The 2017 Audubon Photography Awards Winners

Photo Credit: Audubon 2017

Audubon Photography Awards Winners 2017 
The more than 5,500 photos entered in this year's contest, our eighth, show birdlife at its most vivid, vulnerable, formidable, and elegant. Photographers from 49 states and eight Canadian provinces submitted images in three categories: professional, amateur, and youth. While it wasn't easy whittling those down, the following seven images proved exceptional. The category winners, in addition to garnering cash and trip prizes, are being displayed within the 2017 Nature’s Best Photography Exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

Irish Cheddar and thyme gougères By Donal Skeehan

Ingredients
Makes about 24 small gougères
60g salted butter
130ml water
80g plain flour, sifted
3 large free range eggs
100g Irish Cheddar (Sheridans 15 Fields Irish Cheddar is excellent), grated
2tsp thyme leaves, finely chopped
Pinch ground nutmeg
Ground black pepper

Method

An elegant and impressive warm canapé which is ideal finger food served with a cold glass of Prosecco. The choux pastry can be baked up to two to three hours before serving and reheated. Irish Cheddar makes for delicious light cheese puffs or, alternatively, Comte or Gruyère are also good here. 

Preheat an oven to 220 degrees Celsius/gas 7 and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the butter and water in a small saucepan and bring to a steady boil until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and add the flour, beating all the time with a wooden spoon, until a dough comes together. Place back over the heat and beat the dough in the saucepan for about 40 seconds. Remove from the heat, set aside and leave to cool slightly. Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Add the eggs a little at a time, and beat thoroughly with a wooden spoon until the egg is completely incorporated after each addition. You may not need all of the egg. Add a little at a time until you have a consistency that will hold its shape when piped. It should be smooth, shiny and just about fall from the spoon. Stir through 75g of the cheese, nutmeg, thyme and a sprinkle of black pepper. Using a spatula, scoop the dough into a large piping bag fitted with a large round piping nozzle and pipe 3cm rounds onto the lined baking sheets, leaving about 6cm in between each line to allow for spreading. Pat water on the top of each gougère and sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Place in the oven, reducing the heat to 190 degrees Celsius/gas 5, for about 25 minutes, until they have risen and are golden and crisp. Transfer to a wire wrack and serve warm. The Irish Times

“May-Day” named the winner at the Leuven short film festival By Jason Bennett

The film “May-Day” by Brussels duo Felix De Beul and Olivier Magis was handed three awards during the closing ceremony for the Leuven short film festival on Saturday evening.

The jury award in the European competition went to “Le Bleu Blanc Rouge de mes Cheveux” by Josza Anjembee.

“May-Day” is the story of a Brussels Librarian looking for a successor. He gathers together a dozen candidates, which creates animated discussion and leads to complete chaos. The directors explained they wanted to show the “modern day tragedy” of people fed up with their jobs and others who would do anything to get one. The short film received the jury and public awards, as well as Best Actor for the lead role played by Thierry Hellin.

In the European competition, the jury award went to “Le Bleu Blanc Rouge de mes Cheveux”, the autobiographical film by Josza Anjembee. It’s the story of a woman who wants French nationality, but authorities oppose it because of her haircut. The European public award went to the Swiss short film “Les Heures-encre” by Wendy Pillonel.

Jason Bennett (Source:Belga) The Brussels Times

We're In This Love Together

Al Jarreau