Coconut: The Tree Which Grants all Wishes!

As early as the 4th century BCE, Sanskrit writings tell of coconut palms. These palms exemplify the Indian concept of kalpavriksha, which means the tree which grants all wishes, because all of its parts are useful.


The coconut is probably the most famous product from these stately trees. It is a drupe, which is a type of fruit, but not an actual nut. 


The coconut palm, in Indian mythology, was created by the sage Vishwamitra who was helping prop up King Trishanku with one after the king was thrown out of heaven by the gods.


Coconuts are significant in Indian spiritual life. Dehusked coconuts are temple offerings, gifts given to bless a house, and significant participants in marriage rites.

I wanted to use coconut flour. The meat of the coconut is dessicated, then ground up to make flour. It can be used for gluten-free baked products. I modified a recipe that I found on the back of the Bob's Red Mill Coconut Flour package, and really loved the result.  The only warning I have is to watch out for the crumbliness of the cookies when they are still warm. This is probably due to the rice flour plus the coconut flour, because they are both gluten-free and do not have enough binding compounds. Here is the recipe: 1 c. Sugar  1/2 c. Butter 1/3 c. Milk 2 tsp. Vanilla  3/4 c. Rice Flour  1/3 c. Coconut Flour  2 Tbsp. Potato Starch or Flour 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder  1/2 tsp. Baking Soda  1/2 c. crushed Almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream together sugar and margarine with an electric mixer and beat for two minutes. Add vanilla and soymilk and beat for an additional minute. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients, except Almonds. Add dry mix to wet ingredients and briefly mix, then add the almonds. Continue mixing until just blended. The batter should have a moist and fluffy consistency. Place by rounded tablespoon on a greased cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes. Makes 2 dozen cookies. Each cookie has about 130 calories. There is some saturated fat, and a large amount of sugar.

Fig Trees: Ancient Symbols!

© Georges Jansoone, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0

As far back as Ancient Egyptian times, figs provided a sense of fullness to people...little packets of energy to provide the "pep" they needed for their daily toils. Easily dried for preservation, they could be carried around for quick snacks. 


The Egyptians were most familiar with the sycamore fig tree, Ficus sycamorus,the variety that grows throughout Egypt. Sycamore trees often play an important role in Ancient Egyptian Theology as shown in the following:

• The goddess Hathor was referred to as the Lady of the Sycamore.
• The Egyptian sun god Ra emerged from a sycamore.
• Life and death were thought to be decided in a sycamore.
• The translation of text from a pyramid wall is "On the eastern horizon there stands tall sycamore on which the gods are seated."
• In chapter 109 of the Book of the Dead, it says "Two sycamores of turquoise stand by the eastern gate of the heavens from which Ra emerges every morning."

Egyptians used figs to calm the "vessels," heal the bite of a hippo, and treat finger and toe nails. The milky, latex sap of the tree was used to remove hairs from "any body parts."

Today, most figs we eat come from the common fig tree, ficus carica, which originated in western Asia. The ancient Egyptians were familiar with this type of fig, but as Pliny reported, 


The fig of Mount Ida is red, and the size of an olive, rounder however, and like a medlar in flavour; they give it the name of Alexandrian in those parts. The stem is a cubit in thickness; it is branchy, has a tough, pliant wood, is entirely destitute of all milky juice, and has a green bark, and leaves like those of the linden tree, but soft to the touch.
.......
As to the fig of Alexandria, it is a black variety, with the cleft inclining to white; it has had the name given to it of the "delicate" fig

Pliny, Natural History, Book XV, 19 - (eds. John Bostock, H.T. Riley)

Fig trees also played a significant role in Indian religion and mythology. The banyan tree is a type of fig that symbolizes fertility and is sometimes called the tree of immortality. Before mankind harnessed the power of grain and other  foods, the milk of the banyan was said to have been the source of nourishment. 


Buddha achieved enlightenment under a peepal tree which is also a type of fig. Sages and seers still sit under the shade of fig trees to conduct Vedic rituals, discuss ideas, and seek enlightenment.


Sylvia Plath, in The Bell Jar uses the symbolism of the fig tree as a portal between life and death when her main character contemplates suicide as shown in the quote below:


 "I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked….I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.”

I tried the dried figs that you see in the picture above. The black mission figs are quite sweet and make wonderful snacks. The white Turkish figs have a milder flavor and also make wonderful snacks, but also would work well for baking.

When eating figs I often feel a sense of reverence for the ancient. The fig leaves covering the private areas of people in sculptures and paintings always pops into my mind. I love the shapes of the common fig tree leaves. We have a young fig tree in the back yard with buds that are beginning to pop out. Plants have already been telling us here in Austin that spring is here. Soon we will have wildflower season!

 

Chocolate Cravings: Oaxaca to Naga!

Vosges, the company that makes the Black Pearl Bar, makes many other chocolate bars with interesting flavor combinations. This week, as part of my "chocolate journey'" I tried the Oaxaca Bar and the Naga Bar.


Unlike the Black Pearl Bar, the Oaxaca Bar acquired its zip from fruity quajillo and subtle pasilla chilies. And with 75% cacao from Tanzanian bittersweet chocolate, it packed a punch indeed! But not the knock you in the chest and land you on your back kind of punch. This is the friendly fist to your upper arm kind of tease.

And how appropriate to name it for the land of the "moles," sauces that entice the palate by blending chocolate with chilies. 


The Naga Bar is more like a gentle kiss. Its 41% milk chocolate is much more subtle than the 75% bittersweet chocolate of the Oaxaca Bar. The sweet curry and nutty coconut flavors create a fitting homage to this far eastern area of India that fits snuggly between Assam and Myanmar.


Nagaland's mountainous terrain and people with a distinctively East Asian appearance pull me to find out more about the area. It is famous for wonderful beads and according to Katrina at Vosges, a beaded necklace from Nagaland inspired the Naga Bar.

Sweets from South Asia

I found these wonderful goodies at an Indian Grocery Store, and immediately knew that I would take them to my meeting the next day. The proprietors of the store were incredibly nice and advised me about the kinds of pastries that they most liked and why. I must agree that these are luscious sugary treats with tones of cashews and pistachios. They are incredibly calorie-rich...but worth every single one!!







The diamond-shaped goodies are called Kaju Katli. Kaju means cashew, and basically these delicious morsels are just cashew, sugar and water. Recipes for these can be found at http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/lowfat-desserts/kaju-katli.html, http://www.indobase.com/recipes/details/kaju-katli.php, and http://veganyumyum.com/2008/10/kaju-katli/.  Sometimes cardamon is added. They seem like they could be quite easy to make.


The yellow delights are called Kesar Peda. They seem a bit more difficult to make because they involve heating milk. The ingredients are milk, pistachio, cardamon, saffron, and butter. These are my favorites! Instructions for making them can be found at http://veganyumyum.com/2008/10/kaju-katli/ and http://www.foodista.com/recipe/YJBMR7HC/kesar-peda.

The rolls are called Pista Rolls. The ingredients for the outer covering are almonds, cashews, sugar, cardamon, nutmeg, and saffron. The centers are made with pistachio, sugar, and cardamon. A recipe can be found at http://niyasworld.blogspot.com/2008/12/almond-pista-roll.html. You can see the pistachio filling below.