I hate the words "adapted to the American kitchen". I like cookbooks where the author tells it like it is wherever s/he came from (even if s/he's a bit of snotty about it) and lets me do the compromizing, adjusting and worrying about how to get the ingredients (seldom a serious problem in Los Angeles).

Today the postalperson brought a cookbook on Indian vegetarian cooking, a paperback published in 1972. It's battered, stained, and some pages are mared by where paperclips once were. I already have exceptional Indian vegetarian cookbooks, so it must have been real cheap or maybe I had too much wine before scanning eBay.

I have to admit though, this one takes the cake on uncompromizing.

BHANG
• 3 cups water
• 1 ounce marijuana (fresh leaves and flowers of a female plant preferred)
• 4 cups warm milk
• 2 tablespoons blanched and chopped almonds
• 1/8 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon rosewater
• 1 cup sugar

I have another (rather thick) Indian vegetarian cookbook (Julie Sahni - highly recommended) that has only one photograph in all its 511 pages. This one photo is of the authoress presenting at a set table a baloon bread about a foot across and about 10 inches high - and probably weighing all of 3 ounces (that's about 90 grams, Christian).

Her recipe (for smaller "home sized" units) assures us we can easily make these in our kitchens, but the obvious pride taken in this monster causes me to doubt that the smaller units are quite the walk in the park she implies.

In india this drink is associated with religious practices related to Shiva. Since Shiva has a bit of a temper, and could destroy the entire world with his third eye, his devotees feel it's a good idea to keep him mellowed out.

Generally there's plenty left over from the offerings and the devotees make sure it doesn't go to waste.

. . to mellow out their war god.