Fresh spices ready to be prepared for cooking
Be generous with your herbs and spices
Date/Time: Fri 02 Jun 2006 04:34:56 PM PHT
Besides many immune enhancing and healing powers herbs also have vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other most valuable ingredients for a perfect health. Best is always to use herbs and spices from your own organic garden! Collect just minutes before actual use to maintain maximum freshness of taste and fragrance.
Fresh herbs and spices in the Philippines
Delicious spices and herbs can be found in nature or on the market - use abundant of herbs as preventive medicine to enhance your immune system. Here my spice mixture on the way to become Thai curry paste.
Date/Time: Fri 02 Jun 2006 04:51:37 PM PHT
Fresh herbs and spices - here on the photo you see the complete mixture of spices needed for a fresh Thai curry paste. You find the full recipe of my fresh Thai curry paste in the forum.
Gourmet food is like a magic potion - food alone can be a most powerful medicine
Gourmet food can touch far more than stomach and heart. Delicious gourmet dishes are made with fresh herbs and spices.
Date/Time: Fri 02 Jun 2006 06:26:38 PM PHT
Each herb or spice has a particular taste, fragrance and its own "herbal personality". Creating the magic mixture of right components may make any additional ingredients obsolete - may be just a little salt - or if living near a truly clean ocean - a little fresh ocean water instead of salt!
Old magicians now that herbs and spices are magic medicine. Change body functions, heal illness, improve health, strengthen immune system, affect emotions and mind ... and finally touch the heart and soul of a beloved one.
The smell of gently cooking food with a variety of fresh spices and herbs already starts the magic action on the mood of the loved one to eat the herbal power enriched dishes.
Old magicians now that herbs and spices are magic medicine. Change body functions, heal illness, improve health, strengthen immune system, affect emotions and mind ... and finally touch the heart and soul of a beloved one.
The smell of gently cooking food with a variety of fresh spices and herbs already starts the magic action on the mood of the loved one to eat the herbal power enriched dishes.
Lemon grass - citronella grass - Cymbopogon
Lemon grass grows in tropical and sub-tropical climate in abundance - like grass.
Date/Time: Tue 30 May 2006 11:12:54 AM PHT
Lemon grass is easy to recognize - it looks like many other grass varieties but it really tastes and smells deliciously like lemon - hence its name.
Lemongrass or citronella grass
Lemongrass grows in large grass-bushes
Date/Time: Tue 30 May 2006 10:40:58 AM PHT
Each Lemongrass bush is a number of many smaller lemongrass plants as can easily be seen on the first picture. Hence you break one of the small lemongrass bundles away from the plant - take as much as you need and leave the plant growing in the garden.
Lemongrass can be used manifold in our kitchen.
Lemongrass tea
Lemongrass in soups, specially fish soups are delicious with one bundles of lemongrass per person
Lemongrass is a firm ingredient of the traditional Thai curry paste
Using Lemongrass - crunch it before adding it to soups or other dishes or as for the Thai curry paste crush the lemon grass in your mortar.
Lemon grass also is used as insect repellent and air freshener or use lemon grass in your bathtub for a refreshing bath to refresh youth and beauty.
Lemongrass can be used manifold in our kitchen.
Lemongrass tea
Lemongrass in soups, specially fish soups are delicious with one bundles of lemongrass per person
Lemongrass is a firm ingredient of the traditional Thai curry paste
Using Lemongrass - crunch it before adding it to soups or other dishes or as for the Thai curry paste crush the lemon grass in your mortar.
Lemon grass also is used as insect repellent and air freshener or use lemon grass in your bathtub for a refreshing bath to refresh youth and beauty.
Hot chili pepper - a cooks delice to get fire into his dishes
Chili peppers are more than just hot - Chili peppers are spicy, tasty and delicious !
Date/Time: Thu 24 Aug 2006 04:41:20 PM PHT
Chili peppers are found in many varieties and each variety has its own taste. Hence chili pepper is tasty and used for seasoning as well. Chili pepper is burning hot and should never been eaten by a breast feeding mother. The spices are in the breast milk within minutes and the result is a crying baby for many hours and no doctor can help - baby's stomach is far more sensitive to spicy food than adults even if the spicy food is eaten by the breastfeeding mother the amount of hot spicy energy in the breast milk still is enough to cause severe pain to a baby.
Chili peppers can be used directly for cooking, or added to herbal oils for cooking or to herbal vinegar. Here in the Philippines chili peppers are used manifold in oil, vinegar and cooking.
You know the [URL=http://www.kriyayoga.com/newsletters/nl200304.html]secret of love about spicy food[/URL]
Chili peppers are added to a large variety of dishes - such as [URL=http://www.kriyayoga.com/familyforum/posts/466.html]Thai curry paste[/URL], goulash, [URL=http://www.kriyayoga.com/familyforum/posts/102.html]fish goulash[/URL], pizza, tomato sauce, soups and many delicious fiery dishes.
Enjoy
Chili peppers can be used directly for cooking, or added to herbal oils for cooking or to herbal vinegar. Here in the Philippines chili peppers are used manifold in oil, vinegar and cooking.
You know the [URL=http://www.kriyayoga.com/newsletters/nl200304.html]secret of love about spicy food[/URL]
Chili peppers are added to a large variety of dishes - such as [URL=http://www.kriyayoga.com/familyforum/posts/466.html]Thai curry paste[/URL], goulash, [URL=http://www.kriyayoga.com/familyforum/posts/102.html]fish goulash[/URL], pizza, tomato sauce, soups and many delicious fiery dishes.
Enjoy
Chili peppers are found in abundance and cheap on Philippine markets
Hot and fiery or mild and tasty - a large variety of chili is available in the Philippines
Date/Time: Sun 23 Apr 2006 02:57:54 PM PHT
Different varieties of chili peppers are found year round. Beware before buying what you buy - never trust the answer of the sales lady. If you look for sweet or mild chili pepper - taste a bite before you buy. While most of the time the larger chili peppers are mild and very tasty - you also find fiery hot large chili peppers on the Philippine markets.
Chili pepper plant are decorative in your garden or home
Chili pepper plants grow in tropical or subtropical climate zones
Date/Time: Tue 30 May 2006 10:06:44 AM PHT
The chili pepper plant for the small and fiery chili pepper can even be grown indoor in central European climate. Sunny side, near window, very warm room and you may be lucky as I was many years ago - grow your chili pepper plant from fresh or dried seeds of your preferred chili pepper variety. After about 6-9 months you may have your own chili fresh for cooking. Chili pepper also can be dried and used for a year or so - however the tasty part gets lost and only the fiery part of the chili peppers remain in dried form.
The Chili pepper plant with its dark green leaves, white blossoms and red fruits is decorative in your garden even if you never use it to cook! Chili plant have nice white small blossoms while at the same time you see dark red fruits on the same plant.
Once the plant is about 1 year old you will have a rich harvest all year round if living in a tropical paradise like the Philippines and one chili plant is usually enough for an entire household.
The Chili pepper plant with its dark green leaves, white blossoms and red fruits is decorative in your garden even if you never use it to cook! Chili plant have nice white small blossoms while at the same time you see dark red fruits on the same plant.
Once the plant is about 1 year old you will have a rich harvest all year round if living in a tropical paradise like the Philippines and one chili plant is usually enough for an entire household.
Young chili pepper plant
A young chili pepper plant starts to bear fruits after about 6-9 months.
Date/Time: Tue 30 May 2006 10:07:09 AM PHT
Of course the natural home of chili peppers is tropical climate - a variety of soil - even very dry and sandy like here on the photo from Bicol province - Philippines.
The plant then grows slowly and continues year round to blossom and have fresh delicious chili peppers. Pick as you need always fresh from the plant. As you see on this and the previous photos - chili pepper plants easily grows amidst other plants side by side. No special place or distance needed - just the right neighborhood. We humans do the same - the right one always can be near us - skin to skin - only the wrong ones need to be at a "safe distance".
If ever you got too much chili pepper in a meal - use the Thai method - eat a few leaves of fresh mint. Smart cooks sometimes even have several mint leaves included in the dish, in Thai soups for example or Vietnamese Nem.
The plant then grows slowly and continues year round to blossom and have fresh delicious chili peppers. Pick as you need always fresh from the plant. As you see on this and the previous photos - chili pepper plants easily grows amidst other plants side by side. No special place or distance needed - just the right neighborhood. We humans do the same - the right one always can be near us - skin to skin - only the wrong ones need to be at a "safe distance".
If ever you got too much chili pepper in a meal - use the Thai method - eat a few leaves of fresh mint. Smart cooks sometimes even have several mint leaves included in the dish, in Thai soups for example or Vietnamese Nem.
Young eucalyptus tree
Very young eucalyptus trees have different shaped leaves than adult trees
Date/Time: Thu 20 Apr 2006 03:18:18 PM PHT
Round shaped are the leaves from very young eucalyptus trees. A few months later the leaves start to adopt the "adult"-form - long. This small baby-eucalyptus tree is cultivated in the mountain areas outside Baguio city - Baguio mountains are the typical source for new eucalyptus trees then sold all over the island.
Eucalyptus trees - half grown
These eucalyptus trees are about 20-30 years old
Date/Time: Mon 12 Mar 2007 07:56:33 AM PHT
Fully grown blue eucalyptus trees may have a diameter of 60cm or more and grown 20-30 meters high.
The eucalyptus tree has a natural home in many South-East Asian countries and India. From tropical zones - sea level - up to tropical mountains near frost zones of 2100+ meters above sea level the eucalyptus tree grows easily-. The largest and fastest growing trees however I have seen in cooler high altitude mountain regions in tropical zones.
In a single year a new tree branch can grow several meters and reach a diameter up to about the wrist size of an adult man. These one year old branches then can be harvested to process the leaves for its powerful healing eucalyptus oil.
Eucalyptus trees love it wet - but also grow in rather dry environment like here on the picture - of course these trees just a few kilometers outside Angeles city toward north - have a several months lasting heavy rainy season to satisfy the thirst.
The eucalyptus tree has a natural home in many South-East Asian countries and India. From tropical zones - sea level - up to tropical mountains near frost zones of 2100+ meters above sea level the eucalyptus tree grows easily-. The largest and fastest growing trees however I have seen in cooler high altitude mountain regions in tropical zones.
In a single year a new tree branch can grow several meters and reach a diameter up to about the wrist size of an adult man. These one year old branches then can be harvested to process the leaves for its powerful healing eucalyptus oil.
Eucalyptus trees love it wet - but also grow in rather dry environment like here on the picture - of course these trees just a few kilometers outside Angeles city toward north - have a several months lasting heavy rainy season to satisfy the thirst.
Young eucalyptus leaves
On a grown up eucalyptus tree even young leaves have the long pointy shape
Date/Time: Mon 12 Mar 2007 08:01:21 AM PHT
These young but fully grown leaves are the source of the world wide known eucalyptus oil - a very powerful ingredient in many herbal medicine applications - internal and external.
Eucalyptus tree bark has a white color
Very distinct and easy to recognize from far by its distinct white tree bark
Date/Time: Mon 12 Mar 2007 08:03:19 AM PHT
Only very large and very old eucalyptus trees no longer have the white tree bark.
Tree bark color of eucalyptus tree
Mostly white color is the tree bark fo eucalyptus tree
Date/Time: Mon 12 Mar 2007 07:58:56 AM PHT
Smooth texture - a little shiny in the bright sunlight is the tree bark of eucalyptus trees
Eucalyptus tea - a powerful medicine for cough made of fresh eucalyptus leaves
Eucalyptus tea is best made always from fresh eucalyptus leaves - new leaves - i.e. fully grown but on young branches are used for eucalyptus tea. One single leave is enough for a large cup of eucalyptus tea.
Date/Time: Mon 12 Mar 2007 07:58:40 AM PHT
How to prepare eucalyptus tea:
Take a single leave, break the eucalyptus leave into small peaces or cut it in to peaces, put in a large cup, add hot water and let rest for about 4-6 minutes - then add honey or brown sugar and drink in small zips while hot.
You can drink one or 2 cups of eucalyptus tea just for fun or as preventive medicine. If you have a cough, then you drink 4-5 large cups per day. Children drink 3-4 small cups per day.
Eucalyptus leaves are thick and if you rub them gently between fingers the strong and powerful eucalyptus fragrance is freed ... and your fingers will be sticky from the resinous nature of the eucalyptus oil.
Eucalyptus tea made of dried eucalyptus leaves has lost most of its healing power and should be avoided as herbal medicine. If you live in a eucalyptus area and need eucalyptus leaves for your herbal cough medicine - then best is to cut small branches with a few dozen leaves and keep this fresh branches in a vase with water to prevent drying of the leaves. This method allows you to keep fresh cut branches for at least a day or 2 in useful condition. Eucalyptus leaves dry very fast if stored in aircon rooms or hot car or hot ventilated areas.
If you have no access to fresh eucalyptus leaves but need eucalyptus herbal medicine - then use either pure quality eucalyptus oil or fine quality eucalyptus candy as cough medicine. Here in the Philippine islands we are bless with both - excellent quality eucalyptus candy sold in streets al over the country as well as eucalyptus oil of good quality available mainly ad mercury drug stores are very reasonable prices.
Take a single leave, break the eucalyptus leave into small peaces or cut it in to peaces, put in a large cup, add hot water and let rest for about 4-6 minutes - then add honey or brown sugar and drink in small zips while hot.
You can drink one or 2 cups of eucalyptus tea just for fun or as preventive medicine. If you have a cough, then you drink 4-5 large cups per day. Children drink 3-4 small cups per day.
Eucalyptus leaves are thick and if you rub them gently between fingers the strong and powerful eucalyptus fragrance is freed ... and your fingers will be sticky from the resinous nature of the eucalyptus oil.
Eucalyptus tea made of dried eucalyptus leaves has lost most of its healing power and should be avoided as herbal medicine. If you live in a eucalyptus area and need eucalyptus leaves for your herbal cough medicine - then best is to cut small branches with a few dozen leaves and keep this fresh branches in a vase with water to prevent drying of the leaves. This method allows you to keep fresh cut branches for at least a day or 2 in useful condition. Eucalyptus leaves dry very fast if stored in aircon rooms or hot car or hot ventilated areas.
If you have no access to fresh eucalyptus leaves but need eucalyptus herbal medicine - then use either pure quality eucalyptus oil or fine quality eucalyptus candy as cough medicine. Here in the Philippine islands we are bless with both - excellent quality eucalyptus candy sold in streets al over the country as well as eucalyptus oil of good quality available mainly ad mercury drug stores are very reasonable prices.
Eucalyptus blossom
Beautiful white blossoms of a eucalyptus tree
Date/Time: Mon 12 Mar 2007 07:57:18 AM PHT
For a short period each year we can enjoy the blossoms of eucalyptus trees
Eucalyptus blossoms on young eucalyptus branches
After blossoming season of eucalyptus - eucalyptus seed capsules develop
Date/Time: Mon 12 Mar 2007 07:57:05 AM PHT
Seed capsules develop and produce small fine seeds. If you are lucky and have the right climate, the you may grow your own eucalyptus tree out of these eucalyptus seeds - but keep however in mind that the eucalyptus tree outgrows an average room size easily within one year.
Tamarind
Tamarind is a spice with many uses
Date/Time: Fri 04 May 2007 04:35:17 PM PHT
Tamarind is a spice ingredient used in traditional Thai curry paste recipe, but in the Philippines Tamarind also is used to make delicious sweet and sour tamarind candies.
Tamarind's natural taste is slightly sour - hence tamarind is used where ever a slight sour touch is needed in cooking.
Tamarind's natural taste is slightly sour - hence tamarind is used where ever a slight sour touch is needed in cooking.
Tamarind tree - Tamarindus indica - in full blossom -
Weeks ago while driving down from Baguio City toward La Union I had the pleasure to encounter hundreds of blossoming Tamarind trees along the road
Date/Time: Wed 11 Apr 2007 09:41:46 AM PHT
Tamarind trees are usually up to 10 meters in height and similar size in width. During blossom season all tamarind trees are covered with thousands of beautiful tiny yellow blossoms.
Tamarind blossom
Yellow tamarind blossoms
Date/Time: Wed 11 Apr 2007 09:50:37 AM PHT
Tamarind blossoms are about 1,5-2 cm in size. When closed the tamarind buds are red. Hence sometimes you see small red spots among the ocean of yellow tamarind blossoms on a tamarind tree.
Tamarind tree with tamarind fruits and tamarind blossoms
Tamarind fruits on tamarind tree side by side with tamarind blossoms at the same time
Date/Time: Sat 26 May 2007 01:46:22 PM PHT
In a blessed country with tropical climate- we often see all stages from blossom to ripe fruits side by side on the same tree.
Tamarind leaves
Tamarind leaves as well are used
Date/Time: Wed 23 May 2007 07:27:29 AM PHT
Tamarind - like ALL other plants and trees - is of course rich in herbal medicine applications. Tamarind leaves are used for herbal medicine as well as for spicing up soups in the Philippines. Tamarind leaves are added to fish soups and other soups.
Blossoming tamarind tree - widescreen wallpaper
Widescreen wallpaper of a blossoming tamarind tree
Date/Time: Wed 11 Apr 2007 10:28:07 AM PHT
Beautiful yellow blossoms cover the entire tamarind tree during blossoming season.and ready to harvest fruits for candy or seasoning of exotic dishes.
