Vegetables can be truly yummy and nutritious! Most peo-ple do not eat veg-etables because they do not know how to prepare them. some vegetables can be eaten fresh. There are various ways of preparing, cooking or presenting vegeta-bles.   •  Boiling  is  one  of  the most common ways of cooking vegetables such as in nilaga and sinigang. Pref-erably, simmer vegetables in a minimum amount of water because soluble nu-trients in vegetables such as vitamin C and b-complex will be lost in cooking with water.   •  Steaming  is  the  best way to cook vegetables. Not only does it avoid us-ing any type of fats in the cooking process, but it also protects the nutrients in the vegetables because none of the vitamins are lost to the water and drained away. steaming also preserves the color and nutritional value of vegetables to a very high degree. Vegetables can also be cooked by putting on top of rice in the last stages of cooking.  • Stir-frying is a cooking method that can preserve the good flavor and color of vegetables. It is a method of cooking where sliced vege-tables and meat are quickly fried in a large pan over very high heat while con-stantly and briskly stirring them. The cooking tech-nique requires a minimum amount of fat and results in a food that is crisp and tender.   •  Broiling  is  a  method of cooking by exposing food to direct heat, either on a grill over live coals or a gas burner or electric coil. broiling differs from roast-ing and baking, because in broiling, the food is turned during the process so as to cook one side at a time. Vegetables that can be broiled include squash, corn, red and green bell pepper, asparagus and even mushroom. Choose the vegetables that are firm and fresh. sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper and any desired spice such as gin-ger or garlic or any spice desired.   • Microwaving preserves the color and texture of

most vegetables better than other conventional cook-ing. Microwaving requires only little water or no water thus more nutrients are re-tained. Vegetables contain valu-able and protective nu-trients which may be de-stroyed during handling, storing, cooking and even serving. Knowing the kinds of nutrients found in veg-etables and how these are usually lost are important to get the nutrients needed. Vegetables must be cooked carefully to preserve and enhance their flavor, tex-ture, color and more im-portantly, the nutrients. There are simple rules when cooking vegetables:  •  Vegetable  fiber  gives vegetables shape and firm-ness. Fiber is affected by many things in the cooking process. They are tough-ened by acids such as lem-on juice, vinegar and toma-to products. On the other hand, alkali and heat soften fibers. to serve crisp, fresh-tasting vegetables, learn to control these factors.

  • Always keep vegetables slightly firm to the bite; do not overcook.  •  Cook  mild  flavored vegetables in the least amount of water possible.  •  To  cook  vegetables quickly and reduce flavor loss, start cooking them in boiling water. add iodized salt to the cooking liquid to reduce the loss of flavor.   •  Cook  strong  flavored vegetables, such as onion, cabbage, garlic, leeks, cau-liflower, broccoli, turnips and radish in an uncov-ered container to allow the strong flavors to evaporate.  •  Vegetables  that  are grown below ground should be cooked starting with cold water because of their high starch content. Vegetables grown above ground should be cooked starting in boiling water to reduce cooking time. some people may think that eating vegetables al-ready ensures that their diet is healthy. While vegetables are very healthy, it is im-portant that these should be consumed as part of a diet that includes the three basic food groups, i.e. the gO, gROW and glOW foods. Have a diet that in-cludes a variety of whole grains (rice, corn, cere-als), lean meats, fish and poultry, nuts and legumes, fruits, dairy, plenty of water and liquids and at the same time, limits high fat, high sugar and salty foods. Veg-etables can be included in

the diet in several ways.   • Buy fresh vegetables in season, because they cost less, are of very high in quality and nutrients.  •  Use  a  variety  of  veg-etables to keep the meal in-teresting.  • Try crunchy vegetables like carrots, lettuce, and cucumber, raw or slightly steamed.  •  Plan  meals  around  a vegetable dish. For instance, for “pinakbet” and then add other foods to complement it, like fish.  •  Use  pureed,  cooked vegetables such as potatoes to thicken stews, soups and gravies.  •  Prepare  vegetables  in different ways by boiling, stir-frying, steaming, grill-ing and baking.  • Eat vegetables like car-rots, cucumber, tomatoes, celery with a dip or low-fat dressing.  •  Add  shredded  veg-etables such malunggay, kangkong, chopped onion leaves and carrots to instant noodles to improve nutriti-tive values.   •  One  of  the  ways  to add vegetable to your diet is by blending. a vegetable smoothie provides an al-ternative to some people who do not like the taste of vegetables when cooked. smoothies have the same quality and contain more nutrients than cooked vegetables. eating raw vegetables (make sure it is clean) or drinking its juice

right away retains intact vitamins and minerals that are easily absorbed by the body. Preparing smooth-ies is a good way to get the fibers, phytochemicals, and other complex compounds found in vegetables that are lost during preparation. In addition to the nutrients, vegetable smoothies con-tain more water and pro-vide variety of texture and taste of vegetables. We should remember to rinse vegetables thoroughly. Rinse only before eating or preparing to prevent spoil-age. When washing vegeta-bles, follow these steps:   • Clean  all  surfaces  and utensils with soap and hot water, including cutting boards, peelers, counter tops, and knives that will

touch fresh produce. Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling fresh vegetables.   • Rinse  those  fresh veg-etables with skins and rinds that are not eaten, under clean running water and avoid using detergents or bleach. Remove the outer leaves of leafy vegetables such as lettuce and cabbage before washing. Produce with firm skin, such as po-tatoes, may require rub-bing with a vegetable brush while rinsing under clean running water to remove all soil. Happy veggie cooking and eating to all! Make veg-gies part of your lifestyle to add life to your plate and your diet!

VOL.5 ISSUE 92 • JULY 11, 2012

EDGEDAVAO

UP AND ABOUT

Veggie cooking tips

This July, remember the flavors of your childhood as Café Marco features much-loved Filipino signature dish-es. “Relive the magic of authentic Filipino cuisine crafted in the ilocano, Kapampangan, Bicolano, Cebuano and Mindanao kitchens,” said Danilo C. herrera, Marco Polo Davao’s Food and Beverage Director. Exciting dinner buffets this month include lechon, the Filipino party mainstay, and rellenong manok, hamona-do, galantina, and morcon. savor the freshness of the seafood selections: sinug-bang pusit, daing na bangus, and sinigang na hipon. sip and dig into the goodness of bulalo and binakol. Delectable sweets include the honeyed leche flan and turon (banana slivers with langka strips) and other old-time favorites, such as cuchinta, bibingka and biko. “Our Café Marco chefs expertly orchestrate flavors to create a refreshing style of modern Filipino cuisine with a twist here and a bow to tradition there,” herrera added. special limited offer available daily for dinner from July 11 to 31, 2012 for only Php 990 net per person. To start your journey to the heart of Philippine gas-tronomy, call 221-0888 local 7222 for inquiries and res-ervations.

hEALTh

INdulge!

It has always been a habit of mine to start each month with a glimpse of the latest in style. Fashion glossies are constant page turn-ers for a fashiononymous like me, who finds inspiration from style dictators and channels each look through multiple ventures on cy-berspace and other trend hubs. I know some of you are also in transit to next sea-son’s wardrobes and must haves. so, here I am, draw-ing you a layman’s guide to what’s in and lookbook-ishque, as I flip through one style manual at a time. Brace yourself They seem to be a rehash of the friendship brace-lets I used to see in school back in the 90’s. Remem-ber those yarn twistables you exchanged with close friends? These braided beauties have found their place in the fashion scene as they are given a mod-ernized touch with any-thing glittery and hippie. accessory designers have drawn inspiration from this and even modified it to become necklaces made out of carefully spliced clothing patterns and a few other pantones. Knit one, purl two. Doily patterns are in, and not only with clothing. From saccharine colors of French macarons to pop hues, these yarn-wrapped and crocheted accessories are the juxtaposition of dainty and fancy. For the love of prints Reviving retro look are paisley prints in women’s clothing. These are nos-talgic prints that go all the way from the 1960’s. at first glance, the print looks like a teardrop, or the shape of the kidney, to some. Now on its comeback, it takes a cross between the classy and the hippie inspired styles on the high street. You’d see them on pant-suits, dresses, and blouses, adding enigma to your outfit as onlookers swirl their eyes away. another style that is making its comeback is the Renaissance prints. The Old World transcends to the modern cosmos with much decadence and opulence in prints, bead-ing, embellishments, and rich colors. From velvety feel and intricate beading, to gold and black accents, these trademark élan of the Renaissance period now has streetified renditions in coats, tops, and dresses, a new slang for the legend-ary Marie antoinette style. Olympian glam london Olympics a-

calling, sports luxe has taken its place in the fash-ion arena with glamorized sweatpants, shapely shorts showing more skin, and stylized baseball jackets. a cheat guide to the finish line would be the sports savvy spread of Preview’s June issue, with anne Curtis, georgina Wilson, Isabellle Daza, Liz Uy, and solenn Heussaff on the cover. better yet, hit on the Youtube link again and get a refresher course of their version of the Call Me Maybe video. Towering heights These are shoe-business of those who dare. The likes of Camille Co and laureen Uy are seen wearing color-blocked heels and heel-less wedge. Consider them as the new generation of the ladylike pumps. Flirty Skirty Peplum adds some sexi-ness and elegance to your make your simple attire. You can spend less hours accessorizing by wearing a peplum dress / top / skirt, as you’d already have ruf-fles attached to your waist, just enough to draw atten-tion to yourself.

ENTERTAiNMENTARTs AND CULTURE

A2 INdulge! EDGEDAVAO

The Old World transcends to the modern cosmos with much decadence and opulence in prints, beading, embellishments, and rich colors.

Trendspotting this July

UP AND ABOUT

save Mother Earth with art! sM supermalls opens an ecobag design competition for all high school and Col-lege students enrolled in the school year 2012-2013 in the Philippines. Four (4) winners will receive Php 25,000 and the new iPad each. Plus, the winners’ schools will also re-ceive Php 25,000 for their en-vironmental project. To join, artists must come

up with four (4) individual bag designs based on the cat-egories Earth, Fire, Water and Air. They then need to fill out the online registration form and upload entries to www.smsupermalls.com/designy-ourecobag in JPEG or RAW format (maximum of 2MB per design). Apart from the cash and iPads, the winning designers also get to see their creations

Design the new SM Ecobag and win an iPad!

VOL.5 ISSUE 92 • JULY 11, 2012EDGEDAVAO INdulge! A3

Trendspotting this July

UP AND ABOUT

up with four (4) individual bag designs based on the cat-egories Earth, Fire, Water and Air. They then need to fill out the online registration form and upload entries to www.smsupermalls.com/designy-ourecobag in JPEG or RAW format (maximum of 2MB per design). Apart from the cash and iPads, the winning designers also get to see their creations

on the new edition of sM Eco Bags! Get that artistic thinking cap on and design the coolest eco-friendly bag! Contest runs from July 13 to August 9. For more information, please call 297.6998 local 126 or visit www.smsupermalls.com or www.smcitydavao.blogspot.com . You may also like sM City Davao on Face-book for promo updates.

Design the new SM Ecobag and win an iPad!

ENTERTAiNMENTENTERTAiNMENT

A4 INdulge! VOL.5 ISSUE 92 • JULY 11, 2012EDGEDAVAO

is scarlett Johansson dating a new guy? Well, lookie what we have here. The sultry scarlett Jo-hansson decided to take a little break from a thing we call life and instead, soak up some sun on a boat in italy. Jealous? We are, too. But who is that fine gentleman sunbathing next to her? And more im-portantly, are they wear-ing sunscreen? The Avengers star, who rocked a white bikini with some shades and a visor to fend off the sun’s strong rays while yachting by the town of Taormina, was spotted with a muscular (and tan!) fella who clearly embraces European swim-

wear with those short shorts. And, while there’s no word on whether or not sun protection was used, we doknow who her man friend is. scarlett’s rep confirms to E! News that the guy soaking up Vitamin D next to her is her bodyguard of

two years,Marco, and the only thing he’s touching on that boat is his Black-berry. The actress is still dating the first mystery man we spotted her with back in January, who was inden-tified as advertising exec Nate Naylor.

TOM Cruise and Ka-tie holmes do have a divorce settle-ment in place. But you do not know what it entails, accord-ing to holmes’ attorney, who is shooting down reports that claim to de-tail the estranged duo’s purported custody ar-rangement regarding daughter suri. “There are numer-ous inaccuracies in the reports regarding the purported contents of the agreement reached between the parties,” lawyer Jonathan Wolfe said in a statement to E! News. “The agreement is confidential and its terms will not be disclosed.” But they sure are be-ing discussed!

TMZ and Radar are currently engaged in their own mini custody battle, with each claim-ing ownership of certain tidbits regarding Cruise and holmes’ little girl. Both outlets are re-porting that holmes will get what amounts to primary custody of suri with visitation rights for Cruise, but Radar claims that holmes wants her own employees (nan-nies, security team, etc.) to accompany suri on visits with her dad—and TMZ says that’s “abso-lutely, 100 percent false.” The dueling reports also both state, however, that scientology and what can and cannot be discussed around suri is detailed in the agree-

ment. What holmes and Cruise have confirmed is that they (and their lawyers) toiled away on an agreement with suri’s best interests in mind. “We want to keep mat-ters affecting our family private and express our respect for each other’s commitment to each of our respective be-liefs and support each other’s roles as parents,” they said in a statement released earlier today. While suri settles in with her mom in the Manhattan apartment holmes leased last month, Cruise touched downin Mammoth, Ca-lif., this afternoon to fin-ish shooting the sci-fi thriller Oblivion.

LET the games con-tinue: None other than acting heavy-weight Philip sey-mour hoffman has been cast as head gamemaker Plutar-ch heavensbee in the film adaptation of suzanne Collins’s best-selling novel “The hunger Games: Catching Fire.” heavensbee is the head gamemaker of the 75th annual hunger Games -- a role left open in the first story by the gamemaker seneca Crane (played by Wes Bentley), who came to an unfortunate end. As fans will remember from “The hunger Games,” the gamemaker controls the fate of the characters -- as in who lives and who dies -- in the televised death match.

The role is a compli-cated and important one. heavensbee seems to have a secret agenda, and it’s not clear until the end whose side he will take. in short, it’s a com-plex role perfect for a star who’s equally comfort-able onstage (“Death of a salesman”) as he is in in-dependent films (“ides of March”) and blockbusters (“Mission:impossible iii”). [Related: Adams on Reel Women: salma hayek’s Working Mom in

‘savages’] And -- spoiler alert -- heavensbee’s character also appears in the final installment of the triol-ogy “Mockingjay,” so pre-pare for a healthy, or at least crafty, dose of the 44-year-old. The “Moneyball” star will join returning cast members Jennifer Law-rence, Josh hutcherson, and Liam hemsworth, as well as a new director, Francis Lawrence. The film opens November 2013.

Avengers Hangover

Suri’s interest will be top priorityPhilip Seymour Hoffman cast in “The Hunger Games” sequel