Whole Earth Discipline Book

I am just finishing Stewart Brand's "Whole Earth Discipline," a revolutionary book that destroys many green misconceptions. Here, in a brief talk, he sums up the arguments he makes at length in the book:

Golab and the Seven "S"'s at Naw Ruz

Happy Naw Ruz! Persian cooking uses rosewater, as does oriental medicine. It is also used to welcome guests, especially at New Year.

"Rose water … has symbolic meanings within Iranian traditions and culture. It represents cleansing and as such is often placed on the ‘haft sein’  table at new year or Naw rooz ( a table containing 7 traditional items beginning with the letter S). The Rose water is  for collection all sickness be it in mind, thought, deed, or in the physical body and/or it’s sprinkled into the air. Rose water is symbolistic within the Zoroastrian religion and in ancient Iran newly arrived guests are greeted with sweets made with rose-water and sprinkled with rose-water as they entered the house. Some Zoroastrians still keep a ‘golabaz’, a traditionally shaped vase with rose-water in it and greet their guests in the traditional ways.  I also have memories of using rose-water to lightly cleanse and freshen up furniture and draperies before receiving guests and especially at Norooz."

From <http://javanehskitchen.wordpress.com/2010/02/05/rose-water-or-golab/

I have been getting interested in Iranian cooking lately.

Here is what celeb cook Jamie Oliver has to say about it:

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To be for the people, government must be by the people. Brilliant talk by Étienne Chouard