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When we first saw Paul Ainsworth on television, it was clear he possessed star qualities, not least, great culinary skill, a huge personality and a winning smile. When we then met him, having made the journey to Padstow, Cornwall, especially to eat at his restaurant, Number 6, we came away even more impressed, Paul was yet more fantastic in real life than on TV and we said in the post of that visit
that Number 6 was in our top ten restaurant visits of 2011.
In our view, Paul represents everything that is best about the UK restaurant industry. He did the hard yards and learned his trade under Ramsay at Hospital Road (back when Gordon actually cooked there), he then did his own thing with Number 6 in the not so obvious location of Padstow and made it a national success, but more than anything else perhaps, he cares. He cares about his customers and food of course, that's a given, but he also cares passionately about his staff (who all clearly adore him) and he cares about his suppliers, not only as suppliers, but as people.
For our part, after 2011, we had not intended to do more of our Chef Dinners, but having become involved with The Manna Society
, a day centre for the homeless, at the start of 2012, we knew that our dinners were the best way to raise much needed funds for them. As soon as we had decided to again host them, top of our list of chefs we wanted to cook was Paul Ainsworth; we were beyond thrilled when Paul said yes. With busy diaries, the dinner ultimately got bumped into 2013 but what a fabulous way to start the year.
Chef Paul Ainsworth
Head Chef John Walton
Alongside our support of the Manna Society, a charity local to us, Paul chose a charity local to him, RNLI Padstow
, clearly, a hugely meaningful charity for a chef who lives in a fishing port where generations of families risk their lives daily to put food on our plates. But in a gesture that shows just who Paul Ainsworth is, despite all the complexities and organisation needed to transport his kitchen from Padstow to London to make the meal here a success, he found time to think about and bring up with him 50 Cornish pasties that were delivered to the Manna Society that same day. The pasties were from Chough Bakery
, who can be found quayside in Padstow, and these were some of the best Cornish pasties we have ever seen. I know where I'm heading next time I'm in Padstow...
A special mention is needed too for four organisations that have helped make all the dinners happen over the past year. Those companies that have so generously stood behind our dinners are: exceptional cutlery from Robert Welch
, beautiful plates from Goodfellows
, and two essential chef/kitchen aids: Pacojet from ChefTools
and Thermomix from UK Thermomix
. Without their support, these dinners would not be what they are.
Also helping us raise money for the charities are the restaurants who have donated tables for the auction prizes. This time round we generously received help from Koffmann's
steak house, Charlotte's Bistro
in Cheltenham, The Ship
Wandsworth and The Elephant
the table, everybody busy
When chefs come to our house, there is no brief, they are free to do what ever they want to do, how to use that freedom however is more often than not a vexing problem. Paul decided to make the food that night the story of his own culinary journey and described it thus:
a day probably doesn't go by when i am not asked, "where does the inspiration and thought come from when you create a dish?" our menu will take you through this ever evolving process of creativity. ten dishes that tell...
We start with some canapes that includes ever popular crispy chicken skin and cod's roe, confit Red Duke potatoes with chorizo and chive, and a mini pain au pudding. There's butter too, wrapped in truffle, and a generous bread basket. Following that, the menu starts in earnest.
A beach scene is lovingly recreated twelve times over with Cornwall's own golden sand. Some pebbles, fisherman's netting and seaweed, and Padstow is lovingly recreated round the table for as Paul says 'across the rocky beach in Porthilly are the most amazing oysters'. Deep fried and sitting on fennel and apple with a slice of salami on top, this is a dish that visitors to Cornwall, many whom might never have eaten an oyster before, can more easily approach. There's freshness and acidity from the salad, fatty umami from the salami and the wonderful crisp coated oyster that all comes together in a few bites of brilliance.
Next we have a particularly meaningful dish from Paul, dating from 2003, it is what he describes as 'my first real dish'. Aged just 21, Paul created this dish for his chef at the time, and it was Paul says, the first time he really understood how the food and flavours worked; the chef approved and the dish made it to the menu. It stands the test of time well and combines pigeon (breast, confit legs and parfait) with beetroot, endive, orange and nasturtium. Beautifully done, exquisite pigeon and again, some acidity with the orange to constantly refresh the palate so the dish wows with every mouthful.
Lobster... Cornwall... delighted it's on the menu, the best of south west. We would have been a little disappointed had it not been there and supporting (as he should) the home team, Paul is honest enough to say that he didn't "get" lobster till he ate Cornish lobster. For many people, this might have been the dish of the night. So much going on here, with the claw poking out of the lobster bisque foam, itself sitting on a lobster risotto where stunning chunks of lobster tail are invigorated with grapefruit dice. This is everything that is great about lobster in a bowl, and everybody here just wanted more, more, more. Stunning cooking. I could eat this every day of the week and be so so happy.
Cornwall, land & sea, or "when in Rome". Fans of GBM will have seen Paul's Colosseum back in 2012, and to the delight of everyone round the table, he reinvented it for the dinner. On top, it is confit duck leg and confit gizzards together with poached rhubarb. But as the dish that keeps giving, remove the top of the Colosseum and below, there's a duck consomme with chilli rings, glass noodles, mackerel, scallop, cucumber balls, radish and herb garnish. No surprise that top and bottom are loaded with flavour while to look down the table and see a dozen colosseums is quite a sight; this is guaranteed to put a smile on everyone's face, except that everyone was already smiling anyhow.
Cornwall, land and sea part 1
Cornwall, land and sea, part 2
Things are a little simpler with the next course, for the cod is of such a quality that letting it shine is, for good reason, Paul's preference here. Some chargrilled cauliflower, some curry oil, a little romanesco, and another triumph for south west ingredients.
What preceded the main course was hushed in secrecy ahead of the event, and even we had to leave the room when Alex was preparing this segment earlier in the day: on instruction ahead of the main, our guests gathered around the television for a very special video clip. Everyone was handed a glass of red wine, the delectable Ridge Vineyards 1995 Monte Bello
, and that wine, and its pairing to Paul's food, was then introduced to the room by Ridge themselves, filmed on site at the vineyard in California. The video is absolutely brilliant, and presenter Christopher definitely an on screen superstar, simply click below to watch it. Our thanks to Christopher Watkins and Amy Monroe at Ridge Vineyards
for taking the time and trouble, we will always now have a soft spot in our hearts, and cellar, for you and you lovely wine.
The main course itself was a beautiful fillet of beef, aged 35 days on the carcass and a further 6 off. This is served alongside smoked marrow and caviar with a crisp potato ring. Elegant and (relatively) simple, Paul notes 'when thinking of the garnish it had to be very clean and simple as the beef is the star'. It certainly was, though very interesting to pair some caviar with it.
The strawberry and bubble gum pre-dessert got everyone talking. A real nostalgia dessert, Refresher sweets and popping candy together with a strawberry sorbet that danced with joy in the mouth, this little bowl punched well above its weight.
strawberry & bubblegum
Bread & Butter pudding, a timeless British classic for sure, but also a dish more recently associated with Gary Rhodes. While we hear less of Gary on these shores currently, Paul has no hesitation paying tribute to him and this dish, titled 'literally my bread and butter' is an acknowledgement of Gary's influence in Paul's career. As Paul himself says, 'all the chefs I have worked with have played a huge part in my learning process but Gary Rhodes for me will always be the most special'. This was sublime and highlights that amazing cooking skill with even the simplest of ingredients can produce breathtaking results.
And if that weren't enough, The Harbour Brewing Company
provided a very special chocolate & vanilla stout to pair with the pudding... in a 3 litre bottle, complete with special label (pictured below). We love beers here at CC headquarters and we are honoured that the Harbour Brewing Company created something so special for us and our guests.
bread & butter
Sadly I missed a picture of the next dessert, Pineapple & Yoghurt, a dish that was inspired by Paul's schoolboy lunchbox days when his mum would put a Ski yoghurt inside and Paul would always hope that it was pineapple! Excellently timed and so refreshing, especially clever after a glass of chocolate & vanilla stout, it led us perfectly into the final dessert: more chocolate!
This was another GBM inspired dish with the gold covered chocolate torte revealing its secret when a hot caramac sauce is poured into the centre: the gold disc (Olympic gold medal) just melts away giving you a chocolate pot of the childhood candy bar inspired sauce. The pistachio cake and sorbet that come with it are a little more grown up, but this is a fun dessert, and a chocolate lover's heaven.
Glenfarclas 30 Year Old Single Malt
This was a meal of many surprises and many delights with a huge emphasis on the wonderful ingredients of the south west of England. Every dish was on the money and even as I have been writing this post, looking at the pictures and writing the words has made me hungry for Paul's food all over again. Fortunately, while Paul fed us magnificently that night, he feeds all his guests magnificently every day at Number 6, so another trip to Cornwall is definitely on the cards for us later this year.
There are two other things that are always mentioned at this stage of our post. First, with the food now served, it's time to open the Glenfarclas
, and on this occasion, a 30 year old single malt. We've enjoyed Glenfarclas at every one of our dinners thanks to the generosity of George Grant and the distillery and on behalf of all the guests over the past two years, a huge thanks to them for that. Do follow them on Twitter @Glenfarclas
Second thing to mention is that these dinners are always a team effort, and Paul's team is a fantastic group of people. Head Chef John Walton and Sous Chef Chris McClurg joined us for the entire weekend prep'ing for the meal ahead of the rest of the team's arrival, and it was a pleasure to welcome them to our flat. Alex Tozer, FOH manager at Number 6 is an exemplary professional who put together some fabulous drink pairings and committed so much more than 100% to ensure the evening was perfect on the night. Every one of Paul's team, like Paul himself, represents all that is good about the industry.
Also helping Alex with the drink was Ellis Wharton Wines
and Wadebridge Wines
, and our thanks to them, the drinks were spectacular.
Camilla, Jack, Mike, John, Paul, Tom, Chris, Alex
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes
, well, that's about as far as my Latin goes, but more pertinently, who feeds the chefs? Step up the appropriately named Corey Cook, on Twitter, @jharrisonuk
, who seeks to bring the taste of Montreal pastrami to the UK. Corey kindly volunteered to feed Paul's team during the early hours after party, a brave man for sure, but one who also serves great pastrami, so little need to worry, and a very happy brigade. Check out the website Jacob Harrison
if you want to know where you too can sample the best pastrami in the UK right now.
Corey serves pastrami to a happy kitchen team
It was Epicurus who was reported to have said, 'we should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink, for dining alone is leading the life of a lion or wolf'. Indeed, our dinners only have value because of other people, here's a few snaps of a few of the wonderful people who were present that day.
Before everyone left, as if the night had not been magical enough already, there were goody bags to go and boxes of lovely bread from The Bread Factory,
our thanks to Isabel Kelly (@Isabel_AK
) and everyone at The Bread Factory for their wonderful generosity (and wonderful bread).
Opening the Goody Bags, it felt like Christmas all over again and a huge thank you to all who helped here. Angela of Number 6 put the bags together and contributions included goodies from RNLI
, Robert Welch
, a fused glass coaster from Jo Downs
, chocolate from Damian Allsopp
, sea salt chocolate from Kernow Chocolate
(which I'm eating as I write and it's very good indeed), herbal products from St Kitts Herbery
, all of course from Cornwall, and a late surprise, more chocs from Playboy Club London
(thanks Judy Joo).
Christmas in February, goody bags and bread from The Bread Factory
So many amazing things, so much great food over the year, but as much fun as these dinners are, so much hard work goes in to making them each a success. For all the dinners we've done, the chef and his team gave their time willingly, zero payment, always on their day off from the restaurant: we cannot express our gratitude enough to them. Of course, what makes it all worthwhile is how much good comes of these dinners.
In 2012/13, we hosted three amazing dinners from three of the country's leading chefs: Paul Ainsworth, Simon Rogan and James Knappett, and we were delighted and proud that we could unite them together for Paul's dinner. Even more proud to say that combining the amounts donated directly to Manna Society, a cheque to be presented to RNLI at the end of this month and gift aid claimed, the hard work of Paul, Simon and James has raised over £20,000, making a huge difference to the charities involved.
James Knappett, Paul Ainsworth, Simon Rogan
What more to say? Well, we can't say thank you enough to everyone involved, which by now, is hundreds of people. Thank you to all who took a seat round the table so contributing to these worthy causes, especially the auction winners (Dr J & Lord O on this occasion). To Robert Welch, Goodfellows, Pacojet and Thermomix. And Glenfarclas (which I will be drinking 10 minutes from now). And of course the chefs; without exception, every meal has been brilliant, every course brilliant; lifetime memories while doing a world of good.
Actually, there is one last thing to say: get involved with a charity that means something to you. Whatever you do, at whatever level, your effort makes a difference. And we know for sure, your efforts will be thoroughly appreciated by whatever charity you choose to support; is there a better way to spend your time? That's all from us.
When, in 2011, we first ate at Paul Ainsworth's Padstow restaurant, Number 6
, we described it as 'utterly brilliant' and said it was in our top 10 meals of the year. In 2012, Paul was awarded a Michelin star and many will be familiar with Paul from his regular TV appearances, including his banquet reaching performance on Great British Menu.
We are delighted to announce that Paul and his team will be cooking a one night only charity dinner at our home here in London and that two spaces at the table are available as part of a fabulous auction package. This would make for an ideal Christmas present for any food lover.
The event with Paul will be held on the evening of Sunday, 24th February 2013. It will include champagne on arrival, a unique tasting menu by Paul together with matching wines, and after dinner drinks including Glenfarclas whisky, going on till the early hours. There will also be lots of time to meet and chat with Paul. It will, without doubt, be a very special evening.
The auction prizes also bring together other great dining experiences, including meals at Koffmann's, Goodman steakhouse, Charlotte's Bistro and Lumiere in Cheltenham. And if that weren't enough, there's also a fabulous wine tasting event that we detail below.
Charities we are supporting on the night are Manna Society
, a day centre providing food, health care and advice to London's homeless, and RNLI Padstow
. Every single penny raised from the event goes to the charities and Paul and team are generously giving their time and energy for free.
If you want to hear Paul talking about his food, watch the short clip below.
As well as the dinner, we are also hosting in March 2013 a charity wine tasting. The tasting will include Dom Perignon, Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Margaux, Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Latour, Haut Brion and Chateau d'Yquem. Tom Harrow, WinechapUK
will be hosting the event and it will take place in the wine room at Alyn Williams at The Westbury
Details of the event and vintages to be tasted can be read here
. The event is limited to 8 people to ensure adequate glasses of every wine for all participants.
Three places are separately available for the wine tasting.
Charity Auction details
Please note the date of the events:
Paul Ainsworth dinner: Sunday 24th February 2013
Wine tasting: Wednesday 27th March 2013
Please also be aware, this is a set menu event, no vegetarian option or allergy options are available. Auction: Dinner Seat 1
Includes all of the following:
- An all inclusive attendance at Paul Ainsworth's charity dinner at CC for one person
- Attendance at the Bordeaux Wine Tasting for one person
- Lunch or dinner for two people at Koffmann's
(at the Berkeley), including a bottle of house wine, a signed copy of Pierre's latest book Memories of Gascony
(and possibly even get to meet Pierre himself!).
- Lunch or dinner for two people at Lumiere
, Cheltenham, ranked 37 in the Sunday Times 100 Top Restaurants (and 4th best in South West England)
- dinner for two at The Ship, WandsworthAuction: Dinner Seat 2
Includes all of the following:
- An all inclusive attendance at Paul Ainsworth's charity dinner at CC for one person
- Attendance at the Bordeaux Wine Tasting for one person
- Feast at the brilliant London steakhouse Goodman
. Enjoy a table for two people, a house bottle of wine and all you can eat steak! See the meat hanging room and tour kitchen. A meat lover's heaven.
- Dinner with matching wines at Charlotte's Bistro
, a great place and a personal favourite of ours
- Dinner for two at Michelin starred restaurant The Elephant in TorquayAuction: Wine Tasting
3 separate places are available for this event, and will be awarded to the three highest bidders:
- Attendance at the Bordeaux Wine Tasting for one personNew addition:
with three places up for auction for the wine tasting, there's a special additional prize for the the highest bidder on this lot: a year's membership to WinechapUK's Premier Crew.
This superb (and highly valuable) prize provides a wine concierge service giving you your own personal 'wine chap' helping out with everything from cellars to wine purchase to restaurant access.How to Participate
If you want to participate in the auction either contact us and bid on Twitter (@CriticalCouple
) or via email (email@example.com). State clearly whether you wish to bid on Dinner Seat 1, Dinner Seat 2 or Wine Tasting, and clearly state your bid.
Updates of where the bidding stands will be posted periodically on Twitter and on our website.
The auction close date is midday Sunday 16th December
, subject to final bids at that time.
Auction winners will be asked to provide payment (cash, cheque, bank transfer) by Sunday 23rd December.
Failure to settle by the above date will risk forfeiting the lot. Decisions of David & Nicole Williams (aka the critical couple) are final in all aspects of the auction and the events.
In February 2013, we will be hosting what we anticipate to be the last of our charity dinners, when the brilliant Paul Ainsworth of Number 6 Restaurant Padstow will be cooking up something very special indeed. The money raised from the dinner will be split between two charities, Manna Society, a day centre for the homeless in London, and RNLI Padstow.
Two seats at this private event will soon be made available via auction, and to supplement the prize, we have created a special wine tasting to be held later in 2013 (March, tbc) for the winners to attend.
But it gets better, because four additional places at the wine tasting will be available in the auction also, as stand alone auction lots.
For many, Bordeaux is considered the producer of the greatest wines in the world. Sadly, prices for the most part are prohibitively expensive, especially when it comes to the esteemed first growths. The wine tasting we have put together however will allow the auction winners to sample all of these including a 1990 Lafite, rated 96 points by Parker, a legendary wine from a legendary vintage. For a fun comparison, we've put a 1990 Mouton in the mix too.
In the line up then for the tasting are:
- Mouton Rothschild 1990
- Chateau Margaux 1985
- Lafite Rothschild 1990
- Chateau Latour 1997
- Haut Brion 2004
Furthermore, there will be a glass of Dom Perignon 1998 (tbc) on arrival and the tasting will finish with a Chateau d'Yquem (vintage tbc). There will only be 8 people at this event so this will not be just sips, but near on a full glass of each of these exclusive wines.
Furthermore, the event will be held in the beautiful Wine Room at Alyn Williams at The Westbury, who will be providing canapés, cheese, and a dessert to be paired with the Yquem.
Finally, the host for the night (alongside us) will be Tom Harrow, aka WinechapUK who will be conducting the tasting and answering all your wine and fashion questions.
The auction will be held in December, closing well ahead of Christmas, for this would make a unique Christmas present for any wine lover. 100% of proceeds from the auction will go to the charities involved. Watch our website and Twitter for further details.
Simon Rogan is one of the greatest cooking talents in the UK right now and the past two years have seen more and more people won over by his unique but never less than brilliant food. While his restaurant L'enclume in Cumbria remains the centre of his operation, Roganic opened in London in 2011 to widespread critical acclaim and brought something genuinely new to the London food scene. 2012 meanwhile saw Simon Rogan as the only chef on Great British Menu to have every one of his dishes be short-listed for the banquet with his dessert, scoring 39/40 by the judges, winning that category.
Readers of our blog will know that we have been huge fans of Simon and his food since we first ate at L'enclume in 2011and we were absolutely delighted when Simon agreed to cook one of our charity dinners. Simon and all of his team gave their time without charge to support Manna Society
, a Bermondsey based charity that provides a day centre for the homeless, feeding around 200 people every day of the year as well as providing basic help and medical care. Due to the generosity of many people and organisations, the dinner raised over £8,000 for Manna making a world of difference in the help they can provide to those in need.
As before, we auctioned two seats over Twitter for the dinner, and our thanks to the following who helped us put together some magnificent packages: The Ledbury
and Pollen Street Social
for tables at their restaurants, Le Manoir and the Raymond Blanc Cookery School
for donating a prize and Infusions 4 Chefs
for offering a fun filled day of molecular wizardry, Richard Vines of Bloomberg for volunteering to take our winners for a guest review and Inka Grill
for sponsoring a dinner at The Church Green by Aiden Byrne. We remain massively grateful to Glenfarclas
whisky and Dom Perignon
who have supported the dinners from the start and continue to do so.
We must also say a hug thanks to Goodfellows
who supplied all the plates for the evening, they can be seen in the pictures below how beautiful they are, and Robert Welch
for supplying the cutlery.
And as immensely talented as Simon is, these events are never one man projects. Joining Simon in the kitchen was Dan Cox, Roux Scholar, farmer, chef; Kevin Tickle, sous chef from L'enclume, and from London, the Roganic kitchen team of Andy and Matt. Roganic were also represented front of house with Richard Cossins and James.
There were two other special things about the evening's food and proceedings. First, all the veg that was being served had been taken from L'enclume's own farm in Cumbria. Simon and Dan had picked the veg from the ground on Saturday morning and driven it down themselves. Dan as noted has charge of the farm and therefore had planted this, nurtured it, picked it, prepped it and cooked it - the ultimate in vertical integration. Second, Simon likes to be as close to the diners as possible to provide yet stronger links to the food and that saw us bring the kitchen out the kitchen so to speak, creating a pass next to the dining table as well as workstations with water-baths, a Pacojet, induction stoves and a liquid nitrogen display right there in front of guests. Brave, and very special.
Simon Rogan and Dan Cox
If you've eaten at L'enclume or Roganic, you'll know they do tasting menus rather than a la carte, and that is often preceded by a handful of amuse courses; so it was here. First out was something very special: unfortunately, the one member of Simon's team who was unable to attend the night was Mark Birchall, Head Chef of L'enclume who was back in Cumbria delivering service, however, he did send a little treat down to kick things off - fried anchovy bones. This is a Can Roca special loved by us. Since Mark spent his three months there having won the Roux Scholarship in 2011, he knew we would love this as a way to start, we did, thank you Mark. This little snack is delicious: the anchovies are salted and cured, the bones are removed and placed on a purée of cooked rice and then deep fried. It's the best light crispy salty snack imaginable. This was paired with seaweed prepared in the same fashion. Amazing.
The other amuses were equally brilliant and included a crab and potato ball in crispy pork fat, a stunning looking mushroom bread, a gingerbread sandwich 'buttered' on one side with spiced strawberry jelly, on the other a tarragon mayonnaise, and the middle filling being a semifreddo of bay leaf and rapeseed oil. And as if this weren't enough treats to start, there's a poached oyster and chicken liver parfait too.
Crispy mushroom bread, mint, vinegar
Poached oyster, wild juniper and hazelnut
Cumberland creamed chicken livers
Enough of the amuses, onto the menu: Westcombe cheese dumplings with dried tomatoes, fennel, celery, spring onions and onion broth looks stunning in the selected bowl. The cheese dumplings, made with kuzu are exquisite, and like much of Simon's food, offers some familiar groupings, cheese, tomato, onion, with its own twist, the soft almost melting texture dumplings and broth.
For some, the next dish is one of the real highlights, mackerel in coal oil. The coal oil intrigues, Simon explains that it's achieved by pouring oil over red hot coals allowing the oil to infuse with the coals to give a smoky barbecue flavour. Simon uses this on a number of meats and it recently featured paired with beef tongue at Roganic. The quality of the veg really comes through here also with the own farm peas noticeably contributing to the dish, as does the mustard like dittander.
Westcombe dumplings, dried tomatoes, fennel and celerey
Fresh mackerel in coal oil, peas and dittander
Verbena and smoked curds, radishes and watercress
Bay shrimp with purple sprouting, blackberry and crystal lemon
Thanks go to Kevin Tickle for making the special journey from Cumbria on Sunday to bring us the beef tongue. Here it is served with carrots (in the picture below what looks like an egg yolk is in fact the perfect end of a chantenay carrot), mushrooms, buttermilk foam, crumbs of carrot cake, and dill dressing.
Carrots and beef tongue, dill, buttermilk
Red orach, smoked yolk, purple azur, apple marigold
As if 26 courses were not enough, the next course, not featured on the menu, was a surprise but still welcome addition: crispy duck sweetbreads on a sweetcorn purée. This is very L'enclume, but what follows is a pure Rogan signature dish: vintage potatoes in onion ash. It's dishes like this where a great chef using great ingredients can allow even a humble (albeit vintage) potato to be the star without so much additional fuss; that's real talent.
duck sweetbreads, sweetcorn puree
Potatoes in onion ashes, lovage and wood sorrel
Razor clams with sea herbs, turnips and pearl barley
The sea bass with roasted leeks came with its own marine inflections, dressed with sea sandwort, garlic sand and a cockle sauce which had been set in the shape of a starfish. Brilliant.
Sea bass, grilled leeks, sandwort with cockle sauce
Salt baked turbot, marrow, cauliflower and roasted bone
Randolph Lop suckling pig, Scottish girolles, mustard and chenopodiums
Reg's English Fowl, offal, broad beans, and elderflower
Cumbrian Hogget is a regular feature of the menu at both L'enclume and Roganic. While there are several conflicting definitions of a hogget, consensus suggests it is defined as an animal between a lamb (up to 1 year old) and mutton (more than 2 years old). While lamb remains commonplace, hogget is seldom seen on menus yet as we discovered last year at L'enclume, hogget can be so much better, at least when done by Simon Rogan. To add further depth of flavour, it is served here with lambs tongue.
Hoggett with courgettes, pickled tongue, nasturtium
Desserts were of course fabulous, you'd expect nothing less from the chef who won GBM on the strength of it. We started off with sweet cheese ice cream, a component that featured in the winning GBM dish. Because Simon only uses British ingredients, you wont see for example chocolate on his dessert menu, but what it does mean is that what you do get is usually innovative, often surprising and always delightful.
Sweet cheese and raspberry, honey with rose
Meadowsweet with sweet bracken, lemon balm, rhubarb
Douglas fir and cherries, goat's milk and penny royal
James, Matt, Richard, Andy, Dan, Simon, Kevin
What a phenomenal achievement this was by Simon and team. From what ever basis the meal is considered, the range of ingredients, number of courses, the quality of each of those course, the originality of the dishes, the ability to do this in a domestic home, it left everyone in awe of the talent on display. This was a unique menu, featuring an occasional signature dish but mostly created specifically for the night constituting for many the meal of a lifetime.
It's impossible to communicate in the post just how much hard work went in to making this meal happen but our sincere thanks to Simon and his team and all the sponsors who contributed to the success of the night. The evening, without doubt will make a difference to hundreds of people supported by Manna Society over many months to come.
If you want to try Simon Rogan's food, Roganic
continues to deliver an amazing food experience Tuesday to Saturday while a trip to Cartmel Cumbria will be rewarded with food perfection at L'enclume
. If you want a similar experience to the dinner above, consider dining at Aulis where Dan Cox
will cook you a meal right in front of you allowing you to enjoy a very personal and up close experience.
For a personal view of what's going on in all of the above you can also follow Simon Rogan on Twitter @simon_rogan
Simon Rogan is the award winning chef behind restaurants L'enclume and Roganic, with L'enclume currently rated number 2 in the UK in the Good Food Guide. For those watching Great British Menu this year, you'll know that not only was Simon a finalist but he had every one of his dishes make the top 3 being the only chef to achieve that accolade. He then went on to win the dessert course and cook at the banquet. Personally, we rate Simon Rogan as the best chef currently in the UK.
On Sunday 8th July, Simon Rogan together with his team, Roux Scholar winners Mark Birchall and Dan Cox will be cooking a one off charity dinner here at CC headquarters. The charity is of course Manna Society, a day centre for the homeless situated just off London Bridge.
The dinner features a one of a kind menu from Simon and will be a unique opportunity to experience Simon's food and to interact with the Chef. Wines will also be paired with the food throughout the night.
We have therefore created two exceptional packages for people to bid on to attend this event with help and support from our generous partners in supporting the work of Manna Society. Auction Seat A
A seat at the Simon Rogan dinner (1 person)
Lunchtime tasting menu for 2 people with matching wines at 2 Michelin star The Ledbury
(date to be agreed with restaurant)
Join Bloomberg food critic Richard Vines on the job and participate with Richard in a London restaurant review (1 person).
Enjoy a day at Le Manoir, Raymond Blanc Cookery School
Dinner for 2 at The Church Green by Aiden Byrne courtesy of Inka. Meet Aiden and even get to cook on the Inka if you want to try your hand (2 people). Auction seat B
A seat at the Simon Rogan dinner (1 person)
Table for 2 people at Jason Atherton's Michelin starred Pollen Street Social
(2 people, date to be agreed with the restaurant)
Join Bloomberg food critic Richard Vines on the job and participate with Richard in a London restaurant review (1 person).
Enjoy a day at INFUSIONS 4 Chefs
learning the cooking secrets of El Bulli and Can Roca (1 person)
Dinner for 2 at The Church Green by Aiden Byrne courtesy of Inka. Meet Aiden and even get to cook on the Inka if you want to try your hand (2 people). How to Bid
This couldn't be more simple. Tweet us your bid or email us at firstname.lastname@example.org. Remember to tell us whether you want to bid on Seat A or Seat B.
We will provide regular updates on Twitter and on our blog as to where the bidding is and there is no restrictions on how many times you can bid. Bidding will close at midday on Sunday 24th June. The winner will be notified shortly thereafter.
James Knappett and Sandia Chang are two of the nicest people in the industry, they are also two of the most talented. Both have worked in some of the world's top restaurants including Per Se and Noma, and now together, they are opening Bubbledogs& (read press article here
). When we decided that we would again undertake a small number of charity dinners this year, we were absolutely delighted that James & Sandia accepted our invitation to help.
We decided to resurrect the dinners this year after we became involved with local charity the Manna Society
who run a day centre for the homeless in Bermondsey. They feed around 200 people a day, provide limited medical care, a mailing address, showers and toilets, education, and crucially, advice to help people back in to work and homes. Like all charities, they struggle with limited resources which impacts their ability to feed those who come through their doors hungry, as well as limiting other services. Our hosted dinners this year have the sole aim of raising as much money for Manna Society as possible.
In doing this we have had much help. First and foremost, James and Sandia have given huge amounts of time and energy to make this happen. As has always been the case with our dinners, the chefs volunteer their time and take no payment other than our heartfelt thanks and a beer at the end of service. Down the right hand side of this page are the banners and links through to our partners who have helped make the dinner happen and otherwise supported the charity. They are all great people and we thank them for giving so generously, we'll talk about them more below.
Special thank yous go to Fred Sirieix and Galvin at Windows
, Alyn Williams at The Westbury
and Jose Pizarro
who all helped us package two fantastic auction seats that raised an amazing amount of money (thanks to all who bid too). With that said, we are delighted to announce that the dinner raised in total over £5,000, every penny of which goes to the Manna Society in helping London's homeless.
All the wonderful plates that you can see the food on were donated for the night by Goodfellows
and all the cutlery supplied by Robert Welch
James & Sandia
James Knappett is no stranger to tasting menus given the restaurants in which he has worked and here we are presented with an extensive one, some of which will shortly be available in the fine dining part of Bubbledogs&. The fish courses to start incorporate the best ingredients, the lightest touch from James and more often than not, a twist. The most incredible turbot (from Fish for Thought
) is served raw, thinly sliced with an orange dice providing a fresh juice burst. Cornish Mackerel meanwhile moves flavours up a gear with deep fried ginger adding some crunch together with coriander and chilli, all of which James describes as 'a little warm'; a little delicious too.
Salmon eschews the expensive prime cuts for the belly, very fatty and therefore loaded with flavours. Smoked over woodchips, a twist of lime and sea salt is all that's needed here; if you've not had this before and see it on a menu, it's a must try. Scottish hand dived scallops return us to prime ingredients with a twist, here, beautiful wild strawberries, chopped dill and a lemon vinaigrette. Strawberries and scallops are a new combination to everyone round the table but they work fabulously well together, the strawberries adding a complimentary sweetness, but also acidic juices and additional textures to the very best quality scallops (also served raw).
Eel is next and is a little more daring. The eel is smoked, served with horseradish cream and garnished with the deep fried spine of the eel, the skin, and the cartilage. The deep fried spine is reminiscent of the anchovy bones also served deep fried at Can Roca, and adds a great crunch to the dish.
Finally, in this first section, there's whipped cod's roe and pig skins, the skins being the super light and crispy variety, having been dehydrated before frying.
turbot, orange, avocado puree
mackerel, ginger, chilli, coriander
scallop with strawberry
eel with horseradish
It's ham and peas next but not quite in the traditional sense. Filo pastry baked with a little sugar and milk is draped with ham and filled with a raw pea purée and mint, prepared in the Thermomix kindly donated for the night by UK Thermomix
. It's a fun and tasty transition. Following peas it's tomatoes, arriving at the table as a massive burst of colour on the plate. But there's also cucumber (in pickled and compressed form), melon, smoked crème fraiche, dry olive and cous cous. This is a really fresh dish, the dehydration and compression concentrating the flavours.
Poached egg yolk on a seaweed salad with smoked scallop roes follows. The transition back to the sea is followed by Cornish oysters (River Fowey), butter poached turbot skirts, a medley of sea vegetables (supplied by Forager
) and a sauce from the roasted bones of the turbot deglazed with wine and butter. Too excited by the food, I only realised I had not taken a picture of this dish once I had finished! This is followed by a fabulous Cornish John Dory and cauliflower (roasted, butter poached and raw) and amandine.
'ham and peas'
tomato, cucumber, melon, dry olive, cous cous, smoked crème fraiche
egg yolk, seaweed, smoked scallop roe, crisp bread, seasame
John Dory, cauliflower, pepper yoghurt, almond, butter
Home made macaroni with wild garlic and summer truffles follows (also no picture, oops). Big offal flavours then follow with BBQ chicken hearts, elderberry capers, beurre noisette and crispy chicken skins. Everyone gives them a try, for some, one's enough. Our thanks to Aubrey Allen
for supplying the chicken and pork products.
The two meat courses continue to build on the theme of the highest quality British ingredients. The venison is first and is special for the kitchen as James helped Cornish Game
shoot this a week previously. It's served with radish, asparagus, sauce from the bones and Parmesan; most agree it is the best venison they have ever tasted: tender, moist and awesomely flavoured, it's hard to believe this is not a meat that is marbled with fat. Serving venison this good from a home kitchen is a remarkable achievement, a testament to supplier and chef.
The tenderness of the beef equally surprises everyone, the quality shines. It has been supplied by Warren's
of Cornwall who undoubtedly supply some of the best meat in the UK - it's Warren's beef that we have previously raved about at both Alyn Williams at The Westbury
and Pollen Street Social
. The cut is Jacob's ladder, it's BBQ'd raw, then cooked for 10 hours at 80 degrees and served with onions, smoked bone marrow, pickled mushrooms and the jus. Once again it's a remarkable display of great produce meets perfect cooking; as a beef dish, it would stand up to any served up in any restaurant across the country. As GBM judges might say, it's a gold medal winner.
chicken hearts, elder butter, chicken skins
venison, parmesan, radish, asparagus
beef, bone marrow, pickled mushrooms, onion, turnip
Our cheese course of Burrata with grapefruit and caviar leads us into the final phase of the meal, again with surprising combinations as the grapefruit cuts through the Burrata and caviar.
A trio of desserts finish up: olive oil panna cotta with roasted rhubarb; pear cake, raw sliced pair, dehydrated liquorice, liquorice ice cream and sweet cicely; finally, a Baileys bon bon. All were fabulous. The ice cream was prepared using the Pacojet kindly donated for the night by ChefTools
Burrata, caviar, grapefruit
Panna cotta, rhubarb
pear, pear cake, sweet cicely, liquorice ice cream liquorice dust
To do a meal of this magnitude is never the work of just one person. James was helped in the kitchen by Michael, Aaron and Oscar. Sandia was helped out front by Jack Settle and James. Again, everyone volunteered, giving their time for free to do this, and their hard work is much appreciated.
Jack, Aaron, Oscar, Sandia, James, Michael, James
On the drink front, wines throughout the meal were paired brilliantly by Sandia. The wines served during the the evening can be read here
. And after the food had finished, we were again lucky enough to have a bottle of Glenfarclas for guests to enjoy and we thank Glenfarclas
distillery for their ongoing support of our charity events (readers of our Twitter feed know this is a whisky we adore). Support on the wines was also provided by Dom Perignon
, The Sampler Wine Merchant
and Fields, Morris & Verdin
and our thanks go to them. Koya
restaurant also kindly provided an excellent (and enormous) bottle of sake.
While Bubbledogs& opens soon, at the time of the dinner James, unlike other chefs who have cooked here, had no offsite facilities for preparation. Trishna Restaurant
generously helped out in this resepct, but it also meant that the kitchen team were here much of the weekend for prep. The amount of hard work undertaken by everyone, all the attention to detail, was simply astonishing, we cannot thank them enough; we felt privileged to watch and help out where we could.
James's food is undoubtedly fantastic and Sandia is the perfect front of house; Bubbledogs& is going to be a remarkable addition to the London food scene when it opens later this year, currently expected to be July. The meal also highlighted how blessed the UK is for great food stuffs. All the main ingredients used were British: Scottish & Cornish seafood, Cornish and Devon meats, British veg (supplied by Tayshaw
). And when great ingredients are placed in the hands of a master chef, this is what results.
The night was the result of many contributions, all so generous, our thanks again. The evening will for sure make a difference to hundreds of London's homeless. After the event was publicised on Twitter, we received an email from a chef which we will leave as appropriate final words:Just over 4 years ago I found myself to be in the situation where I was too proud and too stubborn to ask for help even though I was in the most need of it!!! Due to being made unemployed for reasons of the economic crisis that was happening, I found my self homeless and in hard times to extents I never imagined but due to help from certain people who want to remain unknown I was able to piece my life slowly back together, it hasn't been easy or straight forward but today I stand with a determination more than ever to succeed and with your help many more people will have this chance! So with greatest respect to all of you please raise awareness to the homeless problem that not only affects our industry but can help so many more like my self thank you. On Twitter, follow:
James Knappett - @jamesknappett
Sandia Chang - @watermelonchang
Bubbledogs& - @bubbledogsuk Quality pictures
Food photographer Thomas Bowles captured the evening - view pictures here


text:
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Enter Masterpiece Smokescreen! One of the most highly anticipated Masterpiece figures to date, figure includes his shoulder mounted cannons, rifle and minty fresh Datsun/Fairlady Z car alt mode we all know and love! Picture is a placeholder only.
"Super Smokescreen Amazing Kai alpha 0"
Ok I could not right enough cool adjectives in the title to equal my enthusiasm for this Masterpiece.
All the wonderfulness of the Prowl mold is augmented slightly to make this incredible representation of the G1 classic Smokescreen and hits the nail on the head.
Pros: The Colors are perfect and the paint job is so gorgeous you ll find your self keeping him in alt to show off all that beautiful rich red and vibrant blue. Truly makes prowl seem way to monotone. The new bumber and spoiler do not detract from either mode and are executed perfectly and evokes every bit of the G1 classic character.
In transformation it all gets even better. the spoiler does not feel like its even there in bot mode and the while the new grill adds a bit more heft upstairs its completely in line with the cartoon.
The Head Sculpt is my favorite piece it is the type accurate representation that we got with prowl and streak but follows the cartoon so exact you got to love the lack of detail. It is smokescreen 1000%. I only wish prior head sculpts were this show accurate ( looking at you prime )
The odd part is I did not realize how iconic the shoulder cannons actually were with him and a piece that I was going to leave boxed is entirely essential for him to look like him.
Possibly best of the three in tis mold especially with the neat shoulder change for the wheels.
CONs: this is the same grip with all 3 the review mirror piece folding in could be better engineered as it seems forced no matter how you transform it.
hollow feet I do not mind but the clear window piece off the back of the ankle should of transformed into the cavity to streamline him more.
Hands also need a better sculpt for the cost of this figure
Last plastic wheels versus rubber wheels. Always better to go with rubber ones.
Those are as much as I can nit pick and none of them really detract from the figure
"Nissan awesomeness "
Love the colors on him, no issues with this guy. Poses well and looks great with Prowl and Bluestreak
A mint box generally has no noticeable flaws. This doesn't mean it is a C10 box, but that it doesn't have any significant damage to the box. It still may have wear to the window, and a small amount of wear to the box that is noticeable upon close inspection.
A C9 box is still considered very displayable and may have a kink, ding, minor fray to an edge, etc. The box is still case fresh and unopened with factory sealed tape on both sides.
By selecting this option, ToySource allows you to continue to add either instock or preorder items to your stack, as well as change how your orders ship out, which can save you on shipping!

domain: hobby


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You're tuned in to The Presidential Preview Show with DJ Nez. You will be granted access to the best in Indie music sprinkled with the latest major artists. The motto is "360 Degrees of Flavor", so don't be suprised if you hear something out of the box, because that's just how I ROC!!! Stay tuned and grab ya popcorn!!! We're goin IN!!!!
A candidate profile for Tiffani E Mims (R). She's running for president in 2016.
ROBBY WELLS 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WILL BE JOINING US LIVE.
Robby answers the Liberty Candidate questions below:
I) Re. the U.S. Financial System:
1. What is your view of the monetary system in the U.S. today?
The United States faces major challenges because of the Federal Reserve (FED). The Fed is a secret society that has devalued the face amount of the dollar by 95%. By printing money out of thin air, the FED has made the value of the dollar plummet and the prices for goods and services continue to climb. The FED does secret deals with top executives on Wall Street, loans money to foreign banks, manipulates interest rates, and has lined the pockets of those in political power. As President, I will push Congress for a full audit of the FED and have it shut down. According to Article I-Section 8 of the United States Constitution, “The Congress shall have Power To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures.” The Constitution does not give the power to a central bank (FED). This will change under my watch.
in Video Games
Presidential elections are upon us and #eNPR is here to host all the action. We have a special one hour show for you tonight, hosted by three time former President CERB and featuring Presidential hopefuls Dave Gulya, Oblige and SAR97.
Well, we are not done with te 1014 elections but there is no way to to look forward to 2016 and presidential choices. At this point it seems clear the Democrats have only Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden to put as their standard baerers. Pretty sad really seeing that they 8 years to find someone, anyone else. The Republican are pretty pathetic themselves with their lack of variety. It looks like the same or nearly the same group that will bubble to the surface. Republican are terrified about a 2016 primary season that leaves any possible front-runner to damaged to win so, you re not likely to see any real difference between the top contenders in the Republican primaries.
On this episode of Patriot Nation Radio we will speak with Tom Lineaweaver who will be represenying the Freedom USA Party in a bid to win the Presidency in 2016.Plus I will have a special announcement for thursday's show.Tune in at 6:30 pm eastern,and 3:30 pacific to www.blogtalkradio.com/patriotnation
Dr Nevers Mumba is president of the embattled Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD), until recently he was on suspension and sidelined as the party presidential candidate in the upcoming polls scheduled for January 20, 2015 after the death of republican president H.E. Micheal Chilufya Sata. Dr Mumba is expected to successfully file for nomination as a presidential candidate on the MMD ticket after the Supreme Court's ruling in his favor. However, a lot of questions and issues surrounding the credibility of the party's ability to win this election need to be answered. A substantial number of National Executive Committee members supported the former president popularly known as "RB" with yet a group of MPs having openly endorsed the supposedly leading contender of this election, UPND president Hichilema Hakainde (HH); what is the next step and way forward for Dr Mumba and his "fragmented" party. Join us for this Saturday evening special feature as Dr Mumba outlines his strategy for his presidency and the MMD.
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Xiaoxian Ruiyi Commercial Trade Co., Limited
Payment & Shipping Terms:
|Alloy Material:||7075 Aluminum Plate||Alloy Grade:||7075|
|Application:||Aircraft Industries, Aerospace||Temper:||T 6|
|Thickness:||0.125" - 6"||Width:||90 Mm - 2200 Mm|
|Certification:||SGS, ISO9001, CQC||Standard:||GB/T3190-2012|
aluminium alloy sheet,
aluminum sheet plate
highest strength 7075 7050 T3 T4 T6 T651 3mm 5mm 6mm 15mm aluminium alloy plate for aerospace industry
7075 aluminium alloy plate is an aluminium alloy, with zinc as the primary alloying element. It is strong, with a strength comparable to many steels, and has goodfatigue strength and average machinability.
7075 alloy aluminum plate is made of one of the strongest of the aluminum alloys. Its use parallels that of 2024, with 7075 selected when higher mechanical properties are desired. 7075 aluminum is an aluminum-zinc alloy with 1%-8% zinc in addition to small amounts of magnesium and small quantities of copper and chromium.
7075-T6 Bare Aluminum alloy sheet | aluminium alloy Plate is primarily used in aerospace industry, often referred to as the Strongest Aluminum grade. Unlike the Clad, the Bare Sheet isn't coated with an additional aluminumlayer. Alloy 7075 has the strength of many steels, while retaining aluminum's lightweight qualities.
In terms of strength, 7075 Aluminum is near the top of the list among aluminum alloys manufactured for the needs of consumer and industrial markets. Among other 7XXX alloys, alloy 7075 exists as a standard with a solid mix of properties suitable for aircraft and aerospace applications. In particular, this alloy utilized in various forms, including as 7075 aluminum bar, is well-suited for use in parts that endure high stress levels. The strength properties of alloy 7075 are beneficial for the manufacture of items such as aircraft structures, military grade rifles, bicycle parts and equipment, and plastic industry molds.
|Chemical Analysis of aluminum alloy Plate|


text:
FORT MYERS, Fla. — A piece of Fort Myers history is about to be erased from the city’s landscape. A resort motel that was built when Harry Truman was president is coming down and now there is a push to keep it from the wrecking ball.
Brick sidewalks surround Rock Lake Resort, which has been located in the heart of downtown for 76 years. Sadly, the motel is nearing the end of its lifespan.
More than a dozen dolphin fountains surround a well-stocked lake. Raquel Reyes works at the resort and said a huge carp is among the many species of fish living in the lake.
Nine cabins are engulfed in a lush green forest setting. Reyes described it as nature in the middle of the city.
However, nature must now give way to a city landscape as employees have been told the motel must come down since it’s being sold to new owners in September.
Joanne Miller is with the SWFL Historical Society and said little by little the city is losing its historical southern charm.
The simple efficiency rooms remind guests, like Miller, of a different time.
“It’s old Florida. It’s like stepping back into time and this is how people took vacations before computers and jet skis. They were coming to this little mom and pop resorts,” Miller explained.
Michael George lives in New York and his grandfather James Moore built the resort in 1947.
“When I was a little kid we spent all of our time there,” George recalled.
He shared dozens of old family photos that showed the property in its heyday and he explained how his grandfather built the lake after returning to Fort Myers after World War II.
“He dredged the lake of all the rocks and then used the rocks to actually build these cabins,” George said.
He was told the cabins are now slated to come down.
“It’s one of those things where it’s been there this long you think ok…it’s just going to be there forever,” George said.
After hearing the news that the property had been sold and the land will be cleared, George said he and his sister have scheduled a final visit to the property next week before it becomes nothing more than a memory.
“When I go there it feels like I can still sort of feel my parents and my grandparents there which is one of those reasons it’s so hard to say goodbye to it,” George concluded.
The lake is filled with turtles and various species of fish and many people want to know what will happen to them if the property is cleared and so far, there is no answer to that question.

domain: news


text:
Swami’s relationship with his father is very different than the one he has to his grandmother. Swami’s father wants him to grow up and learn how to act “like a man” because he probably doesn’t want his son to grow up under the same conditions like he did. His father wants him to start acting like his age and doesn’t want the grandmother to spoil him all the time. From the point of view of the father, Swami shouldn’t be sleeping next to his grandmother anymore and should start sleeping alone. Swami has a very good relationship to his grandmother, which always protects him from his father and spoils him all the time. However, Swami’s mother doesn’t want to be too involved into the situation and thinks that he’s treated like a little child by the grandmother. The mother wants Swami’s father to confront the grandmother and has to a certain extent the same thoughts about Swami and his grandmother, like the father. Swami’s mother doesn’t want to be involved into the father’s decisions because at the end the grandmother has the last word, which is one can predict from this quote, “ If you mean that your mother is spoiling him, tell her so; and don’t look at me.” The mother can’t compete against the grandmother and doesn’t have such a great impact on her husband. However the father has his own mind and does whatever he pleases. The only person who can persuade or change his mind about something is his own mother. In this story “A Hero” written by R. K. Narayan, he creates a structure, where tension throughout the story rises more and more towards the ending. The author uses comparison to make it easier to the reader to imagine the situation for example, in lines 49 to 50 “He looked like an apparition in the semi-darkness of the passage.” By this a “horror story” atmosphere is created by the use of this comparison to emphasise Swami’s fears. In this story the fears of a little boy are portrayed and how the education of a parent can...
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domain: psychology


In the wake of Pinsky's comments about Hillary Clinton's health earlier this month, HLN has pulled the plug on 'Dr. Drew On Call'.
Shortly after he criticised the health of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, the celebrity rehab presenter Dr. Drew Pinsky has suffered the loss of his HLN current affairs show ‘Dr. Drew On Call’ after five seasons.
CNN-owned HLN announced on Thursday (August 25th) that the show, which launched in April 2011 and has been hosted by the reality TV star and qualified physician Pinsky, is to be cancelled. Its final episode is due to be broadcast on Thursday September 22nd.
In a statement from CNN executive Ken Jautz, it was announced that the network and Pinsky, 57, had “mutually agreed” to bring the series to an end.
Continue reading: Dr. Drew Pinsky's HLN Show Cancelled After Five Years
Bob Forrest was at the height of the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll era of the eighties as he toured the States with his punk rock band Thelonious Monster, taking in every narcotic that became available to him. He took so many drugs and consumed so much alcohol that he became a shadow of his former self, unable to stay stood up on stage, regularly falling unconscious and frequently causing a scene wherever he happened to venture. He went to more than 20 rehabilitation clinics over 9 years to try and get clean while struggling to be around for his son Elijah, until he managed to pull through and turn his life around forever. He is now one of the most sought after and influential drug counsellors in America who has help the likes of so many big musicians transform their lives including Hole's Courtney Love and Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis.
Continue: Bob And The Monster Trailer
Harmless, sweet and sprightly -- but wholly devoid of original thought -- "New York Minute" is the surprisingly smile-inducing big-screen debut of straight-to-video 'tween-queen twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who have made millions off of 8- to 12-year-old wannabes not yet versed enough in movies or culture to know a shopworn cliché when they see one.
This picture is basically more of the same, but with a slightly sharper sense of admittedly lowbrow humor that for the first time gives the bright-eyed 17-year-olds an appeal beyond their fan base of admiring little girls (and unsavory old men).
The girls, of course, play polar-opposite sisters from the New Jersey suburbs -- Ashley is uptight, conservative and studious, Mary-Kate is an innocuous punkette rebel and the (very unconvincing) drummer in a band -- who in the course of one crazy day in Manhattan come to a greater appreciation of each other's individuality.
Continue reading: New York Minute Review


text:
Help poor and needy with their small business, support them to become self-reliant
ZAKAT ELIGIBLE : YES
Covid -19 has impacted us all in one way or the other. There are millions of people who have lost thier jobs and businesses due to covid-19, they are left with no means of earning. As members of a responsible soceity it is our duty to help these needy people in whatever way we can. AMP Maharashtra chapter has identified some needy persons and duly verified each of these. We need funds to help them setup small busineses to enable them earn thier livelihood. Even a small contribution means a lot to them.
Below are the persons who have sought monetory support.
Thier names, Help sought for and amount are given below Jamshida Rais Ahmed - Hand cart -- 20000 Rs
Javid Ahmed Shah -- Puncture shop -- 20000 Rs
Najma Vahid Shah -- Kirana Shop -- 20000 Rs
Shamima Ayyub -- Kirana Shop -- 20000 Rs
Waseem Akhtar -- Hand Cart -- 20000 Rs
AMP MAHARASHTRA CHAPTER

domain: sociology


text:
#1 New Year Resolution
Ringing in the new year is always wrought with good intentions starting something anew.
The number #1 on that list is a new diet.
I researched and found this information at CNN Health and thought I would share.
2022 diet trend is the Mediterranean. This diet choice has made it to the top in other decades as well.
CNN Health is promoting this to be the best diet to follow for various health reason from weight loss to a healthier heart.
The Mediterranean diet seems to be the best one that would fit into the farm to table that so much of us might want to achieve in the gardening world via the backyard patch or the potted patio garden.
So when you are planning one of those other resolutions like implementing a Victory Garden maybe this might be useful in what your choose to plant.
Or it could be like myself, I head to my favorite Greek or Italian restaurants for lunch or dinner to take in a course of Mediterranean fare.
Here is a few tidbits from the article.
"In addition to its top spot as best overall diet, the Mediterranean style of eating also captured the blue ribbon in the following categories: easiest diets to follow; best diets for healthy eating; best diets for diabetes and best plant-based diets."
"Want to make the Mediterranean diet one of your goals this year? Get started by cooking one meal each week based on beans, whole grains and vegetables, using herbs and spices to add punch. When one night a week is a breeze, add two, and build your nonmeat meals from there."
The link is provided below if you would like to view more information and meal plans.

domain: food


text:
Invite you to admire the splendor of the most beautiful flower fields in the world when entering the blossoming season.
Furano, Hokkaido, Japan are famous for lavender fields, along with lupins and rapeseed flowers. Lavender fields in Furano begin to bloom in late June and peak in mid-July to early August. Other flowers bloom from June to September.
Outside the Spanish town of Carmona, the sunflower fields spread over 5,000 hectares. Sunflowers bloom from May to July.
Belgium's Hallerbos forest, called the "Green Forest," spans 1,360 acres. The forest is popular with tourists thanks to the beautiful purple green vegetation, which blooms around mid-April.
Rape flower fields in Luoping, China, blossomed from February to March, making the place beautiful as a fairyland.
Lake Tekapo, located on the southern island of New Zealand, is a popular spot for lupine flower viewing. The flowers usually bloom in mid-November to mid-January.
The Kaas Plateau in Maharashtra, India has more than 450 types of flowers per 1,000 acres. Pink Balsam, yellow Smithia and blue Utricularia bloom in September and October. It is also honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Hitachi Seaside park in Ibaraki, Japan grows 350 hectares of flowers. The park's famous blue nemophila flowers are in season from late April to mid-May. And the green kokia bushes turn brilliant red in October.
The purple fields of Bluebonnet flowers in Western Texas in the US bloom from mid-March to the end of April.
Tuscany, Italy is famous for its beautiful sunflower fields. Sunflowers bloom in mid-June to early August.
Lavender fields bloom throughout Provence, France. Lavender blooms from the end of June to the beginning of the month
More than 50 morning glory flowers brighten the Carlsbad Flower Field in California, USA. The peak flowering season is mid-March to mid-April.
Mayfield lavender farm in Banstead, England, spreads 25 acres. Lavender begins to bloom in mid-June and reaches its peak season in July and August.
The Skagit Valley in Washington is carpeted with rows and millions of colorful tulips. Skagit Valley hosts its annual tulip festival in April. People come from all over the world to see the colorful tulip fields.
Antelope Valley in Poppy Reserve near Lancaster, California, USA is famous for its vibrant orange poppy carpet.
More than 7 million colorful tulips bloom from late March to mid-May in Keukenhof Garden, Lisse, Netherlands, making it look like a fairyland.
Lupins bloom throughout Iceland in the summer, but one of the best places to see them is Vestrahorn.

domain: agronomy


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When you’re on a romantic date, what will your partner see? Could it be your own dress, your own hair, the skin, your body weight, your physique, your own self-esteem, or your social abi sexual chatlities? You are sure that the answer currently: them all. If any one of these brilliant is substantially out-of stability your go out may have the wrong feeling while the night maybe under winning.
Some people desire focus their unique attention using one facet of their unique “look”. Actually however, the image is comprised of several components, which should wow your own day as a unit at the same time. Your picture reflects what you think about your self and exactly how you are feeling you should provide yourself in social conditions. That is why its vitally important to keep in mind one of the most annoying and fundamental guidelines of internet dating â that a person more’s understanding of you will most likely figure out how that essential first go out is certainly going.
The outside world is the supreme judge of how exactly we seem. The good thing is that you will be able to transform your self in multiple means upgrading and highlighting diverse aspects of the picture in order to make a total and extremely advantageous effect. I do not wanna create the notion this is all quick and easy, but tiny changes in a number of areas can add up to a large overall huge difference. Even as we function with this facelift you need to understand that, while outside changes are usually considered superficial, they may be able have a dramatically positive impact on internal attributes like confidence, contentment and real health.
Your own image, the way the external world (plus time) sees you, consists of numerous aspects of look and behavior. It is often asserted that a “first effect” is made in the first three seconds. More over first thoughts tend to stick with men and women quite a few years and you might be unable to undo problems of picture at another time. People with general public internautas or very productive social life are usually “all come up with” meaning that they usually have thought about and dealt with most of these components before you leave the home. By knowing the aspects of picture that create the entire image, anyone can simply take simple steps to discharge their own concealed outbound and pleasant selves.
You can find five aspects of your own physical appearance that partially determine the picture. These are:
2. the muscular body
3. the hair
4. your own skin
5. Your clothes.
Individuals who just be sure to enhance one rather than others tend to be not successful. It may take just a little more time everyday to improve and update regions of weakness, but the benefit with respect to magnetic attraction is generally remarkable. Remember that we are really not discussing the human traits, your understanding base, the inner spirituality, or other good traits. Although “you can’t determine a novel by their cover” or “appearances are misleading” we are scrutinized thoroughly by friends, household, and most significantly somebody hopefully in order to get better as well. We all handle this real life. I’m sure you may be an extremely desirable person-but I also want you to check and act attractive.
There are two aspects of the behavior which also figure out your own image. They truly are the self-esteem plus interpersonal skills, and these tend to be equally or maybe more essential compared to appearance components we simply talked about. The self-confidence will mirror an optimistic mindset that your particular date will appreciate. And great social skills will make the day a particularly remarkable experience or even more. These two aspects of image are learned behavior, and you are able to perfecting and improving these skills anytime. You will want to do it now?
To get ready for that vital go out, think about the process as “inside-out, outside-in” reinvention. This acknowledges the point that the variety of the different parts of your picture are interdependent. Eg, putting on sexy garments immediately alters the way you experience yourself and maybe even means you stand or walk. By making a “shallow” improvement in the way you look you immediately radiate a lot more self-esteem. Alternatively whenever you connect comfortably with someone extremely attractive, your own improved confidence will keep you motivated for attending various dilemmas like clothing, cosmetic, and body weight. Change must happen therefore in two directions at exactly the same time, to make certain that physical, mental, and personal improvement is assumed of as one product, maybe not split problems is managed sequentially.
You really need to recreate your own image with focus on all seven components of picture at the same time whilst choose companionship and really love with some one really desirable, somebody you may have believed incapable of meeting previously. The good attributes that you have today will undoubtedly last the rest of lifetime. Adding in their eyes a newly reinvented and enhanced picture, could produce the full plan that’ll produce buzz, attraction, and friendshipâ¦and possibly even much more.
About Dr. Stuart Fischer
Stuart Fischer, M.D. has continued to develop their special method of fat reduction included from the Park Avenue eating plan Center after years of experience in inner medication, disaster medicine and diet. As an author and educator, Dr. Fischer is actually looked for of the media as a reference concentrating on offering clear explanations of intricate health info.
Today, within his 30th year as a learning doctor, Dr. Fischer has become a presented visitor on various television, radio and net programs, like the Early program, FOX and Friends, Inside Edition, CNN American Morning, great Day ny, CBS2’s Healthwatch, The Montel Williams program and WebMD. For five years, the guy served as host of important indicators, the favorite regular series on nyc’s WEVD-FM, for which he answered call-in concerns for lots and lots of audience.
A graduate of Yale University, Dr. Fischer completed their residency in inner medicine at Maimonides medical in Brooklyn, N.Y. and offered as a going to physician inside er of Cabrini clinic in New york for four years. He also worked with the belated Dr. Robert Atkins once the associate healthcare movie director for the Atkins Center. More resources for Dr. Fischer, please go to: www.parkavenuediet.com.


Animals should time activities, such as foraging, migration and reproduction, as well as seasonal physiological adaptation, in a way that maximizes fitness. The fitness outcome of such activities depends largely on their interspecific interactions; the temporal overlap with other species determines when they should be active in order to maximize their encounters with food and to minimize their encounters with predators, competitors and parasites. To cope with the constantly changing, but predictable structure of the environment, organisms have evolved internal biological clocks, which are synchronized mainly by light, the most predictable and reliable environmental cue (but which can be masked by other variables), which enable them to anticipate and prepare for predicted changes in the timing of the species they interact with, on top of responding to them directly. Here, we review examples where the internal timing system is used to predict interspecific interactions, and how these interactions affect the internal timing system and activity patterns. We then ask how plastic these mechanisms are, how this plasticity differs between and within species and how this variability in plasticity affects interspecific interactions in a changing world, in which light, the major synchronizer of the biological clock, is no longer a reliable cue owing to the rapidly changing climate, the use of artificial light and urbanization.This article is part of the themed issue ‘Wild clocks: integrating chronobiology and ecology to understand timekeeping in free-living animals’.
|Journal||Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences|
|Publication status||Published - 09 Oct 2017|


While college football has become more offensive than at any point in history, you still need a semblance of a defense to win a conference title. Here’s what I believe will be the top defensive units in each Power 5 Conference.

They say you need a great defense to win a championship, but I’m not sure that’s 100 percent accurate any longer. OK, maybe a great one to get to the College Football Playoff, but have you seen the three national championship games in that CFP era? Ohio State won the first one 42-20 over Oregon, while Alabama and Clemson split the past two in shootouts. So it’s apparently more important to have a top offense. But here are my projections for the Top 5 defenses in the power leagues.

ACC: Florida State Seminoles

The nation’s best secondary likely resides in Tallahassee. That group is led by sophomore safety Derwin James and junior cornerback Tarvarus McFadden. Both are on the Nagurski Award watch list, which goes to the country’s top defender (among other lists). During FSU’s spring game, analyst Rex Ryan said that James was a far superior player to Michigan safety Jabrill Peppers, winner of last year’s Paul Hornung Award. James was a freshman All-American in 2015 when he had 91 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, five pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, two fumbles forced and two fumble recoveries. James had a monster opening game in 2016 vs. Ole Miss but then suffered a severe injury in the second game and was given a medical redshirt.

McFadden was a Nagurski finalist last year, Jack Tatum Award winner and first-team All-ACC. McFadden finished with eight interceptions on the season, tied for the most in the country and second-most in FSU single-season history. McFadden and James are two of nine defensive starters returning.

Big Ten: Ohio State Buckeyes

The Buckeyes ranked fourth in total defense last year, third in scoring defense and sixth against the pass. The secondary is a minor question mark after losing Malik Hooker, Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley, all of whom were NFL first-round draft picks. Plus defensive coordinator Luke Fickell took the Cincinnati head coaching job.

But the front seven of Ohio State’s D is absolutely stacked. Tyquan Lewis is the reigning Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year. He had 29 tackles and a team high in tackles-for-loss (10.5 for 61 yards) and sacks (8.0 for 55 yards). Lewis, junior defensive end Sam Hubbard, sophomore end Nick Bosa and junior linebacker Jerome Baker are all on the Nagurski Trophy watch list. Bosa could be further ahead than his big brother Joey was as a sophomore. Joey Bosa was a unanimous All-American and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore. Seven defensive starters are back overall.

Big 12: Texas Longhorns

The Big 12 plays very little defense so I had trouble picking the best of the lot here. You know who ruined defense in the Big 12? Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who introduced the conference to the Air Raid offense. The year before Stoops arrived, only Texas and Kansas State ranked in the Top 50 in the country in passing among Big 12 teams. It was still a ball-control, rush-heavy league back then.

I’m going with the Longhorns because they are set to return 10 defensive starters, led by junior linebacker Malik Jefferson. He was a freshman All-American in 2015. He perhaps took a step back in 2016 at middle linebacker, but still finished third on the team with 62 tackles (42 solo), while totaling 8.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. He also added three pass breakups, three quarterback pressures and a forced fumble. New Longhorns coordinator Todd Orlando announced during the spring his plans to move Jefferson back outside. He should be a terror out there.

Pac-12: Washington Huskies

Here’s another league that plays almost no defense, so I’ll go with defending conference champion Washington almost by default. Last year, the Huskies forced 33 turnovers to lead the nation and only allowed 17.7 points per game. The secondary took a big hit this offseason in losing Sidney Jones, Budda Baker and Kevin King – all NFL second-round draft picks.

But the secondary does return Taylor Rapp, who earned Pac-12 defensive freshman of year and freshman All-American honors after recording 53 tackles and a team-high four interceptions in 2016. Byron Murphy redshirted last year and should opposite Rapp. Last year, Murphy was named UW’s defensive scout squad MVP, and then he led the team in picks this spring. He is the nephew of former Arizona star basketball player Mike Bibby. Six starters are back overall on defense.

SEC: Alabama Crimson Tide

Yeah, it’s boring ranking the Tide as the SEC’s top defense every year, but realistically which other club can you choose? Sure, Nick Saban’s team lost the likes of Jonathan Allen, Marlon Humphrey, Dalvin Tomlinson, Reuben Foster, Ryan Anderson, Tim Williams and Eddie Jackson off the country’s No. 1 total defense to the NFL. Seven of the first 112 picks in the 2017 NFL draft played defense last season for Alabama.

But Saban simply plugs in another five-star recruit. The secondary should challenge Florida State’s as the country’s best with preseason All-American Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ronnie Harrison and Anthony Averett all returning. Overall, five starters are back on D.

It will be interesting to see the opening total for that Week 1 Alabama-FSU game in Atlanta because both teams bring back great offenses as well. The Tide are currently -7.5 on college football odds.

Bet On College Football Futures At SBR’s Top Sportsbooks


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(as of 31 December 2020)


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This interview is part of a series of blog posts to introduce my colleagues in this endeavour. The anthology is available for pre-order and will be released on July 11.
The paperback version is already available!
Twenty-seven writers from around the world, including myself have entered an assortment of short stories for your pleasure, show your support by liking the new page on Facebook and expressing an interest in buying the book.
You’ll find the book on your Amazon for per-order via these links:
You’ll find the Facebook page here:
And here is the fund, in loving memory of Pamela Mary Winton
I’ve been writing all my life but it’s only in the last few years that I’ve realised how much I enjoy it. When I was at work it was part of my job, so it was something I had to do. Now I look forward to writing time.
As a person I’m passionate about certain things. Ibelieve we should all try to be kind to others. I love animals and hate the idea of fox hunting or any cruelty to animals. The charities I support are children’s ones as I believe every child deserves a good start in life. At the end of my life I hope to be able to say I did more good than harm, but I’m not a saint and have made my fair share of mistakes.
Tell us about your writing history. When was the first time you decided to write and when was the first time you did?
The first time I wrote for pleasure was when I decided to do a writing course with the Open University. I was looking through some old diaries and found I’d written poems on all the spare pages. I hadn’t even noticed I was doing this, so when I retired I signed up for a poetry course and I haven’t stopped since.
Did anyone influence you / encourage you to become a writer?
Not really. Someone at work made a casual comment that I was good at writing and then I started to think about it. Over the years I’ve done a lot of studying and therefore a lot of writing. I’m just as happy writing on a computer as by hand.
When did you decide to write in your chosen genre(s)?
I don’t stick to one genre. I belong to a writing group called the Winsford Writers and we try everything. Sometimes you think you won’t enjoy writing in a particular genre and find out that you do. All your writing skills are transferable
Tell us about the concept behind your books.
I wrote my children’s books for my grandchildren. As a child I was always fascinated by magic and so are my grandchildren. I believe that a little bit of magic makes childhood more special. I had a moment to treasure recently when my grandson read to me the book I’d written for him. It was beautiful.
What is your life like outside of writing?
I have a lovely family who are very important to me and I spend a lot of time with them, but I also love to play the piano and at the moment I’m doing an art course. I’m lucky to have a great group of friends, both writers and artists.
What makes you laugh?
I always think I have no sense of humour but suddenly I find myself laughing with my husband at something someone says on the TV. I like programmes such as, ‘Have I got news for you?’ and ‘Would I Lie to You?’
Who would you like to invite for dinner?
I’d like Jane Austen to pop over for a meal. I’d love to chat to her about how she builds tension between her characters and ask her who Mr Darcy was based on.
What are you working on now?
I’m putting together my fourth book of short stories for adults, my second book of poetry, the sequel to my YA novel, The Truth Finder, my third children’s book and I’m also working on a crime novel. I don’t work on one thing at a time as you can tell. I’m also contributing a short story to two anthologies, both being compiled by the Indie Author Review Exchange Group that I’m part of on facebook. The one that’s nearly ready is You’re Not Alone and is out on 11 July 2015. It’s raising money for the Macmillan Nurses.
Is there anything you would like us to know about your books?
The Truth Finder is a fantasy story for young adults. It is a story set in the fifth millennium, of Vrail, a young man who has to learn to live with the difficulties and joys of being able to read people’s minds.
The book was inspired by my wondering how the human race will develop, considering how much we have developed so far and taking account of the way we humans seem to almost self-destruct by fighting each other. It also looks at how we try to improve life.
The Truth Finder can be purchased from Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Truth-Finder-Future-Earth-Book-ebook/dp/B00HSOQUS2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415621127&sr=1-1&keywords=penny+luker
Is there anything you would like us to know about yourself?
I love the friends I’ve made through writing, both real life and virtual friends. Writers tend to be willing to help each other and the group I go to and the facebook one have such wonderful talented people. If you’ve always thought you’ve got a book in you, do join a group and get going. It will open up your world to so many experiences.
If you want to read any of my work here are some links. I’d love to hear from you. I have
a blog: www.pennyluker.wordpress.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pennyluker.writer?ref=bookmarks
Penny is a retired Head Teacher and former Open University Lecturer, who now spends her time with her family, or writing, playing music or painting. She has published several books and is working on many other writing projects. Penny has worked as a volunteer as a writing’s editor for the e-zine, All Things Girl, and is a member of the Winsford Writing Group. She lives in Cheshire, England with her husband and beautiful cat.


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Brazil has been recognized as a leader in global efforts to reduce deforestation and associated greenhouse gas emissions—mostly due to the successful implementation of forest conservation policies that reduced deforestation in the Amazon by 80% below historical levels, and prevented more than 5 billion tons of CO2 from reaching the atmosphere over the last decade. Brazil showed that the policy known as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), could work in practice. Unfortunately, since 2016, deforestation levels in Brazil have started to rise again. What happened?
During the past two years, the combination of an economic crisis and political instability in Brazil has dramatically increased deforestation which rose 24% in 2015 and 25% in 2016. Economic woes led the government to drastically cut the budget for forest protection activities. To make matters worse, the Federal government promoted policies that encourage deforestation, including stopping efforts to mark the borders of indigenous lands in the Amazon, dismantled FUNAI (the federal organization for indigenous issues), and effectively removing protections of those areas of the country that have the lowest deforestation rates, indigenous people’s lands. The government also curtailed environmental licensing and reduced rules of land regularization on Amazon.
A new report “Mapping REDD+ and Land Use Financial Flows in Brazil” by research organizations Forest Trends and IDESAM shows how over US$2.2 billion in REDD+ funds have been used by Brazil to implement deforestation policies, and highlights new ways to make these investments more effective at reducing emissions, including by making payments directly available to the stakeholders who are implementing the deforestation policies such as subnational governments, farmers, local communities and indigenous Peoples of the Amazon. Our study shows that too much REDD+ funding is still being used for preliminary ground work (REDD+ Readiness activities) such as strengthening public institutions and stakeholder engagement. The study also examines the investments in REDD+ and land use at the state level, particularly Amazonas and Acre, two states that have been most strategic and most successful in their efforts to conserve forests and mitigate climate change.
One of our key findings is that it is critical that Brazil move to the more advanced stages of REDD+, with a special focus on results-based payments. After all, the goal of the REDD+ mechanism is to “slow, halt and reverse forest cover loss and the related emissions”, and countries that reduce emissions need to receive compensation for doing so. In a preliminary analysis, the study shows that $80 million is earmarked for promoting low-carbon agriculture in the Amazon. While this is a positive signal that new policies that can provide economic benefits for low-carbon methods are being implemented, estimates indicate that Brazil’s total public agriculture finance is around $55 billion annually, dwarfing the $2 billion that has been spent on REDD+ in Brazil.
Also, while the voluntary efforts of the private sector, particularly from companies committed to zero deforestation in their supply chains, as well as state and federal level climate policies, are laudable, a better alignment of public and private sector (in particular in the agribusiness) is necessary to integrate agricultural expansion and forest conservation activities.
To keep forests standing and forest policies requires investments in policies that can stop deforestation, as well as on compensating actors who are no longer deforesting. Since most countries with tropical forests do not have sufficient funds to support these efforts, many rely on international funding from donor countries under the umbrella of REDD+ to complement their own investments. However, most of the recent funding for forest projects in Brazil has come from the country’s own state and federal public funds. In contrast, REDD+ funding—which has long been a major pillar of forest protection in the Amazon region—has been insufficient for the country to maintain its long-term forest conservation efforts.
The resulting increased deforestation recently prompted Norway, the main donor to the Amazon Fund, to announce it will reduce the payments into the Brazilian Fund, since the rules of the Fund clearly mandate that a country does not get paid if it fails to achieve its deforestation targets. However, up until Norway’s announcement, the funding Brazil received through the Amazon Fund was already below the expected level. The new report by Forest Trends and Idesam shows that between 2009 and September 2016, the Brazilian Fund has received about $1.307 billion (equivalent to R$ 2.52 billion) which does not even represent 10% of Brazil’s emissions reduction potential – estimated at 5.5 billion tCO2 or US$26 billion.
We also find that Brazilian states need to be better rewarded for being the primary agents in implementing and enforcing forest policies. The Amazon states – which have contributed the most to Brazil’s emission reductions over the last decade– received only 9% of the entire $2.2 billion, and have therefore depended on their limited public budgets, that have decreased progressively over the last 3 years. That combined with emission reductions that have not yet been paid for (nearly US$26 billion if all of Brazil’s emissions reductions could be paid for), opens a window of opportunity to mobilize REDD+ funding at the subnational level. To achieve this, states will require greater autonomy in directly receiving international finance, as well as attracting new investors from the private sector.
Our message is clear: to get back on its trajectory of reducing deforestation, Brazil must increase and diversify finance resources beyond its reliance on the Amazon Fund.
More information on the REDDX – REDD Expenditures Tracking Initiative can be found on this link, and the complete study with analyses and recommendations can be accessed here.
More information on IDESAM can be found here.
Viewpoints showcases expert analysis and commentary from the Forest Trends team.
Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter to follow our latest work.


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Erie's Best Trail of Lights
Time & Location
About the Event
Hop in your one-horse open sleigh and follow the Trail of Lights map to collect drive-by holiday treats at featured locations & support local charities!
Follow a curated trail of lights through West Millcreek created for you by the families that run Erie's Best Holiday Lights Group.
Our trail will feature 20+ homes in the West Millcreek area with featured locations that will provide holiday treats and accept donations to some of our favorite local charities.
For more information, vist this event on Facebook!

domain: geography


text:
'All Things Must Pass' is a documentary that explores the rise and fall of Tower Records, and its legacy forged by its rebellious founder, Russ Solomo...
Director: Colin Hanks
Stars: Chuck D, Chris Cornell, Heidi Cotler, Rudy Danzinger
A musician who gave up everything for her dream of rock-and-roll stardom returns home, looking to make things right with her family.
Director: Jonathan Demme
Stars: Meryl Streep, Rick Springfield, Rick Rosas, Joe Vitale
After a humiliating commando performance at The Kennedy Center, the Barden Bellas enter an international competition that no American group has ever w...
Director: Elizabeth Banks
Stars: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow
An aging rock star decides to change his life when he discovers a 40-year-old letter written to him by John Lennon.
Director: Dan Fogelman
Stars: Al Pacino, Annette Bening, Jennifer Garner, Bobby Cannavale
Following their win at the world championship, the now separated Bellas reunite for one last singing competition at an overseas USO tour, but face a g...
Director: Trish Sie
Stars: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp

domain: entertainment