OVNews 3/5/09

 

2. Dining Out Club

The Dining Out Club went Italian during April with a visit to Gino’s restaurant, Oxford. The next meal will be on Wednesday 20^th May at Aziz Pandesia on Folly Bridge, looking out over the River Thames. For details, see Forthcoming Events.

 

3. New discounts for members

 

Kitchen Buddy

10% discount offered on their gluten-free, vegan & raw culinary workshops. Visit www.kitchenbuddy.eu or see our forthcoming events section for the next workshops.

 

Paul Freestone Photography

Paul offers a range of photography services, from wedding portraits, to photographing home interiors. A portfolio of his past work can be viewed at www.paulfreestone.co.uk . You may also recognise that he is serving on the OxVeg committee as our Media representative. Paul is offering a discount to all OxVeg members. Please contact him via the website for details.

 

And for this month only – Live Native (based on the Isle of Skye), produce handmade cosmetics, all raw, vegan, organic, and with fairly traded ingredients where possible. More details at www.livenative.co.uk. They are offering a 25% discount on all first orders during May. Quote ‘VEGAN MAY’ in the customer comments box after selecting your payment method (for cheques deduct 25% from total before sending cheque, for Paypal, a reimbursement of 25% will be issued).

 

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4. Review of Spices: A Global History by Fred Czarra. Reaktion Books, 2009, 176pp, hardback, 58 illustrations, 33 in colour; ISBN 978 1 86189 426 7, £8-99

This highly readable history of spices traces their origins in the ancient world through to the present day. As part of Reaktion Books’ Edible series this will appeal to anyone interested in the history of food. The author concentrates on the five “premier spicesâ€: cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, nutmeg and chilli pepper. A spice is usually defined as the aromatic part of a tropical plant (i.e. the root, bark, flower or seed). With the exception of allspice, vanilla and chilli pepper almost all spices are of Asian origin. However, it’s the chilli pepper that has had the most dramatic and long lasting impact. Probably eaten by Native Americans as early as 7000 BCE, the chilli has produced more varieties than any other spice.

 

The history is engrossing. In the eleventh century peppercorns were used in Europe as payment for rents and taxes. In Britain the custom of handing over a single peppercorn as a token for a tenancy led to the expression ‘a peppercorn rent’. Sir Francis Drake arrived back in England in 1580 with a precious cargo of spices. The profit for the voyage was estimated at 4,600 percent (£47 for each £1 invested). As the English, Dutch and Portuguese competed over the lucrative spice trade in the 16th and 17th centuries this evolved into the first of several ‘spice wars’. Fred Czarra describes this as the “First World War†and details how the spice trade opened up the first era of globalisation.

 

The book is also well illustrated with 58 different images, including 33 in colour. These include maps, paintings and detailed botanical drawings. Overall the book has a slightly old fashioned feel, but this isn’t a criticism. Unlike some of the ubiquitous and frequently dodgy facts and figures to be found on the internet this is an authoritative account. The ability to mark a page or flip backwards and forwards demonstrates the overwhelming advantage of the printed book. This title and the entire Edible series are highly recommended.

 

Paul Freestone, April 2009

 

5. Natural Beauty Treatments to Make at Home

 

Patricia Tricker from the Vegan society kindly forwarded this on from a friend writing for the Irish Vegetarian Society:

 

In this issue we get back to basics making cleansers, toners and masks as naturally as our Grannies did.  Making your own products may seem daunting and time-consuming so most of us opt for the more conventional shelf varieties.  While many commercial beauty products are of good quality it is creative and fun to make your own.  These recipes are completely vegetarian, using natural fruits and herbs.  These creations take only a few minutes to make and are literally good enough to eat!

As they contain no preservatives some need to be made every day.  Some products can be refrigerated and will last a while longer.

 

Cleansing

The following home-made cleanser makes a welcome change from conventional synthetic cleansers containing harsh ingredients, preservatives and fragrances.  Gentle cleansing using the fingertips is all that is needed.  A muslin cloth is useful while rinsing with warm water.  Dry with a clean towel.

 

Almond Cleanser

What you need:

Almond butter

Porridge oats

Water

 

What to do:

Buy coarsely ground almond butter.  Mix one teaspoon with a little spring water to make a paste and apply it to your face.  This will wash away impurities while preserving the skin's acid mantle.  It is sufficiently gentle for dry or sensitive skin but is also healing, mildly exfoliating and revitalizing for blemished skin.  To make the cleanser more effective, soothing and hydrating, add porridge oats to the paste.  Oats have moisturising and soothing properties.  They also contain vitamin E and antioxidants, which promote healing.

 

Herbal Toner

These mild toners are nourishing and soothing, containing a selection of herbs.  One or more of the herbs can be used to prepare the herbal vinegar stock.  Toners that contain medicinal herbs treat various skin conditions.  After cleansing in the evening with the Almond Cleanser, a sprinkle of toner is sufficient and there is no need for a moisturiser.

Instead, it is important to allow your skin to breathe and work for itself during the night.

 

What you need:

Cider vinegar

Choice of dried and/or fresh herbs

Water

2 glass jars with lids

 

What to do:

Place the herbs in the glass jar.  Pour warm cider vinegar over the herbs, almost filling the jar.  Allow it to sit for two weeks in a cool dark place, then decant the vinegar into a clean glass jar.  This acts as the stock toner concentrate.  To prepare the toner add two tablespoons of the herbal vinegar stock to one pint of water.  For sensitive skin one tablespoon is enough.  For ease of use, bottle the toner with a spray top so that a mist can be applied to the skin.  Any of the following herbs can be used:

 

Aloe vera (juice/gel)

This has been used since ancient times to treat a variety of skin conditions and was used by Cleopatra as a skin rejuvenator.  It is rich in enzymes, minerals and natural antibiotics.  It can be bought from health-food shops.  Alternatively, aloe can be grown at home and the juice squeezed out.

Chamomile

Not only is this a widely used component of herbal teas, it is also a mainstay in health and beauty.  For years women have exploited its properties to accentuate natural blonde highlights.  In Germany it is known as the alles zutraut or capable-of-anything herb, being widely used for its anti-inflammatory, soothing and antioxidant effects.

Goldenseal

Being rich in the antiseptic compound isoquinoline, a toner containing this herb will reduce inflammation, making it useful for treating acne and rosacea.

Yarrow

The genus name Achillea is derived from Achilles, the famous figure in Greek mythology who is thought to have used the herb to stop the bleeding of soldiers' wounds during the Trojan war.  Like goldenseal, it is well known for its anti-inflammatory action.

Echinacea

Whilst generally recognised for its use in warding off cold and flu, echinacea extract is believed to have an antioxidant effect and to protect skin from UV damage, in which oxidative stress plays a part.

 

Masks

 

Avocado Mask

Home-made masks are an easily prepared luxury.  Use once a week or fortnightly for best results.  This mask is a moisturising treat.

Avocados are rich in vitamins E, B and K.  Eat the other half of the avocado to reap the benefits of these micronutrients!

 

What you need:

½ ripe avocado

 

What to do:

Mash up the avocado.  Apply a layer to clean skin and leave for 20-30 minutes.  Rinse well with warm water and a muslin cloth.

 

 

6. Internet Links:

 

The Vegetarian Society is requesting your help to: “identify the most important vegetable-related moment in history (yes, really!) - take our light-hearted survey at

 

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=fVvdUsBPjLFJNo9u1N2PWw_3d_3d “

 

Meat is Murder? A short film where a vegan, a vegetarian and a pescetarian share their viewpoints on eating meat in an attempt to convert a meat-eater.

http://www.truetube.co.uk/media.php?do=detail&mediaid=1108

 

Jeffrey Masson will be guest speaker at our summer garden party in June (see Forthcoming Events for details) and copies of his new book "The Face on Your Plate" will be available for sale at a discount.  A video of his talk at the US launch of the book can be found at http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/masson_booksoup.htm

 

 

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7. Forthcoming Events (* denotes events organised by OxVeg. For further details or to reserve places for these events, contact Heather on 01865 765580 or Protected email address).

 

Sunday 3 May, 10am-2pm.

Gluten-free, vegan & raw Kitchen Buddy Culinary Workshop. St Ethelwold House, Abingdon, Oxon.

Individuals £35, couples £60 (includes lunch), 10% discount for OxVeg members. Further details at www.kitchenbuddy.eu or email Theresa Webb at Protected email address

 

Thursday 14th May, 5pm.

VERO talk: Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare

Talk by Sir David Madden, WSPA Consultant, on the proposed “Universal Declaration on Animal Welfareâ€, Seminar Room East, Mansfield College

 

Saturday 16 May, 9.30am-5pm.

Levellers Day, Burford, Oxon.

OxVeg will be running a stall at this event. Please contact us if you could offer an hour or two of your time to help on the stall. Full details at www.levellers.org.uk .

 

Saturday 16th May.

Veggie Pride, UK. Birmingham

An outdoor festival with food, stalls, live stage entertainment etc and a vibrant carnival procession through the city streets. See http://www.veganmidlands.org.uk/veggiepride for details.

 

Monday 18 - Sunday 23 May

National Vegetarian Week

Oxveg will be organising the following events to celebrate the week:

* 18th-23rd May: Library display, Oxford Central Library, Westgate, Oxford.

* 20th May, 7.30pm-10pm: Dining Out Club, Greek Taverna, Summertown. Email Natasha on Protected email address to reserve a place.

* 23^rd May, 12-4pm: Free Food Stall, Cornmarket Street, Oxford. Volunteers will be handing out free veggie food samples to passers-by.

* 24th May, 12pm-3.30pm: OxVeg Picnic, Hinksey Park. Bring along food to share. Please contact us to let us know if you are attending in case we need to make provisions for wet weather.

 

Saturday 30th May - Sunday 1st June, 11am-9pm

Bristol Vegan Fayre, Bristol

The world's biggest vegan festival. Big bands, lots of family entertainment, talks, demos, raw food, mega shopping and free goodie bag for early bird shoppers. Visit www.bristolveganfayre.co.uk for more details. Contact us if you would like to be put in touch with other members to arrange a lift-share.

 

Sunday, 7^th June, 1pm-5pm

Headington Festival

OxVeg will be running a stall at this event. Please contact us if you could offer an hour or two of your time to help on the stall. Full details at www.headington.org.uk/hcda/festival

 

Saturday, 13th June, 11am-4pm

Challenge North Leigh Green Picnic

OxVeg will be running a stall at this event. Please contact us if you could offer an hour or two of your time to help on the stall. Full details at www.challenge-northleigh.co.uk/

 

Friday, 19th June, Dining Out Club, Aziz Pandesia, 7.30pm

*This month's Dining Out Club will be trying out this Indian and Thai restaurant right on the river. If you would like to come, please email Natasha on Protected email address to reserve a place.

 

Sunday 21 June, 2.30-5.30pm.

* OxVeg/VERO Summer Garden Party with Jeffrey Masson. Friends Meeting House, 43 St Giles, Oxford.  An opportunity to meet renowned author Jeffrey Masson (When Elephants Weep, The Pig Who Sang to the Moon, etc) who will be talking about his new book "The Face on Your Plate".  Please contact us to reserve a place, and bring vegetarian/vegan food to share.

 

Sunday 26^th June, 10am-2pm.

Gluten-free, vegan & raw Kitchen Buddy Culinary Workshop. St Ethelwold House, Abingdon, Oxon.

Individuals £35, couples £60 (includes lunch). 10% discount for OxVeg members.

Further details at www.kitchenbuddy.eu or email Theresa Webb at Protected email address

 

Saturday 27th June – Sunday 28th June

Children’s Food Festival, The Northmoor Trust Farm

Tickets: £10 per car, at gate. All activities free.

The Vegetarian Society will be represented at this Children's Food Festival. The festival will include food demos with celebrity chefs, hands-on cooking, the Baby and Early Years area , bicycle-powered smoothie making, gastro-comedy, sheep dog demos, farm walks, ‘grow your own’ and lots more. Visit http://www.childrensfoodfestival.co.uk for more details. If you are able to volunteer some time to help, please contact us.

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OxVeg Online News is published on the first Sunday of the month and we welcome contributions from members. Please send your contributions to the editor at Protected email address.

OxVeg, c/o 20 Alden Crescent, Barton, Oxford OX3 9LT.

Tel: 01865 765580 (Heather)

Web site: www.oxveg.co.uk  Email: Protected email address

 

 

Author: Heather Shepherd

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Story posted by on 2009-05-15 14:18:54.

Story last updated by on 2009-05-15 14:58:40.

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