Friday, March 28, 2008

Finding The Sacred In A Bonsai


A few years ago I saw a PBS special on creating Bonsai sculptures. It was a shortcut method that would take any variety of small plants, cut the roots way back, repot the plant in a small container, and snip some of the growth away to reveal the new possibilities. So I chopped and snipped and created and... for awhile, had a Bonzai plant. It only lasted about a year....

This week, as a way to decompress from all of the Holy Week activies and responsibilities, I decided to try creating again. I found a juniper bush in a 6" pot at a garden store for $5.95 and spent part of an afternoon chopping and snipping and creating and decompressing. It was wonderful. In a short time I found myself being renewed. In the simplicity of creating and listening for God's Presence I was re-inspired. The "ruah" of God, the holy breath resurrected my soul.


If you want to know more about Bosai a good start is at Bonsai Gardner.

GLOSSARY (terms generally used in Indian Cooking)

A:
Achar ................. pickle
B:
Bhare/bharua .... stuffed
Bharta/bhurta .... mash
Bhuna .................. stir-fried
Burfi/barfi ........... Indian sweet made of milk & other ingredients
C:
Chandi varak ......... edible beaten silver (very thin foil)
Chashni .................. sugar syrup
Chutney ................. spicy side disheaten with snacks
Chenna/paneer ..... Indian cottage cheese
D:
Dahi ..................... yogurt/curd
Dal ....................... pulse/lentil
Dum ..................... cooked in a pot, where lid is sealed with a ring of dough.
G:
Ghee .................... clarified butter
K:
Keema .................. mince meat
Kewra .................. screwpine essence
Khatta ................... sour
Kofta ..................... balls made from vegetables, meat, chicken or fish
M:
Makhan ............... butter
Mawa .................... solidified milk
Mewa .................. dry fruits
P:
Pakora ................ battered and deep fried fritters of vegetables/meats
Panch pooran ..... a mix of cumin, fenugreek, fennel, mustard & nigella seeds
T:
Tandoor ............... Indian clay oven
Tarka/tadka ........ tempering of food with ghee/oil and cumin, mustard or any other seeds
Tawa ..................... griddle