Sushi Rolls (Japan)

Ingredients

           Roasted seaweed (8 * 7 1/2, or 21*19cm)

           Raw tuna (sashimi grade)

           Japanese cucumber (or Persian or English)

           Sushi Rice*

           Soy sauce

          Wasabi (if prefer)

        If you don't like raw fish, you can replace it with some pickled vegetables. If you take sushi rolls outside, and if the weather is hot and humid, please avoid using raw fish!!

Sushi rice Before making sushi rolls, you have to prepare sushi rice first!

           Prep time: 1 hour

           Cook time: 10 minutes

           Total Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes

           Yield: 3-4 servings

Ingredients

           1 cup rice (using 240ml cup)

           1 1/4 cup water (300ml)

           3 tbsp sugar

           3/4 tbsp sugar

           1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

          1. Cook rice in rice cooker or make it as instructed in the Steamed Rice recipe. If you are using the Steamed Rice recipe, make sure to use 1/4 cup (60ml) less water for sushi rice.

2. Mix rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl.

           3. Put hot rice in a big bowl, and cut vinegar mixture into the rice.

Sushi rolls

           Total time: depends on your technique or rolling!

Instructions

          1. Cut Roasted Seaweed in half (4 x 7 1/2" or 10 x 19cm). Cut tuna into 1/2" (1cm) thick pieces and 7 1/2" (19cm) long. Cut cucumber into the same size, cutting out seeds. (It's OK not to have one 7 1/2" long piece, just add pieces together to make the total length.)

          2. Put a sushi mat flat on your work surface with the bamboo slats left to right, so you can roll the mat away from you. Place a piece of seaweed on the sushi mat with one of the seaweed's long sides close to the front edge of the sushi mat (the edge near you). Spread about 1/4 cup sushi rice on the seaweed leaving a 1" (2.5cm) space along the far edge of the seaweed. Place tuna or a cucumber strip on the middle of rice. Holding the filling down, roll from the front end of the mat guiding with the sushi mat toward the other end. Tighten the rolls like roll cakes, pulling the mat to tighten. Remove the roll from the mat.

          3. Cut a roll into 8 pieces. Serve with soy sauce and Wasabi.

Aloo Gobi ka Pullav (India)

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients: Utensils:

1 1/2 cups basmati rice  (long grain rice) large bowl

1 cup potato cubes strainer (for the rice)

1 cup cauliflower florets pressure cooker

2 bay leaves measuring cup

5 to 6 cloves teaspoon

25 mm (1") piece cinnamon tablespoon

2 tsp turmeric powder fork

1/4 tsp dried ginger powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp garam masala*

2 tbsp oil

salt to taste

3-4 mint leaves for the garnish

Instructions

1. Clean, wash and soak the rice for approx. 15 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
2. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker and add the bay leaves, cloves and cinnamon.
3. When they crackle, add the turmeric powder, dry ginger powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder, potatoes and cauliflower.
4. Sauté for 2 minutes and then add the rice.
5. Sauté for 2 more minutes, add 3 cups of hot water and salt and pressure cook for 1 whistle.
6. Allow the steam to escape before opening. Separate each grain of rice very lightly with a fork.
7. Garnish with the mint leaves and serve hot.

* If you don’t have access to garam masala, you can make your own. Follow the recipe here.

Pebre Sauce (Chile)

Prep Time: 20 min.

Servings: 6   

'Pebre Chileno' is common throughout the country. If you google it, you'll see that Chile is 4,270 kms (2,653 mi) long and 177 kms (110mi.) wide!! It's a long and narrow country =) but this is not a problem for or Pebre Sauce!! Everybody from North to South prepare it at home! 
Onions are present in most Chilean recipes. Even though they make me cry, i LIke them a lot!! Onions are so popular in Chilean dishes, that one of the most outstanding Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda, wrote 'Ode to the Onion', which is a beautiful poem! Pablo Neruda won the Nobel Prize in 1971 and his poems ar full of passion and love (just like food!). Below, you will find a link to the 'Ode to the Onion'. 
Hope you like both, the recipe and the poem!!
Thanks!

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion
• 1 bunch of cilantro or 2 cups cilantro leaves
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili sauce
• Salt

Instructions

• Peel the onion and cut into medium-sized cubes. Add to a food processor and chop until finely minced. Set aside in a bowl.
• Wash the cilantro and dry very well. Remove the stems and save the leaves. Add the leaves to the processor with the vinegar and blend well. Transfer to the bowl with the chopped onion.
• Wash the tomatoes and, if you like, remove the seeds. Use the food processor to chop the tomatoes as well. When finished, add the tomatoes to the cilantro and onion.
• Mix the contents of the bowl well and add the oil, red chili sauce and salt as desired.
• Taste and adjust the taste and spiciness if necessary.
• You can serve the salsa immediately or let it chill in the fridge for two hours.

Click to 'Ode to the Onion' (short version)

Here is the complete poem translated into English:
http://fox-ap-experience.wikispaces.com/Ode+to+the+Onion,+by+Pablo+Neruda

Music Profile 3

Suzuki, from Chile

I definitely like listen to music a lot. I'm the kind of person who really enjoys it. I like reggae, Bob Marley's lyrics are great. I also like classical, Beethoven, Chopin and Mozart are my favourites and I usually listen to them when I'm working at the computer. I just love Salsa, it makes feel so happy ans it's so much fun!! One of my favourite singers is Mark Anthony because I think he has an amazing voice. I've been to his concerts twice and it's incredible how he sings, I'd say he even sings better than his recordings!! Also, he's very passionate on stage and his lyrics are heartbreaking! Since I like music, I also like dancing, I'm not sure if I dance well but I aboslutely enjoy it. This is my favourite song by Mark Anthony, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! (at the end of the song - min 4.43 - there's an expression in English which always makes me laugh!!)

Thanks!

Music Profile 2

I have to start by saying that I don't listen to music as much as I used to as a teenager! I used to be able to do my school work only if I was listening to my various playlists! But now, I tend to only hear new songs if I am introduced to them by someone else or if I hear them in a public place.

I enjoy listening to different types of music and in various languages but I cannot stand heavy metal. Well, actually it is the growling that I really don't like, some of the music is fine. Generally, I prefer songs that are upbeat and fun. I love instrumental, especially when I'm studying/working. My favourites are the flute and the saxophone. I also like having music playing in the background when I'm cooking.

I'm not very good with genres and I always forget names of songs and artists but from what I've been told, I like pop, indie, jazz, RnB, soft rock and alternative rock. I also don't really pay too much attention to the lyrics.

Right now, the songs that I keep listening to are:

• Budapest - George Ezra
• Listen to the Rain - George Ezra
• Never Been Better - Olly Murs
• Fever - Adam Lambert
• Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars
• Sugar - Maroon 5

I quite like the group One Direction. I'm not crazy about all of their songs but some are quite catchy and they usually do very interesting music videos. Most of my friends think I should be embarrassed about liking this band but I admire their attitude and behaviour even though they are considered the biggest boy band in the world at the moment.

I am in awe of anyone who can create music whether it is writing lyrics, composing music, singing, or playing an instrument because I can't do any of those things. I am very happy to listen and watch though!

Here is another song by Olly Murs. I really like the music, it makes me feel happy!

Music Profile 1

I listen to music quite often especially when I'm down, when I need encouragement, or when I don't want to think about anything. I also listen to music while cleaning or jogging.

I never listen to punk music, heavy music, any kind of loud music, although I'm not familiar with music genres at all.

I realised that there are so many genres for popular music!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_popular_music_genres

I am trying not to use earplugs because I was told that it's bad for the health. I sometimes hear people's music leaking from the earplugs and I find it annoying when I want to concentrate. At the same time, I worry about the affect that that might give to people.

One of the songs I like, which may not be popular, is Siuil a Run sung by Clannad. I knew this song in an English lesson. The teacher introduced us the song and the band. I was touched by the meaning that this song has. ---Clannad an Irish music band. Moya Brennan, the main singer of the band is a sister of Enya, who is famous, and Enya once joined to the band before becoming solo. Clannad came to the Warwick arts centre in October (?) 2014... Silly me, I hadn't noticed that until after their performance finished...

I think I quite like Irish music in general. I also like to hear the Irish language.

Please listen to Siuil a Run if you are interested. :)

I also listen to any kind of pop music. But whether I like and keep listening to it or not is another issue. :P

I'd be glad to hear your impression of Siuil a Run! Any recommendations about pop music would be really appreciated! I like listening to different languages as well!

Thank you for reading my post. :)