Asparagus, the wonderful vegetable

"As quick as cooking asparagus" was an old Roman saying meaning something accomplished rapidly.

Asparagus History
A member of the lily family, asparagus, scientifically termed as Asparagus officinalis, comes from the Greek word asparagus. It’s native to the East Mediterranean area, cultivated form antiquity and now grown in much of the world. Asparagus cultivation began 2000 years ago in eastern Mediterranean region. Greeks and Romans ate it fresh when in season and dried the vegetable for use in winter. Roman emperors were so fond of asparagus, that they kept a special asparagus fleet for the purpose of fetching it.

The asparagus growing beds in Northern Italy were famous during the Renaissance period. These graceful spears have always been a sign of elegance, and in times past, were a delicacy only the wealthy could afford. Asparagus has been used as a vegetable and medicine, owing to its delicate flavor and diuretic properties. Julius Caesar first ate it in Lombardy and wanted it served with melted butter. And in the time of King Louis XIV asparagus was dubbed ‘The King of Vegetables’. King Louis XVI of France, who did indeed dress in silken splendor when he dined, was so in love with asparagus that his gardeners were instructed to grow it in hothouses for his year round pleasure.

Nutritional Benefits
Asparagus is an alkaline food which is rich in protein but low in calories and carbohydrates. It is an excellent source of potassium, folic acid, vitamins A, vitamin C and vitamin K, and traces of vitamin B complex.
A good source of dietary fiber, asparagus is also rich in niacin, phosphorus and very low sodium. And certainly most impressive is that it is one of those few vegetables that actually have the calcium and magnesium in the ideal ratio of 2:1.

Health Benefits
Asparagus, the king of vegetables, has loads of an amino acid called asparagines that helps to rinse the body of waste material. As a result, some people pass out smelly urine after eating asparagus. Don't worry if this happens to you. Just be glad that your kidney is functioning as it should.
Asparagus is rich in potassium, vitamin A, folate and is also very high in glutathione - an amino acid compound with portent antioxidant properties; a must as an anti-aging deterrent. Glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant that protects cells from toxins such as free radicals.
Also it helps menstrual cramps, is great for your gastrointestinal tract and your colon, is helps maintain antifungal and antiviral qualities, and also it fights with chronic and fatigue syndrome.

Asparagus is one of the few vegetables that are highly dense in healthful nutrients that help many ailments.

Acidity of Blood: The high alkalinity of this wonder vegetables’ juice is effective in reducing the acidity of the blood and helps purify the tissues and muscles of waste.

Bowel movement: Consume asparagus regularly for its mild laxative effect and dietary fiber that provides for regular bowel movement.

Cancer: Asparagus is a prime source of anti-oxidant and glutathione that can help prevent cancer.

Cataracts: Asparagus contains the anti-oxidant and glutathione which prevents the progression of cataracts and other eye problems.
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I HATE LUV STORYS

Genre: Romantic Comedy
Director: Punit Malhotra
Producer: Karan Johar, Hiroo Johar, Ronnie Screwvala
Cast: Imran Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Sameer Dattani, Kavin Dave
Music Director: Vishal- Shekhar
Release Date: 02 Jul 2010

'I Hate Luv Storys' is the maxim Jay (Imran Khan) lives by, who prefers calling himself J (like what Hrithik did recently in Kites ) works as an assistant to filmmaker Veer (Sameer Soni), a spin off on Bhansali, whose movies seem to be copy-cut-paste of all possible love stories of Bollywood coming from the Johar-Chopra kin. Simran (Sonam Kapoor), a fogey love fawn joins as an art director/production designer on Veer’s film and Jai is asked to assist her.
Simran loves luv storys; So much so that even her life has begun to resemble one. With her ideal job and the perfect boyfriend, Raj, she lives a blissful, dreamy life
Imran Khan’s Jai who doesn’t believe in love is a direct liftoff of Aamir Khan’s Akash from Dil Chahta Hai. That I Hate LUV Storys admits taking moderate reference from Dil Chahta Hai at its very start, doesn’t give this film a stamp of approval. More importantly because it is a supposed parody on the formula of soft romance flicks but sadly ends up resorting to all those clichés in its narrative.
Although being engaged to childhood sweetheart Raj (Sammir Dattani), Simran proposes Jai. But Jai who never saw Simran from that point of view prefers being just friends. As the love story almost turns into a long-forgotten film starring Vivek Oberoi and Aishwarya Rai, the conventional romance makes you moan Kyun, Ho Gaya Naa? Now it’s the guy’s turn to spend sleepless nights and sing solitary songs until he starts believing in love.
A considerable portion in the second half of I Hate LUV Storys is shot in New Zealand. A considerable portion in the second half of Dil Chahta Hai was shot in Australia. And as far (or close) is New Zealand from Australia on the global map, so is the core plot of I Hate LUV Storys from the entire Aamir Khan-Preity Zinta romance track in Dil Chahta Hai.
The performances at best can be termed earnest. At no point do Imran Khan and Sonam Kapoor disappoint but at no point do they make an impression beyond expectation. Imran Khan continues to exert his distinct lip movements while speaking but you get used to it in due course. Sonam brings a refreshing appeal to her sugar-sweet character. Kavin Dave as Jai’s colleague-cum-companion has impeccable comic timing and is hilarious with his straight-faced expressions.
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Once Upon a Time in Mumbai

Movie is developed on the base – ‘Behind the Myth is the City’s Greatest Betrayal Story’.

Genre: Action/ Drama
Director: Milan Luthria
Producer: Sobha Kapoor & Ekta Kapoor
Star Cast: Ajay Devgan, Emraan Hashmi, Kangna Ranaut, Prachi Desai, Avtar Gill
Music Director: Pritam
Released Date: Jul 30 2010

Hardly ever we can get period dramas in Bollywood which are not about historical characters and not of usual love stories. This season director Milan Luthria makes enough effort in Once Upon a Time in Mumbai to look very genuine and important for its locales. Two months ago we had Badmaash Company and now we have Once Upon a Time in Mumbai, both are very different from each other; first being set in the rapid growing 90s and the later being set in colorful 70s.

Once Upon a Time in Mumbai movie covers the entire growth of the Mumbai underworld, from crime and smuggling in its early stages. It is based on actual happenings.The movie is the story of two gangsters. It is believed to be loosely based on the life of Haji Mastan and Dawood Ibrahim.

Sultan (Ajay Devgan) who worked very hard in childhood becomes a smuggler as he grew up and completely rules the sea routes. He always preferred keeping the city clean and never smuggles those things which was against his principles. Shoaib (Emraan Hashmi) inspired by Sultan's life starts to dream in his way. As he grows up, he makes his way to Sultan's team and proves himself good enough to ride up the ladder fast. His wild ambitions soon outgrew Sultan and he decided to take over the city on his own and finally succeed in doing so.
The drawback of this movie is the not so new storyline and the very slow screenplay. Funnily Sultan and his girlfriend Rehana (Kangana Ranawat) never seem to get aged even as Shoaib grows from a child to pastoral young lawbreaker. The film has its pluses too; Luthria has taken care of everything right from trains to cars, sunglasses to shoes and to buildings! Everything takes us back to the 70s. All actors have come up with some memorable performances of their own.
Overall, ‘Once Upon a Time in Mumbai’ is an entertainer. It does not need any effort to be understood of liked. It is the simple magic of characters created that makes this film worth watching.
To know about the delicious food recipe in this movie click here ....

Know about Soybean

The King of Protein...

Soybeans originate from China. Soybean plants were domesticated between 17th and 11th century BC in the eastern half of China where they were cultivated into a food crop. Soybean has been one of the five main plant foods of China along with rice, wheat, barley and millet. Later on soybeans were introduced into several countries such as Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Burma, Nepal and India. The spread of the soybean was due to the establishment of sea and land trade routes.
Although soybeans are native to Southeast Asia, 55 percent of production is in the United States. Other leading producers of soybeans are Argentina, Brazil, China and India. Much of the US production is either fed to animals or exported, though US consumption of soy by people has been increasing.
Soybeans contain highest protein among all other vegetables exiting in this universe. The protein percentage of soybean is 40. Many derivatives can be obtained from the soybean such as; Soy Milk, Soy Yogurt, Tofu, Soybean Oil, Shoyu, Soy Protein and many other. All the products of soybeans are very much used all over. All products are rich in protein.
Soy Milk
We are not so well known about soy milk which is obtained by soaking soybeans and crushing them with water. Soy milk can be made in home with basic kitchen tools or with soy milk machine. Commonly soy milk is found in packets which are flavored and fortified with extra calcium or vitamins. The most popular flavors are vanilla and chocolate.
Soy Yogurt
The production of soy yogurt is similar to the production of yogurt from cow milk. Soy yogurt is made by fermenting soymilk with friendly bacteria, mainly Lactobacillus Bulgaricus and Streptococcus Thermophilus.
It is difficult to find soy yogurt in the market, you can always make soy yogurt at home. You can use store-bought yogurt to start with. In some countries, soy yogurt is tagged as "cultured soy milk" because the term "yogurt" is reserved for dairy yogurt.
Tofu
Tofu, also known as Soya curd is a soft cheese, moreover like cottage cheese made by curdling Soya milk with a coagulant, is very well-known for its extraordinary nutritional benefits, as well as its versatility. Tofu is slightly mild tasting product that easily absorbs the flavors of the other ingredients. Fresh Tofu is usually packaged in water and should be refrigerated and kept in water until used. If the water is drained and changed daily, the Tofu should last for one week. Tofu can be frozen for up to three months. Freezing will change its consistency however; it will make the Tofu a little chewier.
Shoyu
We all are familiar with the term Soy sauce but not with Shoyu, nothing to worry about because Shoyu is a Soy sauce which is a dark brown liquid made from Soy beans that have undergone a fermentation process. Most of the commercial Shoyu available are made by a chemical process in which cereals and soybeans are mixed with acids.
There are different types of soy sauces depending on the ingredients used to produce such as;
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