Why do I cook?

Why do I cook? Many nights I want to be taken away. Wishing I was in Italy? Cook something Italian. Remembering that trip to Morocco? Cook Something Moroccan. One thing I cannot afford to do regularly is eat at 5 star restaurants. Can’t eat at Le Bernardin tonight? Cook something from its cookbook. Can’t afford to fly to Napa this weekend? Visit The French Laundry through its cookbook. I also like to cook to do something special. Mostly, it’s to do something special for myself, and sometimes I get the opportunity to cook something special for people I care about. Why do you like to cook?

The sad truth about luncheon meat...

Wonder why that pre-packaged turkey breast has an expiration date 6 weeks away? Me too.

The deli meat business brought in roughly $17 billion dollars in 2004 according to a report by Packaged Facts. There are 3 types of deli meats out there: whole cuts of meat (roast beef, turkey breast), sectioned and formed prodcuts (cooked hams), and processed products (bologna). Most all lunch meats contain nitrites and nitrates which are preservatives, coloring, and flavoring additives which have been linked to some forms of cancer, such as stomach, liver, esophagus, mouth, and larynx [1].

Processed meat consumption has been associated with an increased risk of stomach cancer in some epidemiological studies among Swedish women according to the National Institute of Environmental Medicine, published in the International Journal of Cancer in 2006. The culprit to blame? Nitrosamines, it seems. The study prospectively examined the association between intakes of processed meat, other meats, and N-nitrosodimethylamine (most frequently found in nitrosamine-containing foods). A total of 61,433 women were included in the study. After an 18-year follow-up, there were 156 incidences of stomach cancer which appeared more prevalently in those women consuming higher levels of processed meats, but not of other meats such as red meat, fish, and poultry. Stomach cancer risk was 2-fold higher among women in the top quintile of N-nitrosodimethylamine intake when compared with the bottom quintile. And thus, high consumption of processed meats may lead to an increased risk of stomach cancer [2].

When shopping for lunch meats, you may have seen some verbage along the lines of, "contains up to 10% added moisture". Many lunchmeats, including ham, roast beef, and turkey contain added solutions of water, sodium, and water with spices [1], which can drastically increase the sodium content of these meat products [1].

According to one source, cold cuts will last only 3 to 5 days after being opened while deli cuts will only last one to three days [1]. Consume safely!

Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer, is also found in various lunch meats. MSG is recognized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as "GRAS" (generally recognized as safe). Long-standing research has made no definitive link between MSG and serious health risks, including Alzheimer's disease and various cancers. Noted, however, are short-term reactions to MSG ingestion, such as: headache, flushing, sweating, sense of facial pressure or tightness, numbness, tingling, or burning around the mouth, fluttering heartbeats, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, and weakness. Symptoms reported are generally mild, according to Mayo Clinic [3].

[1]. 15 Things You NEver Thought You Needed to Know About Lunchmeat. SixWise.

[2]. Larsson, SC, Bergkvist, L., Wolk, A. International Journal of Cancer. Processed Meat Consumption, Dietary Nitrosamides and Stomach Cancer Risk in a Cohort of Swedish Women. August 15, 2006.

[3]. Zeratshy, Katherine. Nutrition and Healthy Eating: Monosodium Glutamate (MSG): Is it harmful? Mayo Clinic.

Special designT-Shirts for my fellow COACHES

This is not a Company shirt,
Its not a Uniform,
Its a limited edition t-shirt that will be available for only the coaches!!

Only for coaches?
Yes, only for you guys. this will be our special thing.

COOL!!
but what will it look like?

i have some designs that could be our massage to the world, and which one depends on you. That's right, its you!!!
you will be the one that will select what you like, and the one with the most vote, will be printed.

check it out guys!!!
If you have any more ideas pls share.



How to vote???
well comment your favorite design, and if its possible why.

for me, i like (front= R, and Back= O) I feel its simple and the massage says who we are. hehe,
Looking forward to your commends

dear me

dear me.

ingt tak baru2 ni je da janji utk setia dgn bloggie? jd. bnda positif, teruskanlah. nnt awk terus terlupa bnda2 yg da jd dlm hidup. tak baik taw malas lame2. sy taw, mmg awk bz seminggu raya ni. bnyk SMS tak terbalas. bnyk jgk org yg awk x sempat wish raya, tp. cuba awk curi2 masa utk blog kesygan awk ni jgk. awk ckp awk syg kan? jd. tnjukkanlah. hurmm... jgn lupa. blog awk ni diri awk. yes, awk baru sampai kl semlm. kurang sehat, penat, mengantok, bz. tp, jgn lupe utk terus buat ape yg awk da rancang dlm minda.

dear me.

awk mmg ske tgk pompuan cantik. lg awk ske ble pompuan tu cantik dlman & luaran die. awk cpt kagum dkt org lain. awk slalu ingtkan, terima diri awk seadanya. tp, awk taw, awk blh perbaiki mane2 kelemahan. tp kdng kan, sy tgk, awk bnyk berfikir, kumpul semangat, tp usaha awk separuh jln. kdg2 jgk awk ikut mood. if awk bz, mulalah awk jd malas. lg 1... mrka - mrka yg awk kagumi tu, pun ada kelemahan jgk. tak de siape perfect. jd... awk kena terima diri awk seadanya jgk. n perbaiki dgn bersungguh - sungguh kelemahan awk. blh tak awk blaja kagum dgn diri sdiri plak? sape lg nak kagum dgn diri awk, kalo bukan awk sdiri? x de org lain da kagum dgn awk kalo awk sdiri x nmpk kelebihan awk taw...

dear me.

awk. bhgian mata awk ni da mengantok sgt. tp, jari awk n minda awk ttp nak berputar ligat dan berfikir mcm2 bnda. awk, mcm mane la eh PM ataw pemimpin dunia tu berfikir ek? lg macam2. awk. mcm mane eh nak bgtaw awk. sy bngga dgn awk. sy taw awk tak baik sgt, tp awk pun x jaat sgt. tp... mcm mane eh nak jdkan diri awk ni kuat, tegar & lebih baik. ssh...tp senang jgk. tp. setiap kejayaan kan ade pengorbanan. awk, awk kene blaja bekorban. awk mmg kene btol2 bersusah payah utk capai sume tuh. awk nak kan sume tuh? erm. mestilah. sy syukur awk masih lg sedar diri & sentiase blaja utk ingtkan diri, even awk slalu jgk lupa diri.

dear me.

awk. sy rndu seseorg lah awk. bkn seseorg la. bnyk org. tp kan sy da janji dgn awk, tammo ckp pape pasal die da. sy tgh try la ni awk. tp still bnyk bnda lg yg buat sy teringt dkt die. die? haram kejadah la kalo die ingt sy. ahah... awk. sy harapkan pengorbanan awk btol2 berbaloi. biar awk jmpe org lg baikkk dr die. x pe. awk, tlg jgn lupe. Allah tu adil. Allah tu mengetahui. ingt, awk truskan je ape yg awk buat skrng, iaitu hargai org yg hargai awk, termsklah mama & abah. haaa. awk beruntung taw x? ramai ckp awk beruntung. awk pun sedar awk beruntung kan? kalo awk still x bersyukur, ishhh, mmg x gune la awk ni. baik p terjun lombong. eh tak naklah. nnt awk msk neraka free2...

dear me.

awk. jom kte plan ape nak buat esok. awk, ade 2 org invite awk g open house. tp ade sorang kwn da janji nak kuar awal2 dgn awk esok. camne eh awk? ermm... tgkla cmne esok. awk penat kan? tp awk nk jmpe kwn2 awk jgk. aiyooo. ok. lupekan tu dlu. awkkk. taw x sy benci gleee lipas!!! waaa. bilik sy ni sempit, tp sy kan bnyk brg. sy da susun elok2 pun ade je lipas taw awk. sy nak tdow pon x tenteram! sume sbb lipas tu awk. awk tlg esok cari ubat gegat ke pape. owh ye, mama ajak awk g pasar tani pagi2 esok kan. haaaa. awk kene exercise esok!!! dah berbulan awk x jogging. badan awk da membesar esp tang peha, lengang, perut. adehlaaa awk. then awk kene habiskan sapu bilik, lap rak - rak, susun beg, n mskkan ape yg blh ke dlm kotak lg. n awk, bju, kene basuh awk!!! blk dr travelling ni mmg bnyk bju.

dear me.

awk ske org syg awk. awk ske org buat surprise utk awk. jd awk pun kene la syg diri awk jgk. buat surprise utk diri awk jgk. sy rase kan surprise terbesar awk blh buat... erm. antranye...

1 - awk nak kurus sgtkan. awk berusahe la btol2... sy taw awk nak kurus sbb awk nak pakai mcm2 jenis bju. and ade bju yg awk ske gle, awk beli, skali ketat kan? awk nak pakai kan? sy rase kalo awk leh kurus skit lg... sure awk happy gleee. and sebenarnye awk bkn nak kurus sbb cantik. gemuk pun cantik taw??? sbb sume org cantik!!! yg penting hati... tp awk sdiri taw, kalo awk dpt ape yg awk nak, awk akan happy. tryla buat diri awk happy plak. blh?

2 - kalo awk dpt 4 flat ke... best student ke... highest mark ke... cam dlu2. mesti cam besttt gle kan. awk oh awkkk. jd la rajin bnyk skittt. awk slalu jeles tgk kwn2 awk g oversea kan... kdg sampai awk nangis sbb rase sebak die org leh gi kan? awk kalo x leh gi blaja sane pom awk blaja btol2 dlu, then awk keje bgus2, awk g jln sane... lg best. jd awkkk... plz plz plz laaaaaaa... rajin blaja awk!!! plzzzz. diri awk ni layak dpt kebahagiaan n kejayaan yg awk idam2 kan... utk abah mama, kwn2, ckgu2, and diri awk jgkkk...

3 - ape lg eh yg sy blh buat utk awk happy... sy rase... kalo awk buat bnde yg da lameee awk nak buat, tp awk x bape nak berani, mesti lg awk rase cammm omg, happynyeeee. kan? awk... awk ske fashion. awk ske makan. try awk blaja masak bnde2 yg cam gempak plak. awk da pandai buat agar2, hahahahahha... awk da pandai masak skit, nasi ayam... awk try buat 1 menu baru yg mmg cam, awk puas hati gle... then, awk try la bwk kete merc abah tuh. lame da awk nak try kan? awkkk... awk x pernah tgk ape2 movie 3D except dkt dlm petrosains kan? haha... p la try awk. awk slalu ckp, awk mmg nak cube bnyk bnde dlm hidup, at least once in a lifetime.

dear me.

best kan kalo awk dpt pe awk nak dlm hidup? alaaa. blh je laaa. cube pk positif bebnyk. senang je.

idea + semangat + usahe + doa + tawakal =

hasillll yg memuaskan dgn izin Allah =D

awkkkk. caiyokkkk!!!

dear me,

erm. lame da sy nak ckp. minta maaf kalo bnyk buat awk sakit. yes sakit dr segi fizikal. dan juga mental. tp. sy btol2 syg awk. harap awk terusss kuat. awk... sy syg awk!!! =]

Pork Fillet on Red Cabbage and Pear

I love red cabbage, especially when prepared with pears as in this recipe. When I prepared pork with pear sauce for this blog a week or so ago, I determined to prepare a pork fillet with red cabbage and pear in the very near future. I have now done so.

Ingredients (Serves Two)

2 leg of pork fillets
Half a red cabbage (shredded)
1 ripe pear (thinly sliced)
2 cloves of garlic (crushed or very finely chopped)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil

Method

Put a little vegetable oil in to a frying pan and bring up to a medium heat. Add the two pork fillets and fry for around ten minutes each side on the same medium heat. Ensure that the pork is fully cooked throughout by checking that the juices run clear.

After turning the pork half-way through cooking, in a large pot, pour around two tablespoons of vegetable oil and gently heat. Add the garlic cloves and stir for a minute or so to infuse the oil with their flavour before adding the red cabbage and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to heat at medium, stirring occasionally and well.

When the pork is done, push the pan off the heat and leave it to rest for a few minutes. Add the pear slices to the cabbage and cook for another three or four minutes and this delicious and attractive meal is ready to serve.