There are so many different spices available in supermarkets today — I’ve got no idea what some of them are! I would love to try a couple out — could you please tell me a bit about sumac and ras el hanout?
Answer
With a name that loosely translates as “top of the shop”, ras el hanout is a Moroccan blend of the best a spice merchant has to offer: allspice, cumin, paprika, fennel, caraway and saffron are all generally part of the mix. It tastes great stirred through couscous, used in tagines and rubbed on meat before barbecuing. Sumac, a purple-red, astringent spice ground from berries growing on shrubs that flourish wild around the Mediterranean, adds a tart, lemony flavour to dips and dressings and goes well with meat and poultry.
Tapping into the power of guided imagery can reduce blood pressure, ease anxiety and more. The theory is, in terms of brain activity, that there isn’t much difference between imagining something and actually experiencing it. Brain scans prove that visualising something — sucking on a lemon, for example — triggers activity in the visual cortex, the same part of the brain that would respond if you were actually sucking that lemon. The visual cortex is also closely linked to the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary actions such as breathing and pulse rate. And there’s plenty of new and interesting research to back up the theory. In one American study, patients who listened to a guided imagery CD while recuperating from surgery saved a whopping average of $2000 in treatment costs, mostly because they didn’t need as many drugs for pain relief. Similar results have been noted in cardiac surgery patients who experienced reduced blood pressure and stress levels when they used a guided imagery CD as part of their recovery plan. To find a CD that you like, check out the huge range at www.newworldmusic.com.au.
Oats are very important for heart health — and not just because they taste great and fill and warm you up in winter. Eating oats as part of a healthy diet low in saturated fat can lower your cholesterol, one of the risk factors in heart disease. Oats are also a rich source of soluble and insoluble fibre and it’s the soluble fibre in oats, called beta glucan, that is responsible for the cholesterol-lowering properties of this miracle grain.
How oats help lower cholesterol
The beta glucan soluble fibre that is present naturally in oats binds with the end products of cholesterol metabolism and stops the cholesterol from being absorbed. This in turn results in lower cholesterol levels, particularly the LDL cholesterol levels which clog our arteries.
How much beta glucan do we need?
Australia does not have a recommended intake for beta glucan. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (1997) specifies that at least 3.0g of beta glucan needs to be consumed daily as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol to make a significant impact on cholesterol metabolism and re-absorption.
A cup of oats, either as a bowl of steaming porridge drizzled with a swirl of honey and low fat milk, or your favourite bircher muesli topped with slivered almonds, chopped banana and a dollop of low fat yogurt will give you 3.6g beta glucan — well in excess of your daily beta glucan needs.
Other benefits of oats
Oats are also good for people who have diabetes as the soluble fibre helps to maintain blood sugar levels. The insoluble fibre in oats can also have laxation benefits and all high fibre foods are more filling which is always helpful in preventing the unwanted winter kilos.
So don’t forget to eat oats to your heart’s content.
Exclusive extract from Still Life With Husband (Vintage) by Lauren Fox.
“Nobody’s staring at me!” I say again. “What are you talking about?” But then I see him, the young, dark-haired man sitting alone across the room. He is unshaven in a sexy, can’t-be-bothered way (but also potentially in an unemployed way); he’s stuck a pencil behind one ear, and a thick book lays open in front of him. Surprisingly, he is staring at me. There’s no doubt about it. I look away and my hand darts automatically to my mouth. I wipe non-existent crumbs from my lips. “Is there something hanging off my face?” I whisper. “A booger?” I rub my nose surreptitiously.
“No, Em!” Meg stage-whispers back. “He’s staring at you because you’re a babe!” In fact, I get the ones who are interested in faces with “character.” I’ve been described as dramatic-looking, striking, interesting, and once, “Venezuelan.” I have a mop of shoulder-length curly brown hair that is often more frizz than ringlets, dark brown eyes and a large nose with a bump on the bridge. I get the ones who want exotic-lite. I get the ones who, for whatever reason, don’t want Meg.
As I glance back at the mystery man, he flashes a shy smile and turns back to his book.
“He’s blushing,” Meg says. “You’re making him blush!”
In spite of myself, I’m loving this. I have no qualms about harmless flirting, and I would never do anything beyond it. If a situation like this, which is rare for me to begin with, progressed past smiling and blushing and a little small talk, I’d cut it off. I think about Kevin and what would humiliate or embarrass him if he knew about it. In the unspoken code of ethics of our marriage, that’s as far as I would go. I presume Kevin behaves the same way, and I don’t mind. After all, he lives in the world, too. I’m glad that we’re both young, that we can attract attention. It makes us more attractive to each other. Not long ago I idly mentioned to Kevin that a guy at the library had asked me out. We were in the middle of cooking dinner. Suddenly, Kevin was all over me. “What did he look like?” he asked, pressing himself against me from behind, nuzzling my neck while I chopped carrots. “What did he say to you?” He ran his hands up and down my sides, reached around for my breasts. Is it some alpha-ape thing? The idea must flip a primal switch in a man: if other apes want my female, then I am the prize-winning baboon. For my part, I think about Kevin’s young female coworkers, how they must nurse terrible crushes on their shy, handsome young colleague, and it excites me, too. After all, they don’t get to have him; I do. Maybe that makes me some kind of territorial monkey, too.
Meg takes things a half step further than I do, but that’s it. She, for example, would accept a man’s phone number if he gave it to her. But she wouldn’t call him. Steve is the most mature of us all; utterly devoted to Meg, he pays no attention to the writhing world of human sexuality that still breathes around him. It’s as if it disappeared when he met her. I can understand that, actually. But it’s boring.
“I’m going to get a refill,” I say, grabbing my cup. “Want anything?” Meg is working on her second muffin. She shakes her head and winks at me. ‘Did you just wink at me?” I ask. Meg is laughing as I walk up to the counter.
I wait in line as surly-girl takes her time with another order. After a few minutes, I sense someone behind me, a rustle of clothes, soft breathing. I know it’s him, and my palms actually begin to sweat. He clears his throat and I turn around.
“Hey,” he says, meeting my eye for a second and then looking down. He’s adorable up close, darker than he looked from across the room, and a little bit younger: no older than twenty-eight.
“Hey,” I answer. It’s all I can think to say.
“I, um, I’ve seen you here before.” This is awkward and, at the same time, it feels scripted. But I haven’t acted this part in a long time. ‘I come here some mornings,” he continues, “for a break from work.”
“Oh. What do you do?” I’m trying to act interested but not too eager, cute and mature, but not too mature, all at the same time. But it’s taking up all my energy, diverting the blood flow from my brain.
“I’m a writer,” he says, loosening up. “I’m a reporter for The Weekly. Have you heard of it?”
“Of course I have. I read it all the time.” Right, this is how you do it.
His face lights up. “I write the ‘Local Beat’ column, and I write the cover story about once every two months or so, and I fill in as features editor.”
“Well, that’s … So you’re … ” I’m trying to picture the byline underneath his column, but I can’t. The truth is, I only occasionally glance at the paper. We pick it up mostly for movie listings.
“David,” he says. “Keller.” He offers me his hand and I have to shake it, which ruins my advantage, because my palms are still sweaty.
“Emily Ross,” I say, sounding more formal than I mean to. “Actually, I’m a writer, too.” He’s staring at me now as if I’m telling him I just won the Pulitzer and, in my spare time, have worked up the cure for cancer. “But freelance. For magazines. Women’s magazines.” Oddly enough, although this fact embarrasses me, it seems to impress him.
“Wow, that’s a hard market to break into, I’ve heard. Which ones do you write for?” We’re like old friends now. Except that we’ve just met, we’re having an incredibly awkward conversation, and if I weren’t married, I’d want to sleep with him. I mean, I do want to sleep with him, or at least kiss him, but I am married. It’s the strangest thing.
Book Group Questions
Could Emily and Kevin have reached a compromise concerning the different life-styles they wanted or do those differences signal the end of the relationship anyway?
Emily is bored with the ‘sameness’ of her relationship with Kevin — is this another sign their marriage was doomed or is it true that all long term relationships become predictable and dull?
Is sex with someone new really the answer to Emily’s dissatisfaction?
We know that despite everything, she still loves Kevin — do you think they could try to start anew?
Join in the fun as the Road Train visits towns in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and WA.
A very good Friday
What’s on
Broken Hill Relay for Life
Help the Road Train support The Cancer Council NSW’s Relay for Life at Broken Hill’s Memorial Oval on Saturday, June 2. We will also be featuring cooking demonstrations by The Weekly’s Food Director Lyndey Milan, fashion by Sussan and live music. For details, phone 0428 101 531.
Mildura, Friday, June 1
9am-noon: Lime Avenue Off Street Car Park. The Weekly’s food team will create sensational dishes with local produce.
Broken Hill, Saturday, June 2
4pm-8pm: Memorial Oval, William Street. We’ll cheer Broken Hill’s Relay for Life and give support to The Cancer Council NSW.
Port Pirie, Tuesday, June 5
10am-1pm: 151 Ellen Street. We’ll meet the locals on the Port Pirie foreshore.
Port Augusta, Friday, June 8
10am-1pm: Gladstone Square, Mackay Street. Don’t miss a morning of fun.
Whyalla, Sunday, June 10
10am-1pm: Westland Shopping Centre car park, cnr Nicolson and McDougall Aves. Fashion, food and beauty activities.
Port Lincoln, Monday, June 11
6am-12pm: The Foreshore, Tasman Terrace. Join Steve Jacobs from the Today show next to the statue of Melbourne Cup legend Makybe Diva.
Kalgoorlie/Boulder, Sunday, June 17
10am-1pm: Hamilton Street. We’ll be meeting the locals at Boulder Market Day.
Esperance, Wednesday, June 20
10am-1pm: Museum Village, Dempster St.
Albany, Saturday, June 23
8am-12pm: Collie Street. We can’t wait to taste the local goodies when we join the vibrant Albany Farmers Market.
Manjimup, Sunday, June 24
10am-1pm: Finch Street car park. Come along to the new Manjimup Regional AquaCentre and check out the Road Train.
Bridgetown, Monday, June 25
10am-1pm: Say g’day to the Road Train at Railway Reserve, cnr Steere and Spencer Sts.
Margaret River, Thursday, June 28
10am-1pm: The Weekly’s Pamela Clark will work her magic with food and wine.
Busselton, Friday, June 29
10am-1pm: Find out about Revlon’s latest make-up tips at Signal Park, Queen Street.
If you’ve always wanted to know more about animals, Bindi Irwin is the little girl to ask. Each month, Bindi will write about a different animal and answer readers’ questions in the magazine.
Bindi loves kangaroos and wallabies, and is worried that many of them are in danger, but she has advice in our June issue about how we can help.
Pick up a copy of the June issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly to read more about kangaroos and wallabies and see below for information on how to ask Bindi your most pressing wildlife questions.
Question
What is the difference between kangaroos and wallabies?
Liam Rosen, Caloundra, Qld.
Answer
That’s a great question, Liam. Kangaroos are much bigger than wallabies and are a different colour. The other difference is that kangaroos have fine hair on their nose and wallabies don’t.
Got a question for Bindi? Post it to Ask Bindi, The Australian Women’s Weekly, GPO Box 4178, Sydney, NSW 2001 or email [email protected].
Known as Italy's deep south, Sicily is a charming island where fabulous beaches, delicious regional cuisine and fascinating ancient ruins make for a wonderful holiday.
Across the Strait of Messina from mainland Italy is the sun-drenched island of Sicily with its glorious sandy beaches, aquamarine coves, ancient ruins and Mt Etna, Europe’s most volatile volcano that most recently erupted in May 2007.
Its history is as colourful as its fabulous coastline, where Roman ruins, Norman castles and tiny villages cling like limpets to rock platforms on top of cliffs.
A home away from home for restless Greeks in antiquity, Sicily experienced Roman domination and its own renaissance under the enlightened rule of the Moors during the Middle Ages, only to become a pirate haunt and, much later, a headquarters to the Italian mafia.
Covered in vineyards and olive groves, its fertile volcanic soil produces some of Europe’s most succulent and tasty fruit and vegetables. Couple this with fabulous seafood and you soon discover the island has its own rich and irresistible blend of Mediterranean cuisine.
It’s the perfect destination to spend time lazing on the beach before exploring some of the island’s Roman amphitheatres, Greek temples and old pirate haunts hidden away in cathedral-like sea grottos.
Sicilian palace
Seven top places to visit
Palermo
Sicily’s capital is a little shabby — some might even say seedy in some of the poorer parts around the port — but its centre has a faded baroque splendour as dignified as it is decrepit.
A civilised way to get here, after visiting the Amalfi Coast on the mainland, is by overnight ferry from Naples (departs 8.15pm, arrives 6.30am). Get a sleeper cabin and enjoy dinner in the dining room or the cafeteria.
Explore the centre of the old town, around Quattro Canti (Four Corners), then move on to the 12-century Norman Palace, King Roger II’s Royal Chapel (Cappella Palatina) and the Norman district known as the Albergheria.
Don’t miss the Cathedral on the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the Sant Agostino monastery and the neo-classical Massimo Theatre.
You could spend a week exploring Palermo’s countless churches, but one you shouldn’t miss is the tiny Chiesa di San Cataldo, a former mosque converted by the Normans into a church.
North of Palmero, on top of a mountain overlooking the city, is the massive Monreale Cathedral, a place of pilgrimage, where you can take in the whole city of Palermo.
Cefalú
Two hours on the autostrada east of Palermo is Cefalú, a former fishing village with a charming sea front and medieval centre, but now sadly swamped by modern suburbs. Visit early — before the traffic jams — and take a stroll along the beach for half a kilometre where, looking back, you’ll get a great photo of the old town. Have an early lunch in a restaurant overlooking the Tyrrhenean Sea, where you can make out the silhouettes of the Aeolian Islands in the distance before heading further east to Taormina.
Taormina
This old Roman city sits on a high terrace dominating the sea and has spectacular views west towards Mt Etna. Known as one of the most beautiful natural settings in Italy, it can be best appreciated from the Roman theatre, perched on a rocky outcrop 350 metres above the sea.
From this eagle’s eyrie, the sea sweeps to the horizon in front of you, while in the other direction, the city unfolds as a series of undulating slopes, giving way to vineyards and eventually to the vast bulk of Mt Etna on the northern horizon.
Perched above two coves, Taormina has a cable car that descends into the Bay of Mazzaro, a useful connection — as beach lovers will soon discover if they undertake the arduous walk from cliff top to sand.
One particularly charming restaurant, Il Barcaiolo, is nestled on the edge of the Bay of Mazzaro. Surrounded by lapping water and fishing boats, it serves ocean-fresh seafood dishes under an arbour of grape vines.
Offshore in the other cove is Isola Bella (Beautiful Island), famous for its mysterious villa and garden occasionally open to the public.
Syracuse
Further south, and overlooking the Ionian Sea, is the island town of Syracuse, a former war-mongering Greek city-state founded in 700BC which is now a tranquil backwater joined to the mainland by two bridges.
The Greek ruins on the edge of town are disappointing unless you’re an archaeologist. More fascinating is the medieval old town on the island, known as Ortigia, with its piazzas and magnificent Venetian villas.
At the Piazza Duomo, you’ll find the city’s cathedral, a fascinating medieval structure built around the Greek Temple of Minerva. The massive Doric columns can still be seen inside the building and line its exterior like the ribs of an ancient whale.
Stay in a small hotel in the old town and dine at a seafood trattoria overlooking the sea at the southern tip of Ortigia.
Noto
An hour’s drive inland from Syracuse is the extraordinary town of Noto, built by a group of nobles after the old town was flattened by an earthquake in 1693.
Like a stately wedding cake with golden icing, it sits in the parched interior, the finest and most coherently baroque town in Italy and maybe the world. It’s as if time stopped when they completed building the city in 1700. Nothing appears to have been added or taken away.
Since it was put on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, its palaces, fountains and piazza’s — all made of soft golden limestone — have been restored.
Noto has been called an outdoor architectural museum and makes for a fascinating half-day excursion from Syracuse.
Agrigento
Another ancient Greek colony, Agrigento has been attracting tourists to Sicily’s south-west coast since the German literary giant Goethe put it on the map in the 18th century.
Its chief attraction is the Valley of the Temples, where five Doric temples stand along a ridge, sadly now overshadowed by towering apartment blocks on the hill above. Come during March and April — when the surrounding meadows fill with wildflowers — and keep your back to the ugly modern city as you explore this magnificent site.
Castellammare Del Golfo
This unspoilt fishing village — half an hour’s drive west of Palermo — is the perfect destination to spend your first (or last) night on the island. Connected to the international airport by an autostrada, it takes just 20 minutes to get there after leaving the terminal — making it the perfect destination for travellers arriving late in the evening or leaving early in the morning.
Several seafood restaurants overlook the town’s sandstone harbour, where a little fleet of blue and white fishing boats are moored. The sea around Castellammare is brilliant turquoise and seems to glow under the slate grey rocky peaks of the surrounding mountains.
Half an hour away by car, in a perfect pastoral setting, is the Temple of Segesta, built by the survivors of those who fled the destruction of ancient Troy.
You can probably recite the obvious habits for good health by heart — don’t smoke, cut down on alcohol and so on. But did you know that singing and cold showers also put time on your side? Try these fun and easy tips today.
Be a clown Children are fearless, but as adults we can become controlled by anxiety. Putting yourself in a position that involves not taking yourself seriously — such as juggling, playing with a hula-hoop or wearing a plastic nose — requires you to revert to your childlike state and leaves you feeling on a high. Visit Theatre Australia (www.theatre.asn.au) to find a clowning workshop near you.
Breathe better Caffeine, tight clothes and eating quickly all conspire to make you hyperventilate (breathe too fast), adding years to your looks and raising your blood pressure. Breathe in through your nose for a count of three and then out for five. With practice, the pause between the in- and out-breaths will lengthen. Practise while commuting or waiting for the kettle to boil.
Jump up and down Researchers at England’s Nottingham University have found that women who jump or skip on the spot 50 times a day live longer. Skipping is both an aerobic exercise (meaning it strengthens the heart and lungs) and a strength-training one (builds muscle and improves bone density, helping to ward off osteoporosis).
Have a cold shower A study from London’s Brompton Hospital shows that cold showers make your heart and lungs work more efficiently, which may help boost immunity and improve circulatory health. Try a two-minute blast after a warm shower every morning.
Sing a song Singing has great psychological and physical benefits: it stops you thinking about mundane and negative things and it increases the levels of oxygen in your body.
Buy bread Research at Chicago’s Smell and Taste Research Foundation has found that re-creating scents from our childhood can instantly make us feel younger. Dr Alan Hirsch, director of the foundation, says, “The olfactory lobe is part of the ’emotional brain’, which is the area that stores memories. The quickest way to access these memories is through smell.” The number one odour that conjures up childhood? Freshly baked bread!
Have great sex Researchers have found that couples with a healthy sex life can look up to seven years younger than those who don’t. Improving the quality of your sex life can help reduce stress — leading to greater contentment and better sleep.
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