Lars Toomre

Various news reports indicate that the American-born al Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn has been captured in Pakistan's port city of Karachi on or about March 7th 2010. This reported capture comes on the same day as As Sahab, al Qaeda's propaganda arm, released a video of Adam Gadahn praising Major Nidal Hasan, the Muslim US Army officer who murdered 13 soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2009. "Brother Nidal is the ideal role model for every repentant Muslim in the armies of the unbelievers and apostate regimes," Gadahn apparently said.

Mr. Gadahn was charged with treason in the United States back in 2006 and there apparently has been a million dollar award offered for information leading to his arrest. Those charges of treason are the first in more than fifty years and could lead to his death if convicted. "By aligning himself with al Qaeda, by moving overseas to be closer to al Qaeda’s base and leadership, and by joining in advocating al Qaeda’s terrorist agenda, an agenda that includes the overthrow of the United States government and the murder of American citizens, Adam Gadahn has committed treason against the United States of America," said US Attorney Debra Wong Yang. He is the first American to be indicted for treason since 1952.

It will be interesting to see how President Obama and Attorney General Holder approach this case should Mr. Gadahn be turned over to American authorities. Will there be a public judicial trial or will he join some of his al Qaeda compatriots at Guantanamo Bay's excellent prison facilities?

In celebration of a friend's forthcoming trip to Morocco, the preparation of marinated kebobs in the Moroccan tradition recently became a focus. The Moors introduced both skewers and marinated meat to both Morocco and Spain.

These little yellow kebabs are a particular favorite of Andalusia region of Spain, where many butchers sell the meat ready marinated. One can use any type of meat for these kebabs. In Morocco they are prepared with lamb, and in Spain it is traditionally prepared with pork.

For a leaner alternative, one also can use chicken breast, although I would recommend using turkey thigh as it is very tasty and moist, and does not dry out like breast meat often does.

My first-time ever trip to Spain last summer with my then girlfriend Mary Olsen was a very special and memorable experience. I knew little about either Spain or the Spanish cuisine before our trip. Those wonderful eight days in Spain made me wish that I had traveled there earlier and left me determined to return soon to explore further.

Although we spent most of our time in the southern Costa del Sol region, we got to sample some of the rich variety in the broad and varied Spanish cuisine. As Catalan writer Josep Pla (1897-1981) once said, "A country's cuisine is its landscape in a cooking pot." Our week-plus glance into the Spanish cooking pot revealed more than just Spain's geography. It is said that to savor a nation's culinary customs is to experience the unfolding of an entire culture.

Although I am now single some eight months later, I have continued to experiment with various aspects of the Spanish culinary richness and customs. One way has been to prepare various recipes from some excellent Spanish cookbooks. These cookbooks include:

• Culinaria Spain
• Paella!: Spectacular Rice Dishes From Spain
• Tapas and Traditional Spanish Cooking
• The Cuisines of Spain

Some of these experimental preparations have had mixed results; others have been quite delicious! Those dishes that have been made several times (with the instructions modified as appropriate) have been added to the recipe section of the Lars Toomre website. No doubt more such instructions will be added in the coming months!!