Letters: Asperger's, Masala

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ROBERT SIEGEL, host.

Time now for your comments about our program. A number of you wrote in after hearing 15-year-old Marissa Skillings talk about life with her younger brother Andrew, who has Asperger's syndrome. It's a mild form of autism.

(Soundbite of NPR's All Things Considered, January 1, 2009)

Ms. MARISSA SKILLINGS: He talks nonstop.

Mr. ANDREW SKILLINGS: My mother gave this to me as a present. It's a piggy bank. Thing right he measures this table - how come...

Ms. SKILLINGS: Talking and talking and talking.

Mr. SKILLINGS: He can turn a coin in his hand.

Ms. SKILLINGS: People can tell Andrew has a disability because of his hand gestures and the way he moves when he gets nervous. He moves his hands back and forth, and he'll walk with his arms down by his sides, just shaking his hands.

SIEGEL: Well, listener Cathy Bowen(ph) of Dalton, Massachusetts, also has a brother with autism, and she wrote this: I listened to Marissa's comments and felt I was in very familiar territory. Her maturity and accepting that there are challenges and blessings associated with having an autistic sibling is to be commended. Ms. Bowen adds, I would just say to her, hang in there. There are both better and worse times ahead, but ultimately, your brother is teaching you lessons that will serve you well. My brother is 45 years old now, and I wouldn't trade him for all the world.

We also heard from Doug Ruth(ph) of Amanda, Ohio, and he disagrees with Marissa Skillings' characterization of Asperger's as a disability. He writes, I am 67, and I have Asperger's. Our brains are just wired differently and yes, social skills can be a challenge, but those hurdles can be overcome once we recognize the issue.

Well, finally, yesterday, my co-host Melissa Block spent some time forecasting trends of 2009. She talked with Lynn Dornblaser of the market-research firm Mintel about this year's top flavors, including this.

(Soundbite of NPR's All Things Considered, January 1, 2009)

Ms. LYNN DORNBLASER (New Product Expert, Mintel International Group, Ltd.): Masala, which is kind of the kissing cousin to curry.

MELISSA BLOCK: Uh-huh.

Ms. DORNBLASER: Sometimes very hot, sometimes quite mild.

BLOCK: And where we would be finding masala? Not in chocolate, I hope.

Ms. DORNBLASER: No, absolutely not in chocolate. For now in the U.S., mostly in sauces and seasonings.

SIEGEL: Well, listener Sanjukta Gosh(ph) posted a comment on our Web site to clear up a few things. First, she writes, curry powder and masala are the same thing. In contemporary India, both mean a mixture of spices. Also, she adds, chocolate has already been mixed with masala. In Switzerland, one of the two major grocery chains has a chocolate bar called Hot Masala Chocolate. She writes, I've tasted it; it's got a hint of cinnamon and other spices, too, and it's really wonderful. Well, please write to us about whatever tickles your palate. Go to npr.org, and click on Contact Us at the top of the page.

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