--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Hugo" <richardhughes103@> > wrote: > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk" <shempmcgurk@> > > wrote: > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Hugo" <richardhughes103@> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk" > > <shempmcgurk@> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Hugo" > > <richardhughes103@> > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "shempmcgurk" > > > > <shempmcgurk@> > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "John" <jr_esq@> > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Hugo" > > > > > <richardhughes103@> > > > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "John" > <jr_esq@> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Now you're sounding like Prabhupada of ISKCON. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > That's cool, I go to the Hare Krishna restaurant > every > > > time > > > > > > > > > I'm in London. Excellent tucker, and they chant at > the > > > food > > > > > > > > > when they're cooking it. You don't get service like > > that > > > at > > > > > > > > > MacDonalds! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > In Berkely, California the ISKCON folks offer the food > > for > > > > free > > > > > > as > > > > > > > > part of their proselytizing efforts. The chant is a > > vedic > > > > > method > > > > > > > to > > > > > > > > turn the food into prasada, or as an offering to > > Krishna. > > > > > Thus, > > > > > > > > eating this food becomes wholesome, or divine. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I go to the local temple here on Sunday nights when they > > have > > > > > their > > > > > > > feasts...and they're also free. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > At the risk of sounding like a mood-maker, I must say > that > > I > > > > have > > > > > > > consistent transcending experiences eating their food > and, > > > yes, > > > > I > > > > > > > attribute that to the chanting they do over the food they > > > > > prepare, > > > > > > > the offering of it to Krishna, and the fact that monks > > > prepare > > > > it. > > > > > > > > > > > > No mood-making there, I get this too. Not very time but > enough > > > > > > to make me wonder. Perhaps the music they play helps? I > think > > > > > > it's a clear sign they must have something profound to > offer. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I agree. > > > > > > > > > > They don't play music at the temple I frequent, at least not > > > while > > > > > the food is served and eaten. > > > > > > > > First time I had this kind of blissful trip at a Krishan place > > > > it really felt like it started in my stomach like the sort of > > > > thing MMY talked happening about when digestion is perfect. > > > > Thing is I never go that when at a TM place and I stick to the > > > > ayurvedic diet rather closely because it seems to do me a lot > > > > of good in other ways. > > > > > > > > > > > > > Another element: in addition to being vegetarian, there do > not > > > use > > > > > garlic, onion, mushrooms, or eggs which I think applies to > TMO > > > > > kitchens these days too, no? > > > > > > > > That's exactly the stuff that you have to drop, whcih came as > > > > a shock because it's all most veggies eat. But it's worth it > > > > for how it makes you feel. Garlic and onions are very > aggravating > > > > if you can drop them for a while you might feel a lot more > > > > settled inside, that's what I found anyway. > > > > > > > > > > > > > But here's what I find interesting: this temple's kitchen > > doesn't > > > > buy > > > > > organic. Nor do they consciously adhere to ayurvedic > > principles > > > (I > > > > > asked). > > > > > > > > The one in London isn't organic either, I don't know if it's a > > cost > > > > issue but they're confident their system is good enough. > Certainly > > > > tasty enough, and all their profits go towards handing out food > > > > to the homeless which is cool. > > > > > > > > I thought about joining them once because the food is good, is > > > > that the right sort of reason to commit to a different religion > > > > I wonder? > > > > > > Well, I never had the fantasy of joining them but I did have the > > > fantasy of becoming filthy rich and being in the position of > being > > > able to hire those very same cooks to make my meals three times a > > > day, seven days a week... > > > > > > You think big, I like it. > > > > But if you did that you'd miss out on the rather good > > foxy babe ratio they seem to have. But then they make > > a virtue out of celibacy so it all works itself out. > > > > I make do with a copy of their cookbook, but it's not > > the same if you're not a good chanter. > > > > Which one? > > I bought the large and expensive "Lord Krisna's Cuisine" and did not > like it. This is perhaps unfair of me to say as I only tried one > recipe -- the semolina halva, one of my favourite dishes -- and it > did NOT turn out like the wonderful halva I get at the temple. > > As for the chanting, if you ask them, as I did, how to offer the food > they make to Krishna, they'll tell you the procedure although I am > sure it doesn't get the same effects as they, as celibates, get.
I saw an advert for kitchen staff in their London restaurant and thought about going for it, I guess it must have applied just to members of the church. Might be a bit unreasonable to expect Joe public to chant AND be celibate. Would be nice to get some tips off the chef though. My book is the Hare Krishna book of vegetarian cooking, but I've got another cheap paperback I bought twenty years ago when one of them stopped me in the street for a donation. They still sell it in London, good curries and rice dishes, but it's not got the scope they have in the restaurants. I think they change it daily according what ingredients they've got in. Excellent lasagne and ladhus. I'm getting hungry thinking about it. I'm also out of posts unless my maths is worse than I thought.