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Woman’s “ultimate” cleaning hack for cruise cabins goes viral

An Aussie woman has shared her “ultimate” hack for keeping things clean in your cruise ship cabin, claiming her tips will “change your life”. Cruising fanatic Olivia believes there are few things worse when on a cruise than waiting around for dirty dishes to be collected and replaced. She has found a unique way to get around this problem with her “game-changing” hack, that only requires three items: a cheap sponge, dishwashing liquid and a reusable ziplock bag. In a now-viral clip that has racked up almost one million views, Olivia explained she came across the nifty hack on YouTube and was surprised to discover it actually worked. “Go to your local supermarket and purchase the cheapest sponge you can find or use a sponge you have already got at home,” she began. “Once you’ve done this, grab one to two sponges and cut them into little squares.” “Place them all on a plate, grab dishwashing liquid and make sure you drizzle it over sponge squares (evenly).” She then said to place the sponges outside in the sun to dry. “You want the dishwashing liquid to dry into the sponge,” she said. Olivia then demonstrated how it works, taking one of the squares and running it under water before using it to wash the dirty dishes. “Instead of having to wait for your mugs, plates, cutlery in your state room or cabin to be replaced every day or cleaned, if you are staying in a cabin with multiple people and they need to use it, you can (now) clean it so easily in no time.” She said the squares can be used multiple times before the dishwashing liquid is completely used up. “It will last for about a two-week cruise; it’s fantastic,” she said. While hundreds of thousands of people have viewed Olivia’s video, many people were torn in the comment section about the unusual tip. Some praised the unique trick, thanking Olivia for sharing the information. “Okay that’s actually really good,” one TikTok user wrote. “Thanks! Doing this with the wine glasses before I use them” said another. However, while many were impressed by the hack, some wondered why she was washing dishes on a holiday. “Great idea but no…,” one TikTok user wrote. “Girl, we’re not going on a cruise to do the dishes … margaritas and mojitos don’t go into cups,” another joked. Image credits: TikTok

Cruising

King Charles' signature coronation dish mercilessly mocked

With the coronation comes one of the most famed traditions in the Monarchy, the creation of a signature dish, made to be shared and enjoyed across the Commonwealth in honour of the new Monarch. The Queen’s coronation made history in 1953, with the ‘Coronation Chicken’, a recipe that has since embedded itself into British culture. Charles’ crowning marks 70 years since the last coronation, and with the event coming up on May 6, the reveal of the signature dish has been highly anticipated. A culinary delight, like Queen Elizabeth II’s ‘Poulet Reine Elizabeth’, that will make its way down from generation to generation. The Royal Family verified Twitter account shared the long-awaited dish. “Introducing… Coronation Quiche!”, the tweet read. “Chosen personally by Their Majesties, The King and The Queen Consort have shared a recipe in celebration of the upcoming #CoronationBigLunch taking place up and down the country.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Introducing… Coronation Quiche! Chosen personally by Their Majesties, The King and The Queen Consort have shared a recipe in celebration of the upcoming <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CoronationBigLunch?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CoronationBigLunch</a> taking place up and down the country. <a href="https://t.co/aVcw9tNarP">pic.twitter.com/aVcw9tNarP</a> — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1647917367798939648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote> King Charles III has officially unveiled his signature coronation offering, which will be served at the palace’s ‘Big Lunch’ event on May 7, also to be served at several community events and street parties across coronation weekend. The coronation quiche recipe consists of spinach, broad beans, cheese and tarragon, although Buckingham Palace’s chef Mark Flanagan says those who want to bake their own can easily make adjustments to suit their preferences. Charles, Camilla and Flanagan chose the dish because it’s a convenient “sharing” dish that can be served either hot or cold. The coronation quiche has left a bad taste in many individuals’ mouths, going viral online and becoming quite the laughingstock for a few reasons. The most profound stems from the well-known egg shortage in the UK, with production at its lowest in over a decade, according to The Guardian. In 2022, almost a billion fewer eggs were packed compared to 2019 due to producers hit by price hikes and a disastrous outbreak of bird flu. Shoppers calling for supermarkets to stock up on the ingredients for the coronation quiche have posted online to point out the obvious issue. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> And what are we supposed to make this Coronation Quiche with? <a href="https://t.co/nEmwQGmV0e">pic.twitter.com/nEmwQGmV0e</a> — Tavern Hoyden (@TavernHoyden) <a href="https://twitter.com/TavernHoyden/status/1648034778032009219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> The UK: - There's a shortage of eggs in the supermarkets. Royal Family: - The "Coronation Quiche". <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CoronationBigLunch?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CoronationBigLunch</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronationquiche?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronationquiche</a> <a href="https://t.co/xjEtjiUCuS">pic.twitter.com/xjEtjiUCuS</a> — Pauline (@tlnlndn) <a href="https://twitter.com/tlnlndn/status/1648016686937776128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote> Aside from supply shortages, many people decided the egg pie wasn’t very fitting. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> whats the matter babe? you've hardly touched your coronation quiche <a href="https://t.co/3FZZwzMEZz">pic.twitter.com/3FZZwzMEZz</a> — Jake Johnstone (@hijakejohnstone) <a href="https://twitter.com/hijakejohnstone/status/1648083477693120512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Quiche?? For a coronation?? <a href="https://t.co/rsmwcicgZQ">https://t.co/rsmwcicgZQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/V8aKgf1ZKL">pic.twitter.com/V8aKgf1ZKL</a> — local swamp gay 🦝🦨🦉 (@localswampgay) <a href="https://twitter.com/localswampgay/status/1648094906957660161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> This is the lamest thing I’ve ever heard. Imagine having 70+ years to think about it and choosing QUICHE. I despair. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Coronation?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Coronation</a> <a href="https://t.co/jEeXmxP1Ss">https://t.co/jEeXmxP1Ss</a> — Julie Lovell (@ficklishjlo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ficklishjlo/status/1648094645669224452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2023</a></blockquote> Elizabeth’s coronation saw famed culinary school Le Cordon Bleu London’s creation of the ‘Coronation Chicken’, which consisted of cooked chicken meat in a creamy curry sauce with dried apricots. It was served with a simple salad. When it was first produced the dish came as a surprise due to many of the ingredients not being pantry staples and the country was still under post-war ration restrictions. The chicken dish has evolved over the years, with it now commonly served on a brioche bun and garnished with various trimmings from crisp coconut chips to mangetout and sultanas. Quiche the ‘Coronation Chicken’ goodbye and stay occu-pied with the recipe below. Pastry: <ul> <li>125g plain flour</li> <li>Pinch of salt</li> <li>25g cold butter, diced</li> <li>25g lard</li> <li>2 tablespoons milk</li> <li>Or 1 x 250g block of ready-made shortcrust pastry</li> </ul> Filling: <ul> <li>125ml milk</li> <li>175ml double cream</li> <li>2 medium eggs</li> <li>1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon</li> <li>Salt and pepper</li> <li>100g grated cheddar cheese</li> <li>180g cooked spinach, lightly chopped</li> <li>60g cooked broad beans or soya beans</li> </ul> Method: 1. To make the pastry: sieve the flour and salt into a bowl; add the fats and rub the mixture together using your finger tips until you get a sandy, breadcrumb-like texture. Add the milk a little at a time and bring the ingredients together into a dough. Cover and allow to rest in the fridge for 30-45 minutes. 2. Lightly flour the work surface and roll out the pastry to a circle a little larger than the top of the tin and approximately 5mm thick. 3. Line the tin with the pastry, taking care not to have any holes or the mixture could leak. Cover and rest for a further 30 minutes in the fridge. 4. Preheat the oven to 190C. 5. Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper, add baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes, before removing the greaseproof paper and baking beans. 6. Reduce the oven temperature to 160C. 7. Beat together the milk, cream, eggs, herbs and seasoning. 8. Scatter half of the grated cheese in the blind-baked base, top with the chopped spinach and beans and herbs, then pour over the liquid mixture. 9. If required gently give the mixture a delicate stir to ensure the filling is evenly dispersed but be careful not to damage the pastry case. 10. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until set and lightly golden. Image credits: Getty/Twitter

Food & Wine

Here’s how often you should be washing your dish towels

Easily forgotten job Most people are probably not throwing their dish towels in the washing machine quite often enough. It’s easy to forget them, and after they’ve air-dried, they look ready for another use. But too often, we keep using them long after they’ve gotten dirty, and all we’re really doing is spreading bacteria and germs on everything they touch. “Believe it or not, dish towels can be one of the dirtiest items in your home. From cleaning up spills to wiping off counter tops, they often get used more than they’re cleaned,” said Bailey Carson, head of cleaning at Handy. A study by the American Society of Microbiology showed that half of kitchen towels tested contained some sort of bacterial growth, such as E. coli or staph. Bacteria breeding ground Because dish towels are so absorbent, they are the perfect home for bacteria, mildew and even mould. Your damp, warm towel is also the ideal breeding ground for that bacteria. That smell you associate with your dish towels and washcloths? Yup. That’s mould and mildew. If your towels or cloths smell, it’s time for a wash in very hot water. If they come out of the dryer still smelling less than pleasant? It’s time to get a new set. Stopping the spread But exactly how often DO you need to wash your dish towels to avoid spreading germs? That answer is: It depends. It depends on what exactly you’re using your dish towels for. Are they just for drying your hands after washing them, with maybe a quick use to mop up some spilled water or a food stain on the front of your cupboards? In that case, Julie Finch-Scally, founder of The Duster Dollies, says that it’s all right to reuse that type of towel for three to four days. If you’re using your dish towels to wipe up anything other than your wet hands, they’re getting more use than a towel you use after you shower, and you’ll have to wash them more often than the average amount of time you should wait between washing your bath towels. Other surfaces If you’re using your dish towels to wipe down cutting boards, wash down stovetops, clean up after spills, or even for drying your dishes, you may have to replace them a bit more often. In this case, Liz O’Hanlon, director of Metro Cleaning (UK) Ltd, says, “Ideally you should change your dishcloths once a day. Unless you use the towel to wipe up spillages which include raw meat or fish; then the towel should be washed immediately after use.” Wash together weekly Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to run a load of a few towels every single day. Laura Smith, owner of All Star Cleaning Services, recommends collecting dirty towels in a small bin under your sink and washing them when you’ve got a full load. That way, once you’ve figured out how often you need to wash your bedsheets, you can throw them all in together. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/food-home-garden/heres-how-often-you-should-be-washing-your-dish-towels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Home & Garden

Brain cells in a dish learnt to play Pong

In a feat that reads like the plot of a science fiction movie, scientists have been able to get a collection of brain cells living in a dish to play a video game. The team were able to prove that their collection of 800,000 neurons, which they call DishBrain, could perform goal-directed tasks, including playing the popular tennis-like game Pong. To create DishBrain, they took brain cells from mouse embryos, along with some human brain cells created from stem cells, and grew them on top of microelectrode arrays. These arrays are capable of both reading the signals these cells produce and stimulating the cells - allowing them to play a cheeky game of Pong. Electrodes on the left and right of the array told the cells which side the ball was on, while the frequency of signals told them how far the ball was from the paddle. “The beautiful and pioneering aspect of this work rests on equipping the neurons with sensations — the feedback — and crucially the ability to act on their world,” says co-author Professor Karl Friston, a theoretical neuroscientist at UCL, London. “Remarkably, the cultures learned how to make their world more predictable by acting upon it. This is remarkable because you cannot teach this kind of self-organisation; simply because — unlike a pet — these mini brains have no sense of reward and punishment." Having published their findings in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2022.09.001" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Neuron</a>, they now plan to find out what happens when they give DishBrain medicines and alcohol. “We’re trying to create a dose response curve with ethanol – basically get them ‘drunk’ and see if they play the game more poorly, just as when people drink,” lead author Dr Brett Kagan, the Chief Scientific Officer of the biotech start-up Cortical Labs, says. Because DishBrain was built using basic structures, rather than being modelled on AI, it can be used to understand how our brains function. “In the past, models of the brain have been developed according to how computer scientists think the brain might work,” Kagan explains. “That is usually based on our current understanding of information technology, such as silicon computing. “But in truth we don’t really understand how the brain works.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/dishbrain-gif1.gif" alt="" width="1326" height="946" /> DishBrain viewed under a microscope, where fluorescent markers show different kinds of cells. Where multiple markers appear, the colours merge and look yellow or pink. Image: Cortical Labs Dr Adeel Razi, the Director of Monash University’s Computational & Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, says this experiment could open the door for more discoveries. “This new capacity to teach cell cultures to perform a task in which they exhibit sentience – by controlling the paddle to return the ball via sensing – opens up new discovery possibilities which will have far-reaching consequences for technology, health, and society,” he says. “We know our brains have the evolutionary advantage of being tuned over hundreds of millions of years for survival. "Now, it seems we have in our grasp where we can harness this incredibly powerful and cheap biological intelligence.” The creation of DishBrain also creates the possibility for an alternative to animal testing for scientists investigating how new drugs work and gain insights into how conditions such as epilepsy and dementia affect our brains. “This is brand new, virgin territory. And we want more people to come on board and collaborate with this, to use the system that we’ve built to further explore this new area of science,” Dr Hon Weng Chong, Chief Executive Officer of Cortical Labs, says. “As one of our collaborators said, it's not every day that you wake up and you can create a new field of science.” Images: Cortical Labs / Flickr

Mind

Mum’s clever hack helps dry your dishes in record time

For many people, the ultimate kitchen pet peeve is when you open your dishwasher after its cycle has finished and while your dishes may be clean, they are still sopping wet. Rather than running the appliance through another drying cycle, one clever mum has discovered how to dry your dishes in five minutes flat. Known online for her cleaning hacks and recipes, Babs shared a video to her Instagram to share her savvy hack. "Has this ever happened to you? You're ready to unload the dishwasher, and guess what!? Everything is still wet," says Babs. "Don't hand dry - do this instead." <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChwtuzFAwfP/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/ChwtuzFAwfP/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Babs (@brunchwithbabs)</a> </div> </blockquote> She explains, "Take a terry cloth dish towel, open the door, lay it right over. Just close the door. Wait five minutes. You'll have dry dishes." Many people thanked Babs for the great tip and confirmed that it really does work. “Have been doing it since I first saw it here,” said one commenter. Another added, "Such a great tip! Mine are never dry at the end of the cycle. I'm definitely going to try this.” Despite the praise for her handy tip, ohers cautioned Bab’s viewers with a warning. "It can/will compromise the dishwasher seal and locking mechanism, causing costly repairs or early replacement," someone warned. Image credits: Getty Images

Home & Garden

Explorer finds abandoned cottage with dirty dishes still in the sink

UK-based YouTuber and urban explorer Daniel Sims, who goes by BeardedReality on YouTube, discovered an abandoned house in Anglesey, Wales, that included such finds as dirty dishes waiting to be washed in the sink, a gramophone, cabinets with shelves of china, and a taxidermied pheasant. Sims, who is from West Yorkshire, regularly explores abandoned and forgotten buildings and structures, a hobby known as ‘urban exploration’, or Urbex for short. He found this particular home following a recommendation from a fellow explorer, and decided to investigate the site with his friend Charlotte. They found a home on a vast stretch of land, complete with two caravans in the yard. Searching the caravans first, the pair found dishes, both clean and unwashed, scattered across the kitchen counter and sink. Sims described the caravan as having been left to overgrow. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oE6dMPY5mhg" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> In the main house, the finds were a lot more varied. The front door and some windows had been left open, and an eclectic collection of art, homewares and technology was soon discovered. This included a framed Kellogg’s cornflakes advertisement, old photographs, and artworks that Sims said have obviously been damaged over time due to their exposure to the elements. Other discoveries included a gramophone, speakers, old records, a computer scanner and an old keyboard, as well as cabinets with shelves full of china. A variety of different wallpapers can be seen peeling off the walls throughout the house. In one of the final rooms he looked through, Sims found a single taxidermied pheasant in a glass case. While Sims said the place looked ‘foreboding and kind of creepy’, he nonetheless found it a fascinating place to explore, explaining, “It’s crazy to see what is left behind in a property like this, as it is kind of like the people that used to own the place are still there or just left, but you can clearly see that a vast amount of time has gone by with these items left out. “It felt like we were seeing a part of history that not many people get to experience, such as old artefacts and old brands that have long gone and disappeared from the shelves.” Image: YouTube

Home & Garden

Wedding guests made to wash dishes in couple’s cost-saving efforts

A wedding guest has shared the story of the nightmare wedding she attended, including the moment she was asked to wash dishes at the bride and groom’s reception in the couple’s effort to cut costs. The American woman took to Reddit and said the bride - who she was related to - and groom had massively overspent on the wedding’s location and the bride’s dress and needed to make cutbacks on the rest of the wedding. “The bride, a relative of mine, and groom, have gone all out, renting a gorgeous and expensive venue for their wedding,” the guest wrote in the post. “Beautiful ceremony, lovely pictures, etc. The buffet line and tables have been set up on the screened porch of the building. “Food looks great, I serve up my plate and go sit down. My boyfriend at the time, now my husband, has gone to the restroom.” Since the venue only had a few restrooms for guests to use, the guest’s partner took a while to return and be able to serve himself a plate. “He then comes back with an empty plate. When I asked why, he says there’s no more food,” she explained. “I find the bride’s mum and whisper that she should probably ask the caterers to put out more food,” she continued. “She gets a peculiar expression on her face and says there is no more food. What was on the buffet line is all that they have. Period.” To save money on food, the couple decided to “self cater” the event, with a family friend who was a chef volunteering to make the food. Since the couple wanted the food to be opulent and include “good cuts of meat, artisan breads and cheeses”, they could only afford enough food for three quarters of their guests. But the wedding was to become even more bizarre after the meal. “Dinner is over, we are starting the reception thing, when the maid of honour starts coming around and asking some of us to come with her into the kitchen. We go,” the guest said. “There is no air conditioning so this kitchen is about a zillion degrees. She shows us stacks of plates and cups and then tells us we need to wash them. “Apparently part of self-catering is you rent the dishes and glassware, and if they aren’t returned clean at the end of the evening you lose your deposit.” Since part of their cost-saving measures included foregoing the hiring of staff to clean up, the guest and nine others spent most of the night “elbow deep in soap and water”. “We miss the first dance and the cutting of the cake, which turns out to be for the best because (wait for it) they hadn’t purchased enough cake for everyone either.” Other users shared their disbelief, commenting on the “outrageous” behaviour of the newlywed couple. “That is INSANE. Imagine inviting a bunch of folks then having the gall to tell them 1/4 of them will DELIBERATELY be left hungry. Including cake!” one said. Another wrote: “If anyone was to wash dishes, it should have been the bridal party, not the guests. Or the couple could have figured out how to hire someone, geez.”

Relationships

Nicole Kidman dishes on early days with Keith Urban: “I was a goner”

Hollywood heavyweight Nicole Kidman has been married to her hubby Keith Urban for almost 14 years and has opened up about just what exactly made her fall so hard for him. “He's pretty much the flip side of neurotic,” Kidman explained of her “mellow” musician husband who she met in 2005, while speaking to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/nicole-kidman-cover-story-interview-11586970315?tesla=y%3Fmod%3De2igmag&utm_campaign=later-linkinbio-wsjmag&utm_content=later-6768717&utm_medium=social&utm_source=instagram" target="_blank">Wall Street Journal.</a> The pair met accidentally while attending an industry event and Nicole says he rode her around on his Harley-Davidson to Woodstock, New York. The New Zealand born singer ended off the romantic night with a picnic in the woods - an experience Kidman could not deny as special. “I was a goner—I mean, c'mon.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_iELb_JgMW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_iELb_JgMW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Nicole Kidman (@nicolekidman)</a> on Apr 28, 2020 at 10:05am PDT </div> </blockquote> The couple now share two daughters together; Sunday Rose, 11, and Faith Margaret, nine, and she is determined to keep her family close knit. “I’ll pass on films,” the Australian beauty said, and went on to say she purposefully selects projects shooting on the East Coast when her kids are not in school so she can balance her work and family time. “We have a system worked out to keep the family together,” she explained. “When Keith's not touring, it's much easier. He'll be on tour next year, and then I just don’t work as much. Literally—it will become imbalanced, and we will change it. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6cd_Y6JJEX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6cd_Y6JJEX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Nicole Kidman (@nicolekidman)</a> on Dec 23, 2019 at 10:17pm PST </div> </blockquote> “We don’t have the answers, but the one thing we do know is that we will not jeopardize us.” When asked about her preference for movie roles is what she likes to choose, she admitted: “My taste is really out there. There's no sense. I'm a complete random nonconformist. “People are like, ‘What are you doing?’ I'm like, ‘I don't know what I'm doing.’ “I'll very much go on the record saying I have no idea what I’m doing.”

Relationships

He’s growing up so fast! Duchess Kate dishes on Prince Louis turning into a “little boy from being a baby”

Prince Louis, at just 21-months-old, is proving he is not too far behind four-year-old Princess Charlotte and six-year-old Prince George, according to his mother. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge travelled to Bradford for a day bursting with royal engagements and during one visit, Kate opened up about her youngest child. The couple joined in on a workshop for grandparents taking care of grandchildren and Jo Broadbent, who takes care of her six-year-old granddaughter, told <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://people.com/royals/prince-louis-21-months-is-proud-of-this-recent-milestone-says-mom-kate-middleton/" target="_blank">People</a> that the Duchess was a proud mom. "I asked how her children were," Broadbent said. "She said Louis had started to tell her 'he's balancing,' and she said it was really nice to see him turning into a little boy from being a baby. She’s obviously very proud of her children." The royal toddler is definitely growing up fast as well, with pictures of Prince Louis walking were first captured and released to the world in May of 2019. Soon after the young prince joined his family on the Buckingham Palace balcony during Trooping the Colour for the very first time and had hearts swooning all over the world. Scroll through the gallery to see Prince Louis’ adorable cherub face throughout the years.

Family & Pets

Prince William and Duchess Kate’s date full of love: Body language expert dishes verdict on couple’s night out

After eight years and three children together, the royal couple looked just as loved up as they would have been on their first date night, a body language expert has revealed. Judi James says both Prince William and Duchess Kate, who are not a couple to publicly display acts of affection, exhibited “subtly flirt” behaviour that royal fans got to see at the beginning of their relationship. While their displays of love and appreciation may be a little more downplayed than the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, James told<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html"> FEMAIL</a>, they still signal they have a solid foundation rooted in mutual affection. The body language expert noted a photograph showing Prince William’s hand on the small of his wife’s back appeared “gentlemanly.” “William and Kate aren’t known for their overt PDAs and they can keep their touch rituals to a minimum in public but this back-touch from William looks unusually tactile and affectionate,” she said. “His smile looks almost shy here and the splayed hand appears gentle and gentlemanly, although that raised thumb suggests intense happiness.” It was not the only snap that showed the royal’s looking starry eyed and in love that got James’ attention though. An image shared by Kensington Palace’s official Instagram page displayed the Duke and Duchess in their seats at the London Palladium during the show. “The couple’s mirroring is always tight, showing like-minded thinking and a subliminal desire to present as an double act based on two empathetic equals,” James said. “Here though they add some strong eye-engage signals, leaning their heads together at matching angles to do so. “The eye contact has produced facial expressions that suggest the classic "look of love", with a softening of the features plus a dimpled smile from Kate.’ Once more, a picture of the couple laughing in their box during the show signalled to the body language expert that they were both having fun. “Royal Variety performances can prompt some smiles from the royal box but here William and Kate are literally rocking with laughter,” Judi explained. “Again it is mutual though, with mirrored movements, suggesting a shared sense of fun.” However, what stood out to her was a snap of the couple leaving the event and heading back to their car after a long night in public. “When any smiling public displays have been an act it’s the moment a couple take their seats in the car that you’ll often see masks begin to slip,” Judi said. “But if anything Kate’s expression of delight appears to intensify here. Her excited, widened eye expression, her rounded cheeks and her symmetric smile all make her look like someone on a first date.” Scroll through the gallery above to see the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge looking loved up on date night.

Relationships

A debate is brewing over the right and wrong way to handwash dishes

When it comes to cleaning the dishes, everyone has their own process. But, when discussing how people handwash their china, there were two standout categories. According to Bon Appetit magazine author Nikita Richardson there are those that wash the bottom of their dishes, and others that don’t. Her article titled “Please, I’m begging you, wash the bottom of your dishes” has sent Twitter into a meltdown over the weekend, as it sparked a debate between those who do and those who don’t. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who wash the bottom of their dishes and those who don't. <a href="https://t.co/CVmjEw6biG">https://t.co/CVmjEw6biG</a> — Bon Appétit (@bonappetit) <a href="https://twitter.com/bonappetit/status/1165253440093773831?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">24 August 2019</a></blockquote> A lot of users were surprised that this was even having to be reiterated, believing it to be common knowledge. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <a href="https://t.co/YXHJ7ybvha">https://t.co/YXHJ7ybvha</a> <a href="https://t.co/R82AxPL6Ws">pic.twitter.com/R82AxPL6Ws</a> — Ayrryk (@ayrryk) <a href="https://twitter.com/ayrryk/status/1165261928526168067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">24 August 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en-gb"> What kind of monster doesn’t wash the bottom of the freaking dishes? Does a surgeon only wash the palms of his hands?! Hell no!! — 🇺🇸Cpt. FunkaDunk🇯🇵 (@cptfunkadunk) <a href="https://twitter.com/cptfunkadunk/status/1165437061949796352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">25 August 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> You have to wash them they sit inside the other dishes, wtf. — Jill Valentine, Mother of Dagons (@milfgaardian) <a href="https://twitter.com/milfgaardian/status/1165253672760037376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">24 August 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en-gb"> This is so gross, dishes get stacked and sit in the sink, the bottoms are frequently greasy and dirty!! I’m upset — Amanda Mull (@amandamull) <a href="https://twitter.com/amandamull/status/1165338377350275072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">24 August 2019</a></blockquote> Others admitted that the thought never crossed their mind. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en-gb"> This has 100% never occurred to me. — Tammy Gordon (@tammy) <a href="https://twitter.com/tammy/status/1165255269535932416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">24 August 2019</a></blockquote> And on the other end, there were those who decided to share their stories of disgusting housemates and family members who weren’t up to par on the hygiene front. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en-gb"> My friend's ex-boyfriend would wash the dishes OK, but then he would put them away wet. Wet, stacked plates in the cabinet, festering. — Amy Rey (@Amy_Rey) <a href="https://twitter.com/Amy_Rey/status/1165504059442438145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">25 August 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> I was at my parents house one weekend for a family gathering, and saw a younger (but, adult) relative fill a glass with water, drink it, and PUT THE EMPTY BUT UNWASHED GLASS BACK IN THE CABINET. I think about that a lot. <a href="https://t.co/zC4SettPnq">https://t.co/zC4SettPnq</a> — BombayK (@BombayK2) <a href="https://twitter.com/BombayK2/status/1165259882070794240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">24 August 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> this is super gross but very unsurprising. i used to have a roommate who would “clean dishes” but leave dried cheese and sauce on the rims of the dishes and stack them with actual clean plates after that i just resigned myself to washing all the dishes <a href="https://t.co/0BKy1UjZTP">https://t.co/0BKy1UjZTP</a> — bowi3 (@shinbowi3) <a href="https://twitter.com/shinbowi3/status/1165376784919126016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">24 August 2019</a></blockquote> But thankfully, most sided with Richardson on this one, who pointed out: “Not washing the bottom of your dishes is the first step on a slippery slope toward half-assery.”

Retirement Life

The ultimate guide to stacking your dishwasher

Believe it or not but there is an art in stacking your dishwasher. While some may just throw the dishes in whichever way they deem fit, there are a few rules to follow to ensure your using space to its full potential. Consumer advocacy group Choice Australia has revealed some of the best tips and tricks when it comes to stacking your dishwasher to help achieve the cleanest dishes possible. Never place wood, aluminium or copper in the dishwasher While most items are safe to stack, there are a few exceptions. It’s recommended that anything made of wood, such as chopping boards, rolling pins and wooden spoons should not be placed inside a dishwasher, as the material tends to absorb odours and flavours of the surrounding dishes. Good quality knives and fine china should also be avoided, as the water pressure can damage the cutlery and ruin the detailing. Anything that consists of a “reactive metal” should be handwashed, which means items made from aluminium and copper should stay away from the dishwasher. Don’t bother pre-washing dishes It’s a habit that most people fall into before loading up their dishwasher, but your favourite dishwashing tablet has enough power to remove all surface stains without you having to give it a pre-wash. Just be sure to scrape any excess food scraps beforehand, to avoid the filter from clogging up. Make sure the dirtiest dishes go in the middle The answer to squeaky clean dishes is placement so write this next part down. Plastics should always go on the top shelf to reduce the risk of melting, the same applies for anything made of glass. Sometimes the spinning fan can miss the corners of the dishwasher so it’s a good idea to put the dirtiest dishes right in the middle for the most effective clean. Lastly, place each and every plate and bowl downwards to avoid dirty water and don’t stack them on top of each other.

Home & Garden

5 mistakes home cooks make whilst cooking traditional Italian dishes

Cooking pasta sounds like a task that should be easy, but creating an authentic Italian pasta dish is trickier than you think. From the exact formula that makes up Bolognese sauce to how the pasta should be cooked is up for debate by many home chefs. However, Giovanni Rana, who has been making pasta since the 1960s in Italy, has revealed the secrets to capturing the authentic taste of Italian cooking in your home. He’s shared a few tips to the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6872245/How-cook-traditional-Italian-dishes-home.html">Daily Mail:</a> 1. Follow the instructions on the pasta packaging “There are a lot of urban legends about al dente pasta but in Italy not everybody loves al dente pasta,” revealed Giovanni’s daughter-in-law Antonella. “In the North they love it a little softer, into the South they love their pasta almost raw. “I’d suggest always following the time printed on the packet. Fresh pasta is the quickest. We’re talking about just two minutes.” Antonella revealed her personal way to cook pasta. “I personally love to drain the pasta 15 seconds before the full cooking time. If it’s written two minutes, I drain at 1:50 and in the very last 10 seconds I use a mixing bowl to mix the sauce in. This way you don’t overcook your pasta.” 2. Don’t add too much sauce Although it might seem like a good idea to cover your pasta in sauce, too much sauce could be a bad thing. Using the wrong proportion of sauce to pasta can be a dead giveaway to an inexperienced chef preparing Italian food. “When you're speaking about fresh pasta tortellini, the filling has its own taste and power, as Italians we try not to cover it too much with the sauce. “Especially ricotta and spinach which is so delicate and so pure, that if you add a lot of sauce, you will see the pasta swimming in the sauce. It’s not a good sign,” Antonella explained. “In general, the most traditional way to eat fresh filled pasta is to be very respectful of the proportions. The queen is the pasta and the sauce is the tool.” 3. Never add ketchup! Using tomato ketchup instead of fresh tomatoes in sauce is another common mistake that is made by home chefs. According to Antonella, it’s just not the same. “Tomato ketchup for me, means burgers and casual food. “In the tomato sauce you can really play with more veggies, for example garlic, onion, carrot, celery or you can play with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.” There is a way to make contemporary Italian sauce. “If you want to do something more, try to work on doing tomato sauce in the Italian way. Roughly chop onion, garlic, fresh ripe tomatoes and cook for a few minutes. “Then add fresh basil, this is the most contemporary Italian sauce.” 4. Loss of flavour by adding already grated cheese Although it might be easier to use already grated cheese, you’ve already lost half the flavour in parmigiana. “Always buy parmigiana reggiano in a whole piece where you can see the crust and the stamp. Never buy it already grated, as you’ve already lost half the flavour,” Antonella said. 5. Not using extra virgin olive oil According to Antonella, extra virgin olive oil is a must-have in authentic Italian dishes. “Extra virgin oil, it's a facilitator and platform that you can’t miss, never buy just olive oil as this means the olive fruits have been pressed two, three times and also their bones,' said Antonella. “When you buy extra virgin it means they’ve pressed the olives just once and they press the pulp – the colour, flavour, nutrients and everything is better. “If you like light flavour buy from the North of Italy, if you like medium body then you go for the centre such as Tuscany. If you like bold, spicy flavour, you buy from Sicily.”

Food & Wine

Cruise ship workers dish the dirt about what goes on below deck

Even if you’re an experienced cruiser, odds are you’ve only seen one side of life on these ships as a passenger. But for the crew members on these vessels, life at sea is a very different prospect, and once the boat leaves port anything goes. <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/7g5m1j/cruise_ship_employees_of_reddit_what_are_things/" target="_blank">Reddit</a> user willfulpool posed the question: “Cruise ship employees, what are things that happen aboard the ship that the guests don’t know about?” And the response was staggering: One user said: “You work with like, 20 other people in your department, all in this little prison of a job for six months at a time, except every few weeks two to three of the people might just be swapped out to other people.” Another useer revealed: “A family friend use to work for a cruise line and told me deaths are common, especially with the elderly. “Senior/nursing homes are expensive and for a much smaller price tag the elderly can be gone for a week or two at a time and have people constantly checking on them and they get all their meals.” Yet another added: “I did a behind-the-scenes tour of a cruise ship once and they showed us the morgue. “They also have two full ICUs on board since, even with helicopters, it can be days between someone falling ill and getting them to a proper hospital.” One more really spilled the beans, saying “You would be amazed at what people will flush down the toilet. Pool noodles, T-shirts, shoes... pretty much anything that people don't want to pack with them when they leave. “The ship also needs to fuel up (bunkering) and sometimes passengers are on board while that is going on. No open flames are allowed outside while bunkering is ongoing and this becomes a problem with passengers who need a smoke. “To get around this they smoke in their rooms, which sets off the smoke detectors. There is also a regulation that bunkering must immediately stop if a fire alarm goes off until the hazard of a fire has passed. So somebody from the crew has to go to your room and make sure it isn't on fire. Then they call down to the engine room to report it's a false alarm. Then we can start the pumps again. “On average, bunkering is usually interrupted three or four times due to this and it's annoying as hell.” Were you aware of the secret life at sea?

Cruising

Dishes that look completely different overseas

There’s something to be said for trying new tastes and flavours when you’re travelling, but sometimes when you’re overseas all you want is that taste of home. The problem is, even though the item you’re ordering has the same name as your favourite dish, there’s no guarantee that it’s what you’re actually getting. menu is called the same thing as you enjoy in Australia, doesn’t mean it’s the same dish. We’ve scoured the world to find seven dishes that look completely different when you order them overseas. Those who head to order one of these dishes are in for a rude shock, or depending on how adventurous your palette is, a welcome surprise. To see the dishes, scroll through the gallery above. What are your thoughts? Have you found these dishes different, when you ordered them overseas? What’s the best meal you’ve eaten while travelling.

International Travel

Should you rinse your dishes after washing them?

Jo and Matthew have lived together for a year. A model of rinser-non-rinser coexistence, they have come to tolerate each other’s opposing views like a deeply-divided couple learning to navigate politics in a Trump era. When it’s Jo’s turn to do the washing-up, she fills the sink with hot water and a squirt of detergent, then immerses the dishes and washes them. At this point, she takes them out of the soapy water and puts them on the drying rack. Yes, just like that – no final rinse. “The use of a sponge sufficiently extricates suds. Any remaining suds dissipate once a dish has been placed on a drying rack,” she says. Whereas Jo sees residual bubbles as an indication of cleanliness, Matthew disagrees, “You wouldn’t step out of the bath covered in bubble bath without first rinsing off under the shower, would you?” And they’re not the only ones. Ruth and James have lived together for four years. Ruth was once a non-rinser until James – a chef – told her she was doing it wrong. “He reckons you’ll get sick if you’ve got residual detergent on your dishes,” she says. “Which I guess makes sense. I’m happy for him to have this victory.” Of course, having polar opposite approaches doesn’t mean your relationship is doomed. Many see their partner’s stance as a challenge rather than a dealbreaker. As one rinser commented: “My sister’s husband used to do a quick dunk in a sink of COLD, non-soapy water. Of course, she was mortified and has been working to train him up in doing it her way.” From Japan to Australia to France, washing-up technique has a lot to do with your country code and cultural background. “When you’re young, it’s informed by your family. Later in life, it’s shaped by your friends and partners – or lack thereof,” says one commenter. <img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/37667/in-text-1_498x245.jpg" alt="In Text 1 (10)"/> In many Asian countries, it’s common to leave the tap running from start to finish – a sight that would leave many in drought-ridden parts of Australia wanting to cry. Growing up, our family subscribed to the former – and guests would comment on how our rinsing technique was even more thorough than their washing. Sometimes it comes down to practicalities. Leanne, a mother of three, doesn’t rinse before stacking because she grew up with only one sink. She does however wash from cleanest to dirtiest. Some are told to rinse with cold water for better shine. Others swear by hot water to help them dry faster. While non-rinsers say rinsing is ridiculously wasteful and burdensome (“Why bother rinsing, you fool, when life is passing you by?”), many rinsers are simply looking out for their health. If the recommended dosage of detergent is used, no-rinse should be no cause for concern. But who wants to eat soap? Especially when we’ve read dubious internet articles linking it to cancer. “No meal has ever benefited from a hint of anti-bacterial dishwashing detergent,” says one rinser. “Suds in my stomach is unhealthy, but probably not lethal. Unless it turns out soap causes cancer, which is something at the back of my mind, like too many additives in hotdogs or waxy instant noodles,” says another. While non-rinsers say rinsing is ridiculously wasteful and burdensome, many rinsers are simply looking out for their health. For many dishwasher owners, there’s no logical reason for rinsing before loading. They liken it to hiring a cleaner – by insisting on cleaning up in preparation for their arrival. Others would rather not treat their cleaning appliance as a garbage disposal unit. At the risk of reopening old wounds, I brought it up with an old boyfriend – the preload non-rinser to my rinser. After noting that our argument has lasted longer than “the entire series run of Party of Five“, he arrived at his main argument: “People who insist upon pre-dishwasher rinses clearly have trust issues with their machine.” The source of lovers’ tiffs and tense dinner party disputes – necessitating sneaky do-overs when your guests aren’t looking – the issue is as murky as the dishwater non-rinsers use to clean their plates. Then there’s the way people stack the drying rack, which we’ll save for another day. Written by Kathleen Lee-Joe. First appeared on <a href="http://www.domain.com.au" target="_blank">Domain.com.au.</a>

Home & Garden

7 dishes you must try when visiting Vietnam

Seven dishes you must try in central Vietnam, according to Ms Vy, House of Hoi An, Melbourne. 1. Goi cuon Goi cuon, or summer rolls, are one of the most popular finger foods. Originating in the south, they are a popular street food but will often appear at a family meal in summer. Rolled at the table, they are a great communal experience. The soft rice paper is filled with juicy lightly steamed prawns, tender pork, thin rice noodles and herbs. 2. Barbecued fish, Quan Be Man At this restaurant on the beach you can have your seafood cooked any way you like but most people ask for the fish to be cooked on the barbecue. You select your fish from the vast fresh seafood tanks and 30 minutes later, you have a perfectly cooked dish in front of you. <img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/36256/image__498x245.jpg" alt="Image_ (246)"/> 3. Thit Heo Ngu Vi Voi Xoi Dua Aromatic spiced pork belly with sticky rice is a celebratory food served in central Vietnam during the Tet (lunar new year) holiday as historically, any kind of meat is seen as a rich person's food and a big treat. You could always tell a family's social status from the size of the pig they cooked for Tet. 4. Vem Xao Sa Ot Traditionally, these freshwater mussels come from Hoi An's nearby estuary and are cooked with Hoi An's famous local mix of spices and herbs. (In Melbourne, we use mussels from Port Phillip Bay). This seasonal treat is a favourite dish among men in central Vietnam to accompany beer or as a light meal or a snack. 5. Trung vit lon Ba Nga is my favourite aunty. From the bamboo basket on her bicycle she sells the best duck embryos with dipping sauce and Vietnamese mint. Locals line up. It's a Vietnamese delicacy and still one of the main protein supplements in many Vietnamese households. <img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/36257/image__498x245.jpg" alt="Image_ (247)"/> 6. Bun bo, Bun Bo Café In Hoi An, there is a place called Bun Bo Cafe. It's in the alley off Phan Chu Trinh Street and my favourite afternoon snack is their signature dish called bun bo, a spicy broth with rice noodles and beef. 7. Xoi bap Another favourite is the Hoi An Cho cafe at the Market Soi Bap. My most ordered local breakfast is Xoi bap, served on a banana leaf. It's corn with glutinous rice topped with roasted nuts, sesame seeds and shallots. Have you tried any of these dishes? Written by Julietta Jamieson. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank">Stuff.co.nz</a>.

International Travel

10 of your favourite home-cooked meals

There’s just nothing like a home-cooked meal (provided you can cook!). Made with that extra ingredient called love, our favourite home-cooked meals just have an extra bit of deliciousness. We asked you, the Over60 community, what your favourite home-cooked dishes are – and these were the most popular answers. 1. “My hubby loves shepherd’s pie and love a good roast.” – Robyn Joy Davis 2. “Roast pork, I love the crackling.” – Lena Ferguson 3. “Corn beef with cauliflower, parsley sauce and other veggies.” – Shirley Nash 4. “Chicken schnitzel, love it.” – Fay Noelene O'Dwyer 5. “Crumbed lamb cutlets, mash, pumpkin, peas, carrot and gravy.” – Robyn Watson 6. “Meatloaf or Lasagne – both take me about three hours each but winning!” – Sharon Park 7. “Oxtail stew with whole onions, carrots and potatoes.” – Glennis Hauptfleisch 8. “Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, vegetables and lots of gravy.” – Kerry Dalgleish. 9. “Roast chicken, with bangers and mash a close second.” – Felicity Weston 10. “Steak and kidney pudding.” – Chris Davies What else would you add to the list? Share in the comments below. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/08/do-families-eat-dinner-together/%20">Do families still eat dinner together?</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/03/100-years-of-family-dinner/%20">100 years of family dinner in 3 minutes</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2017/01/kath-williams-remembering-wash-day/%20">Remembering wash day</a>

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10 of your favourite home-cooked meals