Keep your eye on the ball: Globalisation

This isn't an old-fashioned, tweed-and-pipes rant on the ills of globalisation -- at least not of the kind promoted by vitriol-inked, wanna-be NPR luddites. No, this is a serious observation that, what with cultural and economic convergence, it's becoming increasingly difficult for me to identify my sporting home. Yeah, yeah, you can stop sniggering. I know I'm not a known sports buff. But it's not just me. While there are fairly obvious personal reasons why I support England as a football side, to prove my point, I only need to point to Brad. Although Tottenham Hotspur may be just another feather in his cap(s), isn't it odd that while he's selected a London team to support, I'm thinking it might be nice to support LA Galaxy (see ad, left). Anodyne, I realise, but then given Liverpool's behaviour today, I feel I had little choice but to move on. Without saying too much, let me just say it became personal.

Anyway, let's forget about sports altogether and focus on food. The soup pictured here is extraordinarily simple. Had a leek and some old cabbage at home. Bought a chicken from my butcher on Saturday. Made fresh chicken stock on Sunday. Cook leek, add chicken, stock, cabbage, salt and pepper, and voila! Football seems insignificant.