Recipe: Mambo Italian Hummus

Another version of Hummus with pine nuts Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: Folks from Lebanon moved to Louisiana a good 150 years ago, with some additions in the past few decades. Locals here love their Lebanese food as much as the Cajun cuisine and there are plenty of small family restuarants to prove it true!

Heidi Chustz, a local nutritionist recently featured in our local newspaper had this to say about the health benefits of cooking with fresh herbs:

• Mint — Soothes digestive tract and reduces the severity and length of stomach aches. The antifungal properties of mint are thought to play a role in the treatment of asthma and other allergy conditions. It may prevent some cancers such as colon, skin and lung cancer.

• Lemon grass — Studies have shown that lemon grass has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Mixed with pepper, it’s a home therapy for menstrual troubles and nausea. When drinking it as a tea, it can be an effective diuretic.

• Oregano — Known to have strong antibacterial properties.

• Parsley — Excellent source of some nutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin A, folic acid and iron, that are important in preventing many diseases.

• Basil — Oil in basil has been shown to inhibit growth of several types of bacteria, many of which have become resistant to antibiotics. It is a good source of vitamin A and magnesium.

She does caution the following for those with compromised immune systems and old age:

"Anyone who is taking cardiac medications, diuretics, calcium channel blockers, blood pressure medications, psychotherapeutic medications, diabetes medications and certain over-the-counter medications to talk to their doctors, pharmacists and dietitians regarding possible drug-herb interactions."

Aside from that herbs are fabulous for your health and a tasty joy to add to your every day cooking!


Mambo Italiano Hummus

From: Rebecca Mason

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

2 cans cannellini beans

Juice of 1 large lemon

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2 tbls. chopped fresh oregano

1/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomato

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Sprig of fresh oregano

Directions:

1. Purée beans in food processor until smooth; add lemon juice while processing beans.

2. Remove from processor and put in bowl and set aside.

3. Purée herbs and sun-dried tomato in processor. Slowly add oil until it makes a loose paste.

Confessions of A Cajun Traiteuse - Saving Seeds and Making Wine Part II

Confessions of A Cajun Traiteuse - Saving Seeds and Making Wine Part II: "As I continue to share inside stories of my journey as a child Cajun traiteuse, I've thought a lot about everything that this entailed, and wrestled with what I was taught to tell others and what don't you tell. As a girl, I remember thinking time and time again -- 'What does all of this have to do with being a faith healer?' as my Grandpere would have me doing tasks, that seemed to have nothing to do with folk remedies and helping people get well.

I also wrestled with myself over, 'If you have knowledge that can help others, why keep it to yourself and only share with one other person (ie. the one you train to replace you)?'

Two key two key alternative medicine practices of his -- haunt and follow me to this day. The first, was the very involved process of seed saving. This is something that people have been doing all over the world for tens of thousands of years out of necessity.

The other passion had to do with making various homemade wines. These practices haunt and follow me, because I lived long enough to know how important knowing how to do both are to being self-sufficient."

By Jerilee Wei

From Denny: The generation of the cultural folk faith healer is fading. There was a time when knowledge of herbs as medicine was common throughout America and Europe. Since drug companies moved in and began growing, producing and selling the results of the healers' knowledge much of the knowledge has ceased to be passed down.

As Americans began moving from the farm in the 1950's into city and suburban situations a lot of knowledge has no longer been taught or cultivated. This article is a look into a fading world with an eye to write down what was once orally taught only to small groups or one individual per generation. This is a special treat for someone to be writing on this subject without monetary gain.