Blurry rats and coyotes with mange: the oddly thrilling subreddit dedicated to identifying wildlife

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I spent the first decade of my life in Vancouver Island, Canada, in an area rich with parks, lakes and forests.Deer would occasionally wander into our neighbourhood and nibble on the blossoms in our front yard.In that neck of the (literal) woods, mountains and deer also mean cougars.My sister and I would play at a local park, then walk home along a track parallel to a dense forest.My older sister, being three and a half years ahead of me in life and therefore lightyears ahead of me in wisdom, would helpfully declare that if we encountered a cougar it would attack me, not her, as I’m the smaller prey.

Older siblings are nothing if not educational, so frequent park outings meant frequent reminders of my potential death,The butterflies in my stomach would whirlpool then drop to a flutter each time we neared the top of the street away from the woods,Was it fear? Yes,Excitement? That too,Disappointment? Strangely, also yes.

We never once spotted a cougar.There’s a subreddit that fosters this particular combination of excitement and fear, r/animalid, where users share photos of unfamiliar wildlife for others to identify.The most popular posts are colourful lizards and rare birds: YAWN.SNOOZEFEST.For me, the top-tier posts have little engagement at all: I’m looking for poor-quality photos with a handful of comments.

I’m talking trailcam snapshots with captions like “this wolf has been stalking my family” accompanied by several comments of “that is a coyote with mange”.And, reader, it’s always a coyote with mange.We’ll see a blurry photo of a rat which the poster insists is not a rat, actually, despite its size, shape, colour and rat-like behaviour.Another post depicts a small generic turd with fervent requests for identification of the creature it escaped from.Or perhaps a doorbell camera catching a cougar walking past someone’s house at night.

A cougar?! Those ones make me bolt upright in bed, phone screen pressed against my eyeball.A real-life cougar?! Those lucky bastards.Except … it never is a cougar, merely a fat tabby.Or a coyote with mange.Few people in this sub are clout-chasers; they are simply hopeful and curious.

There is a distinct earnestness that comes with posting a photo of a blurry blob with helpfully added scribbles pointing at said blob.We squint and wonder if that blob is dangerous.Or even an animal.Extreme sports, illicit drug taking, dating emotionally unavailable and annoying artists: humans long for thrill, even if – or because – it’s dangerous.This subreddit allows us to microdose that adrenalin rush in everyday encounters, turning them into Rorschach tests.

Every print in the snow becomes a potential bear.We’re reminded that, in those rare places humans haven’t destroyed, we are not the apex predators – nature is.Maybe something greater and more powerful than us was here, mere moments ago.“That is very clearly a human footprint,” people might rush to comment.But still the original poster remains hopeful.

Everyday life can be very ordinary and this subreddit exemplifies our desire for some extraordinary spectacle,What if that pigeon actually was a hawk? What if, today, the rat in my bathroom wasn’t a rat, but something more exotic, or even sinister? I’m thrown back to childhood: what if just once – only one single time – a mountain lion actually did emerge from the forest and attack me? Not fatally, but enough for me to be The Girl Who Survived A Cougar Attack,God, what a rush,
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Georginia Hayden’s quick and easy recipe for roast sprout salad with anchovies and parmesan | Quick and easy

Brussels sprouts are for life, not just for Christmas. They’re still making a regular appearance in our house, from shredded and stir-fried with chilli and spice, to roasted and dressed, as in this salad. And what a salad it is: with a caesar-esque dressing, it is crisp, salty and crunchy, and hits all the right notes. You can bulk it out, if you like, by topping it with a few soft, jammy boiled eggs cut into wedges or some shredded leftover chicken. However, it is pretty perfect as it is, as a light lunch or side

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‘Dad never took his customers for granted’: remembering Abdul’s in Sydney’s ‘Little Lebanon’

When Abdul’s Lebanese Restaurant closed earlier this month, it was a shock. A beloved fixture of inner Sydney’s landscape since 1968, the restaurant fed celebrities, broke students and anyone in need of a hearty kebab at the end of a night out.For Hiba Damaa, whose parents Dib and Nizam Ghazal opened the restaurant and named it after her eldest brother Abdul – who eventually ran it with his two brothers – it represented the pioneering spirit of early Lebanese migration.“Abdul’s originated as a Lebanese sweets and pastry shop run by my brother-in-law,” she says. “When he wanted to move on, my parents started selling falafel sandwiches

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How to make a clootie dumpling – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

Clootie dumpling is, let’s face it, a much better name than spotted dick, but if you were fond of the latter at school, you’ll probably enjoy this very similar, classic Scottish steamed pudding. Not too sweet and, thanks to the apple and carrot, lighter than it sounds, this is a proper winter dessert and the perfect end to a Burns supper, especially when served with custard or ice-cream.Prep 20 min Cook 3 hr 15 minServes 8-10110g fresh suet, or dried suet or a vegetarian alternative225g plain flour, plus extra for dusting½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp fine salt 1 tsp mixed spice 1 tsp ground ginger ¼ tsp ground allspice ¼ tsp nutmeg 110g soft brown sugar 75g fine fresh breadcrumbs 25g coarse oatmeal, or 25g extra breadcrumbs 200g currants 100g sultanas or raisins – golden ones look especially pretty 1 large green apple 1 carrot Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange or lemon 1 egg, beaten2 tbsp treacle About 60ml milkHalf-fill a large saucepan for which you have a lid with water, then bring to a boil (if you have a pan with handles on the side, so much the better). Soak a clean tea towel (a smooth one, rather than anything fluffy or towel-like) or cheesecloth in water. And have ready some butcher’s string, or similar

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Tin Roof Cafe, Maldon, Essex: ‘Come for topsoil, stay for the shortbread’ – review

A tipoff to try the Tin Roof Cafe in Maldon came with prior warning: I wouldn’t get a table easily as this all-day spot serving brunch, lunches and sweet stuff from the in-house bakery is constant, scone-fuelled bedlam. Red brick walls, greenery throughout, alfresco spaces, allotments growing fresh veg and herbs. Capacious, family-run, dog-welcoming, pocket-friendly. There’s bubble and squeak with hand-cut ham, Korean-style chicken burgers and a vegan burger called, rather brilliantly, “Peter Egan” after, I’m guessing, the animal-loving actor who played Paul in Ever Decreasing Circles.Could this place be any more adorable? No, but still, brace yourself

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Ignore the snobbery and get into blended whisky

We have Robert Burns to thank for perhaps the greatest poem about any dish ever – a poem so good that it inspires an entire nation to dedicate an evening of each year to eating haggis, even though most people find it kind of gross.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.No? If the “Great Chieftan o’ the Puddin-race” were that delicious, we’d all be eating it all the time, surely? And yet Burns’ Address to a Haggis is enticing enough to dispel any such doubts just once a year

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Helen Goh’s recipe for Breton butter cake with marmalade | The sweet spot

A Breton butter cake is a proud product of Brittany’s butter-rich baking tradition: dense, golden and unapologetically indulgent. True to its origins, my version uses salted butter, with an added pinch of flaky salt to sharpen the flavour. It also takes a small detour from tradition: a slick of marmalade brings a fragrant bitterness, while a handful of ground almonds softens the overall richness and lends a tender crumb. The result is still buttery and luxurious, but with a brighter, more aromatic edge.Brief stints in the freezer help firm up the dough between layers, making it easier to spread the marmalade without disturbing the base