Free Republic

New Orleans - Sam Uglesich grew up among mariners and fishermen off the coast of Croatia on rocky Dugi Otok, whose name means "long island," surrounded by the azure waters of the Adriatic. Twice he set out for the United States. The first time, he jumped ship in New York, but was caught and sent home. The second time, he made his break in New Orleans, then as now a more permissive city, and got away with it. Naturally enough, he opened a seafood restaurant in his adopted city, specializing in the local shrimp, soft-shell crabs, lake trout and oysters....

MODERATE consumption of beer helped protect the liver from cirrhosis and other diseases, a Spanish researcher said yesterday. Susana Martinez from the University of Leon spoke at a conference of nutrition experts in Barcelona, Spain. Beer contained anti-oxidants called flavonoids which helped to protect the liver from inflammatory processes, Ms Martinez said. A moderate consumption amounted to 33 centilitres for women and twice that amount for men daily. - Cancer risk from using condoms - MOST condoms contained a chemical that causes cancer, German scientists said yesterday. Researchers at the Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Institute in Stuttgart said it found...

A team of scientists at Finland's National Public Health Institute are scratching their heads over their latest findings: Rats bred to drink alcohol live longer, healthier lives than rats bred to refuse alcohol -- whether or not the rodents actually consume alcohol during their lifetimes. The research, published in the January issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, found that 80 percent of rats bred to prefer alcohol-laced water over regular water lived to be two years old (an age that represents longevity in rats). Only 40 percent of the rats bred to spurn alcohol lived that long, with many...

The Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival is embarking on its 18th year as the oldest and largest wine and food festival in the state. Highlights include a fine wine auction, a grand tasting, winery luncheons, cooking classes, and wine seminars. The weekend culminates with our annual Sunday Texas Wine & Food Grand Tasting Fair at Austin's renowned Salt Lick Barbeque. SATURDAY, APRIL 5 A Lovely Way to Start the Day: A Lowcountry Breakfast with Louis Osteen "Hair of the Dog" Brunch Texas Wine Seminar "Vintner's Pick . . . Best of the Bunch" Varietal Roulette: A Tutored Tasting...

<p>This week, The Professor, our cocktailian bartender, makes a couple of tempting drinks created at San Francisco's Chaya Brasserie -- and he learns that they can lead to matrimony.</p> <p>"He'll have a draft beer, and could you make me an Apple Martini like the ones they make at Chaya Brasserie?" asks the female half of a youngish couple who walk into the bar.</p>