Catalonia celebrates St Jordi’s Day

Every year on 23rd April, the UNESCO World Book Day, Catalans celebrate their patron saint, Sant Jordi (Saint George). It is one of the Catalans’ most cherished days in the calendar, when people give books and red roses to friends and loved ones in celebration of love and literature. Traditionally men used to give a rose to women and women gave men books in return, but the tradition has evolved and nowadays men and women both give and receive books and roses to each other as well as to friends and even co-workers.

The streets of Barcelona and all around the country will be flooded with books and flower stands, where people line up to buy books and roses or just stroll around enjoying the atmosphere. Like every year, hundreds of authors from Catalonia but also from all around the world sign books to their readers. In addition, emblematic buildings such as Gaudi’s Casa Batlló on the famous Passeig de Gracia are decorated with red roses and encourage visitors to learn about the legend of Sant Jordi.
(VilaWeb)

Sleeping Late

A new study says that going to bed late may be bad for our health. It may even shorten our life. The study was carried out in the United Kingdom. Researchers spent six-and-a-half years looking at the lifestyles of 430,000 adults between the ages of 38 and 73. At the end of the study, the researchers compared the deaths of people who went to bed early to those who went to bed late. They found that night owls (people who go to bed late) were 10 per cent more likely to die during the period of the study. The researchers concluded that night owls were at higher risk of an early death than early birds (people who slept early). Night owls were also at a greater risk of poor health compared to early birds.

The researchers said society and working patterns needed to change to reduce the risks of ill health for night owls. Researcher Malcolm van Schantz said: "This is a public health issue that can no longer be ignored." He suggested that night owls should be allowed to start and finish work later in the day so they could sleep longer in the morning. The researchers said that night owls were more likely to suffer from mental problems, diabetes, and stomach and breathing troubles. They were also more likely to smoke, drink alcohol and coffee, and take drugs. Researchers also said different sleeping patterns during the week and at weekends could increase the chances of health problems for night owls. (Breaking News English)

Ham croquetas

Makes about 15

100g cured Spanish ham, preferably in 1 chunk

2 tbsp olive oil60g unsalted butter½ small leek, finely diced60g plain flour500ml whole milk, hotNutmeg, to grate2 free-range eggs, beaten150g panko breadcrumbs25g manchego or other hard cheese, finely grated1 litre olive oil, to fry

1. Dice your ham as finely as possible. Heat the oil and butter in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat and, when the butter melts, add the leek and and fry gently for a minute, then add 70g ham and cook until the leek has softened, and the ham fat has begun to melt.

2. Turn the heat down, gradually stir in the flour and cook gently, stirring regularly, until it loses its raw flavour – this should take about 8–10 minutes. 

3. Gradually stir in the hot milk, beating it in well, until you have a smooth paste. Cook for another 15 minutes until it has the consistency of smooth mashed potato, then fold through the rest of the ham and season to taste with a grating of nutmeg and some black pepper (you won't need any salt). Put the béchamel in a bowl and allow to cool, then cover, pressing the clingfilm on to the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

4. Put the beaten eggs into a bowl, and the breadcrumbs and cheese into another. With floured hands, roll spoonfuls of the mixture into cylinders and dip these into the egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs until well coated. 

5. Heat the olive oil in a large pan to 180C, or until it begins to shimmer. Prepare a plate lined with kitchen roll. Fry the croquetas in batches for a couple of minutes until golden all over, then lift out with a slotted spoon and serve at once.

(The Guardian)

1912 Titanic sinks

At 2:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, the British ocean liner Titanic sinks into the North Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles south of Newfoundland, Canada. The massive ship, which carried 2,200 passengers and crew, had struck an iceberg two and half hours before.

On April 10, the RMS Titanic, one of the largest and most luxurious ocean liners ever built, departed Southampton, England, on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. The Titanic was designed by the Irish shipbuilder William Pirrie and built in Belfast, and was thought to be the world’s fastest ship. It spanned 883 feet from stern to bow, and its hull was divided into 16 compartments that were presumed to be watertight. Because four of these compartments could be flooded without causing a critical loss of buoyancy, the Titanic was considered unsinkable. While leaving port, the ship came within a couple of feet of the steamer New York but passed safely by, causing a general sigh of relief from the passengers massed on the Titanic‘s decks. On its first journey across the highly competitive Atlantic ferry route, the ship carried some 2,200 passengers and crew. 

(This Day in History)