Lewis Moody ‘picking up baton’ left by Doddie Weir with MND fundraising cycle ride

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The former England captain Lewis Moody has said he is “picking up the baton” left by Doddie Weir after announcing plans to lead a 500-mile, seven-day cycling challenge this summer to raise funds for the fight against motor neurone disease.Moody will be joined by many of his fellow 2003 World Cup winners, including Jonny Wilkinson, Mike Tindall and Ben Kay, as well as his teenage sons on a journey from Newcastle to the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, with all proceeds going to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.The former Leicester, Bath and British & Irish Lions forward became the latest retired player to be diagnosed with MND, which he revealed last October, with the disease having claimed the lives of Weir and the former rugby league international Rob Burrow in the past four years.The My Name’5 Doddie Foundation has raised more than £23.5m to fund MND research, and Moody has committed to continuing the former Scotland international’s legacy in fighting a disease that results in six new diagnoses each day in the UK alone.

“I’m really proud to be aligning my name with Doddie, who was a force of nature as a character,” Moody said.“I feel like in many ways I’m being brought off the bench to take that baton forward and to try and get this job done.That’s an easy thing to say, but a very difficult thing to achieve.Whether it’s in my lifetime or not, I intend to give my energy and time to a cause that will produce outcomes.“When I speak to specialists there’s a lot of hope and developments in fighting this disease.

I don’t know if that would have been the case when those guys were diagnosed.”The Lewis XV’s challenge will begin on Sunday 14 June at Newcastle, the most northerly Prem club, where Weir played for seven years and where Moody sealed the first of seven domestic titles with Leicester, before continuing to his old clubs Leicester, Bath and Bracknell and concluding at Twickenham, where he will deliver the match ball for the Prem final on Saturday 20 June.With more than a dozen former internationals signed up Moody is looking forward to enjoying some healthy competition between the riders, and Tindall has been identified as the man to beat.“‘Tins’ is surprisingly fit still,” Moody said.“He will 100% be up there.

I quite like the idea that there will be enough competition to get us through it.I’m sure there will be stints where people decide they need to put the hammer down and blow off some steam.“I’ve never seen Wilco [Wilkinson] on a bike, so he’s probably hired a group of people to get him ready! I dread to think how he’s going to turn up looking.Is there a bike strong enough to withstand the power that he can put through it?”Moody is in a positive frame of mind six months after his shock diagnosis, with the organising and training for the ride giving him renewed focus.“I’m good at the moment,” he said.

“The only noticeable change is in my hand,The other day I noticed a slight difference in my finger strength, opening a bottle top, holding a fork, cutting food,Those little things are a challenge mentally when they present themselves, but within a day you can move past it,“I don’t want to be in this position, of course, but it does sometimes feel like a strange privilege,I’ve been given the opportunity to have a really clear vision of what I want to do with my time now.

And that is to spend it with the people I love.And doing the things I love, and doing it with purpose.Being a part of this campaign gives me more purpose than anything.It brings a smile to my face.”For more information on the Lewis XV ride visit uk.

emma-live,com/LewisMoodyCycle, and www,myname5doddie,co,uk
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Georgina Hayden’s quick and easy recipe for smoky prawn, new potato and spinach stew | Quick and easy

This Spanish-style stew is a superb midweek dinner – it’s effortless but looks specialThis Spanish-inspired stew is a great weeknight dinner, particularly if you are having a few friends over, because it feels a bit special while actually being effortless and easy. If you want to take that effortlessness to the next level, make the potato base in advance, then finish off with the spinach and prawns just before serving (I like to do as little cooking as possible in front of guests, leaving me free to chat and pour drinks). Serve with a peppery, lemon-dressed salad on the side and hunks of crusty bread to mop up the juices.Prep 5 min Cook 35 min Serves 44 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 5 garlic cloves, peeled, 4 finely sliced, 1 left whole½ tsp sweet smoked paprika ¼ tsp mild chilli powder 1 tbsp tomato puree 250g ripe tomatoes, choppedSea salt and black pepper 300ml fish stock 600g new potatoes, halved (or quartered if very large)1 lemon 150g baby spinach 350g peeled king prawns, deveined, if you like6 tbsp mayonnaise ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely choppedPut a large, deep, ovenproof frying pan on a medium-low heat and drizzle in the olive oil. Add the sliced garlic, fry for a minute, then stir in the paprika, chilli powder and tomato puree

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How to make creme caramel – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

I don’t know why this classic French dessert isn’t more popular online, given how pleasant it is to watch a softly set custard jiggling seductively on screen, or to admire the way the light bounces off its glossy, caramel top. Worse still, it’s also increasingly hard to find on menus, too. Well, you know what they say: if you want something done well, do it yourself.Prep 15 min Cook 50 minCool 4 hr+ Makes 6For the custardSoft butter, or neutral oil (eg, sunflower, vegetable or groundnut), for greasing500ml whole milk (see step 2)1 vanilla pod, or 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 whole eggs 100g caster sugar 4 egg yolksFor the caramel60g caster sugar 40g soft dark brown sugar (see step 3)1 pinch saltLightly grease six dariole moulds, small pudding bowls or smooth-sided ramekins.Arrange these on a baking tray or shallow tin, preferably one just large enough to hold them all without too much room around the edge, and put it within easy reach of the hob

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Making a splash: demand for raw and ‘brewed’ milk growing in UK

Farmers and delivery firms launch new options for those seeking alternative to traditionally pasteurised productRaw milk has long been popular, as well as controversial, in the US. While health authorities warn it can carry harmful bacteria, supporters argue it is more natural, and it has also become tied to anti-government and “natural living” movements.In the UK, it is now gaining popularity, particularly among younger consumers, farmers say, as a less processed option, with new products launching to meet demand.Raw milk comes straight from the cow (or sheep or goat) and has not been pasteurised, the process of heating liquids to eliminate harmful pathogens and make them safe to drink.Because it does not undergo this heat treatment, the Food Standards Agency warns that raw milk can cause food poisoning, posing particular risks to pregnant women, young children and people with weakened immune systems

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Holy Carrot, London E1: ‘As good as plant-based dining gets’ – restaurant review | Grace Dent on restaurants

This place is about so much more than just a portobello mushroom in a white bap masquerading as dinnerHoly Carrot has, cough, taken root in Spitalfields, east London. It’s the second sprouting from this plant-based restaurant with a name that’s especially hard to sell to meat-loving friends. “Please come with me to a vegan restaurant,” one might say. “It’s not one of those pious places, honest! Oh, um, the name? Holy Carrot.” In fairness, though, it’s generally tricky to cajole meaty people to venture anywhere vegan or even vegetarian, because there’s always a sense that your steak addict acquaintance is enduring their meal “as an experiment”, and despite quite charitably being “willing to be convinced”

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Helen Goh’s recipe for Anzac sandwich biscuits with dark chocolate filling | The sweet spot

Anzac biscuits are closely associated with Anzac Day on 25 April, which commemorates the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who served in the first world war. Made with oats, coconut and golden syrup, the biscuits are said to have been popular because they travelled well and kept for long periods, making them suitable for sending to forces overseas. My version here, a slightly less austere take on the classic, sandwiches two small biscuits with a lightly salted, olive oil-enriched dark chocolate ganache. The result is crisp at the edges, soft within and not too sweet.Prep 5 min Cook 35 min, plus cooling Makes 12 sFor the biscuits 90g rolled oats 45g plain flour 40g light brown sugar 30g caster sugar 40g desiccated coconut 80g unsalted butter 40g golden syrup ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda ¼ tsp fine sea saltFor the ganache110g dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa solids), chopped60ml single cream 2 tsp olive oil ¼ tsp flaky sea saltPut the oats, flour, sugars and coconut in a medium bowl and whisk to combine

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Just the tonic: why it’s more than a mixer

If a tonic is something that “makes you feel stronger and happier”, my tonics come in the form of good wine, bad chocolate and an ageing whippet called Ernie. Recently, though, I’ve found myself craving the OG tonic – tonic water – which started life as a malaria treatment in the age of the British empire.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more