Merry Christmas!

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime. - Laura Ingalls Wilder

~ Merry Christmas ~

The Habit Of Gratitude

Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it. - Ralph Marston

~ Happy Thanksgiving ~

Image: Hokkaido Pumpkin Centerpiece by Dominique Allmon©2018

100th Armistice Anniversary & Polish Independence Day

November 11, 2018 marks the 100th anniversary the end of World War I. The armistice was signed at 11 o'clock in Compiègne, France, by the Allied forces and Germany. The War to End All Wars, or the Great War, ended after four years of fighting that caused more devastation and spilled more blood than any other war to that point in history. 

On that day Poland regained its independence after a 123 years long partition between Austria, Prussia and Russia. The proud nation in the heart of Europe disappeared from its map on October 24, 1795 after the third partition. The last Polish king, Stanislaw August Poniatowski, abdicated on November 25, 1795. 

The armistice of  of 1918 brought many changes. Among others, it meant the end of the Austro-Hungarian  Empire and re-appearance of Poland on the map of Europe. Poland never regained it former territories, but the nation was reborn. 

Unfortunately, the new freedom lasted only for twenty years. A new war, which came as a direct consequence of the Treaty of Vesailles signed by the Allies and Germany in 1919, destroyed the vision of peace in Europe and placed Poland, once again, under the boots of Russia and Germany.  

The Poles are very particular about their independence, freedom and sovereignty, something the Germans and the European Community have difficult time understanding. Not matter how much pressure they have to endure, for Poles,  as they sing their national anthem today, Poland in not yet lost. Jeszcze Polska nie zginęła...

Poland's National Independence Day coincides with the American Veterans' Day and the Remembrance Day observed by the Commonwealth nations. It is also the the Feast of St. Marin.

By Dominique Teng

Also of interest: Why Does Poland Celebrate Independence Day On 11th November?

The Names

The Names 

Names etched on

the head of a pin.

One name spanning

a bridge, another

undergoing a tunnel.

A blue name needled

into the skin.

Names of citizens,

workers, mothers,

and fathers,

The bright-eyed

daughter, the quick son.

Alphabet of names in

a green field.

Names in the small tracks of birds.

Names lifted from a hat

Or balanced on

the tip of the tongue.

Names wheeled

into the dim warehouse

of memory. 

So many names, there

is barely room on

 the walls of the heart. 

By Billy Collins, American poet laureate

Fragment from a poem dedicated to the victims of September 11 and to their survivors. 

Best Scones Recipe Ever!

Have you ever woke up to a scent of freshly baked scones? Sounds like a perfect start into the day, doesn't it? I had that luck more than once! My husband bakes the best scones and he loves to surprise me.

Scones are so very British. Their exact origin is uncertain, though. They were first mentioned in 1513 by a Scottish poet and may have, for what we know, originated in Scotland. 

Originally, scones were made with oats. The dough was rolled out into a large circle and scored into four or six triangular wedges. They were griddle-baked over an open fire that was later replaced by a stove top. Today, most people bake them in the oven. They can be sweet or savory; plain or baked with fresh or frozen blueberries, dried cranberries, candied orange peel, pecan nuts, fresh herbs, spices, cheese, or bacon.

Many people associate them with the High Tea ritual, but they are also great for breakfast or lunch, and can easily replace your traditional dinner roll.

The recipe that follows was tested by my husband many times and the scones always turned out perfect. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp Celtic seas salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes (about 1/2 inch)
• 3/4 cup plus 2Tbsp heavy whipping cream, chilled
• 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream for final brushing

Tools:

• pastry blender
• non-stick pastry mat or wax paper
• sharp knife
• lightly greased baking sheet (use good butter)
• pastry brush
• cooling pastry rack

Method:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. 
• Using a pastry blender, cut butter into the flour until the mixture becomes crumbly and butter chunks resemble small, flour covered peas. 
• Place the bowl in freezer for 5 minutes.
• Remove the bowl from freezer. Measure out 3/4 cup and 2Tbsp whipping cream and add it to the dough. Stir it in until well incorporated. The dough will become heavy, sticky, and rather unmanageable. 
• Transfer the dough onto non-stick pastry mat or wax paper and press it gently into a circle about 1" thick and 7" wide.
• With a sharp knife, cut the dough round into eight wedges. Place the wedges about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Brush the scones with the whipping cream until well moistened. 
• Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake at 450°F for 15 minutes or until golden. Use a wooden toothpick to test if the scones are fully baked. To perform the test simply insert a toothpick into a scone. If the the toothpick comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs sticking to it, the scones are ready. If the toothpick comes out wet and sticky, bake the scones for another minute or two. 
• When the scones are ready, transfer them onto a cooling rack and let them cool off for a few minutes. 
• Enjoy in good company with a cup of freshly brewed tea, whipped butter, and best bitter orange marmalade you can lay your hands on!

Tip: Many people prefer to use a large, round cookie cutter to bake round, bread roll like scones. Feel free to make your scones round. This is how scones now look in most tea shops serving High Tea. Personally, I prefer them as wedges, but I had them as small rolls in places like the Hong Kong Peninsula Hotel, or the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Both hotels are famous in Asia for their High Teas and the scones were superb. 

By Dominique Allmon

 
Dominique Allmon©2018

Let Lemons Be Lemons!

As you go about your daily life, you will encounter many lemons. Sour expressions, sour attitudes, sour auras! The good thing is that if you don’t want to be a lemon, you don’t have to be! Just don’t let those lemons rub themselves all over you! And you don’t even have to save them! Let lemons be lemons! One of the most important things that I have ever learned, is that I don’t have to save people. - C. JoyBell C.

Take the advice!

Let lemons be lemons 

and shine on this first day of summer! 

~ Dominique

 

Image: Let Lemons Be Lemons by Dominique Allmon©2018

Do You Actually Know What You Are Eating?

Recent food scandals, disclosures, health food obsession, and consumers' curiosity, have brought many horror stories to light. It seems than not a week goes by without a new shocking story. Food sold in supermarkets as natural and healthy often is neither natural nor healthy, and the law seems to protect the food industry but not the hapless consumer, unless, of course, you are an organic farmer and have the burden to prove that your organic heirloom carrot will not kill anybody.

Obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, neurological disorders, food allergies, eating disorders, malnutrition, congenital disorders, to name only a few, are on the rise thanks to foods that have no true nutritional value, but pretend to be healthy, natural, and good for you. 

I am not even venturing here into the vast subject of organic, conventional, or GMO foods, but unless you grow, raise, forage, and produce your own food, you cannot always be sure what's on your plate. 

Inventiveness, progress, and greed are the culprits responsible for the miserable state of affairs. Everybody knows the "ersatz" foods like margarine and saccharine that were invented in times of extreme duress to provide people with substitutes for the most wanted daily staples like butter and sugar. Such fake foods might seem like a necessity during a time of war, but lose their attractiveness in time of peace and abundance, unless... Unless, of course, they are sold as good and even superior to the real stuff: butter will kill you, but margarine is so much better for you; sugar has calories, but saccharine, aspartame & Co are calorie free and even help you to stay skinny or lose weight you put on during holidays. And so on.

The success of science and the rise of chemical industry cannot be underestimated. Much money goes into research, but the profits are exorbitant. Many consumers are willing to accept a wide range of artificial flavors and coloring, often without questioning.

So why the fuss? Well, if it tastes like strawberry, it isn't necessarily a strawberry that you are tasting. A typical strawberry flavoring contains chemicals that have absolutely nothing to do with strawberries: 

• amyl acetate,
• amyl butyrate,
• amyl valerate,
• anethol,
• anisyl formate,
• benzyl acetate,
• benzyl isobutyrate,
• butyric acid,
• cinnamyl isobutyrate,
• cinnamyl valerate,
• cognac essential oil,
• diacetyl,
• dipropyl ketone,
• ethyl acetate,
• ethyl amyl ketone,
• ethyl butyrate,
• ethyl cinnamate,
• ethyl heptanoate,
• ethyl heptylate,
• ethyl lactate,
• ethyl methylphenylglycidate,
• ethyl nitrate,
• ethyl propionate,
• ethyl valerate,
• heliotropin,
• hydroxyphenyl-2-butanone (10 percent solution in alcohol),
• a-ionone,
• isobutyl anthranilate,
• isobutyl butyrate,
• lemon essential oil,
• maltol,
• 4-methylacetophenone,
• methyl anthranilate,
• methyl benzoate,
• methyl cinnamate,
• methyl heptine carbonate,
• methyl naphthyl ketone,
• methyl salicylate,
• mint essential oil,
• neroli essential oil,
• nerolin,
• neryl isobutyrate,
• orris butter,
• phenethyl alcohol,
• rose,
• rum ether,
• g-undecalactone,
• vanillin, and last, but not least,
• solvent. 

Is this all right with you? Wouldn't it be easier to simply use strawberries to flavor a cake or a milkshake, or any product for that matter? No, because strawberries are perishable and expensive, and not flavorful enough in tiny doses. Chemicals, on the other hand, can be standardized and measured out exactly to produce a constant flavor that sells well and lasts till the expiry date of a product, say, three or five years later. 

The same goes for the vanilla, caramel, or chocolate flavorings, and everything else that is manufactured and sold as food.

How about artificial crab meat so popular with sushi lovers? How about gel-injected shrimp from Asia? How about chicken that is only 51% meat? How about vegan sausage? How about sausage?! How about fake apple juice? How about fake honey? Scandal after scandal, disclosures revealed criminal practices. For some people such revelations come too late, others may still reconsider the way they eat and shop for food. 

Some of the food industry practices are criminal and must be prosecuted, but many of the secrets are perfectly legal. They are scandalous only because of the dubious ingredients like wood or human hair used to manufacture products sold as food. 

The food industry can really be proud of its achievements: food preservatives, flavor enhancers, emulsifiers, coloring, bleaches, and other additives that make a bunch of chemicals look and taste like food. That many people get sick or addicted to certain food products has to be proven first. The industry is very strong and has powerful lawyers. Much money goes into research. Much money goes into lobbying. Much money goes into advertisement. Some money probably goes into lawsuits and to hush the plaintiffs.

Ignorance kills, but how can you blame the overwhelmed consumer when the whole industry promotes unhealthy food products that are definitely not good for you, as something you must eat daily in order to look sexy, healthy, beautiful, and fit? 

Education is important, but habits die hard. For as long as a truly organic apple is more expensive than a fake chocolate, sugar loaded bar, the situation will remain unchanged.

By Dominique Allmon

Dominique Allmon©2018

Also of interest: 5 Food Industry Secrets They Don’t Want You To Know by Kim Johnson or 6 Food Industry Tricks You Don’t Know About by Dr. Mercola. To read the articles please click here and here.

*This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Cultural Appropriation And The Chinese Dress Scandal

Only a few weeks ago a girl from Salt Lake City, UT, suffered harassment on social media for making a simple fashion choice. She decided to wear a traditional Chinese dress known as cheongsam or qipao, to her high school prom. The trouble started when a young Chinese man, Jeremy Lam, saw the girl's picture on Twitter.

You would have thought that the whole Great Wall of China fell down in an instant! The girl was accused of cultural appropriation and a serious abuse of sacred tradition. More than forty thousand people got involved in the "discussion" on Twitter. The matter was taken up online by the USA Today, The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, The Guardian, Washington Post, and many others.

This would have been a silly, meaningless pseudo-intellectual exchange, but unfortunately, the Chinese dress outrage is a symptom of a very disturbing trend. Something is boiling in the melting pot of America and it does not smell nice. 

 

 

Is the world turning upside down? I studied Chinese culture for many years and traveled to China, Hong Kong, and Singapore on monthly bases for almost three decades. Among other things, I accumulated a small collection of Chinese silk blouses that I proudly wore on many occasions. They became unique additions to my wardrobe and attracted many gazes. My very first Chinese style blouse was designed by Donna Karan. It was sold under her DKNY brand. I bought it at Marshal Fields in Chicago many years ago. In Hong Kong I had a small ritual every time I went there. On the first day, the luxury Shanghai Tang store with its Chinese 1920s flair was my first destination after a hearty dim sum breakfast at the Luk Yu Tea House. In 1997 the store opened a branch in New York City,  but unfortunately, it did not make it there.

When China began to open up to the West in late 1980s, interior designers and a few fashion designers adopted the Chinese aesthetic idiom and translated it into incredibly beautiful creations. No one was screaming or accusing anybody of cultural appropriation. In fact, the Chinese were rather proud that so many Westerners appreciated their culture. Westerners learned to love Chinese literature and cinema. Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, and Wang Kar Wai, to name only a few, became household names among cinephiles.

Things changed so much. Quite recently, many American learning institutions turned into places of insanity. Political correctness, social justice, Marxist overtones, obsession with gender, and infantile lack of tolerance dominate the discourse now. Those who militantly demand tolerance for themselves, deny the freedom of speech to those whose opinions differ from their own. Totalitarian tendencies in the academia are not only annoying, they are dangerous. Once cradles of freedom and free speech, universities are becoming places of hatred and virulent intolerance. No one even considers that tolerance works both ways.

There must be something truly wrong with me because it bothers me that the appreciation of a culture is now viciously considered to be cultural appropriation. If this trend continues, good luck to all the gift store owners in every China Town across America. They may soon be saying goodbye their American Dream.

By Dominique Allmon

 

Images: Dominique's favorite Chinese blouses

Dominique Allmon©2018

The Morning After The Earth Day

Each Earth Day celebration fills our hearts with hope as ordinary citizens, nature conservationists, NGOs, and businesses all over the world gather together to clean up the environment and discuss the badly needed change. Every year, countless communities and businesses do their best to implement the environment friendly solutions to minimize pollution and minimize waste of resources.

Much will be done between now and the next time we get together to celebrate the Earth Day, asses the results of our strategies, and admire the changes visible everywhere. But the change has to start with us! Unless we critically review our shopping habits and understand that our behavior has consequences, nothing will change.

The morning after. How many of you forgot to take your reusable travel mug, your reusable aluminum water bottle, or your reusable shopping tote bag with you this morning? Another plastic cup, another plastic bottle, another plastic straw, another plastic bag that could have been avoided. Well, tomorrow is another day and we can certainly do a bit better.

Those who travel learn to see the world with different eyes. Take the coffee habit in Vienna, Austria, for instance. The coffee to go found its way there as well, but the Austrians still love their traditional coffee shops where they can sit quietly, read the morning news, and enjoy every sip of their coffee, served in cups with saucers and spoons, in a less hurried manner; Visit a grocery store in Germany. Many chain supermarkets there do not use plastic bags anymore. You can buy a paper bag at checkout if you did not bring your own and you are expected to reuse and recycle it; You see recycling bins everywhere you go in Europe. In many cities you even find recycling bins in hotel rooms. Most people in most European countries recycle as much as they can and yet, even Europe cannot completely avoid the pollution and waste problem.

Hikers and skiers in the Alps or the High Tatra dump tones of plastic bottles, bags, and containers every year. And every year around the Earth Day or during the so called Plastic Free July, volunteers gather to clean up the mess. Many forests, beaches, and cities all over the world go the same way. It makes you wonder, do tourists even care for the places they visit?

Many communities in the US have implemented ambitious recycling programs. The situation varies from state to state and from community to community. Much has to be done, but there is hope. Yet recycling alone is not enough. The packaging industry will most probably not disappear like the once popular horse and carriage, but it definitely has to change its ways. New bio-degradable packaging materials must replace plastic. But unless consumers demand such change, no much will happen. If customers collectively refused to buy anything packaged in plastic containers, the industry would have no choice but to adapt. Not that long ago milk, for instance, came in glass bottles. Why cannot we go back to bottling milk again?

Old habits die hard, but with a little patience and determination, we can learn new ones and change the ways we live our daily lives. And the best thing is, we will see the change next time we gather to celebrate the Earth Day.

By Dominique Allmon

Dominique Allmon©2018

Naturally Dyed Tiffany Blue Easter Eggs

If you are still looking for an Easter Egg Hunt ideas, this article will inspire you to try something new. All you need is eggs, white vinegar, and purple cabbage. The whole project takes less than 12 hours. The outcome is more than amazing.

I used white free range organic eggs and an organic purple cabbage to minimize exposure to chemicals in our already over polluted world. This is especially important if you want to eat the eggs after the Sunday egg hunt.

For twelve eggs you will need a large head of purple cabbage, large pot, and twelve small Mason jars or small drinking glasses to dye each egg individually. You can dye the eggs in bulk, of course, but if you dye them individually, the eggs will be covered more thoroughly. 

Method:

• Wash and chop up the cabbage. Toss it into a large pot, pour enough water to completely cover the cabbage, and bring it to boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and boil until cabbage is soft. 
• Once the cabbage is ready, allow it to cool off. Strain the liquid and toss away the cabbage. Add 4 Tbsp of vinegar and mix well.
• Boil the eggs. Put the eggs in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Bring water to a rolling boil. Once the water is boiling, remove the pot from heat and cover it with a lid. Leave the eggs in hot water for 12-15 minutes. Remove the eggs from the pot and put them into a bowl of ice cold water. 
• Place each egg in an individual jar or a glass. Pour the purple cabbage juice over the eggs completely covering each one, and allow eggs to take color for at least three hours. The color intensity depends on the time the eggs spend in the purple cabbage dye. To add some variation, let some of the eggs stay in the dye for a bit longer. For a more dramatic effect, leave them in dye overnight.
• Remove the eggs from the dye and place them on a baking cooling rack. Allow the dye to dry out completely. The little flaws in paint are more than welcome. They truly make the eggs prettier.
• Once the dye dried out completely you can place them in an Easter basket, on a decorative platter, or in your backyard. 

 Eggs in purple cabbage juice

This is the first time I used purple cabbage to dye the eggs. They turned out beautifully. No egg looks the same. I used a little 24ct confectioners gold leaf to add a little sparkle to them. You can use edible gold paint if you prefer, or simply leave them the way they are.

I hope this little project woke up your own creativity. You can use different plants to make the most beautiful Easter eggs ever. My mother used onion peel to create various shades of golden yellow and brown color. Purple cabbage gives various shades of aquamarine, Tiffany blue and turquoise. You can use beets to make your eggs pink, turmeric root to make them bright yellow, dried chokeberries (Aronia) to make them pink, or blueberries and blackberries to make them indigo blue. You can mix the plants to create different nuances. Also, using brown eggs instead of white will produce a much different color effect. Experiment! It's fun.

~ Wishing everyone peaceful Easter Holidays and happy Easter Egg Hunt! ~ Dominique 

 

Dominique Teng©2018

Happy 30th Pi Day And The Joy Of Pi

This mysterious 3.1459... which comes in at every door and window,

and down every chimney. - Augustus De Morgan in "A Budget of Paradoxes"

Even if math is not really your thing, March 14 is a fun day. It is the birthday of Albert Einstein and  a perfect occasion to have a large piece of your favorite pie. 

March 14 is also a day of Steven Hawking's death who passed away today in Cambridge, UK, at the age of 76.

The constant pi represented by the Greek letter π is a number that expresses the ratio of the circumference of a perfect circle to its diameter. The value of pi has been calculated to more than a trillion of decimal digits.

No other number has captured as much attention and imagination throughout the human history. It is an irrational number that has many applications in various areas of science and mathematics, including theoretical physics, geometry, trigonometry, integral and differential calculus, number theory, probability theory, and statistics.

It is impossible to know when the number π was first calculated. Early mathematicians must have discovered the relationship between circumference of a circle and  its radius by simple experimentation which involved a rope. Ever since this relationship was discovered, people in many cultures obsessed with it and worked to calculate the precise ratio with millions of digits after the coma. Others tried to learn and commit to memory as many digits of the π as possible.

Ten decimal places of π are sufficient to give the circumference of the earth to a fraction of an inch, and thirty decimal places would give the circumference of the visible universe to a quantity imperceptible to the most powerful microscope. - Simon Newcomb in Comic Sections by D. MacHale

The first significant celebration of the number π took place in 1988 in San Francisco. The celebration was organized by the physicist Larry Shaw and involved pie eating and discussions about π. In 2009 the US Congress recognized March 14 as the National Pi Day in an effort to promote math learning.

Whether you are enjoying a slice of a scrumptious, perfectly round pie today, doing some calculus, or simply throwing a pie throwing party, give some thought to this magical number that is so embedded in the fabric of the universe that surrounds us.

Happy Pi Day!

By Dominique Allmon

Dominique Allmon©2018

Year of The Earth Dog

The Year of the Earth Dog officially began on February 16, 2018. It will end on February 4, 2019. 

In Chinese astrology zodiac signs are combined with the Five Elements. Each animal sign appears every twelve years, but only every sixty years in each of its elements. The Five Elements: metal, water, wood, fire, and earth determine a special quality of each zodiac sign for a particular year. The current year is dominated by the earth element, hence the Earth Dog. The Dog will return again in twelve years, but we will have to wait another sixty years for the next Earth Dog. It will return in 2078! Chinese horoscopes are very complex. To simplify matters we can say that the Chinese believe that both, the zodiac sign and the element, affect destiny and personality of a person born under them. The predictions for the year to come also depend on this unique combination. 

In Chinese culture Dog is considered to be a luck bringing animal. Dogs are honest, loyal, caring, protective, and faithful, and will never abandon their masters. This quality of the zodiac animal carries a promise for a good and prosperous year. Earth elements is associated with mountains, real estate, agriculture, minerals, and earthquakes. Earth element adds some stability, may also represent barrier or obstacle blocking our view.

If you had difficult time holding on to your fortune during the Fire Cycle, your luck may change a bit for the better in the year of the Earth Dog, but be careful, dogs are very playful! Don't gamble your fortune away and remember that nothing comes without work. The earth element might add some difficulties which means that you will have to put a little more effort to get to your destination, or work a little harder and smarter to conquer possible obstacles. If you lack diligence and determination, you might miss many opportunities. Year of the Earth Dog is good for completing unfinished projects, especially if they apply to the source of your income. Fortunes can be augmented, but the Earth Dog suggests that saving money is a good idea.

In Chinese culture, people born under the sign of the Dog are considered to be honest, loyal, amiable, kind, industrious but also cautious and prudent. They are ambitious and outgoing, are great friends and faithful spouses. They are resourceful and make good doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants, politicians, and civil servants.

Unfortunately, the Year of the Dog is usually very bad for people born in the Dog year. The destiny of everybody else depends on their own birth year and how their personal zodiac animal interacts with the dog. Very complex birth charts are used by an Chinese astrologers or geomancers to determine individual horoscopes and predict a fortune.

No matter what your birth sign, we hope that you will have a very good year. Remember, that no matter what the predictions are, you and only you are the true master of your fortune. And if you like dogs, 2018 is a good year to get or adopt a dog.  

Wishing everyone Happy Chinese New Year 
 and a very prosperous Year of the Earth Dog!

 

Dominique Teng

 恭喜發財 

Dominique Allmon©2018 

Image: Year of the Dog Greeting Cards designed by James W. Allmon

The Sensual Cook

There is no spectacle on earth more appealing than that of a beautiful 
woman in the act of cooking dinner for someone she loves. - Tom Wolfe

The opposite is also true! Women love watching their men preparing delicious breakfasts or dinners.

There is always that secret ingredient lovers add to their concoctions and many meals created with love are only a prelude to something even more sensual and exciting. The very fact that your lover prepared his or hers favorite dish for you is exciting in itself.

Throughout the ages lovers in many cultures used certain foods and spices to enhance their dishes and reach the heart of a lover literally through his or her stomach. Such foods were known as aphrodisiacs. They were believed to have the potential to increase libido, lust and potency, and to improve fertility. They would excite the eater and make him or her more available for romance.

Some of the aphrodisiacs, like oysters, bananas, or avocados, were used because they resembled human sexual organs. Others, like black pepper or hot chili peppers, helped increase the blood circulation.

Modern research shows that some foods contain nutrients and substances such as essential fatty acids, magnesium, zinc, vitamins A, C, B complex, and E, or citrulline, L-arginine, that can indeed improve libido and balance sexual hormones.

Foods that are regarded as aphrodisiacs:

• oysters
• caviar
• eggs
• asparagus
• avocado
• arugula
• Perigord truffles
• dark chocolate
• almonds and nuts
• ginger
• nutmeg
• cloves
• maca 
• chili peppers
• real vanilla bean
• watermelon
• pomegranate
• figs
• bananas
• raspberries
• strawberries 

There is much to choose from. You can easily create a five course menu to celebrate love. Remember that texture, color, scent, presentation, are the important elements of any dish, but even more so if the dish is supposed to be sensual.

Also remember that ambience is just as important as the meal you are serving. Candlelight, music, and red roses are perfect to create romantic mood. A little wine or champagne can help break the ice, but keep in mind that too much alcohol may have an opposite effect and numb your senses.

~ Wishing everyone a spectacular and incredibly sensual St. Valentine's Day! ~

Dominique Allmon

Dominique Allmon©2018

*Information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.

Anzac Biscuits Recipe

Have you ever tried Anzac bikkies? I visited Australia many times, but had never tried these biscuits that are so popular Down Under. 

Last Christmas, Kate, a dear friend from New Zealand, presented us with a box of this delicacy. Delicious they were! We devoured them in no time and felt we needed more. My husband James decided to try out the recipe and bake his own since we could not impose on Kate for the immediate supply. He did some research and decided, that a recipe from Australian magazine Taste was the best. He got all the ingredients and set out to work on the Dark & Crunchy version. His cookies turned out magnificent! Kate still has to try them, but we are both quite confident that his bikkies are perfect. Here is the recipe. It makes two dozen delicious Anzac biscuits.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour (150g)
• 1 cup rolled oats (90g)
• 1 cup desiccated, non-sweeten coconut flakes (85g)
• 3/4 firmly packed brown sugar (155g)
• 1 stick butter or 1/2 unsalted butter (125g)
• 2 Tbsp Golden Syrup
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Method:

• Line out two baking sheets (pans) with parchment.
• Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C).
• Toss flour, oats, coconut flakes, and brown sugar into a large mixing bowl and stir well until all ingredients are well combined. 
• In a small saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add Golden Syrup and water, and mix well until mixture is smooth and creamy. Add baking soda and mix again. It will foam.
• Transfer the melted butter mixture into your mixing bowl. Mix well until you get a nicely firm dough.  
• Using a 1 1/2 inch cookie dough scoop, portion out the dough. Pack the dough tightly. Drop each cookie dough ball on a parchment and flatten it into a round cookie a little less than 0,4" thick (about 1cm) leaving about 2 inches (5cm) wide space between each cookie. The cookies will rise and expand during baking.
• Bake for 18 minutes at 320°F (160°C).
• Once bikkies are nicely golden, remove baking sheets from the oven and set them aside for 10 minutes, before you transfer them onto wired cooling racks. Allow to cool completely. 
• Once you bikkies have cooled off, enjoy them in good company!

Tip: James is a very practical man. He used his super cool Kitchenaid stand mixer and there is no reason you shouldn't too, if you own one.

To people in Australia and New Zealand Anzac biscuits have a very special meaning. They are associated with the Australian And New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) formed in World War I. Women groups and wives of the deployed men baked the cookies and sent them to ANZAC troops. The cookies were perfect because they did not spoil and kept well during the ocean journey that had to make.

In 1917 an Anzac Biscuits recipe appeared in "War Chest Cookery Book" that was published in Sydney, Australia. The published recipe, however, was different form the one used today. The prototype was known as a Rolled Oates Biscuit and was named an Anzac Biscuit sometime around 1921. Because of their historical connection to the ANZAC forces and ANZAC Day, these cookies are still used to raise funds for the veterans in New Zealand and Australia.

"These biscuits pay homage to our troops that died in World War 1, a war where we we were sent to the slaughter. Keep the honor of the thousand of dead troops alive by not messing with the recipe !!!" - Kirk Muddle in a comment on the recipe published online by Taste magazine.

Substitutes do not always work. For instance, the golden agave syrup is not the Golden Syrup you need for this recipe. It has a very different consistency, viscosity, and taste.  If you want to make cookies that taste like the original ones, you have to use the right ingredients. They are easily obtainable in specialized stores or online. If you do not quite know how the cookies are supposed to look and taste, you can always order a box. Once you tasted them, you can bake your own without a fear of spoiling the recipe.

By Dominique Allmon

 
Dominique Allmon©2018