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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
A midsummer delight's dream
It's the month when even the Sun blushes green with envy. It's the season of Cannes, cricket and canary chandeliers. Come June, and it lights up our lives with golden 'chandeliers'. Chandeliers that screen us from the fierce June sun. Chandeliers that almost outshine the dazzle of the ripe summer sun. Amaltas, ahoy! What the golden Daffodils are to William Wordsworth, the Amaltas is perhaps to the desi poetic pen. Childhood meant growing up with different sort of sun screens in summer. Sun screens that had nothing to do with chemicals and commercials. Summers that had nothing to do with stocks and stocks of sun screens. Rather, summers that had everything to do with stalks and stalks of sun screens. Sun screens that had everything to do with Mother Nature's caps that were a canary yellow. Caps that boasted fashionable fascinators. Wispy, whispering fascinators of a pale leafy green or bough brownness. Fascinators that sometimes stuck their neck out like a dowager Duchess dripping diamonds. Fascinators that sometimes turned up their noses over the canary-coloured cap like a snooty senorita serenading the Cannes carpet. Childhood meant levitating on lean Lunas or puffing 'n' pedalling on Atlas cycles to convent campuses with Mother Nature's sun screens shading us along avenues of abundance in our 'City Beautiful'. Adulthood, alas, spelt a goodbye to Atlas cycles and much else, ushering in instead another sight on those avenues to compare with that canvas of canary. The canary canopies over the roads rivalled later by a different splash of yellow on the roads. The new-age Nano, driving in dressed in hell of a yellow. The nouveau Nano came nearest to resonating and strutting that signature goldenness of the Amaltas on the streets. Ah, not to forget the iconic 'peeli' Ambassadors, majestic predecessors to the humble Nano. The loud yellow Amby, a pop culture emblem, a sight so synonymous with the streets of Kolkata. The ample 'Ambys' indeed quite mirrored and matched the riot of yellow unfurled on the streets by summer's showstopper Amaltas. Childhood was made up of this jugalbandi of 'pop' palettes of parrot yellowness. Adulthood, alas, saw a passing into the attics of archival memory of the peeli Amby, as also the short-lived Nano. What endures on summer's canvas of canary is that canopied czar. Abiding, alluring Amaltas. Colours of Cannes Those street palettes now find a resonance more in IPL stadia. In the canary coloured jerseys of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). It's another story that the CSK fortunes resemble more those of Trump's torpedoed tariffs. Summer spells much colour for cinephiles, too. Literally and figuratively. It was a moment as golden as a summer sun dabbed with glitter blusher when Satyajit Ray's iconic film 'Aranyer Din Ratri', in its restored avatar, received a standing ovation at Cannes. Nothing could be more symbolic of summer's return to colour than this milestone moment. After the bloody palettes of early May, that resonated more the raging red of the Gulmohar, riding Operation Sindoor, midsummer has seen a 4K restoration of Ray's 1970 classic, an initiative led by Wes Anderson. Midsummer thus spells a return to all that is golden. Cinema. Canopies. Childhood memories. The curious case of 'All That Glitters Is (B)old Gold'. June heralds its own riot of colours that rule the streets to stadia chetnakeer@
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Climate
- Irish Examiner
Darina Allen: Summer salad recipes, including this classic Caesar salad
We can't believe our good luck, day after day of clear skies and sunshine. Many of our cookery school students who hail from sunnier climates can't believe just how much of our conversation reverts back to the weather. In some of their home countries, it's the onset of the rains that's celebrated with gusto, and I have to say I'm longing for a long night's rain myself to give us a break from watering plants and to fatten up the rhubarb stalks. We've just dug the first new potatoes, an organic blight-resistant variety called Orla. The seed came from Fruit Hill Farm in Bantry, Co. Cork and they were planted in a tunnel in early February — such joy plus an opportunity to make a wish. I give thanks to Mother Nature every year and the farmers and gardeners for the wonderful bounty of fresh produce that keeps coming week after week, we've just had the first cucumber too — the reward for planning seeds in spring. All those bubbly stews, tagines, and casseroles lose their appeal in this weather; none of us wants to spend a moment more than necessary in a hot steamy kitchen but abundant salads piled high on plates get an enthusiastic response and bring a smile to everyone's face. The possibilities are endless, there's still no definitive definition... could be just a pile of crunchy vegetables, maybe lots of fresh herbs, freshly roasted spices, a grilled salad, fruit alone, warm or at room temperature. We love lots of contrasts of texture and flavour, a meal in itself. For a main course, a jammy hard-boiled egg adds protein as does cheese, could be just a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan or aged Coolea over a leafy green salad or some grilled halloumi or little balls of bocconcini. The combinations are only limited by your imagination. Warm grilled chicken, a few slices of rare beef fillet or fish, if you're lucky, a fresh mackerel or some crunchy squid rings on top and on and on… However, it's worth remembering the golden rule: Always dress a leafy salad as close to serving as possible otherwise it will lose its freshness and become unappetisingly limp and soggy. Super tasty dressings add magic and there are lots of exciting options that I'm loving in Clem Haxby's new cookbook, The Salad Project, plus tantalising pictures. It's easy to get stuck in a rut so this tome will ignite your imagination and tickle your tastebuds. Here are a few of the many tempting salad recipes in Clem's cookbook that appealed to me. Recipes from The Salad Project by Clem Haxby, published by Ebury Press. Sesame Soy Steak with Furikake Croutons, Pickled Chillies & Sesa-Miso Dressing recipe by:Darina Allen We love the combination of textures in this salad. It's piled with tons of great crunch but sometimes crunches that aren't backed up with some more filling body can leave you feeling a little hungry. Servings 2 Preparation Time 15 mins Cooking Time 45 mins Total Time 60 mins Course Main Ingredients 1 garlic clove 1 tbsp oyster sauce 2 tbsp + 2 tsp toasted sesame oil 80ml tamari (for gluten-free) or light soy sauce 2 beef rump steaks 125g short grain brown rice 500ml water ½ tsp fine cooking salt 125g sourdough (stale or fresh) or bao buns 3 tsp furikake seasoning 100g green beans, ends trimmed 120g radishes handful of pea shoots, watercress or rocket handful of fresh coriander leaves 1 lime (juice) sea salt Ready to rock: 6 tbsp Sesa-Miso Dressing 2 tbsp pickled chillies For the pickled chillies 150g mixed chillies 2 tsp caster sugar 1 tsp fine cooking salt 100ml white wine vinegar For the Sesa-Miso Dressing 20 sesame seeds (black add lovely colour, but white are great too) 10g fresh ginger 80g tahini 30g white miso paste 40ml rice wine vinegar 40ml tamari or light soy sauce 80ml water plus extra if needed Method Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas Mark 7. Peel and crush your garlic, using the side of a knife or a garlic crusher to turn it into a smooth paste. Place the crushed garlic, oyster sauce, two teaspoons of the sesame oil, and the tamari or soy sauce into a shallow dish or plastic container and whisk to combine. Add your steaks and cover well on both sides. Set aside for 10-15 minutes to come to room temperature. Weigh the rice into a saucepan and measure in the water. Stir through the fine cooking salt. Bring the water to a boil over a medium-high heat, then place a lid on the pot (ideally a clear one so you can see if you need to add more water at any point) and lower the temperature to medium. Allow this to simmer until the rice is cooked — roughly 25 minutes. (Simply add more water if it dries out and isn't fully cooked.) Slice your bread of choice into chunky croutons and place in a roasting tray. Add the remaining two tablespoons of sesame oil, a generous pinch of sea salt and 2 teaspoons of the furikake seasoning. Mix well until your croutons are nicely coated. Pop into the oven for five minutes, give them a shake, then return to the oven for a further five minutes until nicely golden and crunchy (if using bao buns, toast for 3-4 minutes total). Meanwhile, place your green beans in a sieve and pop it beneath the lid of your rice pot while the rice is still cooking to steam the beans for 2-3 minutes. Remove and run under cold water to stop the cooking, then set aside. Top and tail the radishes and cut into halves or quarters, depending on their size. Place in a bowl of cold water to crisp up. Now all your vegetables and croutons are ready, heat a dry frying pan over a high heat. Once really nice and hot, use tongs to place your steaks into the pan, pressing down for a second to help them caramelise. Leave the steaks to cook on one side for three minutes before flipping over for rare, or five minutes if you would like them medium. Spoon a couple of teaspoons of the leftover marinade over the steaks and cook for a further three minutes for a rare steak, five minutes for medium. Remove from the pan and drape over an upside-down cereal bowl on a lipped plate (to allow the juices to run out without them going everywhere). Allow both steaks to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. While they rest, cover your serving platter or plates with pea shoots, watercress, or rocket, and gently spoon over your rice. Sprinkle over the green beans, radishes and half of the croutons. Dress with three tablespoons of Sesa-Miso Dressing. Slice your steaks into 2cm-thick slices, going against the grain of the meat. Sprinkle the slices with the remaining teaspoon of furikake seasoning. Lie your steak slices over your salad and top with the remaining croutons and the pickled chillies. Finish with some coriander leaves, lime juice, and another three tablespoons of your Sesa-Miso Dressing. For the Sesa-Miso Dressing: Place your sesame seeds into a dry pan and place over a medium heat, swirling the pan constantly, until they are nice and toasted — about 3-4 minutes. Set aside. Peel your ginger using the edge of a teaspoon and grate into a blender. Add the remaining ingredients, excluding your toasted sesame seeds, and blitz until smooth. You can also just pop all your ingredients into a jar and give it a good shake if you don't mind a bit of texture from the ginger. Finish by stirring through your toasted sesame seeds and adjusting the texture with a little extra water, if needed but I'd recommend keeping this dressing on the thicker side, in case you want to use it as a noodle sauce. Store in an airtight jar or container in the fridge for up to one week. For the pickled chillies: Slice your chillies into 2mm rings using a knife or a mandolin. Place the chilli slices and their seeds into a jar or airtight container. Add the sugar, salt, and vinegar and stir well. Finally, add boiling water until the chillies are just covered. Put the lid on and shake well to dissolve the sugar and salt, then label and leave to pickle for a minimum of 30 minutes. The longer you leave these, the more they will mellow and build tang. Keep in the pickling liquid in the fridge for up to three weeks. Recipe from 'The Salad Project' by Clem Haxby, published by Ebury Press. The SP Caesar with Chipotle Caesar Dressing recipe by:Darina Allen Here we have our classic SP Caesar, loaded with spiced chicken, juicy tomatoes, and crispy onions, but don't stop there. Get creative and customise. Go wherever the wind takes you — just don't use iceberg lettuce, please. Servings 2 Preparation Time 20 mins Cooking Time 10 mins Total Time 30 mins Course Main Ingredients ½ tsp ground cumin ½ tsp garlic granules ½ tsp paprika ½ tsp cayenne pepper ½ tsp fine cooking salt 1 ½ tsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 425g mini chicken fillets 50g kale, destemmed, rinsed and dried 1 lemon (juice) ½ baby gem lettuce, leaves whole, rinsed and dried 100g cherry tomatoes 40g Parmesan sea salt and black pepper Ready to rock: 6 tbsp Chipotle Caesar dressing 4 tbsp crispy onions For the Chipotle Caesar dressing 35g Parmesan 1 garlic clove 130g mayonnaise 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp white wine vinegar ½ lemon (juice) 3 black peppercorns generous bunch of cayenne pepper, plus extra to taste (optional) ¼ tsp smoked paprika, plus extra to taste (optional) 1 tsp sea salt 25ml water For the crispy onions 2 white onions or 4 shallots 2 tsp cornflour 350ml vegetable oil fine cooking salt Method Measure the spices, salt, and ½ teaspoon of olive oil into a medium mixing bowl and stir well to combine into a paste. Add the chicken fillets and use your hands to coat until the fillets are all well-dressed. Set aside at room temperature to marinate while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Finely chop the kale and place into a large mixing bowl. Dress with the juice of half of the lemon, a pinch of sea salt, and a grind of black pepper. Use your hands to massage the dressing into the leaves to help soften and enhance the flavour. Tear the lettuce leaves from the core and add them whole to the kale, gently folding through to distribute them evenly. Add two tablespoons of chipotle Caesar dressing and use your hands to toss through. Slice your tomatoes into halves and set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat and add your marinated chicken fillets. Once sizzling, reduce the heat to medium-high to avoid the outsides burning. Cook for 7-8 minutes, flipping the fillets with tongs every couple of minutes, until nicely golden and cooked through. Remove from the heat and squeeze over the juice from the other half of the lemon, then finish with a sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Load the dressed leaves onto a serving plate, then grate over half of the Parmesan using a microplane or fine grater. Pile on your tomatoes and half the crispy onions. After they've had a couple of minutes to rest, slice the chicken fillets (or leave whole) and lay them onto the salad. Top with the remaining Chipotle Caesar Dressing, the remaining crispy onions, and the grated Parmesan. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a hefty grind of black pepper. Tip: Make it your own by adding 10 tinned anchovies and one tin of sweetcorn. For the Chipotle Caesar dressing Grate your Parmesan using a microplane or a fine grater and set aside. Peel and crush your garlic using the side of a knife or a garlic crusher and a little sea salt to help turn it into a smooth paste. Place all the ingredients, excluding the water, into a blender and blitz until silky smooth. Gradually add the water and mix with a fork or small whisk until you reach your desired consistency. Play with the spice level by adding more cayenne pepper for a hotter Caesar, or more paprika for something a little smokier. Store in an airtight jar or container in the fridge for up to one week. For the crispy onions Finely slice the onions or shallots using a knife or a mandolin – you can either slice into full rings or half-moons. Place into a bowl. Add the cornflour and toss with your hands to lightly coat the onions. Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat – test it's reached a high enough temperature by dropping in a piece of onion and seeing if it sizzles. When it's hot enough, add the onions to the oil, working in batches to avoid overcrowding, and allow to fry until golden and crispy. Remove using a slotted spoon to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Season generously with salt and allow to cool while you cook the next batch. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. If they go a little soft, just crisp them up in the oven for a couple of minutes. Recipe from 'The Salad Project' by Clem Haxby, published by Ebury Press. Read More Darina Allen: Three recipes to try at home inspired by the London food scene
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Hail possible as strong to severe storms roll through the Carolinas ahead of nice weekend
(PINPOINT WEATHER) — Happy Friday! Unfortunately, the end of the workweek is bringing us a Pinpoint Weather Alert Day! We have to stay weather aware for strong to severe thunderstorms this afternoon. This morning is starting mainly quiet, but we do have some low clouds, drizzle, and areas of dense fog to start the day. Warm and muggy start as well, with temperatures in the 60s across much of the region. Temperatures will get near 80 degrees this afternoon. Storms will move into the mountains around noon Friday and advance towards Charlotte around 3 pm. The main threats from storms later that day will be damaging wind gusts and large hail. However, a brief and weak spin-up tornado can't be ruled out as the line of storms moves through. The broken line of storms should exit the Queen City News viewing area by 6 pm. Behind the main line of storms, we could see a few more isolated downpours and rumbles of thunder. Expect clearing tonight, with temperatures falling back into the 50s. This weekend will feature cool starts in the 50s and seasonable afternoons with high temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s. A few spotty showers are possible this weekend, especially along and north of I-40. Mother Nature will be turning up the heat next week, with high temperatures climbing towards the 90-degree mark by Tuesday and Wednesday. Be safe and have a great weekend! Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
WCWS weather updates: Texas Tech-Ole Miss softball game starts after delay
USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. Texas Tech and Ole Miss softball's highly anticipated debut at the Women's College World Series was briefly interrupted by Mother Nature. Due to inclement weather in the Oklahoma City area, Thursday's WCWS game between the Red Raiders and Rebels had been delayed for just under an hour and a half by rain and lightning. Advertisement The game between Texas Tech and Ole Miss was originally scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET first pitch at Devon Park in Oklahoma City on Thursday. REQUIRED READING: Texas Tech vs Ole Miss softball live score: Live score, highlight of WCWS game To make the WCWS, Texas Tech took down No. 5 Florida State in the Tallahassee Super Regional, while Ole Miss, the lone unseeded team at the WCWS this year, took down No. 4 Arkansas in the Fayetteville Super Regional. Here's the latest weather updates on Texas Tech-Ole Miss at the WCWS: WCWS Weather updates: Latest on Texas Tech vs Ole Miss game All times Eastern 8:10 p.m.: After a 75-minute delay, Texas Tech and Ole Miss have started at the WCWS. Advertisement Click here for live updates of the Red Raiders and Rebels game. 7:50 p.m.: Texas Tech has taken the field at Devon Park in Oklahoma City for pregame warm-ups. First pitch is right around the corner! 7:33 p.m.: The tarp appears to be off the field in Oklahoma City. The newly announced first pitch between Texas Tech and Ole Miss is roughly 35 minutes away. 7:27 p.m.: The NCAA announces on X that the first pitch between Texas Tech and Ole Miss is now scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET in Oklahoma City. 7:26 p.m.: As noted by The Oklahoman's Jeff Patterson, Thursday's Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss WCWS has been delayed due to lightning in the Oklahoma City area. Per NCAA rules, if lightning strikes within at least six miles of the venue of the event, the game must be suspended for at least 30 minutes. For every lightning strike that follows the initial lightning strike, the 30-minute clock is reset. 7:09 p.m.: Texas Tech's official X account (formerly Twitter) announced the originally scheduled first pitch for the 7 p.m. ET game won't happen due to a weather delay. WCWS weather forecast: Hour-by-hour weather in OKC According to The Weather Channel, it looks like once the current patch of inclement weather rolls through Oklahoma City, there should not be any more rain for the rest of Thursday night. Advertisement Here's an hourly forecast from The Weather Channel for Oklahoma City: 8 p.m.: Partly Cloudy (5% chance of rain) 9 p.m.: Partly Cloudy (2% chance of rain) 10 p.m.: Partly Cloudy (2% chance of rain) What TV channel is Texas Tech softball vs Ole Miss in WCWS on today? TV channel: ESPN2 Streaming options: ESPN app | Fubo (free trial) ESPN2 will nationally televise Thursday's WCWS game between Texas Tech and Ole Miss. Streaming options include the ESPN app (with a TV login) and Fubo, which carries the ESPN The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WCWS weather updates: Texas Tech-Ole Miss softball starts after delay
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Pittsburgh Steelers veterans, rookies come together for 2025 OTAs
The weather has felt more like October than May, but the Pittsburgh Steelers have made the most of Mother Nature during Organized Team Activities. The week of voluntary sessions does not always see tremendous attendance, but there was a noticeable veteran presence at practice. Many of them say there's a lot of value in being there for mentorship and to shake the offseason rust. Advertisement 'We've got a lot of new stuff that we're doing, a lot people in different places, a lot of new schemes. So, it's definitely exciting to be here right now,' said Patrick Queen. One of the new faces is cornerback Darius Slay. He is entering his 13th season but says he still sees OTAs as an opportunity to get back to fundamentals and learn more about his new teammates. That includes establishing his role as a mentor to younger ones, like Joey Porter Jr and Beanie Bishop. 'Everybody has different stories, different mindsets. I just try to be an open book. Just absorb what they're talking about and give them information on what I've been through or how I got to this point. And they ask questions. That's the great thing about them,' said Slay. Slay said his new relationships are progressing quickly. Some of the younger players are planning to join him in Houston for workouts this summer. Advertisement While guys like Slay and Cam Heyward are natural leaders for the team, others like Alex Highsmith are growing into more prominent leadership roles. 'Just to really influence young guys and show them the way of what it takes. When I got here as a rookie, I had TJ and Bud and Cam, having veterans like that in my room really helped me to progress in my career. I just want to do what I can to help the young guys progress in their careers as well,' said Highsmith. Multiple players confirm that T.J. Watt was not at practice this week. He is due for a new contract. Highsmith said he knows Watt wants to be there and believes a new deal will happen for his counterpart. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
