3/25/2009
3/24/2009
Death link to too much red meat
Scientists have produced new evidence suggesting eating lots of red and processed meat damages health.
They found big meat eaters had a raised risk of death from all causes over a 10-year period.
In contrast, a higher intake of white meat was associated with a slightly reduced risk of death over the same period.
The US study, featured in Archives of Internal Medicine, was based on more than 500,000 people.
People eating the most meat were eating about 160g of red or processed meat per day - approximately a 6oz steak.
Those who ate the least were only getting about 25g per day - approximately a small rasher of bacon.
The researchers said cancer-causing compounds were formed during high-temperature cooking of meat.
Meat is a major source of saturated fat, which has been associated with breast and colorectal cancer.
Dr Mark Wahlqvist, a nutrition expert from Australia's Monash University, said eating small amounts of red meat - around 30g a day - provided a good source of key nutrients.
He said: "Fresh, lean red meat of these amounts is likely to be of more benefit than harm."
"No one's saying that people should avoid bacon or burgers completely, but evidence from large studies like this tells us that cutting down on these foods can reduce the risk of dying from cancer and other diseases."
They found big meat eaters had a raised risk of death from all causes over a 10-year period.
In contrast, a higher intake of white meat was associated with a slightly reduced risk of death over the same period.
The US study, featured in Archives of Internal Medicine, was based on more than 500,000 people.
People eating the most meat were eating about 160g of red or processed meat per day - approximately a 6oz steak.
Those who ate the least were only getting about 25g per day - approximately a small rasher of bacon.
The researchers said cancer-causing compounds were formed during high-temperature cooking of meat.
Meat is a major source of saturated fat, which has been associated with breast and colorectal cancer.
Dr Mark Wahlqvist, a nutrition expert from Australia's Monash University, said eating small amounts of red meat - around 30g a day - provided a good source of key nutrients.
He said: "Fresh, lean red meat of these amounts is likely to be of more benefit than harm."
"No one's saying that people should avoid bacon or burgers completely, but evidence from large studies like this tells us that cutting down on these foods can reduce the risk of dying from cancer and other diseases."
PC rules supreme in gaming world
By Maggie Shiels Technology reporter, BBC News, San Francisco
The personal computer is king in the world of games, according to a new report by the PC Gaming Alliance.
On the opening day of the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, the Alliance said the industry made about $11 billion world wide last year.
PCGA president Randy Stude said these figures underline the PC as the "No 1 platform for gaming world wide".
According to research company IDC, there are over 1 billion personal computers world wide. The PCGA maintains that 250 million are being used for gaming.
In 2008, Americans spent more than $21 billion on video game hardware, software and accessories, up from $18 billion in 2007, according to market researcher NPD Group. And sales continued to rise in January and February of this year.
That is welcome news for Jeff Ball who is a musician and attending GDC for the first time with the aim of making contacts and getting work.
"I've just graduated and I'm trying to network and meet as many people as I can because that's how you get into the industry and coming here is thee place to do that."
Mr Ball is not alone in looking for business opportunities.
Pierre Langer of Dynamedion, Europe's biggest audio studio for video games, has attended GDC for the last five years. He told BBC News that this year he has changed his strategy for drumming up business.
"I think people are optimistic," said Marti Miernik of PR Sirens who is here promoting a game called Space Trader Wars for HermitWorks Entertainment.
"I don't know that the climate is affecting games too much. If anything I would think the games industry maybe ought to see a little kick because of this.
"People aren't buying stuff so much but the idea of going to the movies or buying a new game which you can use again and again and again probably still holds water," Mr Park told the BBC.
Ms Scavio said that while the industry is far from recession proof, this is undoubtedly a time for people to be creative.
The personal computer is king in the world of games, according to a new report by the PC Gaming Alliance.
On the opening day of the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, the Alliance said the industry made about $11 billion world wide last year.
PCGA president Randy Stude said these figures underline the PC as the "No 1 platform for gaming world wide".
According to research company IDC, there are over 1 billion personal computers world wide. The PCGA maintains that 250 million are being used for gaming.
In 2008, Americans spent more than $21 billion on video game hardware, software and accessories, up from $18 billion in 2007, according to market researcher NPD Group. And sales continued to rise in January and February of this year.
That is welcome news for Jeff Ball who is a musician and attending GDC for the first time with the aim of making contacts and getting work.
"I've just graduated and I'm trying to network and meet as many people as I can because that's how you get into the industry and coming here is thee place to do that."
Mr Ball is not alone in looking for business opportunities.
Pierre Langer of Dynamedion, Europe's biggest audio studio for video games, has attended GDC for the last five years. He told BBC News that this year he has changed his strategy for drumming up business.
"I think people are optimistic," said Marti Miernik of PR Sirens who is here promoting a game called Space Trader Wars for HermitWorks Entertainment.
"I don't know that the climate is affecting games too much. If anything I would think the games industry maybe ought to see a little kick because of this.
"People aren't buying stuff so much but the idea of going to the movies or buying a new game which you can use again and again and again probably still holds water," Mr Park told the BBC.
Ms Scavio said that while the industry is far from recession proof, this is undoubtedly a time for people to be creative.
Mexico offers $2m for drug lords
A reward of $2m (£1.37m) each will be paid to informers who help arrest Mexico's 24 most-wanted drug gang chiefs, the attorney general has said.
Some 8,000 people have died in the past two years, as drug gangs fight for territory amid government crackdowns.
'Cartels splintering'
Washington is expected to confirm in the next few days that it will be deploying more federal agents along its border with Mexico - to tackle the increase in drug trafficking and related violence.
The BBC's Stephen Gibbs in Mexico City says that with some evidence that drug violence is crossing the border, both governments are under pressure to find a more coordinated policy to undermine the immensely powerful Mexican cartels.
The drug gangs have splintered into six main cartels, under pressure from law enforcement action on both sides of the border, according to the attorney general's office in Mexico.
Among the men on the most-wanted list are the alleged head of the powerful Sinaloa cartel, Joaquin "el Chapo" Guzman, who gained recent additional notoriety after being named by Forbes magazine as one of the world's billionaires.
Others on the most wanted list are the suspected heads of the La Familia and Los Zetas criminal groups.
Some of the men, such as Guzman and Ismael Zamabada, allegedly of the Pacific cartel, are also targeted by separate $5m (£3.43m) bounties from the US government.
The Mexican announcement offers "up to 30m pesos ($2m) to whomever provides information that is useful, true and leads to the location and arrest" of the listed traffickers.
While Mexico has offered rewards for the capture of drug lords in the past, this is the first concerted offer for all the most-wanted cartel members at once.
Some 8,000 people have died in the past two years, as drug gangs fight for territory amid government crackdowns.
'Cartels splintering'
Washington is expected to confirm in the next few days that it will be deploying more federal agents along its border with Mexico - to tackle the increase in drug trafficking and related violence.
The BBC's Stephen Gibbs in Mexico City says that with some evidence that drug violence is crossing the border, both governments are under pressure to find a more coordinated policy to undermine the immensely powerful Mexican cartels.
The drug gangs have splintered into six main cartels, under pressure from law enforcement action on both sides of the border, according to the attorney general's office in Mexico.
Among the men on the most-wanted list are the alleged head of the powerful Sinaloa cartel, Joaquin "el Chapo" Guzman, who gained recent additional notoriety after being named by Forbes magazine as one of the world's billionaires.
Others on the most wanted list are the suspected heads of the La Familia and Los Zetas criminal groups.
Some of the men, such as Guzman and Ismael Zamabada, allegedly of the Pacific cartel, are also targeted by separate $5m (£3.43m) bounties from the US government.
The Mexican announcement offers "up to 30m pesos ($2m) to whomever provides information that is useful, true and leads to the location and arrest" of the listed traffickers.
While Mexico has offered rewards for the capture of drug lords in the past, this is the first concerted offer for all the most-wanted cartel members at once.
Asian stock markets extend rally
Asian shares have gained ground in Tuesday trading, taking heart from a US plan to deal with banks' toxic assets.
In Japan, the Nikkei rose 3.2%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was up 1.6% and South Korea's Kospi index rose 1.7%.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones index rallied 7% to close at 7,775 points - its highest level in nearly a month.
Investors took cheer from the US Treasury's move to kick-start the financial sector by buying up to $1 trillion (£688bn) worth of toxic debt.
A surprise jump in the number of homes sold also raised hopes that the battered US housing market could be starting to recover.
However, analysts said that investor confidence remained fragile.
"At the end of the day there has been no game changer, even if the plan is implemented perfectly. And that's an enormous 'if'," said Kirby Daley, senior strategist at Newedge Group in Hong Kong.
Matt Buckland, a dealer at CMC Markets, said that European markets were expected to open higher, with the FTSE 100 of leading UK shares poised to break through the key 4,000-point level.
In Japan, the Nikkei rose 3.2%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was up 1.6% and South Korea's Kospi index rose 1.7%.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones index rallied 7% to close at 7,775 points - its highest level in nearly a month.
Investors took cheer from the US Treasury's move to kick-start the financial sector by buying up to $1 trillion (£688bn) worth of toxic debt.
A surprise jump in the number of homes sold also raised hopes that the battered US housing market could be starting to recover.
However, analysts said that investor confidence remained fragile.
"At the end of the day there has been no game changer, even if the plan is implemented perfectly. And that's an enormous 'if'," said Kirby Daley, senior strategist at Newedge Group in Hong Kong.
Matt Buckland, a dealer at CMC Markets, said that European markets were expected to open higher, with the FTSE 100 of leading UK shares poised to break through the key 4,000-point level.
Global trade 'will shrink by 9%'
Global trade flows are set to shrink by 9% during 2009, according to a forecast by the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Hardest hit will be developed nations, where trade is set to fall 10%. Poorer countries will see exports fall 2-3%.
The WTO blames the deepening recession for the downturn, but says trade could be "a potent tool" for recovery.
It would be the biggest drop in trade since World War II, said WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy, who called on global leaders to fight protectionism.
Trade is one of the top issues on the agenda when the heads of state and government of the world's leading economic powers meet at the G20 summit in London on 2 April.
"In London G20 leaders will have a unique opportunity to unite in moving from pledges to action and refrain from any further protectionist measure which will render global recovery efforts less effective," said Mr Lamy in the organisation's annual assessment of world trade.
He warned that the use of protectionist measures was on the rise, with dangerous consequences: "Many thousands of trade related jobs are being lost. Governments must avoid making this bad situation worse by reverting to protectionist measures which in reality protect no nation and threaten the loss of more jobs."
The WTO report was released while Mr Lamy was in Washington to meet key officials in the Obama administration ahead of the G20 summit.
Positive signs
While global trade grew 2% during 2008, WTO data suggest that the downturn started last summer, with trade slowing during the second half of the year.
In 2007, when the credit crunch started, world trade had still managed to grow 6%.
Unusually, global trade was now falling simultaneously around the world, the WTO said.
Some "commentators" had assumed "that a 'decoupling' effect would have made developing countries less vulnerable to economic turmoil in developed countries," but the WTO experts noted that "this has not turned out to be the case".
The WTO also warned that it was difficult to predict the depth of the global recession. "If the drop in world trade is deeper than expected or if recovery happens more quickly, then the growth forecast will need updating."
However, the WTO also reported some positive signs, with exports from China, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam growing again during February for the first time in months.
Hardest hit will be developed nations, where trade is set to fall 10%. Poorer countries will see exports fall 2-3%.
The WTO blames the deepening recession for the downturn, but says trade could be "a potent tool" for recovery.
It would be the biggest drop in trade since World War II, said WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy, who called on global leaders to fight protectionism.
Trade is one of the top issues on the agenda when the heads of state and government of the world's leading economic powers meet at the G20 summit in London on 2 April.
"In London G20 leaders will have a unique opportunity to unite in moving from pledges to action and refrain from any further protectionist measure which will render global recovery efforts less effective," said Mr Lamy in the organisation's annual assessment of world trade.
He warned that the use of protectionist measures was on the rise, with dangerous consequences: "Many thousands of trade related jobs are being lost. Governments must avoid making this bad situation worse by reverting to protectionist measures which in reality protect no nation and threaten the loss of more jobs."
The WTO report was released while Mr Lamy was in Washington to meet key officials in the Obama administration ahead of the G20 summit.
Positive signs
While global trade grew 2% during 2008, WTO data suggest that the downturn started last summer, with trade slowing during the second half of the year.
In 2007, when the credit crunch started, world trade had still managed to grow 6%.
Unusually, global trade was now falling simultaneously around the world, the WTO said.
Some "commentators" had assumed "that a 'decoupling' effect would have made developing countries less vulnerable to economic turmoil in developed countries," but the WTO experts noted that "this has not turned out to be the case".
The WTO also warned that it was difficult to predict the depth of the global recession. "If the drop in world trade is deeper than expected or if recovery happens more quickly, then the growth forecast will need updating."
However, the WTO also reported some positive signs, with exports from China, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam growing again during February for the first time in months.
Fried Small Fish
Serves 4
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepperOlive oil, for frying
1/2 pound fresh sardines or smeltsLemon wedges
Beat the egg in a shallow dish with a teaspoon of water.Place flour in a second shallow bowl. Mix in the salt and pepper.Coat the bottom of a skillet with ¼ inch layer of olive oil. Heat on medium heat until the oil starts to sputter.Take each fish and roll it in the egg mixture, then roll in the flour mixture, until it is covered in flour.Fry each fish for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it is browned on one side, then flip it over and cook 3 to 4 minutes on the other side, or until it is browned on the other side.Remove from the pan and dry on a paper towel.Sprinkle with freshly squeezed lemon juice and serve immediately.
Turmeric Fried Fish
250g Grouper Fillet
Marinated Sauce:
1 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
3/23/2009
Sausage-and-Tomato Egg Roll-Up
Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6
8 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 links sausage (about 14 ounces), casings removed
1 medium tomato, cut into small pieces (about 8 ounces)
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup milk, for brushing
Nonstick cooking spray
Directions
Coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Place wax paper in bottom; spray generously. Separate eggs, placing whites in mixing bowl. Add salt to egg whites; whisk until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks with flour, Parmesan, oregano, and pepper. Add a spoonful of whites to the yolks; mix gently. Using whisk, gently fold in remaining whites.
Transfer mixture to prepared baking sheet; spread evenly. Bake until lightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Run a knife around edge to loosen, and turn omelet onto a clean kitchen towel; peel off paper. Gently roll omelet lengthwise, jelly-roll fashion, in towel.
Make filling: Roughly chop sausage; brown in skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomato. Unroll omelet; layer with half the mozzarella, all the filling, and then remaining mozzarella; roll up, sealing end by brushing it with milk. Place roll, seam side down, on baking sheet; brush with milk. Bake for 10 minutes. Cut into slices, and serve.
Veggie Egg Roll-Up
cooking spray
375 mL (1-1/2 cups) fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1/2 medium red pepper, diced
75 mL (1/3 cup) onion, chopped
2 mL (1/2 tsp) dried basil
6 eggs, separated
45 mL (3 tbsp) all-purpose flour
1 ml (1/4 tsp) each salt and pepper
300 mL (1-1/4 cups) hot milk
125 mL (1/2 cup) old Cheddar cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 180oC (350 oF). Spray a 38 x 25 cm (15 x 10 inch) jelly-roll pan with cooking spray. Line with waxed paper and spray again. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Add vegetables and basil; sauté over medium heat until vegetables are tender-crisp. Set aside. In a small bowl, beat together egg yolks, flour, salt,and pepper until blended. In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gently fold yolk mixture into whites. Spread mixture evenly into jelly-roll pan. Bake until firm to the touch, about 8 minutes. Invert onto clean waxed paper. Remove pan and peel off paper liner. Increase oven temperature to 190oC (375 oF). Spoon 175 mL (3/4 cup) milk evenly over egg layer. Spoon vegetables on top and sprinkle with 50 mL (1/4 cup) cheese. Starting with long side, roll jelly-roll style. Place seam-side down in shallow baking pan. Drizzle with remaining milk. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Cut into 12 slices.
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