STORY TO BE TOLD

Multi-purpose fruit
HOUSEHOLD AND CULINARY TIPS
By AIDA AHMAD
sundaymetro@thestar.com.my


Indonesian-style avocado milkshake

Avocados are not only good as food, they can also be used as beauty products.

AVOCADOS are best enjoyed in the traditional way and its simplest form. Toss some in a fresh green salad dish and it will add more flavour and texture.
Indonesian-style avocado milkshake.

Unfortunately, say the experts, avocado is often not prepared the right way in this country. For example, says one chef, avocados should not be mashed to make guacamole. “Ideally, it should have some lumps. That is the authentic Mexican way of preparing it,” says chef Malcolm Hedges, owner and chef of Pedro’s Place in Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur.

Hedges, who hails from the UK, says his favourite avocado dish is guacamole soup. “It is in the form of consomme, which is a cold soup that is not popular here in Malaysia. But it’s a great dish where I’m from. The avocado is not only a great ingredient in food. Women also use it in their beauty regimes, including as a facial mask.”

Native to South and Central America, and the Caribbean, avocado gets its name from ahuacatl, a Nahuatl (of the Nahua people of Central Mexico) word which means testicle. The shape of the fruit is explanation enough. Sir Hans Sloane, a British politician and collector of natural history, coined the name “avocado” in 1669 to give it a more pronounceable name.

It is also known as the Alligator Pear, reflecting its shape and the leather-like appearance of its skin.

Some consider the avocado an acquired taste, which is a bit ironic since it is not sweet, salty or sour but rather creamy and has the texture of an unripened banana.

Sliced, avocados are great in salads. Mashed, it can be spread on bread for a nice sandwich. People also like avocado in cold soups, like gazpacho, and in homemade protein shakes.

This writer particularly loves to include it in her salads, dips such as guacamole, or as a sandwich accompaniment. The most popular use for avocados is in guacamole, actually.

Avocados can even be used in smoothies and milkshakes. In the Philippines, Brazil, Indonesia, Vietnam, and South India, avocados are frequently used for milkshakes and occasionally added to ice cream and other desserts.

In Brazil, Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia, a dessert drink is made with sugar, milk or water and pureed avocado and topped off with chocolate syrup.

Avocado is also very popular in vegetarian cuisine where, due to its high fat content, it is used as a substitute for meats in sandwiches and salads.

Its high fat content, which makes it high in calories, actually gives for the fruit a bad press. A typical avocado contains 30g of fat, but 20 of these fat grams are health-promoting monounsaturated fats, especially oleic acid, which can help to lower cholesterol.

Phytonutrients in Hass avocados, the most popular among the more than 500 varieties of avocados grown worldwide, are beneficial in preventing heart disease. Furthermore, they are a good source of vitamin K, dietary fibre, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate and copper.

Avocados are also a good source of potassium, with each fruit containing a higher count of the mineral than a medium banana.

In Malaysia, avocados, which were introduced here by the British in the late 1800s, are priced between RM3.50 and RM5. These are mainly imported from Australia, South Africa and the United States.

Cucumber and Avocado Salad

• 2 cucumbers, diced
• 6g salt
• 85g red onions, diced
• 1 small red capsicum, diced
• 2 limes, zested and juiced
• 10g chopped fresh cliantro
• 10g white sugar
• Half a teaspoon curry powder
• 4 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 2 avocados, peeled, pitted and diced

Place the cucumber slices into a colander, set in the sink and sprinkle with salt. Set aside and allow to drip.

In a salad bowl, mix together the red onion, red capsicum, lime zest and juice, cilantro, sugar, curry powder and hot pepper sauce until thoroughly combined and the sugar has dissolved.

Drain the cucumber slices and pat dry with paper towels. Stir the cucumbers into the salad. Gently toss the avocados with the salad and serve immediately.

Avocado Prawns

• 2 avocados, halved and pits removed
• Half a lemon, zested
• Half a lemon, juiced
• 2g white sugar
• 4g chopped Italian flat-leafed
• parsley
• 20ml olive oil
• One clove chopped garlic
• 225g prawns, peeled and deveined
• 6g salt
• Ground black pepper to taste

Mash the avocado, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and parsley together in a bowl. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Saute the garlic in the hot oil until slightly browned; about 5 minutes.

Add the prawns and increase heat to medium. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir the prawns over medium heat until their colour begins to change.

Reduce heat to low, stir the avocado mixture into the prawns and cook. Garnish with black pepper and serve.

Guacamole

• 2 ripe avocados
• Half a red onion
• 1-2 serrano chillies, stems and seeds removed
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice
• Half a teaspoon salt
• Dash of black pepper
• Half a tomato, seeds removed

Remove skin and place avocados in blender with the other ingredients apart from tomato, which should only be added before serving.

Blend to a coarse consistency.

Place in serving dish, cover with cling film and refrigerate before serving.

Serve with nachos or use as a dressing for tacos and burritos.

■ Recipes courtesy of Pedro’s Place, Desa Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur

When choosing a ripe fruit, hold it in the palm of your hand and squeeze. A ripe avocado will yield to gentle pressure.

Once peeled, the flesh turns brown quickly after exposure to air. To prevent this, squeeze lime or lemon juice on it.

A firm avocado will ripen in a paper bag or in a fruit basket at room temperature within a few days. As the fruit ripens, the skin will turn darker. Avocados should not be refrigerated until they are ripe. Once ripe, they can be kept refrigerated for up to a week.

Avocados are also useful ingredients in home remedies such as a facial mask, hair conditioner and sunscreen lotion.

Making a face mask is very simple. Just mash half an avocado and add a teaspoon of honey to make a creamy texture. Massage over face and neck and leave for 15 minutes and then gently rinse off with warm water. I’ve tried this and found that it makes my skin more supple.

For hair conditioner, just mash a small avocado and an egg yolk into a mixture. Apply on hair and leave for 10 minutes, then wash off as usual. Hair looks more shiny after this.

Lastly, people with sensitive skin can use avocados to soothe their skin after being under the sun.

Credits to and source taken from: http://thestar.com.my/metro/

A diary of events

KLANG VALLEY

Pet adoption drive

Furry friends are yours to have at The Summit, Subang Jaya, today. Dozens of dogs, puppies, cats and kittens will be available for adoption from 11am to 7pm. Organised by Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better and Malaysian Cats Care project, a RM30 voucher for Crocs footwear will be given to the adopters. If you haven’t got room for pets, you can still do your bit by making donations in the form of dry or canned animal food, pet shampoo, old towels, rice, cages, detergent or bleach.

For details, call 019-357 6477 or 012-3739007, e-mail malaysiandogsdeserve better@gmail.com or visit www.malaysiandogsdeservebetter.blogspot.com.

Child nutrition workshop

The right diet during a child’s formative years is important. With this in mind, Woods Macrobiotics in collaboration with Federal Hotel and Living Options is holding a talk, Raising Healthy Babies & Children, on Sept 19. The one-day workshop will bring together 10 nutrition, exercise and child development experts. These include environmentalist and author of macrobiotics cookbook June Ka Lim; Waldorf educator David Lim; and yoga instructor Florence Thomas. Participants will be charged RM80.

The programme runs from 10am to 5pm, with lunch and tea provided. To book a seat, call 03-2287 0959 or e-mail info@macrobiotics-malaysia.com.

Firing up the tracks

You don’t need to be an F1 driver to make a mark on the circuits. Today, head over to Carrefour Mid Valley Megamall and take part in the 12th leg of the Hot Wheels Race World Challenge. To qualify, purchase two Hot Wheels basic cars. The top two scorers will be in the running for the grand finale where the first prize winner will be awarded a computer worth over RM5,000; a RM5,000 savings account; and a 12-month K-Zone Subscription. Sessions are from noon to 2pm, 2pm to 5pm and 6pm to 8pm. For more information, call 03-7710 3288.

Let there be light

Light enables visual perception and the presence (or absence) of it can make or break a captured image. To celebrate this gift, KLPac and Kelab Shashin Fotografi Kuala Lumpur are currently holding an exhibition called Let There Be Light, which will run till Oct 3. Featuring 46 photographs ranging from abstract images to portraits that are taken in natural, artificial or little lighting, the exhibition is at Pentas 2 Foyer, KLPac, Sentul Park, KL. Admission is free. For more information, call 03-4047 9000.

Innovative street art

Pavilion KL in partnership with the National Art Gallery is holding art activities such as caricature drawing and acrylic painting on glass at its crystal fountain near the main entrance from now till Sept 19. Get your portrait painted or score a tip or two in drawing and colouring techniques from various artists. For details, call 03-2118 8833.

Wedding bells

Planning to tie the knot? Visit the 2nd KL-PJ Wedding Fair at Hall 3, Mid Valley Exhibition Centre and see all you could need for a wedding under one roof. It is on from Sept 17 to Sept 19. For more information, visit www.yahoobrides.com or call 012-287 7386.

JOHOR

Blood donation and screening

Give the gift of life by donating blood at the Batu Pahat Mall from 10am to 3pm. Organised by Pantai Hospital Batu Pahat and Blood Bank of Hospital Batu Pahat, the campaign is on until Sept 19. Get a free blood pressure screening and glucose check-up. For details, call 07-433 8811 or 07-433 2228.

Credtis to and source taken from: http://thestar.com.my/metro/

Power cable fire on Penang bridge causes massive traffic jam (Updated)
By DERRICK VINESH and TAN SIN CHOW

BUTTERWORTH: Three power cables caught fire on the Penang Bridge, causing massive traffic jams on both sides of the bridge that stretched several kilometers.

The 10.40am fire at km1.5 of the island-bound stretch also caused a brief power disruption on the island, especially in the Bayan Lepas area.

The bumper-to-bumper crawl stretched several kilometers on both sides of the bridge.

Black smoke was be seen billowing at the stretch where the cables were located under the bridge.

The fire was put out some five hours later at about 3.20pm.

State Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng said TNB switched to an alternative power source to restore power supply within five minutes.

“Necessary action is also being taken to determine the cable fault and to have it repaired as soon as possible,” he said Saturday.

Lim said he believed the incident was not due to human error, as the cable was located under the bridge.

Meanwhile, the traffic jam on the bridge caused many to turn to the ferries.

A ferry terminal spokesperson said both terminals on the island and mainland had seen a queue starting about 11am.

As at 3.40pm, the queues stretched as far as 1.5km from the terminals.

“We have six ferries operating. The ferries will travel slower during low tide,” the spokesperson said.

Credits to and source taken from: http://www.thestar.com.my/

Gridlock on Penang Bridge
By TAN SIN CHOW, DERRICK VINESH and WINNIE YEOH
north@thestar.com.my

GEORGE TOWN: Three Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) power cables caught fire on the Penang Bridge, causing a massive traffic jam.

The jam on both sides of the bridge, leading to the city and Butterworth, eased only after more than seven hours.

The 10am fire, which occurred some 2km away from the Prai toll plaza, also caused a two-minute power disruption in parts of Bayan Baru, Gelugor and the city yesterday.

The fire was only put out at 3.56pm.

At the height of the jam, the bumper-to-bumper crawl stretched up to at least 10km on both sides of the bridge.

TNB vice-president (transmission) Rozimi Remeli said the damaged cables supplied power from the Bukit Tengah sub-station on the mainland to two sub-stations in Gelugor and Bayan Baru.

Rozimi assured Penangites there would be no recurrence of the 1995 massive blackout on the island which lasted 10 days.

“Our officers are still trying to ascertain how the cables caught fire,” he said when met at the scene.

He said TNB would schedule repair work during off-peak hours.

“We do not want to cause inconvenience to motorists during the festive season.

“Only one lane on each side will be closed when we carry out repairs,” he said.

Irene Lee, 48, who was heading back from Seberang Jaya to her home in Green Lane on the island said she was caught in a jam for more than an hour.

Office assistant Rachel Koay, 24, said she thought the jam would have eased when she decided to go home to Bukit Mertajam.

Power cable fire on Penang Pbridge causes massive traffic jam video clips

“I got on the bridge at about 3.30pm and only reached the toll plaza some 90 minutes later,” she said.

Engineer Thomas Chen, 27, who was going back to his home in Sungai Petani, said he decided to take the ferry after learning about the massive jam from his friends.

Credits to and source taken from: http://www.thestar.com.my/
& thestaronline Channel

I've been searching for a place to stay with my family in December. Wonder how is Garden City Condominium rooms like. Found some photos of one of the condominums. Let's have a look at it.

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Credits to and source taken from: http://gardencitycondominium.blogspot.com/

Is Swimming Good Exercise?

Is swimming good exercise? You bet!! There are many benefits to doing swimming as an exercise. Take a look at these benefits and don on that bathing suit and hit your local pool.

One of the top cardio-vascular exercises

Swimming is THE most effective and healthy cardio-vascular exercises that almost anyone has access to. Unlike other cardio-vascular exercises such as jogging or cycling, swimming has minimum (if any) impact on your joints and back. This is why doctors recommend their patients with lower or upper back problems to go swimming, as swimming strengthens their back muscles without adding impact to their backs while doing so. Swimming is also one of the best exercises for your lungs and heart.

Great cross-training with land exercises

In addition to building your endurance and lung capacity, swimming serves as a very effective cross-training exercise with your regular workouts and land exercises. Swimming is a very good warm-up exercise prior to your land workout; it gradually increases your heart rate and stimulates your muscle activities. After your workouts, swimming can benefit your body by helping you cool-down, help your blood circulate in your muscles to help with muscle recovery, and relax you mentally. Professional athletes usually have swimming or time in the pool as part of their workout schedules.

Less prone to injuries

Consider this: athletes who get injured doing their sport all go to the pool to either help recover from that injury or go to the pool to stay in shape while recovering. You can see that exercises in the pool or swimming in general are relatively safe from injuries compared to other cardio-vascular exercises.

Credits to and source taken from: http://ezinearticles.com/