A stay in hospital for open heart surgery inspired the UK's Rick Stein to craft a new recipe book.

The night before the operation, the celebrity chef was served a simple fried haddock fillet, leading to him crafting a list of similar quick and easy meals.

He says the surgery was a life-changing event- and his cookery books are shaped by his experiences.

"What I like to do in my cookery books is share who I am and what I like. So I thought it would be quite funny- and true- to write a book about very simple recipes."


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A stay in hospital for open heart surgery inspired the UK's Rick Stein to craft a new recipe book.
The night before the operation, the celebrity chef was served a simple fried haddock fillet, leading to him crafting a list of similar quick and easy meals.
He says the surgery was a life-changing event- and his cookery books are shaped by his experiences.
"What I like to do in my cookery books is share who I am and what I like. So I thought it would be quite funny- and true- to write a book about very simple recipes." 
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News, opinion, analysis, lifestyle and entertainment – we’ve got your Sunday morning listening covered with The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin on Newstalk ZB.

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Rick Stein: UK celebrity chef on his latest book, 'Simple Suppers'

Another Easter weekend means there's more hot cross buns, chocolate eggs, and other sweet treats that can add to the afternoon cravings.

Many people experience a predictable 2–4 PM craving window, and it’s not just about blood sugar - with the brain's reward system calling out for dopamine and energy.

Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explained further.

LISTEN ABOVE

Another Easter weekend means there's more hot cross buns, chocolate eggs, and other sweet treats that can add to the afternoon cravings.
Many people experience a predictable 2–4 PM craving window, and it’s not just about blood sugar - with the brain's reward system calling out for dopamine and energy.
Naturopath and wellness expert Erin O'Hara explained further.
LISTEN ABOVE

Erin O'Hara: Naturopath and wellness expert on how to deal with Easter chocolate cravings

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/4a950f8e-fb20-4c67-9c08-b423000209ab/transcript

Easter figgy and oozy caramel loaf 

Fig topping  

125 gm unsalted butter  

150 gm soft brown sugar 

6 figs, stem removed and cut in half 

Cake mix  

225 gm unsalted butter, softened  

225 gm caster sugar  

4 eggs  

3 tbsp milk  

100 gm whole ground almonds  

1/2 tsp salt  

1 tsp ginger powder  

150 gm flour  

Serve with yogurt or ice-cream

To start:

Line a small cake loaf tin approx. 20cm x 12cm with greaseproof paper and then grease with a touch of butter.  

Melt butter in saucepan over a low heat. Add sugar and stir over heat until the mix becomes foamy and pale (2-3 minutes). Pour evenly into the greased loaf tin. Place the half figs, flesh side down and set aside.  

Preheat oven to 180*C.  

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. In another bowl, lightly beat eggs together with milk. Gradually add eggs to butter and sugar, beating well after each addition. Stir in ground almond, baking powder, salt, and ginger. Gently fold in flour. Pour cake mixture over figs, place on a baking tray and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes before sliding a warm knife around the edge of the dish to loosen. Carefully invert to turn loaf out onto a board Slice into thick pieces, serve hot with yogurt or ice-cream.

LISTEN ABOVE

<h2>Easter figgy and oozy caramel loaf&nbsp;</h2>
Fig topping &nbsp;
125 gm unsalted butter &nbsp;
150 gm soft brown sugar&nbsp;
6 figs, stem removed and cut in half&nbsp;
Cake mix &nbsp;
225 gm unsalted butter, softened &nbsp;
225 gm caster sugar &nbsp;
4 eggs &nbsp;
3 tbsp milk &nbsp;
100 gm whole ground almonds &nbsp;
1/2 tsp salt &nbsp;
1 tsp ginger powder &nbsp;
150 gm flour &nbsp;
Serve with yogurt or ice-cream
To start:
Line a small cake loaf tin approx. 20cm x 12cm with greaseproof paper and then grease with a touch of butter. &nbsp;
Melt butter in saucepan over a low heat. Add sugar and stir over heat until the mix becomes foamy and pale (2-3 minutes). Pour evenly into the greased loaf tin. Place the half figs, flesh side down and set aside. &nbsp;
Preheat oven to 180*C. &nbsp;
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. In another bowl, lightly beat eggs together with milk. Gradually add eggs to butter and sugar, beating well after each addition. Stir in ground almond, baking powder, salt, and ginger. Gently fold in flour. Pour cake mixture over figs, place on a baking tray and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into cake comes out clean.
Remove from oven and rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes before sliding a warm knife around the edge of the dish to loosen. Carefully invert to turn loaf out onto a board Slice into thick pieces, serve hot with yogurt or ice-cream.
LISTEN ABOVE

Mike van de Elzen: Easter figgy and oozy caramel loaf

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/4628831c-7468-4a82-840a-b422018b4ccf/transcript

Sometimes, the most exciting scientific discoveries don’t come from carefully planned experiments, they come from accidents.

A scientist was storing hibernating bumblebee queens in a refrigerator. These bees were in a deep resting state called diapause which is basically a kind of suspended animation that helps them survive winter.

Condensation from the fridge dripped into the containers, leaving the bees submerged in water, by the time they were found, it was assumed they had drowned, but they hadn’t which led to the question, can bees can survive underwater? The results were published in the journal Royal Society Proceedings B.

Bumblebees don’t have lungs, and like most insects they breathe through tiny openings in their bodies connected to tubes that deliver oxygen directly to their tissues. If those openings are blocked, for example with water, you would expect the bee to run out of oxygen pretty quickly.

To figure out how they survived, the researchers placed hibernating queen bees in water and carefully measured how much carbon dioxide (CO₂) they produced.

They found that the bees reduced their metabolism by more than half, producing 75 percent less CO₂ almost immediately and their metabolism continued to slow over time .

But that wasn’t the whole story. The researchers also found signs that the bees were partially switching to anaerobic metabolism which is a way of producing energy without oxygen (similar to what happens in your muscles during intense exercise). This process isn’t ideal long-term but it can keep organisms alive in tough conditions.

And there was one more clever trick.

Scientists believe the bees may be using something called a “physical gill.” This is a thin layer of air that clings to the bee’s body underwater, allowing oxygen to diffuse in and carbon dioxide to diffuse out. It’s a bit like carrying your own tiny oxygen bubble.

When removed from the water, the bees slowly woke up over several days and carried on as normal.

This discovery could have real implications as bumblebee queens often hibernate underground, sometimes in areas that flood.  

This ability to survive underwater could be a crucial survival strategy and reminds us that insects are far more resilient than we give them credit for. 

LISTEN ABOVE

Sometimes, the most exciting scientific discoveries don’t come from carefully planned experiments, they come from accidents.
A scientist was storing hibernating bumblebee queens in a refrigerator. These bees were in a deep resting state called diapause which is basically a kind of suspended animation that helps them survive winter.
Condensation from the fridge dripped into the containers, leaving the bees submerged in water, by the time they were found, it was assumed they had drowned, but they hadn’t which led to the question, can bees can survive underwater? The results were published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article/293/2066/20253141/480715/Diapausing-bumble-bee-queens-avoid-drowning-by">Royal Society Proceedings B.</a>
Bumblebees don’t have lungs, and like most insects they breathe through tiny openings in their bodies connected to tubes that deliver oxygen directly to their tissues. If those openings are blocked, for example with water, you would expect the bee to run out of oxygen pretty quickly.
To figure out how they survived, the researchers placed hibernating queen bees in water and carefully measured how much carbon dioxide (CO₂) they produced.
They found that the bees reduced their metabolism by more than half, producing 75 percent less CO₂ almost immediately and their metabolism continued to slow over time .
But that wasn’t the whole story. The researchers also found signs that the bees were partially switching to anaerobic metabolism which is a way of producing energy without oxygen (similar to what happens in your muscles during intense exercise). This process isn’t ideal long-term but it can keep organisms alive in tough conditions.
And there was one more clever trick.
Scientists believe the bees may be using something called a “physical gill.” This is a thin layer of air that clings to the bee’s body underwater, allowing oxygen to diffuse in and carbon dioxide to diffuse out. It’s a bit like carrying your own tiny oxygen bubble.
When removed from the water, the bees slowly woke up over several days and carried on as normal.
This discovery could have real implications as bumblebee queens often hibernate underground, sometimes in areas that flood. &nbsp;
This ability to survive underwater could be a crucial survival strategy and reminds us that insects are far more resilient than we give them credit for.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

Michelle Dickinson: nanotechnologist on the research that bees can survive underwater for days without drowning

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/aaa463e1-331e-43a7-8a01-b42201895485/transcript

Rick Stein: UK celebrity chef on his latest book, 'Simple Suppers'

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