Aiming To Make You More Productive, Focus@Will Launches A Music App For iOS

I've always been impressed by people who can listen to music while they write. I mean, I'll do it every once in a while, especially when one of my co-workers is being particularly distracting, but in general I've found that music just slows me down. Well, there'a startup called focus@will aiming to solve that problem, and today it's following the launch of its website and Android app with the release of an app for iOS.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/ATQIUbYVVoA/

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Gawker Cheerios Ad Starring Interracial Family Predictably Summons Bigot Wave | Jezebel Philip Seym

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Big Trouble (talking-points-memo)

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U.S. spelling bee starts with a new challenge : definitions

By Ian Simpson

OXON HILL, Maryland (Reuters) - Sometimes-nervous contestants in the United States' Scripps National Spelling Bee launched two days of competition on Wednesday, facing the new challenge of not only having to spell obscure words correctly, but also knowing what they mean.

A total of 281 contestants aged 8 to 14 from across the United States and other countries took to the stage for a preliminary spelling round in the spelling bee. The finals are on Thursday night.

For the first time since it began in 1927, the contest is requiring young spellers in preliminary and semifinal rounds to take a computerized vocabulary test. Organizers say it is part of the Bee's commitment to deepening contestants' command of English.

Sixteen spellers were eliminated in a first onstage round, with a second round to come for survivors. They stumbled on such words as "sinecure," a paid job with little work; "weissnichtwo," an imaginary place; and "yannigan," player in an individualized baseball game.

Some spellers were visibly nervous before advancing to the microphone in the packed auditorium, clutching arms to sides, jiggling feet or crossing themselves.

"I felt a little nervous before I got on stage, but once I was on stage I was OK," said Matthew Griffin, a 12-year-old home schooled eighth grader from Bailey, N.C., who correctly spelled "panglossian," or extreme optimism.

"It's pretty cool. I've made a lot of friends," he said.

Owen Duffy, 13, from Fort Johnson Middle School in Charleston, S.C., did not fare as well.

Given "langlauf" to spell, the seventh grader asked chief pronouncer Jacques Bailly for the pronunciation of the German word for cross-country skiing several times.

"Langlauf? Langlauf? Langlauf?" Duffy said slowly. He barely finished spelling it, incorrectly, before his time ran out.

Almost all the contestants asked for the origin of the word, the kind of word and a definition, which is allowed as an aid to spelling. They then wrote it out on the palm of their hands with a fingertip while spelling aloud.

DEFINE THAT

Since 2002, a written or computer spelling test has been a component that, along with onstage spelling, factored in determining which spellers advanced to the semi-finals.

This year, competitors will advance to the semi-finals and finals based on their onstage spelling, as well as computer-based spelling and vocabulary questions. Vocabulary evaluation will count for half of a speller's overall score.

Contestants said the multiple-choice test taken on Tuesday was fairly easy for them. Amber Born, 14, a home-schooled eighth grader from Marblehead, Massachusetts, said after the first round of spelling that it "was good, it was fun."

Standing next to Born, Katherine Wang, an 11-year-old sixth grader from the Qooco School in Beijing, called it "nerve-wracking."

"It was multiple choice, so you could narrow it down," Born said. She and Wang had met at last year's contest and stayed in touch through e-mail.

Griffin said the test was "a little hard. I knew how to spell the words but now having to know them makes the challenge a little harder."

Paige Kimble, the Bee's executive director who won the competition in 1981, told a news conference the decision to add the vocabulary test had come after about a year and a half of discussion.

A key element was support from spellers and their parents who believed that adding the test would increase the tournament's prestige, she said.

The contestants hail from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, U.S. territories and Defense Department schools around the world. Some contestants come from the Bahamas, Canada, China, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan and South Korea.

The Bee is taking place at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center outside Washington. It is being broadcast by ESPN.

The contestants range from third to eighth graders, with 116 speaking more than one language. The group is 52 percent girls and 48 percent boys, organizers said.

(Editing by Scott Malone, Dan Grebler and Andrew Hay)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/spelling-bee-youngsters-face-test-whats-word-mean-125928149.html

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Michele Bachmann: A Fact Checker?s dream (Washington Post)

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Disappearance of stromatolites, earliest visible manifestation of life: Ancient enigma solved?

May 28, 2013 ? The widespread disappearance of stromatolites, the earliest visible manifestation of life on Earth, may have been driven by single-celled organisms called foraminifera.

The findings, by scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI); Massachusetts Institute of Technology; the University of Connecticut; Harvard Medical School; and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, were published online the week of May 27 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Stromatolites ("layered rocks") are structures made of calcium carbonate and shaped by the actions of photosynthetic cyanobacteria and other microbes that trapped and bound grains of coastal sediment into fine layers. They showed up in great abundance along shorelines all over the world about 3.5 billion years ago.

"Stromatolites were one of the earliest examples of the intimate connection between biology -- living things -- and geology -- the structure of the Earth itself," said WHOI geobiologist Joan Bernhard, lead author of the study.

The growing bacterial community secreted sticky compounds that bound the sediment grains around themselves, creating a mineral "microfabric" that accumulated to become massive formations. Stromatolites dominated the scene for more than two billion years, until late in the Proterozoic Eon.

"Then, around 1 billion years ago, their diversity and their fossil abundance begin to take a nosedive," said Bernhard. All over the globe, over a period of millions of years, the layered formations that had been so abundant and diverse began to disappear. To paleontologists, their loss was almost as dramatic as the extinction of the dinosaurs millions of years later, although not as complete: Living stromatolites can still be found today, in limited and widely scattered locales, as if a few velociraptors still roamed in remote valleys.

While the extinction of the dinosaurs has largely been explained by the impact of a large meteorite, the crash of the stromatolites remains unsolved. "It's one of the major questions in Earth history," said WHOI microbial ecologist Virginia Edgcomb, a co-author on the paper.

Just as puzzling is the sudden appearance in the fossil record of different formations called thrombolites ("clotted stones"). Like stromatolites, thrombolites are produced through the action of microbes on sediment and minerals. Unlike stromatolites, they are clumpy, rather than finely layered.

It's not known whether stromatolites became thrombolites, or whether thrombolites arose independently of the decline in strombolites. Hypotheses proposed to explain both include changes in ocean chemistry and the appearance of multicellular life forms that might have preyed on the microbes responsible for their structure.

Bernhard and Edgcomb thought foraminifera might have played a role. Foraminifera (or "forams," for short) are protists, the kingdom that includes amoeba, ciliates, and other groups formerly referred to as "protozoa." They are abundant in modern-day oceanic sediments, where they use numerous slender projections called pseudopods to engulf prey, to move, and to continually explore their immediate environment. Despite their known ability to disturb modern sediments, their possible role in the loss of stromatolites and appearance of thrombolites had never been considered.

The researchers examined modern stromatolites and thrombolites from Highborne Cay in the Bahamas for the presence of foraminifera. Using microscopic and rRNA sequencing techniques, they found forams in both kinds of structures. Thrombolites were home to a greater diversity of foraminifera and were especially rich in forams that secrete an organic sheath around themselves. These "thecate" foraminifera were probably the first kinds of forams to evolve, not long (in geologic terms) before stromatolites began to decline.

"The timing of their appearance corresponds with the decline of layered stromatolites and the appearance of thrombolites in the fossil record," said Edgcomb. "That lends support to the idea that it could have been forams that drove their evolution."

Next, Bernhard, Edgcomb, and postdoctoral investigator Anna McIntyre-Wressnig created an experimental scenario that mimicked what might have happened a billion years ago.

"No one will ever be able to re-create the Proterozoic exactly, because life has evolved since then, but you do the best you can," Edgcomb said.

They started with chunks of modern-day stromatolites collected at Highborne Cay, and seeded them with foraminifera found in modern-day thrombolites. Then they waited to see what effect, if any, the added forams had on the stromatolites.

After about six months, the finely layered arrangement characteristic of stromatolites had changed to a jumbled arrangement more like that of thrombolites. Even their fine structure, as revealed by CAT scans, resembled that of thrombolites collected from the wild. "The forams obliterated the microfabric," said Bernhard.

That result was intriguing, but it did not prove that the changes in the structure were due to the activities of the foraminifera. Just being brought into the lab might have caused the changes. But the researchers included a control in their experiment: They seeded foraminifera onto freshly-collected stromatolites as before, but also treated them with colchicine, a drug that prevented them from sending out pseudopods. "They're held hostage," said Bernhard. "They're in there, but they can't eat, they can't move."

After about six months, the foraminifera were still present and alive -- but the rock's structure had not become more clotted like a thrombolite. It was still layered.

The researchers concluded that active foraminifera can reshape the fabric of stromatolites and could have instigated the loss of those formations and the appearance of thrombolites.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/JlG8Y15h1UI/130528143756.htm

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Meet Russian television's newest personality: Larry King

Television legend Larry King has a new political talk show, and a new boss.

The Kremlin-funded English-language network RT, formerly known as Russia Today, announced today that it has agreed to air Mr. King's four-times-weekly online public affairs program "Larry King Now," starting in June. The station will also stage a "mold-breaking" new show, "Politics with Larry King," all to be shown on its US affiliate, RT-America.

According to the RT statement, King will mainly focus on US politics, and King will interview leading political personalities, ranging from officials to critics of American foreign and domestic policies.

RECOMMENDED: Do you know anything about Russia? A quiz.

"Whether a president or an activist or a rock star was sitting across from him, Larry King never shied away from asking the tough questions, which makes him a terrific fit for our network," RT?s Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan is quoted as saying.

King, who has spent 56 years in broadcast journalism and conducted over 50,000 interviews, is the biggest name yet to join the extremely well-funded RT network, which claims to reach over 630 million viewers worldwide through its various English, Spanish, and Arabic language channels.

"I have always been passionate about government and issues that impact the public, and I?m thrilled at the opportunity to talk politics with some of the most influential people in Washington and around the country," the RT statement quoted King as saying.

Ms. Simonyan refused Wednesday to discuss with journalists the terms of King's RT contract, saying that it's standard practice not to reveal financial details without the agreement of both parties.

Last year the network signed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to do a series of political talk shows with major world newsmakers, which included interviews with Hezbollah leader Sayyid Nasrallah, US radical thinker Noam Chomsky, and Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa.

Since it was founded by the Kremlin in 2005, RT has expanded far beyond its original mandate to correct "misconceptions" about Russia around the world and moved to more aggressive "alternative" coverage of politics in the US, Britain, and other Western countries, where it has gained a wide following. The station claims to have 2 million viewers in Britain, and to have become one of the most widely watched foreign stations in several parts of the US, where it is carried by cable networks.

The network's changing focus, from explaining Russia to the world to mainly hosting critical content about the US and other Western countries, is the subject of a recent in-depth profile of RT by British journalist Oliver Bullough. "Deep into his 14th year in power, [President Vladimir Putin] appears to have given up on improving Russia. Instead, he funds RT to persuade everyone else that their own countries are no better," Mr. Bullough concludes.

There is little transparency about the financing of RT, which comes mainly through the Russian federal budget. But some Russian media have reported that RT's annual funding comes to around $300 million, and that last year Mr. Putin personally ordered his government not to slash financing for the station.

King left CNN in 2010 after 25 years of hosting his signature talk show, "Larry King Live." He's since broadcast about 150 episodes of his online program, produced by Ora.TV, which will now be taken up and broadcast 4 times weekly by RT. It's not clear how the all-new RT program "Politics with Larry King" will differ, but most experts believe it will be well-funded and calculated to showcase RT's growing clout on the global media landscape.

"Russia Today [RT] is making a concerted effort to raise its profile, and it's going about it in a pretty smart way," says Nikolai Svanidze, a famous Russian TV anchorman, journalist and historian.

"Larry King may not be a spring chicken, but he's still a famous name who will add luster to RT's content and attract viewers in the West. Of course, we all know that RT has the money to do this," he adds.

RECOMMENDED: Do you know anything about Russia? A quiz.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/meet-russian-televisions-newest-personality-larry-king-183804317.html

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Apple's Ive played "key" role in developing upcoming iOS 7

By AppleInsider Staff

During his interview at the D11 conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook noted that the company's Senior Vice President of Industrial Design Jonathan Ive was key in creating the next generation operating system set to be unveiled at WWDC in June.


Apple CEO Tim Cook at the D11 conference. | Source: AllThingsD
Walt Mossberg of AllThingsD's asked Cook about Ive's involvement in Apple's forthcoming iOS 7, set for reveal at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference next month.

?Yes. Jony is really key,? Cook said.

He went on to say describe the management shake up that occurred last fall which ultimately led to the axing of then iOS chief Scott Forstall.

"What we did last fall was change things up, to really ramp up our innovation," Cook said. "The key in the post-PC era for having a great product is incredible hardware, incredible software, and incredible services, and to combine them so you can't tell what's what. The magic is at the intersection."

When probed on Forstall's departure, Cook had nothing to say, instead deflecting the question to focus on the progress being made in iOS and OS X.

?We recognized that Jony had contributed significantly to the look and feel of Apple for many, many years and could do that for software as well, and I think it?s absolutely incredible," Cook said of Ive.

As for the general state of affairs in Apple's two flagship operating systems, Cook appears pleased with the results.

"Now it's seven months later, and I think it's been an incredible change," he said. "Craig [Federighi] is running iOS and OS X, which has been fantastic."

Federighi took his post as part of the change last fall.

Cook said "the future of iOS and OS X" will rollout at WWDC 2013 in June.

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Obama Honors Fallen Troops at Arlington (ABC News)

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This Insane Homemade Lightsaber Burns Straight Through Things

OK, so this should be labelled with extreme hazard warnings or something. A crazy laser enthusiast actually built his own lightsaber capable of burning straight through things.

Read more...

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Money, it?s a crime (Unqualified Offerings)

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Israeli author Amos Oz wins Franz Kafka prize

PRAGUE (AP) ? Acclaimed Israeli author Amos Oz has won the prestigious Franz Kafka Prize in the Czech Republic.

An international jury that included prominent German literary critic Marcel Reich-Ranicki selected Oz for the prize, which is awarded annually with a $10,000 prize.

Past winners have included the American novelist Philip Roth and Nobel laureates Elfriede Jelinek of Austria and Harold Pinter of Britain.

It is awarded by the Prague-based Franz Kafka Society to authors whose works "appeal to readers regardless of their origin, nationality and culture."

The society said in a statement Monday that Oz has agreed to travel to Prague with his wife for an October ceremony to receive the prize.

Oz has been said to be among the candidates for the Nobel Prize for literature in last several years.

Associated Press

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91% Gimme The Loot

All Critics (57) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (52) | Rotten (5)

'Gimme the Loot' is ... meandering and a little shallow. And even at 79 minutes it feels a little too long for what's essentially the film equivalent of a short story.

A thousand-watt jolt of mischief, a spunky, funky, ebullient indie that packs its 81 minutes with cinematic exhilaration.

It may be a slight movie, but it has its sunny charms.

A movie about teenage taggers in the Bronx should be fast and raw, scruffy and loose, and Adam Leon's Gimme the Loot is just that.

As it lopes along, the movie offers a warm but very sharp portrait of New York's have-nots and their uneasy relationship with the haves.

"Gimme the Loot" shouldn't be as appealing and exuberant as it is, it really shouldn't.

First-time feature director Adam Leon's shots are precise and full of detail.

The film's strong suit is its use of locations.

The film is episodic and determinedly offbeat, funny at its best, boring at its worst.

Shot on the streets of New York in a loose, freeform style, this lively comedy-drama feels somewhat underdeveloped, leaving us doubtful about its realism.

It's a great deal of fun, emotionally touching, and even surprisingly old-fashioned.

Some of the movie doesn't exactly convince, and some of the scenes have an actors-improv feel to them, but there's always plenty of humour and energy.

Endlessly entertaining, refreshingly light-hearted and bursting with summer soul, Gimme The Loot joins the pantheon of great New York movies.

It's a shaggy dog story with a certain amount of charm but not nearly enough drama.

The movie is unpolished, and it matters not a jot, because Leon has written super roles for these kids and invests their relationship with such sly feeling.

Hickson walks the line between bravado and vulnerability, while Washington has a charisma, spark and beauty that should ensure this won't be the last we see of her.

Bolstered by a low-key but assured aesthetic and a soundtrack of vintage soul and doo-wop, the film is infectiously enjoyable, with frequently amusing insights and an affable shagginess.

Out of nowhere, Adam Leon might just have delivered the first great New York film of the decade.

Charming and engaging low-budget indie with a witty script, likeable characters, a strong sense of time and place and a pair of terrific performances from its two young leads.

Funny and freewheeling, it's a joy.

A slim, low-budget coming-of-age tale whose richness lies entirely in its interstices. A keenly observed work that celebrates the unfettered joys of youth, and rewards by reminding of the power of a simple tale told well.

Simultaneously real and hopeful, "Loot" has almost no plot, but when the setting is so fresh and the characters feel so raw and alive, who needs one?

Ghetto laughs with a sophisticated point of view.

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gimme_the_loot_2012/

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Protesters across globe rally against Monsanto

People carry signs during a protest against Monsanto in Montpelier, Vt. on Saturday, May 25, 2013. Marches and rallies against seed giant Monsanto were held across the U.S. and in dozens of other countries Saturday. Protesters say they want to call attention to the dangers posed by genetically modified food and the food giants that produce it. Monsanto Co., based in St. Louis, said Saturday its seeds improve agriculture by helping farmers produce more from their land while conserving resources such as water and energy. (AP Photo/Mark Collier)

People carry signs during a protest against Monsanto in Montpelier, Vt. on Saturday, May 25, 2013. Marches and rallies against seed giant Monsanto were held across the U.S. and in dozens of other countries Saturday. Protesters say they want to call attention to the dangers posed by genetically modified food and the food giants that produce it. Monsanto Co., based in St. Louis, said Saturday its seeds improve agriculture by helping farmers produce more from their land while conserving resources such as water and energy. (AP Photo/Mark Collier)

Demonstrators hold signs reading in Spanish "Glyphosate = illness, disability, death," left, "Genocide concealed by agrochemicals in Argentina," second from left, and "Get out Monsanto from Argentina" near the offices of the U.S.-based company Monsanto in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, May 25, 2013. Activists are taking part in a global protest "March Against Monsanto" against the seed giant, demanding a stop to the use of agrochemicals and the production of genetically modified food. Protesters say genetically modified organisms can lead to serious health conditions and harm the environment. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

People chant and carry signs during a protest against Monsanto in front of the capitol building in Montpelier, Vt. on Saturday, May 25, 2013. Marches and rallies against seed giant Monsanto were held across the U.S. and in dozens of other countries Saturday. Protesters say they want to call attention to the dangers posed by genetically modified food and the food giants that produce it. Monsanto Co., based in St. Louis, said Saturday its seeds improve agriculture by helping farmers produce more from their land while conserving resources such as water and energy. (AP Photo/Mark Collier)

A man with a cat on his shoulder wears a mask covered by the words in Spanish "Transgenic, cancer/death" as he protests the use of genetically modified food near the offices of U.S.-based seed giant Monsanto, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, May 25, 2013. Activists are taking part in a global protest "March Against Monsanto," demanding a stop to the use of agrochemicals and the production of genetically modified food, which according to them has harmful health effects, causing cancer, infertility and other diseases. Marches and rallies against seed giant Monsanto were held across the U.S. and in dozens of other countries Saturday. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Protesters rallied in dozens of cities Saturday as part of a global protest against seed giant Monsanto and the genetically modified food it produces, organizers said.

Organizers said "March Against Monsanto" protests were held in 52 countries and 436 cities, including Los Angeles where demonstrators waved signs that read "Real Food 4 Real People" and "Label GMOs, It's Our Right to Know."

Genetically modified plants are grown from seeds that are engineered to resist insecticides and herbicides, add nutritional benefits or otherwise improve crop yields and increase the global food supply.

Most corn, soybean and cotton crops grown in the United States today have been genetically modified. But critics say genetically modified organisms can lead to serious health conditions and harm the environment. The use of GMOs has been a growing issue of contention in recent years, with health advocates pushing for mandatory labeling of genetically modified products even though the federal government and many scientists say the technology is safe.

The 'March Against Monsanto' movement began just a few months ago, when founder and organizer Tami Canal created a Facebook page on Feb. 28 calling for a rally against the company's practices.

"If I had gotten 3,000 people to join me, I would have considered that a success," she said Saturday. Instead, she said an "incredible" number of people responded to her message and turned out to rally.

"It was empowering and inspiring to see so many people, from different walks of life, put aside their differences and come together today," Canal said. The group plans to harness the success of the event to continue its anti-GMO cause.

"We will continue until Monsanto complies with consumer demand. They are poisoning our children, poisoning our planet," she said. "If we don't act, who's going to?"

Protesters in Buenos Aires and other cities in Argentina, where Monsanto's genetically modified soy and grains now command nearly 100 percent of the market, and the company's Roundup-Ready chemicals are sprayed throughout the year on fields where cows once grazed. They carried signs saying "Monsanto-Get out of Latin America"

In Portland, thousands of protesters took to Oregon streets. Police estimate about 6,000 protesters took part in Portland's peaceful march, and about 300 attended the rally in Bend. Other marches were scheduled in Baker City, Coos Bay, Eugene, Grants Pass, Medford, Portland, Prineville and Redmond.

Across the country in Orlando, about 800 people gathered with signs, pamphlets and speeches in front of City Hall. Maryann Wilson of Clermont, Fla., said she learned about Monsanto and genetically modified food by watching documentaries on YouTube.

"Scientists are saying that because they create their own seeds, they are harming the bees," Wilson told the Orlando Sentinel. "That is about as personal as it gets for me."

Chrissy Magaw was one of about 200 protesters who walked from a waterfront park to the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial in Pensacola.

She told WEAR-TV that knowing what you eat and put into your body is the most important decision you make every day.

In Birmingham, Ala., about 80 protesters turned out at Rhodes Park, some dressed as bees and butterflies, Al.com reported.

SI Reasoning, an activist, artist and musician who lives in Vestavia, Ala., described Monsanto's handling of GMOs as a "huge, uncontrolled experiment on the American people."

Monsanto Co., based in St. Louis, said that it respects people's rights to express their opinion on the topic, but maintains that its seeds improve agriculture by helping farmers produce more from their land while conserving resources such as water and energy.

The Food and Drug Administration does not require genetically modified foods to carry a label, but organic food companies and some consumer groups have intensified their push for labels, arguing that the modified seeds are floating from field to field and contaminating traditional crops. The groups have been bolstered by a growing network of consumers who are wary of processed and modified foods.

The U.S. Senate this week overwhelmingly rejected a bill that would allow states to require labeling of genetically modified foods.

The Biotechnology Industry Organization, a lobbying group that represents Monsanto, DuPont & Co. and other makers of genetically modified seeds, has said that it supports voluntary labeling for people who seek out such products. But it says that mandatory labeling would only mislead or confuse consumers into thinking the products aren't safe, even though the FDA has said there's no difference between GMO and organic, non-GMO foods.

However, state legislatures in Vermont and Connecticut moved ahead this month with votes to make food companies declare genetically modified ingredients on their packages. And supermarket retailer Whole Foods Markets Inc. has said that all products in its North American stores that contain genetically modified ingredients will be labeled as such by 2018.

Whole Foods says there is growing demand for products that don't use GMOs, with sales of products with a "Non-GMO" verification label spiking between 15 percent and 30 percent.

__

Online:

http://www.march-against-monsanto.com/p/blog-page.html

http://www.facebook.com/MarchAgainstMonsanto

http://www.monsanto.com

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-05-25-Marching%20Against%20Monsanto/id-1711ae3e4be54881a0562d76d8d83054

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'Arrested Development' Season Four: Eight Things To Remember

Before you cram all 15 new episodes into your Memorial Day weekend, here's a reminder of where we left the Bluths seven years ago.
By Brett White

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1708031/arrested-development-season-4.jhtml

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Pasta Emilia, Surry Hills | Grab Your Fork: A Sydney food blog

It used to be a molasses factory. Nowadays it's home to Pasta Emilia, a family-run business specialising in organic pasta and sauces that first opened in Bronte in 2004. The converted warehouse is the perfect setting for its bustling cafe, set up like an Italian dining hall with high ceilings, communal tables and bentwood chairs.

Crates and scooter at the entrance to Pasta Emilia

Central to the hubbub of activity is co-owner Anna Maria Eoclidi. She seems to know just about everyone, a radiant ever-smiling host who flits between tables, the kitchen and the service counter with a natural ease.

Eoclidi hails from the Emilia-Romagna region, famous for so many foods but primarily renowned for its pasta. More than half of the pastas you are likely to know (ravioli, tortellini, tagliatelle, lasagna, cannelloni, just for starters) originated here.

In Emilia-Romagna you'll find Modena (of balsamic vinegar fame), Reggio Emilia (parmigiano reggiano), Parma (can you say prosciutto?) and Bologna (hello bolognaise). It's a food lover's paradise.

Communal seating in the dining room

At Pasta Emilia, the menu is short and sweet. There's a marked focus on good quality produce with breakfast options that run from organic eggs and?guanciale Italian bacon (made from pork cheeks) to?raw organic honey?with Mungalli Creek ricotta on Iggy's sourdough toast. Stay virtuous with poached eggs, steamed kale and ricotta or go all out with scrambled eggs and truffle butter served with homemade baked beans on toast.

On a Friday lunch, the dining room is a happy chaos of patrons. Lunch options include panini sandwiches with prosciutto, preservative-free ham or biodynamic ricotta ($8.50-$10) and antipasti (mixed salumi and/or cheeses with bruschetta at $13-$23) but we only have eyes for the pasta.

Strozza preti al ragu di carne and parmigiano $12 small

There are four choices on the pasta menu, but the strozza preti is worth prioritising. Strozza preti are short twists of hand-rolled pasta, beautifully uneven in size and shape but perfect for catching hearty chunks of rich and saucy beef ragu. In Italian, strozza preti translates to "priest strangler" and some say it's because some greedy priests scoffed down this delicious treat so fast that they ended up choking, sometimes ending in death!

There's a satisfying chewiness to these twisted ropes of pasta, coated with a slow-simmered tomato sauce studded with tender beef. Strozza preti is a particular specialty of the Emilia region, with Parmesan cheese traditionally incorporated into the pasta dough.

Kale flower, pecorino and potato tortelli served with anchovy salsa verde?$22 large

Tortellini originated in the Emilia region too, specifically Bologna and Modena. Tortelli are a larger version - here these pasta pockets are filled with a mix of kale flowers, pecorino and potato.

The handmade tortelli are smooth as silk but also have a pleasing al dente bite. There's a fresh zing from the salsa verde and a salty hit from the anchovy reclining on top.

Chilli sauce and Parmesan cheese for the table ?

Even the little things, like fresh chilli sauce and grated fresh parmesan cheese in matching jars brought to the table, are a welcome homestyle touch.

Rucola, radicchio e finocchio?$8
Rocket, radicchio and fennel salad

On the side we dig into a generously-sized rocket, radicchio and fennel salad.

Espresso?

We finish with an Italian espresso and a crumbly but soft biscotti that seems to defiantly straddle the line between cake and biscuit.

Biscotti

Pasta makers used during pasta-making classes

Out the back you can wander among the pasta making machines used during classes and even spy into the pasta preparation area. There you might find pasta being rolled out, cut or packed into bags ready for sale.

Rustic decor

Homemade jams and preserves

High chairs?

Iggy's bread on the counter?

Fresh pasta

Truffle cream and spelt pasta

A little slice of Italy in Surry Hills. It's like going abroad in your lunch break without the hassle!

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Pasta Emilia
259 Riley Street, Surry Hills, Sydney
(corner of Reservoir Street)
Tel: +61 (0)432 969 426

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Friday 8am-6pm (cafe closes 4pm)
Saturday 8am-4pm


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Source: http://grabyourfork.blogspot.com/2013/05/pasta-emilia-surry-hills.html

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