| These Cities Are Suing The Pentagon Over 'Deadly Gaps' In America's Gun-Check System Posted: 26 Dec 2017 01:37 PM PST  The cities of New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco are suing the U.S. Department of Defense over its legal failure to report service member crimes to the FBI and national gun background check database, multiple outlets reported Tuesday.
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| Mystery Dem-backed super PAC Highway 31 spent millions in Alabama race Posted: 27 Dec 2017 10:24 AM PST  A mysterious super PAC poured millions into the special Alabama Senate race between Doug Jones and Roy Moore, and that group was reportedly funded heavily by the Democratic Senate Majority PAC.
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| North Korean Defectors Show Signs Of Possible Radiation Exposure Posted: 27 Dec 2017 09:02 AM PST  At least four North Korean defectors have shown symptoms consistent with radiation exposure, including chromosomal abnormalities, South Korea's Unification Ministry said Wednesday.
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| After holiday shopping, time for returns Posted: 26 Dec 2017 08:07 AM PST  The holiday shopping season was a win for retailers as holiday sales hit their best pace since 2011. Now, consumers are making their way back to the mall but this time to return their unwanted gifts.
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| #5 of 10 Most Popular News Galleries of 2017: Dramatic aerial views of the flooding in Harvey’s aftermath Posted: 27 Dec 2017 03:44 AM PST ![#5 of 10 Most Popular News Galleries of 2017: Dramatic aerial views of the flooding in Harvey's aftermath]( "#5 of 10 Most Popular News Galleries of 2017: Dramatic aerial views of the flooding in Harvey's aftermath") Neighborhood after neighborhood underwater. Submerged highways. The cities of coastal Texas in crisis.
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| As Putin seethes over Olympic ban, doping whistleblower fears for his life Posted: 26 Dec 2017 02:00 AM PST  The whistleblower who exposed Russia's systematic doping of Olympic athletes has been warned by U.S. officials that Russian agents may be inside the United States looking for him and that new security measures needed to be taken to insure his safety, the lawyer for the whistleblower tells Yahoo News.
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| Ben Affleck Spends Christmas with Ex Jennifer Garner and Kids as He Continues Treatment Posted: 26 Dec 2017 06:00 PM PST  Ben Affleck, ex Jennifer Garner and their three children celebrated Christmas as a family
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| Record-breaking snowstorm in Pennsylvania declared disaster emergency Posted: 26 Dec 2017 08:06 AM PST  With nearly 57 inches of snow in two days, conditions are so hazardous that the airport was forced to close.
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| Teens charged with murder after man killed by falling sandbag Posted: 26 Dec 2017 08:07 AM PST  Four Ohio teens, ages 13 and 14, were charged with murder after allegedly throwing a sandbag off a highway overpass. It crashed through the windshield of a vehicle, killing a 22-year-old father seated in the passenger seat.
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| The Latest: Halt to church construction 'only viable option' Posted: 26 Dec 2017 04:14 PM PST  NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on the halted construction at a church that was destroyed on Sept. 11, 2001 (all times local):
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| 18 Post-Holiday Sales On Clothes, Shoes, Accessories And More Posted: 27 Dec 2017 10:13 AM PST  The hustle and bustle of the holidays might have come to an abrupt halt, but that doesn't mean the sales have.
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| These Two Best Friends Just Learned They're Actually Brothers After 60 Years Posted: 26 Dec 2017 03:31 PM PST  One never knew his father, and the other was adopted. Separately, they sought answers about their ancestry
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| 21 Of The Best Feminist Books Of 2017 Posted: 27 Dec 2017 12:18 PM PST  From the Women's March in January and the subsequent record number of women running for political offices, to the #MeToo movement, 2017 has been a remarkable year for women.
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| Man Arrested for Damaging ATM After It Gave Him 'Too Much Money': Cops Posted: 27 Dec 2017 12:50 PM PST  Michael Joseph Oleksik, 23, punched the touch screen in frustration, authorities said.
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| Deputy recalls breaking through frozen pond to pull out boy Posted: 26 Dec 2017 06:20 PM PST  NEW HARMONY, Utah (AP) — A Utah sheriff's deputy said Tuesday he was desperate and numb from the cold as he punched and stomped his way into a frozen pond on Christmas Day to pull out an 8-year-old boy who had fallen through the ice while chasing his dog.
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| New York City on track to end year with sharp drop in murder rate Posted: 26 Dec 2017 01:40 PM PST  The city recorded 278 homicides up to mid-December, compared with 325 last year, and police say there were the lowest number of index crimes since the 50s NYPD police stand guard inside the New York Port Authority Bus Terminal in the city after it reopened following an explosion on December 11, 2017 Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
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| Democrat In Tied Virginia Race Tries To Stop Winner From Being Picked Out Of A Bowl Posted: 26 Dec 2017 01:35 PM PST  Democrat Shelly Simonds launched a last-minute effort Tuesday to prevent the race for a crucial seat in Virginia's House of Delegates from being settled by luck.
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| Man's 'Christmas Vacation' Homage Has Neighbors Calling 911 Posted: 26 Dec 2017 10:58 AM PST  A Colorado man's homage to his favorite Christmas movie gave him the gift of laughter this year.
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| Luann de Lesseps Entered Incorrect Hotel Room with a Man Before Arrest, Police Say Posted: 27 Dec 2017 01:46 PM PST  Luann de Lesseps' arrest on Saturday night came after she was discovered trespassing in a hotel room with an unidentified male who was once her ex, according to a police report
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| Coalition has no plans to target Islamic State in Syrian government-controlled areas Posted: 27 Dec 2017 12:02 PM PST ![Coalition has no plans to target Islamic State in Syrian government-controlled areas]( "Coalition has no plans to target Islamic State in Syrian government-controlled areas") By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Despite saying that the Syrian government is not doing enough to stop Islamic State militants from moving through its territory, the U.S.-led coalition fighting the group does not intend to target militants in those areas, a senior coalition official said on Wednesday. The comments by British Army Major General Felix Gedney indicate that the coalition will rely on the Syrian government to go after Islamic State militants in areas controlled by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. U.S. officials have said in the past that the Syrian government forces are too few, too poor and too weak to fight Islamic State.
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| Orrin Hatch grateful for 'honor' from Utah newspaper criticizing him Posted: 26 Dec 2017 11:25 AM PST  Orrin Hatch's tweet did not include a link to the editorial. The longest serving Republican senator, Orrin Hatch, tweeted on Christmas day that he was grateful after his local paper hailed him on its front page as the "Utahn of the year", but he made no mention of a stinging accompanying editorial. Many were left asking if Hatch was being sarcastic or had tweeted before reading the Salt Lake Tribune's full reasoning for the award, for the most impactful person in the state, which hit out at his part in slashing the size of Utah's national monuments.
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| Displaced Syrians survive war but face battle against cold Posted: 25 Dec 2017 06:39 PM PST  Khadija Alloush made it out alive from Syria's battle-ravaged Raqa with her five children, but she lost her seven-year-old son to the biting cold of life in a displacement camp. As temperatures drop, tens of thousands of civilians forced out of their homes by Syria's war are spending yet another winter in flimsy plastic tents or abandoned half-finished buildings. After fleeing fighting in the Islamic State group's former bastion Raqa, Khadija's family sought refuge in the Ain Issa camp about 50 kilometres (30 miles) north.
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| Vanity Fair Gets Called Out For Suggesting Hillary Clinton Take Up Knitting Posted: 26 Dec 2017 10:01 PM PST  Vanity Fair staffers are ringing in the new year with Champagne and cheap shots at Hillary Clinton.
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| Philippines to sanction firms involved in deadly fire if safety skirted Posted: 26 Dec 2017 07:44 AM PST ![Philippines to sanction firms involved in deadly fire if safety skirted]( "Philippines to sanction firms involved in deadly fire if safety skirted") By Enrico Dela Cruz MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines said on Tuesday it would investigate whether safety regulations were ignored at an office where a fire killed 37 call center employees, and vowed to impose sanctions if firms had not met standards. The remains of 37 employees of the U.S.-based Research Now SSI killed by Saturday's fire in Davao City have been recovered and a criminal investigation will be launched by the Justice Department. Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello said he had instructed the government's workplace health and safety agency and the Labour Ministry's regional office in Davao, President Rodrigo Duterte's hometown, to investigate if there were lapses in safety standards.
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| Donald Trump Again Falsely Credits Himself With 'Essentially' Repealing Obamacare Posted: 26 Dec 2017 05:11 AM PST  President Donald Trump on Tuesday falsely claimed that congressional Republicans' tax bill "essentially Repeals (over time) ObamaCare," perpetuating a false claim he made previously to celebrate the bill's passage.
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| The Die Hard Writer Just Settled the Christmas Movie Debate Once and For All Posted: 26 Dec 2017 07:47 AM PST  Yippee-ki-yay, movie lovers
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| Nearly $60,000 Raised For 'Hugging Dog' And Owner Who Lost Home in Christmas Day Fire Posted: 27 Dec 2017 08:19 AM PST  Louboutina has a huge following on Instagram.
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| British woman jailed in Egypt is 'on the verge of a breakdown', family says Posted: 27 Dec 2017 12:52 AM PST  A British woman jailed for three years in Egypt for smuggling drugs is on the verge of a breakdown after being sent to a prison "full of jihadi terrorists", her family has said. Shop worker Laura Plummer, 33, from Hull, was arrested in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada after she was found to be carrying 290 Tramadol tablets in her suitcase, a painkiller which is legal in the UK but which is banned in Egypt. Ms Plummer's family said she was taking the tablets for her Egyptian partner, who suffers from severe back pain and had no idea what she was doing was wrong. Her sister, Jayne Synclair, said she feared she would not survive three years in prison. "Laura isn't the strongest of people, she's on the verge of a nervous breakdown, covered in scabs. "She's been bitten from head to foot in mosquito bites and she's like a ghost. "Her skin is translucent and the muscles in her legs don't work - they're like jelly." Shop worker Laura Plummer, 33, from Hull, was arrested in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada after she was found to be carrying 290 Tramadol tablets in her suitcase Mrs Synclair, 40, said Ms Plummer had unexpectedly been sent to the infamous Qena prison north of Luxor. It houses some of the most dangerous inmates in the country, including Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and Muslim Brotherhood members. "They have slyly taken her to where the British Foreign Office told us she would never be placed - but the Egyptian authorities have already moved her there," she said. "Our biggest fear with this scenario has been confirmed - she will be sharing a tiny cell with jihadi terrorists and rapists. "'I honestly dread to think. Laura won't survive a day in there - let alone three years. She won't even make it through that - I can't believe they've even still sent her there." According to the family, Ms Plummer was also fined £4,500. They said her father had already paid out £25,000 to defend his daughter. The Plummer family has previously said Ms Plummer had no idea that what she doing was illegal and was just "daft". They said she did not try to hide the medicine, which she had been given by a friend, and she thought it was a joke when she was pulled over by officials after arriving for a holiday with her partner. Omar Abdel Azim, Ms Plummer's partner Mohammed Othman, Ms Plummer's lawyer, said he was optimistic she would not serve the full sentence. "The sentence is lenient considering Laura is on trial for smuggling and trading drugs, for which the sentence can be the death penalty or life, in jail," he told the Telegraph. Mr Othman said that he still needs to see the reasoning of the verdict but he anticipated that the judge would acquit if their appeal application was accepted. The family said they were planning an immediate appeal after Ms Plummer mistakenly pleaded guilty at a hearing on Christmas Day, due to a translation error. She fell to the floor and sobbed upon hearing the decision on Tuesday. "We're just hoping. Even half of that would be better. Anything less than three years," Mrs Synclair said. "She doesn't deserve that."
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| Merry Christmas from Mar-a-Lago: Tiffany and Ivanka Trump Mocked for Bikini-Clad Video Posted: 26 Dec 2017 05:17 PM PST  In a new Twitter video, first daughters Tiffany and Ivanka Trump blew kisses to followers — but received mostly criticism in return
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| US forces kill 13 Shabaab militants in air strike Posted: 26 Dec 2017 04:43 PM PST  The United States carried out an air strike on Christmas Eve against the Shabaab Islamist group that left 13 dead, according to a statement released Wednesday. "In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, US forces conducted an airstrike against al-Shabaab militants on the morning of Dec. 24, 2017, in southern Somalia, killing 13 terrorists," read the statement from the US Africa Command (AFRICOM). The United States has stepped up its operations in Somalia in recent weeks, with frequent strikes against Shabaab and a separate self-proclaimed branch of the Islamic State in the Horn of Africa nation.
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| Father 'found 13-year-old son and 44-year-old teacher having sex in car' Posted: 27 Dec 2017 05:43 AM PST  Police in Bay City, 80 miles south-west of Houston, have charged the teacher, Rachel Gonzales, 44, with online solicitation and having an improper relationship with the 13-year-old boy. During the investigation, police inspected the boy's mobile phone and found texts from Ms Gonazalez indicating the pair had an inappropriate relationship prior to the alleged incident on 14 December, police said. At the request of the District Attorney, the Bay City Independent School District, where Ms Gonzalez is a teacher, have turned over the case to the local police.
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| Mark Hamill Posts A Perfect Tribute To Carrie Fisher One Year After Her Death Posted: 27 Dec 2017 07:24 AM PST  Mark Hamill marked the first anniversary of Carrie Fisher's untimely death with a beautiful tribute to the late actress on Wednesday.
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| Kremlin wants opposition's call for election boycott investigated Posted: 26 Dec 2017 04:24 AM PST ![Kremlin wants opposition's call for election boycott investigated]( "Kremlin wants opposition's call for election boycott investigated") By Denis Pinchuk and Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Tuesday a call by opposition leader Alexei Navalny to boycott next year's presidential election must be checked to see if it complies with the law, paving the way for possible police action against him and his supporters. Navalny called on Monday for a boycott of the March 18 election after Russia's central election commission ruled he was not eligible to run for president due to a suspended prison sentence hanging over him. "The calls for a boycott will require scrupulous study, to see whether or not they comply with the law," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call.
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| 13 Days in July: The Trump White House's crucible Posted: 26 Dec 2017 01:16 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — They were the 13 days that transformed the White House.
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| How to avoid freezing if you're ringing in the new year in Times Square Posted: 26 Dec 2017 05:24 AM PST  If you are going to Times Square on New Year's Eve, prepare for chilly weather.
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| Argentina judge says death of prosecutor Nisman was murder Posted: 26 Dec 2017 02:44 PM PST ![Argentina judge says death of prosecutor Nisman was murder]( "Argentina judge says death of prosecutor Nisman was murder") Alberto Nisman, the Argentine prosecutor who was found dead days after accusing former President Cristina Fernandez of covering up Iran's role in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center, was murdered, a federal judge said on Tuesday. In a 656-page ruling, judge Julian Ercolini said there was sufficient proof to conclude that the shot to the head that killed Nisman in January 2015 was not self-inflicted. Fernandez and others had suggested the death was a suicide, but a prosecutor investigating the case last year recommended it be pursued as a murder probe.
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| North Korea Is Demanding the U.S. Prove Its Claim That Pyongyang was Behind the WannaCry Attack Posted: 25 Dec 2017 06:51 PM PST  The U.S. said Pyongyang was behind the WannaCry cyber attack
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| First Responders Reunite With Man They Saved After He Collapsed While Holding Infant Daughter Posted: 26 Dec 2017 11:04 AM PST  The gift of life has proven to be a present money cannot buy.
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| Twixtmas ideas: the food we crave between Christmas and the New Year Posted: 25 Dec 2017 10:00 PM PST  On the menu | This week's recipes As a child, I hated the days between Christmas and New Year. They were the flat days. My grandparents would leave on the day after Boxing Day and the house would suddenly feel empty. Life went back to normal, which, in our house, meant a lot of tidying up. Those who disliked Christmas (my mum) wanted to get the place shipshape again. She would tut as she found yet another piece of stray wrapping paper, and the tree (was it doing it to spite her?) shed its needles faster than she could hoover them up. I felt sorry for it, dying despite its adorned branches. We ate turkey sandwiches until we could eat no more, then turkey à la king (basically turkey and mushrooms in a white sauce with added sherry to make it fancy), then turkey curry. I could never understand why we cooked such a big turkey if it took five days to finish it. The making of stock and soup relieved the sense of anticlimax, though. The steam fugged up the kitchen windows, making the place warm, filling it with the smell of leeks and parsley. Maybe it's age, but now I love the period between Christmas and New Year, precisely because it's empty. I yearn for fresh flavours, crisp textures and big winter salads These are the glorious 'days between', days of freedom. You can hibernate in the corner of the sofa with all your new books, or go for walks during which you have time to enjoy the smell of cold earth or examine how much frosty grass glitters (get right down and have a look). And the cooking – the poking-around-in-the-fridge kind – is a joy. You can fry up the turkey stuffing with potatoes and nduja (a spicy Calabrian pork paste – you can get it from Ocado) or chorizo and stick an egg on top, or make cheesy fritters with leftover Jerusalem artichokes, potatoes and Stilton. Get cooking | Diana Henry's latest recipes Because the Christmas Day meal is such a number, afterwards you can have friends round and give them a single homely dish, such as turkey and ham pie or little puff-pastry parcels of cheese and leeks (it's a good idea to stash some packets of puff pastry in your freezer at this time of year). Stock can be made as it's perfect soup weather and you have an abundance of bones (and, if you're lucky, stock from cooking a ham as well). I yearn for fresh flavours (Asian spices, chilli and citrus fruits), crisp textures (raw fennel, apple, celery) and big winter salads. The Christmas meal gives you a thirst that goes on for days, leaving you yearning for anything juicy. As you gear up for another celebration (New Year), do and eat exactly what you want to. Pea, parsley and ham soup Credit: Haarala Hamilton My mum always makes lentil soup after Christmas from the ham stock, but I wanted to try something fresher tasting. This has both ballast and lightness. You can also make this with chicken or turkey stock but ham stock is better – nice and sweet and slightly fatty. If your stock is very salty then add enough water to make it palatable and use the amount stipulated in the recipe. SERVES 6-8 INGREDIENTS 50g butter 1 large onion, chopped 1 carrot, diced 1 stick celery, diced 1 large potato (about 200g), peeled and diced 1.6 litres fresh ham stock 750g frozen peas 15g bunch parsley, leaves only squeeze of lemon (optional) 200g shredded ham hock or ham from a joint drop of double cream or crème fraiche (optional) METHOD Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion, carrot, celery and potato. Sauté gently for a few minutes, then add a splash of water and cover the pan. Cook on a very low heat until the onion is soft but not coloured. Check every so often to make sure the mixture is still moist and not about to catch and burn on the base of the pan. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Season (careful with the salt). Stir in the peas and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the parsley. Whizz, in batches, in a blender (being careful to do it in small amounts or the heat will push the blender lid off – you can also leave it until it cools before you blend it) for a gorgeous smooth soup. Taste – you might find it needs some lemon (anything from a squeeze to the juice of ½ lemon – it can brighten the flavours). Stir in the ham and heat through again before serving. You can have it as it is or add a drop of double cream or crème fraiche. Eastern spiced turkey and noodle soup Credit: Haarala Hamilton You can add other ingredients to this, such as sliced shiitake mushrooms, spinach leaves or prawns. It is one of the best ways of using up leftover turkey, though, and these flavours are just what you need in the gap between Christmas and New Year. SERVES 4-6 INGREDIENTS 1.2 litres turkey or chicken stock 4 chillies, 2 of them halved, deseeded and finely chopped, the other 2 finely sliced into rounds to garnish 4cm cube ginger, peeled and sliced 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised 2 kaffir lime leaves 1 tbsp caster sugar juice of 1 lime (you may need more) 3 tbsp fish sauce 2 heads pak choi, sliced 250g cooked chicken or turkey, shredded 3 spring onions, finely sliced on the diagonal 10g bunch coriander, leaves only 200g vermicelli noodles wedges of lime, to serve METHOD Bring the stock to the boil with the chopped chillies, the ginger, lemongrass and lime leaves. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Strain. Add the sugar, lime juice and fish sauce. Taste. You need a hot, sour, salty, sweet balance so you may have to adjust by adding more of something. Bring to a vigorous simmer again. Add the pak choi and cook for 1 minute, then add the meat and spring onions and heat through. Throw in the coriander. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Divide between four to six bowls and ladle the soup on top. Add the rest of the chilli and serve with wedges of lime. Fennel, apple and blackberry salad Credit: Haarala Hamilton Fresh, crisp, slightly sweet-sour. I know blackberries aren't in season now but they appear to be available all year round and they taste good (unlike out-of-season strawberries). Good with cold cuts, cheese, even smoked salmon. SERVES 6 as a lunch or side salad INGREDIENTS 2 small fennel bulbs juice of 1 lemon 2 celery sticks, with leaves if possible, washed and trimmed 2 small eating apples 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (use a fruity one over a grassy one) 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar ¼ tsp Dijon mustard ¼ tsp honey (optional) 75g blackberries 15g halved hazelnuts, toasted METHOD It's best to prepare and assemble this salad quickly, so the elements don't discolour. Quarter the fennel, trim the tops and the bases and remove any coarse outer leaves. If there are any little fronds, remove and reserve them. Using a mandolin – or a very sharp, fine-bladed knife – slice the fennel very thinly and put it into a large bowl with the lemon juice. Slice the celery finely on an angle, reserving any leaves. Quarter and core the apples, then change the setting on your mandolin and slice them into slightly thicker pieces. Toss the celery and apples in the lemon juice too. Add any fennel fronds and celery leaves you reserved. Mix the olive oil with the balsamic vinegar, mustard and some salt and pepper. If you want to use honey – a little bit of sweetness is good with the blackberries – add it now. Taste. Toss the dressing into a broad shallow serving bowl with all the other ingredients, except the blackberries and hazelnuts. Taste the salad for seasoning, and adjust if necessary. Just before serving, scatter the hazelnuts and blackberries on top.
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