Traffic Congestion is Hazardous to Your Health

Published by glynch under infrastructure, safety, transportation

The Transportation Construction Coalition, of which ASCE is a member, recently released a study by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis on the public health cost of traffic congestion. The study, “The Public Health Costs of Traffic Congestion: A Health Risk Assessment”, found that emissions resulting from traffic congestion in the largest 83 metropolitan areas resulted in more than 2,200 premature deaths last year. Additionally, the public health cost was at least $18 billion.

Emissions from motor vehicles contain pollutants which add to air pollution. One pollutant specifically, PM_2.5 (fine particulate matter) is responsible for one third of observed PM_2.5 in urban areas as the result of vehicle emissions. While directly emitted from vehicles, PM_2.5  can form as nitrogen oxide (NO_X) or sulfur dioxide (SO₂). Several studies have shown strong evidence that PM_2.5 exposure has been associated with premature deaths and other health problems, specifically heart attack, strokes, asthma attacks and other respiratory issues. In the Center for Disease Control’s 2009 National Vital Statistics Report diseases of the heart was listed as the leading cause of death of death in the United States while, Cerebrovascular diseases (stroke) was fourth.

This study is the first attempt to quantify the public health implications of growing traffic congestion. The public health toll was highest in the Los Angeles area, followed by New York/New Jersey, Chicago, and San Francisco/Oakland; areas that rank high in traffic congestion as well. To make matters worse the study forecasts that in 18 metropolitan areas congestion will rise more than 30 percent by 2030.

Potential strategies to combat congestion are defined in the report and range from better traffic management through congestion pricing, traffic light synchronization, more efficient response to traffic incidents, and adding new highway and public transit capacity. The report did note that the number of premature deaths is currently declining due to low emission vehicles, but without further action could be on the rise again by 2030.

ASCE’s 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, graded roads a D- citing that collectively, Americans spend 4.2 billion hours stuck in traffic annually. With this significant amount of time stuck in traffic, inhaling noxious fumes, we should pursue improvements to our roads to relieve congestion. 

Risky business: Report says act now to combat climate change

By Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

By Stephen Lovekin, Getty Images

A report released Thursday by a National Research Councilcommittee cites "the pressing need for substantial action to limit the magnitude of climate change and to prepare to adapt to its impacts."

Since the effects of greenhouse gases can take decades to come about, and then persist for hundreds or even thousands of years, waiting for impacts to occur before taking action will likely be too late for meaningful mitigation, according to the report.

Beginning emissions reductions soon will also lower the pressure to make steeper and costlier cuts later. "It is our judgment that the most effective strategy is to begin ramping down emissions as soon as possible," said committee chairAlbert Carnesale of UCLA.

Substantial reductions of greenhouse gas emissions should be among the nation's highest priorities, the committee said.

"America's response to climate change is ultimately about making choices in the face of risk," says committee vice chairWilliam L. Chameides of Duke University.

The report, titled "America's Climate Choices," was commissioned by the U.S. Congress several years ago. It comes on the heels of a disastrous stretch of weather in the USA: The nation has been hit with five weather disasters costing more than a billion dollars each in 2011, setting a modern record for the most high-cost weather events so early in a year, according to insurance estimates and government records.

Is there a connection between these disasters and climate change?

"All extreme weather events are now subject to human influence," said Peter Gleick, a scientist at the Pacific Institute at a Capitol Hill briefing on Monday and reported by the National Resources Defense Council blog. "We are loading the dice and painting higher numbers on them," Glieck said.

The NRC committee deemed the risks of sticking to "business as usual" to be a much greater concern than the risks associated with a strong response.

The new report says that scientific evidence points to human activities -- primarily the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere -- as the "most likely cause for most of the global warming that has occurred over the last several decades."

It adds that the trend cannot be explained by natural factors such as internal climate variability or changes in incoming energy from the sun. The report also notes that the impacts of climate change on human and natural systems can generally be expected to intensify with warming.

Pick the Best Web Designer

By Karen E. Klein

First check credentials, gauge experience, and examine previous work. Then make sure the contract contains a few important elements

I'm looking for a Web designer but don't know what criteria I should use to evaluate candidates. Can you offer some advice? —M.E., Henderson, Nev.

The relatively young marketplace for Web design services can be difficult to navigate, particularly for small business owners who aren't sure exactly what they need in website development. "We found that a lot of companies are not very truthful. It's like the Wild West out there. Anyone can work out of their grandparents' house and say they design websites," says Gabriel Shaoolian, founder and chief executive of Blue Fountain Media, a Web design and online marketing business based in New York City.

Personal referrals are always a good start for professional services, but once you get a few, do background research on your own. Search on typical keywords and see where—or whether—the recommended companies come up: If they can't get their own sites optimized for search engines, they probably won't do a good job on yours, either.

Inquire about designers' credentials and ask whether they belong to a professional association with membership standards. Investigate their Dun & Bradstreet (DNB) and Better Business Bureau ratings and ask whether they follow W3C international standards for computer coding. If they have done government contracts, those lend additional credibility; public agencies typically vet contractors thoroughly.

DON'T RELY ON REFERENCES

You want original, custom content (not templates or cut-and-paste copy) from professionals, so make sure that all staffers on your project have at least five years' experience. Take references with a grain of salt: "What's stopping them from giving you the names of their friends? Better to check out whether they are industry leaders who do speaking and are actively engaged in the community," Shaoolian says.

Once you have some good candidates, ask what specific results they have provided for their clients. You want a site that enhances brand loyalty (which means that customers return frequently) and that increases sales leads and lead conversion rates. "The beautiful thing about this industry is that you can directly measure the results through Google Analytics," Shaoolian says. "Designers should give you many case studies that show the positive results their clients have experienced."

Read any contract thoroughly before you sign it and do not rely on verbal promises. If an aspect of your project does not appear specifically in the contract's "scope of work" section, make sure the contract is rewritten so it does. "If you have negotiated special payment terms, make sure those are spelled out in the contract rather than verbally agreed upon," says Scott Sanfilippo, co-founder of Solid Cactus, an e-commerce website developer in Shavertown, Pa.

The same goes for copyrights, particularly to photographs, images, and licensed content. "Make sure the contract spells out who retains the ownership of those images and if ownership transfers to you once the site is finished and paid in full," Sanfilippo says.

The contract should also guarantee that you get official ownership of your site design and copies of the original computer files used to create your site. "These files are often needed down the road when you want to make changes to your site," he says. Have them in your possession, because "you never know when you will need them."

Karen E. Klein is a Los Angeles-based writer who covers entrepreneurship and small-business issues.

A Drop's Life

"A Drop's Life," produced by Free Range Studios, tells the story of DC Water's Clean Rivers Project from the perspective of a single water drop.

Learn more: http://www.dcwater.com/cleanrivers

Too many job openings, but no response ... what is wrong with HR?

by Gyaney

In recent job announcement in this group, I was not sure whether the announcement was genuine or this was a media stunt: to attact attention, because a UK based company wants to hire employees for .... in NZ. How would you know that it is a real authentic job opening? Why is there no URL link to the official website of the company? It might be a genuine announcement, but how would you confirm it to make sure that a desperate applicant is not fooled.

Well, there may be too many unemployed professional in this economically bad time. Thanks god, you don't have to spend penny to apply for the most of the jobs these days because everything is online, but you certainly lose your precious time, effort, and interest/motivation.

Why? 99% of the applications never get any response back by the HR people nor they ever receive phone calls, nor reply the emails. It is the trend not only in private companies (where time = money matters), but also in public organizations.

A week back, a HR personnel replied to my application, but disappointingly there was mass reply where all applicants (50+) email and name were disclosed to each other, and the HR personnel declared that the opening continues for another month ... tone was as if they there were no better fit in the list. By looking at the name in the list, I felt majority of them were from the same part of the world and new immigrants to US, and I believe their academic record can be ranked top 1%.

I watched one show on PBS, a few years back, that an engineer applied for job in 700+ openings, and got no response / no luck.

In this internet age, the new graduates around me are desperate in getting new job. Some tell how they got exploited by the so called employer. Some consulting companies in IT sector in US, hire desperate graduates, but it is a conditional employment. The employee has to return the salary in full in cash to the employer in exchanges for H1B with a legal min limit of US3,000/ month as salary. The employer, then asks for return of USD$ 4000/month in exchange of deposits of US$ 3000 - different deductions (Fedral/ State TAX + social security + medicaid + insurance if any) = Say, USD2250. The first 1000 USD goes to the employer's pocket off the record. Second month, the employee earns another 1750, and returns the 2250+1750 =4000 to the employer as cash, and cycle repeats. The so called employee does not work for that employer because the employer does not have any job, he does sponsors dozens of similar unemployed desperate young graduates, and makes living from such practices. When the market is so fluid, and young graduates are so desperate to maintain their immigration status, there are reasons why HR don't have to answer you and neglect your call. It is not surprising to me to not get any response to applications. The new graduates should know that they may or not get any response from the HR, but they should continue to dump (I do not call it a filing an application with a real hope that you will be hired) their applications in desperate hope of getting interviewed.

It is not only a problem with fresh graduates, it is also in teaching jobs. Recently, I got an email reply from one university that the search committee has had hard time screening the lucky or "usually preselected" applicant out of 150 applicants (PhD). The job market is terribly tough, and you want to be hooked no matter what is type of job you are asked to do.

What is the solution? Get a better reference. Without a good reference, you have almost no chance (99%) of getting job, no matter where did you get your degree (except the few league colleges), no matter what knowledge you have, no matter what GPA you secured. Some recruiters might give you a phone call, but your honey moon with the recruiters will soon fade away when they come to know that you are an immigrant. ... ... ...

How a high-school dropout found his way in the restaurant world

How a Famous Foodie Got His Start

By COLLEEN DEBAISE

 

Since stumbling upon cooking at age 17, Bobby Flay has opened a cadre of restaurants—from New York's venerable Mesa Grill to Bobby's Burger Palaces, a chain of casual-dining eateries. And he's become a cookbook author, Food Network star and Iron Chef along the way. Mr. Flay, 46 years old, credits much of his prolific career to timing, powerful mentors and a good deal of chance. As a judge and investor on NBC's "America's Next Great Restaurant," he plans to fund an aspiring restaurateur's dreams when the show wraps May 1.  

 

Edited interview excerpts follow.

Ben Fink

Bobby Flay 

Q. How did you get your start at such a young age?
A. I dropped out of high school. I really had no interest in doing any school work whatsoever. My father, who is very much a scholarly guy, said: "Well, you're going to have to get a job then." Two days later, he called and said the bus boy at a restaurant where he was a partner [Joe Allen, in New York's Theatre District] needed two weeks off to visit his sick grandmother. I was told to fill in.

Q. What happened after two weeks, when the bus boy came back?
A. I was literally walking out of the restaurant and the chef said, "Do you want to work in the kitchen?" And I said, "Sure." It was because I had nothing else to do that day. If I had plans with friends, I probably would have said no. I wasn't desperate to work in the kitchen.

Q. So you didn't have dreams as a kid of becoming a chef?
A. No! This was 1981—food and America hadn't had its renaissance yet.

Q. When did you take a liking to cooking?
A. I remember waking up one morning, staring at the ceiling, and thinking: "Wait, I really want to do this today." Something clicked. I had been so disinterested in doing school work. I finally found something I could do with my hands that was productive.

Q. You did go back to school a short time later, enrolling in the French Culinary Institute's six-month program at age 18.
A. It was not my favorite thing. But I knew this was my last chance without my father killing me. It gave me a foundation forever. I utilize things I learned in FCI every day.

Q. What was your first job, post-FCI?
A. I was hired as a sous-chef at a restaurant on the Upper East Side. The chef liked to drink—some mornings we would find him sleeping [on the floor]. Two weeks after its opening, I became the chef. I was 20 years old, and way over my head. I had to hire the cooks and do the menus. I did it for a year, but I thought, I need to know how to cook better.

Q. You went to work for Jonathan Waxman, then one of New York's hottest chefs. How did that happen?
A. I was at a cocktail party at the French Culinary Institute. This woman Gail Arnold met me—she was the chef at Bud's (a Waxman restaurant) and I said: "I would love to work there." And she said OK.

Q. Just like that?
A. It's easier than you think it is to get a job. I said to her: "I will promise you this, I will give you 120%. Just tell me what to do." Today, when I hire, I look for people who want to be trained and molded.

Q. You wound up working at three of Waxman's restaurants—what did you learn?
A. That was the first time I had seen Southwestern ingredients, like blue corn meal and chile peppers. I fell in love with the flavors, the colors, the textures. It became the palette that I reach for always.

Q. You solidified your reputation when you opened Mesa Grill in New York, in 1991 at age 26—how did that opportunity arise?
A. Jerry Kretchmer [the New York restaurateur] had just come back from a trip to the Southwest, probably because he wants to be a cowboy. And he asked around—who cooks really good Southwest food? So he heard about me, and he asked if I wanted to open a restaurant with him and I said yes.

Q. Did you have to come up with the start-up capital?
A. No—he and another partner, Jeff Bliss, took responsibility for raising the money. I think it was a bank loan. I didn't have to sign it. I was bringing sweat equity.

Q. A few years later, you started to appear on TV—what drew you to that?
A. The Food Network was just starting in New York, and I was getting lots of attention from Mesa Grill. They had no money, so if you couldn't get there by subway, you couldn't be on. It wasn't like TV was something I really wanted to do—but I knew it would be great publicity for my restaurants.

Q. Which has been your most successful restaurant?
A. In terms of revenue, it's between Bar Americain in New York, Mesa Grill in Vegas and and Bobby Flay Steak in Atlantic City. But they're also the biggest restaurants.

Q. If you had to streamline everything you do—and pick just one thing—what would it be?
A. Standing in a kitchen in my whites, cooking. Period. No question.

Q. How is "America's Next Great Restaurant" doing?
A. The ratings are moderate, but they're not off the charts. It's in a bad time spot. But I'm definitely happy with the show.

Q. What advice would you give an aspiring restaurateur?
A. Have twice as much capital as you think you need. If you think it's going to take eight months to build the restaurant, know that it's twice that. Expect the unexpected. It will ultimately happen, whether it's the health department [coming in], or the chef quits, or the gas line doesn't work. And go slow. Don't try to feed 300 people the first night. You want to be a good restaurant for 20 years, not 20 weeks.

 

Must Haves for Spring

By TINA GAUDOIN

Having written that title, I am going to contradict myself. There's nothing really "must have" about fashion or style. Where clothes are concerned, "must haves" really are for children in third-world countries or for the Libyan refugees streaming across the Egyptian and Tunisian borders, without any of their worldly belongings.  

 

I haven't come over all worthy—well, all right, I have, but I'm just making the point that in my business, the idea of "need" is a marketing-created imperative, rather than an economic, social or personal necessity.
All of that being said, I'm about to tell you to spend a lot of money on a few items—and I'm assuming that if you have the means to do this, you will almost certainly have donated to one of the aforementioned causes already.

Why the money? Well, sometimes—just occasionally, if you have the means, I believe in buying "the best of" for a particular season. These are pieces that you will have forever, that came down the runway and were destined for the fashion archives (and the pages of magazines).
What I'm saying is, if you can, spend on the original; don't waste money on High Street looky-likeys, because the pieces I'm about to recommend will never be bettered and you will always look and feel good in them.

Stella's fruitopia

I love Stella McCartney for her humor and for the way she cuts her clothes. She's short on irony and big on celebration, both of life and of a woman's body—this is a very good thing for a women's designer, and it's rare. I'm not saying that you should go all out and wear her Citrus print from top to toe, but I am recommending her silk maxi dress with the oversized print on the bodice and a fine, almost Liberty-like print on the pleated skirt (£1,665). Flattering, feminine and on trend.

White

Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana created the prettiest white dresses this season, in embroidered silk-chiffon.

There are a number of ways to go with white this season, but beware parties and social occasions (everyone is going to go in this direction, so unless you want to join the mass ranks of women who appear to be nursing orderlies, then steer clear). One perfect white piece is the answer. Chanel inevitably has the crème de la crème of boucle jackets, with feather trim (from £21,926). Dolce & Gabbana created the prettiest white dresses this season, in embroidered silk-chiffon (£2,045). They sell the satin bra (£255) and briefs (£200) to go with it, explaining at the shows that their collection was "for a bride's trousseau." Well, Kate Middleton did ensnare the future king of England by flashing her knickers and bra from the runway. Meanwhile, the most sensible and classic white piece this spring is the YSL trench in cotton gabardine (£1,880).

Prada's bonkers graphics

Prada

Prada's bonkers graphics

Here's another Miuccia Prada classic—her crazy cherub meets fruit and stripes graphics. Buy the cotton skirt (£540) in the muted grays, browns and blacks, and wear it with a simple top in black, white or navy. It's going to look incredible during the autumn, too, with a cashmere rollneck, boots and woolly tights. 

Christopher Kane's acid trip

net-a-porter.com.

Christopher Kane's laser-cut skirt (£1,610)

Kane's laser-cut acid leather caused a storm when he sent it down the runway last September, calling the look Princess Margaret on acid. These are collector's pieces because they broke the mold by standing British-style conservatism on its head and making it sexy (something designers have been trying to do for years). Buy the laser-cut skirt (£1,610) and top (£1,200) in neon yellow. Or pair the skirt with Kane's henna argyle cardigan (£820).

D&G's floral maxi

D&G

Dolce & Gabbana's floral maxi dresses

No apologies for two Dolce & Gabbana mentions, because this season, the designers got it entirely right. D&G trends "younger" than the Dolce line, but their sexy, simple, floral maxi dresses (£1,565) would look great at almost any age (as a rule of thumb, past 50, wear with flats or barefoot). Cinch with a leather belt from Lanvin in tan (£410).

Jil Sander's stripes

Jil Sander

Jil Sander's stripes

Yes, I know. Stripes again. But these are the seminal stripes and shapes of the season. Voluminous bubble skirts worn with simple tees and shells; bold, almost garish colors; and huge florals. Buy the stripes. The horizontal, baby pink or blue and white long skirt (£1,370), and the ribbon stripe top in black or cerise (£720) are stunning.

The wedge

net-a-porter.com

The extreme version of the wedge

The extreme version of the wedge, which tapers to nothing at the ball of the foot—incredibly sexy, somewhat precarious and possibly uncomfortable for more than a few hours (limo service required). These elongate the front of the foot and the leg, and will come in very handy with the new maxi. The best are from Lanvin in snakeskin (£640) or Christian Louboutin in canvas and raffia (£345).

The brogue

 

Prada

The brogue

The alternative to the wedge and best worn with the new cropped pants or the balloon skirt. The ultimate are from Prada, with their über Teddy-Boy burlap, striped soles (£510). For the less adventurous, Pierre Hardy's white leather brogues (£288).

Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page W4

Turning Chocolate on Its Head

Visit Bruges for Dominique Persoone's twist on the treat—with a hint of tobacco, wasabi or onions

By PAUL AMES

When a supplier to the Rolling Stones invites you to try the contraption he invented to facilitate the inhaling of powdered stimulants up both nostrils, it's perhaps wise to hesitate.

Kris Vlegels

Dominique Persoone

Thankfully, this is Belgium and Dominique Persoone's drug of choice is chocolate. In this case, he's pushing a finely ground dust of pure Dominican Republic cocoa cut with ginger and mint which his "chocolate shooter" catapults nose-ward to fill the brain with an explosion of phantom flavors.

Mr. Persoone is Belgium's most audacious chocolate maker, a self-styled "Shock-o-latier" who has shaken up the kingdom's delicious but tradition-bound world of pralines, cream-filled manons and cognac truffles, by stuffing bite-sized parcels of the finest chocolate with the likes of tobacco leaves, wasabi or fried onions.

"When you think about chocolate 20 years ago, it was a typical product for grandma's birthday. She already has everything, so what do you buy? A big box of chocolate," Mr. Persoone reflects. "I don't say those chocolates are bad, but the thing I'm very proud of is that I make some new creations, like the Coca-Cola one. My son is 11 years old and he loves it. It's a chocolate ganache with the flavor of cola. That's the first layer and the second layer is an almond praliné with sugar explosives so it's like when you drink Coca-Cola, you have the flavor and you have the fizz."

Mr. Persoone was born in Bruges in 1968. The medieval city on the damp polders of Flanders prides itself on its chocolate. It currently boasts more than 50 chocolatiers and its chocolate museum, which opened seven years ago, now draws more visitors that the city's renowned collections of Flemish art. Located in a 15th-century wine merchant's house, the Choco Story museum (www.choco-story.be) traces the history of chocolate from its origins as the sacred drink of the Mayas and Aztecs to Belgium's emergence as a cocoa-superpower after the Neuhaus family—Swiss immigrants in Brussels—confected the first chocolate-filled bonbons in the first years of the 20th century.

Piet de Kersgieter

Chocolate paint sold at his shop, the Chocolate Line, in Bruges

Mr. Persoone, however, wasn't immediately smitten by choco-mania. Instead, he headed off to Paris to train as a chef and it was researching techniques for making the perfect pain-au-chocolat in a Parisian bakery that rekindled his interest in all things cocoa.

He returned to Bruges in 1992 and opened his shop, the Chocolate Line, in the leafy Simon Stevinplein square between the cathedral and the 13th-century bell tower.

Mr. Persoone dreamed up the chocolate shooter when the wives of Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts asked him to help prepare a surprise birthday party for their Rolling Stone husbands.

Piet de Kersgieter

: 'Creole' pralines made with bitter ganache of espresso coffee

"They asked us to put some jokes into the menu, so one of the things we did was make a dessert with different structures of raspberry. Instead of putting chocolate on the dish, because they were the rock 'n' roll grandpas, we thought they should sniff the chocolate and to get a good result we designed a machine for that," he says. "We just made one for that party, but then everybody talked about it in the newspapers, so then we had to make it commercial because everybody was asking for it." 

It would be easy to dismiss Mr. Persoone's creations as gimmicks that successfully lure a stream of tourists into his cosy little shop in the heart of historic Bruges. But behind his image as the world's wackiest chocolate maker since Willy Wonka, Mr. Persoone takes his chocolate very seriously. He collaborates with scientists to uncover new flavor combinations and uses only top quality natural ingredients, matching chocolate varieties sourced from around Latin America to complement his strange fillings.

Milk chocolate filled with bacon sounds scary. But Mr. Persoone subtly blends textures and flavors so the hints of salty, crispy fat complement the creamy chocolate. It's a similar story with his "Bollywood," which combines white chocolate with saffron and curry.

Piet de Kersgieter

Dominique Persoone's second shop has opened in nearby Antwerp on the Paleis op de Meir

"Cauliflower really matches with the bitter chocolate of Ecuador; it took time to find that balance, but foodies love it. Or look at this green one," he says, picking up a shiny, bitter-chocolate emerald. "It's made from passion fruit, green lemons and vodka. I only use real products, juice from passion fruit, skin of lime, a little bit of vodka. It's so fresh, it's so fruity."


That dedication to quality has earned Mr. Persoone the respect of some of the world's superstar chefs. He is on first name terms with Ferran Adrià and Heston Blumenthal. René Redzepi of Copenhagen's Noma sent his pastry chef to pick up tips in the Bruges chocolate factory and Sergio Herman of the three-star Oud Sluis in the Netherlands treats female guests with a complementary sample of one of the chocolatier's signature creations: a bar of caramel ganache filled with Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar and pine nuts.

"In the beginning, I was making classic chocolates, which I still make and still like very much, like pralinés, whipped cream, marzipans, all that stuff. But then I started using a little bit of my chef's influence on the chocolate. We made chocolate with cauliflower and chocolate with peas, chocolate with smoked salmon. In the beginning, everybody thought I was crazy...but little by little I got more respect from people who are into food. Then suddenly, I was one of the three chocolate makers who are in the Michelin Guide."
Says Mr. Herman: "Dominique comes up with ideas and flavor combinations that have never been done before. He is breaking all boundaries."

He got a tattoo on his right bicep proclaiming "chocolate is rock 'n' roll." Last year, Mr. Persoone opened a second store in Antwerp, taking over part of a former royal palace that once played host to Napoleon. In honor of the emperor, he makes a chocolate in the shape of his bicorne hat, filled with marzipan, cherry liquor and bitter banana cream.

As well as stretching the outer limits of the chocolate-maker's art, Mr. Persoone also embarked on a personal quest to discover the origins of the product which has become his passion. In 2008, he set out on a tour of Mexico in search of the original wild criollo cocoa beans that the Maya used to make their spiced drinks centuries before the arrival of Cortez.

Piet de Kersgieter

Pralines are being prepared in the factory

His expedition led him to write "Cacao," a book that's part travelogue, part history of chocolate, part recipe guide. Published in four languages by Editions Francoise Blouard in Brussels, it was selected as 2009 chocolate book of the year in the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Paris. Mexico also inspired Mr. Persoone's popular "choc-tail," a thimble of lime-infused dark chocolate with a Maldon salt-encrusted rim that's served with a pipette of tequila.

The book's success has spawned a twice weekly show starring Mr. Persoone on Flemish television and a second trip to Latin America focused on Brazil, Panama and Costa Rica.

"In Europe, we learn there are three varieties of cocoa—criollo, forastero, trinitario—but I met a professor in São Paulo who told me that in the Amazon they've found already 24,000 different cocoa varieties," he says, emerging from a back room with a box of hand-grenade-sized pods from a plant closely related to cocoa harvested on his journey and a tray of his latest chocolate creation.

The Chocolate Line

Classic Easter eggs

"For me this is the most exiting: theobroma grandiflorum. In Brazil they call it cupuaçu. I was so exited about it, I bought a ton of them. We were able to ferment, to dry, to roast it and we made a kind of chocolate with it. We can't call it officially chocolate, we had to find a new name for it: cupolade. It is very new, I just served it two days ago and it is the first time we use it like this in Europe. Inside I made a filling with the pulp...taste it, in the beginning it's quite caramel and then you have like wild mushroom and then acidity of the bananas, all the acidity of the fruit. I really love it. And it is just the natural pulp."



Not all Mr. Persoone's experiments are so successful. He recalls how his scientist collaborator once explained that chocolate contains the same hormone released by the brain during an orgasm. "My idea was to make small Valentine hearts with an overdose of this love hormone. I thought it was a funny idea."

After several weeks of experimentation the results were promising. "Together with the scientist, we tasted it and the result was amazing. You can't walk any more you are just smiling you really get ... wow!" This particular delight was destined however never to reach the lovers of Bruges. "I thought I ought to call the food and drug administration. They said: "Dominique please, your sniffer, it's OK, but this is too much. It's dangerous." It seems it's the same hormone they use in medicine for people who are depressed."


He does have a few other products that explore chocolate's erotic potential: a dark chocolate lipstick designed originally for enlivening consumption of vanilla ice-cream, but also good for sweet kisses; and an edible chocolate paint developed for the American artist Spencer Tunick, who dribbled it over scores of naked women squeezed into a Bruges alley for one of his trademark mass nudity tableaux.

What is the "Shock-o-latier" planning for Easter? Chicken-filled eggs, Easter bunnies with real bunny?
"No, nothing like that. I'm very open minded and I really like to have fun, fun, fun and do crazy things, but Easter and St. Nicholas, those things are such a wonderful tradition. That's why I make very classic eggs and rabbits. Those important moments in the year for children, I think we chocolate makers have to show respect for that and it would be stupid to change."

 

 

In Tokyo Suburb, ‘Primitive’ Life After Quake

By Kana Inagaki

Getty Images

Temporary toilets are seen as the water supply has been suspended due to the liquefaction triggered by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Urayasu, Chiba on March 19.

Still wearing blue emergency overalls, Hideki Matsuzaki, the outspoken mayor of Urayasu, a seaside city near Tokyo, is still steering his community’s battle with the mammoth March 11 earthquake and ensuing damage.
More than a month after the disaster, residents in this town, the location of the Tokyo Disneyland theme park, are trying to come to grips with the vivid scars across the city, including warped roads, popped-up manholes and tilted houses caused by soil liquefaction.

 Yomiuri Shimbun/Associated Press

Soil liquefaction is seen in front of a police station in Urayasu on March 25.

What it was like when the earthquake struck on March 11? Was your home also damaged?
My house lost electricity, gas, water and plumbing – what I would call a quadruple whammy. My wife and daughter were out in Tokyo so  they couldn’t immediately get back home. When I arrived at my house, all the dishes in the kitchen were destroyed so it took until past 3 a.m. to pick up the broken pieces. Then my wife finally came home.


What was the biggest challenge you faced?
I’d say it was the destruction of our lifelines caused by the bigger-than-expected liquefaction. We’ve done emergency repairs for now, but a full recovery of the sewage system will take more than three years.  We’re like a primitive society not to be able to use the bathroom in this day and age. (As of Wednesday, nearly 300 households do not have functioning plumbing.)


Urayasu has long been known for soft grounds since it sits 75% on reclaimed land. Why did it take so long to restore water?
We knew our city was vulnerable to natural disasters. The name of our city, Urayasu (Ura means border between the waterfront and shore),  is already telling. It’s a city that prays for the coastlines to remain tranquil. That is why we had put so much energy into disaster prevention measures.


The weak grounds and some extent of liquefaction were within our expectations. But our preparations were based on a magnitude-7.5 earthquake (not magnitude-9.0). We don’t know why a quake with an epicenter in northeastern Japan had wrought so much damage to our city. This is all completely unexpected.


How do you feel about the government’s response? Has this affected the long delays in restoring the lifelines?
Both the national and prefectural governments have dragged their feet. We have been hit with rolling blackouts three times despite the fact that our area was affected by the disaster. They don’t see or feel our pain, but I guess in that sense I had a free hand without having to be bullied (by the government).


Are you concerned that the popularity of the city will decline?
I think land prices will fall over the next one or two years. But our condominiums were undamaged despite such a widespread liquefaction. If you think about it, it’s actually a “buy.” And this doesn’t change the fact that we are close to central Tokyo. We’re going to do our utmost to restore our city and make it stronger.

 

 

 

Quake Bogs Down a Tokyo Suburb

By KANA INAGAKI

URAYASU, Japan—More than a month after the devastating earthquake hit northern Japan, hundreds of residents in an upscale bedroom community near Tokyo still don't have functioning plumbing, causing the city's mayor to lash out at the national and prefectural governments for not responding quickly enough.

Associated Press

Soil liquefaction pushed manholes out of the ground in Urayasu.

Urayasu, a 20-minute train ride away from Tokyo Station, is akin to Westchester County in New York: close enough to the city to commute daily, but far enough away so people can afford to buy more-spacious homes.


But when the earthquake struck on March 11, the city, which is also home to Tokyo Disneyland, quickly sank into the ground and became submerged in mud, partly because 75% of it sits on reclaimed land. Tens of thousands of residents in this city with a population of 165,000 were deprived of water and natural gas for weeks following the quake. Tilted houses, warped roads and popped-up manholes are now strewn across the dust-covered city. As of Wednesday, about 140 households remain without running water in Chiba prefecture, while nearly 300 households in Urayasu are unable to shower or flush toilets due to broken or clogged sewage pipes.

Located about 190 miles south of the earthquake's epicenter, Urayasu was spared the tsunami but much of the wreckage was caused by soil liquefaction, which occurs when soil loses its strength because of an applied stress such as a temblor. The stress can be exacerbated in soft-clay soils and landfill areas.

No deaths were reported from the earthquake in Urayasu, where no apartment buildings collapsed. Tokyo Disneyland, which has been closed since the earthquake due to parking-lot damage and power shortages, is set to reopen Friday.

Kunie Fukuda, 64-year-old owner of a hair salon in Urayasu, said life without water had been hard, but she added the daily inconveniences pale in comparison to the sufferings in northern Japan. "We're right next to Tokyo so I didn't think it would take this long," she said.

"Both the national and prefectural governments have dragged their feet. We have been hit with rolling blackouts three times despite the fact that our area was affected by the disaster," said Hideki Matsuzaki, mayor of Urayasu, in an interview.

"They don't see or feel our pain," he said, though adding the city will need all the government and prefectural aid it can get to address the widespread liquefaction damage. Mr. Matsuzaki said the city estimates costs to repair basic infrastructure to reach at least ¥73.4 billion ($880 million), eclipsing its annual budget of ¥61.1 billion ($730 million). While the city will aim to complete emergency repair of the sewage system by Friday, he said it will take more than three years to fully restore and improve the infrastructure.

American Steve Marshall, a 45-year-old professional magician who has lived in Urayasu for 13 years, said he was thinking of moving back to Florida with his Japanese wife and two children after all his performances were canceled following the quake. "When I saw the black mud coming out, I knew this wasn't right. It was weird," he said. "Every time an earthquake comes, my heart will start pumping and my adrenaline will shoot up."

Mr. Marshall may not be alone in choosing to leave the city. A local real-estate agent said the company has received several cancellations of leases by South Koreans and Chinese, which make up the largest segment of the city's 3,800 foreigners.

Experts said another anticipated fallout from the liquefaction is a decline in Urayasu's property prices. Despite being known for soft grounds, the city has regularly ranked among the most popular Japanese residential areas, favored by young couples and relatively affluent families. From March to September, Takashi Ishizawa, a real-estate analyst at Mizuho Securities Co., projects the city's land prices to decline as much as 10% from a year earlier. In 2010, prices went up 1.1%, compared with a 2.7% decline in residential areas nationwide.


The road to full recovery will be long. In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, much of the electricity, gas and water were cut off in many districts across Chiba prefecture. Civil engineers said the magnitude of the quake, measuring 9.0, and repeated aftershocks accelerated the spread of liquefaction.

Susumu Yasuda, a professor at Tokyo Denki University, said that codes for sewage systems that address liquefaction were introduced in Japan only in 1981, which left older reclaimed land areas such as Urayasi—where the first construction began in 1964—vulnerable.

In neighboring Narashino, the liquefaction-damaged city has asked its residents to use only 75% of the available water at least until June, advising them, for example, to use plastic wraps over their plates to avoid washing them.

"We need as much money as possible, but it's hard to clear all the government standards to receive it," city official Haruo Suzuki said. He added that current reconstruction funds are limited since they can be used only to restore infrastructure to pre-disaster conditions, rather than for an upgrade.

 

 

Outdoor swimming: take to the wilds

By Gary King 7:00AM BST 26 Aug 2009

Forget splashing around in the local pool. For a real thrill, Gary King takes his children to discover the exhilaration of swimming in outdoor water holes 

Image 1 of 2

Outdoor types: Gary King with Seb and Bella  Photo: GUZELIAN

 

After four hours of travelling we pull up in the car park of William Wordsworth’s former home, Rydal Mount in the Lake District. My children Seb, 10, and Bella, 7, have reached that point in a car journey where squabbling starts. “I thought that you said we were going swimming,” they chorus.

I explain that we’re just waiting to meet the person who will be taking us.

“What’s wrong with down there?”

They are staring back down the valley at Lake Windermere. It snakes away in a glorious glittering arc and is framed by dense, verdant foliage. It looks especially inviting after our long journey.

I’m saved from having to clarify further by the arrival of Kate Rew, founder of the Outdoor Swimming Society and our chaperone for the day. She strides across the car park, backpack slung over her shoulder in walking boots, khaki shorts and damp, tousled hair. She has already been swimming this morning.

She plucks a map from her backpack, traces a line with her finger and says, “I’ve never been here before so I don’t know what it’s going to be like. Hopefully there will be rock pools and waterfalls.” The children run ahead as we wind up a steep trail into the Cumbrian countryside away from the more obvious choice of Lake Windermere. Dry stone walls criss-cross the rolling hills, sheep dart across our path and the gush of running water peals across the landscape.

After a mile we cut across a field and the trickle of a stream gets progressively louder until we see a pool about 30 feet across being fed by a burbling waterfall.

Rew formed the OSS in 2006 after taking a swim in nearby Lake Buttermere in late October. It was a pivotal moment in her life. “It was one of those dark and stormy nights,” she says. “I’d just arrived in the Lake District and I was determined to take the plunge regardless of the weather. It was fantastic and I thought to myself that everybody should do this. So many things in life tend to disappoint and outdoor swimming isn’t one of them.”

The ethos behind the OSS is simple; find somewhere to swim outdoors, get in, have fun and spread the word. Three years later there is a thriving community of over 4,500 members made up of all ages and abilities. They regularly meet for organised swims all over the country and anybody is welcome.

“It can get pretty nippy up here so I suggest the children wear their wetsuits,” says Kate as we peel off our clothes. When I mention that I also have mine she raises an eyebrow and says: “You’ll look a right wimp in that.” So sporting nothing more than a pair of swimming trunks, I tiptoe across the coarse grass to the edge of the pool. I’m sure Wordsworth himself must have sat by this very spot staring at the clouds and pondering the wonder of life. Whether he ever stripped down to his bloomers and jumped in is another question.

Poised on the edge I leap in and the effect is immediate. It’s cold, bracing, refreshing, invigorating. The children follow suit, laughing and hollering, their car-induced angst instantly washed away.
It’s not long before we’re joined by another family. In the space of 20 minutes Kate has recruited four more members, taken tips on other spots and swapped telephone numbers.

“The OSS is a social network, so much of what we do is about connecting people who have a common love. It’s all about giving the water back to the people. It’s there to be explored and enjoyed.” Fittingly, as she says this Seb and Bella leap in together and disappear under the glassy surface for a couple of seconds. They emerge grinning broadly and give us a thumbs up before scrambling out to jump straight back in again.

For more information visit www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com. 'Wild Swim’ by Kate Rew is available through Telegraph Books for £11.99 + £1.25 p&p. Call 0844 871 1515 or visit books.telegraph.co.uk

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OUTDOOR SWIMMING TIPS 

1 Don’t hang around with cold water lapping your ankles. Take the plunge.

2 In high-up streams and lakes it may be cold at first. So exhale, swim to a nearby tree or rock, puff a bit and within a minute or so you’ll feel the warmth charging around your body.

3 Always ask locals before getting in. Teenage boys tend to have a wealth of knowledge.

4 Take lots of warm clothes, even in the summer. Getting chilly is fine, as long as you can warm up afterwards.

5 Increase your time outdoors gradually, you’ll acclimatise to the cold and be able to stay in the water increasingly longer.

6 Have fun, take in your surroundings, lie back and look at the clouds or study tree roots. Swimming outdoors doesn’t have to be at the same pace as pool swimming.

 

 

 

 

Chicken skewers with lime, chilli and mint, and oriental salad recipe

By Diana Henry 7:00AM BST 10 Apr 2011

Seared chicken skewers marinaded in lime, chilli and mint and served with a crunchy oriental salad 

Chicken skewers with lime, chilli and mint, and oriental salad Photo: ANDREW TWORT

 

Serves six 
 

For the chicken
12 boned and skinned chicken thighs
1½ tbsp groundnut oil
juice of 1 lime

For the marinade
grated zest of 4 limes
juice of 6 limes
2 red chillis, deseeded and shredded
3 tbsp soy sauce
½ tbsp fish sauce
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp chopped mint
freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
½ tbsp fish sauce
juice of 1 lime
2 tsp ginger syrup
1 tbsp chopped peanuts (optional)
2 tbsp groundnut oil

For the salad
10 radishes, cut into matchsticks
5 Chinese leaves, cut into shreds
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
15g (½oz) coriander, torn
leaves from 4 sprigs mint
75g (2¾oz) mizuna or watercress
35g (1¼oz) pea shoots or rose radish sprouts
lime wedges, to serve

Soak six long or 12 short wooden skewers in just-boiled water for 30 minutes. Cube the chicken. Make the marinade by mixing together all the ingredients for it. Put in the chicken, turning it over to make sure it is all coated, cover and refrigerate for one to four hours.

To make the dressing whisk together all the ingredients except the oil. The sugar should dissolve in the lime juice. Now add the oil. Prepare the salad vegetables.

Thread the chicken on to the skewers and shake off any excess marinade. Heat the oil in a large frying-pan (big enough for the chicken to lie flat). Alternatively heat a dry griddle pan and use the oil to paint the chicken. Cook on all sides until the chicken is cooked through, starting on a high heat to get a good colour all over then turning the heat down. The whole process takes about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper and squeeze over some lime juice.

Toss the salad with the dressing and serve with the skewers. Offer extra wedges of lime on the side and plain boiled rice.