Cherie (pronounced shuh-ree) Twohy has earned a cult-like following for her two cookbooks, the I Love Trader Joe’s Cookbook and the new I Love Trader Joe’s Party Cookbook, both available at Vroman’s and pretty much everywhere. A trained chef, she teaches classes and does corporate bonding events at Chez Cherie, a cooking demonstration space on Foothill […]
Georgie Kajer has had her own firm since 1989, specializing in residential architecture. In that time, Kajer Architects has handled the minor (re-designing friends’ laundry rooms in the early years), the major (Pasadena Showcase House architect of record, 2003) and everything in between. Georgie graduated from Cal Poly Pomona and went solo after commercial architecture […]
Some people focus for years and learn to do one thing very, very well. Such a person is Krystina Castella, a RISD graduate and industrial designer who parlayed her talent and training into a successful product design and manufacturing business and a professorship at Art Center. Others have so many interests that they jump from […]
Ben Abbott is a compact guy with an English accent, a guileless face and a haircut that straddles the border of ironically hip and mercilessly efficient. An electrical engineer at Caltech by day, he’s a metal worker by night and on weekends, turning out steel-bladed chef’s knives and an astonishing variety of period-perfect replica cauldrons, […]
One doesn’t always associate Pasadena with bicoastal living—Beverly Hills or Malibu are more associated with a New York and a glamorous show-business dual residence. But Ryan Scott Oliver is not glamorous—people who grow up in East Pasadena and Sierra Madre rarely are, and thank goodness for that. He is, however, in show business, specifically as […]
First of all, yes, that’s his real name. Brigham Yen was born in Provo, Utah, when his father was pursuing his Ph.D. at BYU, and he thought he’d give the name of the university to his son, because it would be unique. And it is. (“Contrary to popular belief,” says Brigham, “there are not that […]
Laurie Ochoa, editor of the much-talked-about new L.A. literary quarterly Slake, grew up in Whittier, close enough to Pasadena to decorate floats with high school friends and camp on Colorado Boulevard to see the parade. She was drawn to words as a student, and set out on the path to being an editor right out of school—first […]
Even if you’re only the most casual reader of the Los Angeles Times, you’re sure to have read lots of pieces by Mary McNamara, a 20-year veteran of the paper who’s been an entertainment reporter, features writer, columnist (family travel and driving being just two of her specialties) and, now, the paper’s TV critic. The […]
When I was growing up in L.A., Glendale was considered anything but creative, and it certainly wasn’t the least bit silly. Today, however, it’s home to many talented and creative people — people like painter/writer/producer/songwriter/cartoonist Peter Hannan. A clue to his genre came early in his career, with the title of one of his books: […]
Writer Tracy McMillan, in high heels and a teased-out afro, is somehow both regal and gangly, with an open face, porcelain latte skin and huge eyes. Her friendly, goofy smile disarms you; her razor wit and keen intelligence keep you massively entertained-slash-enlightened — much like her amusing, amazing memoir, I Love You and I’m Leaving […]
