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From a series of recipes by Xali: Homemade sushi

<p dir="ltr">This is a great meal to get the family involved. Prepare the ingredients and paté ahead of time and get ready for some hands-on fun! Pecans provide an abundance of organic pyridoxine (vitamin B6), essential for serotonin release and nervous-system health. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Serves: </strong>3</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Prep:</strong> 30 mins</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Ingredients:</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Nori seaweed, sheet - 3 whole</p> <p dir="ltr">Sprouts, assorted - 1/2 cup</p> <p dir="ltr">Cucumber julienned - 1/8 whole</p> <p dir="ltr">Avocado sliced - 1/8 whole</p> <p dir="ltr">Tamari to serve - 1/8 cup</p> <p dir="ltr">For the paté Pecans - 3/4 cup</p> <p dir="ltr">Capsicum, red chopped - 1/2 whole</p> <p dir="ltr">Spring onion chopped - 1 1/2 whole</p> <p dir="ltr">Coriander, fresh chopped - 1/8 cup</p> <p dir="ltr">Chilli flakes - 1/8 tsp</p> <p dir="ltr">Salt - 1/8 tsp</p> <p dir="ltr">Cracked black pepper - 1/8 tsp</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Method: </strong>For the paté</p> <p dir="ltr">1. Add pecans to the food processor and blitz until they are reduced to a medium crumb. Add the remaining filling ingredients and blend to a chunky pate. Do not over process.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>To make 6 rolls</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">2. Place nori sheet with ribbed-side facing upwards, shiny side facing down, and lines in nori perpendicular to you.</p> <p dir="ltr">3. Spread the paté evenly over the sheet leaving the edge furthest away from you free from paté for roughly 1cm as you will use this to secure the roll. Make sure to cover each horizontal edge or you might end up with end pieces without much filling.</p> <p dir="ltr">4. Lay vegetables horizontally in the lower half of the sheet. Start rolling with the edge closest to you. Roll tightly, yet gently away from you. Secure the roll by adding a bit of water to the free edge furthest from you.</p> <p dir="ltr">5. With a sharp knife, cut the roll in half. Slice each half into three or four bite-sized piece.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-cdcc3960-7fff-ca94-990a-86f7f8a6eda1"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">6. Repeat the process for the remaining ingredients. Slice into rounds and serve with a side of tamari.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Supplied</em></p>

Food & Wine

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REVIEW: Blossom Bar

<p dir="ltr">Feeling a little bored and want to break up the week? Looking for new places to add to your rotation? Look no further than Blossom Bar.</p> <p dir="ltr">Situated in Sydney’s Chippendale Spice Alley, Blossom Bar is a small cocktail hideaway, something you’d likely find walking through the back streets of Tokyo. The venue is intimate and alluring, with different Japanese inspired drinks on the menu that form part of the unique experience. </p> <p dir="ltr">On a Wednesday night, the team at Over60 decided to make it a date and see what Blossom Bar had to offer. </p> <p dir="ltr">Once seated (not too difficult on a Wednesday), we immediately ordered food and drink. The service was quick and the staff seemed to be super confident and efficient. </p> <p dir="ltr">The way the drinks were served and presented made the experience a stand-out and had everyone </p> <p dir="ltr">Starting off strong, the drinks of choice were:</p> <p dir="ltr">The ‘Yuzu Sparkler’ (Japanese gin, yuzu, yuzu bitters, prosecco), served with an actual sparkler, this cocktail looked too pretty to drink. It wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet and had quite a refreshing and citrusy taste to it. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Blossom Martini (Japanese rice gin, maraschino, house-made sakura vermouth). This drink was high on the sweetness scale and I wouldn’t recommend it to those who don’t have a sweet tooth. Best consumed slowly, this drink was like a little dessert. </p> <p dir="ltr">The ‘Bubblegun Martini’ (Hubba Bubba Vodka, hubba bubba syrup, sakura, pressed citrus, rosemary smoke bubble) was served with a bubblegum, forming a rosemary smoke bubble. </p> <p dir="ltr">The absolute crowd favourite was the ‘Disko Drink’ (Vodka, elderflower, house-made yuzu marmalade, lychee sherbet, prosecco), which ended up being the most impressive cocktail on the menu, served with a speaker and disco lights! The staff let us keep the speaker for the table and we ended up picking the tunes all night, and as a millennial would say “the vibes were immaculate”. For those of you who don’t understand, we had an incredible time!</p> <p dir="ltr">The food started rolling out at the perfect time, as we all picked classic sushi restaurant snacks. Think edamame, pork gyoza, chicken and avocado rolls and a grilled salmon nigiri share plate.</p> <p dir="ltr">The portions were small, which complimented the drinks nicely. Blossom bar is first and foremost a cocktail bar, with the emphasis on the relaxed and alluring atmosphere, next time around I will be sure to either start the evening here for a couple of drinks before dinner or eat prior to going, in order to explore a wider variety of their bespoke cocktails.</p> <p dir="ltr">Everything was extremely insta worthy and felt effortlessly glamorous. The prices reflected the quality of the food and drinks, while being on the slightly more expensive side but for a pleasant night out in Sydney it was worth every cent.</p> <p dir="ltr">Blossom Bar is the perfect hole-in-the-wall escape from the hustle and bustle of dining inside the CBD. Spice Alley is quite accessible being a 15-minute walk from Broadway Shopping Centre and a five-minute walk from Central Station.</p> <p dir="ltr">You can flick through a gallery of the team’s favourites below. </p>

Food & Wine

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Health warning for sushi and stir-fry lovers

<p>Asian cuisines are delicious and thought to be one of the healthier meal options on the fast food market due to the ingredients of fish, seaweed and juicy vegetables. However, new Australian research has linked Asian sauces with high blood pressure.</p> <p>The Heart Foundation has discovered that one tablespoon of traditional soy sauce contains 61 per cent of the daily recommended salt intake.</p> <p>Fish sauce is even saltier, containing almost an entire day’s worth – 91 per cent – of the daily recommended intake in one tablespoon.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 500px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7822501/1-sushi-embed.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8fc9f7c81e56455ab36c7680462b0e87" /></p> <p>The public has been warned about this health risk due to an estimated 6 million people nationwide suffering from high blood pressure, which can be caused by a diet high in salt. High blood pressure increases the risks of stroke, kidney disease and heart attacks.</p> <p>Dietitians shared with <span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/health/2018/11/13/17/21/health-salt-warning-to-sushi-and-stir-fry-lovers?app=applenews">9News</a></span> that consumers should be reading the labelling of sauce bottles across different brands. “Picking a low-salt soy sauce can half the amount of salt,” Dietitian Jenny Reimers from VIC Health shared.</p> <p>“We should be having no more than five grams of salt a day … that’s about a teaspoon,” Heart Foundation dietitian Sian Armstrong recommended.</p>

Body

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Man's gruesome discovery will put you off sushi for life

<p>A California man has paid the price for eating sushi every day, making a horrifying discovery that just might be enough to put you off the raw fish delicacy for the indefinite future.</p> <p>According to Dr Kenny Bhan, who shared the story on the <a href="http://www.wonthurtabit.com/episodes/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>This Won’t Hurt a Bit</strong></em></span></a> podcast the man when to the emergency room complaining of bloody diarrhoea.</p> <p>While Dr Bhan was originally sceptical when the man said he wanted to be treated for tapeworm, it wasn’t long until he had the disgusting proof.</p> <p>“I take out a toilet paper roll, and wrapped around it of course is what looks like this giant, long tapeworm,” Dr Bahn said on the podcast.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Accchhhh. — Man Pulls 5 1/2-Foot-Long Tapeworm Out Of His Body, Blames <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sushi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sushi</a> Habit <a href="https://t.co/lEgIcbeMKg">https://t.co/lEgIcbeMKg</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gross?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#gross</a> <a href="https://t.co/GQRl0wq5tf">pic.twitter.com/GQRl0wq5tf</a></p> — Tim O'Keeffe (@tim_okeeffe) <a href="https://twitter.com/tim_okeeffe/status/955174513628667904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>After it was unravelled the tapeworm ended up being five and a half feet long.</p> <p>Dr Bahn treated the patient with medication and advised the patient to cut down on the raw fish in his diet, as this was likely the cause of the monster parasite.</p> <p>What are your thoughts? Is this enough to turn you off sushi?</p>

Body

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Cruise line introducing sushi at sea

<p>Add take-out sushi to the list of the things you can get on a cruise ship.</p> <p>Cruise giant Royal Caribbean this month has begun adding sushi-to-go carts on several of its ships with the concept scheduled to debut on more vessels.</p> <p>Dubbed Izumi Express, the offering is an offshoot of the Izumi sushi restaurants that are on a number of Royal Caribbean vessels.</p> <p>The new sushi carts are selling packages of sushi rolls at a cost of $7 to $9 along with a selection of Japanese beers. Among the sushi options are a shrimp crunchy roll and a spicy salmon roll, both for $8.</p> <p>Royal Caribbean tested the Izumi Express concept earlier this year on the 3634-passenger Freedom of the Seas and this month is adding it to four more vessels: Independence of the Seas, Empress of the Seas, Majesty of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas.</p> <p>Two more vessels, Adventure of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas will get the carts in August, according to a spokesperson for the line.</p> <p>Royal Caribbean says the carts will be located in the Promenade areas of ships, for the most part. Some vessels may place them on pool decks. Operating hours on sea days will be from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm and from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm Operating hours on port days will depend on sailing times.</p> <p>Do you think you’d like to see sushi on a cruise?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><em>Written by Gene Sloan. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><strong><em>No matter where you’re travelling to, making sure you know how to access your cash while away – and in the most affordable way – is very important. Easy to use and with countless benefits, the Over60 Cash Passport allows you to securely access your cash in the same way you use an ATM or credit card­. <a href="https://oversixty.cashpassport.com.au" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">To apply for a card today, click here.</span></a></em></strong></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/07/7-secrets-to-enjoying-food-on-a-cruise/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>7 secrets to enjoying food on a cruise</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/08/why-cruising-is-good-for-your-brain/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Why cruising is good for your brain</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/08/cruise-lines-that-let-you-byo-alcohol/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>4 cruise lines that let you BYO alcohol</strong></em></span></a></p>

Cruising

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Salmon and avocado sushi

<p>Serving as the perfect summer side or a delicious, light lunch in its own right, salmon and avocado sushi is easy to make and even easier to eat! Why roll the dice at sushi train when you can DIY?</p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Serves:</span></strong> Six   </p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Ingredients:</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>Two ½ cups koshihikari rice</li> <li>Thee ¾ cups cold water</li> <li>½ cup rice vinegar</li> <li>Two tablespoons caster sugar</li> <li>½ teaspoon salt</li> <li>Six nori sheets</li> <li>200g fresh salmon</li> <li>One avocado</li> <li>Light soy sauce, wasabi paste and pickled ginger to serve</li> </ul> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Method:</span></strong></p> <ol> <li>Prepare ingredients for your sushi by cutting your salmon into batons that are roughly 1cm thick and halving, stoning, peeling then thinly slicing your avocado. Place rice is a sieve and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. This removes excess starch.</li> <li>Place rice and water in a large saucepan (covered) over high heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 12 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove the rice from the heat then set aside (covered) for about 10 minutes so the rice can cool slightly.</li> <li>Combine vinegar, sugar and salt in a small ball and transfer rice to large glass bowl.</li> <li>Using a wooden paddle break up rice lumps with gradually adding vinegar mixture.</li> <li>Gently fold to combine and continue folding and fanning for 15 minutes until rice is cool.</li> <li>Place a nori sheet, shiny-side down, on the mat. Use wet hands to spread one-sixth of the rice over the nori sheet, leaving a 3cm-wide border along the edge furthest away from you.</li> <li>Place salmon and avocado along the centre of the rice. Hold filling in place while rolling the mat over to enclose rice and filling. Repeat with remaining nori, rice, salmon and avocado.</li> <li>Use a sharp knife to slice sushi widthways into slice roughly 1.5cm thick.</li> <li>Place on serving dishes with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger, if desired.</li> </ol> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/11/pumpkin-feta-beetroot-quinoa-salad/">Pumpkin, feta and beetroot quinoa salad</a></em></span></strong></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/11/cauliflower-pizza/">Cauliflower pizza</a></em></span></strong></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/lifestyle/food-wine/2015/11/slow-cooker-pulled-pork/">Slow cooker pulled pork</a></em></span></strong></p>

Food & Wine

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