sprouter from Planet Organic as it didn't work - seeds went mouldy, water went stagnant, seeds all clumped up, etc. Turns out you just need a large jar anyway. 1) wash the seeds. Lentil, mung bean, alfafa, chickpea, fenugreek, try 'em all. Bigger ones take longer to sprout. 2) Fill the jar with an inch or 2 of water and leave the seeds in there for 24 hours. 3) Rinse out the water and leave the jar on its side with the seeds spread out. Cover with a teatowel - they have to germinate in the dark.Don't screw the jar lid on too tightly so a bit of air can escape. 4) Every 24 hours or so, rinse the seeds. 5) after 3 days, check to see if you can harvest them.... It's absolutely worth getting into the habit of doing this because they're so yummy in salads - and they are the healthiest food you can eat, full of living enzymes. See these for inspiration: http://www.sproutpeople.com/cookery.html https://www.livingfood.co.uk/

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Sat, 13 Feb 2010 20:14:38 -0800 Tomato chilli jam recipe http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/13/tomato-chilli-jam-recipe http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/13/tomato-chilli-jam-recipe
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Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:56:40 -0800 Khmer Chicken from Cambodia http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/10/khmer-chicken-from-cambodia http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/10/khmer-chicken-from-cambodia Khmer Chicken with Bok Choi (serves 2, or 1 hungry man) Chop these thinly and keep separately in piles: 2 cloves garlic 1 shallot (Onion if you can’t be bothered to buy shallots, but only a very small amount (1/5 th of an onion) 3 small lemon grass stalks but exclude the outer skin first – chop these as finely as you can! 2 pieces of fresh turmeric (hard to get it fresh in the UK?) 1 and a half kaffir lime leaves – roll them up first then chop thinly Galangal 1 inch square, or ginger if no galangal
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Mix and smash these in a pestle and mortar (or cheat with a blender) But they must go into it in the following order.. lemon grass, kaffir, galangal/ginger : smash a LOT to a pulp THEN the rest except shallots; smash smash smash, and the shallots must go in last, more smashing.
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Now you're ready to spread this mixture onto the chicken - a large organic piece of deboned thigh preferably. On to the chicken, which you have slathered in this yummy bright yellow spicy mixture, add 2 tablespoons of coconut milk, half a teaspoon of chicken stock. Here you are supposed to add 3 tablespoons of oyster sauce, but I say either add 1 only or none at all - I am suspicious that this is the Cambodians over-doing it a bit, making it far too salty. Over this add a couple of tablespoons of crushed peanuts - you should seriously think about keeping a jar of these in your larder - crushed to the point where some are powdery and none are left whole. (beware of using salted, but roasted should be ok) Now, heat some oil in a pan - by the way, the healthiest oil to cook with is coconut oil - if not, then olive oil, but you do not need any other oil in your kitchen - and make sure the pan has a lid or at least something you can improvise as a lid. When the oil's hot, fry the chicky with all of its yellow mixture  but don't toss it around too much, you want it to go a bit crispy so leave it in place, turning it over once or twice. When it's gone much browner, possibly 10 minutes, it's ready!
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You can serve with steamed rice and bok choi. The bok choi can be literally steamed with a bit of water, lemon juice and oil in the bottom of a pan or wok. Remember the lid!! If you want to be more elaborate, you can toss over it a bit of crushed garlic, palm sugar, fish sauce, a ladle of vegetable stock and some black pepper. The Cambodians like to add cornflower mixed with water at this point too but I thing this makes it look gloopy, you want it fresh and green. Don't oversteam, you don't want it to lose colour.
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Mon, 08 Feb 2010 07:48:10 -0800 Thai green papaya salad (Som Tam or Pok Pok) http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/08/thai-green-papaya-salad http://peticawatson.posterous.com/2010/02/08/thai-green-papaya-salad One of my favourite Thai dishes of all time, but to make it in the UK you've got to find where they might sell green papaya and dried shrimps. Asian supermarkets will, but charging 10 times the few baht you'd buy them for in South East Asia - I just bought one green papaya for £4.80!  AND it's flown by air so food miles and carbon footprint are huge, but just once in a while it's nice to have a treat. I guess you could replace the green papaya with rice noodles and prawns, but that makes it a different salad.. I learned this in Cambodia but I've changed the recipe since the Thais make it better I think. (The Cambodians were getting carried away adding oyster sauce and tomato ketchup into the mix, sorry but yuk!) There are loads of variations on this recipe, just fiddle around with the ingredients till it tastes how you like it. You need a pestle and mortar if you want to do this properly really! Everything, even the shredded papaya, needs bruising in it. You'll also need a julienne stripper to shred the papaya, and v useful for other veg like carrot too.

Ingredients (serving 1)

A large handful of shredded green papaya A small handful of dried shrimps, chopped 1 small Thai red chilli, chopped Some green beans, chopped into 2cm lengths - can be lightly steamed or raw, in fact if you have a tendency to over-boil veg then don't go anywhere NEAR the saucepan with these! Half a clove of garlic, peeled and chopped 1 large handful of cherry tomatoes, halved 2 small handfuls of roasted peanuts (it’s fine if they’re salted) 1 tablespoon of palm sugar - ordinary sugar if you have none, but try and always buy unrefined 1 tablespoon of fish sauce lime juice - at least 1 lime if not two or 3 Thai basil

Method

peel the papaya, and shred with a julienne shredder into thin strips. Pound the green beans, red chilli and garlic in the mortar. Throw in the peanuts and dried shrimp and pound again, then add the palm sugar and tomatoes and pound again, lightly. Now introduce the lime juice, fish sauce and a large handful of shredded papaya. Give one last quick bruise and mix.
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