Dreams of India

Taj MahalWhere do your dreams take you?

I was so pleased to be in India last night. I said over and over that it was so good to be back in India. Unfortunately I woke up to realise that it had all been a dream.

I’ve been to India a couple of times and would be back there in a heartbeat for another visit if I could afford the ticket. In my dream I was busy catching up really good friends that I’ve met on my previous visits and seeing some of the sights I love, as well as seeing new parts of India that I haven’t experienced yet.

One of the things I’d love to do in India is visit some communities on the coast. I got to do that in my dream last night. We were driven around a bay where the water of the ocean was washing over the road. We were traveling in a van and the van driver just kept going right on through the swollen waters. I remember thinking that I was perfectly safe because he was an Indian driver who knew the conditions and I could trust him completely to get us to our destination safely. I lifted my small suitcase onto my knees to avoid it getting soaked by the water which was now swirling around my feet.

India is such an amazing country and I’ve only experienced such a small sample of what the country offers. I really was dissapointed when I woke up and realised that I wasn’t actually there.

The most disappointing thing about realising it was a dream was that I hadn’t got around to eating an authentic curry before I woke up.



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Dreams of India? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

Curry Killing Cancer

curry_spices.jpgDon’t you just love it when you find out something you enjoy is doing you good?

I’m always fascinated by the research that comes out every now and then to tell us that things like red wine and dark chocolate are good for your health. I fully embrace those findings.

I’ve had the privilege of visiting India a couple of times and have developed a great love of great curries but is curry good for us?

As you know, I spent all last week cycling for cancer on our ride from Perth to Albany. (By the way, you can still sponsor the ride with your donation to Cancer Council WA by going to the secure donations page.) Now a BBC News report is now telling us that curry can be a weapon in the fight against cancer.

An extract found in the bright yellow curry spice turmeric can kill off cancer cells, scientists have shown.

The chemical – curcumin – has long been thought to have healing powers and is already being tested as a treatment for arthritis and even dementia.

Now tests by a team at the Cork Cancer Research Centre show it can destroy gullet cancer cells in the lab.

I know that curry isn’t the complete answer …. but until a complete answer is found I will dedicate the rest of my life to eating as much curry as I can.

Maybe our next ride for cancer can be in India.



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Curry Killing Cancer? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

Hot Hot Hot

chilli.jpgHow hot is too hot?

I enjoy a good hot curry but I must admit that I’m always keen to ensure that my taste buds are likely to recover within a reasonable period of time.

News.com.au has published an article titled London restaurant’s Bollywood Burner ‘world’s hottest’ curry. It talks about a curry so hot that those who sample it are left feeling dizzy or light headed. Do you think they might be taking things a little too far?

A LONDON restaurant is serving up what it hopes will be confirmed as the world’s hottest curry, with even the chef admitting it is “too extreme” to keep on the menu.

Vivek Singh at The Cinnamon Club grabbed some of the hottest chilli peppers known to man to create the Bollywood Burner, a lamb-based dish with a fierce kick.

The curry is so hot that diners are asked to sign a disclaimer confirming they are aware of the risks involved before daring to eat it.

The great thing about many of the curries I’ve eaten in India is that while they may be quite hot, they manage to maintain the flavours. It’s not about creating something that will have you screaming for a fire extinguisher, it’s about blending the spices to create something that excites the taste buds.

After two visits to India I can only remember two curries that were too hot. Several of the locals had trouble with those ones too but I managed to eat them anyway.

How about you? Do you enjoy spicy food? How hot is too hot for you? Do you see hot curry as a challenge?

If a curry is really spicy I end up with hiccups. I can usually cure spice induced hiccups with a quick drink or two and I always make sure that I eat plenty of rice and chapatis with my curry to even out the effects of the chillis and spices.



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Hot Hot Hot? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.