Jini's Ethnic Gourmet Newsletter March 2007

Fun in the Sun
All About Fruit
Mango Tango!
Recipes
- Liquid Sunshine!
Cooking Classes

Visit my website at
www.jinisethnicgourmet.com
You will find more wonderful recipes there to try out tonight!

Demos & Lectures

Cooking Demo at Barbara Jo's Books for Cooks

March 24th
1 - 3pm
Barbara Jo's Books for Cooks - on West 4th
No Charge!

I will be demonstrating some of my favourite recipes from my cook book "Ethnic Pleasures"

Special: My cook book will be available at a special price of $15.00 at the class.

De-mystifying the use of South Asian Spices

Lecture to be held on
March 29th
White Rock Library
from 3 - 5pm
No Charge!

For information & regisration: Call the library at 604/541-2201

Please visit here for course descriptions on Jini's private classes offered.

Looking for a unique Birthday, Anniversary or Valentine's Day gift?

Gift Certificates from Jini's Ethnic Gourmet are always a welcome treat!

They can be used in a Gift Basket with spices and goodies, or cashed for a cooking class or catering for a special event such as birthday, anniversary, romantic evening or just a fun girls' night out!

Delta School Board Classes

"Around the Culinary World in 5 Weeks"

Spring session at Delta Continuing Education

- Mediterranean cooking: March 26
- Mexican cooking: April 2
- Indonesian cooking: April 16
- Sri Lankan cooking: April 23
- Thai cooking: April 30

Delta Secondary School, Ladner

See details at Web.deltasd.bc.ca

To register:
Call Jini at 604/940-9355 or email Jini@jinisethnicgourmet.com
Or call the Delta School Board at 604/940-5550.

Bits & Bites from Jini

Hello Friends,

It's hard to believe that this is Spring! - with this relentless dull and gloom! I keep reminding myself that we are supposed to see the brighter side of things and tomorrow the clouds will part and the Sun will shine on Vancouver!

Cooking can cheer you up!

When the weather is getting you down, I can think of something that will cheer you up! Here are 5 reasons why:

This is one thing where you have complete control of what you do - i.e. if you know what you are doing! Also consider the added benefit: what goes into your dish is what eventually goes in your mouth. There is no better way to ensure you are eating the cleanest and healthiest food.
Cooking also gives a certain sense of accomplishment - and at the end, you are the master of your creation, and now you have the privilege of sharing with others...
Cooking together with family and friends creates a sense of togetherness and harmony.
If you cook at least once a week, there will be food left for 2 more days, saving you time and hassle.
Saving money is a big incentive: Making a simple meal at home, costs much less that eating out or buying read-made foods. So you will be saving a fortune while eating more nutritiously.

Cooking classes are a wonderful way to socialize and meet new friends or to keep in touch with old friends.

I love doing theme parties as it goes beyond just the menu and everyone seems to get more involved. You can even choose the music and the décor to create the appropriate ambience...Believe me; it is a lot of fun!

Fun in the Sun

I recently had the good fortune to visit one of my favorite places in the world... Mexico. We stayed in Playa Del Carmen on the Mayan Riviera where the Sun is fairly predictable! So when the weather gets dull and depressing, I re-live my memories of the gorgeous week in the sun with warm sandy beaches, blue skies and of course my favourite pastime of feasting my eyes and soul, gazing at the beautiful ocean. It is my dream one day to have a home with an ocean view! Of course I love all things Mexican from the carefree and good natured people, the music, the historic Mayan ruins, sight seeing and visiting local markets and, dancing to latin music and learning the salsa---which by the way is a great way to exercise! My husband and I are now enrolled in salsa lessons!

Grapes Another thing I look forward to in Mexico is the food! The abundance of fresh fruit... all cut up and beautifully displayed in the fresh fruit buffet, which is a delight to the eyes. I made sure my breakfast plate was loaded up with the juiciest papayas, pineapple, melons & kiwis, and had little or no room for anything else that was waiting to tempt me from the sinful side of the buffet!

Fresh fruit delivers us a whopping amount of natural vitamins and anti-oxidants that keeps us youthful and vibrant. My friend on the island who eats about 80-90 % of her fruit and vegetable in the form of smoothies, and luscious salads swears that she has concurred her fibromyalgia and now she is full of energy and has such beautiful glowing skin!

Did you know that according to food combining laws:

The best time to eat fruit is on an empty stomach...
Fruit should be eaten on its own. If you eat fruit along with other foods, the fruit digests faster than the other foods and is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but its passage is blocked by other foods, which take a longer time to digest.

A 3-day fruit fast is a very simple and effective way to cleanse and de-toxify your body. When you need to drink fruit juice-drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans. However, eating the pulp or whole fruit is far better than drinking the juice, as the fiber is good for you. Just put some pieces of fruit in a blender and make a delicious smoothie for breakfast. If you drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it.

If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight!

Mango Tango!

For those who are adventurous... don't forget my favorite Mango-Tango! It is hard to beat with fresh mango juice on the rocks with a splash of tequilla! I am sure the Mango juice delivers enough Vitamin C to add to the invigorating health properties of the Agave (Cactus) juice which goes to make the tequilla
3-4 cubes of ice, 3/4 glass of mango juice, Shot of tequilla OLÉ!

Easy Recipes to make the most of fruit!

Liquid Sunshine!

2 slices pineapple, papaya or canteloupe
1 orange
1 small banana

Method:

Peel fruit and remove seeds. Place fruit in a blender and add about a cup of water. Liquidize until smooth adding a little water at a time, until smooth and thick.

Note: You can experiment with different combinations of fruit like Kiwi, melon, apple, pear, peaches, soaked nuts, dates, carob powder(for chocolate taste), and as you become more adventurous even add greens, sprouts and spirulina.

For a more substantial protein drink with a smooth nutty flavour, you may also add a few almonds soaked overnight in water.

Green Drinks:

If you are not keen on eating your greens, here's a way to drink your greens! You can add a spoon of Spirulina or Greens Plus powder for an energy-packed, nutriitious drink.

Don't forget that I am available for that special event you need catered or to have some friends over for a special cooking class!

Until next month... happy cooking!
Jini
jini@jinisethnicgourmet.com

www.jinisethnicgourmet.com