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Hummus

Photo by Creative Commons

Ingredients:

• One 15-ounce can (425 grams) chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans
• 1/4 cup (59 ml) fresh lemon juice, about 1 large lemon
• 1/4 cup (59 ml) tahini (we used Krinos)
• Half of a large garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, depending on taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 to 3 tablespoons water
• Dash of ground paprika for serving

Preparation:

• In a bowl or a food processor, combine tahini and lemon juice. Process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl, then turn on and process for 30 seconds. This extra time helps “whip” or “cream” the tahini, making smooth and creamy hummus possible.
• Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin and the salt to whipped tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape sides and bottom of bowl, then process another 30 seconds.
• Open can of chickpeas, drain liquid, then rinse well with water. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor, then process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl, add remaining chickpeas and process for 1 to 2 minutes, or until thick and quite smooth.
• Most likely the hummus will be too thick or still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, with the food processor turned on, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water until the consistency is perfect.
• Scrape the hummus into a bowl and drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top and sprinkle with paprika.
• Store homemade hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate up to one week.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great weekend!

Lisa

Entertainment:

Coven Season Three: ‘American Horror Story’ Details About ‘Coven’ Season Three: ‘American Horror Story’

Ryan Murphy revealed the set up for the next installment of “American Horror Story” during a Friday night event for Emmy voters. Coven will be a massive witch-off: Salem versus voodoo.

“The witches of Salem, the smart ones, got out very early and they were none of the ones who were burned,” Murphy explained. “They all gravitated toward New Orleans, where they now live, and every generation has a great witch who has the most powers of them all, and that’s called the Supreme. Ms. Jessica Lange is the Supreme.” Read full story - au.ibtimes.com

News:

Bedfordshire kids taken by social services over card game, claim parents A PAGAN couple claim a game of dungeons and dragons led social services to take their kids away after the authority equated it with ‘witchcraft’.

The Bedfordshire pair, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of their two daughters, say they have been persecuted for their beliefs and claim social services accused them of ‘devil worship’.

Nutmeg

Photo by yumievriwan

Nutmeg is indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas (or Spice Islands) of Indonesia and the tree can grow up to 66 feet tall.  The peach-shaped fruit is known as the nutmeg apple, which is discarded in favor of the aromatic seed inside. The fruit splits when ripe to expose a pecan sized nut wrapped in a bright red “netting” called an aril. The nut and aril are then separated and dried. The nut is nutmeg, the aril (which turns a yellow as it dries) yields the spice mace. Both spices have a long history of use in both Chinese and Indian medicine, nutmeg is more commonly used. Health benefits include; a calming effect, helps to lower blood pressure and soothes digestive upset. It can be mixed with a neutral oil (for use in a massage) to ease joint pain and inflammation.

Sandalwood Oil

Photo by  Cinnamon Vogue

In India, Tibet and China, Sandalwood is used to protect religious carvings in temples. The best quality and most expensive comes from India. These trees are are endangered and protected by the government in one province. The oils from Australia and West India are less effective. True Sandalwood oil is complicated to make and becoming rare. The tree should be 40 years old before the oil can be extracted, and it requires up to 55 pounds of wood chips for 1 quart of oil, then distilled for six months.

DRUNKEN PORK

MflEKPH MEZE

Bekri meze

Ingredients:

• 1 Ib 2 oz boneless pork loin, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup tomato juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• Salt and pepper
• Sour or Sweet trahana

Preparation:

• Place pork in a bowl with mustard until coated on all sides.
• Heat the oil in a heavy skillet or frying pan. Add garlic and pork, cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for approximately 10 minutes, and the meat is lightly browned.
• Stir in the wine, a little at a time, cook over high heat until it has evaporated.
• Add the tomato juice, cayenne pepper, oregano, allspice and season with salt and pepper.
• Simmer for about 10 minutes, until meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.
• Serve with red wine and Sweet or Sour trahana. (See directions below for Trahana)

SWEET  TRAHANA

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 8 1/4 cups of semolina, or 1/2 semolina and 1/2 bulgar wheat

Preparation:

• Bring the milk to a boil in a pan, stirring constantly.
• Add the salt, reduce the heat, and gradually add the semolina and bulgur wheat mixture, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 10-15 minutes, until very thick.
• Remove from heat, cover with a thick cotton towel, and let cool.
• Break the dough into small, rough pieces and put them on a thick cotton cloth in a single layer.
• Let stand in a dark, well-ventilated place for about 2 hours, until dry and crumbly.
• Rub the pieces through a coarse strainer, then spread out on a thick cotton cloth, and leave in a cool place for 4-5 days, until completely dry.
• Store in a cotton bag hanging in a cool place or in the refrigerator.

SOUR TRAHANA

• 3  cups sheep’s milk
• 1/2 cup Plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 8 1/2 cups semolina, or 1/2 bulgur wheat and 1/2 semolina

Preparation:

• Pour milk in a large ceramic bowl, add the yogurt and salt, mix well with a wooden spoon.
• Place a thick dish towel on top, cover with a thick blanket, let stand in a warm place, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for 18 hours.
• Gradually stir in the semolina or bulgur wheat mixture to form a thick dough.
• Break the dough into rough walnut-sized pieces and put them on a thick cotton cloth in a single layer.
• Let stand in a dark, well-ventilated place for 2-6 hours, or until dry and crumbly.
• Rub through a coarse strainer, then spread out on a thick cotton cloth, and leave in a cool place for 4-5 days, until completely dry.
• Store in a cotton bag hanging in a cool place or in the refrigerator.

Thanks for stopping by!

News:

Even in the Bible Belt, pagan symbols dot Birmingham Those of you who read my column regularly know that I never post political or religious pieces. However, a recent Fox News story regarding Pagan and Wiccan holidays at the University of Missouri prompted a whirlwind of religious debate across the nation.Fox News stereotyped Pagans and Wiccans as “Compulsive Dungeons and Dragons players” or “middle-aged, twice-divorced older women living in a rural area working as midwives”, and said that the bad part about Wicca was “well, witchcraft”. Negative stereotypes aside, Fox News also mentioned that there were relatively few Wiccans and Pagans in the United States (There are ~1 million).

ACACIA (Acacia Senegal)

Folk Names: Cape Gum, Gum Arabic, Egyption Thorn, Kikwata, Mgunga, Mkwatia, Mokala

Powers: Cleansing, Contact the dead, Protection, Psychic Powers

Photo by Tim Waters

Acacia is native to the Sudan region in Africa, as well as Oman, Pakistan, and northwestern India. It grows to a height of 5-12m, with a trunk up to 30 cm in diameter.

The Egyptians wove their funeral wreaths with Acacia leaves, their mummies wrappings were coated with the liquid made from Acacia. Christian belief is Christ’s crown of thorns was from Acacia, and possibly the crucifix. The Bible recounts the bush of Moses was also an Acacia as well as Noah’s Ark. In honor of a departed friend, the ancient Hebrews planted a sprig. Acacia is known to stand for immortality and initiation as well as a symbol of an eternal and pure soul. In ritual the leaves are burned as incense or used to sprinkle blessed water.

Woodruff (Galium odoratum)

Folk Names: Herb Walter, ladies in the hay, muge-de-boys,  sweet grass, waldmeister,  woodderowffe, wood-rovam, wood rowan, wuderove.

Photo by naturalhistoryman

Woodruff Galium odoratum is a perennial plant from the Madder family. Native to Europe and the Middle East, it grows 4-8 inches tall.

Woodruff’s scent increases when wilting, once dried it can be used as potpourri. It used to be sewn into cotton bags and hung in closets as a moth deterrent. Mixed with white wine it is thought to strengthen the heart. (Only the above-ground portion of the plant is used) It contains coumarin glucosides that acts as an anticoagulants and can be used to counteract excessive blood clotting.

“I’d sit with the men, the women of God, there by the lake of beer, we’d be drinking good health forever, and every drop would be a prayer.” – Saint Brigid’s Prayer

Thanks for stopping by!

Lisa