The Secrets of Alchemy
Lawrence M Principe
University of Chicago Press
Dh95
As far as mythology goes, alchemy has enjoyed a favourable reputation as a science steeped in sorcery, offering promises of endless wealth and eternal youth through the legendary philosopher's stone. As far as facts go, its reality is more grounded in practicality, though previous researchers can hardly be blamed for assuming otherwise.
Lawrence Principe's primer on the origins of the Noble Art reasons that the term "alchemy" is often erroneously used interchangeably with "magic" because of its earliest practitioners' tendency towards secrecy, as they deliberately applied oblique symbolism in their written records to obscure the details of their experiments.
Despite the confoundingly abstract nature of most of these accounts, Principe successfully uncovers several hidden templates for transforming one substance into a completely different other and even ventures to test a few of them in his own laboratory.
Alongside the science, Principe also expounds on the alchemy's up-and down history. Thus, The Secrets of Alchemy is every bit as revealing as its title implies.
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BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
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