“A Loaf of
Bread…..and Thou Beside Me!”
(Story)
One afternoon a couple of Peace Corps friends
joined us; fortunately, they had a camera. I sent this photo to my
grand-dad in Assam. After he passed away, a cousin salvaged it and
brought it with her to California, via Dubai and the UK. She sent a copy
to my sister-in-law in Alaska who in turn sent me a copy!
During our courting
days in Nepal one of the things Dan and I did was rent a bicycle from
the famous bicycle row in Kathmandu and bike to the outskirts of the
Valley.
One of the places we
enjoyed visiting was the Chobar Gorge. According to legend, Lord
Manjushree used his Sword of Wisdom to slice a portion of the hill to
create the gorge. This legendary draining of the lake resulted in the
formation of Kathmandu basin.
It is said the nearby
Taudaha Lake was also created by Lord Manjushree as a home for the
serpents who lost their home when the valley was drained. To this day,
Kartotak, the King of the Nags (Serpants) is supposed to reside in the
epicenter of the lake. The walls of his palatial home are said to be
richly decorated with precious stones.
For our picnic we
usually purchased a loaf of freshly baked bread from Krishna Loaf,
Kamalpokhri in Kathmandu.
We whiled away our time
sunning, chatting and reading on a hilltop by the picturesque little
temple of Adinath. From here one could get a magnificent view of the
snow capped peaks. Occasionally the shifting breeze would bring the
distant sound of the flowing water in the gorge a little closer. There
was no sound of motorized vehicles or jet planes. Those were our halcyon
days of courting.
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“A Loaf of Bread…..and Thou Beside Me!" (Recipe)
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/4 cups water
1 egg white
DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix flour and yeast in a large bowl.
2. Stir in sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and water.
3. Cover dough and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
4. Knead dough and put in put in a loaf pan.
5. Lightly beat the egg white and brush the top of the loaf with the
mixture.
6. Bake in preheated 400 degrees F oven 50 minutes.
