Asian Cup: Socceroos’ injured Jedinak ruled out of Oman clash |
- Asian Cup: Socceroos’ injured Jedinak ruled out of Oman clash
- Stopping for some laksa and crispy fritters in Balik Pulau
- EPL: Rodgers looking up at Markovic’s mastery
- Pledge to ‘neutralise’ oil slump by Iran, Venezuela
- Cowboys Food Truck: For that taste of American-style BBQ!
- Harry Potter star views his parents as romance role models
| Asian Cup: Socceroos’ injured Jedinak ruled out of Oman clash Posted: 10 Jan 2015 05:08 PM PST
The Crystal Palace midfielder twisted his left ankle in the first half of Friday's opening game and was seen wearing a protective moonboot brace as he departed Melbourne the following day. The loss of their talismanic skipper is a blow to Australia ahead of Tuesday's match in Sydney as they seek to qualify from Group A, but coach Ange Postecoglou said the Socceroos could cope with the loss. "We've decided to rule Mile out of the Oman game after he copped an ankle injury against Kuwait," Postecoglou said in a statement. "He's not quite right to play, and at this stage of the tournament we are better to give it a few days' extra rest and we will reassess where he's at for the game against Korea Republic." While Australia can probably cope without Jedinak against Oman, beaten 1-0 by regional powerhouse South Korea on Saturday, Postecoglou will be anxious to have him back for the tougher challenges ahead. "While it is not ideal for Mile to miss the game I'm confident we have the players and depth to be able to cover for not having him out there," said the coach. "We worked hard on increasing our depth over the last six months leading into the Asian Cup and that has us in a good position to be able to cover for the loss of a player of Mile's calibre." — AFP  |
| Stopping for some laksa and crispy fritters in Balik Pulau Posted: 10 Jan 2015 05:05 PM PST
Far from the busy little town, what started as a small roadside stall is now a large restaurant named simply — Laksa Janggus — located along Jalan Baru. We were not searching for any laksa stall but chanced upon it due to the rows of cars parked outside and the crowd lining up at its counters inside.
The laksa is different from the conventional Nyonya-style assam laksa as it doesn't even have the slightest hint of fishy flavour. Instead, the soup served with the thick, irregular sized rice noodles is a thick, spicy concoction made fragrant from herbs particularly the bunga kantan (torch ginger flower). Though it has an orangey tinge, the soup is more savoury than spicy and it is perfectly balanced by just the slightest squeeze of lime. The whole dish is further enhanced by the homemade rice noodles — none of the uniform manufactured noodles here — as the noodles are smooth with a nice springy bite to it.  The clear broth koay teow is another favourite for those who don't like laksaIt is obvious that it is homemade as the noodles are irregularly shaped — some long round strands and some are short flat strands. One need only add some cili padi to bump up its spiciness and this is one tasty bowl of laksa that is cooked in a different style from the pungent Nyonya assam laksa or the thick, creamy lemak laksa. Their other specialty is the clear soup koay teow for those who prefer something easier on the palate. This is great for young children who might not like the stronger tasting laksa.
For those who want something to munch on, join the long line of people waiting patiently for their deep-fried fritters made from bananas or sweet potatoes. If you are imagining the usual pisang goreng, think again because what they did was to slice it thinly, deep fry it and offer up thin slices of crispy banana fritters almost like banana fries. All in, if ever you are in Balik Pulau, stopping by Laksa Janggus restaurant is the best bet for a good meal of laksa, noodle soup or some deep fried goodness. Laksa Janggus |
| EPL: Rodgers looking up at Markovic’s mastery Posted: 10 Jan 2015 05:03 PM PST
Lazar Markovic's first league goal secured victory at the Stadium of Light yesterday to make it one defeat in 13 games for last season's runners-up, who cemented their hold on eighth place. Rodgers has loftier ambitions for the rest of the campaign and after pre-season upheaval, the Northern Irishman feels his raft of new players are finally coming to terms with the Premier League. "We've still got a way to go to get back to our best, but I expect even more because we're a side who get better in the second half of the season," he said. "There's a lot of talent here slowly feeling its way into the team, and we want to keep that going. "We've still got Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana to come back from injury as well. We're developing very well and the system's working well. "Markovic deserved his goal. He has been very good for the past few weeks, and it's just taken time to adapt because there's a bit of spotlight on him and the other summer arrivals after what we did last year. "It's been difficult for them. They're settling into the philosophy as to how we work and play. I always felt it was going to come, it was just a matter of time, and the first part of the season was difficult for us." Rodgers confirmed that Steven Gerrard will have a precautionary scan on a hamstring problem that forced the Liverpool skipper off at half-time. England forward Sterling is set to return for next weekend's league trip to Aston Villa, after a planned break from first-team action. Rodgers foresees 'quiet' January "It was something planned in the summer," Rodgers explained. "In two and a half years Raheem has gone from the youth team to a regular in the first team and an international, and we've asked a lot of him. "He's played a lot for me, over 100 games, and I just felt this would be a good period for him to have a rest, miss our FA Cup tie (a 2-1 win at AFC Wimbledon) and miss this game and then come back refreshed." Liverpool should have won by a much greater margin than that provided by Markovic's goal—his first in league football since a £20 million ($30.3 million, 25.6 million euros) move from Benfica. The impressive Serbian, who also hit the bar, was one of several high-profile arrivals before the start of the season, meaning Rodgers expects a low-key January when it comes to further Anfield arrivals. "It will be quiet for us in January," said Rodgers, whose side are four points below the Champions League places. "We obviously did a lot of business in the summer, but if we think there's something that can really improve our team, then we'll look to do that." Sunderland are in relegation danger after a run of one win in 11 league games. Adam Johnson struck the bar after the break, but their hopes of salvaging a draw suffered a weighty blow when midfielder Liam Bridcutt earned a second yellow card early in the second half. Sunderland have scored just 18 goals in the league this season and manager Gus Poyet is under increasing pressure to bring in fresh attacking options during the January transfer window. "We're working at it, but can't promise anything because I don't know," Poyet said. "We'll have to wait and see. I don't want to give too much away at this point, but we're trying. "I know supporters are frustrated, but they have to accept reality and look at what's been going on here for the past four or five years." — AFP |
| Pledge to ‘neutralise’ oil slump by Iran, Venezuela Posted: 10 Jan 2015 05:01 PM PST
OPEC members Iran and Venezuela are reeling from a slide in the cost of crude to around US$50 (RM178) per barrel from US$100 just six months ago, a precipitous fall that is straining their budgets. Losses accelerated after the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries cartel, of which Iran and Venezuela are founders, chose late last year not to cut output despite lower prices and oversupply. Rouhani, his oil minister and other top officials in Tehran have criticised fellow OPEC member Saudi Arabia for not supporting steps to support higher crude prices. Rouhani was meeting with Maduro when he again appeared to point the finger at Riyadh, in remarks carried on the Iranian government's website. "Without doubt, cooperation of countries that are on the same line in OPEC can neutralise the plans of some powers who are against OPEC, stabilising a reasonable price for oil in 2015," Rouhani said. Maduro arrived in Teheran late Friday, accompanied by his ministers for oil, foreign affairs, finance and industry, plus Venezuela's Central Bank chief, on what Iranian state media said would be a 24-hour trip. According to the official remarks, Maduro echoed Rouhani, "calling for the cooperation of oil exporting countries to bring back stability." Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also met Maduro and denounced what he called "the bizarre decrease of oil prices in such a short time." "This can only be a political act... Our enemies use petrol as a political lever and have certainly a role to play in the lowering of prices," he said in reference to Saudi Arabia and the United States. Iran's present budget was based on an oil price of US$100, leaving a big shortfall in recent months. In December, Teheran unveiled a draft budget for next year based predicated on US$70 per barrel. Iran and Venezuela pledged to reach agreements during Maduro's trip that would "expand trade and investment, export of technical and engineering services and collaboration in pharmaceuticals." "Venezuela can be a suitable base for the export of Iran's goods and services to Latin American countries," said Rouhani, who is seeking to reduce Iran's reliance on oil sales by boosting non-oil exports. Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves but its economy — 96 per cent of the government's foreign currency comes from crude — has been gutted by inflation and basic goods shortages. In late December, recession-hit Venezuela reported that inflation for the 12 months to November topped 63 per cent — one of the highest rates in the world. Maduro travelled to China this week in search of investment and said he secured US$20 billion. "Iran can cooperate to remove Venezuela's needs in housing, road construction, food products and medicine," Rouhani added yesterday. — AFP |
| Cowboys Food Truck: For that taste of American-style BBQ! Posted: 10 Jan 2015 04:59 PM PST
"I couldn't find good barbeque restaurants. People always assumed Korean barbeque when I tell them I miss good barbeque. Also, I didn't like the sauces here — I preferred homemade sauces. The choices for sauces here are limited," said Nizar. The barbeque geek, as he calls himself, was working as a financial consultant for two years when he had an idea to start Cowboys Food Truck, a food truck that serves authentic American-style barbeque food.
It also happened that Nizar's former primary school mate Chong Rhu Jan enjoyed the barbeque that Nizar makes and wanted to be part of the start-up too. Nizar is in charge of the cooking while Tang is more of the operations guy. Chong currently still works full-time so she helps out with the marketing and promotion of Cowboys Food Truck through social media. Cowboys Food Truck officially started operating on December 7, 2014 after months of preparation such as settling on a menu, procuring a truck, getting sufficient ingredients from the suppliers as well as other behind-the-scenes tasks. "I started with trying out different sauces, making them from scratch. We don't use preservatives or bottled sauces. Everything is made in our kitchen fresh," said Nizar. Nizar came up with two types of wings, the Garlic Parmesan and Spicy BBQ. The Garlic Parmesan is aromatic and delicious with a crispy yet juicy texture. The garlic goes well with the Parmesan, complementing each other so it is not overly cheesy or garlicky. It is definitely something that you can keep eating without feeling that it's too much. The Spicy BBQ is more for those who like an extra kick in their wings. Nizar's tolerance for spiciness is quite high so he doesn't find it too spicy. Tang on the other hand does not eat spicy food so it is spicy for him.
Nizar's not-so-secret ingredient for his wings is buttermilk which makes it crunchier. One thing you can expect from Cowboys Food Truck is that they are generous with their ingredients, even though some of the ingredients are costly. Another thing you can expect from Cowboys Food Truck is their dedication to details. Nizar and Tang usually take up to four hours to prep in the kitchen before going out with the truck. Their beef brisket takes seven hours to smoke. "I really want to get the perfect smoke ring," said Nizar. According to Nizar, barbeque geeks always aspire to create the perfect smoke ring when they barbeque. The pink discolouration of meat just under the surface crust is called a smoke ring. It is either a thin line of pink or a thicker layer. Nizar is so enthusiastic about smoke rings and barbeque that he bought a smoker from the US. "I'm trying to replicate the experience I had in Dallas. We even use woodchips when we do our barbeque," said Nizar. Another signature dish is the Chuck Norris platter which consists of sliced smoked beef brisket, crispy buttermilk fried chicken chop and Chuck Norris certified delish wings. The dish is of course a nod to Chuck Norris of Walker, Texas Ranger fame.
In the US, it was originally meant for the poor. Cowboys Food Truck source their homemade French loaf from a home bakery. If you want sides, you can order Mom's Salad (which is actually made by Nizar's mother) or seasoned fries. Although Cowboys Food Truck is new to the scene, Nizar, Tang and Chong are really grateful for the support from other food trucks. "In Malaysia, we don't have many food trucks but I was surprised that other food trucks are not competitive at all. "They are very helpful, giving us tips when we started our business. We need more food trucks in Malaysia so that we can gain acceptance especially with the authorities. "During our first week, we got our first fine for selling food at a parking lot! I think with more food trucks, we have a bigger voice to get permits and such. We're glad to be part of the food truck community where everyone looks out for each other," said Nizar. Check out https://www.facebook.com/cowboysfoodtruck to find out their next location and opening times. |
| Harry Potter star views his parents as romance role models Posted: 10 Jan 2015 04:57 PM PST
The British actor is currently loved up with fellow thespian Erin Darke, and is often joined by her on the red carpet. When the British edition of Cosmopolitan quizzed Daniel on his relationship role models, he had no hesitation in picking his parents. "My mum and dad," he smiled to the publication. "They are definitely best friends and they've been together for more than 30 years. They were best friends before they became husband and wife. It's amazing." While marriage isn't on Daniel's agenda just yet, he has been thinking about children. Admitting to being an old romantic, the 25-year-old loves to go out for candlelit dinners with Erin and even confesses to writing the odd love poem. Thanks to gaining worldwide fame playing boy wizard Harry Potter as a pre-teen, Daniel has grown up in the limelight. He feels settled with his star status now, and is looking towards the future and starting a family one day. "There was a time when I felt older than my years. I had been forced to grow up a lot quicker than people around me but I've slowed down at some point, because now I feel my age. I've never been one to think about marriage, but I have often thought about kids," he revealed. "Seeing a lot of my friends have them and the positive effect it has on their lives excites me. But I'm also in no rush to do it. There's plenty of time for that." — Cover Media |
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