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Cauliflower with Indian Spices
Ingredients
1.5 tbsp light cooking oil
1/3 onion finely chopped
1/2 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1/2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp amchoor powder
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/3 head of cauliflower cut into small florets
water as needed
salt to taste
finely chopped fresh cilantro and yogurt for garnish
- Heat oil in a large non-stick pan on medium high heat, add in onions, ginger and garlic and fry for a few minutes till onions soften and lightly brown.
- Stir in the spices and tomato paste and mix well. Now add in the cauliflower florets and mix to coat well with the spice mixture. Cover the par and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally till the cauliflower is cooked through.
- If you feel the spice blend is too dry and starts to stick to the pan, add a splash of water and mix well. Season with salt and give it a final stir.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro and yogurt, serve warm.
Soufflé
Because you deserve more than an omelette! Make sure you are following me on Insta @livingfoodmexico
To make a soufflé is to transform eggs into a light pillowy cloud. Soufflé comes from the French and means to inflate or blow. I use the yolks to make a creamy bechamel with parmesan and tarragon- I am obsessed with tarragon. I beat the whites until they are filled with air and carefully mix them with my bechamel. As it cooks the egg whites inflate the silky yolks.
1.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more to grease dis
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1.5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole milk
2 eggs separated
1 teaspoon of tarragon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar1.
Preheat your oven to 400
- Grease a ramekin with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Bechamel
- In a small pot add butter with flour, cook on low while stirring to make a roux.
- Slowly add in the milk and keep stirring on low until it begins to thicken.
Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. - Add your favorite mustard. Season with salt and pepper.
- Gently mix in one yolk at a time.
- Add tarragon and remaining parmesan cheese
Egg whites
Beat your 2 eggs whites with cream of tartar until stiff.
Fold in half the egg white mixture into the bechamel. Be gentle. Then fold the bechamel into the remaining egg whites. Sprinkle the top with parmesan and put into the oven for 30 minutes.
Serve with a green salad.
Have we always been obsessed with our own image?
Yesterday I visited the Caixaforum in Seville, Spain and saw an exhibition, that is on loan from the Prado in Madrid, showcasing Spanish portraiture from the 1800s.
Perfectly curated to show the chronology of obsession we have had towards the self. It started out with portraits done of kings and other upper class gentry who could afford such luxuries. When portraiture became more common in the mid 1800s there were children and merchant class men and women who could afford to have their likeness preserved for future generations.
There was a room devoted to death mask portraits- yes… paintings done of people just after they have expired.
And then miniatures became popular because they were more accessible- small portraits that one could carry around and even give as an intimate gift. This has to be the precursor to the ‘wallet photos’ people used to have. As I examined the delicate miniatures on display I looked around at the number of people taking photos with their phones and realized we haven’t changed that much.
The mirror we know today was invented in Germany approximately 200 years ago and even then it wasn’t the common item it is today as it wasn’t accessible to all, only the upper classes could afford to buy a mirror because of the high cost. Until the beginning of the 1900s most families could only buy small mirrors to check their hairdos and bonnets. Prior to this people relied on nature to see their likeness, think of Narcissus staring into a pond and seeing his reflection.
How has this access to our image affected the way we live today? Our thoughts seem perpetually turned inward and our focus has never been more ego-centered. Something to consider next time you look in the mirror or snap a selfie.
Here are five beginner-friendly poses to help you get started on your yoga journey:
Don’t hide away on International Women’s Day
Back in 2020 some feminist associations in Mexico called for a “Day Without Women” on March, 9 to denounce femicide, inaction by the authorities and, more generally, sexism in Mexican society.
While this tactic was used in the campaign and film ‘A Day without Mexicans (2004), to highlights the idea that the American economy is dependent on Latinos- gender inequality is not the same. The main point of the film was to show what would happen if Latino immigrants took the day off. Basically, the economy would take a massive hit.
However, I would argue that the last place women should be, to show an impact, is staying home. Home is already the domain of many women. The space we, as women, need to claim is public space.
When I was in college we had ‘Take Back the Night.’ The first Take Back the Night event began in England in 1877 as a women only protest against the violence and fear women encountered walking the streets at night. The first Take Back the Night March in the US was held in San Francisco in 1978 to protest violence against women, particularly sexual assault.
Ranked as the second-highest nation for femicides in Latin America, just below Brazil, Mexico’s cases show a sustained rise, recording over 920 in 2022. This count is perceived as even higher by most of the population due to the substantial number of unreported and uninvestigated instances.
According to the WHO, globally, as many as 38% of murders of women are committed by an intimate partner.
Given the space we need to claim for ourselves is public space, I plan on celebrating my ability to go to work and move freely through the world, hopefully harassment free. Stand tall and take up space to show we will not hide away.
Walking Across the World
If you have not ventured to the highway around Huatulco lately you may not have noticed the growing number of migrants on their walk towards a better life. Many months ago on the south side of Copalita an immigration kiosk was erected and manned by immigration and army personnel. They pulled over buses and vans and had a tented area where I occasionally saw people who had been pulled off the buses and vans, for not having the proper documentation, waiting. When I happened to be standing next to a man in an immigration uniform at the bank, I asked him what they did with the people and he told me they sent them back to their country or at least to the border of Mexico.
In the last couple of weeks the number of migrants has steadily grown and in the past couple of days I have seen at least a few hundred people walking on my fifteen-minute drive home. A path just before the immigration kiosk has been forged so that they can avoid it altogether.
Yesterday I stopped and asked a group where they were from just before they got on the avoid-immigration kiosk path through the bushes.
“Haiti” one man responded.
“où allez vous?” I asked
“Les Etats-Unis” he said.
This morning while driving back in to work, moving in the same direction as the walkers, I stopped for two women. They climbed right in my car with a small baby and a few meters later we picked up a young man. I asked if they were from Haiti and they said they were from Guinea.
The immigration kiosk was just up ahead but we weren’t stopped, to be fair the two soldiers standing in front of it looked resigned to their inability to do anything.
We stopped just off the highway in Copalita and had breakfast. Guinea is 9345 km from Huatulco. Over breakfast we exchanged names and phone numbers.
Mari Assi, a robust young woman with a burn scar covering one hand and forearm was wearing sandals and carrying her 19 month-old daughter Fati. Her traveling companion was Aminata who had left her 13-year old daughter back in Guinea and the young man was Osmane. While French is the primary language in Guinea, due to its colonization by the French, their speech was also peppered with words of a language I didn’t know. They flew from Guinea to Nicaragua and had been walking/taking buses/ hitchhiking for 12 days. Their final destination goal: New York.
If you watch the news it will tell you about the atrocities happening in other parts of the world- military coups, crime, instability, places where women being raped is a regular occurrence. I don’t need look at the news to understand the why of what brought Mari Assi, Aminata, Fati and Osmane to be on the same road as me. I only need to look at their inadequate footwear, their clothes that have leaves sticking to them from sleeping in the bushes, to know they deserve more… more help… more humanity… and more compassion.
Appalachia Day 5
Day 5
It rains all night. This prompts me to wake up early and fumble around in the dark making oatmeal and packing up my tent. I am motivated because about 7 miles away is a store where I can shower and have a real cup of coffee! To get there though I need to cross Blood Mountain which is a lot of rock slabs and could be slippery with the rain.
Blood Mountain is the highest peak on the Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail and the sixth-tallest mountain in Georgia, with an elevation of 4,458 feet. It is worth it though for the beautiful view and the sun comes out. Snap a few pics up top and then descend the two miles to the store where I dry out my equipment. Walk another 3.5 miles that afternoon to Bagg’s Creek where many of the people I had met were camping. Everyone was in good spirits after the recharge at the store. The light at this campsite was amazing- check out the majestic trees!
Appalachia- days 3 and 4
Day 3
I left Stover Creek fairly early thinking I would hike just 5 miles but ended up hiking about ten. I stopped at Justice Creek- this place is magically beautiful with a wide flowing creek and a jungle vibe. It is my first night setting up my tent and I manage to not make a fool of myself. So far I am loving this walk- tiring but exhilarating!
Day 4 took me from Justice Creek to Lance Creek- about 10.7 miles. I usually walk until I find other people at a campsite since I am nervous to camp alone. Lance creek is a trickle of a stream but enough to cool my feet and fill my water bottles . Reunite with Nick from Stover Creek and joined by Amber with her dog Suga, Victor, Mike and Tripp who I will cross paths with for the next 5 days. I had expected a lot of alone time on this trip and the sense of community and connection is a bonus.
Appalachian Trail Day 0,1,2
It’s May and the perfect time to get out of Huatulco! To kick off this travel season I flew up to Atlanta to embark on the Georgia portion of the Appalachian Trail. Now I am not a very experienced hiker or backpacker, but it was amazing!
Day 0-
Flew to Atlanta via Dallas. Made friends with a Buddhist monk at the airport- an auspicious start to my adventure.
Day 1- Uber to Amicalola Falls and start my 5.7 mile hike to the Hike Inn Hotel. Sort of worried about how it will feel to carry my 33lbs. The Hike Inn is beautiful and dinner is warm dinner rolls, sweet country ham and green beans- delish! My pack is heavy but I manage.
Day 2- I hike to Springer mountain and the official start of the Appalachian Trail. I make it to the Stover Creek Shelter where I spend the night.
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Jane Bauer 