How to make Tsampa (or roasted barley flour)

Posted on March 30, 2008 by Lincoln

Federica tells us how to make Tsampa, a staple of Tibetan diet.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

250g/8oz of good-quality, organic pearl barley
Water
Good thick-based non-stick frying pan (skillet)
Coffee grinder, or spice grinder

Place pearl barley in a bowl. Cover with cold water (at least a good inch over the barley) and leave overnight to absorb as much water as possible. In the morning, it will have swelled to twice its original size, and be quite white and opaque. Drain the barley thoroughly, and spread out onto a clean teacloth. Roll the cloth up to soak up as much water as possible, squeezing the “sausage” lightly to assist the process. Unroll, and ‘brush’ the barley into the middle of the cloth, with your fingers.

In the meantime, heat the pan or skillet over a medium heat. When it’s good and hot, scoop a handful or two of the barley, into the pan. Stir with a wooden fork, to prevent the grains from sticking together. They’ll become translucent, then opaque again, as they begin to dry roast. Keep stirring, until the grains turn a pleasing nut-brown. They’ll be quite dry and “gravelly” in the pan.

Transfer to a large tray, and spread out to allow to cool. Repeat the process until all the barley is roasted. It will be cooked and ready to use.

You can either keep it whole, and add it to stews and casseroles ten minutes before cooking time is up, or grind a quantity in a coffee, or spice grinder, until it is the consistency of flour.

I use a little in the bottom of my teacup to soak up the remaining butter from my Tibetan butter tea!

(Note: the recipe in the Wikipedia tsampa article is the one I added. The article also tells you how to use tsampa in other ways.)

Politics, Precepts, and the Next President of the United States

Posted on March 27, 2008 by Jason

Being a socially active Buddhist can be difficult when it comes to making decisions that reflect Buddhist beliefs and practices in the real world. In politics, for example, there is no perfect candidate or representative that embodies the Dhamma one hundred percent. In turn, there is no strict freamework of dos and don’ts when it comes to choosing elected officials. It is up to each individual to utilize their own discernment and make their own choices.

In this election year, the candidate who I felt was the closest in regard to representing my own views and vision for the future was Dennis Kucinich, e.g., he is against the death penalty; he has been an outspoken proponent of impeachment; he is open to diplomacy with countries that are considered to be hostile to the Untied States; he introduced a bill to create a Cabinet-level Department of Peace, et cetera. Nevertheless, he was marginalized by the media and his own party, and due to difficulties in getting contributions (partially because he refused to accept corporate donations), he was forced to withdraw his nomination.

This leaves me with a difficult choice in November. Essentially, an elected official is someone who you are giving the authority to speak for you and make decisions on your behalf. As such, that person should reflect your views as closely as possible. But what happens when nobody comes all that close? What is the most important criteria when it comes to making this decision, and in effect, giving the commander-in-chief of the world’s most powerful military the authority to speak for you and make decisions that will reverberate throughout the rest of the world? It is up to each individual to answer that question for themselves, but for me, the answer boils down to truthfulness.

The Buddha once said, “For the person who transgresses in one thing, I tell you, there is no evil deed that is not to be done. Which one thing? This: telling a deliberate lie” (Iti 25). Additionally, in the Jakata stories, which are basically morality tales that detail the past lives of the Buddha-to-be, in one life or another the Bodhisatta breaks every one of the five precepts except the one against false speech. One of the reasons for this, I believe, is that in order to learn and grow from his mistakes, the Buddha had to remain open and honest about three things: (i) his intentions, (ii) his actions, and (iii) the results of his actions. This, in essence, relates to the doctrine of kamma.

Therefore, to me, truthfulness does not simply mean saying things that are true, but as Thanissaro Bhikkhu likes to say, “being a true person” as well. Furthermore, as Andrew Huxley notes in The Kurudhamma: From Ethics to Statecraft, “The negative precept against lying is also apositive precept that agreements should be honoured” (197). Therefore, when looking at all of the potential candidates, I believe that it is important to not only look at what they are saying they have done in the past or will do in the future, but to take a close look at what they have actually done. Our votes are given in trust, trust that should be earned.

In conclusion, when it comes to voting for the next President of the United States, we should ask questions such as, “Does this person speak truthfully?,” “Does this person do what they say they are going to do?,” “Is this person consistent in their voting records, speeches, et cetera?” When people say to vote your conscience, it might sound trite, but it is sound advice considering that our votes are an elected official’s permission slip to act on our behalf.

Tending our garden

Posted on March 25, 2008 by Lincoln

Brian has a pretty big backyard for metropolitan Detroit. The previous owner was a big-time gardenig fanatic, so Brian inherited an elaborate landscaping setup that no mere mortal can maintain, even with an industrious roommate (me). The flowerbeds are huge and haven’t been tended to properly in about five years. Nature, of course, is tending to itself instead and has created its own chaos. It was a reasonably warm 45 degrees (Fahrenheit) today and the snow is finally gone, so I decided to get out there and survey the how a particularly nasty winter compounded the situation back there. Click any picture to see it larger.

The trashcans are in a muddy mess; possible rats’ nest nearby. The palettes against the bushes are a ghetto fix for the dog having figured out he can hop the fence behind them. The back was a huge bed for the entire width of the yard that is now completely fallow, save for a few shrubs that were planted there as a mini-nursery by the previous owner.

A white statue is a mini-monument to what was. The beds in the back corner of the yard are beyond help too.

The reeds all have to get cut down so they can grow back in. The boards on the bridge buckled during winter.

The bush in front of my bedroom window has outgrown its britches.

A stream flows into the pond once the thaw is permanent and the pump is switched back on.

This is shaping up to be quite a project for the spring. My goal is to get the entire mess under control and salvage what is possible. I started tonight by cutting down the reeds, trimming the bush outside my window, and starting to untangle the humongous, overpowering vines from the bushes all along the back of the yard. I think we’re going to have to call 70% of the beds totaled and just tear them out and plant grass.

Do any of the gardeners among you have any helpful suggestions? I’m especially sensitive to cost; I have the time, but not much money. Do any of you have your own gardening projects for spring?

How to make your own Ghee

Posted on March 24, 2008 by Lincoln

Federica shares her process:

This ghee is great whenever you need butter in cooking, for anything, but particularly for Indian dishes.

First, find the best quality unsalted butter you can. I use goat’s butter, but ordinary dairy butter will do.

Use a large pan, (make sure it will fit in your fridge) and put your butter in (I use three 250g or 8oz packs). Add about 2 inches of water, and put on very low heat. Keep an eye on it; when the butter is all melted, turn off the heat, and allow the melted butter to cool completely. This separates the pure butter oil from any impurities and additives in the butter.

When cold, carefully put it into the fridge, and allow it to go good and hard, and solid. Leave it overnight.

The next day, poke a hole in the very edge, between the ghee and the pan. Then poke another hole somewhere in the middle. This releases the vacuum. Shake the pan a little bit to stir up the water, then pour the water off, and discard. You’ll find it’s milky, with impurities.

Repeat the process. Add some more water, and again, place on a very low flame. Melt the butter, and then allow to cool again. Put into the fridge for 4 hours or so, depending on when you do it, or overnight. Drain off the water as before. If it’s not quite clear, do it once more.

When the water is as clear as when you first put it in, then the ghee is ready. Drain thoroughly, but leave the ghee in the pan. You now need to eliminate any traces of water.

Reheat the ghee through until it’s melted, then let it become quite hot, and permit any remaining traces of water to boil through the ghee and evaporate away. Once this is done, let the ghee cool, and while still liquid, pour into clean sterilized glass jars. Put on the lids whilst the ghee is still warm. This will create a vacuum as it cools. Store in the fridge. It lasts for absolute ages!

A fresh beginning, a Spartan layout

Posted on March 22, 2008 by Lincoln

I guess two years was long enough to stare at a lifeless main page that was a monument to my inactivity. Tonight I wiped it out and installed WordPress, and tied it to the forum. Staff members have been given permission to post whatever they like, whenever they like. At least it works, now! And, it’s tied into the forum so our wonderful community can comment on posts as we go along.

I’ll be working on a suitable design in the coming weeks and tie this page together with the forum gracefully. For now, please pardon the sterile white appearance.

This little site is amazing – like a garden that cares for itself, it continues to grow without any intervention and blooms. I hope that, with a little tending, the blossoms will grow larger still. Many thanks for your patience and continued presence. This truly is a special place.