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Calentita Press 3rd Edition
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Minister´s Welcome Dear Reader, Thank you for picking up this "Calentita" newspaper. Every year the Spring Festival sets out to quench the Gibraltarian's thirst for culture; it's prepared mainly by Gibraltarians for Gibraltarians. The Ministry for Culture enjoys a good working relationship with many local cultural organisations and we are confident that these are mutually beneficial partnerships. This year, once again, I am very pleased with the variety of events offered by the festival: fine arts, theatre, music, dance and, of course, a food fiesta. Gibraltarians love good food and I am, therefore, extremely happy that "Calentita" serves as our grand finale. I think you'll agree it has worked well so far, with lots of delicious plates to choose from. Whether you're adventurous and sample new foods, or go for your tried and tested favourites, I'm sure that you'll find something to suit your personal taste. The informal atmosphere created at Casemates Square is always very lively but not chaotic. I know that some choose to buy food and eat it elsewhere - perhaps taking it home for dinner, or indeed for lunch the following day - but, on the night, Casemates is very much a place to walk around and mingle with family and friends. "Calentita" has gained a good name for itself and I am hopeful that this year's event will be another great success. This year we will have another spectacular fireworks display to cap off the night, as we know this has proved very popular in the past. Of course, we have done our utmost to ensure safety during the display and are confident of zero fall-outs. It should be a great way to punctuate the end of "Calentita" for young and old alike. I would like to extend my thanks to all the entities that have contributed to the Spring Festival this year and to everyone who has attended one or more of its functions. It is essential that our actors, musicians, dancers and cooks are supported and it makes me proud that Gibraltarians are so very good at supporting local events. On the Rock, we're like one big extended family and we always show a keen interest in the events produced and presented by fellow Gibraltarians. The Ministry of Culture presents "Calentita" by arrangement with Word of Mouth and I would like to praise the organisers and everyone who contributes to making this night so enjoyable. Its success belongs to all Gibraltarians collectively since they take great pride in making this a very friendly event. Given the support "Calentita" has enjoyed since its inception, I am certain that this event is here to stay. Long may it continue! Edwin J Reyes Minister for Culture
Fast Food - Slow Food The history of 'fast' or 'convenience' food can be traced back to Ancient Rome where bread and wine were sold on street stalls. Roman society suffered from all the pitfalls you would associate with today's increasingly urbanised societies and since the average family house tended not to have a kitchen, most meals would be purchased from street vendors and eaten 'on the go'. Centuries later and naturally we all still need to eat. However just as in Ancient Rome, our fastpaced lives mean that most households do not have the time to prepare two meals a day. It is therefore no surprise that fast food outlets offering the convenience of quick meals without the fuss, have become such an important part of our everyday lives. Even though every country has its own trends, fast food is as prevalent in the US where burger joints battle it out with fried chicken, as it is in the UK where the sandwich is still king. Whereas noodles tend to rule the roost in Asia, tacos are número uno in South
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America and falafels are the fast food of choice in the Middle East. In Gibraltar a Moroccan-style kebab is just as common as a torta patata or a spinach pie. Whilst a slice of spinach pie may not be the unhealthiest of meals, fast food outlets, particularly in the West, have been criticized for their high-calorie, high-fat foods that include supersize meals and unlimited carbonated drink refills. The global fast food franchises have also been criticized for their aggressive advertising campaigns and for the lack of nutritional information and healthier eating options offered to their customers. Although they have been forced to comply with stricter guidelines in recent years, critics argue that these global brands are not doing enough to curb the rising levels of obesity, particularly among children, which is said to be linked to the increase in worldwide fast food consumption. As a result of this, organisations like the Slow Food movement have come to the fore. Slow Food is an international non-pro-
fit organization based in Italy which was originally formed in protest against the opening of a McDonald's restaurant in the Piazza di Spagna in Rome in 1986. It describes itself as an ecogastronomic movement whose joint mission is to promote better food and the preservation of the traditional technologies and communities involved in their production. Although it was originally promoted as an alternative to fast food, its goal can be more particularly described as the preservation of regional cuisine encouraging the farming of sustainable foods and of small local businesses. The Slow Food organisation boasts over 100,000 members in 132 countries. The success of the Slow Food movement is growing an its message has been gathering momentum in recent years. This is particularly the case in Europe where there appears to be growing awareness of the negative health implications of eating fast foods and a year on year increase in Organic food sales. In the US the take-up appears to be far
slower and despite the media success of films like Super Size Me and Eric Schlosser's bestselling book Fast Food Nation there are still about 60 million American adults who are classified as obese. Whilst fast foods with typically high saturated fat and calorie contents are not solely to blame, the growing number of obese Americans together with increasing levels of type-2 diabetes and heart disease in the country are certainly a worrying trend. This is not to say that there is no place for fast food in our lives. It is unlikely that there will be any immediate changes in the way urban dwellers live and fast food will always be the quick and easy option for those people who are always on the go. Problems arise however when people regularly eat high fat, sugar and calorie meals with little or no nutritional value and do not balance this with fruit and vegetable portions and an active and healthy lifestyle. Foods like hamburgers, kebabs and fries are fine as an occasional treat, but if you find that you're on first name
terms with the burger flipper at your local takeaway, it may be time to re-evaluate your relationship with fast food. Fast & Slow Food - Facts -A standard burger, fries and carbonated soft drink meal sold in a burger outlet has about 1,500 calories, or of an average person's recommended daily allowance. -There are more McDonalds restaurants on the planet than there are Gibraltarians. These burger joints are spread across 126 countries and six continents, surely a far wider web than even Llanitos have cast. -The Heart Attack Grill in Chandler, Arizona is a medical themed fast food restaurant whose Quadruple Bypass Burger is made with just under a kilo of beef and boasts an artery clogging 8,000 calories and offers free food for any customers weighing over 160kg. -The UK Slow Food movement was started in 2005 by Graeme Kidd and now has in excess of 2,000 members.