Previously on Spit and Glue I wrote about Atlanta's version of the Taj Majal. A Hindu temple called "BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir". You may have missed the post, so here are some photos from one day early last month when Sis and I took a ride into mid-Atlanta to see, of all things, the Taj Majal.
Taking this little field trip lead us to a better understanding of Hindu cultures, spiritual belief systems, places of worship and methods of prayer. Unfortunately, photos aren't allowed inside the temple which I can best describe as a maze of white marble and granite. A sanctuary for prayer, a lovely, quiet..... "holy" environment where one can find peace and reflection, right?
In reality, and at the risk of sounding sacrilegious, we were both chomping at the bit to finish the Temple tour and work our way down to the gift shop where one can purchase meditation and prayer books, religious symbols, paintings, souvenirs....and let us not forget the ever important culinary offerings that if you're Sis and I, make a trip to town worth while. There's the truth. 
Remembering the new legumes we'd bought several weeks earlier at Farmer's Market, we were like two kids in a candy store, sniffing our way around an assortment of strange and exciting possibilities to complement Black Beluga lentils or Jazmin rice. We found these spicy, savoury crackers called Purimetha (Kadak), made with wheat flour and seasoned with cumin, turmeric and coriander. Perfect with the lentils we made the next day, pictured below. Yumm! 
The real fun was tapping Sis' New Mexican green chili supply (the green in the bowl), and mixing it with eastern Indian flavors. This worked beautifully and it was delicious. If you want the recipe for the lentils, leave a comment and I'll send it to you. Your lentils don't have to be black beluga, the recipe works well with all lentils and beans. Enjoy!
Taking this little field trip lead us to a better understanding of Hindu cultures, spiritual belief systems, places of worship and methods of prayer. Unfortunately, photos aren't allowed inside the temple which I can best describe as a maze of white marble and granite. A sanctuary for prayer, a lovely, quiet..... "holy" environment where one can find peace and reflection, right?In reality, and at the risk of sounding sacrilegious, we were both chomping at the bit to finish the Temple tour and work our way down to the gift shop where one can purchase meditation and prayer books, religious symbols, paintings, souvenirs....and let us not forget the ever important culinary offerings that if you're Sis and I, make a trip to town worth while. There's the truth. 
Remembering the new legumes we'd bought several weeks earlier at Farmer's Market, we were like two kids in a candy store, sniffing our way around an assortment of strange and exciting possibilities to complement Black Beluga lentils or Jazmin rice. We found these spicy, savoury crackers called Purimetha (Kadak), made with wheat flour and seasoned with cumin, turmeric and coriander. Perfect with the lentils we made the next day, pictured below. Yumm! 
Two young members of the Hellenic Folkloric dance troup, all part of the Lykion family of educational institutions who teach Helenic folk culture and preserve it's authenticity. Atlantas Lykion chapter has more than 100 dancers, including an adult performing troupe. Their costumes represent more than 20 different regions of Greece. Bookings of dance performers can be arranged at helenkacur@gmail.com
Inside the "Cathedral of the Annunciation" we had a chance to view the amazing iconography and mosaic dome of Christ, really beautiful. Greek Orthodoxy Sacraments are seven in number: Baptism, Chrismation (anointment with Holy Oil), Confession, Holy Communion, Matrimony, Holy Orders (Ordination), and Unction (anointment of the sick)..... 
Outside we managed to find a seat in the shade right at the base of the stage where the group "Alpha Omega" played traditional Greek music. We enjoyed a glass of wine with a Greek salad, roasted potatoes, calamatas and the like. After about an hour we could no longer ignore the fact that we were sitting smack dab in front of gigantic speakers, and the music was becoming a little more tradition than we could take. 
We kept moving and walked deeper into the learning center to shop for to-go goodies taking in other stops along the corridor included cooking clases, lectures, bakery and clothing items to name a few. It was pretty crowded, but standing in a couple of lines paid off for us as we left the festival with a loaf of olive bread, a block of Feta and a couple of Greek pastries. We headed back to the car feeling like we'd robbed a bank, any time we find good bread it's a celebration because the county we live in must have an ordnance that says every citizen must eat white bread exclusively. Even if the label says wheat or rye, one can rest assured it's really white bread in disguise. Yes, I'm being sarcastic, it's maddening, I tell you.... can I get a big OPA! 
