In this vlog, I am sharing two mouth-watering and, most importantly, soul-satisfying spreads that you can use for sandwiches or as a dip with fresh veggies and chips. And I am using a new gadget that is so cool and user-friendly; every cook, or even if you are just a sandwich maker, you might appreciate such a simple but effective tool.
If you want me to come up with alternatives instead of dairy products for my vegan friends, let me know in the comment section below. But first, I am excited to share with you a couple of stories: My love affair with sandwiches started when my dearest older sister (a budding cook) made a sweet-chili-mango pickle sandwich delight. The bread was nothing to write home about, for it was highly processed white bread that tasted like glue if you ate it by itself. What made it lip-smacking good was the pickle, my maternal grandmother's creation (a.k.a. Ooma), which was one of her minimal repertoire in the culinary arts. You see, our dear Ooma was not into cooking, for she relied entirely on Kaveri, her trusted cook, to prepare all the meals, snacks included. But from time to time, Ooma would come up with a treasure or two, like the sweet & spicy chili-mango pickle, which was utterly delicious! When my sister started speaking around the age of two or so, she came up with the affectionate nickname Ooma for our beloved granny. The rest of our household followed suit, including my mom and dad. I admired Ooma as a child. She was my childhood hero (although I was unaware of it then), and today I consider her one of my role models. Ooma had weathered some formidable storms in her life, personally and culturally; she came out of these circumstances stronger and wiser. Almost everyone respected her, including her so-called enemies, even if they did so grudgingly. The second sandwich story took place here in the USA. I was barely twenty-two when Russill and I moved to the United States. For the first four months, we lived in a residential spiritual community for lay people along with our beloved late friend Wayne Teasdale. Fr. Paul, a venerable old Irish catholic priest, founded this community many years ago, before our arrival. One of my chores was to make lunch for him every day. But I was not a cook then, and when I mentioned this to Wayne, he causally said to make him a sandwich and give him a glass of milk. And that Fr. Paul will love such a fare. But woefully I did not even know how to make a sandwich. Wayne chuckled and gave me a quick 101 on how to make it. By the way, Wayne was neither a cook nor into eating healthy. So I made Fr. Paul P&J with highly processed peanut butter and jelly; the only other option was an ultra-processed cheese sandwich. Fr. Paul, who was in his eighties and had Parkinson's disease, would have a beatific smile when I laid out his lunch before him. He never asked for anything different, nor did he compliment or complain about his lunch. His gentle demeanor and soft-spoken voice remind me so much of our dear mentor, Fr. Bede Griffiths, back in India, whom Russill and I missed very much. I share these stories with you because sandwiches generally are not seen as part of a healthy diet. However, it is equally important to state that "diets don't work." Toward the end of my video blog, "Heaven In A Sandwich," I briefly mention that diets do not work, which I have written about in my books. Unfortunately, very few of us take this to heart, as most continue chasing the next new fad that the food industry and the media tout incessantly. The only two diets worth noting are Therapeutic & Preventive. Distressingly, the food industry via the medium of "ultra-processed-food" has created billions of food addicts among us while the growth rate of obesity, chronic diseases, and mental disorders are at an all-time high. Study after study shows a direct link between consuming fake food and health disorders, be it physical or mental. Painfully, it is easy to be addicted to junk food because "they can trigger the release of dopamine (feel good hormone) in the brain's reward system at levels comparable to nicotine and alcohol." Before I conclude this vlog-blog here are my seven MYWWT* nuggets for a healthier you:
To your health and wholeness,
Asha |
Join me on Facebook
Categories
All
|