By Joe Yonan Editor, Food and Travel November 3 at 7:00 AM

Aglaia Kremezis favorite word, said with a punch of an accent on the second syllable, is Exactly! At least it was last week when we spent a few hours cooking, talking and ogling photos of Greece and Greek food together. Kremezi, 67, is a bubbly whirlwind of positive energy, as refreshing as the breeze that (Ive heard, anyway) blows off the bay at her home in Kea, an island in the Cyclades.

She was in town promoting her new cookbook, Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts (Stewart, Tabori & Chang), and when I had the chance to connect with her, I figured wed cook the dish I had already tested from the book, a stunner involving quince, farro, and almonds and dill by the fistful. But you made that yesterday! she said, as soon as we skipped past the formalities, opened a bottle of wine and started making a dinner plan. It would be no fun to make it again. Lets see what else you have.

Thankfully, I had been to the farmers market earlier in the day, so spinach, broccolini and green beans were in the house, there was leftover cooked farro, and a few herbs were still going strong in my front-yard garden. Oh, and quince, fuzzy, green and turning yellow, their intoxicating fragrance perfuming my entire townhouse.

And then there were the pantry, refrigerator and freezer, all so overflowing they were difficult to close. Kremezi and I apparently are kindred spirits in that respect, among others. Your pantry is just like mine! she exclaimed at one point, as she struggled to find a place to return a bottle of honey. So much, so much and dont you love it?

I do.

Without much delay, we were chopping and cleaning the spinach, and she cooked it down with chopped broccolini, a healthy dose of Aleppo pepper, a cup or two of white wine, and water. Everything got super tender, and then she threw in some of the cold farro, warming it through, then scooped out all but the liquid from the pan. She whisked together two eggs and the juice of two lemons, and then I slowly poured in the greens cooking liquid as she continued whisking, making the classic avgolemono sauce that shows up in so many Mediterranean cuisines under other names. It went back in the pan, along with the greens and grains, and soon enough the whole thing was thickened beautifully.

This is the type of dish she makes at home, off the cuff, pretty frequently. While her new book is vegetarian, shes not, although the frequency of meat consumption in her household is down to a couple times a month, tops. For special occasions, she says. Then she paused as we scooped the dish onto plates. It might be too sour for you, she said with a smile.

I love sour food, I replied. My favorite fruits are citrus. She smiled wider. The resulting dish, in fact, was a marvel of balanced flavors, much like the stuffed quince had been the day before, and while Kremezi slowly enjoyed her portion, I wolfed down two and went back for a third. I made a mental note to start replacing bechamel with avgolemono in future recipes as often as possible. I thought of all the fabulous gratins and soups and pasta sauces to come.

She treated the green beans more simply, sauteing them briefly with sliced garlic, then glazing them with balsamic vinegar. These are so perfect, so sweet, she said, I dont want to do very much to them.

Link:
Weeknight Vegetarian: Aglaia Kremezi has a way with Mediterranean vegetables

"Numerous types of specialized diets are followed, however, one of the most prevalent is vegetarianism. Not only is it very flexible to each individuals interpretation, this way of eating can be healthy, fresh and delicious.

All around the globe, many people avoid animal products to different extents. Certain cultures and countries, such as India, have more vegetarians. However, even in American where meat is very common, 3.2 percent of people, or around 7.3 million, were vegetarian in 2008, according to Vegetarian Times.

Being a vegetarian can look different for each person. Vegetarian Nation lists seven main eating styles. Vegans eat no animal products including dairy and eggs while lacto vegetarians do eat milk products. Ovo vegetarians will have eggs but no dairy, but the most popular type of vegetarian is the Lacto-ovo vegetarian who just eliminate meat and fish. The list goes on to include those who eat fish or all meat except red meat. Then there are people who fall between a few of the categories. In general, all can choose to be a vegetarian and do it in the manner they prefer. Reasons also greatly differ between vegetarians. Some stop eating meat as a way of showing care for animals. Others feel better physically on a plant-based diet. Another motivation might be that someone simply dislikes meat. Once again, there are few clear answers and many variations.

The vegetarian way of eating is so popular and healthy that the second week of September is National Vegetarian Awareness Week, according to BRG Health Solutions. Whether you were raised vegetarian or want to try it for a day, this is a list of simple but delicious dishes without meat that can be enjoyed this September. Credit: INFphoto.com

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Top 10 simple vegetarian dishes

This past winter, UC President Janet Napolitano was eating high-end organic food at legendary Berkeley restaurant Chez Panisse with a group of UC chancellors, an event hosted by famed restaurant proprietor Alice Waters.

Among the topics were population growth, world hunger and sustainable farming practices. Napolitano found the meal and conversation so inspiring that she reportedly started scribbling out ideas for a universitywide compact on a napkin. And then, in a moment that would have made John Hancock proud, all the people at the table signed it.

In July, Napolitano went public with this ambitious plan to develop food practices systemwide, expand classroom offerings about sustainable food, and increase sustainable farming practices at all UC campuses. The UC Global Food Initiative will harness the University of California's resources to address one of the critical issues of our time: how to sustainably, equitably, and nutritiously feed a world population expected to reach 8 billion by 2025.

UC Santa Cruz is poised to play a pivotal role in the movement because the campus is nothing less than "the Mothership" of sustainable agriculture, said Daniel Press, executive director of UC Santa Cruz's Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS).

"There is no other university with such a well-established sustainable agricultural program," said Press. He met with Napolitano in June to discuss how the campus can help push the initiative forward. After all, CASFS has been an epicenter for sustainable farming for more than 45 years, and many of the organic farmers on the West Coast have trained at the center.

Since 1967, UC Santa Cruz has been a destination for those interested in learning organic farming and gardening skills. Trainees have come from around the world. "The training we provide here is being picked up in Latin America, Europe and Asia," said Press.

With its long history as a training ground, CASFS has a national reputation for the skill and knowledge of its instructors and researchers. The center recently received a $4 million gift that is being used to create an endowment to keep CASFS a leader in the sustainable food world. This gift from an anonymous donor is the first step in building a $10 million endowment that will ensure the center's long-term productivity and impact.

Along the way, knowledge and best practices exported from UC Santa Cruz have helped "sustainable" and "organic" go mainstream.

The world has changed since the days when a group of hardworking UC Santa Cruz apprentices set up makeshift tents on the 30 acres of campus land that have become the Farm & Garden.

"Sustainable farming is no longer seen as a 'flaky, hippie' activity," said Press. "The world has taken a different view of organic agriculture than it used to."

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Food for thought

With obesity and diabetes levels rising in the Kingdom, many consumers are now taking up a bigger slice of the health food market in the country. Doctors in the city are recommending that people eat organically produced vegetables and fruits because they are more nutritious and can aid in the prevention of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, strokes and cancers. It also assists in helping people maintain a healthy weight. Mahmouda Yahiya, a dietician and blogger on healthy living, said recently: Several retailers and vendors are using chemicals these days to make vegetables and fruits look fresh. The rampant use of such chemicals destroys their nutritional benefits. Thats why we are advising patients suffering from health issues to consume foods that are grown naturally. She said that since demand has risen, many supermarkets have special sections only for organic products, making it easily available for consumers. According to the Middle East market consultancy firm Orient Planet, the organic food market in the Kingdom was estimated at over SR1 billion in 2009 accounting for 90 percent of the Gulf Cooperation Councils organic food market. A similar report issued in the same year by Frost and Sullivan projected Saudi Arabias health food market would grow by 11.8 percent a year. Mohammad Othman, a retail executive manager, said: Saudi Arabia is considered among one of the largest organic food markets in the Gulf due to the growing demand from people for the health benefits they offer. The major part of the health food market in Saudi Arabia is imported from western countries because there is a lack of consistent local suppliers. This forces retail companies to charge relatively high prices. However, the healthy food market is flourishing and is expected to increase in the coming years, he said. Yazeed Khalid, a Syrian national living in Jeddah, said: I prefer to use organic products to avoid health hazards. Although they are much more expensive, there is little chance of contamination and the end product is of good quality. Many people did not know about organic food, but now there is growing awareness as the desire to stay healthy has increased.

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Organic food gaining popularity among health conscious

Welcome to Eat Pray Love Ashram. Here at the homepage we have shared a few different ideas we feel might be helpful to those who are on the path to awakening their inner-self. The major ideas we explore are:

If you would like to get a taste of what an ashram is like, please visit the following page: http://www.tureya.com which is one of the ashrams we recommend for spiritual seekers.

Like many of the curiously adventurous soul seekers that have emerged in the last century, I have been looking for answers. From meditation retreats to daily 6 a.m. yoga classes Ive been weaving through the prowls of material life looking for something that I know to be far greater than what my worldly life could encompass. There, inside of my heart, was a secret garden of wisdom that was waiting to bloom, it just needed a little sunlight, water, and nutrients.

And like many I have also done my fair share of travels, wondering through the vibrant rays of the holistically unique cultures dispersed throughout the world, each with their own beauty and wisdom. But for me, India was my resting ground. Like a seed in the wind waiting to find fertile ground to land upon, India presenting a pristine opportunity for me to plant roots and begin to sprout a key that could unlock my inner spiritual garden.

Although I had many premonitions of visiting, it was not until a train ride from Brussels to Madrid that my dream began to manifest itself as a reality. Ive been on European trains many times throughout my life, but what made this trip unique was my encounter with a kind hearted women from Italy who had with her a book published by one of her dear friends, Elizabeth Gilbert.

She was a diamond in the rough my co-traveller gleamed as she reminisced upon treasured memories of the past. You share the same eagerness to venture the depths of your soul as Elizabeth did.

Flattered by the possibility that I shared qualities with someone who had the knack to write a book about India, I asked my new friend if she would be willing to lend me the book. Of course she replied Ive already gone through it several times. Maybe it will shed some light on your own awakening she giggled.

She was right, and the eloquent dance of Elizabeths life in India set of a spark in heart that was so strong I could never consider turn back. I quit my job at the European Consulate and dove head first into a journey into the unknown world of a mystic life in India.

Elizabeth Gilbert was right: if you want walk the path of a yogi in India you need to visit an ashram. But there are so many to chose from, and if you spend even a few minutes on the internet you will find that most ashrams appear to be big frauds that pocket peoples money in the name of spirituality. One person ever writes about how ashrams are centres for drugged up hippies and trendy do-gooders.

But such an image of Indian ashrams is incomplete and narrow minded. It neglects to even entertain the simple fact of life that what is true for one thing may not be true for another. A basic example would be to compare a professor from some small town community college with a Department Head at Harvard University; they are both professors, but their ability to teach and their academic knowledge is going to vary quite drastically. Making a generalization that all things sharing the same name are good or bad is presumptuous and belittling.

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Eat Pray Love Ashram | Ashram in India

Welcome to Swami Dayananda Ashram

Dayananda Ashram Rishikesh is situated on the banks of the Holy Ganga, away from the major tourist attractions. It is a unique centre for the study of Vedanta and Sanskrit; unique in the sense that the classes are conducted in English yet the adherence and reverence to the ancient tradition of teaching (Sampradaya) is total. There is a temple dedicated to Lord Siva as Gangadharesvara facing the Ganga. The main lecture hall also faces the Ganga. There is a library with more than 5000 titles on various subjects, i.e. Vedanta, Sanskrit Grammar, Indian and western philosphies, Religion and Yoga. There is also a Yoga studio where regular Iyengar Yoga camps are conducted.

The ashram was established during the 1960s by Swami Dayananda Saraswati, who is an internationally recognised teacher of Vedanta and foremost scholar of Sanskrit. Swamiji and his disciples conduct regular residential courses at the ashram with the focus on Bhagavad Gita and the ten principal Upanishads as commented upon by Adi Shankaracharya. These and selected ancillary texts are analysed and taught along with Sanskrit grammar in the Paninian style. Vedic chanting is also taught during courses.

In addition, throughout the year, a resident acharya holds daily discourses on the Upanishads, incorporating analytical examination of Adi Shankaracharya's commentaries.

Dayananda Ashram is the parent Vedanta institute of the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam group, established by Swami Dayananda. Known as Arsha Vidya Pitham it means a centre of learning based on the teaching of the ancient rishis.

Registered with Swami Dayananda ashram? Click here to login

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Welcome to Swami Dayananda Ashram - Arsha Vidya Pitham ...

Waytha tells Tengku Adnan to act in the public interest instead of acting powerless.

KUALA LUMPUR: Hindraf Chairman P Waytha Moorthy expressed his shock at the Federal Territory Ministers blatant ignorance regarding the laws and his responsibility to protect and save Malaysias heritage.

He said in a statement that Tengku Adnans claims that the government has no power to stop the private development and can only advise the land owner to retain the Vivekananda Ashram building in Brickfields clearly shows the minister is ignorant on the laws available and demonstrates his shallow attitude towards our national heritage.

Waytha pointed out that it was widely known that the National Heritage Department had gazetted the Ashram earlier in 2008 & 2009.

He said the argument put forward by the FT minister and KL mayor that the board of trustees could go ahead with the development plans while maintaining the heritage site was utter rubbish.

It does not take a rocket scientist to tell that the planned development would cause permanent destruction to the heritage building, said Waytha.

He was disappointed with Tengku Adnans lackadaisical attitude towards the fight to save the Ashram and accused him of making a mockery of Malaysias status as a committee member of the World Heritage Committee. The minister seems to have conveniently ignored and failed to consult the heritage department on the buffer zone requirement, and whether a prior study existed following the guidelines set by the relevant authorities.

As a Minister, he should not open his mouth if he is not aware of the facts, the laws and the need to protect our national heritage, said Waytha who felt that the public would not be so foolish as to accept his passing the buck statement.

He told Tengku Adnan to invoke his powers to suspend the development plan and to do what is best to serve the public interest.

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Hindraf: FT Minister must make a stand on Ashram