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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 JANUARY 2021 9 ALMANAC Nature Notebook 745. Wood Blewits FOR centuries scientists lumped mushrooms with the plants, but fungi are in fact a separate kingdom of living organisms. The ac- tual fungus is not the mushroom per se, but a threadlike mass that grows underground; the familiar smurf des-res structures are only the fruiting bodies. Experts calculate 450+ different kinds of mush- rooms that occur in Malta, several still awaiting identification. Many mushrooms look alike but some are easier to tell apart. One of these is the lovely wood blewits (M. faqqiegħ vjola) because its lilac hue is not a common colour in mushrooms. It grows in the shade under trees on various kinds of leaf litter and it's not very common. So next time you're walking under a bunch of trees down a valley these rainy days, look closer at those shady damp brown piles of fallen leaves, you might get lucky. Victor Falzon www.birdlifemalta.org Green idea of the week 63 Try our delicious Jerusalem Artichoke soup recipe What's in season? – Jerusalem Artichoke THIS vegetable, Helianthus tuberosus, is not truly an artichoke but a variety of sunflower with a lumpy, brown-skinned tuber that often resembles a ginger root. Contrary to what the name implies, this vegetable has nothing to do with Jerusalem but its name might have been derived from the Italian word for sunflower, girasole. The white flesh of this vegetable is nutty, sweet and crunchy and is a good source of iron. Jerusalem artichokes can be cooked in much the same way as potatoes or parsnips and are excellent roasted, sau- téed or dipped in batter and fried, or puréed to make a delicious soup. VISIT Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation – www.foe- malta.org/donate https://foemalta.org/fab/food/veggies/jerusalem-artichoke/ Appster Smartphone fun and smarter work Fonts. Free Apple, Andriod Fonts. has text styles, Emoji fonts for iMessage, Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook Messager, Instagram and more. TECH RETAILERS contact afarrugia@ mediatoday.com.mt A GOOD WEEK FOR Good Week/Bad Week Don't miss this A BAD WEEK FOR Dido and Aeneas 23-27 February, 8pm Teatru Manoel Dido and Aeneas is an opera written by the English Baroque composer Henry Purcell with a libretto by Nahum Tate. For more information visit https://www.teatrumanoel.com. mt/default.asp?m=shows&id=963 For art connoisseurs. A Tintin cover art has sold for a record- breaking €3.2 million. Hergé's original artwork for Le Lotus Bleu was rejected as too expensive to reproduce in 1936 and given to editor's son, who kept it in a drawer for decades. For fans of blockbusters. Summer 2021 movie release dates may be delayed even further than they already have been. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a plethora of films scheduled to premiere in 2020 were pushed back from their original dates. A rejected Tintin cover illustrated by Hergé that was gifted to a child and kept in a drawer for decades Black Widow, No Time to Die, and Fast and Furious 9 are among that group Give nature a voice. Become a BirdLife member