Spice, Spice, Baby

No credit needed. My pan, my pic. Curry Love. Spice, Spice, Baby...Non-Vanilla Ice.

Yesterday, I went to the (only?) local Indian food (Continent, not Native peoples) store in the locale--called Everest. No mountain-setting, it is next to the car wash.

I heard that there is another Indian store around but that information has not been verified. I was the only white boy shopping. Rather than getting spices in small little bottles at highly inflated prices at the Anglo-Mart, I am buying my turmeric, curry, cumin, cardamom, paprika, and red chili powder, in 1 or 2 pound bags at Indian Direct and Asian Mart. Volume. This is part of my strategy of expanding my food horizons. Spice sails into the winds of world culture. The world food ain't flat...

Conservatives and Evangelical Christians do a very poor job of appreciating diversity. Diversity can mean many, many, things, depending on who is the diversity disburser. However, we can divide diversity into biblically affirming and non-affirming stances. Stances the require a change of footing depending on what one is standing upon. We Christians eat the same crap as everyone--and our guts are proof.

Here is a strange truth:

Most Africans, Asians, Arabics, and South/Central Americans--whether they are Christians or not--are considerably more culturally Conservative than European-derived civilization. Take that into you diversity pipe and smoke it. Oh, I forgot that smoking is the one sin of Liberalism to be demonized. Not that I am a fan of smoking. Oh yeah, and soda. And not that I am any fan of soda either. Search my fridge and recycling bin. I would rather drink sewage than soda.

I am in the process of acquiring the ingredients necessary to develop skills in Indian and Asian cooking. So much deliciousness. Meat tends to be a given in all cooking word-wide with a fairly narrow menu to select from (chicken, fish, cow, pig, and then it goes downhill to goat, lamb, gator, bugs, etc.). Vegans are only a small percentage--typically first-wordlers who work in occupations not requiring physical rigor. Protein is a necessity for most true laborers.

Everest had a spice package for beef which caused me to question its authenticity. Internationally, vegetables to some degree, and spicing to a very large degree, creates the colorful food palate.

With my food wandering and wondering,  I feel like I am breaking out of the culinary straight-jacket and rubber room of American sugar, white bread refined carbs, and fried insanity pollution--to breathe in the vibrant flavors and colors over the fence. We in the U.S. tend to go sweet rather than spicy, as a way of try to bribe our taste buds' conscience. But sugar is a poor proposition. Although it pours a ton of profits into corporate America, whose goal is the increase consumption and decrease its costs. So, that it can give millionaires and billionaires shareholders more profits for their coffers.

Do not build your treasures here on earth. That must be Marx. No Jesus, you ill-informed imbecilic Fox Newser.

I have to say that the spices and cooking have created quite the Vibe. My mouth and tongue are captivated, and my body as whole seems to be on high-burn. Spice tend to be very good metabolically for the body. And the food is freakin' delish. Although I am a mere International Cuisine Intern, I am learning spice wisdom and Indian/Asian cooking know-how. If my tongue says "Amen," I know that I am on the right track. I have a decent intuitive food palate. Not taught, but given by God.