FOR YOUR SOUL

Remember that the salt of life is selfless service, the bread of life is universal love; the water of life is purity.

Hence serve, love and be pure.

– Swami Sivananda-

Do you know the expression “rotten apple”?

This metaphor is used in many countries.

Basically, a rotten apple is a bad individual among many good ones, especially the one that spoils the group.

You can also use “rotten apple” to talk about a person who is dishonest and therefore causes a lot of problems for the group they belong to.

One rotten apple in the basket will make the others start to root as well. So just make sure that to avoid “rotten apples” and most importantly be careful that you never take on that role.

And for the end, a little note about dreams, if you believe in that. To dream of a rotten apple denotes your lack of sympathy for people, especially the ones who’re not being honest with you. Your dream also represents a revelation of fake friends, breakups, or similar pain. It also signifies worries too.

“If you want good health and a peaceful, strong mind, respect water. Water is a cause of a healthy body and mind due to the healthy crystals that it can create in you and the water of your body.”

— Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati —

I guess most of you have already seen the “Ratatouille” cartoon. For those who still haven’t, I hope this post will inspire you to, as it’s an amazing and heart-warming story.

This is a story about a Remy, a rat that’s very skilled in the kitchen, who dreams of becoming a famous chef. His taste is so refined that he refuses to eat general garbage, as most of his friends and relatives do (they use him as poison detector). He meets Linguini, a garbage boy working for a famous Parisian restaurant. They become friends and Remy helps Linguini climb his way to a respected chef by hiding under his cap and guiding him by pulling his hair. Linguini especially hopes to impress Colette, one of his co-workers he has a crush on. And that’s where the trouble begins.

Throughout the movie, Remy finds himself torn between his passion and his other fellow rat associates who do not support his dream. He learns an important lesson about friendship and life, all while staying true to himself and who he really is.

Original title “Bonjour Anne” instantly gives the charming French note.

It’s a film just made for you to watch with a glass of wine and some nice cheeses on the board, let yourself dive into the French landscapes. Easy to watch, there is a chance you might identify with Anne, but it will not burden you.

Anne is at a crossroads in her life. Long married to a successful, driven but inattentive movie producer, she unexpectedly finds herself taking a car trip from Cannes to Paris with her husband’s business associate. What should be a seven-hour drive turns into a carefree two-day adventure filled with diversions involving picturesque sights, fine food and wine, humour, wisdom and romance, reawakening Anne’s senses and giving her a new lust for life.

Cheers and enjoy your evening 🙂

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built, is the tenth book in the No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. I love these books, I rarely read something written with such warmth.

I recommend you start reading from the first book, but I chose the tenth because the title remind that sometimes a good cup of red bush tea might be the best solution of all. Madame Ramotswe never starts the day without it. 

The main character is Precious Ramotswe, a traditionally built lady who really enjoys her food. She says that men wanted women whose shape reminds them of good things on the table.

You will naturally come to empathize with her, following her believes in the traditional Botswana moral and human values. She runs a small detective agency, cooks traditional Botswana meals for her husband and two adopted kids. Special moments in her life are late afternoon chats with her best friend who makes the best fruit cake ever.

Despite this irresistible fruit cake, you will discover sweets as banana cake and ginger loaf bread.

For Botswana people beef plays an important part in alimentation. She often reminds us how Botswana beef is fine, grass-fed beef, and taste so much better than the meat of those poor cattle which were kept cooped up or fed with food that they shouldn’t eat.

The main vegetable is pumpkin. On a daily base she prepares beef stews, pumpkin soups and pumpkin chilly, or just boiled flesh of a pumpkin softened with a lump of butter and served with a slice of beef, dripping in a gravy.

I believe you will enjoy these little novels, that their good humor will bring a smile on your face and that the food will bring the sunshine of Botswana in your kitchen.

And don’t forget an occasional cup of tea ☕

„The Food of Love “-this wonderful warm book by Anthony Capella will put you in the atmosphere of Rome instantly. While reading it you could almost smell the espresso, see ice cream melting and hear the murmur of Rome.

Well, what’s it all about? Laura, a twenty-something American, is on her first trip to Italy. She’s completely enamoured of the art, beauty, and, of course, food that Rome has to offer. This romantic comedy starts when she meets a handsome and charming Tommaso, who tells her he is a chef, while he is actually a waiter. You can only imagine in which direction this magical story goes 😀

„The Food of Love“ is the right book for you if you’re going to stay at home this summer, to enjoy the Italian sense of life and plan your future trip to Rome. If you are romantic or just a fan of Italian food, this fantastic story will win your heart – it’s even full of recipes for you to try.

Some of my friends told me that they can reread this book every summer, and I agree as being happy never goes out of style 🙂

“Like a Water for Hot Chocolate” was the first book related to cooking I have read that isn’t a cookbook. It made such an impression on me that I have started observing how my mood while cooking affects those you eat the food I made.

This is a magical and above all a charming story about family life in Mexico.

Tita, the youngest daughter of the house, has been forbidden to marry, condemned by Mexican tradition to look after her mother until she dies. But Tita falls in love with Pedro, and he is seduced by the magical food she cooks.

She is very emotional, lively, sexy and creative and all that’s reflected the dishes she prepares. Her feelings simply flow into her dishes. For example, all the guests got sick after eating the cake that Tita flavoured with her tears. Or everybody who ate Titas chilli began to search for a soulmate.

The film based on the novel was awarded 11 prizes by the Mexican Film Academy.

I warmly recommend you read this book, no matter if you’re 17 or 77 years old. You will enjoy all 12 chapters, each named after a month and beginning by describing a recipe.