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Thursday, May 31, 2018

THE FOODIST / NATIVE SON’S GUIDE TO MUMBAI CUISINE


Dome Restaurant, Mumbai


CHEF NAVED NASIR FOODIE TOUR
Naved Nasir is executive chef at Dishoom, a series of hit restaurants in London and Edinburgh, whose cuisine is inspired by Mumbai’s traditional Irani cafés. He tells British Airways first rate inflight magazine, The Club about his favourite foodie spots in the vibrant city where he learned his craft.  The Club Magazine kindly shares its articles with responsible blogs.

Dinner with a view
Dome, at the Intercontinental Hotel, has a lovely open-air terrace on the eighth floor. From there (above) you can see most of the ‘Queen’s Necklace’ – the stretch from Nariman Point all along the curve of Chowpatty Beach. In the evening when the lights come on it looks like a sparkling necklace, hence the name.
135 Marine Drive, Maharashtra

Breakfast spot worth getting up early for
Kyani & Co opened in around 1904 and is one of the oldest Parsi cafés in Mumbai. More and more locals are returning to these cafés of late – not that many remain, and it’s heartening to see them having a revival. It’s in a beautiful crumbling building with high ceilings and marble tabletops. Order the akuri (spiced scrambled eggs).


Best weekend brunch
Britannia & Company (left) is a popular old Irani café with a real faded glory to it. No visit is complete without trying the salli boti (tiny chunks of lamb in a tomato sauce, sharpened and sweetened with vinegar and jaggery), or the Britannia berry pulao (a chicken-rice dish containing Iranian saffron and barberries). Owner Mr Kohinoor is around 95 and amazingly – you’ll find him taking orders and chatting to customers.
Wakefield House, 11, Sport Rd, 16, Ballard Estate, Opp New Custom House


Tastiest street food spot
In Mumbai you can get a vada pav (a deep-fried-potato sandwich) every hundred metres or so, but the best are at Ashok Vada Pav, near Kirti College in Dadar. It’s probably the only place in Mumbai where you have to queue for one – Bollywood stars send their drivers to do just that. The secret is the chutneys – a spicy green one with chilli and lashings of fresh coriander, and a sweeter one made from tamarind and jaggery – a mind-blowing combination.
Kashinath Dhuru Marg, Dadar West, Dadar, Maharashtra




To wow a date
Peshawri, inside the ITC Maratha hotel (above), serves northwest frontier cuisine. You eat with your hands and the focus is on basic but delicious Indian food. It has a village-like feel with wooden tables and stools made of tree trunks. The food is to die for, most of it grilled right in front of you while the chefs throw romali bread high into the air. Try the Sikandari raan (leg of lamb) or the naan bukhara, which is vast and feeds eight. Peshawri has a special place in my heart because a lot of inspiration for the Dishoom menus comes from the eight years I spent working for ITC, learning my trade as a chef.
Sahar Road, Andheri East, Maharashtra


A treat for the kids
Ask anyone, from granddads to grandchildren, where Mumbai’s best ice cream is and they’ll all say Natural’s. It has a few shops here but my favourite is on Marine Drive. Fresh, seasonal flavours abound: I love a scoop of the coconut cream – studded with chunks of fresh coconut – or the custard apple flavour. It’s a grab-and-go place, rather than a sit down-and-relax affair.
Natural Ice Cream, 137 Jyoti Sadan, Marine Drive, Churchgate, Beside Intercontinental Hotel, Maharashtra


Best cup of chai
Follow the lead of in-the-know local labourers on their breaks and visit Yazdani Bakery at midday. Why? It’s when the bun maska (soft bread, a little bit like a brioche) comes out of the oven. Yazdani’s are crusty on the outside, soft in the middle, and heavenly when dunked into sweet, hot chai.
Yazdani Bakery, 11/11A Cawasji Patel Street, Fort Mumbai-1, Near Horniman Circle

Dining experience worth leaving the city for
Take a train towards Dadar to Miranda Chawl, and visit Gomantak for traditional Malvani cuisine. Order sol kadhi – it’s coconut milk turned tangy and bright red, infused with extract of kokum fruit (often used as a replacement for vinegar in Goan cuisine). Tempered with curry leaves and mustard seeds it makes a unique lassi-like drink that goes well with bombil fry or chicken curry. 301 Miranda Chawl, Kelkar Road, Dadar West



ABOUT CHEF NASIR
Naved Nasir is executive chef at Dishoom. For every meal served at its cafés in London and Edinburgh, Dishoom donates another to a child who would otherwise go hungry through Magic Breakfast and The Akshaya Patra Foundation.


NOTE: British Airways has direct daily flights from London Heathrow to Mumbai's brilliant new international airport.






Wednesday, May 30, 2018

RETRO FILES / GETTYSBURG’S FIGHT ISN’T OVER


Here on July 1, 1863 outside of Gettysburg, PA Rebel and Union forces crisscrossed this field. Remarkably, this parcel is relatively unchanged from its wartime appearance, thanks to meticulous stewardship by the United Lutheran Seminary (pictured in 1863).  It is believed the figure in the forefront is famed Civil War photographer Mathew Brady.
BATTLEFIELD PRESERVATION NEEDS HELP

Letter from Jim Lighthizer
President
American Battlefield Trust

Dear Friend,

I recently shared one of the biggest Civil War preservation opportunities we have had in recent years: an eight-month campaign to save Seminary Ridge at Gettysburg.

This initiative – an effort of the Civil War Trust under the American Battlefield Trust umbrella – will be no small feat. Due to the location of the land, we are unable to apply for our usual matching grants. So I’m asking you to help save this crucial part of history and raise the $3.5 million needed to preserve these 18 acres.

This land witnessed fierce fighting on July 1, 1863. Here, in the late afternoon, Union troops made a final, desperate defense of Seminary Ridge and were met with a renewed attack from the Confederates.

Jim Lighthizer, President of American Battlefield Trust a.k.a. The Civil War Trust stands in front of the seminary and its cupola, where Union General John Buford spotted arriving elements of the Rebel army. 
Historians, including Jim McPherson, Gary Gallagher and Bob Krick, have lauded our effort to save this land - many calling it among the most historically significant land at Gettysburg still in private hands.

Licensed battlefield guide Wayne E. Motts remarks that “[o]n or near this ground stood some of Gettysburg’s most recognizable personalities including Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, J.E.B. Stuart, John Reynolds, John Buford and so many more. Here, on July 1, heavy fighting raged. On July 2 and 3, Lee used these grounds as his part of his headquarters complex and on July 4 the Confederate defensive line was here as the Southern army began its retreat.”

Col. Doug Douds, U.S. Marine Corps (retired), adds: “[o]n this ground occurred the end of the beginning of the Battle of Gettysburg and the beginning of the end of the Civil War ... To preserve it is an act of faithful stewardship. It preserves another link for future generations to understand the Battle of Gettysburg, and the great sacrifices made by earlier citizens on our behalf.”

Every inch of these 18 acres is covered with undeniable history. I hope you’ll agree with me when I say that should be protected so current and future generations can understand the costliest battle ever on American soil, and preserve the land where hundreds of troops made the ultimate sacrifice.

Remarkably, this parcel is relatively unchanged from its wartime appearance, thanks to meticulous stewardship by the United Lutheran Seminary. However, its future as an open space cannot be guaranteed. This is why I am asking you to help contribute to the effort to protect it, forever.

Because without Seminary Ridge, you cannot tell the full story of Gettysburg, and without Gettysburg, you cannot tell the full story of the Civil War.

Please help save Seminary Ridge today.

’Til the battle is won,


Jim Lighthizer
President
American Battlefield Trust

P.S. When you commit $49 or more, you will receive an “I helped Save Seminary Ridge at Gettysburg” T-shirt as our thanks.








Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Monday, May 28, 2018

MEDIA MONDAY / 1968 CNN’S YEAR IN PICTURES


The landmark TV news magazine “60 Minutes” debuts on CBS. Created by legendary producer Don Hewitt, center, and featuring Harry Reasoner, left, and Mike Wallace, right, the show continues today — half a century after it started. CBS/Getty Images

REMARKABLE CNN RETROSPECTIVE PHOTO GALLERY
CNN Photo editors: Brett Roegiers and Daniel Kim
CNN Producers: Melonyce McAfee, Thom Patterson, Drew Kann and Kyle Almond

Marked by turmoil, tragedy and triumph, 1968 was a roller coaster. Political protests hit an international crescendo, violence struck at the heart of America and wartime atrocities tested the world’s resolve.

Fifty years later, it’s clear the year left scars that have yet to heal when riots rocked America after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and protests shook the streets of Paris, Prague and Mexico City.

The Vietnam War raged on with no end in sight, and in the United States a struggling President Lyndon B. Johnson declined to run for office again. The anti-war Democratic candidate, Eugene McCarthy, lost his party’s nomination and Richard Nixon became President No. 37, laying bare a fractured political climate.

Still, the Beatles and Supremes stirred our souls; imaginative filmmakers discovered future dystopias; and the year ended in victory for the crew of the Apollo 8 mission, which orbited the moon in a first for mankind...

CLICK HERE for CNN’s compendium.

December 24: On Christmas Eve, the crew of Apollo 8 — the first humans to orbit the moon — offer a message of peace in a TV broadcast from lunar orbit. Each crewman read part of the Bible’s Book of Genesis, and astronaut Frank Borman said, “Good night, good luck, a merry Christmas and God bless all of you — all of you on the good Earth.” Many think Apollo 8’s successful mission was a bright ending to a horrible year. Astronaut Bill Anders took this photo of Earth as it appeared to rise from the moon's surface. The photo, now nicknamed "Earthrise," became one of NASA's most iconic photos. NASA/Bettmann/Getty Images






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Sunday, May 27, 2018

SUNDAY REVIEW / DRAMA IN THE ER


San Diego Doctor Risks Career while Saving Life

GUEST BLOG / By Richard Hardick-- Doctor Kevin Shaw, a class of 1994 grad from San Diego’s St. Augustine High School, recently shocked not only the medical staff at Sharp Memorial Hospital, but, the medical world as well.

Dr. Kevin Shaw
Kevin went on to become a medical doctor and is now a practicing ‎Pulmonologist, (a respiratory and critical care specialist.

While on duty at Sharp’s ER on Kearny Mesa recently Kevin deemed it necessary to perform an operation seldom (if ever) performed in an emergency room.  With time working against him, he opted to save his patient’s life with a complicated procedure that was not normally performed in the ER.

It was not the way a lung bypass is supposed to happen. Reportedly, for as long as this ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Procedure), has been employed, no doctor had ever endeavored to use it outside of the operating room without a complete team of attending surgeons and anesthesiologists, including a cardiac doctor. 

But, Dr. Shaw quickly realized that if he waited to go by the book, he most likely would have lost his patient.  His career was not the priority.  His patient was.

Bravely, Dr. Shaw, who was assisted in the ER by Dr. Andrew Eads, accepted the challenge and in the end saved the life of patient Conrad Soriano, 27, who otherwise would have died from a life-threatening peanut allergy.

San Diego’s Channel 8 CBS affiliate reported: “It was a last-ditch effort by doctors to save the life of man suffering from a severe allergic reaction to peanuts. Doctors used a procedure, usually done in an operating room, but never tried, in an emergency situation. A patient at Sharp Memorial Hospital had his lungs so inflamed from a severe peanut allergy he could no longer breathe. His patient is alive today because of the quick action taken by doctors Kevin Shaw and Andrew Eads. The doctors placed a large catheter in his neck to try and save his life. Dr. Shaw used an ECMO machine to filter Soriano's blood and bypass it around his lungs. It’s a procedure mostly done on cardiac surgery patients in an operating room.”

"It was the greatest feeling that I can remember in a very long time. Knowing we had all worked together to save this young man's life; get him out of the hospital and back with his family," said Dr. Shaw.

Afterwards, Mr. Soriano praised his lifesaving doctors.  "Thank you very much. I would not be here without you."
Because of the success of this remarkable event, Sharp leadership is planning a series of seminars soon to teach other doctors from around the world how to perform the same procedure that Kevin and Andrew did in the ER.

Here are two links which present this episode to viewers:
1)     The first was post by CBS Channel 8 on August 24, 2016 the title:
 “Lifesaving Idea: Never tried it before, and it worked.
This was the actual scene videoed while Kevin was operating.
2)     The second was a reenactment presented on the Learning Channel.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/93dbswa28l9ttm0/Deadly%20Dinner.m4v?dl=0