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Address correspondence to Willi Cawello, UCB Pharma, Alfred Nobel Str., D40789 Monheim, Germany. E-mail: email@example.com
Purpose: To test for bioequivalence of 200 mg lacosamide oral tablet and syrup formulations. Additional objectives were to compare the pharmacokinetic profile of lacosamide in saliva and plasma, and to evaluate its tolerability.
Methods: This open-label, randomized, two-way crossover trial was conducted in 16 healthy Caucasian male participants in Germany. The bioequivalence of 200 mg lacosamide tablet and syrup was evaluated using plasma to determine maximum measured concentration (Cmax) and area under the curve from zero to the last time point (AUC)(0–tz). Plasma and saliva samples for evaluation of pharmacokinetic parameters of lacosamide and the major metabolite O-desmethyl lacosamide (SPM 12809) were taken over 15 time points (0.5–72 h) and used to statistically compare bioavailability of the two. Urine samples were collected predose and over five time points (0–48 h) to evaluate the cumulative amount of unchanged drug and metabolite.
Key Findings: Lacosamide median time to reach Cmax (tmax) was 1 h for tablet and 0.5 h for syrup in plasma and saliva. Mean terminal half life (t½) for tablet and syrup was 12.5 and 12.4 h in plasma, and 13.1 and 13.3 h in saliva, respectively. Tablet and syrup mean plasma AUC(0–tz) was 84.5 and 83.3 μg/mL*h, respectively. Mean AUC(0–tz) in saliva was 93.2 μg/mL*h for tablet and syrup. Mean Cmax for tablet was 5.26 μg/mL in plasma and 5.63 μg/mL in saliva. Syrup mean Cmax was 5.14 and 8.32 μg/mL in plasma and saliva, respectively. Within 2 h of syrup administration, elevated lacosamide concentration in saliva compared to plasma was observed. The ratio of lacosamide syrup to tablet was 0.98 for Cmax and 0.99 for AUC(0–tz) in plasma, and 1.00 for AUC(0–tz) in saliva; the 90% confidence intervals (CIs) for these parameters were within the range of 0.80–1.25, which meets accepted bioequivalence criteria. The syrup-to-tablet ratio for Cmax in saliva was 1.48, and the 90% CIs exceeded the accepted upper boundary for bioequivalence (1.32–1.66). Both formulations were well tolerated. Metabolite concentration versus time profiles for saliva were similar to plasma following tablet and syrup administration.
Significance: The tablet and syrup formulations of lacosamide 200 mg were bioequivalent and well tolerated. Saliva samples were demonstrated to be a suitable surrogate to evaluate lacosamide tablet pharmacokinetics in the central compartment. Due to residual syrup in the buccal cavity, limitations exist when using saliva to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of lacosamide syrup <2 h after administration.
Plasma is the primary tissue sampled and analyzed for drug in pharmacokinetic (PK) studies. Drug plasma concentrations are sufficient to calculate PK parameters that characterize drug transport, quantify drug exposure in the body, and provide the basis for PK and pharmacodynamic (PKPD) modeling. A statistical comparison of these PK parameters from two different drug formulations or routes of administration are also used to test for bioequivalence.
In humans, saliva is generated by paired salivary glands (parotid, sublingual, and submaxillary) at a rate of approximately 1 mL/min, increasing to 6 mL/min upon stimulation by the autonomic nervous system (Liu & Delgado, 1999). Saliva secreted during rest periods contains small amounts of proteins as well as sodium, potassium, and other electrolytes. The pH ranges from 5.8 to 7.8; however, this can rise following stimulation (Drobitch & Svensson, 1992; Liu & Delgado, 1999).
The ratio of drug concentration in saliva versus plasma for antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) ranges from 0.1 for phenytoin to about 1 for primidone (Gorodischer & Koren, 1992; Liu & Delgado, 1999). A low ratio does not preclude the suitability of saliva to determine PK parameters. For example, although the ratio for tolbutamide was reported as 0.012, saliva samples were suitable for compartmental PK evaluation (Matin et al., 1974).
Lacosamide [(R)-2-acetamido-N-benzyl-3-methoxypropionamide] is an AED approved as adjunctive therapy for adults with partial onset seizures. Following oral administration, plasma concentrations of lacosamide increased rapidly and reached a maximum at about 1–2 h post dose. PK analysis indicated high oral bioavailability, plasma elimination half-life of approximately 12–14 h, and low interindividual and intraindividual variability of PK parameters (Cawello et al., 2010; Nickel et al., 2008). Lacosamide is eliminated primarily by renal excretion; approximately 40% of the dose is excreted unchanged, 30% is excreted as the pharmacologically inactive major metabolite O-desmethyl lacosamide (SPM 12809), and the remainder as structurally unknown polar fraction (VIMPAT, UCB Pharma SA, Brussels, Belgium).
This article presents the results from trial SP657, conducted to evaluate the bioequivalence of the tablet and syrup formulations of 200 mg lacosamide, and the PK of lacosamide and its major metabolite O-desmethyl lacosamide in plasma, urine, and saliva, and to evaluate tolerability.
This randomized, single-center, open-label, two-period, crossover phase 1 trial was conducted between November 2004 and January 2005 in Kiel, Germany. The trial was approved by the regional ethics committee of the Chamber of Physicians in Schleswig-Holstein. Subjects were randomly assigned to first receive a single 200 mg lacosamide dose (tablet or syrup) followed by a 6-day washout period prior to treatment crossover. The tablet dose consisted of two 100-mg film-coated lacosamide tablets, and the 20-mL syrup dose consisted of lacosamide at 10 mg/mL.
Sixteen healthy Caucasian male volunteers between the ages of 18 and 45 years with a body mass index (BMI) of 19–30 kg/m2 were recruited to participate in the trial. All were required to provide consent, comply with trial requirements, and to have no clinically relevant cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal, hepatic, metabolic, endocrine, neurologic, or psychiatric abnormalities. Volunteers were excluded if they participated in another trial of an investigational product within the last 3 months; performed heavy physical exertion 2 days before the confinement; consumed >40 g of alcohol/day; tested positive for alcohol (breath test) and/or drugs (urine test) during study enrollment; had a history of alcohol or drug abuse within the last 6 months; smoked more than five cigarettes per day or had done so within 6 months prior to commencement of the trial; had a diet that deviated notably from the normal amounts of protein, carbohydrate, and fat (as judged by the investigators); consumed >600 mg caffeine per day; donated blood or had a comparable blood loss (>350 mL) within the last 3 months prior to the first day of dosing; had abnormal vital signs; were taking any concomitant medication currently or within 2 weeks prior to the first day of dosing (with the exception of 1 g/dose paracetamol, which was allowed up to 48 h prior to dosing); tested positive for HIV, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C; had clinically relevant out-of-range laboratory results; had known hypersensitivity to any component of the investigational products; had a clinically relevant allergy; or had a current malignancy condition or a seizure disorder.
Trial investigators withdrew volunteers if they showed clinically relevant electrocardiography (ECG) changes, experienced an adverse event (AE) that did not justify a continuation of the trial, had an inability to obtain plasma samples, or had a protocol deviation that jeopardized the performance of the trial. Volunteers could also decide to withdraw from the trial at any time—those who withdrew were requested to take part in the final medical examination, which included blood draw for laboratory screening for safety purposes.
Sample collection and handling
Fifteen blood samples (6 mL each) were drawn by venous puncture or indwelling venous catheter into lithium-heparinized tubes on days 1–4 during each treatment period (a total of 30 plasma samples per participant). Blood samples were drawn prior to the morning dose (predose sample) and 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72 h after lacosamide administration. Samples were placed into an ice bath immediately after blood draw (for a maximum of 15 min) and then centrifuged for 10 min at 1,600 g at 4°C. Supernatants were transferred into two polypropylene tubes (one tube with at least 1.5 mL for primary analysis and one tube with the remaining supernatant as reserve). The tubes were sealed and stored at a temperature of −20°C or below to await analysis.
Saliva samples (minimum 2 mL each) were collected following each blood sample draw. Sampling was done by spontaneous expectoration (no stimulation). Samples were transferred into polypropylene tubes, which were sealed and stored at −20°C or below within 15 min after sampling.
Urine was collected on day 1 (predose) and 0–4, 4–8, 8–12, 12–24, and 24–48 h thereafter. During each collection period, bottles with collected urine were stored at approximately 4–8°C. After completion of the collection period, two 5 mL aliquots were taken and frozen in polypropylene tubes.
Lacosamide and O-desmethyl lacosamide plasma and urine concentrations were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography methods with mass spectrometric detection (HPLC-MS); hepta-deuterated lacosamide and tris-deuterated O-desmethyl lacosamide were used as internal standards. Internal standard solution (20 μL) and 30% trichloracetic acid (TCA) (30 μL) were added to 0.1 mL of plasma sample. The solution was vortexed for 5 s and centrifuged (2,680 g 10 min, room temperature). The supernatant (25 μL) was mixed with distilled water (0.5 mL) and transferred to an autosampler vial. Urine (10 μL) and internal standard solution (20 μL) were added to water (5 mL) and vortexed for 5 s. A 0.1-mL aliquot was then diluted with 0.4 mL of distilled water and vortexed and transferred to an autosampler vial. For plasma and urine samples, 40 μL was injected for analysis.
Chromatography was performed on a reverse-phase column (Lichrospher 60 RP select B, 125 × 4 mm) using a mixture of water, acetonitrile, ammonium acetate, and acetic acid as mobile phase (1.5 L water, 0.5 L acetonitrile, 0.5 g ammonium acetate, 5 mL concentrated acetic acid). Chromatography was isocratic with a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The detection of analytes and the respective deuterated internal standards was accomplished by atmospheric pressure ionization in the positive mode. Molecular ions for quantification were m/z = 251.10 (lacosamide), m/z = 258.30 (hepta-deuterated lacosamide), m/z = 237.10 (O-desmethyl lacosamide), and m/z = 240.00 (tris-deuterated O-desmethyl lacosamide). Respective calibration ranges for lacosamide and O-desmethyl lacosamide were 0.1–20 and 0.02–4.0 μg/mL for plasma samples, and 5.0–500 and 1.0–100 μg/mL for urine samples. Intra-assay and interassay accuracies and precisions were ≤15.0% for each moiety over their respective calibration range. The lower limit of quantification (LLQ) in plasma for lacosamide and metabolite were 0.1 and 0.02 μg/mL, respectively; corresponding values for urine samples were 5 and 1 μg/mL, respectively.
Measurements of lacosamide and O-desmethyl lacosamide concentrations in saliva samples were conducted using HPLC-MS. Saliva sample preparation was performed by solid-phase extraction on Isolute (Biotage, Uppsala, Sweden) C18 cartridges. Following chromatography with a narrow bore SymmetryShiel (Waters Corporation, Milford, MA, U.S.A.) RP8 column, lacosamide, and O-desmethyl lacosamide were detected by electrospray single-stage mass spectrometry. The calibration range was 0.02–12.0 μg/mL for both analytes, and the calibration curves were calculated by linear regression with 1/χ2 weighting. Intra-assay and interassay accuracies and precisions were ≤10.0% in the calibration range. The lower limit of quantification in saliva samples was 0.02 μg/mL for lacosamide and O-desmethyl lacosamide. Assays for plasma, urine, and saliva samples were validated according to the “Guidelines for Industry” (FDA, 2001).
The main PK parameters for bioequivalence testing were the area under the concentration time curve from zero to the last time point (tz) with a concentration above the lower limit of quantification [AUC(0–tz)] and maximum measured concentration (Cmax) of lacosamide in plasma. Additional PK parameters were AUC(0–tz) and Cmax of lacosamide in saliva; AUC(0–tz) and Cmax of O-desmethyl lacosamide in plasma and saliva; half-life (t½), time to reach Cmax (tmax), and relative bioavailability of test formulation (syrup) versus tablet reference (frel) of lacosamide and O-desmethyl lacosamide in plasma and saliva. Urine samples were used to evaluate the cumulative amount of excreted (Ae) unchanged drug as well as metabolite.
AEs, changes in laboratory parameters relevant to safety, ECG, and vital signs (pulse rate, blood pressure) were evaluated to assess safety and tolerability of both formulations.
Sample size was chosen based on known low intraindividual variability of PK parameters for lacosamide. Main PK parameters AUC(0–tz) and Cmax of lacosamide were analyzed using an analysis of variance (ANOVA) including the factors sequence, subject within sequence, treatment and period. Statistical analysis of PK parameters provided confidence intervals (CIs) for lacosamide syrup-to-tablet ratio to evaluate bioequivalence of the two formulations. Bioequivalence was concluded if the 90% CIs for the treatment ratios were within the acceptance range of 0.80 and 1.25 for AUC(0–tz) and Cmax (EMA, 2001, FDA, 2002). For the analysis of the correlation between saliva and plasma concentrations of lacosamide and O-desmethyl lacosamide a linear regression was carried out with the corresponding data.
Of the 16 individuals who volunteered to participate in the trial, all were enrolled and completed the trial without any major protocol deviation. Per enrollment criteria, all were healthy Caucasian male participants; demographic and characteristics data are presented in Table 1.
Table 1. Demographic and characteristics of study volunteers (n = 16)
Mean ± SD
BMI, body mass index; SD, standard deviation.
28.8 ± 5.7
181.4 ± 6.8
77.2 ± 8.7
23.5 ± 2.2
Pharmacokinetics of lacosamide
Lacosamide plasma concentrations rapidly reached Cmax immediately following tablet or syrup administration. The median plasma tmax for tablet and syrup were 1 and 0.5 h post dose, respectively (Table 2). Mean plasma t½ for tablet was 12.5 and 12.4 h for syrup.
Table 2. Pharmacokinetic parameters (geometric mean with coefficient of variation as percent of mean) estimated from plasma, urine, and saliva samples (as noted) for lacosamide and SPM 12809 after single oral administration of 200 mg as tablet or syrup (n = 16 volunteers)
aArithmetic mean ± SD.
Plasma and urine samples
77.58 ± 12.85
75.42 ± 11.87
51.43 ± 21.44
46.00 ± 20.13
For saliva, the mean lacosamide concentration versus time curve up to 24 h following tablet administration was consistently greater at all time points (range 3–10%) than the corresponding lacosamide plasma curve (Fig. 1A). Following syrup administration, mean lacosamide saliva concentrations were 16–77% greater than plasma at 0.5 and 1 h; however, the difference between saliva and plasma lacosamide concentrations at all other sampling times up to 24 h was 2–12% (Fig. 1B). The slope of the regression line of lacosamide concentrations in saliva versus plasma was 1.025 (Fig. 3B).
Tablet and syrup PK parameters [AUC(0–tz), Cmax, Ae, tmax, and t½] from plasma, saliva, and urine samples for lacosamide are presented in Table 2. All parameters, with the exception of saliva Cmax for lacosamide syrup, were comparable for tablet and syrup.
Pharmacokinetics of O-desmethyl lacosamide
Metabolite PK parameters obtained from plasma, saliva, and urine stratified by tablet and syrup dose are presented in Table 2. All parameters were similar for the tablet and syrup formulations. Metabolite concentration versus time profiles for saliva samples were similar to plasma samples following tablet and syrup administration (Fig. 2).
Correlation between plasma and saliva concentration
High correlation exists between saliva and plasma lacosamide concentrations for all samples collected later than 0.5 h after syrup administration (Fig. 3A; slope 1.10) and for all samples after tablet administration (Fig. 3B; slope 1.03). High correlation was also observed for O-desmethyl lacosamide (Fig. 4; slope 1.05).
Bioequivalence using saliva samples
AUC(0–tz) and Cmax syrup to tablet ratios and 90% CIs for lacosamide and O-desmethyl lacosamide in saliva and plasma are presented in Table 3. The ratios for lacosamide AUC(0–tz) and Cmax in plasma, and AUC(0–tz) in saliva were each approximately 1 and the 90% CIs were within the accepted bioequivalence limits of 0.80 and 1.25. Lacosamide Cmax ratio for all saliva samples was 1.48, and the 90% CIs exceeded the accepted upper boundary for bioequivalence (1.32–1.66).
Table 3. ANOVA results (estimate, 90% confidence interval) for the syrup-to-tablet ratio of primary pharmacokinetic parameters of lacosamide and SPM 12809 with data from plasma and saliva samples (n = 16 volunteers)
Overall, 38 AEs were reported by the volunteers during the trial, with 18 and 20 AEs reported following lacosamide tablet and syrup administration, respectively. Overall, 35 AEs (92.1%) were mild and 3 AEs (7.9%; two incidents of dizziness and one of thrombophlebitis) were moderate in intensity. Fatigue was the most commonly reported AE following both treatments (Table 4), and all incidences were mild in intensity. Thirty-four AEs were considered to be at least possibly related to trial medication by the investigator. All AEs resolved by the end of the trial. No clinically relevant changes in laboratory and ECG parameters or vital signs were observed.
Table 4. Incidence of adverse events by lacosamide formulation (safety set, n = 16 volunteers)
System organ class (MedDRA)
Lacosamide tablet n (%)
Lacosamide syrup n (%)
MedDRA, Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities.
Volunteers with at least 1 AE
A number of different objectives were evaluated in the current trial: notably the bioequivalence of the tablet and syrup formulations of 200 mg lacosamide, comparison of the PK profiles of the two formulations in plasma, urine, and saliva, and their tolerability in healthy males. All 16 volunteers enrolled in the trial received two single doses of lacosamide as a tablet and syrup in randomized order and completed the trial.
The PK profiles of lacosamide tablet versus syrup in saliva, plasma, and urine were comparable, with the exception of lacosamide syrup Cmax in saliva. Lower correlation was observed for saliva versus plasma lacosamide syrup samples, especially those taken 0.5–1 h after syrup administration. This result was not surprising, as residual lacosamide in the buccal cavity from the syrup likely led to concentration discrepancies in saliva samples at earlier time points. A similar outcome was observed for levetiracetam solution as drug concentrations in saliva compared to plasma were higher than expected 2 h following administration of the solution (Lins et al., 2007).
The PK profile of metabolite O-desmethyl lacosamide in saliva and plasma for lacosamide syrup and tablet were comparable. Good correlation for O-desmethyl lacosamide concentrations was observed between saliva and plasma samples at all time points. As the metabolite appears after lacosamide administration, interference with salivary O-desmethyl lacosamide concentrations was not observed following lacosamide syrup administration.
Previous studies have shown that for some AEDs the saliva-to-total-plasma drug concentration ratio is an indirect measure of drug plasma protein binding (Fuse et al., 2005; Incecayir et al., 2007). For AEDs, only unbound drug can cross biologic barriers that separate tissue compartments (Drobitch & Svensson, 1992); therefore, a low ratio of saliva to total drug is indicative of high plasma protein binding, whereas a ratio closer to 1 is indicative of minimal plasma protein binding. In the present trial, the saliva to plasma lacosamide concentration ratios, determined by the inverse slope of each regression analysis, were 0.98 and 0.91 for lacosamide samples collected following tablet administration and for those collected after 0.5 h following syrup administration, respectively. The ≤10% difference for saliva and total plasma lacosamide concentration ratio is indicative of low lacosamide protein binding. These results match findings determined by equilibrium dialysis of plasma samples (Fountain et al., 2012). Furthermore, in comparison with other neutral drugs with a similar logP (a measure of lipophilicity) and known plasma protein binding, lacosamide logP of 0.25 also suggests low lacosamide plasma protein binding (Rodgers & Rowland, 2006).
In contrast, a recent publication by Greenaway et al. (2011), reported 10-fold lower lacosamide concentrations in saliva than in serum and concluded from their results that lacosamide has high (90%) protein binding. The differences in findings for protein binding (90% for Greenaway et al. using serum samples, and <15% for our results using plasma samples, Fountain et al. ) may be due to a difference in methodology. To determine free lacosamide plasma concentrations, Greenaway et al. used a microfiltration (Amicon Centrifree Micropartition System; Amicon, Stonehouse, United Kingdom) and centrifuged the system at 25°C rather than physiologic temperature (37°C); whereas Fountain et al. determined lacosamide binding by equilibrium dialysis at 37°C using plasma from lacosamide-naive patients with epilepsy 12 h following an infusion of 300 mg lacosamide. The equilibrium dialysis results support the salivary concentrations reported in the present study, indicating that lacosamide has low (<15%) protein binding.
Point estimates of the lacosamide syrup-to-tablet ratio in plasma were close to 1 for AUC(0–tz) and Cmax , and the 90% CIs were within the accepted bioequivalence range of 0.80–1.25. Therefore, 20 mL of a 10 mg/mL lacosamide syrup (200 mg) was shown to be bioequivalent to two 100-mg lacosamide tablets.
Overall, the tablet and syrup formulations of 200 mg lacosamide were well tolerated. All reported AEs were mild or moderate in intensity and all resolved by the end of the trial. No clinically relevant changes in laboratory and ECG parameters or vital signs were observed.
In conclusion, the results from this trial demonstrate the bioequivalence, safety, and tolerability of the tablet and syrup formulations of 200 mg lacosamide in healthy individuals. The trial results also support the use of saliva samples to estimate lacosamide PK parameters immediately following tablet intake and 1–2 h after syrup administration. Both saliva and plasma sampling effectively described the PK of lacosamide in the central circulation.
This study was funded by UCB Pharma, Germany. Writing and editorial support was provided by Apurva Davé, PhD, of Prescott Medical Communications Group in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. The authors also wish to thank Azita Tofighy, PhD, of UCB Pharma for her assistance in the development of this manuscript.
W. Cawello, H. Bökens, B. Nickel, and J-O. Andreas are employees of UCB Pharma and have no financial disclosures. A. Halabi does not have any conflicts of interest to disclose. We confirm that we have read the Journal’s position on issues involved in ethical publication and affirm that this report is consistent with those guidelines.

domain: chemistry


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Pencilpushercomics.com is home to the ongoing serial comics of Ben, Carlito, and Phil. These three artists from varying backgrounds met making collaborative comics together years ago. Every week a new page of each of their series can be read here for free.
-Carlito. October 4th. FallCon. State Fairgrounds, MN.
-Phil and Carlito. September 20th - 21st. Mid con comic show. Iowa City, Iowa.
-Phil and Carlito. May 17th-18th 2014. Spring Con. Fairgrounds. St Paul, MN.
-Carlito. May 3rd 2014. FCBD. Source Comics and Games. St Paul, MN.
-Phil and Carlito. May 18th-19th 2013. Spring Con. St Paul, MN.
-Carlito. May 4th 2013. FCBD. Source Comics and Games. St Paul, MN.
Frequently Asked Questions

domain: artistic


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Today only (11/27), Amazon has select Character Toys up to 50% off for the Amazon Deal of the Day! It includes Hello Kitty, PJ Masks, The Incredibles, Doc McStuffins, Disney Princess, Transformers, Trolls, Care Bears, and more. A few top picks:
- Hello Kitty Doll House
- Hello Kitty Grill
- PJ Masks Action Figure Set
- Care Bears Collector Set
- Doc McStuffins Nursery Toy
- Lion Guard Play Set
- The Incredibles Action Figure Set
- Playskool Heroes Transformers Police-Bot
- Zoomer Playful Pup
You can shop the deal here. Prices are good today only (11/27) or while supplies last.
This post contains affiliate links. For additional information, see my disclosure.

domain: entertainment


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Zhik was started in 2003 by the founder of Dolby, Brian Connolly, who had a vision to make high-performance wetsuits for elite athletes after taking up sailing himself.
Mr Connolly began creating clothing and equipment, improving materials and fabrics used for harnesses, shoes and wetsuits. The major point of difference is the hydrophobic polypropylene fibre used in the suits, which can keep skin dry in even the wettest of conditions.
Today, Zhik has 50 per cent of the Olympic sailing market and sponsors more than 100 elite athletes from 23 nations. The company outfits the best sailors in the world, including America’s Cup winners, Sail GP and gold medal teams, and was an official supplier to the Australian Olympic team in Tokyo.
Nightingale chairman Lindsay Phillips said Zhik’s pursuit of innovation was what made it attractive.
“By corner stoning this most recent raise, we reaffirm our belief in Zhik’s vision and our unwavering commitment to fostering the growth of pioneering Australian technology companies,” he said.
The new money – $2 million – values the company at just under $30 million. Mr Belcher said the business reported top-line growth of 45 per cent for fiscal year 2022, and 30 per cent growth in fiscal year 2021, figures largely driven by a lack of supply chain friction despite COVID-19 restrictions.
He wants to double revenue over the next three years, and said the money raised will largely be used for strategic acquisitions for various sailing activities such as dinghy sailing and foil racing, improving loyalty programs and customer experience online.
“The crowdfunding was quite critical for us to continue that momentum. We obviously need working capital investment. We need to upgrade our digital capabilities – websites, loyalty programs – to help communicate to a much wider audience. We’re also looking for targeted acquisitions over the next couple of years to help us accelerate our growth.”
The latest crowdfunding effort was open to investors in Australia and New Zealand, who were given the option to spend anywhere between $1000 and $250,000 dollars on a stake in the business. They were offered discounted products and limited edition shareholder merchandise in exchange.
Mr Belcher is already planning for a second campaign in 18 months.
“We’re actually a very small, small fish in quite a large pond … we certainly have a very strong presence globally in SailGP (the international competition that features F50-foiling catamarans) and the Olympic environment, but when you go down to the local yacht club … a lot of boating and cruises don’t actually still know us.
“We feel that we’ve got so much opportunity in that space.”

domain: news


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MEDFORD, Ore. -- The Jackson County Jail is over-capacity. This means every day, law enforcement is forced to release people it would otherwise detain.
The jail was built nearly 40 years ago. It was originally designed to house about 160 inmates. It has been expanded over the years and can now house 300 during the day and 315 at night. Most days, it houses around 334 people.
This affects many aspects of law enforcement, including the courts.
"The criminal justice system in Jackson County is broken," explains Judge Lorenzo Mejia. "Getting a new jail would be a major fix."
One reason for this is the number of people that fail to show up to their court date.
"Sometimes we have a hundred cases set for arraignment," Mejia says. "We'll be lucky if 50% of those people show up."
A new jail would allow the courts to hold people arrested until their court appearance.
However, the estimated price of a new jail is around $100,000,000.
"I understand it is a big expense," explains Mejia. "I am not a lock em up and throw away the key guy. But basically, if the criminal justice system does not function, that is a real tax on the community, an ongoing tax, where there is no benefit."
Sheriff Nathan Sickler says a healthy jail operates at around 15 to 20 percent under capacity.
Jackson County authorities, spearheaded by the Sheriff's Office, recently produced the following video regarding the issue:

domain: sociology


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Kurt Elling: Nominee for International Jazz Artist in the first Jazz FM Awards (UK)
With three months to go until the first Jazz FM Awards Powered by Klipsch, the nominations were announced on October 22, 2012.
The 34 nominations recognise and commend those who have made exceptional contributions to jazz this year. The awards see new talent and legends up for the coveted gongs and the public will have the opportunity to get involved too with a public vote for the UK Jazz Artist of the Year. The public voting will begin on 1st November 2012.
The nominations were chosen by a 13-strong panel of experts which included jazz journalists Clive Davis, Mike Hobart, Rob Adams, Stuart Nicholson and Seb Scotney; the live jazz promoters Steve Rubie (the 606 Club), Paul Pace (Ronnie Scott’s) and Ross Dines (Pizza Express); and international commentators including John Kelman (editor of AllAboutJazz .com), chair of the US Jazz Journalists Association Howard Mandel and Peter Schulze of the German jazz expo Jazzahead.
The winners will be named at the awards ceremony on January 31st at Number One Marylebone and will be selected by an expert panel of judges including: John Cumming, Director of Serious Productions, Tony Dudley-Evans, Artistic Director of Birmingham Jazz and of the Cheltenham Jazz Festival and Alex Webb, Songwriter, Musician and Journalist.
The Jazz FM Awards Nominees are:
International Jazz Artist
Cutting Edge Award for Jazz Innovation
Album Of The Year
Robert Glasper: Black Radio
Keith Jarrett: Sleeper
Pat Metheny: Unity Band
Gregory Porter: Be Good
John Surman: Saltash Bells
Ryan Truesdell: Centenial (Newly Discovered Works of Gil Evans)
Do The Math (website of Ethan Iverson of The Bad Plus)
Best UK Newcomer
Troyka feat. Kit Downes
UK Jazz Artist of the Year
Neil Cowley Trio
UK Vocalist of the year
UK Instrumentalist of the year
Nathaniel Facey (saxophonist with Empirical)
Ivo Neame (pianist with Phronesis)
Live UK shows of the year
Best UK Jazz Venue
Band on the Wall
Congratulations to all the nominees, and especially to Kurt!


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Before the After Party Oct 2009 by Generic People
CHEW FU & STEVE CLISBY, Fleetwood Mac, MICHAEL CASSETTE, Boyz Noize, Munk and more.
a preview of some of the tune we will be spinning during our 5 our set when we head ti Limerick to take over the Clubhouse of the amazing Trinity rooms on Oct 10 2009
883 Centreforce DAB+ Radio
Dirty Disco | Kono Vidovic
FREAK31 streaming dance!


text:
Our brave, little Mokie was laid to rest on 1/10 as we did not want her to suffer anymore. Of the six dogs that Rick and I have been blessed with in our 26-1/2 years of marriage, Moka was the only pure-bred that we bought from a breeder. Incredibly she spent 11 months when we first brought her home as a puppy with our very first dog, Nikkie, adopted from the Houston SPCA in 1979. We know that Nikkie had those last few months of life thanks to a spunky, lovable Lhasa Apso named Moka Victoria – Moka for her sweet, coffee coloring and Victoria where we had just returned from on vacation in Canada before picking her up.
At six months of age she won in her breed at a dog show but we quickly determined that was not the life we wanted for her. She was always protective of our cats and us. When Tahoe, our tabby that had 2 kittens in the forest decided she wanted to move in with the Schaffers it was Moka that built an imaginary, protective barrier around her and said “back off” to the big, boy dogs in the cabin.
She loved to ride in the car with her little face out the window and just last week she crawled off her pillow while riding with Rick over his lap for a last breath of fresh air out the window. She ate right up to the last day and still came into my bathroom alone with me for her little piece of doggie treat while I showered.
Our hearts ache already with her absence and we know she has carved out a special part of our hearts that only she will occupy forever increasing its capacity to love the others that will remain and someday follow her.
God bless you Moka...we love you.
|10, Jan 2006
|Rick and Lesley Schaffer

domain: pet


Oct 8, 2013, 1:18 PM EST
Coming into this season it seemed awfully unlikely that the Rockies would want Jorge De La Rosa around next year at the price of $11 million, but he was excellent in his first full season back from Tommy John elbow surgery and today Colorado exercised its option to keep him.
De La Rosa was limited to just 11 totally ineffective innings late last season, but bounced back to start 30 games with a 3.49 ERA while allowing just 11 homers in 168 innings despite calling Coors Field home.
At age 33 the Rockies might hesitate to commit long term to De La Rosa at $11 million per season, but on a one-year commitment that’s certainly a fair price for a front-line starter and odds are he’d draw some trade interest if they decided to shop the contract around this offseason.
- Grant Balfour may file a grievance over Orioles’ decision to back out of contract 22
- Former Major Leaguer Gabe Kapler wants collisions to remain part of the game 34
- Carlos Beltran introduced by the Yankees, takes a shot at the Mets 35
- The Grant Balfour-Orioles deal is dead 25
- Kevin Youkilis is going to play in Japan 32
- Hall of Fame voting expert: Greg Maddux makes it. No one else does. (105)
- I don’t know what the best baseball song is, but it ain’t John freakin’ Fogerty (101)
- Happy Birthday, Ty Cobb! (89)
- ‘Tis the season for people acting incredibly dumb (74)
- The Yankees agree to a one-year, $2 million deal with Brian Roberts (74)


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Bristol County Sheriff Shares Photos of Damage Caused in Dartmouth Jail Uprising
DARTMOUTH (WBSM) — Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux has shared photos of some of the damage caused during Friday’s inmate uprising in two units of the Bristol County House of Correction in Dartmouth.
According to Heroux, inmates were told at 7 a.m. on the morning of April 21 that they would be moved from the GA and GB housing units so staff could install suicide prevention measures in the units.
He said a group of 17 “ringleaders” then led the inmates to refuse to be moved, and at 9 a.m., the decision was made to pull corrections officers from the floor and put the units in lockdown.
For the next several hours, inmates trashed the units, causing what Heroux estimated to be $100,000-$200,000 in damage, including ripping out the entire control console for one of the units.
The photos show the extent of that damage. They also show weapons the inmates had apparently fashioned during the destruction.
Heroux said it is likely those 17 “ringleaders” will face charges as a result of their actions. They have since been separated from one another and sent to other jails across the Commonwealth.
According to a Facebook post from the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office, the next steps are “documenting all of the broken items and damage and bringing charges against the inmates,” and “having our facilities team start planning repairs.”
Heroux was already planning on refurbishing the units with toilets in each individual cell in order to allow them to be locked. It would be done using $1.6 million in canteen profits.

domain: law


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Chinese air association to help in Boeing compensation claims
Posted On May 24, 2019
The China Air Transport Association said Friday it will assist member airlines to seek compensation from Boeing for the grounding of 737 MAX aircraft as well as the delayed delivery of future planes.
“China’s airlines are the largest user of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which also caused us the biggest loss during the incident,” said Liu Shuguo, secretary-general of the association. “We will actively support and assist member companies with their compensation claims.”
Thirteen of the association’s airlines by the end of March had grounded 96 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, among them Air China, China Eastern and China Southern.
According to previous plans, more than 130 such aircraft were scheduled to be delivered to Chinese airlines this year.
“It’s estimated that the delayed delivery and continued grounding of 737 MAX aircraft will cause a total loss of about 4 billion yuan by the end of June,” Liu added.


The FAA last week issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that addresses reports of main wing spar corrosion found in certain Piper PA-28 and PA-32 Cherokee series airplanes. This proposed AD would require installing an inspection access panel in the lower wing skin near the left and the right main wing spars if not already there, inspecting the left and the right main wing spars for corrosion, and taking all necessary corrective actions. The FAA estimates the AD would affect 11,476 airplanes of U.S. Registry. For more details and for instructions on how to submit comments before the December 22 deadline, go to www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2017-11-07/pdf/2017-24083.pdf.
The FAA also revised an NPRM originally designed for Textron Aviation A36TC and B36TC Bonanza models to include all Textron Aviation Models S35, V35, V35A, and V35B airplanes that have the optional turbocharger engine installed. The proposed AD aims to prevent
failure of the exhaust tailpipe v-band coupling (clamp) that may lead to detachment of the exhaust tailpipe from the turbocharger and allow high-temperature exhaust gases to enter the engine compartment. The comment period for the NPRM has been reopened until December 26, 2017. For more, go to www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2017-11-08/pdf/2017-24065.pdf.


The excavators market size has been witnessing a major growth during the forecast period of 2022-2030. The market had attained a market value worth USD 44.12 billion during the historic forecast period that had ended in 2019. For the ongoing forecast period, the global market is projected to attain a global CAGR of 4.80% and hence, reach a final market value worth USD 43,126.60 million by the end of the period in 2030.
Excavators are the type of equipment that can be understood as self-powered hydraulic machines. These machines are used for discharge and excavation with the help of a digging bucket at end of the two-part articulated arm. Excavators are precisely functioning as heavy construction machines, which are used in a variety of market applications such as well sinking, trench digging, and others like land leveling.
The onset of the novel coronavirus pandemic has been a huge blow to the excavators’ market share that was anticipated to grow during the forecast period that will be ending in 2028. The limitations like the implementation of lockdown followed by the rising need for employment and funds are hampering the ability of the market to grow. However, as the period commences, the global market operations are likely to commence with the ease of restrictions and hence, positive attributes are in store for the market.
The excavators market is witnessing the birth of a major degree of competition owing to the recent developments and the rising investments in the research and development department for product portfolios and innovation in the global market premises by the following market segments:
The growth of the excavators market is projected to be majorly driven by huge investments in infrastructure projects and commercial activities such as mining which have led to increased use of excavators. The rising degree of the implementation of stringent government regulations that have been rolled relating to emission control have led to the development of environment-friendly equipment, which is expected to drive the demand of the market during the forecast period that will be ending in 2028. Also, the excavators market value trends suggest that there has been a rising degree of collaboration between rental fleet owners and excavator producers and manufacturers that is also expected to drive the growth of the market as they provide excavators at very low cost which falls in the spending capacity of the market consumers and global target audience. The rise in investments is also likely to push the market size towards expansion.
The global growth of the excavators’ market share will be restrained by the rise in eminent market factors such as high maintenance costs. Also, the market is witnessing the birth of trends that support the constant need for technical support and increased emission norms. These challenges should be dissolved if the manufacturers aim to have a profit forecast for the ongoing period for the global market.
The emphasis of excavator market producers and manufacturers is growing on the wide degree of development of efficient and technologically advanced products with better control systems that are available for the global target audience. This is likely to help in making the use of excavators easier, thereby driving the growth of the market as per the projections that have been made for the forecast period that will be ending in 2028. Also, the global market is witnessing the emergence of huge funds and investments for the research and development of new products and market portfolios that will help in giving rise to technology followed by its implementation for the forecast period, thus benefitting the target audience.
The excavators market has been segmented based on the power range and includes sub-segments like 0-300 Hp, 301-500 HP, followed by 501 and above HP. These segments are likely to play a major role in developing and meeting the various rising needs of the global target audience.
The global excavators market has been segmented based on mini vehicles, heavy vehicles, wheeled vehicles, followed by crawlers. The mini excavators further include a backfill blade followed by a boom swing.
The excavators market has been segmented based on the end-users and includes some like infrastructure, mining, followed by the waste management sector.
The Asian Pacific, as a part of the growing excavators market size is likely to undergo the maximum market growth during the forecast period that will be ending in 2028. The APAC region is dominating the global excavator market, and it has been led by the growth in infrastructure development and a huge degree of rising urbanization in developing nations such as China. The booming construction market in the APAC region is further expected to drive the growth of the market during the ongoing period that ends in 2028. In the European region, the excavator market share is observing a decline due to a decrease in construction expenditure and low investment in the non-residential construction and infrastructure market.
The excavators market report consists of the discussion of the extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative and quantitative aspects by various industry experts followed by the key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance during the forecast period that ends in 2028. The global market report helps to give a clear market picture of the current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value, technological advancement, and the explicit governing factors in the market. The global market report provides detailed information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The global market report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions on the international market scale.
|Market Size||USD 43,126.60 million|
|Forecast Period||2022 to 2030|
|Historical Data||2019 & 2020|
|Forecast Units||Value (USD Million)|
|Report Coverage||Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends|
|Segments Covered||Types, End User, Application|
|Geographies Covered||North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW)|
|Key Vendors||Caterpillar Inc. (U.S.), Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (Japan), Komatsu Ltd. (Japan), Volvo Construction Equipment (Belgium), Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG) (China), Terex Corporation (U.S.), JCB Ltd. (U.K.), Sandvik AB (Sweden), Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (South Korea) and others.|
|Key Market Opportunities||Growth in infrastructure development and rise in urbanization in developing nations|
|Key Market Drivers||
Excavators are self-powered hydraulic machines used for discharge and excavation with the help of a digging bucket at the end of a two-part articulated arm. Excavators are heavy construction machinery and are used in applications such as well sinking, trench digging, and land levelling.
Major product types in the excavator market include mini/compact and crawler/wheeled.
The growing construction industry is likely to be a major driver for the global excavator market.
Asia Pacific is the dominant regional market for excavators.
Leading players in the global excavators market include Caterpillar, Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group, and Komatsu, among others.
The global market is likely to attain a global CAGR of 4.80%.


BT’S network division, Openreach, says it’s exploring the potential for “a large-scale” fibre-to-the-premises roll-out, potentially boosting the maximum broadband speeds routinely achievable over its network.
Openreach manages and maintains BT’s core network which today uses a mix of copper and fibre to deliver broadband and phone services to UK households and businesses.
The network is used by more than 580 communications providers, including BT’s retail rivals Sky and TalkTalk, some of which claim the company has an interest in prolonging its use of existing copper infrastructure to cut costs.
Most ‘fibre’ broadband connections over BT’s network use copper cabling to make the final connection to the premises, a connection known as fibre-to-the-cabinet, and are limited to a maximum speed of 80Mbps.
However fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) completely eliminates copper and directly connects the fibre connection to the user, allowing far greater speeds to be delivered.
Openreach has previously expressed an ambition to connect FTTP to millions of homes and businesses by the end of 2020 but today said it will consult this summer with communications providers using its network about a potentially expanded roll-out.
Clive Selley, Chief Executive of Openreach said:“We are committed to continuing our investment in the infrastructure Britain needs to support our thriving digital economy.
“We want to work closely with communications providers to explore how we do that.
“With the right conditions we could make full fibre connections available to as many as 10 million homes and businesses by the mid-2020s, but we need to understand if there’s sufficient demand to justify the roll-out, and support – across industry, Ofcom and government – for the enablers needed to build a viable business case.”
Selly has also announced a consultation on the deployment of Long Reach VDSL, a technology which allows it to boost speeds delivered to properties located further away from its cabinets.
He said: “We’ve been working hard to develop faster, affordable ways to connect remote locations and we’ve been pleased with the initial technical field results of our Long Reach VDSL trials, but we need communications providers’ support to make sure their customers can be upgraded and migrated smoothly to this new platform.”


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Jay Kinsinger’s wooden bicycles are anything but old fashioned
By Abigail Brubaker
The “Ride-able Art” of Jay Kinsinger The 21st-century understanding of the bicycle is almost invariably inorganic. Bicycles, grouped with other forms of transportation, are thought of in metallic, manmade materials—although, in fact, the first bicycles were made of wood. Against the ubiquitous frames of titanium and carbon fiber, the work of Jay Kinsinger is a beautiful reminder that natural materials can be just as strong and functional as their manufactured counterparts. Jay, a professor of engineering at Cedarville University, has built fifteen wooden bicycle frames since 2011 and has walked a number of other people through the process of building their own bikes. In creating his frames, Jay brings together two of his lifelong passions; he has been working with wood since around age five, and riding bicycles since six.
The making of a wooden frame is no simple feat. Jay’s first took somewhere between 350 and 400 hours to complete over the course of five months, although he has cut that time down to about 100 hours for his more recent creations. He begins by creating two full-sized drawings with a CAD (Computer Aided Design) system, adhering the drawings to plywood or fiberboard, and cutting two templates: one for the exterior shape of the frame and one for the hollow interior cavities. For the frame itself, he prefers to use walnut, which he appreciates for its strength, lightness, and beauty. (Other woods, such as spruce, ash, hickory, and mahogany, could also be used.) The inside of the frame is reinforced with steel in several places. After being roughed in with a router, the outside is shaped with chisels, rasps, files, and sanding, then finished with a dozen coats of gunstock oil.
Jay’s creations are hollow and weigh less than steel bike frames; however, their lightness is no indication of their sturdiness. The wooden frames have been tested according to the rigorous standards of the bicycle industry and have passed with excellent results. One test involved applying pressure to a certain section of the frame until it buckled. While a steel frame will begin to fail at 800 pounds, Jay’s wooden frame held out until 1,800 pounds. The orientation of the wood grain in relation to the stress being applied is a crucial factor in the strength of the frames: when the grain is perpendicular to the stress, the frame passes (and surpasses) industry standards. In addition to lab testing, Jay’s bikes have seen many miles of use by himself and his family of cyclists, both at home and abroad. A wooden tandem bike supported Jay and his son on a cross-country camping trip, and that tandem joined four folding wooden bikes to accompany the family on a bicycle tour through Europe.
Jay is often asked why he chooses to use wood for his bicycle frames. He has a long list of answers to this question. Wood provides a huge number of design opportunities, from the many types of wood to the unlimited possibilities for shape to the option of additions like carvings and inlays. Wood also absorbs vibration, making for a smoother ride. Scratches and dings can be easily sanded away on a wooden frame, whereas such marks are much more difficult to remove from metal. A wooden frame can be built using basic woodworking tools, with no need for welding, which means no need for expensive welding equipment. As a resource, wood is sustainable—in Jay’s words, “it’s hard to find anything ‘greener’ than a tree.” His final point is a simple one: wood is a beautiful material. It can be breathtaking to see the detail of the grain come into vivid focus after sanding and finishing. In spite of the time and effort that wood requires in comparison to other materials, Jay has more than enough reason to prefer it.
The positive response to Jay’s bicycles has been significant; he has received many awards at judged competitions, including two Best of Shows in Dayton Carvers Artistry in Wood, Best of Show in the 2014 North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show, and Best of Show from Bicycling Magazine in 2014. On a day-to-day basis, the frames draw a good deal of attention at bike rallies and on the street. Jay calls his work “rideable art,” and it is easy to recognize the artistry present in the smooth lines and sleek finish of his frames. As striking as they are durable, Jay’s bicycles are a reminder that even today, wood has not lost its place as a distinctive, reliable medium.
Jay’s website can be found at sojournercyclery.com.
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Hello! My name is Danilo. It is a little about myself: I live in Brazil, my city of Caruaru.It's called often Eastern or cultural capital of PE. I've married 4 years ago.I have two children - a son (Eliza) and the daughter (Kelli). We all like Rock climbing.
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Hoi An City Tour And My Son Sanctuary From Da Nang
OverviewTwo tours to two different UNESCO World Heritage Sites in one day. One to the ancient Champa Kingdom of My Son, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was the spiritual and political capital of the Champa Kingdom from the 4th to 13th Century and a comprehensive walking tour through the delightful Hoi An Ancient Town. Which has remained virtually unchanged through the centuries.
- All entrance fees included
- Free hotel pickup and drop-off included
- Great overview and orientation of the city
Know More about this tour
We will begin our day trip with a visit to the capital and religious center of the former Champa Kingdom, My Son, which has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Beautifully situated in a lush green valley, there are dozen of red brick towers and sanctuaries dating from between the 7th and 13th century. The My Son Sanctuary is a remarkable architectural ensemble that developed over a period of ten centuries. It presents a vivid picture of spiritual and political life in an important phase of the history of South-East Asia. After concluding the first half of the tour, we will return to Hoi An and enjoy a delicious lunch. Built, establishing My Son as a sanctuary of Hinduism in the Champa Kingdom.
In the afternoon, we will discover the city of Hoi An on foot. The historic town, which used to be a prosperous seaport city from the 16th to 18th century, is now a wonderful city that cannot be missed while touring the Southeast Asian region. While walking through the city, we will make a few stop to visit Hoi An Museum, many of the towns renowned Ancient Houses which boast remarkable architecture, Assembly Halls of Chinese influence; Art Craft Manufacturing Workshop and of course the must-see Japanese Covered Bridge.
Inclusions for Hoi An City Tour And My Son Sanctuary From Da Nang
- Transfer and transportation as per itinerary
- Entrance fees
- Bottled drinking water
- English speaking tour guide (other languages available upon request)
- Travel insurance
Exclusions for Hoi An City Tour And My Son Sanctuary From Da Nang
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses such as: shopping, telephone, beverage, etc.
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- If you cancel within 3 calendar days (72 hours) of the scheduled departure time, the cancellation charge will be 100% of the undiscounted tour price.
- If you cancel between 4 to 7 Calendar days before scheduled tour departure,the cancellation charge will be 50% of the undiscounted tour price.
- If you cancel at least 8 calendar days in advance of the scheduled departure time, there is no cancellation fee. You will receive Full Refund for the paid amount.
- Please note that in case of No show, the cancellation charge will be 100% of the listed tour fare.
- Please note tours booked using discount coupon codes will be non refundable.
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- Half-Day Da Nang Shopping Tour
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- Half-Day Da Nang City Sightseeing with Evening Food Tour Option
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- 3-Day Hue, Vinh Moc and Paradise Cave Tour from Da Nang


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Moon Charleston & Savannah (Travel Guide) (Paperback)
Whether you're relaxing on a romantic beach, soaking up the rich history, or reveling in the Southern hospitality, dig into these fun-loving sister cities with Moon Charleston & Savannah.
- Explore the cities: Navigate by neighborhood or by activity with color-coded maps of both Charleston and Savannah
- See the sights: Browse the museums on Savannah's historic River Street, take a carriage ride through Charleston's French Quarter, or check out the wares at the Old City Market. Visit Civil War battlefields, check out the First African Baptist Church, and learn about the area's important African American history
- Get a taste of the South: Sample classic shrimp and grits, juicy barbecue, or seafood straight off the boat. Savor innovative cuisine at James Beard Award-winning restaurants, and discover up-and-coming spots focusing on local, sustainable ingredients
- Bars, entertainment, and nightlife: Watch the sunset from a rooftop bar, see what's on tap at a craft brewery, or mingle with the locals at a French Quarter dive. Catch a live gig from the next big indie band, sip swanky artisan cocktails, or indulge in Savannah's to-go cup tradition on a stroll through the Historic District
- Honest advice: Jim Morekis was born and raised in Savannah and shares his local insight into these beautiful cities
- Itineraries and day trips: Follow itineraries designed for families, beach lovers, history buffs, foodies, and more, and get outside the city with full chapters on Hilton Head and the Lowcountry and the Golden Isles
- Helpful resources on COVID-19 and traveling to Charleston and Savannah
- Full-color photos and detailed maps
- Handy tools: Background information on the area's landscape, history, and culture, tips on getting there and getting around, and advice for travelers with disabilities, families with children, seniors, and LGBTQ+ travelers
Hitting the road? Try Moon Blue Ridge Parkway Road Trip or Moon U.S. Civil Rights Trail.
About Moon Travel Guides: Moon was founded in 1973 to empower independent, active, and conscious travel. We prioritize local businesses, outdoor recreation, and traveling strategically and sustainably. Moon Travel Guides are written by local, expert authors with great stories to tell—and they can't wait to share their favorite places with you.
For more inspiration, follow @moonguides on social media.
About the Author
Maybe its because he was born in the same hospital as Flannery O'Connor, but there's no doubt that Jim Morekis has writing in his blood. As longtime editor-in-chief of the weekly newspaper Connect Savannah, the University of Georgia graduate has written about and experienced pretty much every cultural happening in the area. He credits his love of travel to his mother, Elizabeth, who was John Berendt's travel agent during his stint in Savannah while writing Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
As for the ongoing debate over which city is better, Charleston or Savannah, Jim calls it a tie: Charleston has better long-term planning, but Savannah has to-go cups (allowing anyone to explore the Historic District with a beer or cocktail in hand).

domain: travel


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Interview with Michael Morpurgo
1 March 2010Add to My Folder
Rated 4/5 from 3 ratings (Write a review)
Michael Morpurgo talks about young writers, World Book Day and the books that made him want to become an author
How did your involvement with the Wicked Young Writers’ Award come about?
Many years ago I had been a judge on another award for young people’s writing – The WHSmith Award that ran for about 30 years. When this award stopped because of lack of funding and the fact that teachers were so overburdened with the demands of the curriculum and testing and didn’t have time to encourage this kind of creativity within schools, I always felt that the award had left a big gap. When the organisers of this new award – Wicked Productions – who have created the musical Wicked, approached me to be a judge on this new award for writing, I was really pleased. What makes this award unique is the breadth of its appeal spanning a wide age range and allowing children and young people to write on any theme and style.
At what age did you realise that you enjoyed writing your own stories?
I wasn’t particularly gifted with writing at school and wasn’t much good at reading either as a young boy, but I loved stories. I loved hearing them being read to be me in particular and the music in them. My mother would read to me all kinds of things – the Just So stories, The Jungle Book and then later Beowulf and Treasure Island. I loved the sound of her voice. She was an actress and really brought these adventures to life. I was completely hooked. I suppose it was partly drinking in all these stories that stayed with me all my life. When I finally became a teacher, there was a moment one afternoon in class at the end of the day that I was reading a story to my Year 5 class. They were tired and not interested, and I realised that what I was reading to them just wasn’t any good. So I went home that night and wrote up something of my own and then told it in extracts over the week. The children seemed to like it and when the bell went at the end of the day, they didn’t want to leave. That gave me such a sense of excitement and I realised for the first time that perhaps I could do this.
It’s World Book Day on Thursday 4 March. Which books particularly inspired you when you were at school?
There were many of course but one that really stands out is Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton. I loved this picture book and think it might be the first book I ever read for myself. It helped that the hero and I shared the same name. Wonderfully illustrated, it had the most satisfactory of all endings. Then there was The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde. This was the first story that ever made me cry. What was strange was that I wanted to read it over and over again. It still has the power to make me cry. I loved Rudyard Kipling and particularly The Elephant’s Child and The Jungle Book. My mother used to read me The Elephant’s Child often because I asked for it again and again. I loved the sheer fun of it, the music and the rhythm of the words. It was subversive too. It’s still my favourite story.
What is your all-time favourite children’s book? What current children’s books have caught your attention?
It would probably have to be Treasure Island by R. L. Stevenson. This book was a huge inspiration and was really the first real book that I loved. Jim Hawkins was the first character that I identified with totally. I lived this book as I read it. I don’t tend to read many other children’s books – I would love to but there just isn’t time, but I do love picture books. Emma Chichester Clark’s Alice in Wonderland is wonderful and recently Michael Foreman, who illustrates a lot of my books has republished a wonderful picture book and story that he wrote in 1960 called The General. It’s a story about peace and appreciating the beauty of the world around you.
Which books have you most enjoyed reading aloud to children?
From my own stuff, I love reading a whole story out loud so something like Angel Wings that I do as a performance at Christmas time with a wonderful group of singers called Coope, Boyes and Simpson. We’ve performed this all over the UK in theatres and at festivals. I love reading to people of all ages. There is something amazing about taking the audience on a journey with you through the story.
To be a writer you need to drink in the world around you so it’s always there in your head. Finally, try and live inside your story, hear and feel it all around you and become the characters
You’ve written adaptations of traditional stories such as Hansel and Gretel, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf. What are the differences between inventing your own stories and adapting existing ones?
When I am retelling a well-known ancient poem, like Gawain, or a folktale or a some ancient legend, I try to find a way of telling it in my own voice, as if the listener of today was right in front of me. So, I have used language that will be readily understood, but if I can I try to echo the tone and rhythm of the original text – if there is one. I do not keep strictly to every detail of the old story either. I try to interpret it in such a way as to make it exciting and meaningful, both to me and to a modern audience. And that, of course, is how retelling has always happened over the centuries, each generation of writers reinventing for their contemporaries. When I am writing a retelling I do feel in some way that I am like an actor. The story of the play is not mine, but I am the one living it, interpreting it. So I tell it as I see it, as I feel it.
Retelling is also a wonderful exercise for me in between my other books. These old stories have stood the test of time, thousands of years sometimes. I can learn from them, just as an artist can learn from copying great pictures. Each time I do this, it reminds me how the best of storytelling should be, and I find that truly inspirational, and instructive too. When you are writing, you should be learning all the time. There is so much I can learn from these amazing stories. The next one of mine you can read will be The Pied Piper of Hamelin, out next year, wonderfully illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark.
What advice would you give to a young writer trying to decide what to write about?
Always write because you love it and not because it is something that you think you should do. Try to write about something or somebody you know about – something that you feel deeply and passionately about. Never force it. Probably the most important thing is to try to live an interesting life. Keep your eyes, ears and heart open. Talk to people and visit interesting places, and don’t forget to ask questions. To be a writer you need to drink in the world around you so it’s always there in your head. Finally, try and live inside your story, hear and feel it all around you and become the characters.
What advice would you give to a teacher trying to encourage a reluctant or unconfident child to write creatively?
This is a difficult one. I think the main thing as a teacher – or it certainly was for me – is to try to pass on what we love, to convince and convert with our own enthusiasm. When I’m telling a story or writing it I really mean it and the reader knows it. It’s difficult but we mustn’t fake it with children as they see right through us. If as a teacher you love stories, love the music in stories and poems, then you can pass on that passion to your children, and create readers and writers.


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Take part in the Championship and become the Master of Pastel!
A new collection is always a good opportunity for a bit of fun. This spring, we are looking for a Master of Pastel - a real charmer of pastel designs. Grab your favourite colours from the new collection and take part in our Championship!
What can you win?
The main prize is the title of Master of Pastel and the only and unique trophy. Is that all? Of course not! The winning nail stylist will also be a special guest in one of the episodes on our YouTube channel, where we will present how to prepare a masterful styling step by step. The stylist who takes second place will receive a set of 20 randomly selected gel polishes, and for the remaining semi-finalists - sets of 3 selected gel polishes.
Okay, how to enter?
Master of Pastel must be a pastel manicure virtuoso, which is why the Championship is divided into three stages:
Stage I - qualifications
We start with entries. Create a design in which one of the new Master of Pastel collection colours will play the main role and show it in a photo on your Instagram with the dedicated hashtags. In the photo, in addition to the beautiful mani, there must also be a bottle with the gel polish used. We will choose designs with the next colours for four consecutive days:
- Round 1: Design with Miss Muffin or Trele Morele. In the photo description, mark the profile @indigonails and add the hashtags #zostanmasterofpastel and depending on the colour used: #missmuffinmistrzstwa or #trelemorelemistrzstwa
- Round 2: Design with Melonholic or Eggstra. In the photo description, mark the profile @indigonails and add the hashtags #zostanmasterofpastel and, depending on the colour used: #molonholicmistrzstwa or #eggstramistrzstwa
- Round 3: Design with MarmoLady or Ice Dream. In the photo description, mark the profile @indigonails and add the hashtags #zostanmasterofpastel and depending on the colour used: #marmoladymistrzstwa or #icedreammistrzrzenia
- Round 4: Design with Mr Pan Cake or Easter Twister. In the photo description, mark the profile @indigonails and add the hashtags #zostanmasterofpastel and depending on the colour used: #mrpancakemistrzstwa or #eastertwistermistrzstwa
Remember that you can use all Indigo products, but the Master of Pastel collection's colours must take the lead in your design. Each round will last two days, during which you must post a photo with the correct colour. In each round, 6 designs will be selected (3 of each colour), which will be published the next day by 12:00 PM. If your design will not be selected - nothing is lost. You can still try in subsequent rounds. Or, you can create two looks in one round, increasing your chances. The educators from the Headquarters will be responsible for selecting the best works!
What happens next? Let's find out!
Stage II - semi-final
Four stages of six works give us 24 people who will go to the semi-finals. What task will the nail stylists face at this stage?
Each of the semi-finalists will have to create a design inspired by the Head Office Educators' designs and then show it on Instagram. Marks and hashtags? Of course! The classic @indigonails profile as well as #zostanmasterofpastel and #masterofpastelpolfinal.
This time the best works will be selected by #indigogirls! On a specially designed website, the audience will vote by selecting two finalists. And while we're at the final ...
Stage III - the grand finale!
In the grand finale, we focus on creativity. The task will be to create and write a culinary recipe for the design themed "Variation with Master of Pastel" and then create it and publish it on Instagram with the hashtags #zostanmasterofpastel and #masterofpastelfinal, as well as the tag @indigonails.
#Indigogirls will be judges again, and they will select the best design of the Championships by voting, this time on Instagram. Who will win the Master of Pastel title? Whose salon will the trophy go to? Who will be the special guest in the episode on the Indigo YouTube channel? We will find out soon. You also can't wait?
Timetable? Here you are!
If you want to be up to date, we have prepared the Championship schedule. At the same time, we will inform you about the following stages on our Instagram, so if you're not following us yet - now is a great time to change it!
Stage I - qualifications (4/12 - 4/19)
- Round 1: Miss Muffin and Trele Morele (12th April, 10:00 - 13th April, 23:59)
- Round 2: Melonholic and Eggstra (14th April 10:00 - 15th April 23:59)
- Round 3: MarmoLady and Ice Dream (16th April 10:00 - 17th April 23:59)
- Round 4: Mr Pan Cake and the Easter Twister (18th April 10:00 - 19th April 23:59)
Stage II - semi-final (21st April, 10:00 - 23rd April, 12:00)
Semi-final public voting (24th April 10:00 - 25th April 23:59)
Stage III - final (26th April, 10:00 - 28th April, 12:00)
Final audience voting (29th April, 10:00 - 30th April, 10:00)

domain: hobby


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Another weeknight pasta dish- another rigatoni dish! 🙂 Adding greens to this classic dish is a healthy upgrade.
This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living. I used a combination of beet greens and spinach and kept the crispy prosciutto pieces intact instead of crumbling them. Nice.
Yield: Serves 4
- 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 oz prosciutto, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch wide strips (I used 7-8 slices)
- 2 large eggs, plus 2 yolks
- 1 oz Pecorino Romano, grated (about 1/4 cup), plus more for serving
- 12 oz rigatoni
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 oz baby spinach or other tender greens (I incorporated sliced beet greens)
- In a large skillet, heat oil and half of prosciutto over medium; cook, stirring occasionally, until prosciutto is crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
- In a bowl or (2-cup) glass measuring cup, whisk together whole eggs, yolks, and grated cheese.
- Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water 1 minute less than package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
- Slowly whisk 1/4 cup pasta water into egg mixture.
- Add pasta and spinach to skillet, then slowly add egg mixture to pasta.
- Stir constantly over low heat until sauce thickens and clings evenly to pasta and greens wilts slightly, 3 to 5 minutes; add more pasta water as needed to create a silky sauce.
- Stir in all prosciutto. Serve with more cheese and pepper, as desired.
Posted in Greens, Pasta, Quick, Recipes
Tags: beet greens, carbonara, dinner, easy, eggs, fast, Italian, pasta, pecorino romano, prosciutto, rigatoni, spinach
I actually have a third tasty soup to share. This one is reminiscent of one of our family favorites, Lentil-Kielbasa Soup. Don’t worry- it’s not so similar that it will prevent me from making my tried and true lentil-sausage soup as well this season. 🙂
This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Sarah Digregorio. I used French green lentils instead of black lentils, modified the proportions and incorporated a mixture of CSA greens including beet greens, broccoli greens and escarole. I also garnished the soup with my CSA parsley instead of basil.
This soup could easily be made on the stove top instead of in a slow cooker. I loved that it gobbled up my CSA greens too.
Yield: 6 servings
- 1 pound hot or sweet Italian pork sausage, loose or removed from its casing
- olive oil, if necessary
- 1 large red or yellow onion, chopped
- Kosher salt
- 10 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 2 oregano sprigs, leaves only, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- generous pinch of red-pepper flakes
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups dried lentils, preferably black beluga (I used French green lentils)
- 1 (14-ounce) can whole or chopped tomatoes
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 5 ounces greens, such as baby spinach or kale, or 1 medium bunch greens, such as chard or kale, stemmed and chopped (I used a mixture of beet & broccoli greens with escarole)
- 1 T red-wine vinegar
- chopped fresh parsley or basil, for garnish
- grated Parmigiano Reggiano, for garnish
- In a large, dry skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, breaking it up with a spatula, until it is in small, coarse pieces, and starts to brown and sizzle in its own fat, about 8 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked sausage to a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker. There should be a thin layer of fat covering the bottom of the skillet. If there is much more than that, pour a bit of the fat off. If there is not enough fat to cover the bottom of the pan, add a drizzle of olive oil.
- Add the onion to the skillet, season generously with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, add garlic and cook until softened and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the onion and garlic powders, the herbs, red pepper flakes and several generous grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Increase heat to medium-high, pour in the wine and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot. Let the wine bubble until the pan is almost dry, about 3 minutes.
- Scrape the skillet mixture into the slow cooker with the sausage.
- Add the bay leaf and the lentils.
- Add the tomatoes with their juice. If using whole, crush the tomatoes into pieces using your hands as you add them with their juice.
- Pour in the chicken stock.
- Season generously with pepper and add 1/2 teaspoon salt if you are using low-sodium stock or 1 teaspoon salt if using homemade unsalted stock. Do not add salt now if you are using fully salted stock.
- Stir well to combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low until the lentils are tender, about 6 to 8 hours. (Taste the lentils to make sure they are firm but creamy on the inside; black lentils can vary in their cooking time depending on their age and the heat of your slow cooker.) The soup holds well on warm for 2 additional hours.
- Switch the heat to high. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Stir in the greens and cook until wilted and tender, about 2 minutes for baby spinach, 10 minutes for kale.
- Stir in the vinegar.
- Serve in bowls, topped with chopped parsley and/or basil and grated Parmesan.
Posted in Greens, Pork, Recipes, Slow Cooker, Soups, Stews, & Chowders
Tags: beet greens, beluga lentils, black lentils, dinner, escarole, French lentils, greens, Italian sausage, kale, legumes, lentils, oregano, Parmigiano Reggiano, red onion, red wine vinegar, sausage, slow cooker, soup, spinach, stew, thyme
This dish could or should be a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen called the dish “pizza beans” to make it more appealing to her kids- so I did the same. 😉 She also had the genius suggestion of serving it with garlic bread, giving it even more appeal. Perelman described it as “a mash-up of a giant-beans-in-tomato-sauce dish from Greece and American-style baked ziti, with beans instead of noodles.” Heaven!
My husband and I enjoyed this dish very much. We are already big fans of Greek Gigante beans, by the way. 🙂 With the name “pizza beans,” my kids were expecting pizza, but the flavors in the dish were more like minestrone soup. It may have been more well-received if I had simply called it by the original title, Tomato & Gigante Bean Bake. 😉
This dish would also be wonderful as a cold-weather comfort food casserole. The recipe was adapted from Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant & Unfussy New Favorites by Deb Perelman, via smitten kitchen.com. I used a pressure cooker to cook the dried beans, incorporated the pressure cooker bean liquid as well as beet greens, and increased the amount of garlic. I plan to make it again in the winter and give it a different title. I’m sure it will be more well-received. It will be served with garlic bread, of course.
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 large or 2 regular carrots, diced
- coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) dry white or red wine, optional
- 4 ounces (115 grams) curly kale leaves, beet greens, and/or mixed baby greens, coarsely chopped
- 2 1/4 cups (550 grams) crushed tomatoes (28-ounce or 800-gram can minus 1 cup; reserve the rest for another use)
- 1 pound (455 grams) giant white beans such as Italian fagioli corona, Greek gigante/gigandes, Royal Corona, or large lima beans
- 3/4 cup (175 ml) vegetable broth or pressure cooker bean liquid, as needed
- 1/2 pound (225 grams) mozzarella, coarsely grated
- 1/3 cup (35 grams) grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons (5 grams) roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish, optional
- garlic bread, for serving, optional
- To use a Pressure Cooker to “Soak” the Beans: Place 12 cups of water, 3 tsp of coarse salt and the dried beans in a pressure cooker. Raise to high pressure (2nd ring) for 2 minutes. Release pressure using the natural (water) method. Drain the beans.
- Cook the Beans in a Pressure Cooker: Place the drained beans with 9 cups of fresh water in the pressure cooker. Drizzle with vegetable oil. Cook on low (1st ring) for 3 minutes. Release pressure using the natural (water) method. Drain the beans reserving the bean liquid.
- Heat the oven to 475 degrees, preferably on convection.
- In a 2 1/2-to-3-quart (ideally oven-safe) deep sauté pan, braiser, or shallow Dutch oven, heat the olive oil on medium-high. Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Season well with salt and black or red pepper. Cook, sautéing, until the vegetables brown lightly, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the wine, if using, to scrape up any stuck bits, then simmer until it disappears, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the kale/greens, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until collapsed, then add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
- Add the beans, and, if the mixture looks too dry or thick (canned tomatoes range quite a bit in juiciness), add up to 3/4 cup broth/bean liquid, 1/4 cup at a time.
- Simmer the mixture together over medium for about 10 minutes, adjusting the seasonings as needed.
- If your pan isn’t ovenproof, transfer the mixture to a 3-quart baking dish.
- Sprinkle the beans first with the mozzarella, then the Parmesan, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until browned on top. If you’re impatient and want a deeper color, you can run it under the broiler.
- Finish with parsley, if desired. Serve with garlic bread.
Posted in Casserole, Pressure Cooker, Recipes, Vegetarian
Tags: beans, beet greens, casserole, dinner, fagioli, gigante beans, Greek, greens, Italian, kale, kid-friendly dinner, legumes, lima beans, mozzarella, parmesan, pressure cooker, royal corona, Smitten Kitchen
I have received an exorbitant amount of Swiss chard in my CSA box so far this season. It’s a good thing that I absolutely love it! and… Who doesn’t love chard when it’s combined with fabulous cheese?!?!
This recipe was adapted from Bon Appetit, contributed by Gabriela Camara. I have made these quesadillas a couple of times with my CSA greens, using both raw milk extra (extra) sharp yellow cheddar (from Trader Joe’s) as well as Cabot extra sharp 3-year aged white cheddar. I have also used combination of greens including Swiss chard, turnip greens, beet greens, as well as baby bok choy.
I adapted the recipe by increasing the garlic as well as using a red onion, whole wheat flour tortillas, and chipotle salsa, avocados, fresh lime, and sour cream, for serving. I also microwaved the assembled quesadillas for a quick dinner! We ate them with refried beans on the side. Delicious.
Yield: Serves 4 for dinner or up to 8 as an appetizer
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as canola
- ½ medium white or red onion, finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 10 ounces Swiss chard, ribs and stems removed, or a combination of greens including beet, turnip, or bok choy, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- coarse salt
- 6 ounces Toma cheese or sharp cheddar, grated (about 2 cups)
- 8 whole wheat flour tortillas
- Salsa Roja, Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa Verde, or Trader Joe’s Chipotle Salsa, for serving
- avocado slices and lime wedges, for serving, optional
- sour cream, for serving, optional
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 6–8 minutes.
- Add greens a handful at a time, letting wilt slightly before adding more. Pour in ½ cup water and cook, tossing occasionally, until greens are tender, 6–8 minutes.
- Add lime juice; season with salt. Transfer to a plate; let cool.
- Assemble the quesadillas: Place on tortilla on a large plate. Mound grated cheddar on top and spread evenly. Top with sautéed greens and another tortilla.
- Microwave for 1 minute, 35 seconds on high.
- Remove and slice into pieces. Repeat until all filling is used.
- Serve immediately with sliced avocado, prepared salsa, and sour cream, as desired.
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Posted in Appetizers, Greens, Quick, Recipes, Vegetarian
Tags: beet greens, bok choy, chard, dinner, greens, Mexican, microwave, quesadillas, raw milk cheddar, sharp cheddar, Swiss chard, tortillas, vegetarian, whole wheat tortillas
I love all of the greens that I receive in my CSA share. Mixing different greens in the filling of this adaptation of Greek spinach pie, Spanakopita, made it incredibly flavorful.
This recipe was adapted from the New York Times, contributed by Martha Rose Shulman. I used one-half pound of spinach in addition to approximately one pound of mixed CSA greens including red chard, beet greens, and kohlrabi greens in the filling. I sautéed the greens instead of boiling them as well. I doubled garlic and the onions, and used one yellow onion and one red onion.
Years ago, I made a “low-fat” savory pie with a phyllo pastry crust. The reduced-fat technique was using cooking oil spray between the layers of pastry instead of brushing them with butter or oil. I love it! I used this method when making this pie as well. Great.
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
- 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pounds Swiss chard, or mixed greens, stemmed and washed thoroughly
- coarse salt
- 2 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs, preferably a combination of dill and parsley
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- freshly ground pepper
- 12 sheets phyllo pastry, thawed
- cooking oil spray or 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil or 2 tablespoons each melted butter and extra-virgin olive oil, combined, for brushing/spraying the phyllo pastry
- Stem and slice the greens into ribbons, about 2-inches wide for more tender greens, and 1/2-inch wide for heartier greens. Wash them in 2 changes of water, lifting them from the water so that the dirt stays behind.
- Thinly slice the chard stems and soak in a bowl of water. Lift from the water like the greens.
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF, preferably on convection. Oil or butter a 10-inch tart or cake pan (I used cooking spray and a 9-inch ceramic deep pie dish).
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onions and rinsed chard stems. Cook, stirring often, until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds to a minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Stir in the damp greens. Sauté until wilted, season with salt and pepper.
- Add the herbs and adjust the seasoning. Remove from heat.
- Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Crumble in the feta.
- Add egg-cheese mixture to the greens, mix to combine.
- Line the pie dish with 7 pieces of phyllo, spraying between each layer with cooking oil spray or lightly brushing each piece with butter or oil and turning the dish after each addition so that the edges of the phyllo drape evenly over the pan.
- Using a slotted spoon, fill with the greens mixture.
- Fold the draped edges in over the filling, lightly brushing the folded in sheets of phyllo, then layer the remaining 5 pieces on top, brushing each piece with cooking spray, butter or olive oil.
- Trim the edges and then stuff into the sides of the pan. Make a few slashes in the top crust so that steam can escape as the pie bakes.
- Bake 40 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until the crust is golden. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.
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Posted in Greens, Quiches & Tarts, Recipes, Vegetarian
Tags: beet greens, brunch, chard, dill, dinner, feta, filo, Greek, greens, healthy, kohlrabi, parsley, phyllo, savory pie, spanakopita, spinach pie, Swiss chard, vegetarian
I just feel so healthy eating a dish like this. 🙂 Served over brown rice with yogurt and warm naan, this dish is an amazing complete vegetarian meal. The lentils have a little bit of heat and the yogurt tempers it perfectly.
This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Madhur Jaffrey. It was voted one of their “Best New Vegetarian” dishes. I believe it! 🙂 I doubled the recipe, used French green lentils, a combination of ghee and coconut oil, and substituted beet and turnip greens for the kale. Satisfying and tasty!
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
- 2 teaspoon finely grated ginger
- 4 garlic clove, put through a garlic press
- 4 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 large shallots, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste mixed with 2 tablespoon of water
- 2 1/2 cups dried French green lentils
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 8 ounces green beans, cut into 3/4-inch lengths
- 8 ounces kale, or other greens stemmed and leaves cut into ribbons (I used about 10 cups of mixed beet & turnip greens)
- 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
- 2 cups finely chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- coarse salt, to taste
- brown Basmati rice, warm naan, and plain Greek yogurt, for serving
- In a small bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, coriander and ground cumin. Stir in 1/2 cup of water to make a paste.
- In a small skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and cook over moderately high heat for 5 seconds, just until sizzling.
- Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the spice paste and let cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook until thick, about 1 minute longer.
- In a saucepan, combine the lentils with the turmeric and 10 cups of water; bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, until the lentils are barely tender.
- Add the green beans, greens, carrot, three-fourths of the cilantro and the cayenne and season with salt.
- Cook until the lentils and vegetables are tender, 15 minutes.
- Scrape in the spice paste and the remaining cilantro. Simmer for 5 minutes, then serve.
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Posted in Greens, Recipes, Soups, Stews, & Chowders, Vegetarian
Tags: beet greens, cilantro, cumin seeds, curry, French lentils, gluten free, green beans, green lentils, healthy, Indian, kale, legumes, lentil, Madhur Jaffrey, shallots, turmeric, turnip greens, vegan, vegetarian
If you want to make a summer casserole, this is IT. This dish incorporates wonderful summer corn, zucchini, tomatoes, and Swiss chard. I threw in all of my beet greens too. 🙂 This dish was originally named Layered Tortilla-Tomato Casserole with Greens and Melted Cheese in Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen: Capturing the Vibrant Flavors of a World-Class Cuisine by Rick Bayless (one of my absolute favorite chefs). I adapted the recipe by adding more tortillas and vegetables, and by steaming the corn tortillas rather than frying them in oil. FABULOUS!!!
Great to feed the crowd at Fiesta Friday #26 at The Novice Gardener!
Yield: Serves 8 as a main dish
For the 6 cups Essential Quick-Cooked Tomato-Chipotle Sauce:
- 8-12 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (or 3/4 oz -about 9 to 12- stemmed, dried chipotle chiles)
- 12 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 4 1/2 pounds (9 medium-large round or 28 to 34 plum) ripe tomatoes
- 2 T vegetable oil
- coarse salt, about 2 tsp
For the Casserole:
- 6 to 8 cups loosely packed spinach or 1/2-inch long sliced chard leaves (12-oz bunch) (I also included 1 bunch of beet greens)
- 2 medium (12 oz total) zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 2 medium ears corn, husked, kernels cup from the cob
- 1 pound (about 4 cups) shredded Monterey Jack cheese or other melting cheese
- 16-20 corn tortillas
- about 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
To Make the Essential Quick-Cooked Tomato-Chipotle Sauce:
- For the canned chiles, simply remove from the adobo sauce. For dried chiles, toast them on an ungreased griddle or skillet over medium heat, turning regularly, and pressing flat with a spatula, until very aromatic, about 30 seconds. In a small bowl, cover the chiles with hot water and let rehydrate 30 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure even soaking. Drain and discard the water.
- While the chiles are soaking, roast the unpeeled garlic on the griddle or skillet, turning occasionally, until soft (they will blacken in spots), about 10 to 15 minutes; cool and peel.
- Roast the tomatoes on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until blackened on one side, about 6 minutes, then turn and roast the other side. Cool, then peel, collecting all the juices with the tomatoes.
- Working in batches, in a food processor or blender, process the tomatoes with their juices, rehydrated or canned chiles and garlic to a medium-fine puree.
- Heat the 2 T of oil in a medium-size (4-quart) heavy pot over medium heat. Add the tomato puree and stir nearly constantly for 8 to 10 minutes as it sears and thickens.
- Taste and season with salt, usually about 1 1/2 teaspoons.
To Prepare the Vegetables:
- In a vegetable steamer, steam the greens, covered, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes for spinach, chard, and/or beet greens. (I steamed the greens in the pasta pot using the large insert.) Immediately spread out on a baking sheet to cool, then roughly chop.
- Steam the diced zucchini until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes, then spread out to cool.
- Sprinkle the vegetables with 1/4 tsp of salt.
- Set out the corn, tomato sauce, and shredded cheese.
To Prepare the Tortillas:
- Place 5 tortillas at a time in a tortilla warmer or on a microwave safe plate. Cover with a damp paper towel, followed by the lid of the warmer or plastic wrap for the plate. Microwave on high for 1 minute to make warm and pliable. Cut in half. (I did this as I prepared each layer of the casserole.)
To Make the Casserole:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom, then lay out 8-10 tortilla halves in a single layer, arranging them to cover as much sauce as possible.
- Evenly spread on the greens, a scant 1 1/2 cups of sauce and 1 cup of shredded cheese.
- Top with another layer of 8-10 tortilla halves. Spread on the corn and the same amount of sauce and cheese.
- Top with a third layer of 8-10 tortilla halves, the zucchini, and another round of sauce and cheese.
- Top with remaining 8-11 tortilla halves, lightly brush or spray the tortillas with extra-virgin olive oil, and top with remaining sauce and cheese.
- Cover lightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until bubbling and lightly browned.
- Let stand for a few minutes before cutting into squares. Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro, then use a spatula (preferably a squared-off metal one) to transfer the pieces to warm serving plates.
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Posted in Casserole, Greens, Recipes, Vegetarian
Tags: beet greens, chard, chipotle, cilantro, corn, corn tortillas, Fiesta Friday, Monterey Jack, Rick Bayless, spinach, Swiss chard, tomatoes, vegetarian, zucchini