OWINGS MILLS, Md. Jonathan Ogden will announce his retirement Thursday, ending a stellar career with the Baltimore Ravens in which the left offensive tackle garnered 11 Pro Bowl invitations and a Super Bowl ring.

Ogden, who turns 34 next month, told friends he won’t return for a 13th season. The 6-foot-9, 345-pounder has been bothered by an hyperextended toe since December 2006.

Ogden arrived at the team’s training complex Wednesday to confirm his decision and solidify plans for a news conference Thursday morning.

“I’m all right. I’m good with it,” Ogden said of his retirement before meeting with team officials.

Ogden played in a career-low 11 games last year and did not participate in the Pro Bowl because of the bothersome big toe on his left foot. He did not participate in the team’s offseason workouts, including a mandatory minicamp last month.

“That toe injury, I had it once. I know it’s got to be emotionally draining on him,” quarterback Kyle Boller said Wednesday. “That big toe, as big as he is, you’ve got to have that thing. I’m sure he got very frustrated with the whole situation. He probably sat down and decided that he wasn’t going to be able to do it anymore.”

Ogden was the first player drafted by the Ravens after the team left Cleveland in 1996. Plucked out of UCLA as the fourth overall pick, Ogden played left guard in his first season before finding a home at left tackle, the most important position on the offensive line.

He was named to the Pro Bowl in every season after his rookie year. He provided protection from the blindside for a variety of Baltimore quarterbacks, beginning with Vinny Testaverde and including Trent Dilfer, who helped the Ravens defeat the New York Giants in the 2001 Super Bowl.

“It was a blessing. To know I wasn’t going to get touched on the left side was huge,” Boller said. “I’m going to miss him.”

Ogden had an influence on virtually everyone who played for the Ravens over the past 12 years.

“In the huddle and at the line of scrimmage, there’s nobody else I would rather have standing next to me than J.O.,” said tight end Todd Heap, now in his eighth season with Baltimore. “The guy was the smartest guy I’ve ever been around.”

Ogden didn’t scream and yell, but his will to win was never in doubt. If things didn’t go right for the Baltimore offense, he often would rip off his helmet on the sideline and make his displeasure known.

"Only the pure of heart can make a good soup." (Beethoven)  

I was first introduced to Chinese soup as a child. During regular visits to the town’s only Chinese restaurant, I would feast on won ton soup and egg rolls, ignoring the other dishes. At the time I had no idea that the strange looking, meat filled dumplings were meant to represent clouds (the word won ton translates roughly into "swallowing a cloud"). All I knew was that I couldn’t get enough of them! 

Given the ingenuity of Chinese cooks, it should come as no surprise that there is an amazing variety of Chinese soup. However, there are two major categories. Thin soups are made with a clear broth, and cooked quickly, with the meat and/or vegetables added near the final stages of cooking, depending on their individual cooking times. Just as in the case of dashi, the Japanese clear broth, it is important never to overcook the broth for Chinese thin soups. On the other hand, you don’t want to overcook the vegetables: the idea is to cook them just enough so that they will still preserve their distinctive flavor. 

By contrast, the ingredients for thick soups are all added together at once. The soup is cooked more slowly, giving the ingredients time to blend together. Cornstarch or tapioca starch is often added near the end of the cooking process as a thickener.  

Hot and Sour Soup is an example of a thick soup. A number of ingredients such as shredded pork and dried Chinese mushrooms (in northern China it is traditionally made with fresh chicken’s blood) are simmered together to form a thick broth, perfect for those cold Mongolian winter nights. Another example is Shark’s Fin Soup. Recipes for the famous banquet dish call for it to be made with a thick or "gourmet" stock (see below). Meanwhile, in Ken Hom’s Chinese Cookery, the author points out that Chicken and Spinach soup is an excellent example of a thin soup. The vegetable (in this case, spinach) is blanched first, reducing the amount of time it will need to be cooked in the soup. Similarly, the chicken is also blanched ahead of time.

  It’s all in the stock…

As with French cuisine, the secret of a good Chinese soup lies in the stock. What is stock? Basically, it’s a liquid broth in which meat, bones, and sometimes vegetables have been simmered over a long period of time, imparting their flavor to the heated broth. Chicken is the meat of choice for preparing Chinese stock, although pork is also used, particularly in addition to chicken. (Beef is thought to add too strong a flavor). The Chinese place such importance on their stock that they have two categories. A primary or first class chicken stock is made by simmering a whole chicken, while a second class stock uses only the bones. There is also gourmet stock, a truly superior broth made with chicken, pork ribs and other pork bones, ham, and sometimes duck. It is used to create banquet dishes such as Shark’s Fin soup. 

Besides not using beef, Chinese stock also differs from French stock (known as fonds de cuisine) in the lack of spices. While a recipe for French chicken stock might call for a pinch of tyme or a few garlic cloves, the Chinese believe spicing masks the flavor of the chicken or pork. Seasonings are added later, depending on what the individual recipe calls for.
 
Thick or thin…Which Soup Should I serve?

There’s no hard and fast rules, but the following guidelines can help you decide whether a thin or thick soup is called for: Serve a thin soup as a beverage replacement  Contrary to popular belief, the Chinese don’t normally drink tea during a meal. Tea is enjoyed afterward in a relaxing atmosphere. Besides encouraging conversation, it helps promote digestion. Water or soft drinks aren’t served, as the Chinese believe it is unhealthy to serve cold drinks with a meal. A thin soup makes an appetizing substitute.  Serve a thick soup for lunch or dinner Thick soups make a great one-dish meal, particularly for lunch. Many are quite filling, nearly crossing the line from soup to stew. Thick soups may be served at dinner; as noted above, Shark’s Fin Soup is a popular banquet dish, and Hot and Sour Soup goes well with Mu Shu Pork. However, normally you wouldn’t serve a thick soup at a meal that has several other dishes. During a banquet, serve a thin soup between courses.  Similar to a sorbet, thin soups can cleanse the palate and prepare it for the next course.

   Soup as Medicine

  Part I: Soup’s On! - (the history of soup and its role in Chinese culture)
 
Research Sources
Offline A Cook’s Alphabet of Quotations, ed. by Maria Robbins Polushkin, The Ecco Press, 1991
Ken Hom’s Chinese Cookery, by Ken Hom, Ken Hom, 1984
  Cuisines of Asia: Nine Great Oriental Cuisines by Technique, Jennifer Brennan, St. Martin’s Press, 1989  

Whether you are a die-hard Bourne fan or not, The Bourne Conspiracy is a solid action game that is definitely worth checking out. It features great graphics and sound, fun (but simple) gameplay, and really gives you the feeling that you truly are in control of a powerful and dangerous weapon in Jason Bourne. It is very short, however, and doesn’t offer any multiplayer to pad the experience, which make The Bourne Conspiracy more of a rental than a purchase. Find all of the details right here.Quick Hits

Title: Robert Ludlum’s: The Bourne Conspiracy Platform: Xbox 360 Publisher: Sierra Developer: High Moon Studios ESRB Rating: “T” for Teen Genre: Third-Person-Action Pros: Nice graphics and sound; fun hand-to-hand combat; good achievement list Cons: Very short; gameplay is fun, but simple and repetitive; extreme overuse of timed button press events; no multiplayer

In The Bourne Conspiracy, you play as the 30 million dollar weapon Jason Bourne as he tries to uncover his past and remember who he really is. Through a combination of missions based in the present as well as flashback missions, you cover a lot of ground, kill a lot of bad guys, and unravel a pretty interesting story. Actor Matt Damon does not play Jason Bourne in the videogame, but the character looks fine in his new skin, and the voice acting is pretty solid for all of the characters, so you won’t miss Damon at all.

One thing that should be noted is that you don’t have to be a Bourne fan to enjoy this game. This was actually my first foray into the world of Jason Bourne, but the story in the game is easy to follow and the overall experience is very accessible. And I have to say that now I am interested in the Bourne universe and I’m going to watch the movies. It shouldn’t seem so surprising that a licensed game is actually effective at selling the product it was licensed from, but after all of the bad movie games lately I had honestly forgotten what their purpose was.GameplaySierra The gameplay in the Bourne Conspiracy does a very good job of really making you feel like a highly trained, powerful, 30 million dollar weapon. It is a third-person-action game that mixes hand-to-hand combat and shooting fairly equally and even throws in a driving level for good measure.

The core of the Bourne experience is the adrenaline meter. When filled, it allows you to do special takedowns that dispatch enemies quickly. In hand-to-hand fighting, these takedowns usually make use of the environment so you smash your enemy into a wall or through a window or into a copy machine or a hundred other things. When shooting, takedowns perform a one shot, one kill on an enemy, which is very handy for getting out of tight situations. The only problem with the takedowns is that you press the “B” button to start them, and then just have to watch Jason do all of the work. They are definitely cool to watch, though.

That is kind of the problem with the gameplay overall here. It is very, very simple, and you spend a lot of time just watching. The shooting is fairly standard TPS faire. The fighting is only light and heavy attacks and block. And even the driving level is simple and easy. It is all still fun, but it is very repetitive and simple and way too easy.

The final aspect of the gameplay, and my biggest issue, is the game’s extreme overuse of Quick Time Events where a button pops up on screen and you have to press it ASAP. The QTEs in Bourne Conspiracy make up most of the cool stuff you can actually do in the game, and pop up constantly to block enemy attacks, perform complicated stunts in the car, shoot enemies with a sniper rifle, and much more. They definitely produce some cool action scenes, but you spend too much time watching and not really playing other than pressing one button at a time. And the QTEs give you a window of seemingly forever to press the right button, so it is actually pretty hard to fail.

Graphics and Sound

Graphically, The Bourne Conspiracy is a nice looking game with particularly good looking character models. The explosions and fire and special effects look very nice, and the environments are detailed and realistic looking.

The sound is also very well done. The music and sound effects are near perfect, and the voice acting for all of the characters is very solid.Bottom LineSierra Overall, The Bourne Conspiracy is a somewhat conflicting game. It is fun and there are definitely some great action sequences and I’d say that I certainly liked it overall, but the gameplay is very simple and repetitive and the overuse of Quick Time Events rather than letting you play through the action sequences is kind of frustrating. The game is also very short, clocking in at only 6-7 hours. There is also no multiplayer component to speak of. So aside from getting a few extra achievements (which are actually pretty good, by the way), there isn’t much replay value here. In the end, The Bourne Conspiracy is a fun action game with plenty of cool moments and delivers an experience that is very movie-like in both content and pacing, but it is also a bit too simple and too short and rather lacking in terms of long term value. I definitely recommend you give The Bourne Conspiracy a try, but it makes a better rental than a purchase.

, by Kate Di Camillo, is a children’s Christmas picture book that captures the joy and meaning of the Christmas story. The luminous illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline wonderfully set the time and place of the story: the week before Christmas in a big city in the late 1940s. A little girl, Frances, is distracted from preparing for the Christmas pageant as she wonders and worries about the organ grinder and his monkey who have started performing on the street corner below her apartment house. She worries about where the organ grinder and his monkey sleep at night but is rebuffed by her mother when she tries to talk about them.

On the snowy evening of the Christmas pageant, despite being hurried by her mother, Frances stops to put a nickel in the monkey’s cup and invites the organ grinder to come to the Christmas play at her church. When it comes time to say her line, Frances hesitates, still thinking of the organ grinder and his sad eyes. What happens next changes everything, and Frances is able to shout, with great joy and conviction, "Behold! I bring you tidings of Great Joy!"

The tender story of a compassionate child who wants to share the joy of Christmas, coupled with lovely and expressive artwork makes this book my favorite Christmas picture book of the year. I recommend it as a family read-aloud for all ages. It would also make an excellent gift. Compare prices. (Candlewick Press, 2007. ISBN: 9780763629205)

Arancini, Fritters and SnacksIf you wander the streets of just about any Italian town, you are certain to come across a friggitoria, or frying stand, dispensing snacks to passersby. Some of the specialties will be quite local, but others are by now standard, including:.

Arancini di Riso
Few dishes can better reveal Sicily’s past than these tasty rice fritters, which are excellent as snacks, antipasti, or a simple meal.

Bread Pizza with Black Olives: Pizza di Pane alle Olive Nere
A quick, tasty snack made by topping an open-faced focaccia; it’s perfect in the evening with a beer too.
Difficulty: Easy

Cazzilli
Sicilian potato fritters that closely resemble fritters both Moroccan and Genoese. From my review of Anissa Helou’s Mediterranean Street Food

Focaccia col Formaggio
Cheese-filled focaccia is a stunning treat, and a perfect antipasto too.

Olive all’Ascolana
Olives, stuffed with a zesty combination of meat and cheese, and fried. Delicious!

Stuffed Fried Friarelli: Friarelli Ripieni e Fritti
Friarelli are medium sized, slender, thin-walled, mild, pale green peppers that work very well when stuffed with a breadcrumb filling and fried
Difficulty: Easy

Supplì al Telefono
Roman rice balls with a shredded meat and mozzarella-based filling.

More Arancini, Fritters, And Snacks
Classic Italian Dishes

Schalke signed Peruvian forward Jefferson Farfan from PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday on a four-year deal in a bid to strengthen a struggling attack.

The 23-year-old Farfan, who has to pass a physical before a contract is signed, was influential in PSV’s run to the Champions League semifinals in 2005 and scored 52 goals for the club in the last two seasons.

"We expect the physical to go off without a hitch," Schalke manager Andreas Mueller said. "He is a strong player that can certainly help us take a step forward."

Farfan will be the first major player signed under new coach Fred Rutten, who last season guided PSV’s Dutch rivals FC Twente.

Local media reports put the transfer fee at around $15.5 million.

Schalke reached the Champions League quarterfinals this year and finished third in the Bundesliga despite problems scoring goals, managing 55 league goals, compared to the 68 produced by champions Bayern Munich and 75 by second-placed Werder Bremen.

"If this works, we have signed an attacker that can be used in a variety of ways," Mueller said.

"He’s proven his ability, not just in the Dutch league, but in the Champions League."

Farfan was among four players suspended from Peru’s national team in December for holding a hotel party before losing to Ecuador in a World Cup qualifier.

CAIRO, Egypt Egypt’s Coptic Church says its pope has been flown to Cleveland for treatment after breaking his thigh in an accident.

Pope Shenouda III, 84, fell in his bedroom on Monday evening.

The official Middle East News Agency says Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak ordered his government to provide a special ambulance plane for the patriarch.

In 2006 the pope had spinal surgery at the Cleveland Clinic and he also is known to have back problems.

He made several trips to the U.S. last year for back surgery.

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One of my least favorite movies of the year so far leads this month’s DVD releases: came out June 10, in both full-screen and wide screen.

The DVD includes a commentary track by director Doug Liman, as well as featurettes describing the transition from book to screen (which involved, as you’ll recall, throwing the book away) and the making of the film and its quite good special effects. More details on the DVD here.

Later this month, on June 24, two more movies from the beginning of 2008 come out: the excellent , which comes in a plain vanilla and a two-disk “field guide” version, and the effect-driven prehistoric adventure .