what 'modern' convenience have you given up?, page-84

Madam gga, I was aware the seeds were for planting, and kind of assumed were for native plants (knowing how bush-fires normally do the trick, etc).

Thanks for your long and detailed reply (just saw it) - I did not know about the carcinogenic Indian spices, apart from maybe mustard oil? Indian cooking from scratch is really difficult to get right - well, more like impossible. I've used curry pastes to great effect, and have roasted my own spices before grinding them up as well for additional depth, etc. Done vindaloos from scratch - a lot of work/time for something that may not turn out to one's liking.

Curry pastes are a really great helper to create something that hits the spot without much effort! Ii think I'll make houmus this weekend, doing the bicarb trick on the chic peas. I have fresh garlic, sesame seeds, olive oil and fresh limes to add to create a great dip - will be my first attempt.