Basil: The King of Herbs!

I planted some basil seeds this spring in a large terracotta pot near the kitchen, and for days I've been going out with a magnifying glass to check on the progress. For twelve long days I've been fretting about what I'd done wrong: The seeds are too deep; the seeds are too shallow; the soil's too wet; the soil's too dry. Maybe it's the wrong kind of soil to begin with. Why didn't I take out farm insurance?

But this morning there they were - tiny little green shoots poking up through the soil. And in about three or four weeks from now we should have nice plump basil leaves whenever we need them. We use this spice constantly around here. Of course you can buy it all year round in most supermarkets - three or four sprigs for about four or five dollars.

The problem with that is that once cut from the plant, the stems and leaves go bad really fast and you find yourself running back and forth to the market two or three times a week just for basil. So having a nice healthy plant on hand where you can snatch as many leaves as needed, one recipe at a time, will be a big time and money saver around here.

The origin of the word basil, both from the Greek and Latin roots, relates to royalty, and therefore a herb fit for kings. And while it's from the mint family, it has a mildly-spicy peppery flavor. For cooking, like the Italians we put it into all types of pasta sauces (tomato, cream, or olive oil); in marinades for fish and chicken; and in soups of every known variety. Even in the slow cooker with a pot roast and vegetables, we drop it in at the last minute to give it an extra kick. And who doesn't know that basil is the main ingredient in pesto sauce?

As a garnish, we shred it with kitchen scissors and sprinkle it on top of pasta sauces, on baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, and rice dishes. We even scramble it into eggs, and it's great inside a grilled cheese sandwich.

My rich employer, who wants to live forever of course, is well aware of basil's health benefits and the internet is full of information on the anti-oxidant effects and cardiovascular benefits.

But it's the flavor of  fresh basil that's made it the king of herbs - and it's been with us in India and Asia for over 5,000 years that we know of.

So am I happy to have fresh basil on hand? You bet! (The only thing I have to worry about now is a devastating drought - like when I forget to water.)

Anyhow, thanks for stopping by this evening,
Andrew

PS: Dried basil in a spice jar is a poor substitute. Not only are the health benefits of fresh herbs gone, but it tastes pretty much like hay.

        

Things Money Can't Buy!

In this bizarre world of the super rich where I live and work, more than once I've been asked about things rich people cannot buy. So I thought I'd give this topic a shot.

Of course we all know and dream about the amazing things money can buy - fun, luxury, travel, fancy cars, furs, diamonds, not to mention peace of mind and endless rest, right? But still there are some things in this crazy world that money can't touch or acquire. So from my point of view, here's what I've got:

Wisdom:
It was Aristophanes who said "Ignorance can be educated, but stupid lasts forever".  Which is to say, you can purchase the best education available at Harvard or Yale, but without wisdom to put all that knowledge together you can still wind up stupid as an ox in understanding the ways of the world.

Integrity:
The very definition of integrity is having the quality of being honest with strong moral principals and uprightness, right? But unfortunately too many rich people, having to claw their way to the top, have given up any sense of integrity altogether. Which is fine; nobody really cares how you got rich. But nobody forgets either. Try to remember that.

Respect:
Well, without integrity how could anyone hope to have respect? This is something earned - not purchased.

Class:
You can live in a trailer park and still be as classy as Eleanor Roosevelt or Audrey Hepburn, with an outward look toward others and compassion in your heart. Or you can be rich as all get out and still be entirely selfish and self centered. Class, like wisdom, is something a person is born with - you either have it or you don't. And good luck to anyone who's trying to purchase it with money.

Love:
Without question money can buy steady and constant companionship, perhaps even loyalty, as long as the money and paychecks keeps flowing. But love? That would be rare-to-impossible. Which is precisely why the rich are so reliant upon Prenuptial Agreements.

Immortality:
To extend their names beyond the grave, rich people are fond of giving endowments to hospitals and universities with their names prominently displayed on the new wing or addition. And to extend their own bodily lives, they of course have access to the finest medical care available. They have their compound pharmacists and supplements, and they have their favorite plastic surgeons in Switzerland to help reverse the ravages of age. But in the end? Guess what....

Happiness:
To a degree money can most definitely buy certain aspects of fun and pleasure, right? But true happiness is a special place in the soul - available to everyone whether we're rich or poor. Personally, it's not in my observation that rich people are blessed with any more or any less happiness than all the rest of us.

I hope this wasn't insanely sophomoric or tedious. I think we all agree it would be more fun to be rich than poor, right? But the truth is, just because they have a few more beans in their pockets than most of us, the rich are subject to the same human frailties as everyone else. And the old adage is so very true - money can't buy everything.

Thanks for stopping by this evening,

Andrew