Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea on the north and Liberia on the south, with the Atlantic Ocean on the west. The name Sierra Leone was adapted from the Portuguese name for the country: Serra Leoa. The literal meaning is "Lion Mountains." During the 1700s Sierra Leone was an important centre of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The capital Freetown was founded in 1792 by the Sierra Leone Company as a home for African Americans who had fought for the British in the American Revolutionary War. In 1808, Freetown became a British Crown Colony, and in 1896, the interior of the country became a British Protectorate. The Crown Colony and Protectorate joined and gained independence in 1961. From 1991 to 2000, the country suffered greatly under a devastating civil war. To end the civil war, UN and British forces disarmed 17,000 militia and rebels, in the largest UN peacekeeping act of the decade. The average life span of a Sierra Leonean is 38 years for men and 42 years for women. ^*

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L.A. Times - Food & Dining

Could that be ice in my soup?
Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700
This August 2007 article suggested chilling out -- with a bowl of naeng myun, the served-cold Korean specialty with springy noodles and a tangy broth. Summer in Koreatown has long been marked by the sounds of slurping. The season for naeng myun -- cold noodles -- is now in full swing, and at restaurants across the neighborhood, huge bowlfuls of chewy buckwheat noodles quickly disappear. Occasionally there are pauses for a spoonful of icy-cold tangy broth, a bite of crunchy pickled daikon or cucumber, a sliver of crisp-sweet Asian pear, or a slice of tender beef brisket.
High-end restaurants on a tightrope of economic uncertainty
Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Celebrity chefs behind Melisse, Anisette, Craft and other deluxe dining spots try to lure recession-wary diners. PEOPLE always have to eat, but do they have to dine out? That's the question Southern California's top chefs are facing after the last few weeks of grim economic news.
Mix and match to create a spice blend all your own
Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Whether it's a Cajun or charmoula combination, add a fresh dimension to a traditional blend of herbs and spices with your own flavor pairings. Bold Cajun blends, Chinese five-spice powder, Caribbean jerk, garam masala garam masala from India, Middle Eastern baharat , Thai green curry paste -- each of these blends of spices and herbs has its origins as a cornerstone of a regional cuisine. Traditionally developed over time and honed through generations, spice blends are calculated combinations of fresh or dry ingredients that create a symphony of flavors. Walk the spice aisle of any store and commercial variations abound.

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