Hunger. Strikes. Riots. The food crisis bites!

Crap! This little planet is in for some rough times ahead. Here's a well written and researched article on the looming food crisis (seems to be all over the press here). The crisis has already sparked violent protests and riots in 10 countries. In SA we've felt an increase in the price of basic foodstuffs and the chances are it's going to get worse. Last year's price fixing scandal with the 3 main bread companies didn't help either.

The Crisis' two main culprits? Bio-fuels and Climate change. The supporting acts? The oil price, weakening markets, the palm oil crisis and China's burgeoning new middle class.
The victim? As always, the poor & Africa.

More breaking news: the World Bank president estimated yesterday that increasing food prices will push 100 million people deeper into poverty. Crap!

Friday is for pizza tips

I got home from the hospital early today and decided to make a pizza. All I could find as toppings were mozzarella, mushroom, green pepper and some home grown origanum (oregano). Being the daring-in-the-kitchen type of guy I am, I thought some rocket (arugula) and watercress leaves would finish it off perfectly. Trust me, I have seen rocket as a pizza ingredient before. Maybe not watercress, but it was worth a shot.
I didn’t want the leaves to burn, so I put the vegetables and greens down on the base first, and then the mozzarella. Into the oven it went and… out it came, not as planned. The mushrooms and peppers were medium rare and the leaves were burnt and crispy.

Drat!

So, for our Friday pizza tips, what do we learn from this story?
1. Mushrooms and peppers do better on top of the cheese; and,
2. If you want to add green leaves to a pizza, do it after you have baked the pizza.
Unless, or course, small carcinogenic crispy leaves with watery mushrooms are your thing.

And I bet you never thought you would learn that today?