Shirataki noodles, made from a water-soluble fibre, have begun appearing in most large supermarkets. Larry Crowe / AP Photo
Shirataki noodles, made from a water-soluble fibre, have begun appearing in most large supermarkets. Larry Crowe / AP Photo

Pasta – without carbs or calories



The conventional wisdom of cutting carbs and calories generally has meant that pasta is a no-go.

But recently, a new noodle has challenged that thinking, giving dieters a fresh – albeit slightly different – way to have their pasta and their New Year’s resolutions. We’re not talking spaghetti squash, which, while delicious in its own right, has never made a satisfying substitute for the real deal.

Shirataki noodles have attracted the attention of many dieters of late. Their appeal? No carbs, no fat – and almost no calories.

No kidding?

It’s true. These slightly chewy noodles – which usually are found alongside tofu and other refrigerated Asian foods in grocers’ produce sections – are made from a water-soluble fibre that comes from a type of sweet potato (some are made with tofu as well, which contains a tiny bit of fat). Though they once were found only in Asian markets, they have begun showing up in most large supermarkets.

And it’s not just a desire to cut carbs that is fuelling the growth of this product (which has gone from just one or two varieties to many in a span of two years). The food and shopping expert Phil Lempert, the founder and editor of SupermarketGuru.com, says the growth of the gluten-free (which shirataki happens to be) category also is driving the popularity of this product.

Shaped like spaghetti, fettuccine and even rice, shirataki noodles come packed in water and require nothing more than draining, rinsing and briefly boiling.

And while these noodles can replace your favourite pasta in many dishes, you’ll need to keep in mind two things. First, don’t skip the rinsing step. This washes away the slight bitterness and funky smell. Fear not: both disappear entirely once you’ve rinsed and boiled.

Second, while they certainly are filling, in keeping with their lack of carbs and calories the noodles have virtually zero flavour. But Grace Young, the author of Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge, considers that an advantage. She says a lack of flavour makes shirataki the perfect ingredient for dishes where the other ingredients or the sauce define the dish.

Young was first introduced to shirataki by a home cook in the Philippines who used the carb-free noodles all the time because she was diabetic but still wanted pasta. Young says she adds them to homemade broth with fresh vegetables, or simply prepares them with a good quality soy sauce and toasted sesame oil.

Because of their bland flavour and chewy texture, Young advises picking companion ingredients for shirataki carefully. Salty and bright, tangy flavours work well, along with crisp textures and even the toothsome quality of cooked mushrooms and meats. This way, she says, every bite will have that perfect blend of taste and consistency.

To give shirataki a more pasta-like consistency, also try dry roasting in a well-oiled or non-stick frying pan over high heat for about a minute (be careful not to burn them) before adding them to your favourite dish.

Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare

Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.

INFO

Visit www.wtatennis.com for more information

 

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

TO ALL THE BOYS: ALWAYS AND FOREVER

Directed by: Michael Fimognari

Starring: Lana Condor and Noah Centineo

Two stars

Sam Smith

Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi

When: Saturday November 24

Rating: 4/5

THE SPECS

2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE

Engine: 1.8 litre combined with 16-volt electric motors

Transmission: Automatic with manual shifting mode

Power: 121hp

Torque: 142Nm

Price: Dh95,900

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Teams

Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.

Stats at a glance:

Cost: 1.05 billion pounds (Dh 4.8 billion)

Number in service: 6

Complement 191 (space for up to 285)

Top speed: over 32 knots

Range: Over 7,000 nautical miles

Length 152.4 m

Displacement: 8,700 tonnes

Beam:   21.2 m

Draught: 7.4 m

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Traces%20of%20Enayat
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Iman%20Mersal%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20And%20Other%20Stories%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20240%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Getting%20there%20and%20where%20to%20stay
%3Cp%3EFly%20with%20Etihad%20Airways%20from%20Abu%20Dhabi%20to%20New%20York%E2%80%99s%20JFK.%20There's%2011%20flights%20a%20week%20and%20economy%20fares%20start%20at%20around%20Dh5%2C000.%3Cbr%3EStay%20at%20The%20Mark%20Hotel%20on%20the%20city%E2%80%99s%20Upper%20East%20Side.%20Overnight%20stays%20start%20from%20%241395%20per%20night.%3Cbr%3EVisit%20NYC%20Go%2C%20the%20official%20destination%20resource%20for%20New%20York%20City%20for%20all%20the%20latest%20events%2C%20activites%20and%20openings.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company profile

Name: Infinite8

Based: Dubai

Launch year: 2017

Number of employees: 90

Sector: Online gaming industry

Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor

SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5-litre%204-cylinder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20101hp%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20135Nm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Six-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh79%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results

Female 49kg: Mayssa Bastos (BRA) bt Thamires Aquino (BRA); points 0-0 (advantage points points 1-0).

Female 55kg: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Amal Amjahid (BEL); points 4-2.

Female 62kg: Beatriz Mesquita (BRA) v Ffion Davies (GBR); 10-2.

Female 70kg: Thamara Silva (BRA) bt Alessandra Moss (AUS); submission.

Female 90kg: Gabreili Passanha (BRA) bt Claire-France Thevenon (FRA); submission.

Male 56kg: Hiago George (BRA) bt Carlos Alberto da Silva (BRA); 2-2 (2-0)

Male 62kg: Gabriel de Sousa (BRA) bt Joao Miyao (BRA); 2-2 (2-1)

Male 69kg: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Isaac Doederlein (USA); 2-2 (2-2) Ref decision.

Male 77kg: Tommy Langarkar (NOR) by Oliver Lovell (GBR); submission.

Male 85kg: Rudson Mateus Teles (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE); 2-2 (1-1) Ref decision.

Male 94kg: Kaynan Duarte (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL); submission.

Male 110kg: Joao Rocha (BRA) bt Yahia Mansoor Al Hammadi (UAE); submission.

Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.

A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.

Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.

A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.

On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.

The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.

Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.

The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later. 

Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
​​​​​​​Penguin Press