WHAT'S COOKING

A housewife's diary

MONDAY

Did you know that Bananas are one of the richest sources of Potassium, which may help regulate Blood Pressure ? It is also a good source of fibre and a natural antacid. The Potassium in Bananas is said to control leak of Calcium through the urine. Lack of Potassium makes you hold salt and and retain water.

TUESDAY

When making Mashed Potatoes, add a spoon or two of hot milk , rather than cold milk. This makes it fluffy. Add a bit of margarine, and salt and pepper to taste. One tsp of sugar added to 500gm Potatoes makes a world of difference. The taste of the sugar is indistinguishable.

WEDNESDAY

My recipe for waffles. 2 breakfast cups flour, half tsp salt, 3 tsp baking powder, one cup milk, 2 eggs, 3 Tblsp melted margarine or Vegetable oil. Make into a batter using only the yolks.

Just before you make it, add stiffly beaten whites. Add water gradually to make it to the required consistency. Pour into waffle mould in spoonfuls. Makes about 15.

THURSDAY

If you have an Amberella plant in your garden, try this. Use only the tender leaves of the plant to make this Raw Sambol. Make it just like making a Gotukola Sambol. I tried it and it was good. Pluck the leaves only when you are ready to make it. Cut leaves finely, add scraped coconut, chopped green chillies, chopped red onions and salt. Mix all together. Optional: a pinch of pepper powder.

FRIDAY

Why is salt added to cake recipes? It makes the Gluten in the flour more elastic, and so helps the mixture to rise well.

SATURDAY

“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people, but the silence over that by the good people.”

SUNDAY

Tips given to me by a friend. For a toothache, dip cotton wool in Vanilla essence, and place on tooth. For relief from stomach upsets, eat ripe, de-seeded Tomato. For stings from bees or plants, press Cellotape over area, pull away gently. To remove ink stains on garments, wash with toothpaste, If oil has spilt on the floor, sprinkle a little flour or talcum powder on it. Brush off after a few minutes. Floor will be nongreasy. While roasting ground nuts, sprinkle a little water over them, to prevent them getting burnt. They will become crisper, and the skin will come off easily.