Here are two uses of food ideas by Swarup Dutta, of Calcutta (now renamed as Kolkata), India.

• The first idea was from Bill Rao: "To save time in the kitchen: grind in a (mini) food-processor large quantities (separately) onions, ginger, garlic etc. Put in clean glass bottles and just cover in good (light) oil. Refrigerate. Use as needed and don't add any oil while cooking." Swarup writes: "Last Sunday morning we made a paste of 1 Kg Onions, ~50 gms Ginger, 1 medium Garlic, 10 Chillies and mixed with ~25 gms ground white Poppy seeds (a common Bengali-Indian spice) and 250 gms of Mustard Oil. By putting the paste in our refrigerator we used it up to Thursday night for cooking, when it finished. It reduced the cooking time of my wife & mother."
• The second idea was from Larry Baum: "For a flavorful, colorful, and healthy salad dressing, add turmeric to a light oil or oil-free dressing." Swarup says: "I have tried a salad by onion, cucumber, tomato, chick pea, chilli, & sliced boiled potato with a little turmeric mixed in mustard oil. The taste was good. However, we did not like so much another different salad with raw sprinkled turmeric without oil. In India it is believed that turmeric has anti-bacteria/parasite properties. So this can be used to get better protection from bacteria and parasites as salads are not cooked."