Book excerpt: A tasteful arrangement of South Indian and Sri Lankan dishes perfected in homes and temples as offerings to the Lord. Indian ashrams serve the finest cruelty-free meals enjoyed anywhere, and the monks at Kauai's Hindu Monastery carry on that 6,000-year-old tradition. Believing that good food is humankind's best medicine, they are sharing their secret collection of recipes gathered over the years. Includes a comprehensive introduction to ayurveda as it applies to nutrition and health, including the values of spices and herbs and their effects on the body.