Caudillo de España por la gracia de Dios. Francisco Franco, by the Grace of God, the Leader of Spain, instilled his authoritarian dictatorship from 1936 until his death on November 20th, 1975. Generalissimo, or El Jefe, led his rebel Nationalists against the democratically elected Spanish Republic to victory in 1939. “Atrocities were committed by both [...]
A little bit of a nervous breakdown brought me back to teaching. I had left academia when my daughter was born, and for a good while I loved everything about the stay-home mom business. I was that woman who wanted to see the first step and hear the first word. I was the one [...]
An oldie but a family-and-friend favorite, thanks to Molly Ringwald who shared this recipe with my mother when my sisters and I were all young’uns. As a pre-teen, and once I operated confidently around the kitchen, I commandeered this dessert, making it for holidays and special events. An aside: In my mid-20s, I spent half [...]
They’ve got watering holes, tequila tasting, ice cream socials, test kitchens, food cook-offs, and carts for a cause. It’s the 4th Annual Summer Tasting Event at the Rose Bowl, otherwise known as the L.A. Street Food Fest. Shawna Dawson and Sonja Rasula not only share the same birthday, they both love street food. “Our goal [...]
Born in Kyoto in 1971 to a basket weaver and a dressmaker, Takashi Tomo-oka developed an eye for the diversity of the natural world at an early age while accompanying his father on field trips to gather bamboo for baskets. So begins the journey of a young artist who was intrigued by nihonga (neo-tradtional Japanese painting), but [...]
The Monarch butterfly population this year is expected to be down to its lowest level since 1976, a “catastrophic collapse.” In response, La Monarca Bakery is expanding its Cakes for Cause campaign to include all its locations beginning on April 22nd, which is Earth Day. Ten percent of the proceeds from cake sales will benefit [...]
The Pasadena Chamber of Commerce is going hi-tech and for this year’s Pasadena Restaurant Week they are offering an app for iPhone and Android users that identifies participating restaurants by location, cuisine, and price, as well as an alphabetical list. Users can also use the app to make reservations and find out about other yearly [...]
Over the years, we’ve marveled at their extensive Easter windows, gotten goosebumps from their Halloween display, ooh-ed and aah-ed strolling through their magical Christmas world, and wanted to snatch the birthday cupcake string of lights, the handmade birthday crowns, and the precious birthday plates and cups. Now, Fancy That! on Mission Street in San Marino [...]
By the abundance of art that Ulla Anobile creates, she must be working every nanosecond of the day. Whether it be devils in felt, masks from pieces of driftwood, her interpretation of The Magi (“Three Shamans Follow a Star”), or a paper mache family of owls—with two sleepy-looking home-schooled young’uns—perched on a branch, her work is engaging, [...]
Ingredients: 2 pounds cake flour 1 pound butter 2 eggs 6 ounces agave nectar 8 ounces white raisins 4 ounces coconut shavings Pinch of salt Directions: Beat butter in mixer until softened and slightly creamy (about one minute on high speed; about 4 minutes on low speed). On low speed, add the egg and agave [...]
