---

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
FOOD OF THE WEEK
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^

 Is it an Herb, food or a Spice?
 
Though I would continue with foods that most people don?t think of a food but truly is!
 
Some spices, which is really only herbs, aren't really thought of as food but a flavoring. The great part is that even though you may think of a particular spice as flavoring most are really nutritious food! Herbs are used for seasoning mostly but your body uses it as a food and is metabolized as such. That's the very reason herbal medicine is so effective and healthy!
 
 Rosemary, is one of those thought of more for a flavoring/spice but it has other historical value. Or at least believed to be so because it?s used for more than seasoning or eating!
 
One of the oldest recorded herbs in history, Rosemary, a shrubby herb has evergreen leaves about 1 inch long, linear, revolute, dark green above and paler and glandular beneath, with an odour pungently aromatic and somewhat camphoraceous. The flowers are small and pale blue. Much of the active volatile principle resides in their sepals. There are silver and goldstriped varieties, but the green-leaved variety is the kind used medicinally.
 
In ancient Greece, the smell of rosemary was thought to enhance ones memory. Students used to wear a sprig of rosemary behind their ear when studying and then later when taking their exams.
 
The dead were buried with a sprig of rosemary to signify that they would be remembered by the living. In old England rosemary became a symbol of fidelity and remembrance. Brides wore garlands of rosemary to remember the family and life they were leaving behind as they entered into their new life.
 
It holds a special position among herbs from the symbolism attached to it. Not only was it used at funerals but also weddings, for decking churches and banqueting halls at festivals, as incense in religious ceremonies, and in magical spells. Rosemary was one of the cordial herbs used to flavor ale and wine. It was also used in Christmas decoration.
 
It is now known that rosemary contains compounds that actually increase blood flow to the brain enhancing concentration and memory. Rosemary also has properties that stimulate the immune system, improve circulation, and improve digestion. Its anti-inflammatory properties have even been shown to decrease the severity of an asthma attack. In addition one can decrease the level of carcinogens in grilled meat by adding rosemary before cooking. It was an old custom to burn Rosemary in sick chambers, and in French hospitals it is customary to burn Rosemary with Juniper berries to purify the air and prevent infection.
 
Other Medicinal Action and Uses---Tonic, astringent, diaphoretic, stimulant. Oil of Rosemary has the carminative properties of other healing oils and is an excellent intestinal and nerve tonic, curing many cases of headache by rubbing oil on the temple and forehead. Oil of Rosemary so Im told and never used personally - may be taken in doses of 30 drops in water or on sugar, as an antispasmodic. 
 
It is employed principally, externally in hair-lotions, for its odor and effect in stimulating the hair-bulbs to renewed activity and preventing premature baldness. An infusion of the dried plant (both leaves and flowers) combined with borax and used when cold, makes one of the best shampoos known. It forms an effectual remedy for the prevention of itching and dandruff.
 
Select fresh rosemary whenever possible to maximize flavor as well as health benefits. A sprig can be rinsed and stored in the refrigerator wrapped in a moist paper towel for up to a few weeks. It can also be either frozen in water or stock to add to recipes later or dried and stored in an airtight container for up to six months. One can remove the leaves to add to a recipe or add a whole sprig to season a soup or stew.
 
The oil of Rosemary, distilled from the flowering tops, as directed in the British Pharmacopceia, is a superior oil to that obtained from the stem and leaves, but nearly all the commercial oil is distilled from the stem and leaves of the wild plant before it is in flower. (Rosemary is one of the plants like lavender which grows better in England than anywhere, else, and English oil of Rosemary, though it is infinitely superior to what of other countries, is hardly found in commerce to-day.
 
Rosemary is used primarily in Italy in lamb, pork, chicken, and rabbit dishes, has a tea like aroma and a piney flavor. Rosemary's assertive flavor blends well with garlic to season lamb roasts, meat stews, and marinades. Rosemary also enlivens lighter fish dishes, tomato sauces, and vegetables. Melt butter with Rosemary to dress freshly steamed red potatoes and peas or a stirfried mixture of zucchini and summer squash. Crush leaves by hand or with a mortar and pestle before using.
 
As with all herbs, look for every opportunity to use them. They are a relatively calorie free way to increase the amount of antioxidants in your diet.
Lena

---

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
 HEALTH TODAY
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~