Pakistani News

MEIN PUNJAB DI SOHNI HEER
MERI CHUNNI LIRO LEER

NA LAJPAL SAHELIYAAN AAYIAAN
NA MEIN RAJ KE RIJHAN LAYIAAN
NA RALMIL KE DOLI PAYA
BHENA BHAYAN TE BHERJAYAAN
KADI NA AKHIYAAN RO RO THAKIYAAN
KADI NA MUKI DIL DI PEERD
MEIN PUNJAB DI SOHNI HEER
MERI CHUNI LIRO LEER

AMBRDI DA DUKH LOON LOON VASEYA
BABUL DA SUKH KOH KOH NASEYA
DIL VICH JIDI TAANG SAMAYI
OO RANJHAN VI JAG NE KHASEYA
KINU RAKHAAN KINU KADAAN
IK SINE VICH SAU SAU TEER
MEIN PUNJAB DI SOHNI HEER
MERI CHUNNI LEERO LEER

3 Mix the cornmeal, flour, Cajun seasoning and salt in a large bowl. Working with a few at a time, dredge the shrimp in the egg, then in the cornmeal-flour mixture. Shake off any excess and fry until golden on both sides, about 2 minutes total. Set the fried shrimp aside on paper towels to drain.
4 To assemble the sandwich, slice the sandwich loaves almost all the way through and smear remoulade on both the top and bottom. Lay down a layer of shredded lettuce on the bottom of the sandwich, then arrange the shrimp on top. Lay 3-4 slices of tomato on the shrimp and press the top of the bread down on the bottom, compressing the sandwich a little. Serve at once with hot sauce and a beer.
Yield: Makes 4 large sandwiches. <<via>>

Loud cell-phone talkers strike again!

A woman traveling on New York's Metro North train line was recorded by a fellow passenger telling train employees that she is too "well-educated" to be told to quiet down and not use profanity in her cell-phone conversation.

"Do you know what schools I've been to? How well-educated I am?" she asks the train employee, who is seen explaining to another employee that she asked the passenger to stop using the "F-bomb."

"I'm sorry do you think I'm a little hoodlum?" she asks, then demands her money back and dares the conductor to stop the train.

The person who originally uploaded the video to Youtube (who has since removed it) said in the description that the woman "was talking too loud on the train when the conductor politely asked her to keep it down and stop using profanity or to take it to the vestibule." After the altercation, the conductor came on the loudspeaker and reminded people to keep conversations quiet, "especially those people who went to Harvard or Yale or are from Westport."

Last month, a woman was escorted from a quiet car in an Amtrak train by police after she chatted loudly on her cell phone for most of the 16-hour journey, and then became angry when passengers asked her to stop. <<via>>

I'm on a mission this summer. A mission out of necessity, resulting from the abundance of certain summer squash I planted in my parents' garden. Four plants. What was I thinking?! One zucchini plant alone could feed a family of four. Every time I stop by my parents' house my mother glares at me accusingly. Actually, she's not the glaring type. It's more like a bemused look that says, "we have a problem, and it's your fault," along with an offer to cook me up some squash (she has an excellent recipe) and a plea to give some to me to take home.



So the mission? Come up with recipes that we all like and that use a lot of summer squash. For this I have been experimenting with zucchini bread for the last two weeks. We have a couple fine zucchini bread recipes on the site, but I was hoping for something a little more savory. I tried all sorts of combinations, experiments with cheddar, with Parm, jalapenos, etc. Mom's response to most of them, "good if you toast them and then put sugar and butter on them." Not good enough. Finally I succumbed to the classic somewhat sweet zucchini bread, but seasoned it with rosemary and lemon, so you get a savory note. More than good enough. Really good. My conclusion is that zucchini bread works well with sugar. Here we use 1 1/4 cups for 3 cups of zucchini and 3 cups of flour. So, it's not a lot, but it's enough to make a lovely, lightly sweet bread.

Lemon Rosemary Zucchini Bread Recipe
Prep time: 15 minutes

• Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups (390 grams) flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoons salt (omit if using salted butter)
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest
• 3 cups grated zucchini (from about 1 pound of zucchini)

Method

1 Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare two 4x9-inch loaf pans, either coating with butter or spraying with baking spray.

2 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and rosemary.

3 Beat the eggs in a mixer (or by hand) until frothy. Beat in the sugar. Beat in the melted butter and olive oil. Stir in the lemon zest and grated zucchini.

4 Add the dry ingredients to the wet, a third at a time, stirring after each incorporation.

5 Divide batter/dough into two loaf pans. Bake in a 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Test after 40 minutes. If you gently press down on the surface of the loaf, it should bounce back, and a bamboo skewer inserted into the center should come out clean.

6 Remove from the oven. Let cool for a few minutes and then remove the loaves from their pans to cool on a rack.

Yield: Makes two loaves. <<via>>

Are eggplants showing up in your local markets yet? They are here, and guest author Garrett has tossed together a classic Chinese dish using long and tender asian eggplants from the farmers market. Enjoy! ~Elise
The actual name for this dish in Sichuan cuisine oddly translates to "Fish-Fragrant" Eggplant. Confusing, as this dish has no fish anywhere in it. You see, in Sichuan cuisine there are 23 complex flavors. These range from red-oil flavor, hot and sour flavor, lychee flavor, to strange flavor, and many others. Fish-Fragrant is one of the most celebrated.
Fish-Fragrant is a combination of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy tastes that come from ginger, garlic, scallions and fermented or pickled chilies. It is so named because these flavors are often used to enhance fish. Often times in earlier Chinese history, if home cooks were unable to procure fresh fish for meals, they had to make do with older fish that might have had too intense of a fishy taste. The ingredients and tastes that make up the fish-fragrant flavor are all strong and could cover the odors of seafood that wasn't the most fresh.

These days many people can get perfectly fresh fish. However, fish-fragrant flavor is still quite popular. This is especially true in the Sichuan region of China where the native cuisine is known for being molten hot.
We've toned the heat of this dish down considerably for the everyday non-Sichuan eater as the original recipe is like swallowing lava. You can practically feel it turn your organs to ash from the inside out. Even if you fancy yourself a talented fire-eater, use only a small amount of the chili bean paste your first try as it is incredibly spicy.

Sichuan Eggplant Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes

• Cook time: 10 minutes

This recipe calls for asian eggplants, or Japanese eggplants. They are long and thin compared to a European or globe eggplant, and much more tender and delicate. If you can't find them you can substitute globe eggplant, but the dish is really best with the asian eggplant.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. asian (long and skinny) eggplant
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 - 1 1/2 tablespoons chili bean paste*
• 2 teaspoon crushed sichuan peppercorns** (optional, but inauthentic without)
• 3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• 2 teaspoons Chinkiang vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 4 scallions, roughly chopped
• Cilantro for garnish (optional)

*A lot of grocery stores have Asian ingredient aisles now. You should be able to find chili-bean paste, a mixture of preserved chilies mixed with mashed soybeans, there or at any Asian market. (Do not confuse with black bean paste or chili-garlic paste.)
**Sichuan peppercorns are available at some stores and online for quite cheap. They aren't spicy like other peppers but rather have a citrusy flavor and induce a tingly, numbing sensation like a carbonated drink.

Method

1 Begin your mise en place. Quarter the eggplant lengthwise and chop into large batons and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the chicken stock, sugar, and soy sauce and set it aside. In a second bowl, mix together the chili bean paste, garlic, ginger, and sichuan peppercorns and set it aside. In a third bowl, mix together the cornstarch with a tablespoon of water and set it aside. Lastly, in a fourth bowl, mix together the scallions and vinegar and set it aside.
2 Place the oil in a wok or large sauté pan over medium-high heat until the oil is almost smoking. Add the eggplant and sauté, allowing it to sit for a few seconds each time you move it to allow it to brown and blister. If the eggplant absorbs all the oil and some pieces don't get any then add a little more oil.
3 Add the chili bean paste, garlic, ginger, and sichuan peppercorns and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock mixture, turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for 90 seconds. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir together until the sauce thickens a bit. Add the scallions and vinegar and cook for 15 seconds to diffuse their harsh flavors a bit. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Yield: Makes 2-4 servings.<<via>>

The Princess bride: Monaco comes to a standstill as stunning Charlene and Prince Albert exchange vows in religious ceremony

• VIP guests include Karl Lagerfeld, Naomi Campbell, Roger Moore and Giorgio Armani
• Princess Charlene wears Giorgio Armani silk gown, covered in 40,000 Swarovski crystals
• French chef Alain Ducasse is preparing a multi-course dinner for 450 guests
• The couple were legally married in an intimate civil service on Friday

A day after the civil wedding that transformed one-time Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock into the Princess of Monaco, the South African and her prince, Albert II exchanged vows in the religious ceremony yesterday.

The happy both couple both answered 'oui' (yes) to the Archbishop of Monaco, Bernard Barsi, who conducted the service in front of 850 guests.

Wearing an off-the-shoulder Armani dress, the new Princess Charlene on Monaco looked serene and beautiful as she wed Prince Albert in the courtyard of the Prince's Palace.


Just married: Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene of Monaco leave the Prince's Palace in Monaco after their religious wedding ceremony


A tender kiss: The new Princess Charlene shares a kiss with her Prince after they are pronounced husband and wife


With this ring, I thee wed: Charlene places a 18-carat white gold platinum rings by Cartier on the Prince's finger

The palace said the stunning gown took Armani's team 2,500 hours to prepare, of which 700 hours was spent on the embroidery alone, using 'kilometres' of platinum-coated thread sewn into 130 metres of off-white silk.

The gown would have been heavy for the new Princess, as she would have had to carry the weight of 40,000 Swarovski crystals, 20,000 mother of pearl tear drops and 30,000 'stones in gold shades'.

The dress's crowning glory was the five-metre long train made from 20 metres of silk tulle, which took 100 hours to make.








Craftmanship: Danish designer Isabell Kristensen and maid-of-honour Donatella Knecht de Massy hold the Princess' train, made from 20 metres of silk tulle

The groom looked smart in a cream summer uniform of Monaco’s palace guards, with his sleeves embroidered with oak and olive leave.

Accompanying the bride was her maid-of-honour Donatella Knecht de Massy and seven young bridesmaids from around Monaco and neighbouring French districts wearing traditional taffeta red and white outfits and straw hats.

During the service, the couple exchanged 18-carat white gold platinum rings by Cartier, with Princess Charlene laughing as she placed the ring on her husband's finger.


Religious ceremony: The Roman-Catholic ceremony follows the civil wedding which was held in the Throne Room of the Prince's Palace of Monaco yesterday


Spectacular, spectacular: The VIPs, royals and dignitaries crowed into the main courtyard for the lavish wedding mass



Wedding mania: Thousands of Monaco residents were invited to join in the ceremony

During the service, Prince Albert's nieces Alexander - daughter of his sister Princess Caroline of Handover - and Pauline - eldest daughter of his other sister Princess Stephanie - both performed readings.

After the mass, the couple went to the nearby Sainte Devote Church to lay down her bridal bouquet in the tradition in honour of the Patroness of Monaco.

As the couple left the church, Princess Charlene was seen wiping away a tear as a choir sang.


Emotional: Princess Charlene wipes away a tear as she leaves the Sainte Devote Church after placing her bouquet inside


Moved: Princess Charlene sheds a tear as she listens to a song as she leaves the Saint Devote Church


All eyes on you: Monegasque citizens watch the couple kiss inside the Sainte Devote church

We did it! The couple laugh as well-wishers throw confetti and rose petals at them

The bride was given away by her father, Michael Wittstock, who wore a black and grey suit.

Also in attendance was her mother Lynette and her brothers Gareth and Sean. By Daily Mail Reporter

After struggling with infertility for three years, Julia Grovenburg and her husband Todd seriously considered adopting a baby from a foreign country in order to complete their dreams of having a family.

But in a final and desperate attempt to have children of their own, the couple gave it one last try and on one lucky Sunday afternoon in July 2009, Julia's pregnancy test finally came back positive.

However, because Mrs Grovenburg, 33, and her 34-year-old husband had been trying so hard to conceive, she actually became pregnant twice within two weeks, shocking the world with their unusual pregnancy news.


Julia Grovenburg, 33, and her husband Todd, 34, had been trying so hard to conceive that she became pregnant twice within two weeks, a phenomenon known as 'superfetation'

As one of only 11 women ever reported to get pregnant while already pregnant, Mrs Grovenburg's pregnancy was eventually identified as 'superfetation', meaning two babies are conceived at different times, born on the same day yet - medically speaking - are not considered twins.

Now, after having just celebrated her babies' first birthday, the mother, who lives in Fort Smith Arkansas, details her struggles through such a rare pregnancy and the difficulties she's had to face raising two non-twin babies at the same time.


Mrs Grovenburg gave birth by Caesarean section to two healthy non-twin babies, Jillian and Hudson, on December 2, 2010


Mrs Grovenburg's doctors were baffled by the image on the ultrasound showing two separate babies in two separate sacks, yet one much large and more developed than the other. By Ashley Van Sipma

Haleema is the same person whom PM refused to help fearing Zardari displeasure. PM should be ashamed of and PPP should stop criticising Courts. If the government will not protect people, the judiciary intervention becomes inevitable. Social justice could not be ensured and democracy remain façade without rule of law and supremacy of Constitution.

Creative Kitchen Gadget and Tools
Once you take a look at this collection of bizarre and sometimes useful kitchen gadgets you will realize that the human imagination has no limit. The mores cooker is by far my favorite, and the automatic potato peeler is downright lazy, but the Wave Box, or portable microwave is pretty special.

Why She Won't Wear Hijab!
A Discussion by A.Q. Alidost
A conversation for Muslim sisters:
"I'm so tired."
"Tired of what?"
"Of all these people judging me."
"Who judged you?"
"Like that woman, every time I sit with her, she tells me to wear hijab."
"Oh, hijab and music! The mother of all topics!"
"Yeah! I listen to music without hijab... haha!"
"Maybe she was just giving you advice."
"I don't need her advice. I know my religion. Can't she mind her own business?"
"Maybe you misunderstood. She was just being nice."
"Keeping out of my business, that would be nice..."
"But it's her duty to encourage you do to good."
"Trust me. That was no encouragement. And what do you mean 'good'?"
"Well, wearing hijab, that would be a good thing to do."
"Says who?"
"It's in the Quran, isn't it?"
"Yes. She did quote me something."
"She said Surah Nur, and other places of the Quran."
"Yes, but it's not a big sin anyway. Helping people and praying is more important."
"True. But big things start with small things."
"That's a good point, but what you wear is not important. What's important is to have a good healthy heart."
"What you wear is not important?"
"That's what I said."
"Then why do you spend an hour every morning fixing up?"
"What do you mean?"
"You spend money on cosmetics, not to mention all the time you spend on fixing your hair and low-carb dieting."
"So?"
"So, your appearance IS important."
"No. I said wearing hijab is not an important thing in religion."
"If it's not an important thing in religion, why is it mentioned in the Noble Quran?"
"You know I can't follow all that's in Quran."
"You mean God tells you something to do, you disobey and then it's OK?"
"Yes. God is forgiving."
"God is forgiving to those who repent and do not repeat their mistakes."
"Says who?"
"Says the same book that tells you to cover."
"But I don't like hijab, it limits my freedom."
"But the lotions, lipsticks, mascara and other cosmetics set you free?!
What's your definition of freedom anyway?"
"Freedom is in doing whatever you like to do."
"No. Freedom is in doing the right thing, not in doing whatever we wish to do."
"Look! I've seen so many people who don't wear hijab and are nice people, and so many who wear hijab and are bad people."
"So what? There are people who are nice to you but are alcoholic. Should we all be alcoholics? You made a stupid point."
"I don't want to be an extremist or a fanatic. I'm OK the way I am without hijab."
"Then you are a secular fanatic. An extremist in disobeying God."
"You don't get it, if I wear hijab, who would marry me?!"
"So all these people with hijab never get married?!"
"Okay! What if I get married and my husband doesn't like it? And wants me to remove it?"
"What if your husband wants you to go out with him on a bank robbery?!"
"That's irrelevant, bank robbery is a crime."
"Disobeying your Creator is not a crime?"
"But then who would hire me?"
"A company that respects people for who they are."
"Not after 9-11"
Yes. After 9-11. Don't you know about Hanan who just got into med school?
And the other one, what was her name, the girl who always wore a white hijab... ummm..."
"Yasmin?"
"Yes. Yasmin. She just finished her MBA and is now interning for GE."
"Why do you reduce religion to a piece of cloth anyway?"
"Why do you reduce womanhood to high heals and lipstick colors?"
"You didn't answer my question."
"In fact, I did. Hijab is not just a piece of cloth. It is obeying God in a difficult environment. It is courage, faith in action, and true womanhood.
But your short sleeves, tight pants..."
"That's called 'fashion', you live in a cave or something? First of all, hijab was founded by men who wanted to control women."
"Really? I did not know men could control women by hijab."
"Yes. That's what it is."
"What about the women who fight their husbands to wear hijab? And women in France who are forced to remove their hijab by men? What do you say about that?"
"Well, that's different."
"What difference? The woman who asked you to wear hijab... she was a woman, right?"
"Right, but..."
"But fashions that are designed and promoted by male-dominated corporations, set you free? Men have no control on exposing women and using them as a commodity?! Give me a break!"
"Wait, let me finish, I was saying..."
"Saying what? You think that men control women by hijab?"
"Yes."
"Specifically how?"
"By telling women how and what to wear, dummy!"
"Doesn't TV, magazines and movies tell you what to wear, and how to be 'attractive'?"
"Of course, it's fashion."
"Isn't that control? Pressuring you to wear what they want you to wear?"
[Silence]
"Not just controlling you, but also controlling the market."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you are told to look skinny and anorexic like that woman on the cover of the magazine, by men who design those magazines and sell those products."
"I don't get it. What does hijab have to do with products."
"It has everything to do with that. Don't you see? Hijab is a threat to consumerism, women who spend billions of dollars to look skinny and live by standards of fashion designed by men... and then here is Islam, saying trash all that nonsense and focus on your soul, not on your looks, and do not worry what men think of your looks."
"Like I don't have to buy hijab? Isn't hijab a product?"
"Yes, it is. It is a product that sets you free from male-dominated consumerism."
"Stop lecturing me! I WILL NOT WEAR HIJAB!
It is awkward, outdated, and totally not suitable for this society... Moreover, I am only 20 and too young to wear hijab!"
"Fine. Say that to your Lord, when you face Him on Judgment Day."
"Fine."
"Fine."
[Silence]
"Shut up and I don't want to hear more about hijab niqab schmijab Punjab!"
[Silence]
She stared at the mirror, tired of arguing with herself all this time.
Successful enough, she managed to shut the voices in her head, with her own opinions triumphant in victory on the matter, and a final modern decision accepted by the society - but rejected by the Faith:
"Yes!" - to curls on the hair - "No!" - to hijab!
"And he (/she) is indeed a failure who corrupts it [the soul]!" [Noble Quran 91:10]
Subhana'Allah!!!
"Nay! You prefer the life of this world; While the hereafter is better and more lasting." [Noble Quran 87:16-17]
"You are the best community (Ummah) raised up for (the benefit of) humanity; enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong and believing in Allah." [Noble Quran 3:110] - Source

Alleged molestation of QAU girl student by a high university official. Please investigate.

Yesterday afternoon, Friday June 17, a female student from the natural sciences at Quaid i Azam University went to the Controller of Examinations of QAU for some bureaucratic paper work. When she was sitting in his office, he went ahead and locked the door from the inside and then molested her. She started to scream for help. She was rescued. He ran away immediately. Strict action needs to be taken but this will only happen more effectively if this news is spread widely to the media and women activists. QAU is already a den of academic corruption but this event just tops it all.

The above note was received from a senior faculty member of QAU. Kindly investigate.