Indonesian kitchen: Nutmeg in your pot

Whohas never heard of nutmeg?

Merchants and adventurers sailing from the western hemisphere and seekingfortunes in the East once considered this spice one of the top commodities nextto cloves.

But where does nutmeg actually come from? According to history books, theregion of Maluku and the small island of Banda are places where the nutmegtrade began in times gone by.

People in the region regard the nutmeg tree and its fruit as one of the mostbeautiful and useful plants around. On opening the fruit, we can see thenet-shaped fuli (mace), which has a blazing deep red-orange color. This notonly serves as a flavor enhancer but can also be used as a very attractivedecoration for dark-colored dishes such as semur (stew), which is usuallyprepared with the addition of sweet soy sauce.

Many different stews in Indonesian cuisine have a pinch of nutmeg or some macein them to enhance the flavor. In fact, most Indonesian stews are of westernculinary influence, such as semur, the name of which is derived from the wordschmoren from the German word meaning "braising".

The Germans must have introduced their schmoren technique to the region viamissionaries spreading Christianity in the area, or who went to the Netherlandsand taught locals there how to make the German dish schmorbraten. From theNetherlands, the Dutch then took this dish to the Dutch East Indies(Indonesia).

Anyway, semur is now a well known dish in Indonesia, and some regions havespecific regional varieties of it. In many cases, semur is flavored with apinch of nutmeg. In most cases, semur varieties are made with a spice pastecomprising shallots, garlic, pepper, sweet soy sauce and a pinch of nutmeg.

These ingredients are stir fried until they become aromatic.

After preparing these basic ground spices and soy sauce, the dish is easy tomake. With its main ingredients ready it can be made in less than half an hour.The classic semur dish uses beef or chicken. And for those who like toexperiment, semur can be prepared with tofu or vegetables such as eggplant(aubergine).

Semur Betawi from Jakarta (made with beef or buffalo meat) is one of the morefamous examples, using shallots, garlic, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, groundpepper (black or white), ground cloves and semi-sweet soy sauce.

Whereas Semur Jawa from Central Java omits the cinnamon and only uses shallots,garlic, nutmeg, ground pepper, and whole cloves. The Semur Medan meanwhile,uses shallots, garlic, finely sliced red chili, ground pepper and nutmegwithout cinnamon and cloves - and for the soy sauce, a semi-sweet, rather saltyvariety is used.

Want to taste an excellent semur dish made with mace? According to many peoplethe Manado-style Smor Ikang (braised fish) has a very interesting spice mix.

Cut 500g clean freshwater fish into 2. Coat with 1 tsp salt. Cut 500g peeledpotatoes into serving pieces. Fry the potato and fish alternately in 300mlcooking oil until done and brownish. Drain. Grind 4 shallots, 3 cloves garlicand 15g ginger. Stir fry in 2 tablespoons of cooking oil until aromatic. Add 3whole mace, 5 whole cloves, and pour in 300 ml water. Let it come to the boil.Add 3 tablespoons of sweet soy sauce and 2 sliced tomatoes. Season with 1 tspsalt (or to taste), 1/2 tsp ground pepper, and a pinch of granulated sugar. Letcome to the boil again. Just before removing the mixture from flame, add friedfish, fried potato and 50 g soaked glass noodles. Serves 4.

In many places, the fruit flesh is sweetened and called Manisan Pala. For thosehaving a taste of the preserved fruit flesh for the first time a rather tangytaste will be obvious. Some people suggest not to eat Manisan Pala too muchbecause it is addictive. It can also apparently induce drowsiness and if eatenin excess can have the same fatal result as an overdose of sleeping pills. Butnevertheless it is a very popular snack.

Bogor with its cool, rainy climate is one of Indonesia's most famous places forManisan Pala, where it is sold wet and dry. If you want to see what nutmeglooks like fresh, go to Bogor where you'll find nutmeg galore at thetraditional wet markets. If you feel inspired you could even check out Bogorplant sellers who sell nutmeg trees from 30cm high - perfect in an earthenwarepot to complement the sunny side of your terrace.

Nutmeg trees are also wonderful male and female trees. A male tree is able tofertilize ten to twenty female trees and they are called therefore "theharem" tree (a term coined by French botanist Nicolas Cere). And accordingto A Taste of India, (by Mary S. Atwood) the Shah of Persia, Sultan Husain1711, declared himself "The Sun of Glory and the nutmeg of Delight".

Spain, Functional Building Open Orientation Parochial Centre Tenerife by Alejandro Beautell

 The room displays a continuity between the interior and exterior across the sliding doors that are placed in its shorter front. Arranged between the screens of concrete, these fixed glass walls help to extend the sensation of the interior space. In an area without architectural icons, the architect wanted to stamp a strong character of simplicity and austerity on the new building, using only three different materials.

 

Functional Building Open Orientation Parochial Centre Tenerife 01

Functional Building Open Orientation Parochial Centre Tenerife 02

Functional Building Open Orientation Parochial Centre Tenerife 03

The room for meeting and catechizing has a multifunctional vocation, for it presents an easily divisible space by use of a mobile partition. The programme of requirements for this parochial centre was solved in a raised floor, distinguishing two functional building units that are arranged on both sides of the principal entry. The resultant volume is a prism of 15×9x5 metres, emptied partially to obtain an open orientation to the southwest, crossing the front of the building, and shielding the principal access of the building from the sun.

Car Covers – The Most Practical Way to Preserve Your Car

It is known that the outdoors is not the safest place for your car. If it rains then the acid eats at the car’s paint work. If it snows, it freezes over, and the brakes get ruined. If it hails, the exterior gets scratched. If it’s sunny, the UV rays fade the finish. If it’s windy, the car gets knocked and scratched. Whatever the weather, you just don’t seem to win.

Practically, it is usually not feasible to store your car in a garage. Aside from the huge expense of building one, where do you have the space for one? So you need to find another plan that will help you keep you car looking good, and healthy, even through all the weather conditions.

What you need is a Noah cover from Covercraft. You must of heard of Covercraft; it is famous for providing the public with high quality car covers. Noah is a special of their as it is an all-weather-cover.

The Noah cover is three layered, made from bi-component fibres. Working from out to in, first is a layer of polypropylene, that is soft, yet uv resistant. Next comes a layer of micro-porous film that enables the cover to be breathable. Last, is a tough nylon core, woven together with polypropylene. Together these three layers make the cover completely weather proof.

As stated, the cover is breathable. This gives the car a chance to sweat, without it becoming steamed up and mouldy. The cover can also be put on whilst the car is still damp, as air and moisture are allowed out through the material, and away from the car. This does not in any way compromise on the high level of waterproofing.

Having three layers ensures that the cover is sturdy enough to cushion and shield the car from any types of bashes it may get that will scratch and or dent the exterior. It will also be more durable, and resist any rips and tears.

Noah is compact and easy to use. When the cover is not in use, it can be folded up nice and neatly, in the corner of the trunk, without being too bulky and space consuming. This way, you can take it with you wherever you travel, and always have the protection you need. There is elastic on the front and rear of the cover so that it is easy for you to put on and take off. Noah can be hand washed when it gets dirty, and will resist the growth of any mildew or rot, so it can even be folded away whilst still damp. All of these make Noah a practical, easy-to-use cover.

Noah comes in the custom size, so it will fit your car like glove. The cover will be nice and snug against the car, maximising the protection you give it.

Kalimantan is one of the world`s flora center

KalimantanIsland (Borneo) is one of the world`s flora center because the diversity oftrees in a small plot of land in the island`s forest equals to those in thewhole Papua or South America, according to the forestry ministry`s a pressstatement.

The Island has the richest flora on the Sunda Islands because it has 10,000 to15,000 special of floral plants.
The flora diversity on the Borneo island is as rich as those in the wholeAfrica, which is 40 times bigger than Borneo.
The diversity of Borneo Island`s flora covers the Asian and Australian elementswith more than 3,000 trees, including 267 species of Dipterocarpaceae (58percent of them are endemic Dipterocarpaceae species) and belongs to the mostimportant commercial wood in Asia.

It has also over 2,000 orchid species, 1,000 fern species and various speciesof "kantong semar" (Nepenthes sp.).

The endemic plant rate is also very high, namely 34 percent of plant speciesand 59 plant families are only found on the island.

Kalimantan has the high biodiversity and flora rates thanks to its geographicalcondition. The majority of the island`s geography is in coastal abd river areasand the height of almost half of its land is below 150 meters of the sea level.

These conditions have made Kalimantan an ideal place for various floral plantsto grow.

Its tropical climate. constant temperature and high rainfall rate with evendistribution make the Borneo forests always green all the years.

Kalimantan is the world`s third largest island after Greenland and Irianisland. The island is located in three countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia(Serawak, Sabah), and Brunai Darusalam.

The island is part of the Sunda Island chain consisting of two parts, namelyBig Sunda Islands: Kalimantan, Java, and Sumatra; and Little Sunda Islands:Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba, Timor, Barat Daya Islands, and TanimbarIslands

GPS and the Road to Greater Savings

 Learn about your GPS and the road to greater savings in this informative article from MagellianGPS.

 (NewsUSA) - Unwilling to ask for directions? Prepare to pay the price in gas and wear and tear on your vehicle.

  Your efficiency behind the wheel can affect your bank account. If you get lost too often, you'll waste gas while putting unnecessary miles on your automobile. And in a down economy, when every penny counts, few Americans can afford taking "the scenic route."

 If your sense of direction or map-reading skills prove subpar, you might want to consider purchasing a GPS device. Today's GPS devices are relatively inexpensive and offer a wide range of useful services and may actually save you money in the long run. Here are a few ways in which a GPS device can improve your efficiency behind the wheel:

 - You Won't Get Lost.

 With a GPS device, you'll easily find your way to your destination, no matter how labyrinth-like the backcountry roads. GPS devices tell you what road you're on, so there's no getting lost down unfamiliar roads. If you do take a wrong turn, your GPS will offer new directions until you get back en route.

 - You Won't Miss Your Exit.

 GPS devices offer highway lane assistance, so you'll know when your exit's approaching. For example, the Magellan Maestro 4700 tells you street names, when to turn and when to change lanes. 3D landmarks give you visual cues for maneuvers. The device includes built-in AAA TourBooks, which provide ratings and descriptions on AAA-approved places to stay, dine and save. A OneTouch menu lets you access your favorite places and searches instantly, while a voice-command feature simplifies navigation. Avoiding unnecessary exits, U-turns and backtracking will improve your fuel efficiency.

 - You'll Avoid Traffic.

 Idling in traffic wastes fuel and raises stress levels. A GPS unit with an integrated live traffic receiver and a subscription service will give you real-time traffic reports and offer alternative routes when roads become jammed.

 - You Won't Go Out Of Your Way

 to find services en route. You can program your GPS for several destinations, helping you plan the most efficient route possible. When traveling to new areas, you can use your GPS to find the nearest ATM, bank, coffee shop, restaurant or hotel so you don't waste time hunting for the services you need.