• The Global Chaos Map counts the deaths, including suicides, associated with “violent social unrest” linked to natural resources such as food, fuel and water. (See also Food prices and social unrest, right here.)
• A shipment of Chinese antibiotics was seized at a UK airport, destined for use at a large poultry farm in Northern Ireland.
• My compadre Luigi took to Twitter for his perfect response to the question How Do We Preserve the Vanishing Foods of the Earth? : Let me count the ways ….
• The latest round of monitoring has turned up 73 More Xylella-Infected Olive Trees in Puglia.

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A rainbow handful of carrots graces the cover of Peter Hertzmann’s new book. But, as I discovered when I spoke to Peter, you can’t judge a book by its cover. Or even, apparently, by its title: 50 Ways to Cook a Carrot. Because although all the methods (not recipes!) feature carrots in one form or another, they’re intended to offer techniques that, Peter insists, you can apply to many other vegetables, fruits, and even meat and fish.

There is, indeed, much to be learned from the book, even for an experienced cook, and I have already successfully applied one of the methods to some leeks. The UK edition of the book, published by Prospect Books, is available now, but it won’t be available in the US for a couple of months. However, Prospect kindly agreed to send a copy to one lucky winner.

Next Monday (28 October) I will pick someone at random from all of those who subscribe to Eat This Newsletter. If you’re already a subscriber, you don’t need to do anything, although I would appreciate if you spread the word and thereby diminish your own chances. If you’re not a subscriber, do sign up now, and feel free to diminish your chances too by persuading friends to sign up.

Notes

1. Peter Hertzmann’s website is à la carte
2. You can order 50 Ways to Cook a Carrot directly from Prospect Books.
3. Banner photo by Dana DeVolk on Unsplash

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• How diets need to change
• How to change diets
• The United States is “drowning in eggs”
• The UK might soon be drowning in rotten fruit and veg
• Industry funds marketing, not research
• Humble spuds

For news of the Golden Spurtle awards and additional thoughts on the superiority or otherwise of spurtles, you need to read the whole newsletter.

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Porridge, for me, is made of oats, water, a bit of milk and a pinch of salt. Accompaniments are butter and brown sugar or, better yet, treacle, though I have nothing against people who add milk or even cream. So, while I’ve been aware of the inexorable rise of porridge in all its forms, I’ve been blissfully ignorant of the details. When I make, or eat, a risotto or a dal, I certainly don’t think of it as a porridge. Maybe now I will, and all because Laura Valli took the trouble to send me a copy of her research paper Porridge Renaissance and the Communities of Ingestion.

We had fun chatting about porridge, about how she helped start the only porridge cafe in her native Estonia, and about her participation in the World Porridge Making Championship last year, in Carrbridge, Scotland. As a result of which, despite the fact that I am usually the last person in the world to know about the international day of this, that or the other, I’m totally ready for Thursday 10 October and World Porridge Day.

Notes

1. Thank you Laura for getting in touch and for your photos.
2. On the spurtle, I welcome further details on why you should use one. In the meantime, I note that Neal Robertson, two time winner of the Golden Spurtle, despite having a quiver-full of spurtles to his name, uses a spoon in this video demonstration
3. More on the 26th Annual Golden Spurtle® World Porridge Making Championship® and World Porridge Day
4. NPR had a great article about Norway’s Traditional Porridge last year.
5. Music adapted from bagpipe shredding by zagi2.

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