Friday, September 4, 2009

Nikmatnya GulGor ( Gulai Goreng )



Masakan ala Timur Tengah ini, biasanya disajikan dalam keadaan basah alias berkuah, Namun sekarang anda dapat menemui masakan Gulai kambing dengan inovasi baru, yakni

Gulai Goreng.

Masakan ini merupakan perpaduan antara budaya Timur Tengah dengan Eropa.

Hmmm...,

Jika Anda berjalan jalan di Kuta Central Park, tidak ada salahnya mampir sejenak untuk menikmati kuliner khas Timur Tengah yang dipadukan dengan

black paper ala Eropa. Biasanya, Anda sering menemui makanan Gulai kambing, yang disajikan secara basah, atau berkuah, tapi tidak di Warung Pak.Wiro. Gulai kambing nya kali ini, disajikan secara kering, atau di goreng. Rasanya yang gurih, dijamin membuat Anda ketagihan. perpaduan budaya timur, yakni menggunakan potongan daun bawang serta kecap, dan ala Eropa hanya dengan menaburkan black paper, atau lada hitam secukupnya.

Anda dapat menikmati satu porsi Gulai Goreng ini, dengan harga 18 ribu rupiah. dan akan lebih nikmat, jika makanan ini disajikan dengan es teh serai.

Anda tidak perlu khawatir, jika kantong anda tidak cukup untuk menikmati seporsi Gulai Goreng ini. Anda bisa membuatnya sendiri di rumah.

Caranya pun cukup mudah. jika tidak ingin terlalu susah, Anda cukup membeli Gulai kambing yang sudah masak di warung terdekat, kemudian goreng dagingnya, tambahkan kecap manis, potongan daun bawang, tambah potongan cabe jika menyukai pedas, dan terakhir black paper, atau lada hitam. goreng hingga beraroma sedap. tiriskan. Jika suka, Anda dapat menyantapnya dengan menambahkan kuah gulai diatasnya.

naahh... Gulai Goreng ala sendiri, siap untuk di nimati bersama keluarga di rumah...!!! (p)


Nice T-shirt


Lucu kan foto kaosnya??? gimana ceritanya kalo foto anak anda bisa tampil di kaos kayak gini?Pasti seru banget kan?? heboh ga ?? Tentunya si anak sendiri bakalan kesenangan donk dapet kaos yang ada foto sndiri?? hihihi...yang jelas Mei sih seneng banget pake kaos kayak gitu--narcis banget da--...Xiang blom bisa pake coz kaosnya masih kegedean banget.

Waktu pulkam kemarin, dapat dibikinin kaos yang motif foto sendiri ato aneka motif lainnya, up to you deh. Caranya ya kita tinggal pesen aja ke Liza lewat no 08561036756, ato lewat mail liza_marlina@yahoo.com, btw file fotonya harus kita percantik sendiri gitu lhooo, atooo mo dieditin juga bisa tapi katanya siii ada tambahan cost nya..hehe trus dia tinggal cetak digital ajaaa...n ga nyampe semingguan kita tinggal trima hasil deh...dijamin bagus!! Btw, harganya diconfirm sendiri ya ke orangnyaa..Ayooo sapa yang mo pesen?????????

Berasa penting banyak-banyak tanda tangan di bualn puasa

Hari ini gue masih Midtest, dan enggak menghalangi gue buat tetap ngurursin yang lain.
Walhasil, setelah berhasil ngerjain soal essai kewarganegaraan dalam waktu enggak nyampe 20 menit, gue berangkat les Matematika ke rumah bu Dwi.
Jam 12.30-an gue langsung cabut ke halte busway gramedia jalan panjang.
Hari ini jam 3 nanti gue mesti sampe ke Gagas Media, penerbit.
Excited and panic! Why?
Karena hari ini penandatanganan kontrak, serta panik karena surat kuasa ada yang belum sampai.
Sebelumnya, gue cerita dulu.
Gue itu tergabung di Coaching Cerpen Kawanku 2008(CCW).
Dan dari tahun lalu kita, yang terdiri dari 15 remaja cewek se-Indonesia, niat mau merealisasikan ccw2008 enggak cuma sampe di empat minggu coaching. So, tersusunlah rencana membuat kumpulan cerpen.
Sempet tertunda setahun, tapi alhamdulillah pada bulan mei lalu, semua lancar.
Setelah langsung di presentasiin, dapet kabar kalau kumpulan cerpen yang berjudul "Magic Box" itu akan terbit.
Dan karena penulisnya 15, untuk kontrak hanya diwakilkan oleh satu orang, yang kebetulan adalah gue.
Mau-enggak-mau kan mesti pake surat kuasa.
Sedangkan deadline surat kuasanya itu tanggal 1 September, tapi sampe tanggal 4 September, masih ada 4 surat yg belum masuk, dan oknum tersebut susah diajak kerja sama, SHIT!
Tapi akhirnya bisa jua terselesaikan.
Daaaan, hari ini kontrak telah ditandatangani.
Untuk merayakan itu, maka sahabatkulah yang bicara (my digicam-red).




Kiri-kanan : Mia, Kak Windy, Ketty, Ditha.
Yang dipegang Mia itu option covernya magic box. Yang dipegang gue itu surat kontraknya.

Yang dipegang Mia itu option covernya magic box. Yang dipegang gue itu surat kontraknya.Dan kak windy orang gagasnya yang sering kita sebut KAKAK BERANGIN, dulu dia berbuntut. Tapi kini buntut itu rab! -___-


Ini sama kak Nisa atau kak Aneesy. Nama yang aneh. haha.
Dia designer covernya magic box yang akhirnya berwarna hijau cling cling cling *sambil mengedipkan mata*







 
Ini diruangan redaksi editor, yang kebetulan udah pada minggat.
Sengaja menggeret kakak berangin kesana hanya untuk (kembali) memamerkan surat kontrak. Hahaha
 


  Ini sama kak Resita, yang dengan baik hati mau fotoin kita dan meladeni peminjaman novel secara bar-bar. Ya ya ya dia sabar sekali, ada yang berminat?? HOHO















 
Abis dari gagas kita mampir ke citos buat ngegahul (isi 
bensin-red) Makan di Izzi Pizza.
 
Kita ekstra laper, terutama gue, yang terakhir makan pas saur, padahal lagi berhalangan puasa.
Ckckck. Dan lihatlah. seporsi callamary, 2 loyang large Beef Izzi Pizza.
Sepertinya Hokben gue mia ditha ceraikan sesaat. ahhahaha

Kiri : Mia
Kanan : Ketty
Mia mesti minjem hp-nya ditha buat ol perkara pulsanya abis,
Demi update status facebook.
Dan gue masih berusaha memenuhi hasrat karet di perut buat makan.
Ini satu satunya anak yang cepat sekali puas dengan pizza. Kekenyangan! Oh DIthaaaa.
Hari ini gue sama Mia emang belum puasa karena masih kedatangan tamu.
Tapiii, tetap kena dampak.
Soalnya pas mau makan di Izzi Pizza harus ngantri sekitar 10 menit berebutans sama yang buka puasa. hahahaha.
 Eh mau tau kenapa kita milih Izzi Pizza? Soalnya kita punya voucher buy 1 get 1 free. HAHAHAHAH.
Yang jelas ini adalah hari jumat yang melegakan karena tanggal 7 September 2009 nanti, Magic Box akan masuk dapur percetakan.
Dan hebatnya lagi pertengahan September sudah bisa kalian serbu di toko buku.
Jangan lupa beliiii yaaa!

Dinner, dessert, and stevia

I tried TWO new recipes yesterday -- chicken tortilla soup for dinner, and whole wheat chocolate chip cookies made with Southaven multigrain mix for dessert.


Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup



1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts -- cooked and shredded
15 ounces whole tomatoes
10 ounces enchilada sauce
1 medium onion -- chopped
4 ounces chopped green chilies
1 clove garlic -- minced
2 cups water
14 1/2 ounces fat-free chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 whole bay leaf
6 whole corn tortillas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
avocado slices -- for garnish



In an electric slow cooker, combine chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chilies and garlic. Add water, broth, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high 3 to 4 hours.



Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with canola oil or Pam. Cut tortillas into 2 1/2-by- 1/2-inch strips. Place on a baking sheet. Bake, turning occasionally, until crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle tortilla strips, cilantro and avocado over soup.



Makes 6 to 8 servings.

*Per Serving: 235 Calories; 9g Fat; 24g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 510mg Sodium.



*Nutrition Facts are not verified.


And dessert: multigrain chocolate chip cookies made with Southaven Farms mix!
Multigrain Chocolate Chip Cookies



3 tablespoons softened butter (I used Smart Balance)
1/2 cup Splenda Sugar Blend
1 egg (I used Egg Beaters)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 package Southaven Farm Multigrain Baking Mix
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips



In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter (or butter and canola oil) and Splenda Sugar Blend on low speed until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and continue beating on low speed until well combined. Add 1/3 package Southaven Farm Multigrain Baking Mix and beat on low speed until everything comes together and forms a stiff dough. Stir in miniature chocolate chips.

Using about one tablespoon, make walnut-sized balls. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. (These cookies do not spread much.) Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, rotating baking sheets from top to bottom/front to back after 4 minutes. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes and then remove to baking rack.



Both were DELICIOUS! A huge thumbs up from husband on the soup, especially. And our guests ate the cookies, so they can't be all too "healthy" tasting ; )


And last up: stevia. I found the position statement from the American Dietetic Association on the safety of stevia products. It is copy and pasted below. It's interesting stuff. Thanks, Sybil, for asking about it!






Title of Topic:

Stevia

Date of Release:

June 2009

Claim of Topic:

Are stevia-based sweeteners a healthier alternative
to other non-caloric sweeteners?

Discussion of Topic:
Stevia (pronounced \'ste-ve-?\), is a bush native to Central and South America. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently released “no objection letters” to three companies that submitted Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) notifications to FDA for highly purified Rebaudioside A (Reb A or rebiana) extract from stevia. It is expected that other steviol glycosides will also submit GRAS notifications to FDA expanding the non-nutritive sweetener market even further. Here are insights into the new stevia-based sweeteners and whether they could be considered a better option than the non-nutritive sweeteners currently available.

Safety:

In recent months FDA has recognized the GRAS status of highly purified Reb A sweeteners. As part of the GRAS process, experts reviewed published and unpublished studies and concluded that, under the conditions of its intended use as a sweetener, it can be safely used as an ingredient in foods and beverages. Derived from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni plant, Reb A is one of two main steviol glycosides. (The other is stevioside.) Both are 200-300 times sweeter than sugar and are calorie-free.

The safety of Rebaudioside A (and to a lesser extent, stevioside) for human consumption has been tested through peer-reviewed research, including metabolic and pharmacokinetic studies, general and multi-generational safety studies, including carcinogenicity studies; intake studies; and randomized, placebo-controlled human clinical trials. Studies with type 1 and 2 diabetics, as well as those with hypertension, have all shown no adverse effects with Reb A doses of approximately 4 to 15 mg/kg body weight per day. However, some consumer groups are calling for additional carcinogenicity and toxicology studies in a wider range of animal models other than rats and mice due to the possibility for potential DNA alterations and the metabolic and pharmokinetic differences between humans and rodents. In June 2008, the World Health Organization’s Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives, a global panel of food ingredient safety experts, completed a multi-year review of the available scientific data on high purity stevia compounds and concluded that they are safe for use as general purpose sweeteners. The Committee set a safe daily intake of 0-4 milligrams per kilogram of body weight as steviol glycosides.

Bottom Line:
Studies have demonstrated, and FDA concurs, Reb A-based sweeteners are considered safe for consumption as tabletop sweeteners or ingredients in foods and beverages. However, the studies supporting the highly purified compound Reb A should not be attributed to other stevia-derived sweeteners until approved by the FDA. At this time, no data exists that Reb A-based sweeteners offer a clinical advantage over any other non-nutritive sweeteners, although studies are ongoing to test whether there are natural plant compounds that offer some additional health benefits. While the sweeteners are marketed as “natural,” there is no official FDA definition of “natural.”

Opportunities for the Registered Dietitian(RD)/Dietetic Technician, Registered (DTR):
Stevia products are best used as replacements for calorie-containing sweeteners. RDs and DTRs can help educate consumers on the various issues related to new stevia-based sweeteners and products containing steviol glycosides so informed decisions can be made.

Resources/References:

  1. International Food Information Council. Stevia Sweeteners: Another Low-Calorie Option. Food Insight, May, 2009.
    www.ific.org/foodinsight/2009/may/steviafi509.cfm

  2. Kobylewski S, Eckhert C. Toxicology of Rebaudioside A: A Review. University of California, Los Angeles, 2008.
    www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/stevia-report_final-8-14-08.pdf

  3. US Food and Drug Administration. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Office of Food Additive Safety. Agency Response Letter GRAS Notice No. GRN 000253. December 17, 2008.

  4. World Health Organization. Safety evaluation of certain food additives/prepared by the sixty-ninth meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). World Health Organization, 2009.
    whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2009/9789241660600_eng.pdf

ONE DAY TIL COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : )




Bacon and Egg? - for Dinner???

Bacon and egg is of course a very popular combination. It is eaten frequently for breakfast, brunch, or even lunch - but how often do you have bacon and egg for dinner? Not very often? Never, more likely!

As you will see, however, the bacon and egg combination here is a little bit different from the normal breakfast serving method and I can assure you does provide a very tasty and satisfying evening meal.

Ingredients

4 rashers of bacon
3 eggs
1 small tomato (de-seeded and roughly chopped)
1 cherry tomato for garnish
1oz cheddar or other hard cheese (grated or shredded)
3 medium sized basil leaves (roughly chopped) plus one small one for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Small knob of butter for frying

Method

Break the three eggs in to a bowl, season with salt and pepper and beat or whisk moderately well. Melt the butter gently in a small, non-stick frying pan and add the egg mixture, turning the heat up to medium. As soon as the eggs are in the pan, put the bacon under the grill to cook.

In the early stages of the eggs cooking, use a spatula to draw the mix in from the edges towards the centre all the way around. Desist from this process once the eggs begin to set, or scrambled eggs will be the result.

Once the eggs can be seen to be almost fully set, turn the bacon under the grill then carefully add the filling to the omelette, on one half only as shown in the picture. Add the tomato, followed by the cheese and finally the basil.

Very carefully, fold the untopped half of the omelette over on top of the half containing the filling and plate up your meal.

NB There are a couple of points I should perhaps mention with regards to this recipe.

1) It is of course down to personal preference but I have found that there is no form of cooking oil which is a worthwhile substitute for butter when making an omelette. Please also never consider using oil-based spreads instead of butter. These spreads are not designed for cooking with.

2) You may notice something strange about the cherry tomato I have used in this recipe. It is of a little known variety called black tomatoes. They are not widely available - but fortunately I simply took one off the vine in the greenhouse!

Food Tip of the Day - Friday, September 4th, 2009: Fast Food or Home Cooking?

Which do you honestly prefer, the convenience of fast food or the quality of home cooking? I am sure that answers will vary considerably in this respect so the article linked to below conducts a comparison exercise between the pros and cons of each. The factors considered are not exhaustive but will hopefully help to present a clearer picture of what each of us should be considering when attempting to make this determination.

Bon Appetit!

Do you prefer fast food or home cooking?

Mark Peckson


I have to blog this one guy I am really proud of, and surprisingly this colleague of mine is currently making big waves and earning some popularity because of his unable to speak the Filipino language. So apparently Saatchi & Saatchi Manila made Mark as part of the Yabang Pinoy's Linggo ng Wika Campaign. The campaign is called "The Mark Peckson Project." I am encouraging you to visit his site and see how he chronicled his battles on learning how to speak proper Tagalog on his day to day conversation with other people. He will surely give you a laughter with his crooked tagalog and funny ways of pronouncing the words he uttered.


Yabang Pinoy did a website for Mark to narrate his struggles and adventures on learning how to converse in Tagalog. Yabang pinoy sells different items like shirts, bags, wrist bands and more--made of 100% Filipino in concept.


These are the series of posters that were also printed on shirts and being sold in all Yabang Pinoy outlets. I think I'll buy some for myself and some for the foreign dudes I've met here in Saigon. Saatchi & Saatchi Manila did the campaign with the following creatives: Executive Creative Director Tony Sarmiento and writers Angelo Suarez & Bia Fernandez. This campaign won the Platinum award in the recent Araw Values Award for Advertising last December 2008.


Mark Peckson is a former Accounts person from JWT turned Copywriter in Saatchi Saatchi. We used to be seatmates when I was still working with Saatchi. He's always loaded with ideas and some are mind boggling and very creative that I often ponder if those ideas can be transcended especially if your account is SM. I doubt dude. I had fun brainstorming with this fella especially when we went to 121 and had some beers. I often give this dude some food when I bring some to the office because this guy loves to eat. Despite that he remained fit and healthy. He always have his jar of water and some Lemon juice. Aside from that he surfs a lot too, so we always see him with sun kissed skin. And what I missed about my seatmate Mark, is his long board under his cabinet that I often ride and skate around Saatchi house. From that long board I learned some little ways on how to skate.

Sigh. How time flies. Saatchi days are just memories now. I am proud seeing Mark on this project. Some people in the office doubted if he would make it as a copywriter since he cannot write a Filipino copy. But I believe it's not too late to learn. And in advertising language is not a big barrier. What's important is, you can think of big ideas and successful campaigns. Good thing Mark made it! He's now a regular employee of Saatchi & Saatchi as a COPYWRITER!

I'm sooo proud of you PECKERS! See yah soon :-)

hugs,
joanie xxx