Tunisian postage stamps

Here are some more beautiful stamps to add to my previous blog posts about Tunisian postage stamps.  Having recently read up a little about philately, which is the study of stamps, I realise that I am drawn to what is known as "thematic philately" which is the study of the image depicted on the stamp. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

I never knew that there was far more to philately than just collecting stamps. 

Philately is the study of stamps and postal history and other related items. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting, which does not necessarily involve the study of stamps. It is possible to be a philatelist without owning any stamps.  For instance, the stamps being studied may be very rare, or reside only in museums.

 

Traditional philately is the study of the technical aspects of stamp production and stamp identification, including:

The stamp design process;

The paper used (wove, laid, etc., and including watermarks);

The method of printing (engraving, typography, etc.);

The gum;

The method of separation (perforation, rouletting);

Any overprints on the stamp;

Any security markings, under prints or perforated initials ("perfins"); and,

The study of philatelic fakes and forgeries.

• Thematic philately also known as topical philately, is the study of what is depicted on the stamps.

• Postal history studies the postal systems and how they operate and, or, the study of postage stamps and covers and associated material illustrating historical episodes of postal systems both before and after the introduction of the adhesive stamps.

• Aerophilately is the branch of Postal history that specializes in the study of airmail.

• Postal stationery includes stamped envelopes, postal cards, letter sheets, aérogrammes (air letter sheets) and wrappers, most of which have an embossed or imprinted stamp or indicia indicating the prepayment of postage.

• Cinderella philately is the study of objects that look like stamps, but aren't postal stamps.

• Philatelic literature documents the results of philatelic study and includes thousands of books and periodicals.

• Revenue philately is the study of stamps used to collect taxes or fees on such things as, legal documents, court fees, receipts, tobacco, alcoholic drinks, drugs and medicines, playing cards, hunting licenses and newspapers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philately

 

 

Whilst some people may mock the activities of a philatelist wrongly thinking that the collection and study of stamps and its related paraphernalia is somehow out of date and harks back to a previous time in history, others in the know realise that there is a demand and a market for this activity. 

 

I was interested to see a video clip on the BBC website recently entitled, "Stamp collecting big business in Asia".  The video clip includes an interview with a Mr Keith Heddle who is the group investment director of the UK-based company Stanley Gibbons who are experts in rare stamps.

Here is a link to this video clip for your information:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22603048

http://www.stanleygibbons.com/stanleygibbons/view/content/sg_homepage



We're jammin' ...

 

I realise that when Bob Marley sang We're jammin'  he was not singing about making jam rather he was referring to the slang term of the word which means a group of people coming together to make  music.  Despite that, it amuses me to pretend that he was actually singing about making jam which is why I always listen to this song when I make jam.

 

May is the time of the year when strawberries are in abundance and at their peak which is why I decided to make an annual batch of strawberry jam.  I wish as well as the photographs I could share with you the wonderful aromas associated with jam making.  The kitchen and indeed the whole house smells divine - it is a wholesome scent which rewards the nostrils of the person standing over a hot stove watching and testing the consistency of the jam to see if it is ready.  

 

 

 

 

 



 



 

 





 

 



 

 

 



 If you have been inspired by this blog post to make your own jam here is the recipe:
http://brightlycolouredsunflowers.blogspot.com/2012/05/strawberry-jam.html

"I hope you like jammin', too".

Home-made jam tart

 

 This is such an easy recipe.  I wanted to use up the remaining jar of apricot jam I had made last year and I thought what better way to do this then a delicious jam tart.

 

You will need:

150g butter, cut into pieces

200g plain flour

50g rice flour

1 heaped tablespoon of icing sugar

2 egg yolks

100g - 150g of jam of your choice

 

Preheat the oven to 200°C, lightly butter a pie dish

Make the short crust pastry: Rub the butter and the flour together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the icing sugar then add the egg yolks and with a knife work it into the mixture.  Next add enough water (about 2-3 tablespoons full) and continue to mix until the pastry begins to come together and form into a ball.  Wrap in cling film and let it chill in the refrigerator for about half an hour.

 

Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface.  You can either make one big tart or several small tarts using small tart tins.  I do not bake blind my tarts instead I prick the uncooked pastry all over with a fork and let it chill in the fridge for a further 15 minutes.  If you are doing small tarts then you only need to put about 2 or 3 teaspoons of jam into the tart tins lined with pastry.  For the big tart, you can put the jam into the tart case until it is half-way full.  You do not want to over fill the pastry case as it may spill over into your oven whilst it is baking.

 

Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until the pastry is a lovely golden colour.  Let the tart cool completely before serving. 

 

Bon appétit!



Harissa هريسة

 

 

Harissa is the name of a spicy Tunisian chilli paste.  It is an immensely popular and important condiment and is very widely used in Tunisian cuisine.  We have never made our own harissa as it is readily available here.  For those people living outside of Tunisia who would like to try this delicious spicy Tunisian paste I think you would be able to find it if you went to a Middle Eastern and/or gourmet food shop.

 

Alternatively, you could try making your own.  Here is a recipe I found on the internet on a website called allrecipes.com - I have not tried to make it however I was heartened to note that the person who posted the recipe had a Tunisian name so hopefully the recipe will be the real deal.  Here is a link for your information:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tunisian-harissa/

 

Its main ingredients are piri piri (type of chili pepper), serrano peppers and other hot chili peppers and spices and herbs such as garlic paste, coriander, red chili powder, caraway as well as some vegetable or olive oil. It is most closely associated with Tunisia, Libya and Algeria but recently also making inroads into Morocco.  Recipes for harissa vary according to the household and region. Variations can include the addition of cumin, red peppers, garlic, coriander, and lemon juice. In Saharan regions, harissa can have a smoky flavor. In Tunisia, harissa is used as an ingredient in meat or fish stews with vegetables and as a flavoring for couscous. It is also used for lablabi, a chickpea soup usually eaten for breakfast.  Tunisia is the biggest exporter of pre-made harissa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harissa



Tunis Open Tennis Tournament

It was a public holiday today here in Tunisia so we went to the Tunis Open Tennis Tournament to watch a Men's Singles match between Adrian Ungur, a Romanian and Ivan Sergeyev, a Ukranian.   The unseasonably cool, cloudy and windy weather with isolated showers did not deter the players.  Adrian Ungur beat his opponent Ivan Sergeyev in two sets 6-1, 6-2 and so he goes through to the next round which is the Quarter-finals.  Adrian Ungur will play against Radu Albot, a Moldovian on the 3rd May.



Part of the official advertising from one of the sponsors of the Tunis Open

 

 

 

Ivan Sergeyev

 

 

 

Adrian Ungur

 

The 2013 Tunis Open is a professional tennis tournament played on clay courts. It is the eighth edition of the tournament which is part of the 2013 ATP Challenger Tour. It takes place in Tunis, Tunisia between 29 April and 5 May 2013.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Tunis_Open

Global Poverty Project - Live Below The Line

Over the next five days, 5000 people in the UK will be taking part in a challenge and spending just £1 a day on food as part of an initiative by the Global Poverty Project.   Their total budget for food from 29 April to 3 May will be £5.  

 

For some this will be a one-off test of perseverance to see if they can rise to the challange and eat three healthy meals on £1 a day and at the same time raise awareness and money through sponsors for the Global Poverty Project.  The people who take part will know that once the five days are up they can return to their normal eating and spending habits.  However, for many people around the world and indeed in the UK this is a way of life.  Jack Monroe is a woman and a single mother of a two year old boy and lives in Southend-on-Sea in the UK.  Here is a link to her blog  http://agirlcalledjack.com/category/life-food/ 

  When Jack set up her blog she was unemployed and her blog was her on-line diary where she could write and share her experiences and her recipes on a tight budget. She then started writing articles and became a trainee reporter for her local newspaper and "she has just been offered an advance of £25,000 to produce a cookbook for Penguin".  Whilst the story of Jack is a feel-good rags to riches story, it does highlight the amount of money some people have to buy food for themselves and their families.  Here is a link http://agirlcalledjack.com/2013/04/28/my-live-below-the-line-challenge-2013/ which shows Jack participating in Live Below The Line campaign and her detailed shopping receipt and the food which she was able to buy for £4.40.  You will have to follow her blog to see the healthy meals which she makes with all of these ingredients.  If you like, you can sponsor Jack Monroe and help her to raise money for Oxfam.  Here is a link to Jack's sponsor page:
https://www.livebelowtheline.com/me/agirlcalledjack

  

Here is another link to a BBC article on "How to eat healthily on £1 a day" by Brian Milligan Personal Finance Reporter, BBC News.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22263706

1.00 GBP (British Pound) = 1.55 USD (US Dollar)
1.18 EUR (Euro)
2.48 TND (Tunisian Dinar)

Anzac Day

 

A field of red poppies (Papaver rhoeas) from the Tunisian countryside

Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, originally commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I.  It now more broadly commemorates all those who served and died in military operations for their countries".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anzac_Day

 

 

Those of you who have been to Gallipoli will be familiar with a large stone monument bearing the following inscription by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.  His words are sincere, comforting and heartfelt.

 

"Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives.

You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Therefore rest in peace.

There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours.

 You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears, your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace after having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well."


Here is a link from the BBC with photographs from Anzac Day ceremonies from
 25 April 2013.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22289665