Underwaterbasketcase, if you have access to an Indian grocer, you might try growing some ajowan, fenugreek, dill, or black caraway seeds. Cardomom is also available, but seeds are older and are usually not viable. The black mustard would also probably grow. They also have different varieties of turmeric rhizomes available. The coriander available in your country may be a different variety. I have noticed the varieties of seed imported from India are lighter in color than those sold in health food stores. Here is a bit of info: http://www.mccormick.com/content.cfm?id=8217 HereÂs the Vietnamese coriander. http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/pictures/poly_03.jpg You might find this in a Korean market in the fresh herb section. If you do, you can grow it in a pot by removing the lower leaves and putting it in moist soil. Here is the long leaf coriander, which tastes like cilantro: Long Coriander (Eryngium foetidum) http://www.nre.vic.gov.au/trade/asiaveg/images/lo-cori2.jpg This one has to be grown from seed or a plant. Thanks for the recipe link. That is a very nice site.

Lindsey, sounds like you're in Houston? I had the tree in a plastic bag for several days before I was able to plant it. I've planted my bananas in this corner of the yard last year. It's under the oak and it's getting partly sunny. The oak protected it during this past freezing winter and fortunately, it survived. When we had warmer weather, I cut the dead trunk down to about 6-8". A couple of weeks later, I noticed the new plant came up from the center. The ground in that area have the tendency to be a bit soggy when it rains due to the heavy clay soil. So, I've mixed the soil with lots of compost/hummus. This helps to absorb the water into the soil and minimize standing water. Yet, it retains the water for the plants when they need it during the summer. So basically, if you live in Houston and find that you have lots of clay in your soil (very common), you'd want to mix the soil with lots of compost/hummus anytime you're planting. I normally buy the non-brand 40lb bag at Lowe's, very inexpensive and very effective. The 2nd thing you'd need to remember when planting bananas is find a spot away from your house as much as possible. Roaches love the sap from the banana trees and you wouldn't want them getting into your house by planting them too close. As far as growing the loquat from seeds. From what I've read, loquats grow better from seeds than cuttings. You should be able to do a google search and find plenty of information on it. My brother has one in his back yard and the tree is in full sun. We can't pick the fruits at the top. The birds would enjoy them and drop seeds all over the ground. Little plants come up all the time until he started putting mulch to get rid of the problem. Good luck with your plants.

oh boy, i've been asleep at the wheel! i ended up having to package them up and ship them off mid-day today (birthday gift for a friend) before any comments came, but i thank you all kindly for your thoughts and humor, nonetheless. alas, i sent 'em sticky... he'll eat anything i put in front of him, but my integrity was what was holding me back. terri and booberry: yeah, the cookie sheet didn't cut it, even out all night. maria: i momentarily considered salt but they had tamari already so i didn't want overkill there. lindac: other ingredients were, oh boy, will i remember? garlic powder, cumin, maybe a little onion powder, i said tamari, butter. i'm blanking after that, but i feel like there's more. i can see how the sriracha got sticky (and perhaps they would have just gotten stickier as the moisture left and the paste concentrated?) and would have regrets about it if they hadn't turned out so tasty! nothing a moist towelette can't cure. lori: what was "piggish" about your response? did i miss something? linda c: it has been raining here for 2 days...i'm sure that didn't help. i've managed now to ramble endlessly about a batch of nuts that is sealed and gone anyway....thanks for your hospitality to a newcomer. even if you are all just a bunch of spiced nuts! be well!

One of my foodie friends gave me a gift of a box of spices from Penzey's, and one of the jars was cardamom pods. Recipes call for so little, I doubt I'll ever use it up -- an irony, because I know the reason she gave me that gift is that she is appalled at how long I keep my spices and herbs! Anyway, last night I made a lamb tagine (well, I made it in a slow cooker) because it called for both cardomom and charnushka, which was also in the box (I'd never heard of it). Yum, it was great! I had Googled "lamb" and "charnushka," and found this recipe from Laura Frankel, Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes (as reprinted in The Chicago Tribune). I omitted the fennel, because it was the only ingredient I didn't have in the house on a cold and snowy day, and I'm not crazy about it anyway. I also left out the red pepper flakes because DD and her delicate palate are home! Lamb Tagine Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 4 ¼ hours Makes: 10 servings Adapted from "Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes." 3 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes ½ teaspoon coarse salt Freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 Spanish onions, diced 6 carrots, peeled, diced 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored, diced, fronds reserved for garnish 8 cloves garlic, chopped ½ cup each: halved pitted dates, halved dried figs, halved dried apricots 3 tablespoons Moroccan spice mix, see recipe 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons charnushka, optional 3 to 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth Strips of lemon zest, chopped cilantro (FEH!) or harissa Heat a 6-1/2 quart slow cooker to low. Pat the lamb dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add olive oil. Brown the lamb on all sides, in batches, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the lamb to the slow cooker insert. Add onions to skillet; cook until lightly browned, scraping up any browned bits left behind by the lamb. Transfer the onions to the insert. Cook the carrots and fennel, stirring often, until slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic; cook 1 minute. Transfer the vegetables to the insert. Add the dates, figs, apricots, spice mix, tomato paste and charnushka to the insert. Add broth to cover. Cover; cook on low until the lamb is tender. Serve with choice of lemon zest, cilantro or harissa. The tagine can be made and stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to two days, or frozen for up to 1 month. To reheat gently, place the tagine in a covered casserole and heat in a 300-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with steamed couscous. Nutrition information Per serving: 467 calories, 47% of calories from fat, 24 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 108 mg cholesterol, 29 g carbohydrates, 34 g protein, 498 mg sodium, 6 g fiber Moroccan spice mix Grind two 2-inch cinnamon sticks (broken into pieces) with 1 tablespoon coriander seeds; 1 teaspoon each cumin seeds and chili flakes; ½ teaspoon each fenugreek seeds and anise seeds and seeds from 1 cardamom pod. Transfer spice mix to a bowl. Stir in 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar if you wish. Store away from light in a tightly covered container for up to 3 months. If you dont have whole spices, consider this quick alternative: Mix 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander, pinch ground cloves and salt and pepper to taste.