5/25/20

Hi There!

Welcome back to your daily distraction, the Human’s Tribune. This issue is covering the Principality of Sealand, a country with a population of twenty-seven. We are going to have a daily meme, like always, and the Baudilaire’s recipe for Pasta Puttanesca. Enjoy!

The Principality of Sealand

By Antoinette Durand 

This is the Principality of Sealand.

Before I start telling the tale of this small country, I’ll give you a link to their country’s website. It’s truly a fascinating website.

This country started off as one of the man-made fortress islands from Britain. They were built for World War Two. Most of them were torn down in the fifties. These fortresses were not complying with International Law, so Fort Roughs Tower, or Sealand, is technically not a part of any country.

In the 1960’s, Major in the British army Roy Bates, started a ‘pirate’ radio station in an abandoned island. Bates entered a legal battle with the UK over who owned the island. They ruled that it was under UK jurisdiction.

Bates claimed Fort Roughs Tower on December 24, 1966. He gave his wife, Joan, the title of Princess.

You can buy a noble title of Sealand. To become a Lord/Lady or Baron/Baroness, you can pay $44.99.

To be a Sir/Dame, it’s $129.99.

To become a Sealandish Count or Countess, you can pay $291.99.

You can even become a Duke or Duchess for $656.53.

You can buy one square foot of Sealandish land for $29.99.

A Sealanish email address can be purchased, so can stamps from Sealand.

Sealand has its own flag and national anthem. It’s not recognised by the UN, but it’s often described as the world’s smallest country. Sealand has an area of 43,060 feet squared.

The Baudilaire’s Pasta Puttanesca

By Antoinette Durand


In the popular book and TV series, A Series of Unfortunate Events, comes this tasty pasta dish. This recipe was listed in the book An Incomplete History of Secret Organizations. I got my copy of the book on Amazon if you are interested in other insights on the series. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

1 LB. SPAGHETTI PASTA


2 TBSP OLIVE OIL


5 CLOVES MINCED GARLIC


2-3 ANCHOVIES FROM ANCHOVY CAN


28 OZ DICED TOMATOES, CANNED WITH CANNING JUICE


2 TBSP CAPERS


¾ CUPS PITTED GREEN OLIVES, CHOPPED ROUGHLY


¼ CUP CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY


NOTE: While parties suspicious of anchovies may be tempted to skip them, you do so at your own peril; they are the salty secret ingredient that gives the sauce its memorable taste.


Have the pasta in the boiling water, cooking before you start the sauce. Cook pasta for roughly nine minutes.


Mince garlic, chop parsley, and olives. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute anchovies and garlic in the skillet for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the diced tomatoes, capers, and chopped olives.


Turn down the heat and let the sauce simmer, a culinary term that means to cook at very low heat. This would be a good time to look up the word ‘puttanesca’ in an Italian dictionary. After the mixture has simmered for four minutes, add the parsley. Let the sauce cook for another minute while you drain the pasta. Mix the pasta and sauce together in a large serving bowl and finish with grated cheese.