Leaf Plates From Germany: Time to Switch Back to Ancient Indian Traditions?

Do you remember eating food out of pattals? I do. Raised in the heartland of Uttar Pradesh, I was quite close to the rustic and traditional ways of living as compared to some of my friends and colleagues living in metros. I remember some of my favourite street stalls and most iconic canteens and eateries in Allahabad serving pav bhajis, poori sabjis and samosas in donas made out of dried leaves. My father would note the economical aspect of such a practice, not to mention the fact that leaves are…

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5 Lessons I Taught My Children About the Food on Their Plates

Even when your garden is filled with a crop of sprouting grass, as ours is at this point in the season, you can still teach your children some of the basic principles of food production. Hard work, the complementary gifts of soil and water, and the disappointment of seeds that never produce food also yield valuable lessons. As parents, one of the most fundamental opportunities we can pass on to our children is that of experiential learning. Life is best lived hot (the beating noonday sun) or cold (the icy…

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