Vehicle fumes 'stunt lung growth'

It has been my opinion for some time that smoking bans are a futile attempt by governments to be seen to be doing something, whilst actually leaving far greater problems unresolved.

There has never been any conclusive evidence, for instance, that has linked "second-hand smoking" to any damage, yet, it seem obvious that both smokers and non-smokers alike are subjected to far more pollution outside, with fumes from cars, bikes and lorries, etc., (not to mention industry.)

This study on the lung function of 3,677 children appears to bear that out:

"Those who had lived within 500 metres of a motorway had much poorer lung function at the age of 18 than those who had lived 1,500 meters away or more, even when factors such as smoking in the home were taken into account."

Vehicle fumes 'stunt lung growth'

Spanish Food, Coming to your kitchen

Slashfood predict that, "Spanish food is likely to move from restaurants into home kitchens", this year following the rapid rise of the trend for tapas and small plates." This, they add, "is a change that should be welcomed, as the food is a welcome mix of traditional and cutting edge, both in flavors and in the dishes themselves." Spain is entirely a mix of seeming opposites: the traditional and the cutting edge. It is, I think, exactly what makes the vibrant culture of Spain what it is: Alive. And Spanish cuisine is either deceptively simple: creating sophisticated flavours from just a handful of the best and freshest ingredients, or it looks easy, but is deceptively difficult.

My paellas are testament to the latter of those two cases.

Spanish food has been a feature of my kitchen, since I live in Spain, for the last decade and a half. This is less to do with "When in Rome" or wanting to try things that may have been new to me and more to do with making my life easier. Whilst packaging is still very much aimed at the traditional Spanish family, one pot dishes abound that make things that are ideal for single cooks to keep or freeze and, fresh, local ingredients have been adapting to the local cuisine for centuries: doing the same seems to me to be the logical "path of least resistance."

Tapas, of course, most people think of as a very social pastime and it certainly is. If there are several of you, you can order a variety of dishes to try a mouthful of everything and never get bored. But they are still very adaptable to one. A combination of two or three tapas produces a substantial and still varied meal, while one tapa, with some of the wonderful fresh, crusty bread we have delivered to the door daily, is perfectly sufficient for a light meal or snack.

The most commonly served tapas dish is Ensaladilla (pictured right), also known as Ensaladilla Rusa (literally, Russian Salad, which never had anything to do with Russia, just as our Arroz a la Cubana (Cuban Rice) never had anything to do with Cuba

Ensaladilla is incredibly simple to prepare at home, can be combined with almost anything you fancy and, keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days.

Barring a few basic ingredients, it is also pretty much up to you what you put in it and the recipe here also varies depending on taste, location, or availability.

Do bear in mind the warning that Spanish Recipes mention here, in that "A poorly made version will taste like a mouthful of mayonnaise." Actually, they could have said a mouthful of SOAP, which it can, if you don't take a little care. In other words, don't overdo the mayo and, if you wish to leave out the onions, make sure you do have one or other, or both, of the other slightly sharp ingredients, such as gherkins or olives included to lift the overall flavor.

My Ensaladilla above consisted of:

• 1 packet of frozen ensaladilla vegetables: this includes diced potato, diced carrot, French beans chopped into small pieces and peas. (You can, of course, use fresh ingredients instead of this frozen cheat.)
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 small can of tuna in oil
• 1 small packet of stuffed olives
• 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method: Put the vegetables on to cook in water in a saucepan and, in another put the eggs on to boil. When both are done, drain the vegetables, then shell and chop the eggs in a bowl. Drain the oil off the tuna and put the meat into the bowl also, breaking it up with a fork. Add the drained vegetables and the handful of olives. Add the tablespoon of mayonnaise and fold everything together, adding or adjusting the seasoning to your liking.

As I said, you can serve this on it's own with a hunk of crusty bread, or combine it with other tapas dishes, which may or may not need cooking. For instance, you could use it to accompany just about any cooked meats from the deli counter. For more Spanish cooking ideas and recipes, Slashfood recommended The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen.

For a book dedicated to tapas on the cutting edge, I thoroughly recommend Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America by TV chef and restauranteur, José Andrés and Richard Wolffe. Tapas is a collection of 100-plus recipes for Spain's savory small dishes.

Or, if you prefer, you can purchase all the best that Spain has to offer - including tapas kits, where you just slice up the ingredients and you are ready to go - online from LaTienda.

Mystery Liquids and How to Break into Airplanes

It's a laugh a minute, isn't it? Nobody knows what the rules are, leading to much over and under application of them. Reports like this highlight, not only the idiocy, but the fundamental fact that for all the rules, regulations, discomfort and inconvenience travellers endure, they are not getting better security and protection in return.

Actually, whilst I didn't break into a plane, that report somewhat echoes my own experience when I went to Tenerife's Reina Sofia airport back in December to meet my mother and was able to stroll, unchallenged, into the arrivals hall to meet her by the luggage carousels. Back in the day, this was a normal practice, which I was ready to justify on the excuse that she's an old dear of over 80, who needs help with her suitcase. (Ignoring the fact that she's fitter than me and certainly does not.)

Now I really was there to meet my mother and had no evil intentions, but if I could basically walk in off the street and do that, then anyone else could too.

And, presumably that area gives access back to the planes. It's all a nonsense.

Mystery Liquids and How to Break into Airplanes

Marmalade is losing popularity

Not too long ago, I read somewhere that coffee had finally taken over from tea as the beverage of choice in the UK, now, it seems, according to this report via Slashfood, that another British favorite is falling by the wayside: orange marmalade. They say that, in the last year, 440,000 households in Britain stopped buying marmalade.

The laugh of the matter is that it was only recently that I managed to get my local supermarket to stock La Vieja Fabrica, "Autentica Mermelada de Naranja Amarga, Sin Azucar" (Sugar-free Bitter Orange Marmalade) for my breakfast, while it's forerunner - quince jelly - is a staple sold extensively here.

Apparently, we over 45's eat 81% of the stuff now and, while I do use a bit of local honey, mostly, I find most other jams too sweet for my palate. Is this a foodie fashion, or something that changes with age, I wonder?

Marmalade is losing popularity