Panna cotta (in Italian it means cooked cream) is an Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar, mixing this with gelatine, and letting it cool until set. It is generally from the Northern Italian region of Piedmont, although it is eaten all over Italy, where it is served with wild berries, caramel or with chocolate sauce. Somewhat similar versions of this dish are found in Greece, France and Finland, too.

Ingredients for the raspberry jelly (serves 8):

– 420 g (3 cups) fresh or frozen raspberries

– 162 g (2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) caster sugar

– 2 teaspoons lime juice

– 3 teaspoons unflavoured powdered gelatine

Preparation:

1. In a medium saucepan bring raspberries and sugar and lime juice to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, simmer about 10 minutes until raspberries are soft and have released their juices, remove from heat.

2. Press raspberry mixture through a fine sieve into a small bowl and discard solids.  Pour raspberry juice into a large liquid measuring cup filling to 590 ml (2½ cups).  If there isn’t enough juice to fill to 590 ml (2½ cups) top up with water.

3. Sprinkle gelatine over 80 ml (1/3 cup) cold water in a small bowl. Allow gelatine to soften for 5 minutes.

4. Transfer raspberry juice to small saucepan and heat juice over low heat until warmed through.

5. Add softened gelatine and stir until gelatine is dissolved.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

6. Divide evenly among dessert cups and refrigerate to set gelatine for 1 hour.

Ingredients for the panna cotta (serves 8):

– 830 ml (3½ cups) whole milk

– 237 ml (1 cup) heavy cream, 35%

– 169 g (¾ cup) caster sugar

– 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded

– 14 g (2 tablespoons) unflavoured powdered gelatine

– Fresh raspberries, to garnish

– Fresh mint, to garnish

Preparation:

1. Bring milk, cream, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, cover and allow vanilla to infuse, 20 to 30 minutes.

2. Prepare an ice water bath.

3. In a small bowl sprinkle gelatine over 80 ml (1/3 cup) water.  Allow gelatine to soften for 5 minutes.

4. Return milk mixture to stove and reheat mixture over low heat until warmed through.

5. Add softened gelatine mixture to milk mixture. Stir until gelatine has completely dissolved, about 5 minutes.

6. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl.  Set bowl over ice water bath, stirring occasionally, until cool but not set.  Remove from water bath.

7. Spoon panna cotta mixture, evenly dividing between dessert cups, over top raspberry jelly layer. Refrigerate to set panna cotta for 2 to 4 hours.

8. To serve, top each parfait with fresh raspberries and a sprig of mint or a bit of chocolate.

to simmer – lassan főz, párol
until set – amíg meg nem dermed
somewhat – valahogyan
similar – hasonló
version – változat
frozen – fagyasztott
caster sugar – kristálycukor
unflavoured  – ízesítetlen
powdered gelatine – por alakú zselatin
to bring to a boil – felforral
to reduce – lecsökkent, visszavesz
to release – kibocsát, kiad
to remove – eltávolít
to press through a sieve – átnyom szitán
to discard solids – eldobja a szilár darabokat
to pour – önt, tölt
measuring cup – mérő pohár
to top up with  – feltölt valamivel
to sprinkle – megszór
to allow – enged, hagy
to soften – puhul
to transfer – áttesz
warmed through – átmelegedett
to add – hozzáad
dissolved – feloldódott
slightly – enyhén
to divide – eloszt
to refrigerate – lehűt
whole milk  – teljes tej
heavy cream  – (hab)tejszín
to split – felvág
to seed – kimagoz
to garnish – díszít
mint – menta
to bring to a simmer – csendes forrásig főz
to stir – kever, megkever
to infuse – beleönt, leforráz
ice water bath – jeges vízfürdő
stove – tűzhely
occasionally – alkalmanként
to spoon – kanalaz
evenly – egyenlő arányban
layer – réteg
sprig – ág

A photographer has captured a series of heart-warming portraits of a young girl’s friendship with an elephant in Vietnam. French photographer Réhahn took the images on a trip to Buon Don, a small village renowned as the “capital of elephants”. The photographer had hoped to capture some shots of the magnificent elephants but was surprised to witness such a loving friendship with the young girl.

Rehahn explains that the M’nong group lives in this mountainous region in the south of the country, not far from the Cambodian border. He spotted a young M’nong gir standing near an elephant. “She was wearing the traditional costume hand-stitched by the women of the village, and still worn by the poorest as it was their only piece of clothing. She intently gazed into the eyes of the animal and she didn’t immediately notice Réhahn who had already snapped the moment. The elephants are tamed very young and then become like family members. Never will an M’nong sell his elephant.”

The esteemed photographer explains that as a result they usually develop a very loving relationship, as the animal is a great help with carrying, building or working in the fields. A master rewards the animal’s efforts with daily care. “Even when a harvest is not good, he always shares his food with the one who has become the symbol of the high Vietnamese plateaus.”

Réhahn adds that he was very lucky to take a few shots of this friendly and simple scene. “The fusion between the two friends was such that when the girl began to pray, the giant animal knelt before her as if in a sign of respect. This photo is absolutely unique. Seeing this little girl in her ethnic dress, a tradition that tends to disappear, next to the imposing presence of the elephant, perfectly reflects the tremendous respect and kindness that the M’nong have for these animals. We can witness this solemn moment, this rare opportunity to believe in the union of two beings that seem to have nothing in common. And yet Kim Luan and her elephant show us that love is everywhere.”

Rehahn says that he had been to the region before, where he took a photograph of the young girl, which he went on to sell in his gallery. However, after taking that photograph he did not manage to catch the young girl’s name and could not send her the copy of the book her photo appeared in. So, the dedicated photographer decided to venture back to the area in July 2014 in a bid to find the young girl.

“I did not know her name or address, and had to cross the lake that separated the village from the school to find her, to no avail. I wanted to see her again and share some money and offer the book to the family. A few children said they knew her, but the language barrier prevented real communication. After myfruitless attempt to find the girl, I left the school, disappointed and saddened not to be able to carry out the mission to a successful conclusion.”

Rehahn explains that then a young girl ran up to him and informed him that she lived next door to her. He was delighted that he finally had the opportunity to pay tribute to the child who would not recognise him but who would be moved by his gesture. “These people have very few photos, that’s why this gift was received by her family with great interest, but also a lot of gratitude.”

Rehahn says he believes in karma, and that he was rewarded for going back to give the young girl the book; as soon after he was greeted with another fantastic scene watching Kim Luan’s moving friendship with an elephant. The esteemed photographer, who has travelled all around the world, explains: “Shooting a portrait is not always easy if you want to capture an emotion. People say that I can capture the soul and I think that is the best compliment you could give a portrait photographer.”

Over 6,000 tins of baked beans stolen from lorry as driver slept

A shortage of baked beans could soon be a problem in the West Midlands after thousands of tins were stolen from the back of a lorry. Members of the public have been warned to look out for anyone trying to sell large quantities of Heinz baked beans in ‘suspicious circumstances’.

A total of 6,400 tins of beans with sausages were taken from a Scania lorry parked in a Worcestershire layby as the driver slept in his cab. ‘Thieves cut a large hole in the curtain-sided articulated lorry parked in a rural layby on the A441 at Cookhill, near Redditch,’ West Mercia police said in a statement. ‘The layby is situated about half a mile from the M42 and the theft happened between 8.45pm Monday and 5.30am yesterday.’

A spokesperson said an entire pallet and part of a second pallet were stolen from the lorry. Anyone with information has been urged to call police on 101 or alternatively, the anonymous Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

source: www.metro.co.uk

shortage – hiány (pl. áru)
baked beans – paradicsomszószos bab
lorry – teherautó
quantity – mennyiség
suspicious circumstances – gyanús körülmények
layby – útmenti pihenőhely
curtain-sided – ponyvás
rural – vidéki
situated – elterül, elhelyezkedik
entire – egész, teljes
pallet – raklap
to urge someone to do something – biztat, ösztönöz valakit valamire
alternatively – vagylagosan, alternatívaként
anonymous – névtelen

Match the synonyms.

answers: 1-d 2-a 3-b 4-e 5-f 6-c

Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-GB
X-NONE
X-NONE

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Drinking two cups of hot chocolate a day may help older people keep their brains healthy and their thinking skills sharp, according to a new study.

US researchers studied 60 people with an average age of 73 who did not have dementia. The participants drank two cups of hot cocoa per day for 30 days and did not consume any other chocolate during the study. They were given tests of memory and thinking skills. They also had ultrasounds tests to measure the amount of blood flow to the brain during the tests

Of the 60 participants, 18 had impaired blood flow at the start of the study. Those people had an 8.3 per cent improvement in the blood flow to the working areas of the brain by the end of the study, while there was no improvement for those who started out with regular blood flow.

The people with impaired blood flow also improved their times on a test of working memory, with scores dropping from 167 seconds at the beginning of the study to 116 seconds at the end. There was no change in times for people with regular blood flow.

A total of 24 of the participants also had MRI scans of the brain to look for tiny areas of brain damage. The scans found that people with impaired blood flow were also more likely to have these areas of brain damage.

source: IndianExpress/GraphicNews

thinking skill– gondolkodási képesség
sharp – éles (elme)
according to – valami szerint
researcher – kutató
average age – áltag életkor
dementia – elmezavarodottság, demencia
participant – résztvevő
to consume – fogyasztani
study – tanulmány
ultrasound – ultrahang
to measure – mérni
amount – mennyiség
blood flow – véráramlás
improvement – haladás, fejlődés
score – pont, pontszám
tiny – pici
brain damage – agykárosodás
scan – ultrahangfelvétel

Villages in Hungary have been evacuated as Central Europe’s worst floods in over a decade hit the country. Emergency services and volunteers are working to prevent the devastation and the Prime Minister has declared a state of emergency. Along more than 700km of the river, thousands of people, including many volunteers and even convicts from prisons, are reinforcing the banks of the river with sandbag barriers. Residents have been using boats as transport, trying to rescue what they can.

In Budapest, some of the city’s subway stations have closed. Forecasters predict that water level will rise to as high as 8.86 metres, which is higher than the Danube’s previous record set in 2006. River levels were expected to be at their highest early on Monday. Budapest Mayor Istvan Tarlos said that in a worst-case scenario up to 55,000 people may need to be evacuated.

decade – évtized
to declare – kinyilvánít, deklarál
along something – valami mentén
to include – belefoglalni, beleérteni
convict – elítélt
resident – lakos
transport -közlekedés
subway station – metróállomás
forecaster – időjós, időjáráselőrejelző
to predict – jósol
to set a record – felállítani egy rekordot
to expect – várni, elvárni
mayor – polgármester
worst-case scenario – a legrosszabb eset

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