The Herb Society of America - South Texas Unit

Our Program

8:00 am - 8:50 am

Registration, Refreshments, Shopping at the Herbal Marketplace and with Vendors, Visit Education Tables.

Proceeds from the Herbal Marketplace  fund the Herb Society of America, South Texas Unit, Madalene Hill Scholarship

8:50 am - 9:00 am

Welcome Address and Introductions by Unit Chair and Program Chair

9:00 am - 10:00 am

Ginger and Turmeric: Roots of Great Taste and Health ​​

A presentation by Henry Flowers, HSA Member at Large

10:00 am - 10:30 am

Door Prize Drawing, Enjoy Refreshments, Shop & Visit Education Tables

10:30 am - 11:30 am

Masala: "Masala is . . . quite simply, a blend of spices and seasonings"

A cooking demonstration by Anita Jaisinghani of Pondicheri Café

11:30 am - 12:45 pm

Door Prize Drawing, Lunch, Shop and Visit Education Tables, Book Signing by Anita Jaisinghani

12:45 pm - 1:45 pm

Around the World with Roselle 

A presentation by Karen Cottingham, HSA-STU Member

1:45 pm - 2:00 pm

Concluding Remarks; Door Prize Drawing, Final Shopping Opportunity

Our Speakers

Henry Flowers  is a graduate of Texas A&M University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture and a Master of Agriculture degree in Floriculture. He is currently a horticulturist with Glasco & Co. Landscaping in Brenham, TX, where he specializes in providing seasonal pot change-outs, has a wealth of knowledge about water features, and excels in creating cutting and herb gardens. He previously worked at the Antique Rose Emporium where he designed and installed retail nursery display gardens and managed their retail nursery in Independence, TX. Flowers was also Garden Director at the Round Top Festival Institute for 16 years, where he oversaw a variety of display gardens with the support of a large number of volunteers and also coordinated a variety of educational garden-related events.

Flowers is an actively contributing lifetime member of The Herb Society of America. He recently spoke on some of the unusual plants in “The Madalene Hill Pharmacy Garden” and a series of articles on botanical Latin will appear soon on the HSA blog. In 2009 Flowers received The HSA’s Joanna McQuail Reed Award for the Artistic Use of Herbs.

Anita Jaisinghani  is the Executive Chef and Owner of Pondicheri Café and Bake Lab + Shop in Houston, Texas. After growing up in Gujarat, India, Jaisinghani earned a Masters degree in Microbiology in Canada. She eventually moved to Houston, where her love of food blossomed into a career. After operating a small catering business and creating fresh chutneys for local grocers, she went to work in Café Annie's pastry division. While honing her pastry skills, Jaisinghani also developed the skills needed to operate a fine dining restaurant. In 2001, she opened Indika, with a menu featuring her deeply personal reinventions of traditional Indian cuisine. Indika was named America's Best New Restaurant 2001 by Bon Appétit and in 2012, Executive Chef Jaisinghani was honored as a James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef - Southwest. Pondicheri Café soon followed, earning Jaisinghani three additional James Beard nominations for Best Chef - Southwest, in 2017, 2018, and 2020.

Her debut cookbook, "Masala: Recipes from India, the Land of Spices" was published in 2022 and has been nominated for a James Beard award in the International Cookbook category. In this collection of inspired recipes, Jaisinghani skillfully combines the vibrant flavors of Indian street food with local, seasonal produce according to the principles of ancient Ayurvedic wisdom.

Karen Cottingham  lives in Houston, Texas, but she grew up in a farming community in rural Washington state. Cottingham received Bachelors degrees in Biology and Comparative Literature from the University of Washington, where she also attended Medical School. After a long career in medicine, Karen now devotes most of her time to sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for all aspects of herbs. She is currently serving her ninth year as Program Chair of the South Texas Unit (without ever repeating a program or running out of ideas!), and is a member of the HSA Education Advisory Committee, EdCon & Annual Meeting Advisory Committee, and Online/Webinar Committee. She also writes articles for various STU and Herb Society of America publications and contributes to the HSA-STU Facebook page. Karen spoke at the 2021 Virtual Educational Conference and Annual Meeting of Members. Her EdCon program, “Herbs in the Headlines: Notable Women in the Plant Sciences”, highlighted three female scientists studying traditional herbal practices to find solutions for today’s medical challenges.

Karen particularly enjoys introducing herbs to the public through demonstrations at STU meetings, libraries, museums, elementary schools, and public gardens, and has her own herb garden. She loves to use herbs in cooking, but never writes down the recipes.