Even Ireland, a country often held up as a beacon of European economic prosperity, appears to be heading for a huge farming crisis according to the powerful Irish Farmers Association.

Also last week, much was made in the press about a former politician with a surprising eating disorder.

Former Depute Prime Minister John Prescott, of the stocky build and of the pugnacious tendencies, might seem an unlikely candidate to be a man with an eating disorder but according to his memoirs, which will be published shortly, he fought a ten year battle with bulimia.

In his biography, John revealed that he would regularly make himself sick after bingeing on digestive biscuits, condensed milk, burgers, fish and chips and M&S trifle in an attempt to cope with stress.

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that traps sufferers in a cycle of binge eating—creating feelings of guilt and shame – and then 'purging' food by vomiting, using laxatives, diuretics or fasting. Bulimia specialists have praised John Prescott's public confession and said that it would help closet male bulimia sufferers to come forward for treatment.

With world food shortages becoming more and more of a problem, a country like Ireland – which produces nine times more milk and beef than its population can consume – is becoming increasingly more important in the fight to bridge the food shortage gap.

However, Irish farmers are now facing a potential crisis because of the tariff agenda of European Union's trade commissioner Peter Mendelssohn.

The commissioner is pushing hard for a deal to be done with the World Trade Organisation which will abolish all import tariffs and export subsidies. The theory behind the drive to reach a W.T.O. deal is that the removal of the tariffs and export refunds would greatly assist the world's poorest countries and reduce food poverty.

The Irish farmers' argument is that the vast majority of these countries already have free access to E.U. markets. The Irish Farmers Association claim that the Mendelssohn deal would result in the destruction of the Irish beef industry and 50,000 jobs in the food and associated sectors.

They also claim that a further 50,000 farmers would also be put out of business.

Last week around 10,000 Irish farmers converged on Dublin at a huge rally to try and block the Mendelssohn deal. One paper carried a headline which said: "Mendelssohn the butt of Irish fury as 10,000 take to the streets."

Whatever else the Irish will lose, they will not lose their sense of humour.

The recipe this week comes from Ireland and is called Roast Rack of Pork with Fennel and Stuffed Apples

Pork with Fennel and Stuffed Apples

Main Ingredients
1 rack of pork, 2kg, chinned and rind scored
Marinade
2 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted
Juice and rind of one lemon
Black pepper

Other ingredients
8/10 small red eating apples cored
16-20 prunes, stoned
Glass of dry white wine
Selection of root vegetables, chopped seasoned and tossed in a little olive oil

Method
A day ahead, mix the marinade ingredients and spread over the pork joint.
Leave in the fridge overnight

To cook.
Heat the oven to 200C.
Place pork on a roasting tray, season well and roast for 2 hours.
Reduce the oven temp to 180C when crackling is brown and crispy.
Stuff the apples with the prunes and add to meat tray with the wine.
Put the veg in the oven to roast.
Continue to cook for about 45 minutes till pork and apples are fully cooked.

To serve
Lift the pork and apples out of roasting tray and keep warm.
Boil up the juices with a knob of butter, check the seasoning.