Sahur for the family

                                                                   Chocolate Almond

                                                                       Cream Puffs

                                    Cream Puffs with Pastry Cream Filling and Custard Sauce

                                                                             Rosti

Remedy for Gout

Asian remedy for GOUT.

Bunga Kantan (Torch Ginger Flower)

Bunga kantan is used widely in Penang-style asam pedas...but difficult to get in Europe,

US and Australia.

An Indonesian friend, shared with me, this recipe to remove uric acid.

I have used it and it works.

Cheap and effective method for gout sufferers.

Take 3 shoots of Bunga Kantan (ginger flower – (as used in our famous Asam Laksa).

Boil it in 4-5 litres of water. Reduce it till it’s down to about 3 litres.

Use it as your daily intake of water.

Just a Ginger Flower... no harm to try it

Beauty of Lemon Grass (Compost)

Health Benefits

Lemongrass contains several flavonoids that function as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. In their antioxidant capacity, flavonoids prevent damage to cells that can lead to long-term diseases such as heart disease or arthritis. One flavonoid in lemongrass called luteolin has the ability to slow the growth and hasten the death of certain types of cancer cells, according to research published in the August 2012 issue of the “European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.” Luteolin also has such strong anti-inflammatory abilities that it may be able to treat some symptoms of multiple sclerosis, as well as lung infections or acute lung injury. The essential oils in lemongrass add to these benefits, as they also slow the growth of cancer cells, especially in liver and breast cancers and leukemia, according to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

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Lemon Grass Butter for toast, pasta, vegetables or cooked meat.

1

Bruise the lemongrass to enable it to release its flavor into the butter. First, slice off the bottom of the stalk to peel away the dry outer layers of the vegetable. Once the tender inner portion of the lemongrass is visible, wash it to remove traces of dirt. A rolling pin works well to smash the stalks; when you have bruised the lemongrass, it will release a strong aroma. Use one stalk per quarter-cup of butter for strong lemongrass butter. For added flavor, toss in some minced ginger or garlic with the bruised lemongrass.

2

Heat the butter in a saucepan over low heat; the goal is to melt the butter so it warms, not fries, the lemongrass. Once the butter has melted, add the bruised stalks to create the lemongrass butter. The longer you leave the stalks heating in the butter, the stronger its flavor will be; anything over 30 minutes, however, is unnecessary. Use a slotted spoon to lift the lemongrass from the butter or use a strainer for a cleaner consistency. Unless you plan to use them in a vegetable blend, there is no need to save the stalks.

3

Serve the lemongrass butter hot, tossed with pasta, steamed vegetables or cooked meat. It also works as a spread on garlic bread before toasting and infuses anything seared or sauteed in it with a pleasant flavor. If you are using the lemongrass butter as a dip, portion it in small cups at least 10 minutes before serving it.

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Simple refreshing drink for fasting month.

Smash two lemongrass and put into a jar of ice cold water.

Mosquito Repellent

Don't throw away the used lemongrass.  Just leave it on a plate for two to three days as mosquito repellent.

A month of fasting

Cartel pushes the price of chicken up

Poultry prices soar up 42 per cent in Kedah

Soaring poultry prices in Kedah have forced families to reduce their intake and switch to fish and beef.

The New Straits Times reported that the price of chicken had surged to RM9 per kg from the previous RM6.30 per kg.

The 42 per cent hike has forced many consumers in the northern state, especially the low-income group, to either dig deeper into their pockets or reduce their poultry intake.

Many families called on the government to check on the sudden hike as the fasting month was just round the corner.

Petty trader Othman Hussain, 47, said although his children preferred chicken, but he had no choice but to switch to beef or fish due to the steep hike.

Poultry farmers claimed that the recent haze and the rise in the price of chicken feed, were the reasons for the hike.

However, this claim was questioned by Kedah Consumers Association chairman Datuk Yusoff Ismail, who expressed surprise at the soaring prices.

“The fasting month has not begun but the price of poultry has gone up. If authorities do not check the matter, what will happen as Hari Raya Aidilfitri approaches?”

Unfortunately, authorities have said that they could not do anything about the situation.

Kedah Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism director Mohd Sakri Saleh said they could only “control” the chicken prices and other essential food and non-items two weeks before a festive season.

“The sudden hike of chicken prices is due to a sudden increase of demand for the item. It was a normal thing considering Ramadan was around the corner,” he said, adding they were aware of the situation as poultry prices started to increase about a month ago.-TMI

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There is a way to get out from the greed of cartel and that is by recycling food waste and turn it into precious commodity for own consumption.

Back to basic

(CNN) -- In just 12 years leading up to 2010, Vietnam cut the country's malnutrition rate in half by investing in small scale farming.

Poverty in the country has plummeted from 58 percent in 1993 to 18 percent by 2006, says development charity Oxfam, who cites the Asian country as a exceptional model for others around the world.

Vietnam went from being a rice importer to the second biggest exporter of rice in the world. "The magic formula is political will and vision," says Hannah Stoddart, head of economic justice policy at Oxfam GB. "Planning a government strategy and making sure the investment gets to those who need it most is the key," she says.

Smallholder farming, a term used for small scale or family farming, is in fact the best way to describe 500 million farms globally where two billion people live and work.

The term includes a wide range of producers from the most marginal and impoverished to those working in markets at a local, national or international level. Very often these farmers are women who must work to provide the food for their families.

Oxfam is a staunch believer that smallholder farming is the way forward. "All evidence in small scale farming, family farming on small plots of land, show it is one of the surest ways to relieve poverty," says Stoddart.

Fair trade success

In Malawi, one of Africa's poorest countries, thousands of farmers are now part of the Fairtrade International (FLO) group, farming mainly tea, coffee, sugar and ground nuts.

"Malawi is the first of its kind in Africa to have a fair trade network, and there is a lot of interest in how we are doing it," says Frank Alok, network coordinator for the Malawi Fairtrade Network. In the last 18 months, many have seen their hardships turn into success, says Alok, who serves as the liaison between many farmers and the FLO.

Malawi already has 30,000 farmers involved in fair trade farming methods, plus another 20,000 working on these farms.

"When we talk about smallholder farmers, we are talking about the farmer who owns one to five acres of land, using rudimentary means of farming, who is not able to easily access finance," says Alok. "The majority of the farmers in Malawi today are smallholder farmers."

Indeed, says one Malawi farmer, Gladys Kayanja, whose small tea farm now has a bridge to help her get between her home and the tea field during the rainy season. "The fair trade premium bought an ambulance which serves my family and relatives when we are sick. Before that we used to carry a very sick patient many kilometers before reaching the hospital," says Kayanja.

Malawi is the first of its kind in Africa to have a fairtrade network, and there is a lot of interest in how we are doing it.
Frank Alok, Malawi Fairtrade Network

Schools, electricity, irrigation, and much more has been put in place in Malawi due to the success of the cooperative-style network. A further bonus is many of the farmers then find themselves able to diversify into businesses.

In southern Sudan, Rabha Elis Bandas, director and founder of the Women's Development Group, decided to take matters in her own hands after she was tired of watching local farmers suffer waiting for food aid during Sudan's civil war. She has set up her group to help farmers with supplies and the skills needed.

"There is enough land in South Sudan and it is really fertile, it just needs work. What we need and want is for people to grow their own food, not to depend on Uganda and Kenya," she says. As Bandas has proved, the importance of smallholder farmers is even more important in times of political strife.

Hope for Haiti

In Haiti, the Smallholder Farmers Alliance (SFA), a cooperative of 2,000 farmers started in 2010, has established tree nurseries planting one million trees a year in a country which has lost 98 percent of its trees to deforestation.

The SFA provides high quality seeds, tools and training, and has already helped the farmers increase their yields by 40-50 percent.

One Haitian farmer said the SFA has helped her turn her life around, especially since recent hurricanes ruined her crops. "My life situation is better," said Romeus Mercilie. "I have enough food to feed my kids and the sell the remaining food at the market. I now have a dream and I know how to protect my dreams," she said.

Mercilie says thanks to a flat interest rate loan from the SFA, she was able to restart her business, purchase new livestock and save money.

I now have a dream and I know how to protect my dreams
Romeus Mercilie, Haitian farmer

Smallholder farming spells big business

From the economic side, opportunities for smallholder farmers are exponential. "There's a huge opportunity for smallholders to sell to big businesses," says TIm Aldred, head of policy and research at Fairtrade Foundation

"The risks are that you can get locked into a big supplier who holds the power and pushes your prices down," said Aldred, who added that recent controversy at the G8 meetings in June addressed how to empower the smallholders so they don't end up stuck in unhelpful relationships with multinational corporations.

The United Nations has declared 2014 the International Year of Family Farming with the aim to support and recognize the importance of smallholder farming. By doing so, the U.N. says it will help eradicate hunger, reduce rural poverty and reach food security through sustainable production.

While the scale of investment of what's needed hasn't yet happened, Oxfam says there are glimmers of hope out there with farmers learning about the market system, how to improve their yields, form cooperatives, and access credit safely.

"There's all kinds of brilliant stuff that's going on but it needs to be scaled up," says Oxfam's Stoddart. Once that happens, she says "the poorest people will start benefiting from their labor."

Winter Melon (Compost)

Also known as white gourd, winter melon, white pumpkin, wax gourd, petha, safed kaddu, boodida gummadikaya, pooshnikai, ash gourd is actually a fruit but is referred to as a vegetable because it is cooked and eaten as a vegetable.

Oblong in shape, and 1 to 2 metres in length, ash-gourd has a smooth rind that's an ashy green with white flesh, and big, flat, oval seeds (like the red pumpkin). These gourds have been cultivated since ancient times in countries like India, Malaysia, China, and Papua New Guinea.

In India, the ash-gourd is offered to the gods in religious ceremonies. It is also considered to be effective in warding off evil spirits and the evil eye -- hence it's hung outside newly constructed homes and buildings. 

Ash-gourd is now found around the world. In the US, ash-gourd is available pretty much year-round in Indian and Asian grocery stores. It keeps well for a long time and is thus ideal for exporting. What contributes to its longevity is the chalky wax on its skin which prevents micro-organisms from attacking it and preserves it. Uncut pumpkins can be stored for almost a year without refrigeration.

Ash-Gourd and Health

Quick Facts

Ash-gourd is loaded with nutrients. It's an excellent source of vitamin B1 (thiamine), a good source of vitamin B3 (niacin), and vitamin C. It is also rich in many minerals like calcium. Its high potassium content makes this a good vegetable for maintaining a healthy blood pressure.

Containing almost 96% water, this gourd is a dietitian's delight. Be sure to include this vegetable in your weght-loss diet.

In Ayurveda and other traditional eastern medicine, ash-gourd is used as a general tonic for its restorative properties.  

In Ayurveda, ash-gourd is also used as brain food - to treat mental illnesses and nervous disorders such as epilepsy, paranoia, and insanity.

Ash-gourd is alkaline in nature and hence has a cooling and neutralizing effect on  stomach acids and as such used effectively for treating digestive ailments like hyperacidity, dyspepsia, and ulcers. Ash-gourd juice is a popular home remedy for peptic ulcers. Ash-gourd juice is also used to treat diabetes.

Ash-gourd is also useful in treating respiratory disorders like asthma, blood-related diseases, and urinary diseases like kidney stones.

Every part of this fruit is useful. Ash-gourd leaves are rubbed on bruises to heal them, while the seeds are used for expelling intestinal worms. The ash made from burning the rind and seeds are mixed with coconut oil and used to promote hair growth and to treatdandruff.

Inexpensive and versatile, ash-gourd is a healthful vegetable that should definitely be a part of any nutritious diet.

Cooking Tips

Choose full-sized, mature fruit with a hard, unblemished rind. In the US, this gourd is available pre-cut into large pieces and wrapped in plastic. Select those with firm flesh. Store the cut pieces in the refrigerator

Cut away all of the hard rind and cut into medium pieces before cooking. Ash-gourd cooks very quickly and easily, so be sure to not overcook it. If overcooked, ash-gourd almost dissolves in the water.

Ash-gourd has a bland taste and absorbs well the flavors of whatever spices you use; as such it's great for soups, curries, as well as desserts and sweets. 

Unlike the uncut ash-gourd, cut ash-gourd needs to be refrigerated and even then, it keeps fresh only for 3-4 days.

Easy to grow black mulberry

Traditionally, mulberries have been used to nourish and clean the blood, benefit the kidneys, treat weakness, fatigue and anemia. They have a strong anti-inflammatory and antiseptic action, which may help cleanse the digestive tract and benefit those with gout, arthritis, or rheumatic problems. The fruits faint scent and sweet taste make it suitable for all ages. 

Black Mulberries are believed to have been consumed by mankind since before recorded history. The mulberry has been cultivated in China for at least 50,000 years, mainly for the rearing of silkworms. The bark of the black mulberry tree is traditionally used for Chinese papermaking. A mulberry tree can live for over 600 years. Until recently many trees in England dated back to the 17th century. King James I planted plantations of trees around England, in an effort to rear silkworms. The entire yield was enough to make only one dress for his Queen.

Nutrition Facts for 8oz
Amount per Serving		% Daily Value
Calories	137	0%
Calories from Fat	0	0%
Total Fat	0g	0%
Saturated Fat	0g	0%
Trans Fat	0g	0%
Cholesterol	0mg	0%
Sodium	6mg	0%
Potassium	180mg	6%
Total Carbohydrates	33g	11%
Sugars	32g
Dietary Fibers	0.2g
Protein	.60g	0%
Vitamin A  1%    *     Vitamin C  1%    *     Calcium  2%       *   Iron  4%
*Percent of Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.