One is Cooking with Kurma. I've been thoroughly enjoying Kurma Dasa's website for a couple of years but his books retail at over $40 new so I've been keeping an eye out at second hand bookshops and garage sales. Finally, one popped up on eBay recently, yay!
Despite his fondness for yellow asafetida powder in his recipes (which I can't source locally but can get online), I'm very much looking forward to trying many of these recipes out.
But wait, there's more! My second eBay score this week is an out-of-print book by Aussie self-sufficiency icons, Keith and Irene Smith (founders of Earth Garden magazine), The New Hard Times Handbook (the updated version of The Hard Times Handbook).
Needless to say I was stoked to finally get hold of a copy! It's a pretty valuable little book if you can get hold of one. It contains suggestions for what should be included in a stockpile, heaps of frugal household tips recycling and repairing, cheap meals, managing your food supplies and growing your own, and heaps of recipes for home made meals and supplies such as glue, polish and soaps. Good stuff :-)
6 comments:
hi
asafetida is also known as 'hing' - it is used a lot in Hare Krishna cooking. I eventually found some in an Asian food store. It took a bit of explaining to the store keeper - 'curry' 'very smelly' - but he triumphantly pointed me to a collection of cute little jars (extremely well sealed cute little jars!)
I don't know where you are - I'm in Melbourne - but give an Asian specialist food store a go!
Ohhhhh well done!
I remember watching Kurma on tv and yes he does seem to have a fondness for asafetida. Madhur Jaffrey mentions it in her book "Indian Cookery" but says it is optional, she spells it Heeng, I suppose hing is how you say it, and says it is available from Indian and Pakistani grocers (of which there are a few in Adelaide)
It is very smelly.
take care
Pip
Hi Julie. Oh I love Kurma Dasa's books. I have three including the one you just purchased. One of my favourite recipes from Cooking with Kurma is the Simple Gujarati Pumpkin on page 80. I find he normally uses asafoetida in place of the onion family in his recipes and so I just replace with onion, garlic, chives, spring onions etc depending on the recipe.
Enjoy!
Zie
Hi guys,
Thanks for the tips! I have tried the local Asian grocer but now I know to look for hing or heeng as well! Otherwise I'll just stick to fresh onion and garlic. Thanks :-)
Cheers, Julie
I have both of those books and they are both brillant!
I love Kurmas cooking, its not always great for the waist line but oh so good for the tummy!
Emily
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