The UN World Food Program’s October 2008 update said that it is going to end need $6.7b to feed 97m people. Thats $69 for every person at risk.
Where could that money have come from? How about all that money NASA spends on space exploration. A scientist by education, it strikes me as exhorbitant that we should spend such extremely large sums of money on achieving things that should matter less than saving lives. The space program to land a man on the money cost, at today’s money, cost $145bn. The money alone spent by the US on this program would have funded the World Food Program or 20+ years.
If the world was one household, then would there be any disposable income, whilst it’s children were dying? And if the world was a prosperous, healthy and happy village would non-essential spending be accepted in that village, whilst it’s children were dying?
Best hit the save button now and again eh? (just lost this blog when firefox crashed. Again. But that’s another story). Have noticed lately most of the best stuff I want to blog about has been long forgotten before I get to my laptop and the time I have to write it. I do remember thinking that I should write something down about some of my favorite stuff and experiences. Well one of them is the singularly incredible Portuguese egg custard pastry called Pastéis de Belém. I was lucky enough to walk into the Café de Belém by accident whilst attending a postgraduate conference in Lisbon. The taste, texture, the experience, was startling and incredible. The most amazing and desirable thing I have ever tasted. Crispily soft pastry, enveloping the most subtle warm egg custard. And I was not even a fan at all of custard pies or tarts, which made this revelation all the more incredible. Really I am not exagerating- if you get a chance to eat one and you can only get them at that cafe then do so. It’s one delicacy that I cannot imagine anyone not purring over as it’s being eaten, or yearned over once distant. On my second and last trip back to Lisbon I made a bee-line for the cafe, ate a bunch and bought 2 tubes from the cafe back on the plane. Sunday with Sarah in Neal’s Yard (Covent Garden), I led her to a small restaurant that sells their own version – not bad, but not nearly as good as the real thing. Am not sure Sarah was convinced but my half tasted good and hinted at the real thing. One day we’ll go to Lisbon and visit the Café de Belém. Can’t wait! 
Next time I’ll write about the incredible Crottin de Chavignol
Berry hunting has become one of my favourite summer activities in England. The wild blackberries are just about anywhere, last for entire August. Many of my country walks have ended up very fruitful, and our diet become blackberry rich.
Apart from blackberry smoothies, blackberry yogurt, apple and blackberry crumbles, another delicious way to enjoy blackberry is in the muffins. I have tried this “best” blackberry muffin recipe found on this site, and everyone loved it. Batch after batch, it goes out like “hot muffins” 
Just for the record, the recipe is as follows: Read more…
