* Lydia from Stamford writes via e-mail: "I just returned from a mission trip to Haiti and I miss the food! Does anyone have any recipes for fried plantains, rice and beans, cole slaw, tomato stew or eggplant?
Recipe Exchange
Valerie Foster
May 11, 2005

Requests:* Lydia from Stamford writes via e-mail: "I just returned from a mission trip to Haiti and I miss the food! Does anyone have any recipes for fried plantains, rice and beans, cole slaw, tomato stew or eggplant? I know there are lots of Haitians here in Stamford: Please share the secrets of your cuisine! My church is planning a Haitian luncheon soon and I need help!"* Doreen McKnight is looking for an oldie: chicken liver pate. "I know it's not the best thing for me to eat, but I've had it at parties so many times. I want a recipe that is very rich," Doreen writes via e-mail.* Ann Wilkins is looking for recipes using ground chicken. Ann writes via e-mail: "I really don't like ground turkey, but I saw packages of ground chicken and would consider using it to replace ground beef. But I think it will be awfully dry. Do you have any recipes I can try?"* Zoe Byrnes wants to try pork tenderloin on the grill or in her oven. "Pork tenderloin looks like a perfect size to feed my small family," Zoe writes.* Jane Himmel of New Canaan writes: "My 11-year-old son, Mikey, enjoyed a cold pear-mint soup at an inn several years ago, and would love to know if anyone has a recipe for it."* Mary Lou Gordon of Norwalk loves hummus and usually buys it ready-made. "I would like a basic recipe for hummus, and then some ways to dress it up with flavorings," Mary Lou writes via e-mail. "It makes a great spread for crackers, and I like bringing it for lunch. But I bet I could save some money if I learned how to make it myself."* Michael Dolan of Stamford is looking for a recipe for bolognese sauce. "I order Spaghetti Bolognese if I go to an Italian restaurant. I'm just starting to learn to cook, and thought this would be a good recipe to try. One of these days I would like to be known for my sauce," was Michael's e-mail. Hopefully, someone will be able to help him achieve this goal.* "I've seen frozen tartlets recently, and would like to know some recipes for filling them," Gertrude Weinstein writes via e-mail." "They are the perfect for bite-size hors d'oeuvres, but I have no recipes."* Katie Burns writes via e-mail: "I know this is a recipe column, but I'm wondering if anyone has some drink recipes they could share with me? I just bought my first condo and can't wait to have a summer party. But I have no idea what to serve for drinks, except for beer and wine. I would like something sweet that my friends will remember after the party."r r rAnn Murray sent in the following recipe, which she just enjoyed at a bridal shower in California. "The shower was catered, and everyone asked for this recipe, which the chef supplied." Ann writes via e-mail. "I thought I would share it with you.

"SUMMER AVOCADO FRUIT STAND SALAD
Dressing:1/4 cup olive oil2 Tblsp. raspberry vinegar2 Tblsp. walnuts, chopped and toasted1 tsp. lime peel, grated1 Tblsp. fresh lime juice1 Tblsp. fresh basil leaves, chopped1/2 tsp. dry mustard1/4 tsp. salt1/4 tsp. ground black pepperSalad:1-10 oz. pkg. European-style baby greens3 kiwi, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and sliced in half rounds2 grapefruit, peeled and segmented2 cups sliced strawberries1 ripe avocado, seeded, peeled, one-half sliced into 8 portions, remaining avocado cubed* Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients, set aside.* Salad: In large salad bowl, combine all salad ingredients except avocado slices. Whisk together dressing and pour over salad just before serving. Toss salad to coat with dressing. Arrange avocado slices on top. Serve.

*Valerie Foster is the food editor of The Advocate and Greenwich Time. Readers can write, fax or e-mail to request lost recipes, recipes from restaurants or specific requests for a certain type of dish. Fax: 964-3773; e-mail: Valerie.Foster@scni.com; or Valerie Foster, The Advocate/Greenwich Time, P.O. Box 9307, Stamford, CT 06904-9307.
Copyright © 2005, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.

10,000 lbs. food, 700 lbs. pot donated to Haiti
By Elizabeth Kenny ekenny@seacoastonline.com

PORTSMOUTH NAVAL SHIPYARD - A human chain of Coast Guard members helped unload a shipment of humanitarian aid in Haiti. Later, the crew members seized more than 700 pounds of marijuana.
That’s the short version of the Coast Guard cutter Reliance’s seven-week deployment. On Tuesday, the Reliance’s commanding officer and crew told the longer version of the story to the Portsmouth Herald.
On March 29, the Reliance and its 80-member crew arrived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with 10,000 pounds of humanitarian aid and a small boat in tow to be donated to the Haiti Coast Guard.
"Because we get reports on the political climate in Haiti, we went in with a heightened posture," said Cmdr. Graham Stowe, referring to the political violence that has been an issue in Haiti for more than a decade. "We were ready, and some crew members were armed."
But the mission was conducted without incident, Stowe said.

Eric Fisher, a fireman aboard the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Reliance, recently returned to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard with the ship after a seven-week mission.Photo by Rich Beauchesne
Most of the humanitarian aid delivered - basic food and health necessities - had been donated and packed by church organizations, Stowe explained.
"We were quite a supply vessel," he added.
Once the Reliance arrived in port, 75 crew members formed a human chain, Stowe said, and within an hour had delivered the aid to United Nations officials.
In reflecting on the entire deployment, crew member Archie Rivers, who has been in the Coast Guard for the past 19 years, said, "This is the greatest crew I’ve ever worked with."
Rivers, a native of Winter Harbor, Maine, said he joined the Coast Guard for missions like this.
After leaving Haiti, the ship set off for the Bahamas, where the crew members were directed to board a vessel believed to be carrying contraband.
The Coast Guardsmen boarded the Belize-flagged ship, whose crew members were of various nationalities, at about 6 p.m. on March 30.
Just after midnight seven Coast Guardsmen lifted a rug and linoleum floor to access a portal leading to a room where they found more than 700 pounds of marijuana, Stowe said.
That amount of marijuana has a street value of $1.8 million, according to Stowe.
"That’s what we live for," said crew member Matt Cronin about the seizure. "It’s rewarding, exciting and charged a lot of people up."
The Reliance returned home to the shipyard on May 1 and is scheduled to deploy again in mid-July, according to Stowe.

In Time of Drought Women Key to Family Livelihood in Haiti
May 5, 2005 By Melina Pavlides/CWS Gros-Morne, Haiti
From March 29 to April 9, CWS staff Martin Coria, Don Tatlock, and Melina Pavlides, visited 13 communities in Haiti's Northwest and Artibonite Departments where CWS Emergency Response and Social and Economic Development Programs are sharing resources in a concerted effort to assist families following last September's Tropical Storm Jeanne and to address ongoing issues of food security related to drought.
Daily life in Haiti, a mostly agrarian society, consists of frequent trips to the market for a majority of the country's eight million people. Last September, many lost what little they had in the massive flood caused by Tropical Storm Jeanne that killed some 3,000 persons. Now in a protracted season of drought, families rely on profits from commercial trade to meet basic needs, because there is little farming or harvesting. Women are central to this commercial sector.
Women, especially in rural communities, often travel 10 - 15 miles or more on foot, by mule, or by overcrowded bus in the hot sun with their merchandise in tow to reach village markets where they sell, buy, or trade their goods for a small profit. After hours spent in the market, they begin the long journey home to provide for their families. The following day the process starts all over again. "The sheer physical strength, ingenuity, and resilience of the women of this country is remarkable," says Peter Graeff, (CWS Program Assistant for Haiti from 1983-88), a 30-year veteran of the country, and now an independent consultant for CWS.
CWS, together with long-time partners Service Christian D'Haiti (SCH) and Christian Center for Integrated Development (SKDE), is supporting economic activity of women through 13 local community groups or cooperatives (co-ops) with micro-credit and literacy programs in Haiti's Northwest Department. The micro-credit programs, also managed by women, provide small loans that boost the economic capacity of member families to meet immediate needs – food, school, medicine, and transportation, while also expanding buying power in the markets. "Loans used for commercial buying and selling helps supplement seasonal crop income," Graeff explains. "Harvests are far between in the region, especially now because of the drought, so women often travel five days a week to the city marketplace."
"The women manage the micro-credit programs very well," says Martin Coria, CWS Associate Director of the Social and Economic Development Program. "In many cases, the women have already secured their own capital for the programs before receiving inputs from outside sources like CWS and other funding partners. We hope with more input, training, and support, these communities will increase their profit margins, build on their capital, develop more advanced skills in income generation, and move toward sustainability," says Coria. "It takes time and will require more advanced training, but the groups we have met are eager to learn and are progressing very well."
"For us, the priorities are to send our children to school, provide food and medicine for our families, and to add to the capital of the community bank," says Madam La Vie Saint-Phillip, secretary of Fidelity Community Bank in Gros-Morne, which has 250 members. "Even in the dry months, we are able to finance agricultural and small manufacturing enterprises that sell rice, salt, sugar, beans, oil, flour, kerosene, soap, and matches. One of our goals is to be more versatile. When something becomes unprofitable, we want to be able to change or diversify our activities to meet market demands."
For many of the women running the micro-credit programs, replenishing capital is an overarching goal. "More money means more members and expanding to address needs of more women and their families," adds Saint-Phillip. "We don't want to exclude anyone. If we continue to replenish capital and build on it, we can become more inclusive."
"Women are ready and energized to do better in the buying and selling market," says Toussaint Wilbert, project coordinator of SCH. The progress of the micro-credit programs that facilitate their trading activities, however, cannot grow too fast or serve borrowers superficially. Continued support in terms of accompaniment, training, and management skills is vital."
CWS-assisted literacy programs for women in the co-ops have produced remarkable results in empowering and preparing women for increased growth and opportunity. "When they go to the banks in Gonaives, they can read and understand business documents," says Norelia Eneteda, president of "Serious Business," a micro-credit group and member of the literacy program in the Bravard community. "They are able to make better decisions with greater confidence."
For 23-year-old Erlene D'estines, the literacy program has more symbolic meaning. Once she completes the SKDE-sponsored literacy-training program, she will be certified to train others -- something she is extremely proud of. "My independence is very important to me," D'estines says. Although I want to have a family someday, my education is most important and because this opportunity was given to me, I want to share it with others. I remember when I was first able to read and write my own name, I cried."
As part of its multi-country sustainable food security program, which receives major support from Foods Resource Bank, CWS will continue to assist women-run micro-credit and literacy programs in Haiti's Northwest and Artibonite Departments through 2008.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

In Haiti, Education Key to Better Life and Future
From March 29 to April 9, Donald Tatlock and Melina Pavlides, CWS Emergency Response (ERP) staff, together with Martin Coria, Associate Director of the CWS Social and Economic Development Program (SED) traversed the Northwest region of Haiti with CWS partners Service Chretien d'Haiti (SCH) and Christian Center for Integrated Development (SKDE) visiting local community groups which CWS supports.
The September flood triggered by Tropical Storm Jeanne that left some 3,000 dead in Gonaives (Haiti's 4th largest city), disrupted lives in countless and profound ways. But the disaster's effect on schools may have been one of the most devastating impacts for Haitians who value education of young people as the way to a better life and future for their country. In Gonaives, the flood damaged more than 30 secondary schools (high schools) and several universities. At the same time it added to financial burdens of families struggling to meet their basic day-to-day needs as well as paying for the education of their children.
Through its partners SKDE and SCH, CWS has channeled emergency assistance to some 5,000 flood-affected families living in and around Gonaives. The assistance included food and non-food items, as well as micro-credit inputs that help families pay for school for their children and other necessities.
Secondary school in Haiti costs roughly $50 - $70 Haitian ($6.50 - $9.00 U.S.) per month for one child -- a major challenge in a country where 65 percent of the population earns less than $100Haitian ($12 U.S.) per month. In many cases, several members of a household pool their money to send one child to school, often having to choose who to send and who will have to stay at home to help the family in other ways.
After the flood, twenty year-old Pradhally Nicolas, who grew up in Gonaives, was forced to leave home to finish his studies in the country's capital, Port-au-Prince, 90-miles away. Although Pradhally misses his family and friends back home, he also realizes how fortunate he is to be in one of the best schools in Port-au-Prince. "Many of my friends had to wait several months to go back to school because of the storm and some had to repeat their courses," he said. "Some schools in Gonaives are still damaged."
For people in rural communities getting an education is particularly challenging. Rural Haitian youth often travel many miles by bus or even foot to get to school everyday.
For many living in the Northwest and Artibonite Departments, the nearest city is Gonaives. Children going to secondary school or college in Gonaives, live with relatives, family friends, or in school-run housing. Due to extensive flood damage and the economic impact of the storm on thousands of families, many students from rural communities had to return home. "We have to buy supplies and uniforms, as well as pay the school fees, transportation, and lodging," said a parent of a student in the Hope for Bayouhon co-op, which CWS staff visited. "The flood and drought is making it almost impossible for many families to afford school."
CWS is assisting local communities in building capacity to provide educational opportunities for children and adults in the Northwest and Artibonite regions. Persons who receive literacy training from CWS partners, staff primary schools and teach adults in classes usually held in local churches.
"For schools to thrive in these remote, rural areas there have to be enough teachers, books, and school supplies to sustain them," said an elder of the village in Bombardopolis. There also have to be incentives to get people to stay here and not go to the city. "There is not enough work or opportunity here, nor do we have modern amenities like electricity, running water, good roads or transportation. A lot will have to change."
CWS initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean Islands will help alleviate economic hardships and improve food security for some 5,000 families in Haiti's Northwest and Artibonite Departments through 2008. CWS receives major support from Foods Resource Bank for this program.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

cuba, venezuela: A strategic alliance
Spain’s Repsol-YPF, PDVSA and many of its rivals are looking for new oil fields around Cuba, one of the most under-exploited areas in the world.If they were to make a major find, or several significant ones, the shift could turn regional geo-politics upside down, potentially turning Castro’s cash-strapped, oil import-dependent regime into a prosperous oil exporter able to fund itself well into the future.The announcement came as Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez paid a visit to Cuba to bolster the countries’ economic cooperation, and open a PDVSA office in Cuba with Castro looking on.Spain’s oil leader Repsol-YPF has also been prospecting off Cuba, while American multinationals are shut out due to US sanctions against Cuba.PDVSA will work with Cuba “in prospecting and production (on new wells located in territorial waters) as well as in refining and marketing”, PDVSA said in a statement.In addition, PDVSA is to launch with the Cuban firm CUPET a lubricant plant, and build a facility for storing residual petrochemicals -- 600,000 barrels a day -- in Matanzas, east of Havana, and an oil port, the company said.PDVSA will also take part in the reopening of the oil refinery and terminal in Cienfuegos, on Cuba’s southern coast, a facility built with Soviet technology in 1990 but which long since come to a halt due to its high energy consumption.The Venezuelan giant framed the Cuban deal in regional terms, despite its overwhelming potential significance to Castro’s government and economic plans.Fuel has been the Achilles’ heel of Cuba’s economy for years, and Havana has been unable to complete a Soviet-technology nuclear reactor that was planned for Juragua in Cienfuegos Province.In 2000 Venezuela, Latin America’s only member of the OPEC oil grouping, agreed to deliver 53,000 barrels of crude a day to Cuba, with a special credit rate for Chavez’s ally Castro. But that number has soared to 80,000-90,000 barrels a day, PDVSA chief Rafael Ramirez said in Havana.Venezuela is the world’s fifth-largest oil exporter with a daily production of 2.6 million barrels.

Cuba, Russia sign new sport agreements
HAVANA,05/11 - The National Volleyball Federation of Russia signed with its Cuban counterpart and the Sports Medicine Institute (IMD) of Cuba, cooperation agreements for the 2005-2008 Olympic Cycle, said the local press Tuesday. The document signed at this capital considers the scientific exchange through athletes and coaches, to raise the technical and competitive level of the teams from both countries. The program also includes the preparation of training bases for the women`s and men`s teams of each country in each other`s facilities, as well as the participation in exhibition games that include the junior teams. Russia will participate in the Cuban olympiads with their best teams during the four-year period, while beach volleyball teams will have training bases in Cuba from October to March, and will participate in the national circuit. Cuban media added Tuesday that the beach volleyball teams of Cuba will take part in the Saint Petersburg tournament as part of this scheme. The agreement between IMD and the Russian Federation includes the advice of Cuban doctors to Russian specialists and the attention of athletes from the European country in a rehabilitation center of Cuba. One of the document was signed by doctor Mario Granda, the IMD Director, and Rebeca Moreira, expert of this institution, and Russian sports-science adviser Apoligen Oleg. The other document was signed by President and Secretary General of the Cuban Volleyball Federation Omelio Castillo and Jorge Enrique Luzon, in this order, and Russian Volleyball Federation`s Director General Yuri Sapega. Humberto Rodriguez, President of the Cuban Sports, Physical Education and Recreation Institute (INDER) said this agreement will further strengthen the bilateral sports relations, and said that sport "contributes to happiness, hope and peace among nations."

Cuba expects 2.3 million visitors in 2005
APWednesday, May 11, 2005
HAVANA (AP) - Cuba expects to receive 2.3 million visitors in 2005, about 300,000 more than last year, the island's Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero said yesterday as he inaugurated an international tourism fair here.
Cuba passed the two-million mark for visitors for the first time last year, following several slow years amid a worldwide drop in air travel after the 2001 terrorism attacks on the United States.
Marrero told tourism fair participants that the number of visitors is increasing from countries that already have a high travel rate to Cuba, such as Canada, the Netherlands and Britain.
Meanwhile, he said, the Cuban tourism industry is recovering losses it suffered in recent years in other traditional markets, such as Mexico and France, and is creating markets in new countries such as Turkey, Japan and China. This year's international fair is dedicated to France.