Taylor Swift Tickets, Paris Trips and Dining Out: Consumers Splurge Even as Savings Fall
A group of US consumers has surprised companies and economists by splurging on Taylor Swift concerts, trips to
2023-11-24 19:19
Airbus and Boeing Poised for Major Thai Airways Widebody Order
Thai Airways International Pcl is considering a possible order for as many as 90 mostly widebody aircraft from
2023-11-24 19:15
Hypercar Maker Pagani Says China Has Lessons for Europe on EVs
Italian hypercar maker Pagani Automobili SpA is exploring new technologies including electric vehicles, an area where China’s expertise
2023-11-24 18:28
Greek PM to Raise Elgin Marbles Feud With Sunak on UK Trip
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to raise the contentious issue of the Parthenon Marbles during his
2023-11-24 18:22
China Allows French, German Citizens to Enter Visa Free
China will allow citizens from countries including France, Germany and Italy to enter the country without a visa
2023-11-24 17:55
Thailand Turns to Chinese Influencers to Allay Tourist Concerns
Thailand plans to tap Chinese social-media influencers and companies like Huawei Technologies Co. and Alipay to promote the
2023-11-24 16:15
Seasonal affective disorder: Can you eat to improve your mood?
As the clocks go back and the days get shorter, we could all do with a boost in serotonin to fight the winter blues. One way to get just that is a spicy, vibrant, warming meal. Recent studies show that one in three Brits admit to being affected by seasonal affective disorder, with younger adults more likely to experience the mood disorder. In an attempt to lift moods through foods, I’ve created a dish that contains ingredients scientifically proven to boost your mood and warm the winter nights ahead. This beef cheek jungle curry brings the heat, with jungle curry being one of the spiciest curries to come out of Thailand. The chemical capsaicin, found in chillies, acts as an endorphin that makes our body release serotonin, which helps to lift your mood. Originating from northern Thailand, the dish is traditionally cooked out using only stock rather than coconut milk, adding to this fiery curry’s intensity and vibrant orange colour. Research has shown that bright colours can also trigger the release of serotonin to help fight those winter blues. The science Heat It’s reported that even a whiff of ginger can improve your mood. No Thai curry would complete without a healthy amount of ginger and garlic, but it’s fresh chillies that really pack a punch. Capsaicin, a chemical compound found in chillies, triggers the release of endorphins that can boost your mood, and may even reduce stress and anxiety. Increase the heat levels to give yourself a boost, and to keep warm when the cold weather kicks in. Colour Our brains respond to colour by stimulating glands which regulate hormones, including serotonin. Research has shown that bright colours can trigger the release of serotonin, which is responsible for making us feel happy and satisfied. The bright reds of my jungle curry signal excitement to the brain, whilst orange and yellow hues are the feel-good colours of the rainbow, eliciting feelings of happiness, optimism and hope. Lean proteins It’s no secret that protein is vital for a balanced diet. According to mental health charity MIND, diets high in protein can support your mental health. Protein contains amino acids which your brain needs to produce neurotransmitters – these help regulate thoughts and feelings. Beef cheek is inexpensive and packed with protein, it works perfectly in this jungle curry. Beef cheeky jungle curry recipe Serves: 2 Ingredients: 1 pot jungle curry Payst 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 tbsp coriander roots, washed and finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, peeled 2 tbsp wild ginger, krachai, peeled and roughly chopped (regular ginger can be used instead) ½ tbsp coarse sea salt 200g beef cheek, trimmed (any slow cook beef can be used) 2 whole stick lemongrasses, bruised in a pestle 20g galangal, bruised in a pestle 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn slightly to release flavour 2 tbsp table salt 1 whole garlic head, sliced in two across the cloves 4 banana shallots, chopped in half 1 tbsp caster sugar 2 tbsp fish sauce 10g hot Vietnamese mint (optional) 10g betel leaves (optional, spinach can be used instead) 10g coriander 10g Thai sweet basil 10g fresh curry leaves 30g new potatoes, chopped in half 30g green beans 1 head pak choi, core removed and chopped into bite sized pieces. Fresh chillies to taste Method: 1. Firstly, braise the beef cheeks. In a large oven-proof pan submerge the beef cheeks in water and then add the lemongrass sticks, bruised galangal, lime leaves, banana shallots, table salt and whole garlic. Cover the surface of the liquid with parchment paper and the pan with tin foil to protect from the direct heat of the oven and then cook in a pre-heated oven at 100C for 8 hours (this is best cooked overnight). Check the beef cheeks before removing from the oven, they should easily be chopped with a spoon with tenderness. When cooked, remove from the oven and leave to one side to use immediately. 2. In the meantime, cook out the paste. When cooking a jungle curry, it is fried in 2 stages and then boiled, this is for depth of flavour. To start, pound the coriander root, wild ginger and garlic cloves to a paste, using the sea salt as an abrasive. 3. Next heat the vegetable oil in a wok or non-stick pan and then proceed to fry out the paste, scraping and stirring constantly. When the paste begins to darken slightly, add the jungle curry paste and continue to cook out the paste, making sure it doesn’t stick and burn, at this point add the kaffir lime leaves and the lemongrass from the beef braising stock. Continue to fry the paste until it begins to darken in colour and then add the sugar and fry for a further minute until the sugar has caramelised and the paste has darkened a little more. 4. Next de-glaze the pan with the fish sauce, 300ml of beef braising stock and bring to a simmer. Once simmering add the potatoes and continue to simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes are beginning to soften. At this point add the pak choi, green beans and beef cheeks and use a little more braising stock if needed, then continue to simmer until all ingredients are softened and edible. 5. Lastly add all the herbs and gently toss them through the hot curry and then serve immediately, the curry should be loose, yet rich and spicy with a salty edge. Serve the beef cheek jungle curry in bowls with steamed jasmine rice, if you like top with crispy garlic, shallots and fresh chillies. The winter Mood Boosting recipe has been created by Sebby Holmes, Head Chef and owner of Farang and PAYST Read More The Independent high street Christmas sandwich and drink taste test How to host a dinner party for under £2 per portion Three new cookbooks worth buying, from James Martin to the Hairy Bikers Pearly Cow, Margate, restaurant review: Go for the steak, but stay for the potatoes What does Saturday Kitchen’s Matt Tebbutt cook at home? Don’t throw away Thanksgiving leftovers - here’s what you can do with them
2023-11-24 14:46
Retailers offer big deals for Black Friday but will shoppers spend?
Expect big discounts and other enticements to lure shoppers to stores for Black Friday
2023-11-24 13:16
GameStop's Black Friday Ad Is Bursting With Savings for Gamers
If you've held off on upgrading to the latest consoles, Black Friday is a good
2023-11-24 10:50
Proton Drive Encrypted Cloud Storage Service Finally Lands on Macs
The Proton Drive encrypted cloud storage service launched for Mac users today. Swiss technology company
2023-11-24 01:46
Lewis Hamilton says Red Bull chief Christian Horner is ‘stirring things’ over team move claims
Lewis Hamilton has denied Christian Horner’s claims that he reached out over a potential move from Mercedes, saying the Red Bull team principal is “just stirring things”. Horner claimed in an interview published on Wednesday 22 November that a representative of the seven-time F1 champion had approached Red Bull earlier this year - before he signed his two-year Mercedes contract renewal. “I don’t really understand what he’s been talking about because no one, as far as I’m aware, from my team has spoken to him,” Hamilton said, responding to the claims. “However, he did reach out to me earlier on in the year about meeting up, but that’s it. I just congratulated them on an amazing year. “So I’m not really sure, I think he’s just stirring things.” Read More Shaq O’Neal ‘ignores’ Martin Brundle at Las Vegas Grand Prix before bizarre response Ronnie O’Sullivan says he started snooker world championship ‘on phone to Samaritans’ Watch: Travis Kelce reads his ‘nonsense’ old tweets that have been going viral
2023-11-24 00:53
Taylor Swift Concert Tragedy Highlights Dangers of Climate Change
The death of a Taylor Swift fan in the midst of a heat wave in Brazil is another
2023-11-24 00:20