KCET SOCAL Feed

12th California State Park Spared from Closure List

2012-04-11T07:39:40Z

A visitor reads a display at Jack London State Historic Park. | Photo: bittermelon/Flickr/Creative Commons License

Jack London State Historic Park has been saved from closure, officials announced Tuesday. The park in Sonoma County joins 11 other state properties that have been temporarily spared from a list of 70 set to close this summer due to budget cuts.

]]> The Valley of the Moon Natural History Association has entered into an agreement with the state to operate the park by keeping the gates open at least 36 hours per week for five years (with the option of a one-year extension) starting May 1. The group, which is the first to takeover a park under a recent law that allows state parks to enter into agreements directly with non-profits, will be responsible for daily maintenance, visitor services, volunteer staffing, protection of natural and historic resources, and interpretation.

"We are pleased the Association has stepped forward and we are confident they will do all possible to care for this remarkable historic home during their tenure," said State Parks Director Ruth Coleman in a news release.

Agreements with other groups around the state could lead to over 20 more state parks seeing reprieve.

Once part of Beauty Ranch, Jack London State Historic Park is a memorial to the writer and adventurer "who made his home at the site from 1905 until his death in 1916," according to the park's webpage. "The park contains the cottage residence where he wrote books, short stories, articles and letters while he oversaw various agricultural enterprises. After London's death, his wife, Charmian, continued to live in the cottage until her death in 1955. It was her wish that the ranch be preserved in memory of Jack London and his work."

The historic park includes a museum, London's grave, ruins of the Wolf House, and, among other amenities, more than 10 miles of fire road and trails for hiking.

Say hello: "Like" SoCal Wanderer on Facebook and follow @SoCal_Wanderer on Twitter to talk about the latest in outdoors with other enthusiasts.

Spring Recipes: Paella Primavera

2012-04-10T22:58:21Z

Though most residents of the U.S. aren't habitually cooking over a campfire, there are many dishes we think of as stovetop dinners that were actually cooked for the first time out in the mountain air. One of those is paella, the Spanish rice dish usually mixed with meat and seafood, but here, in celebration of spring, made with vegetables.

KCET grillmaster Steven Raichlen makes his paella with a paella pan on a wood-fired grill -- two of each, actually -- but we won't tell anyone if you make yours with a gas grill or even a skillet in the kitchen. The vegetables can be improvised as well, if those in the recipe aren't quite in season for you yet. Anything you'd enjoy roasted would be great in this paella. Have fun with it!

Paella Primavera
Serves 6-8

For the rice:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, stemmed, and cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 yellow bell pepper, seeded, stemmed, and cut into 1/4-inch strips
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch dice
3 cups bomba (Valencian-style rice; use Arborio rice if Valencian is unavailable)
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 to 6 cups hot vegetable stock
1 teaspoon saffron threads (8 to 10 threads), soaked in 1 tablespoon hot water for 15 minutes

For the vegetables:
1 medium zucchini, trimmed and sliced on the bias into 1/4-inch slices
1 medium yellow squash, trimmed and sliced on the bias into 1/4-inch slices
1 Japanese eggplant, trimmed and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 sweet onion, cut into rounds and skewered
15 to 20 cherry tomatoes, on skewers
8 to 10 mini bell peppers, on skewers
6 to 8 cloves garlic, on skewers or toothpicks
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon each dried rosemary, dried oregano, and dried thyme

For serving:
1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained
3 piquillo peppers (optional), chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus additional for garnish
Lemon wedges

This recipe can be made on a gas grill, but it is best on a charcoal grill fueled with wood chunks. If you have two grills at your disposal, use one for the rice and one for the vegetables.

Put the paella pan on the grate of the kettle grill. Add olive oil to the pan and preheat. Add the chopped onion and red and yellow bell peppers to the pan, stirring with a clean grill hoe or long-handled spatula, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic and chopped tomatoes, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the rice, and stir to coat with the oil. Then add the saffron and wine and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add 5 cups of the hot vegetable stock. Simmer the rice for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender, adding more stock if needed to keep the rice from drying out or scorching on the bottom of the pan.

Meanwhile, brush the vegetables with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and the herb mixture. Place on the second kettle grill over fire, and grill until vegetables are tender. (The onions will take the longest time, the cherry tomatoes the shortest time.)

To assemble, remove the skewers from the grilled vegetables and add to the rice. Stir in the chickpeas and piquillo peppers. Serve the paella directly from the pan, if desired (be sure to set it on a heatproof surface), or transfer it to a large plate or platter. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

Note: Authentic paellas are made using bomba rice from Valencia, Spain. It is a unique strain of short-grain rice available at some specialty food shops or from Tienda.

Click here for "Primal Grill with Steven Raichlen" showtimes!

[Homepage photo courtesy Flickr user Pabo76]

Find us on Tumblr here.
Follow us on Twitter here.
Follow us on Facebook here

What To Do If You Meet a Rattlesnake

2012-04-10T20:15:00Z

Sign at Cottonwood Campground, Joshua Tree National Park | Photo: Florian Boyd/Flickr/Creative Commons License

It's getting warmer out in the world, and that's the kind of weather reptiles like. The vast majority of them are pleasant company on the trail or in the campground, but one kind of reptile you'll see out there may raise your hackles rather than your admiration: any of California's several species of rattlesnakes.

As I mention in some detail here, most encounters between people and rattlesnakes end with no ill effects for either party. In fact, most such encounters happen with the person not knowing the snake is there. They're reclusive, shy creatures most of the time.

]]> For instance, most hikers, runners, and dog-walkers in crowded Runyon Canyon would likely be surprised -- despite obvious warning signs -- to find that that glamorous wild park is pretty much rattlesnake heaven. Hike from the bottom of the canyon up to Mulholland Drive and you will likely come within a hundred yards of half a dozen rattlers.

Given any option at all, a rattlesnake would much rather leave you alone. To make that option available to them, keep your distance. You need not run away or fall down a cliff to do so: most rattlesnakes only insist on a few feet of personal space, and if you give them an escape route they'll generally take it.

Experts agree that the majority of rattlesnake snakebites happen to people who are, in one commonly cut-and-pasted phrase found on a whole lot of snake-related websites, "intentionally interacting with the snake." Don't do that and you cut your risk of snakebite to near zero.

Though the vast majority of unpleasant interactions with rattlesnakes are avoidable, sometimes accidents do happen. Or perhaps you suddenly find yourself trying to help someone who wasn't as careful as they should be. There are a few actions you can take that might save the victim's life, and even more than will make things worse. Here's a list.

DON'Ts:

DON'T attempt to capture or kill the snake. The snake is already highly agitated and you're risking another bite.
DON'T apply a tourniquet or icepack to the bite area. For most snakebites the major threat is tissue damage, and applying ice or tying a tourniquet will likely make the damage worse.
DON'T "cut and suck." The old-style snakebite kits are worthless at removing venom, and they can increase the risk of infection or tissue damage.
DON'T act recklessly in an attempt to reach medical assistance. Stick to the trail, get to your car, drive carefully to the hospital. Or better yet, get to the road and call for an ambulance.

DOs:

DO wash the bite area gently with soap and water, if you have them available.
DO identify the type of snake, if you can. If you have a camera with you, snap a photo from a safe distance.
DO remove watches, bracelets, rings, and any other worn objects that could constrict a swelling extremity. In fact, given that your fingers likely swell after a few minutes of hard hiking, it's probably a good idea to leave your rings at home when you're hiking in snake country.
DO remain calm. The faster the victim's heart rate is, the more quickly the venom will spread. The vast majority of rattlesnake bite victims survive. The calmer they remain, the better their chances.
DO get to help as soon as possible. The single best first aid tool for snakebite is a set of car keys.

A tip for dog-owners: given how many dogs react to the presence of any snake, your furry pal faces a much higher risk of snakebite than you do. Ask your vet about vaccinations against rattlesnake venom, which seem to reduce the risk of most snakebites considerably. Many trainers offer rattlesnake aversion training, which is likely to be an even better bet for most pooches.

Say hello: "Like" SoCal Wanderer on Facebook and follow @SoCal_Wanderer on Twitter to talk about the latest in outdoors with other enthusiasts.

Guide: Downtown Art Walk, April 12, 2012

2012-04-10T20:05:40Z

Downtown Los Angeles is packed with art in April, so this introduction is brief. Here's the monthly preview on how to make Downtown Art Walk a full day in the city on Thursday, April 12, plus an overall checklist for a very art-centric month in downtown. As regular readers know; Art Walk is a free self-guided tour of galleries, and museum admission may still apply. Check Downtown Art Walk's website for late information, or visit in person to see the "Play Me, I'm Yours Piano" by Andre Miripolsky, and works by Alwin Jackson.

• • •

"We're really embracing the spirit of Art Walk and creating a whole outdoor installation," says Kathy M.Y. Pyon, the Los Angeles Times Photo Editor who is doubling as curator for the Art Walk-specific exhibition showcasing L.A. Times staff photography. "We'll also be producing an original projection with Aphidoidea that's a mash-up of our work, street art and pure fun."

]]> It was a different experience for LA Times photographers joining last year's inaugural event. It was a rare chance to hear immediate feedback on their captured images. "Last year was really experimental and we didn't know what to expect," Pyon told me. "The vibe we got is that people are excited to come out and celebrate the photography and journalism we produce and see it in a different context than our daily news coverage."

"The street experience is something I really love," adds Pyon. "It relates to what we do daily, out on the street, documenting the stories of this city and around the world."

The one-night-only pop-up gallery will be at 2nd and Spring, next to Los Angeles Times building, during Downtown Art Walk from 6 to 10 p.m. It includes Deejay sets by Darren Revell of "Big Sonic Heaven," and a cash bar and food trucks will be on site. Admission is free but limited to 21 years and above.

Los Angeles Times Framework Pop-Up Gallery I Corner of E. 2nd and Spring Street

• • •

By Chance: The GRAMMY Museum is the lead vocalist for the Woody Guthrie Centennial Celebration being held from April 9 through 14. On the day of Art Walk, by chance, 4th and Main will be dedicated as "Woody Guthrie Square." It was first announced the folk singer would be honored at 5th and Main, but has since moved a block north (Well, what else would one expect for the Depression-era singer who randomly roamed for content and penned songs like "Ramblin' Blues" and "Going Down The Road"?)
The GRAMMY Museum I 800 West Olympic Blvd

By Chance II: Noon is the starting time for "Play Me. I'm Yours," the three week piano-in-public space installation hosted by The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra to note the 15th year of music director, Jeffrey Kahane. Downtown locations will be on Grand Avenue's California Plaza, Wells Fargo Center (Wells Fargo is a major sponsor), and the Music Center. Also, Union Station, City Hall, Chinatown's Central Plaza, Olvera Street, and Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts are assigned keys to tickle. You can read more about this piano goes street art project here.

• • •

"Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom"is Mei Xian Qiu's title for photographic series that portrays a Chinese takeover of the U.S. The series "engages the constitution of the future, specifically with respect to globalism, the identity of the self and self view, the social landscape, post-colonialism, and that of the larger national body politic." Qui was First Place Winner of the 2012 LACDA Juried Competition. Artist reception held during Art Walk from 7 to 9 p.m.
Los Angeles Center for Digital Art I 102 W. Fifth Street

• • •

"Recaptured End" brings together Ching Ching Cheng and Simone Shin in a joint exhibition of installations, sculpture, and print-based media. "Both artists address the fleeting nature of memory and the decisive experiences from which it springs," according to Downtown Art Center Gallery. Cheng and Shin investigate the connection between what shapes our present day reality vs. the veracity of our cultural and individual history. Opening Reception during Art Walk from 7 to 9 p.m. Runs through May 4. The Downtown Art Center Gallery I 828 S. Main Street

• • •

Sinerlandia, a debut solo show by Siner, and Painted Beauty solo debut by Michael Pizarro featured during Art Walk, and runs through April 29. As noted last week, Crewest celebrates its 10th Anniversary in May. Crewest Gallery I 110 Winston Street

• • •

"we can plant a house, we can build a tree" is the first solo show in Los Angeles in 20 years for now New York based painter Rory Devine. "The title, taken from a Nirvana song, suggests a kind of hopeless optimism, a future where the strange and inconceivable are possible." Restack, in progress is the first solo exhibition of Timothy Nolan, who explores illusions of 3-D space through pattern, line and shape in 2-D wall work and floor installations. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. or by appointment. Extended hours during Art Walk are pending.
CB1 Gallery I 207 W. 5th Street

• • •

"Spring" is a group exhibit featuring painting and sculpture by Robert Toll, Robert Graham trained Gonzalo Algarate, Paradee Chularee, and painters Michael Ruffini and Hans Ladislaus. Opening Reception during Art Walk, from 3 to 10 p.m. Runs through April 30. Regular gallery hours are Monday through Friday from Noon to 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from Noon to 5 p.m. and by appointment.
Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts I 215 W. 6th St. #115 (Entrance on Spring)

• • •

Sogetsu Inspired Photography: For 15 years, photographer Zoltan Tokes studied Sogetsu, the disciplined art tradition that takes flower and plant within a container allowing life to be displayed anytime, anywhere. He documents the outcome with photography. There is a richness to this right brain and left brain interpretation of a Japanese tradition that preserves life. No surprise. The artist is also a professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. He teaches neurobiology. Through April 28. (Artists reception will be April 14 from 5pm to 8:30pm. Gallery Mujo I 548 S. Spring Street Suite #113 (Entrance on 6th)

• • •

Quick Takes: "Represent: A Group Exhibition" opens April 12 at Think Tank Gallery (939 Maple Avenue Suite 200): The Hive Gallery 7th Year Anniversary themed show features Mimi Yoon, Allison Torneros, and J.Salvador. Runs through April 28 at The Hive (729 S. Spring Street); "Michael Duffy" installation at Robert Reynolds Gallery (408 S. Spring Street); "Inside Hollywood" continues at Phil Stern Gallery (601 S. Los Angeles Street). "Ansel Adams Los Angeles" is extended through April 21 at drkrm Gallery (727 Spring St ) ; "Wall of Money" is made of selections from Rick Robinson recent group show Garboushian Gallery. "It's a bit of a recent retrospective," said Robinson of the show with sculptures of totem poles with his invented language. Also included is the story about "Invictus," a mural installed in New York to mark NYC the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 (9th and Broadway)

• • •

WEEDS: A solo exhibition of new works by Los Angeles based painter Yunsun Lee that examine "the struggle for survival within the framework of the multicultural American experience," according to PYO Gallery. Says the artist through his statement: "Weeds gain very different identities depending on how we look at them. They can be hated and removed; they can be appreciated or neglected and left alone. The character of weeds resembles every aspect of conflict and survival in human society." Regular hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Artist reception for WEEDS is Saturday May 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. Runs through May 19
PYO Gallery LA I 1100 S. Hope St, Suite 105

• • •

FIDM Museum's 20th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition will soon close, and alongside it is FIDM's new Larson Historic Fashion collection partly on view. "Side by side, you view accoutrements of royalty from two distinct fashion cultures, those Oscar-nominated for Best Costume Design and those once belonging to British royalty," says downtown art observer Helen Ly. Visitors' hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (919 S. Grand Ave) Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
FIDM I Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising I Free I Through April 28.

• • •

South Park Quick Takes: 2012 Group Photography Show at South Parks's Terrell Moore Gallery (1221 S. Hope Street) features fine art photography of Gershon Kleman and Eric Minh Swenson Art Walk hours are 6 to 10pm.; Tanya Nolan paintings at Packard Loft Gallery (810 S. Flower St) are "delicate white crayon scrawled across a translucent background and ink dripping across the surface" that appear to be floating.

• • •

Isloated east of Alameda: "Witness Los Angeles: Block Prints" by William Acedo opens at District Gallery at 7 p.m. Thursday. (740 E. Third St., near Traction, in the Arts District)

• • •

Among the multiple offerings from REDCAT, new work "Samsara" premieres. The Machine Orchestra musical interpretation of Indian fables begins a two-day run April 12. Via electro-mechnical instruments, dancers, and multiple speakers, a "rebirth" of ancient morality tales in the technologically ingenious 21st century is formed. Directed by Ajay Kapur and Michael Darling. Guest artists include interactive electronic performers Curtis Bahn and Tomie Hahn, choreographer Raakhi Kapur and kinetic sculptor and musician Trimpin.

• • •

We end with a bang. The exhibition explosion event, Mystery Circle, was a loud opening for "Cai Guo-Qiang: Sky Ladder." 40,000 rockets were lit at the same time to welcome in his exhibition at MOCA. A quieter show continues at Geffen Contemporary At MOCA (152 N. Central)

Silvana Jeyd Paredes: Soldier of Peace and Art

2012-04-10T19:44:13Z

Through all forms of art there is a path of evolution, self enlightment and Transformation of the conscious mind. -- Silvana Jeyd Paredes

I first met Silvana Paredes while we were restoring "The Great Wall Mural" in Los Angeles. Jeyd, as many call her, comes off as a very thoughtful and quiet sort of a person, but don't be fooled: inside is a firecracker exploding. Notice I didn't say waiting to explode, because Jeyd waits for no one.

Her philosophy is geared toward mother earth and the holistic movement. However as serene as this may sound, she is involved with the mural movement and graffiti art; she's also tried her hand in tattoo art. She mentions that breaking into the graffiti world is difficult, but breaking into tattooing is even harder. Why? Because most men in this business think they have all the talent, and that Jeyd is just another woman that does not need to be there. They are surprised when they see her art, usually making dumb remarks such as "Did you do this? No way!" Yes Jeyd, in the art world, we as women have yet to come a "long way baby!"

]]> Jeyd was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Growing up seeing street art fired her up to explore graffiti. She started experimenting with spray paints on different surfaces and styles; her medium of choice ranges from acrylic, oil paints, spray paints and Henna tattoos. Her tattoos are reminiscent of indigenous cultures from her South American roots in Uruguay, which means "River of Painted Birds" in the Guarani language.

As lovely as these tattoos are, she isn't doing them any longer. Her current work shows the spiritual side of life, how it conflicts with the modern world -- nature vs. the manufactured world. In her artwork Jeyd conveys her interest in metaphysics and fascination with Mayan cosmology, folklore and Eastern medicine. She believes that the ancestors have much to teach us, and that young people should learn how to use ancient knowledge to solve modern problems.

The two people who have influence Jeyd are Artist Remedios Varo, (1908-1963), a Spanish-Mexican para-surrealist painter and anarchist, and her father, Luis Paredes, a published writer and educator. As a child, her father would tell many stories that filled Jeyd's head with so many visuals that to this day she is most likely painting them.

Google her for more info and to see her works. Take a look at Jeyd's website and see her beautiful and powerful works. Who knows, you may commission her someday and this will make our Mazatl dance.

More Unsung Artists of Chicano Art:

Manuel Cruz
Jose de Jesus Cervantes

Sonya Fe is a painter and muralist long affiliated with the Chicano Art Movement. She directed the screen printing workshop at Mechicano Arts Center and contributed to The Great Wall of Los Angeles. See her profile page for videos of interviews conducted for Departures: Highland Park.

California Wine: Keg Stand

2012-04-10T19:12:00Z

These days as I drink my way around Los Angeles, I see a change happening. When I slide onto a barstool at a sleekly designed restaurant with a carefully thought out menu and ask for a glass of wine, I am presented with a list of what's on tap.

Now, I am familiar with taps, and have a strong love of them: they bring forth beer. But in my pickled past the only time I recall wine being found on tap was at a bar called The Slip In in San Diego, where I also remember a homeless person found sleeping in the corner.

Recently, however, wine producers in California have turned to this delivery method for high quality wines. Well-known wineries from Napa's Peter Franus and Saintsbury to local Santa Barbara heroes Palmina and Hitching Post are shipping their wine in kegs.

Kegging wine makes sense for a variety of reasons. On an environmental note, kegged wine means less packaging -- no bottles, no corks, no labels, no boxes. It is as close to National Park wine as one can get: take nothing, leave nothing, just return the keg. Kegging wine also ensures dependable quality. Much like the Stelvin closure (i.e., screwcap), kegging wine removes the threat of corked wine, while preserving the wine from oxidation. These benefits are persuading both local producers and wineries around the world to consider packaging their wine in kegs (or the similarly benefited bag-in-box format). So considering the advantages, it only makes sense that venues around Los Angeles are choosing to serve wines on tap.

One place that has gone the way of serving kegged wines is Lukshon in Culver City. With Sang Yoon being a leader of cutting edge of cuisine in this city, it's not surprising that he would also champion this innovation in wine. From Lukshon's taps flow Gruner Veltliner from Edna Valley, Albariño from Monterey, and Arneis from Santa Ynez. Sang showcases international varietals grown here in California. Hopefully with all the advantages that kegged wine provides, it will only be a matter of time before we see wines from around the world flowing from a tap near you.

Lukshon by San Yoon is located at 3239 Helms Avenue in Culver City.

[Homepage image courtesy Flickr user pdbreen; photo of wine glasses from Lukshon's website.]

Los Angeles resident Michael Newsome, a wine buyer for Whole Foods and a Certified Italian Wine Specialist, joins us every Tuesday for an exploration of California wine. See his previous posts here.

Find us on Tumblr here.

Neighborhood Notes: The Dodgers May be Cursed & More

2012-04-10T17:51:17Z

News and stories on the shifting culture of our neighborhoods:

Dodgers may be cursed by the ghosts of Chavez Ravine - NY Times
The Fight to Save Little Tokyo - The Atlantic Cities
San Gabriel Mountains slowly recovering from Station Fire - L.A. Times
L.A. State Historic Park brings nature to the city - Daily Trojan
Later this month: the Great Los Angeles River Cleanup - NBC LA

Top: Dodger fans wait in their cars for gates to open on stadium opening day, 1962. Courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library.

Departures is KCET's oral history and interactive documentary project exploring neighborhoods through voices in the community, touching on topics including immigration, race, gentrification, urban planning and environmental issues. You can explore your neighborhood with our useful Field Guides

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr.

Pianos Become Spontaneous Street Art in Public Space

2012-04-09T20:20:10Z

This public art project is less about large-scale work, but playing scales.

Granted, the scope is immense. The Los Angeles region rendition of artist Luke Jerram "Play Me, I'm Yours" -- first launched in Birmingham, England in 2008 -- will place 30 upright pianos in strategic places around Los Angeles County for the public to play anytime for three weeks.

The project is led by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) to mark the season-long celebration of music director and pianist Jeffery Kahane's 15th Anniversary.

Often, the upright in the other 22 "Play Me, I'm Yours" cities were decorated by local artists. That is the case for Los Angeles, where street art and muralists are part of the landscape.

]]> If there was a lead designer from the pool of professional and amateur artists for a LACO public art project, it would be muralist Kent Twitchell. His "Harbor Freeway Overture" on what was then Citicorp Plaza parking structure is visible driving north on the 110 Freeway, was painted by Twitchell 20 years ago in homage to LACO and features nine LACO musicians, then-concertmaster Ralph Morrison, and mural benefactor Tachi Kiuchi.

Twitchell's piano has the face of Kahane at the base, his hands on top in mid-performance.

That one piano may be the product of LACO Executive Director Rachel Fine's own personal expression -- by chance and by design. She tracked "Play Me, I'm Yours" as it weaved its way through other countries and saw it as a potential project that represented how Kahane has led LACO for 15 years. "He's community minded, and his creative and open mind makes him a great collaborator, not just as conductor to an orchestra," Fine said to KCET. She organized and adapted the installation for Los Angeles in belief there should be no barriers between locals and LACO "just because it's classical music."

Purely speculation on my part, but considering Fine is the spouse of L.A. Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne, thoughts about the relationship between public space, art, and music within the city must have been an occasional topic at the dinner table. That makes a heady subconscious debriefing for a piano-in-public space-project.

Even if that how-was-your-day chat was not an influence, Fine is still the conductor of, according to Jerram, the most ambitious rendition of "Play Me, I'm Yours."

Easily some will compare this to the 2002 "A Community of Angels" that dotted angel sculptures throughout the city. It's more than that. Fine is encouraging performances beyond solo recitals with outreach to choirs, bands, and other ensembles, like dance or theater, to use the piano sites for a rehearsals or improvised sessions. "The pianos are a resource to everyone in Los Angeles," she said, which she considers a metaphor for LACO's mission of presenting music as collaboration with its community.

It begins at noon on Thursday, April 12, when 30 pianists simultaneously perform Bach's "The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1" in the 30 locations. Musicians who are part of the opening day county-wide concert are Jeffrey Kahane himself; Grant Gershon, Mark Robson, Lucinda Carver, Rueibin Chen, and Derek Bermel.

Along with Twitchell, other participating public artists are Chicano Art Movement leader and muralist Frank Romero, who designed the piano assigned to El Pueblo Historical Monument / Olvera Street. Raoul De La Sota and Pola Lopez of Avenue 50 Studio designed the piano hosted by and stationed at the Music Center.

Contributing street artists include Man One, who collaborated with The HeArt Project for the upright hosted by the Pasadena Conservatory of Music; Evan Skrederstu worked on the piano for The Wende Museum assigned to 5900 Wilshire; and Fabian Debora of Homeboy Industries did the design for Plaza de la Raza's instrument.

Twitchell's upright will be at the International Plaza, Ronald Tutor Campus Center, University of Southern California.

Each piano has another guardian besides the artist working with an institution to make the piano a work of art: a volunteer guard is assigned to each instrument, and a plastic "raincoat" is ready in case of rain.

"Play me, I'm Yours" is not just about the event, said Fine. The used uprights are to be tuned up for performance, and remained tuned during the duration of the installation. "It's about people making music spontaneously in public space," she said.

That is a kinship classical music will share with street art for three weeks -- being spontaneous in public space.

Above: "Jeffrey Kahane portrait piano, acrylic on wood" according to Kent Twitchell. Photos of pianos and performances can be uploaded at Street Pianos I Los Angeles:2012.

Spring Recipes: Grilled Argentine Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce

2012-04-09T18:15:02Z

People across Southern California are dragging their grills out of storage this week and dusting them off in preparation for the coming months, as full of outdoor dinners as they're sure to be. The following recipe from America's Test Kitchen is a great starting point, with tips for the newbie on grilling the perfect steak. More importantly, it includes a recipe for chimichurri, which is arguably the greatest sauce in existence. (We're pretty passionate about it.) Enjoy it, and this warm spring season!

Argentine Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce
Serves 6 to 8
The chimichurri sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance. Our preferred steak for this recipe is strip steak, also known as New York strip. A less expensive alternative is a boneless shell sirloin steak (or top sirloin steak). We prefer oak, but other types of wood chunks can be used. Flipping 3 times during cooking allows for even cooking and limits flare-ups. To substitute table salt for kosher salt, halve the amounts listed in the recipe.

Chimichurri Sauce
1/4 cup hot water
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt (see note)
1 1/3 cups loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
2/3 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Steak
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons kosher salt (see note)
4 boneless strip steaks , 1 1/2 inches thick (about 1 pound each) (see note)
4 (2-inch) unsoaked wood chunks (Four large chunks of unsoaked wood added to a single-level fire infuse the meat with wood-grilled flavor.)
Ground black pepper

Combine hot water, oregano, and salt in small bowl; let stand 5 minutes to soften oregano. Pulse parsley, cilantro, garlic, and red pepper flakes in food processor until coarsely chopped, about ten 1-second pulses. Add water mixture and vinegar and pulse briefly to combine.

Transfer mixture to medium bowl and slowly whisk in oil until incorporated and mixture is emulsified. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour (if preparing sauce in advance, refrigerate and bring to room temperature before using).

Combine cornstarch and salt in small bowl. Pat steaks dry with paper towels and place on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Rub entire surface of steaks with cornstarch mixture and place steaks, uncovered, in freezer until very firm, about 30 minutes.

Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal (6 quarts, about 100 briquettes) and allow to burn until coals are fully ignited and partially covered with thin layer of ash, about 20 minutes. Arrange coals in single layer over entire surface of grill and, using tongs, place wood chunks directly on top of coals, spacing them evenly around perimeter of grill.

Position cooking grate over coals, cover grill, and heat grate until hot, about 5 minutes. Scrape cooking grate clean with grill brush. Grill is ready when coals are hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grate for 2 seconds).

Season steaks with pepper. Place steaks on grill, cover, and cook until steaks begin to char, 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover grill, flip steaks, and cook on second side until beginning to char, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip again and cook first side until well charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip one last time and continue to cook until second side is well charred and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of steak registers 115 degrees for rare, about 2 minutes, or 120 degrees for medium-rare, about 4 minutes. Transfer to large plate and let rest, loosely tented with foil, for 10 minutes. Slice and serve, passing chimichurri sauce separately.

Find show times for "America's Test Kitchen" here!

Find us on Tumblr here.
Follow us on Twitter here.
Follow us on Facebook here

The Soul of Berliner's Lives On at Umamicatessen

2012-04-09T17:59:55Z

Umamicatessen, the multi-restaurant-in-one concept in downtown L.A., is fast becoming known for its ham platters from Pigg, pastrami sandwiches from Cure, gourmet burgers a la its namesake, and foie gras and jelly donuts. Think clever twists on classic dishes, all served in one open, airy, stylishly rustic dining room.

It's not a far cry from the restaurant that lived in that space from the 1940s through the 1970s: Berliner's, a bustling neighborhood restaurant that fueled the financial and garment industries with corned beef hash, chicken paprikash and three-martini lunches.

"It was always busy," recalls Alan Berliner, founder of celeb-focused Berliner Photography and Malibu resident. His father opened the restaurant "sometime before WWII," and Berliner himself closed it in 1977. "We served a lot of 'ready food' because people didn't have a lot of time for lunch back then. But they did drink at lunch. It was very Mad Men-ish."

Berliner's wasn't all glass, exposed ducts and reclaimed wood. There were two doors from the street: one led into the coffee shop, the other into the bar, and the dining room was located in the back. Berliner, who worked as a soda jerk at the counter in the 1950s and took over ownership of the restaurant in the 1960s, says it was "nondescript" but homey and friendly, with red booths and drop ceilings. At one point he acquired the former Horton Converse drug store just north of the restaurant and expanded.

The family, Chicago transplants of Hungarian and Romanian descent, served hearty dishes like stuffed peppers, pot roast and corned beef hash. Berliner remembers daily specials like goulash -- the menus were printed and delivered from the Lord Menu Company every day. There was always someone sipping a martini, bourbon or a draft beer at the bar, which was located pretty much where Umamicatessen's is today.

Berliner's son Alex, also a well-known photographer, was too young to work in the restaurant, but he remembers scavenging the booths for loose change with his siblings. That, and he liked to go to the bar for Shirley Temples: "The bartender's name was Jerry. I used to love to say, 'Jerry, can I have a cherry?'"

Around the 1970s, things started to change for Berliner's. The once great street that was full of life and energy -- you can see it in the black-and-white photo hanging at Umamicatessen -- started to decay. "The neighborhood had changed dramatically," says Berliner. "Broadway was very slowly dying, it wasn't supporting us anymore. So we sold the restaurant."

People like Umamicatessen owner Adam Fleischman are gambling that Broadway will become a hot spot once again. The restaurant, along with other new bars, restaurants and living spaces, is breathing new life into the block anchored by the fantastic Eastern building, in all its Art Deco grandeur, and the historic Orpheum Theatre. An Ace Hotel is slated to open nearby. "This is going to be the real epicenter of what downtown becomes," he says. "I think that speaks to the greatness of the street. It was once something so central, hopefully it will be that again."

What's most interesting: Fleischman didn't know the space was a restaurant way back when, but says he could feel its soul. "I think of all the spaces that we have, it's definitely my favorite. It just felt like it had good history to it."

"I hope we can be here for 30 or 40 years, too," he adds. "We're planning on it."

[Photos of Umamicatessen by Amy Tierney.]

Find us on Tumblr here. Follow us on Twitter here. Follow us on Facebook here.

Proposition 13: The 'Sacred Cow' That Won't Go Away

2012-04-09T17:00:42Z

Posted every Monday, the Laws That Shaped L.A. spotlights regulations that have played a significant role in the development of contemporary Los Angeles. These laws -- as nominated and explained each week by a locally-based expert -- may be civil or criminal, and they may have been put into practice by city, county, state, federal or even international authority.

This Week's Law That Shaped L.A. 
Law: Proposition 13 (Article XIII-A, California Constitution)
Year: 1978
Jurisdiction: California
Nominated by: Dawn Nakagawa

Approved by voters in 1978 back when Governor Jerry Brown was serving his first term, Article XIII-A of the California Constitution -- known far and wide as Proposition 13 after the ballot imitative that sired the amendment -- has proved since its advent to be a polarizing, catalyzing, significant and particularly stubborn piece of legislation.

Prop 13 was, as Time magazine put it, "the anti-tax measure that ignited the Reagan Revolution and the conservative era." The resulting amendment cut, capped and rolled back property taxes, among other clauses.

"Prop 13 is a sacred cow," Dawn Nakagawa says. "I don't think it is ever going to be changed."

Nakagawa is the executive director of the Nicolas Berggruen Institute, a relatively new and ambitious policy think tank that is, according to the organization's website, "engaged in the comparative study and design of systems of governance suited to the new and complex challenges of the 21st century."

]]> Nakagawa nominated Prop 13 as a Law That Shaped L.A. Her and her colleagues' understanding of the law as a sacred cow or a 'third rail' of state politics contributed greatly to an approach taken last year by the NBI-organized Think Long Committee for California.

The Think Long group released a policy white paper titled, "A Blueprint To Restore California." The proposal focused less on any changes to the property tax system and instead more on levies for services. [Download a .pdf of the "Blueprint" and see a list of Think Long members here.]

"Tax the economy we have," Nakagawa says in what should be considered a straightforward and non-controversial statement, given the transformation of the economy from manufacturing- to information-based.

Nakagawa continues: "The tax code [is] broken," she says. "We have this huge volatility in our tax system. It's really boom and bust and it's because we are highly, highly dependent on income tax."

Nakagawa greeted a visitor a few months ago to the NBI's local headquarters. During a far-ranging conversation, she laid out some of the pros of Prop 13, and then at greater length, many of the cons.

"Obviously, Prop 13 has had some benefits," Nakagawa says. "The little old lady living in Manhattan Beach whose house is now worth $2.6 million -- but when she bought it was twenty grand -- there is no way, shape or form that she could keep that house without Prop 13 being what it is."

Preserving neighborhood economic diversity and protecting senior citizens are of course pluses to the NBI executive director -- but they are far from the only Prop 13 results meriting mention.

"There is a richness to the community that you get," Nakagawa says, "but you also see failing infrastructures. You see schools that are in real trouble. You see health care being cut. All of these things are happening that impact Los Angeles in important ways."

Nakagawa stresses that Prop 13 alone isn't to blame for all the city's -- and state's -- litany of woes. She cites a long list of other problems and prescriptions for issues that range from the way legislative term limits have been structured to the teacher tenure rule to the Tolstoy novel that is California's governing document. "The only constitution in the world that is longer is India's," Nakagawa says.

Nakagawa also says that if Prop 13 had been crafted in a manner that it was closely linked to inflation -- perhaps via the Consumer Price Index -- the amendment would have been more preferable. Instead, she says: "This rigid tax policy has really tied hands at the municipal level."

Nakagawa also says that she understands where the impulse came from those three-plus decades ago to pass a bill such as Prop 13. "People [were] getting kicked out of their house because they couldn't afford the tax lien," she says.

And Nakagawa discusses the effects on the city and state of Prop. 98 -- which this column will address in the future -- and CEQA -- which this column addressed once here and will soon again, but this time from an environmental attorney's perspective.

But all those many caveats aside, Nakagawa is down on Prop 13 because of another, non-tax-related reason altogether.

"Prop 13 set a precedent for how the electorate could get around the legislature," Nakagawa says, referring to this genesis of the initiative movement. "It was I think the first example where the electorate sort of took the bull by the horns and said, 'We are going to make this right.'"

This may sound appealing enough on the surface, but Nakagawa says: "It has in some ways launched an adversarial culture."

That culture is evident in the way initiatives as a concept are often characterized. Depending on who is doing the explaining, they are either a grand glory of direct democracy; an anti-democratic tool of wealthy initiative backers who buy ballot placement through paid signature gatherings and then buy votes through ceaseless advertising; a triumph of amateur inexpertise over trained technocrats; or some variation of the above.

So, given rumblings such as this, has Prop 13's time now passed? If so, its political and policy obit would be on front and home pages worldwide.

But again, Nakagawa cautions, never count Prop 13 out -- or for that matter, any of its brethren. "We pass about 1,000 laws in California a year, which is mind-boggling," she says. "And none of them ever get sunset."

Coming soon in the Laws That Shaped L.A.: Architect, writer and professor Orhan Ayyuce on how Prop 13 Effects the Built Environment

Laws That Shaped L.A.

View the ten most recent Laws That Shaped LA

View the Complete Archive

Top Photo: California Taxpayers Association, 1958. Photograph by Wyman. Photo courtesy University of Southern California Digital Archives

**Jeremy Rosenberg worked on a project for the Pacific Council on International Policy when Dawn Nakagawa was an Executive Vice President there.

To suggest a "Law That Shaped L.A." or otherwise contact the columnist via: arrivalstory [at] gmail [dot] com, or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.

L.A. Letters Guide to Finding Poetry in Los Angeles

2012-04-06T22:20:35Z

This edition of L.A. Letters is dedicated to National Poetry Month.

L.A. has a lively landscape of bookstores, venues, literary journals and poets. Academic poets, avant-garde poets, page poets, queer poets, hip-hop poets, punk rock poets, Chicano poets, street poets, surreal poets, language poets -- poets all over the city. As April unfolds, this column will cover as many of them as possible. Here are a few to get the ball rolling.

Sites like Beyond Baroque, the Last Bookstore, Skylight Books and Stories host readings multiple nights a week. I've accidentally walked in on legends more than once, like the time I saw City Lights author Kamau Daaood at Skylight Books on my way home one night. Leimert Park has hosted more poetry events than almost any other district besides Hollywood or Venice. The World Stage Writers Workshop became famous during the Nineties. Eso Won Books and Kaos Network also host frequent author events and readings.

Recently I went to Beyond Baroque because Jerome Rothenberg and Amy Uyematsu were being featured. Rothenberg has had a fruitful career as a poet, editor, recording artist, anthologist, translator, cultural critic, and provocateur. Born in 1931, he's been advocating Ethnopoetics and the Oral Tradition since the sixties, a generation before the advent of the Poetry Slam or the rise of Spoken Word in the 90s. Furthermore, he's edited a number of anthologies that have greatly expanded the Western canon such as "Technicians of the Sacred," "Shaking The Pumpkin," and "Revolution of the Word." The man is a leviathan. He still had ample electricity in his eighth decade -- I enjoyed watching him light up the stage.

]]>
I first became aware of Amy Uyematsu from her 1992 book "30 Miles from J-Town." Uyematsu is a pioneering Japanese-American poet. In 1971 during her time at UCLA she co-edited "Roots: An Asian Americn Reader," one of the first anthologies in Asian American Studies. Her most recent book "Stone Bow Prayer" was published by Copper Canyon Press in 2005. A math teacher by day, her poems are hard hitting yet elegant. In "I'm Old Enough to Know Better," she satirizes sleazy men that make false assumptions, replying, "I'm not Korean, I'm Japanese." Humor, heartbreak, wisdom and compassion inhabit her poems. It was great to finally see her read live, let alone on the same bill as Rothenberg.

Beyond Baroque
681 Venice Boulevard
Venice, CA

Since 2000, A Mic and Dim Lights has been held every Thursday night in Pomona. Cory Cofer aka Besskepp is the host of the show. HBO Def Poet, award-winning high school teacher, a master's degree -- his resume is deep. Beyond his own accomplishments he has mentored hundreds of poets in the Inland Empire, many of whom started on Thursdays because of Besskepp. When he opened the venue a decade ago, poets from the Inland Empire had to drive to Hollywood, Leimert Park or Venice to get their dose of Spoken Word. Besskepp and his DJ JB filled a void, and now it's an institution. Held in the Pomona Arts Colony, the venue is a mix of Spoken Word, page poets, emcees, local poets and college poets from Cal Poly and Claremont.

A Mic and Dim Lights at Pomona Arts Colony
300 Second Ave.
Pomona, CA
9 PM

Small World Books is on the Venice Boardwalk and it just might have the most comprehensive list of poetry titles in the city. I've found hard-to-find titles there by Kamau Brathwaite and Terrance Hayes. Furthermore, their "Mystery Annex" in the back is equally stacked with hundreds of titles. They are located near Horizon, just north of the Windward Circle. Small World is a cozy bookstore, but loaded to the rafters with a reservoir of books and literary magazines.

Small World Books
1407 Ocean Front Walk
Los Angeles, CA

The Talking Stick Coffeehouse on Lincoln hosts several nights of poetry every month. The space feels strangely bohemian in this age of Starbucks. Not only is it one of the last real coffeehouses left, its' also big enough to fit over 100 people. Performances include singer-songwriters, Venice performance artists, poets, hip-hop emcees, and frequent surprises. Their best known poetry night is the third Friday of every month, the Venice Mozaic, hosted by Nickie Black and Ordell Cordova.

Venice Mozaic at Talking Stick Coffeehouse
1411 Lincoln Blvd.
Venice, CA
Third Friday of the month, 8 p.m.

Tia Chucha Centro Cultural is a bookstore/gallery/performance space founded by Luis Rodriguez. Originally planned to be located in East L.A., but Rodriguez's wife Trini suggested Sylmar because this part of the Valley lacks bookstores and galleries. Tia Chucha's is more than a bookstore; it is a cultural arts center featuring Chicano history, indigenous, contemporary and social commentary issues, Spanish-language, and bilingual children's books. When he's not travelling, Rodriguez is often at the space, sharing poems and conducting workshops.

Open Mic at Tia Chucha's Cultural Center
13197-A Gladstone Ave.
Sylmar, CA
Every Friday 8-10 p.m.

Tuesday Night Café is a twice-a-month open mic in Little Tokyo held on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays. Now in their 14th year, the creator and founder is Traci Kato-Kiriyama, a writer, performing artist, educator and grassroots organizer. She has a great team of writers, musicians, filmmakers, DJ's and more involved in their Tuesday Night Project. Johneric Concordia is the host and DJ Waxstyles is their resident on the wheels of steel. Located outside in the Aratani Courtyard between Temple and First, they often get a crowd of a few hundred people hearing the poets and live music.

Tuesday Night Café
120 Judge John Aiso
Los Angeles, CA
1st and 3rd Tuesdays

More on L.A. Letters:

Mike Sonksen aka Mike the Poet is a spoken word artist, tour guide, educator, journalist, and historian. L.A. Letters celebrates bright moments from literary Los Angeles with spoken and written word. See his Departures StoryShare videos here and here. Keep up with his activities by following his tumblr and Youtube channel.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr for updates and exclusive content.

Top photo of Boyle Heights by Salina Canizales used under a Creative Commons license.

Video: Where to go Ziplining in Southern California

2012-04-06T19:55:00Z

When the idea of shooting an episode about ziplining was proposed, I'll admit I was hesitant -- I needed time to think about it. But it wasn't long before I decided to take a leap of faith, and I'm so glad I did. The feeling of flying through a forest's canopy, high above the ground, is just so incredible.

We shot this episode at Navitat Canopy Adventures in Wrightwood, the city mostly known for skiing on the eastern edge of the San Gabriel Mountains. The area, with its steep terrain and pine-forested environs, is absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to go back. And for those who are looking to zip through the numerous ecosystems in Southern California, we've created this guide for you. Enjoy!

]]> Guide to Ziplining in Southern Cailfornia

TruBlue Repel

video platform video management video solutions video player

As an alternative to your last repel at Navitat, you can choose to do the TruBlue. It's a quick repel that gives you an eight-foot free fall before catching you and lowering you down. If ziplining doesn't get that adrenaline going, this might!

Navitat Canopy Adventures Wrightwood

With 10 zip lines, three sky bridges, one set of sky stairs, and three repels, this three-and-a-half-hour tour is a thrill. When all is said and done, the course gives you 1.5 miles of linear zipping, the longest zip being one quarter-mile long and the fastest zip pushing you to speeds of 55 mph. Added bonus is that guides will teach you about the local ecology and wildlife (maybe you'll even spot a bighorn sheep or bear from a tree platform). Open April through November.
More Info

Catalina Zip Line Eco Tour
Avalon (Catalina Island)

Unique to this course are the ocean views and the opportunity to zip at night. One of the many activities offered by the Santa Catalina Island Company, the tour takes you on five zip lines that zig-zag down Descanso Canyon to the beach. On a clear day, you should be able to see the mainland across the San Pedro Channel. Like Navitat, this is also an ecology tour, so you're going to learn about the local environment between zips on this two-hour journey. Open all year.
More Info

Action Zipline Tours
Big Bear

In the middle of the forest at 8,200 feet elevation with views of Johnson Valley, this three-hour course takes you through nine zip lines, the longest at 850 feet and topping speeds of about 45 mph. If you're feeling adventurous, you can try going backwards or spin as you fly across. Open all year.
More Info

Flightline Safari
Escondido (San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park)

If you happen to be at San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, here's a different way to experience checking out the animals ("soar like a condor," as the zoo says). This tour is a little different than others because you are in a seat rather than a traditional ziplining harness. Besides a short training zip (or in zoo talk, "fledgling flight"), there is only one zip line to cross, a two-thirds-of-a-mile stretch over the Asian and African field exhibits full of exotic animals, including giraffes and rhinos. Open all year.
More Info

Margarita Adventures
Santa Margarita

How about some wine with your zip? This tour offers four zip lines, totaling about 3,300 linear feet on the historic Santa Margarita Ranch. You'll get panoramic views of the vineyard and the Santa Lucia Mountain Range combined with a tour of the ranch and vineyard. Wine tasting included. Open all year.
More Info

Notes for all Zip Line Tours: Before deciding to go, make sure you read all the requirements on tour websites. Most all zips require a certain weight and age range. Prices vary, but are generally in the $100/adult range with lower prices for children.

Say hello: "Like" SoCal Wanderer on Facebook and follow @SoCal_Wanderer on Twitter to talk about the latest in outdoors with other enthusiasts.

Friday Feast: Food Writing This Week

2012-04-06T19:12:02Z

While we certainly have plenty of great food writing of our own, if we don't say so ourselves, the grand expanses of the World Wide Web is chock-full of other great writing worth checking out. Here is this week's best.

Relish - An M.V.P. Now Sidelined: If you notice a little giddy-up in our step this week, there's a good chance it's due to baseball finally coming back into our lives. And with our National Pastime back in full swing -- so to speak -- it means all that delicious ballpark food, and the instantaneous regret that comes with eating it, is back. With that in mind, here's a piece from The New York Times about how relish, a vital component to the best hot dogs and hamburgers, seems to be missing nowadays.

New York's Finger Lakes: The Next Great Wine Region in America?: We spend a whole lot of time carrying on about the great wine offerings you can find in our backyard -- and for good reason, seeing as California produces about 90 percent of the country's vino -- but it's always nice to keep in mind there are wines from all over worth giving a shot. This article from The Atlantic offers one region to keep in mind.

Our Tacos, Ourselves: How Southern California Reinvented the Taco: If you've spent any time at all walking the streets of L.A., you know how important the taco is. Taco trucks, taco stands, restaurants with taco deals advertised in the windows -- rare is the eating establishment without some version of our beloved taco available. Over at LA Weekly, Gustavo Arellano details the history of the taco in Los Angeles and how it has since been reinvented for a new generation.

Kosher sausage biz a hit for Crown Heights cooking duo debuting first ever Passover links: While the title is certainly a bit unwieldy -- let's go, NY Daily News editors! -- this story about, well, what the title says, is definitely worth checking out.

Weird Foods: Eating the Embryonic Duck Eggs Known As Balut: And finally, while this is less "food writing" and more "food video taping and commenting about said video taping," Grub Street has an interesting piece regarding "one of the most spoken about and dreaded of all meat delicacies" -- the Filipino dish balut. That is embryonic duck egg. It is, yes, kind of gross.

[Photo of ballpark hot dog by wynk/Flickr.]

Find us on Tumblr here.

Food Weekend: Seder to Savor, Beer Fest, Easter Lamb Feast, April Beer Society

2012-04-06T18:49:57Z

This weekend's double-whammy of Easter and Passover means a wide range of culinary celebrations, and we got you covered.

On Saturday, to celebrate the second day of Passover, Susan Feniger's Street restaurant in the Hollywood-ish area of town is offering a five-course dinner served family style, featuring dishes ranging from smoked fish to Moroccan lamb and everything in between. If you are so inclined, there's also a vegetarian option available, including potato bimuelos and Moroccan vegetable tagine.

If last weekend's cancelled L.A. Beerathon still has you down, there's another option on Saturday to fill your beer needs: The 4th Annual Los Angeles Beer Festival at Paramount Studios. Admission is $40, and participants get to partake in dozens of domestic and international brews, listen to live bands, and nosh on some food truck offerings. There are two sessions for the fest, one starting at noon and the other at 8pm.

On Easter Sunday, Sotto restaurant in West Los Angeles is opening up their menu to include a special array of lamb offerings. The kitchen will channel various Southern Italian influences while serving dishes including Sardinian pane frattau, grilled leg of lamb with egg, lemon and artichokes, and many more. The range of prices for the dishes is anywhere from about $15 to $18. Reservations are encouraged.

Extending the weekend into Monday night, the Golden Gopher in downtown L.A. is hosting their monthly beer society tasting event. This month's offering include beers from TAPS Fish House & Brewery. Brewmaster Victor Novak will be guiding participants through six of their craft beers, including Cream Ale, Irish Red, and Bohemian Pils. Reserve your seat for $5 at the website.

For more food events visit kcet.org/events/food.

[Photo of Street's dining area from their website.]

Find us on Tumblr here.

Good Food Day LA's Cabbage Contest Winner's Dried Kimchi Recipe

2012-04-06T18:21:25Z

If there was a nail-biting moment during the festivities of last weekend's city-wide Good Food Day, it had to be the cabbage cooking contest, cleverly titled From Kim Chee to Coleslaw.

Over 30 submitted recipes in three different categories: fresh, cooked and fermented (or as I kept calling it, "funky"), as judged by a star-studded panel of jurors, including critic Jonathan Gold, city councilmembers Eric Garcetti and Ed Reyes, and chef Josiah Citrin. There were plenty of innovative submissions, from the fresh category's winner of cabbage kale salad with cranberries and carrots, to a runner-up kimchi grown in Thomas Starr King Middle School's garden. But the one recipe that everyone kept buzzing about was the winner in the fermented category: dried kimchi.

Dried kimchi?

It was an idea that was born out of practicality, says Connie Choe-Harikul, from Granny Choe's Kimchi Co. "We always have loads of kimchi around the house on account of the family business," she says, "so a couple of years ago my husband had the idea of dehydrating it to halt fermentation when a batch was about to turn overripe." Although they've only been using it for their own personal snacking preferences, the contest served as a kind of beta-test debut. Now the company plans to offer it on their website in the next few months.

Choe-Harikul says the recipe is best as a kind of crunchy, salty, spicy snack, a healthy option to replace your Flaming Hot Cheetos. However, she also suggests crumbling and sprinkling the dried kimchi on dishes like ramen, mac and cheese, or pizza -- just like one might use hot sauce. "We especially love the combination of kimchi with cheese," she says. "That's how we introduce kimchi to friends who have never tried it before."

Connie Choe-Harikul is excited about the sudden influx of Korean foods making their way into the mainstream, pointing to chefs like Roy Choi and David Chang, but also to Korean Americans like Marja Vongerichten, who wrote The Kimchi Chronicles, and Food Network star Debbie Lee, who passed along her tips for shopping at Korean markets to KCET Food last year. "At the end of last year, Ruth Reichl predicted that kimchi might 'push sriracha off its perch' in 2012 and she could be right!" laughs Choe-Harikul.

The possibility of this new fermented reality was on the mind of contest judge and Koreatown booster Jonathan Gold, who wondered if we might be on the stinking edge of a trend. "Do we all have kimchi jerky in our future?"

Granny Choe's Dried Kimchi

1 large head of napa cabbage (salted per instructions below)
1 small daikon radish, julienned or shredded
1 small head of garlic, peeled
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
1 medium brown onion
½ bunch curly mustard greens, rinsed thoroughly
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp rice, cooked
¾ cup gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper powder)

Salt the cabbage the night before:

Peel the leaves off the head of cabbage. Discard any brown or spotty parts.

Dissolve ½ cup non-iodized salt into about 1 gallon of water in a very large bowl.

Place the cabbage leaves in the salt water, submerging as much as possible.

After a couple hours, flip the pile of leaves so that the bottom ones are on top. Let sit overnight.

In the morning, rinse and drain the cabbage (does not have to be 100% free of salt).

Make the kimchi:

Cut up the pre-soaked cabbage by stacking a few leaves on top of each other, slicing once down the middle lengthwise, then cutting crosswise into ¾-inch pieces. Put the cabbage pieces in a very large bowl.

Cut the mustard greens crosswise into ¾-inch pieces and add to bowl.

Cut the onion into quarters lengthwise, then slice crosswise as thin as possible. Add to bowl.

Put the ginger, garlic and rice in a blender and add just enough water for the blender to be able to puree effectively. Add to bowl.

Sprinkle the sugar, sea salt and gochugaru over the top of the ingredients in the bowl, then slip on a pair of plastic gloves and mix thoroughly by hand.

Pack kimchi into a clean glass jar (or jars) nearly up to the brim, then set at room temperature for 1-2 days somewhere where you don't mind kimchi juice bubbling out (or set on a plate to catch the juice). Move kimchi to fridge for at least one week. Enjoy at your leisure.

For dried kimchi:

When remaining kimchi begins to get very ripe (after several weeks), use a fork to lay out kimchi out flat on food dehydrator trays and dry until crunchy (we use an American Harvest Snackmaster turned up to full blast (145 degrees) for 10-12 hours for 2 trays of kimchi).

Store any uneaten dried kimchi in an airtight container. You can reuse silica packets from store-bought foods like seaweed to keep it crisp.

[Photos by A.Rios/R.E.]

Find us on Tumblr here.
Follow us on Twitter here.
Follow us on Facebook here

Neighborhood Notes: Bitter Memories of Chavez Ravine & More

2012-04-06T18:00:06Z

News and stories on the shifting culture of our neighborhoods:

Bitter memories of Chavez Ravine on Dodger Stadium's 50th anniversary - L.A. Times
East L.A. has a permanent spot in pitcher Ricky Romero's heart - Boyle Heights Beat
Latino or Hispanic? For many Americans, neither feels quite right - L.A. Times
Bridge to connect Glendale Narrows with Los Angeles River - Glendale News-Press
Outsider Art Sought for Lummis Day 7 - Patch

Spring Recipes: Cherry Jam Tart

2012-04-06T17:15:53Z

It may not be cherry season, but we still wholeheartedly endorse this cherry jam tart as a rustic, but sophisticated, Easter dessert. It's made with dried and jammed cherries, after all. The simple recipe allows the condensed flavor to shine through, and you can kick it up a bit by rehydrating the dried cherries in your favorite tipple. The better to get creative with the free-form top crust.

Cherry Jam Tart
Serves 10
11 ounces butter, plus more for the pan (2 3/4 sticks)
1 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the dough
2 cups almond flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup dried cherries
2 cups chunky cherry preserves
½ cup sliced blanched almonds, lightly toasted

To make the tart dough, cream the butter and sugar in the mixer bowl on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the flours and salt to the bowl, and beat on low speed just until the dry ingredients are incorporated and a cohesive dough forms.

Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a work surface, and knead a few times, until it comes together in a ball. Divide into two pieces (a larger piece of 2/3 of the dough, and a small piece of 1/3 of the dough). Press both pieces into flat rectangles, and wrap them well in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours (or for a day) before rolling; freeze for longer keeping.

When you are ready to bake the tart, arrange a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10x15 jelly-roll baking pan. In a small bowl, cover the dried cherries with warm water (or rum or liqueur); let them soak and soften.

Place the larger piece of dough between two sheets of parchment, and roll it out to a rectangle a bit larger than the jelly-roll pan. Peel off the top layer of parchment, and invert the dough so it lies centered in the pan, then peel off the second parchment sheet. Gently press and push the dough into the pan to form a smooth, intact crust, even on the bottom, and slightly thicker against the sides of the pan. Scrape off excess dough so the crust is flush with the pan sides, and save all the scraps. (If the crust tears or is too thin in spots, patch with the extra dough.)

For the tart filling, scrape all the cherry preserves into a bowl, drain the rehydrated cherries, and stir into the preserves. Spread all the filling in the crust, covering the bottom evenly. Roll the smaller piece of dough between the parchment sheets to a round or oblong sheet (about as thick as you rolled the larger piece of dough). Peel off the top layer of parchment; to make a decorative top crust you can cut out circles or other shapes with floured cookie cutters or use a pastry wheel to cut diamonds or lattice strips). If you are short on top crust dough gather and reroll all the dough scraps to make more shapes, and lay them all over the tart, in any pattern you like, with the cherry filling peeking through. Sprinkle the sliced almonds evenly over the top of the tart.

Set the tart in the oven, and bake about 50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, or until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

Let the tart cool tart completely on a wire rack. Cut in pieces of any size. Dust them with confectioners' sugar, or accompany with whipped cream, ice cream, or zabaglione.

See show times for "Lidia's Italy" here!

Find us on Tumblr here.
Follow us on Twitter here.
Follow us on Facebook here

A Tale of Two, Three, Four, or Five Rivers

2012-04-05T20:15:36Z

Your intrepid reporter is on assignment this week covering the greening of the Manzanares River in Madrid, Spain. Cities around the world are revitalizing urban waters. In columns to come, we will report on rivers in two, three, four, maybe even five cities.

Today's column provides a sneak preview of what's to come.

Manzanares River Park

Madrid's Manzanares River Park is a 300 acre revitalization project (See above photo courtesy The City Project/Nic Garcia).

Los Angeles River

President Barack Obama has designated the greening of the Los Angeles River as one of the top 101 priorities across the nation for his America's Great Outdoors initiative, out of only two per state. The Department of Interior has also named the L.A. River one of seven urban waters priorities across the nation.

]]> San Gabriel River

The San Gabriel River, also a part of the Great Outdoor Initiative, runs from the San Gabriel Mountains to the Pacific Ocean at Seal Beach, running through the proposed National Recreation Area.

Manhattan Waterfront Greenway

New York City is creating the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, stretching 32 miles along the Hudson, East and Harlem Rivers.

Almendares River

The greening of the Almendares River and Park is one of the major ongoing urban renewal projects in La Habana, Cuba.

Stay tuned as we bring you updates on these important projects.

All images except Manzanares courtesy The City Project/Robert Garcia.

More on the L.A. River:

Departures - L.A. River
L.A. River Excursions
From Freeways to Waterways: What Los Angeles Can Learn From Seoul

More on Green Justice:

Be sure to keep up with our updates by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.

Satay, Sauce and the Future of The Spice Table

2012-04-05T19:00:19Z

At the corner of 1st and Central, chef Bryant Ng stokes the flames that rise from the wood and charcoal on his beloved grill. A year ago, Ng handpicked this Little Tokyo location, built in the 1890s, for the special ambiance he knew he could create inside these rustic brick walls. The result is The Spice Table.

His Southeast Asian menu features the Singaporean flavors of his childhood, with influences from his wife Kim's Vietnamese heritage. Ng's passion for food, especially the satays he enjoyed as a boy during visits to Singapore, inspired the design of the custom grill that flanks the counter, giving diners an up-close view of the action. Ng's creations have led to his being named one of Food & Wine magazine's Best New Chefs for 2012.

However, recently Ng was informed that the property might be in jeopardy. The building he loves so much sits on land slated to be part of a Metro project that would result in the demolition of The Spice Table, Weiland Brewery and Señor Fish. So what will Ng do if The Spice Table needs to move? He answered that question and many others while grocery shopping, setting up the grill, and cooking satays.

Julie: Where did you find this grill?

Bryant: I got the grill from Wood Stone. They call this the Robata Grill. I wanted to have one specifically built for making satays. I worked with them to develop what we have here now. The traditional method is a shallow box -- you put coal in there, and there are grates on top. We tried several designs and came up with this one, which I love. The back has traditional grill grates, and the front is utilized for satay grilling.

When I was thinking about this restaurant, this was a centerpiece of what I wanted to do. I really wanted to do satays because it reminds me of my childhood when I would visit Singapore. There was a place called the Satay Club. We would go there to see them cooking the satays on these little grills. It fills the air with smoke and aroma.

Satays are meat skewers. Traditionally in Singapore, you see a lot of chicken, mutton, and pork. I would love to do mutton, but it's hard to find in the States. So I do lamb. That's how the lamb belly one came about. It's so fatty and juicy, and when you throw it on the grill it really caramelizes.

Julie: How did you develop the lunch menu?

Bryant: Number one, I love sandwiches. I am a bread person at heart. The type of sandwiches I make are influenced by the traditional bánh mi of Vietnam. The bread is very important. It needs to by crispy on the outside and light in the middle. It's made from quick doughs that are buttery and not chewy. I think they serve as a beautiful vehicle for everything else. We were fortunate to have met somebody who is a third-generation Vietnamese baker. His family has been baking baguettes in Vietnam for 300 years. He comes in everyday and bakes our bread for us, about 80-100 loaves.

Julie: The city says this land is part of an upcoming Metro project. What have they told you about the building so far?

Bryant: According to their current plan, it's going to take over our space as well as Weiland Brewery, Señor Fish and the parking lot. It's called the Regional Connector.

Julie: Did they give you any indication of when they think that might happen?

Bryant: It's my understanding that the vote has been postponed. They have not contacted me with specific plans for relocation. They are still discussing if this is the final scenario, and they still need more funding for the project.

Julie: If you were told that the building was going to be demolished in one year, what would be your plan?

Bryant: For me, The Spice Table restaurant as it is can only exist in this building. I think there is a certain vibe and ambiance that you can only create in this specific space. If they tell me that it's gone and I open another place, it is not going to be called The Spice Table. There may be reminisces of it, but I can never open a Spice Table again. Its soul lives here.

Julie: So even if Spice Table could stay here forever, you wouldn't plan to open a second Spice Table?

Bryant: That doesn't mean I'm not going to open another restaurant, but it won't be The Spice Table.

Julie: And the grill goes with you wherever you go?

Bryant: Yeah, wherever they'll let me set it up. I love this grill.

Julie: Since this space is relatively small, would you look for a larger space?

Bryant: Absolutely. Right now we are kind of limited -- especially on Fridays and Saturdays -- with the number of people we can serve. Unfortunately, sometimes people are turned away, which I hate.

Julie: When you look for a larger space, what will you be looking for?

Bryant: I would love to have a space that still has a rustic feel to it. Brick walls -- that's part of the aesthetic that I like, mainly because to me it's very comfortable. I'd like it to be homey and warm with a fireplace and my grill. If I need to find another place, hopefully it can capture some of that.

Julie: What originally drew you to this space that made you excited to come to work?

Bryant: Number one was the neighborhood. Little Tokyo has a very nice neighborhood vibe. I started coming to Little Tokyo many years ago and saw this building. It was painted at the time. You could not really see its true beauty, but it looked appealing. There is parking. There is foot traffic outside. The type of people who spend time in Little Tokyo are similar to me and my wife Kim. I wanted to open a place in a neighborhood I understood as a patron and as a guest. What's great about the area is the camaraderie among the businesses and restaurants. You don't always see that.

Julie: So every day, when you arrive at The Spice Table and start cooking, what goes through your mind about the future of the restaurant?

Bryant: I am the type of person that good things and bad things happen to in life. I just try to figure it out and make the best out of it. Maybe it's opening a door. I don't know why this is happening right now, but it's probably for a better reason. The city still needs the funding. It's a $1.3 billion dollar project.

It's not just me -- it's my entire staff. We are all so invested in what we do here. But we can carry on. That's the beauty of it. I know that for us, if this happens, we can pack up. We are resourceful enough to land of our feet.

If you take The Spice Table out of the equation and look at all of the other mom-and-pop shops around here, what's going to happen to them? What's going to happen to the flavor of Little Tokyo? They are going to close the inlets into Little Tokyo. The mom-and-pop shops that are the soul of Little Tokyo, what are they going to do? Will they survive the years of construction? It is going to impact the entire area. We are talking about an entire change of neighborhood, not just The Spice Table.

*****

Ng can be found at the family-owned A Grocery Warehouse on Sunset Boulevard almost as often as he's at his restaurant. Ng walks up and down the aisles, sharing tips about his favorite ingredients and how he builds layers of flavors in each dish. Not just any fish sauce will make its way into The Spice Table menu.

In the produce section, Ng points to the Kaffir lime leaves he uses in a lime custard with lychee cream, the Pandan leaves for Kaya toast, Laksa leaf (rau răm), Vietnamese mint, and Vietnamese coriander, sometimes called culantro (ngo gai) for the pig's tail salad. While buying live catfish, he recommends looking for the most active fish in the tank, noting that they are healthier and thus taste better.

Ng's grocery list:

Viet Huong Fish Sauce -- Noticing the difference in fish sauce prices, Ng pointed out "you get what you pay for."

Pearl River Bridge Soy Sauce -- The dark sauce is thicker and has an appealing bitterness.

Lee Kum Kee Oyster Sauce -- Ng's advice is to "buy the premium." The one with the boy and mother on the label is more complex than the panda bottle.

Maggi Sauce -- This type of soy sauce is great on eggs. Ng also shakes a dash onto the cold cut sandwich.

Tropics Coconut Vinegar -- This multi-purpose vinegar from The Philippines is lower in acid. Ng uses it in many dishes, including his chicken wing marinade.

Koon Chun Fine Shrimp Sauce -- Ng puts this sauce in The Spice Table burger and on rib eye to add umami flavor.

Kadoya Dark Sesame Oil -- This oil is aggressive in flavor; Ng never uses a lot.

Deliamore Palm Sugar -- This palm sugar has a complex, caramel, raisin-like flavor that rounds out a dish.

Maltose -- Maltose is a key ingredient in chasu pork. At The Spice Table, they make chasu in-house with Neiman pork belly.

Mae Ploy -- This creamy coconut milk has a good amount of fat.

For The Spice Table menu, Ng tested four brands of rice before deciding on Buddha for the texture. Ng cooks it al dente.

Back at The Spice Table, Ng fans the flames at the grill and begins to prepare skewers of lamb belly and chicken thighs with skin. While dipping them into the house-made spicy peanut sauce, he watches the staff preparing for dinner service. Whether The Spice Table team can stay in their Little Tokyo home for six months or six years, only time will tell. One thing seems certain -- Ng will find a way to transport the soul of the place wherever he fires up his grill.

[Photos by Amy Tierney.]

Find us on Tumblr here.

Media Arts Preview: Lockhart, Andersen, and Bookchin

2012-04-05T19:00:00Z

Several of Los Angeles' greatest visual innovators -- Sharon Lockhart, Thom Andersen, and Natalie Bookchin -- present their work this week, demonstrating our city's incredible diversity in cinematic exploration.

Friday, April 6
The third iteration of Transmedia Hollywood takes place today. The event is a day-long seminar dedicated to exploring the transformation of the media industry and new kinds of storytelling and creative output. Hosted by Henry Jenkins and Denise Mann, the event includes panelists as varied as game designer Christy Dena and future cinema guru Nick DeMartino. The conference begins at 9:45 a.m. on the USC campus, and concludes at 8:00 p.m.

]]> LACMA's exhibition In Wonderland is accompanied by a wonderful screening series dedicated to an array of "mind-bending fairy tales and fantasies" inspired by Lewis Carroll's "Alice" stories. The series begins tonight with Jan Svankmajer's inimitable "Alice," a live-action and animation blend that tells the story of Alice through the eyes of the girl narrator, with no hesitation in visiting the darker places of the story. The film screens at 7:30 p.m. and will be followed by "Valerie and Her Week of Wonders" at 9:05 p.m. Tomorrow, catch the Paramount Pictures version of "Alice in Wonderland" from 1933 at 5:00 p.m., followed by the groundbreaking Czech New Wave film "Daisies" by director Vera Chytilová at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 7
The Echo Park Film Center presents Steve Dwoskin's 1974 film "Behindert." Labeled "Dwoskin's masterpiece," the 16mm film is described by critic Adrian Martin as "an astonishingly intimate recreation of Dwoskin's time with actor Carola Regnier (who gives a hypnotically intricate performance of her own desires and vulnerabilities." The film will screen at 8:00 p.m.

Thom Andersen's much loved portrait of Los Angeles as seen through hundreds of archival film clips will screen tonight at the American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. With "Los Angeles Plays Itself," Andersen brings together classic Hollywood features such as "Blade Runner" and "LA Confidential," as well as less well-known and decidedly unusual clips, and while the range of examples is huge, what makes the film so enormously pleasurable is Andersen's wry, idiosyncratic take spoken in voice-over. Andersen ponders the city's history, musing on architecture, geography, and storytelling obsessions, and occasionally rants about particular irritants -- the lack of geographic continuity in most Hollywood car chases, for example. The film will screen at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 8
Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions will host a conversation between media artist Natalie Bookchin and Alexandra Juhasz, Professor of Media Studies at Pitzer College. The pair will discuss Bookchin's 18-channel video installation, "Now he's out in public and everyone can see," currently on view at LACE. The talk starts at 2:00 p.m. at LACE in Hollywood. The video installation uses YouTube videos in a way that "weaves together found fragments from online video diaries in which vloggers recount a series of media scandals involving African American men." The project continues a series of works in which the artist explores media, the boundary between private and public, as well as the display of multiple screens within a gallery space.

Monday, April 9
The Maine clam lives roughly nine inches below the wet surface of the coastal mud flats, where a small hole alone reveals its presence. Getting to the clams requires bending forward at the waist, plunging a gloved hand into the ooze, feeling for the round, razor sharp shell, and then pulling upward, the rude capture ending with a wet, sucking sound. It's backbreaking work, but through the lens of Sharon Lockhart's camera, it's also magnificent. Lockhart's "Double Tide," screening tonight at REDCAT at 8:30 p.m., chronicles a woman digging clams with a camera that remains resolutely still, letting us witness from a distance the woman's zigzag across the mud. The meditative portrait honors the labor alongside the beauty, the extraordinary effort within the splendor of the landscape. The filmmaker, who teaches in USC's Roski School of Fine Arts, will be in attendance.

Spring Recipes: Meringue Cookies for Passover

2012-04-05T18:26:36Z

Unlike the other big spring holiday in the US, Easter, Passover isn't really known for its sugary delights. But kosher desserts do exist, and these happy little bites of meringue, with dots of chocolate and, if you like, peppermint, are a particular highlight. Have a sweet Passover!

Meringue Cookies
2 large egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup mini chocolate chips
3 tbsp crushed peppermint candy (optional)

Heat oven to 275 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

With electric mixer on med-high speed, beat egg whites in large bowl until foamy. Add salt and vinegar and continue beating until soft peaks form (about 3-4 minutes).

Add vanilla and sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, and continue beating until mixture is glossy and stiff, about 2 minutes. With spatula, fold in chocolate chips and crushed candies.

Using a piping bag with plain 1/2 inch tip (or, if you're handy with it, whichever 1/2 inch tip you want), dollop tsp. sized dots of batter, about 1 inch high onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.

Bake until cookies begin to crack and are light gold - about 25-30 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway thru baking. Cool completely on sheets. Enjoy!

Click here for America's Test Kitchen show times!

[Top photo courtesy of Flickr user wiserbailey]

Find us on Tumblr here.
Follow us on Twitter here.
Follow us on Facebook here

Birdman's Eye View of Street Art

2012-04-05T18:15:54Z

He shoots by night.

With digital cameras and curled 'stache, Birdman, a.k.a. Bryan Mier, has documented the Los Angeles street art tribe during a very active year.

It's not unusual to see snaps of street art and gallery openings, but the 24-year-old photographer -- a trained classical guitarist who holds a day job as music copyright researcher in the Valley -- shows how installing art is as much performance as it is process.

]]> The musician's new creative identity as photographer was a diversion to personal insomnia. "I drove around at night snapping away. Never planned on any of it taking off really," Birdman tells KCET. "I enjoy shooting artists in general whether it be fine art, street art, graffiti, and even musicians."

"Playing music was always easy for me but I could never understand how colors work when people paint, so my fascination in that is what I'm chasing in my photos," he said.

Adding to his photography is an eye for showing the relationship of space, something that came from photographing architecture, a pastime he gave himself while studying music in Italy. "That's where I first started. But I started actively doing street art because I was just a fan of what I saw when I was driving around L.A. a lot," Birdman said. "I always asked myself 'does anyone else see this?'"

That is an important question, and not because sometimes art is hidden in urban crevices. The short life span of street art limits its visual peak, and some of Birdman's photography is the only evidence of how the art looked at its best.

A shared thrill with street artists is climbing to get to rooftops, in his case to get that perfect shot that others would not see, and one reason he earns the one-name signature favored by underground creatives. "The adrenaline I get doing this is too awesome," Birdman said. "Guess you could say I'm an adrenaline junkie.

That may also come from shooting on an edge of a technical comfort zone. He only recently tried shooting with film, and admits he only knows camera basics. "I'm like a musician who can play, but has no clue how to read music," he said.

With a series of single shots, edited into this time lapse video from March 2012, Birdman captures street artist Anthony Lister at work. Edited by Michael Mazzola.

Chalk + Anthony Lister from Chalk LA

Top: Birdman Photo of LA Freewalls' Projection Hijack (March 19) showing artists work against downtown buildings. In addition to documenting, Birdman has begun collaborating directly with artists.

'Darling Companion' Podcast and Photo Gallery

2012-04-05T17:13:07Z

The KCET Cinema Series continued Tuesday night with "Darling Companion," which was a hit with all the animal lovers in the auditorium's audience.

]]> About the film:

The film stars Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline, Dianne West, and Sam Shepard. From director Lawrence Kasden, the story of a woman who seemingly loves her dog Freeway more than her husband. The plot thickens when the husband accidently loses the dog while on his cellphone. The film is a warm and funny story about personal relationships.

After the screening, host Pete Hammond was joined on the stage by Lawrence and Meg Kasdan, the directing, producing, and co-writing team behind the film. They talked about how they lost their own dog in a situation similar to the film and the lack of Hollywood produced films about older people.

Listen to the podcast:

Look through photos taken at the event:

Photos by Amy Tierney.

John Arroyo: Four Generations in East L.A., Plus Urban Planning and The Tomato King

2012-04-05T17:00:44Z

KCET Departures asks, "What's your or your family's Los Angeles arrival story?"

Today we hear from urban planner, John Arroyo:

CHAPTER ONE

"John Viramontes, my grandpa, was nine years old when he left El Cargadero in Zacatecas, Mexico for Los Angeles in 1919.

"The oldest of nine children, he helped his family settle in East Los Angeles, near the intersection of First Street and Humphreys Avenue and the Slavic cemeteries that pre-dated construction of the 710 (Long Beach) Freeway.

"Over time, this neighborhood became home base for multiple generations of my American and Mexican born family members.

"My grandpa attended middle school at Hammel Street School in City Terrace only up to the sixth grade, at which point he left to work at a foundry and financially support his family.

"This experience led him to a lifelong career in construction. He worked on many of the buildings that dot the campus of California State University, Los Angeles as well as factories along the L.A. River. In fact, he was once featured on the cover of the Los Angeles Times for saving a friend and co-worker who was buried alive after construction site accident.

"His construction skill and interest in the development of Los Angeles also inspired his proud and lifelong allegiance to the Laborers International Union of North America Local 300 AFL-CIO.

"In his spare time he played the banjo and guitar at family gatherings, sang tenor, and liked to cook (he loved tamales and Thanksgiving Dinner). He was dedicated to his family and recognized the importance of education and cultural heritage, so much that mom and Tia Belén learned English and Spanish as dual native languages.

]]>

"Maria Petra Viramontes, my grandmother, arrived to Los Angeles in 1948. Like my Grandpa John, she realized her family's financial difficulties and persuaded her sister (my Tia Cuca) to accompany her on the journey to the U.S.

"Beginning in Zacatecas, they met their sister Bonifacia at the Arizona/Mexico border and continued on to Los Angeles via train, where my grandpa John's family offered them place to stay in exchange for housekeeping services. Within a short period of time my Tia Cuca grew homesick and moved back to El Cargadero. My Abuelita Petra stayed and eventually found work on the laundry and janitorial staff of the former The Queen of Angels Hospital in Echo Park.

"My Grandpa John and Abuelita Petra had three daughters: my Tia Socorro, my Tia Belén, and my mom Refugia (Ruth), all of whom were born in Los Angeles. However, immigration challenges forced my Abuelita Petra to return back to Mexico (first to El Cargadero, then to Tijuana). There my Grandpa John and Abuelita Petra married in a civil ceremony.

"My mom vividly recalls my family's challenging life in Tijuana. My Grandpa John continued working construction jobs back in Los Angeles while my Abuelita Petra raised the children in one of Tijuana's hillside slum settlements, near the Tijuana River. Shortly thereafter my Tia Socorro fell ill with an infantile pneumonia and died.

"A defining moment during my family's time in Tijuana came after their home was burglarized. While my family had few possessions, one of the most important was a blue, metallic trunk that contained important legal documents (including my mom and Tia Belén's American birth certificates) and formal clothing reserved for the day that family would cross the border and return to Los Angeles.

"Fortunately the trunk was found. It held sentimental value because it had traveled from El Cargadero to Arizona to Los Angeles to Tijuana, and eventually back to Los Angeles. In short, the trunk's travels represented my family's own transnational history and immigration struggles. It has resided with my family in East L.A. for nearly 100 years.

"Upon returning to Los Angeles my Abuelita Petra found a job with Barth & Dreyfuss, a large textile company that had a towel factory on Santa Fe Avenue, in downtown's industrial district. For 30 years she folded towels and assembled gift sets sold at major department stores across the United States.

"Along with her counterparts, she made roughly $150 a week, a sum that would have to support her family (both in Los Angeles and in Mexico). She often worked overtime and helped friends and family members get jobs at the factory or made them clothes with extra material found in trash bins.

"Apart from her work at Barth & Dreyfuss, my Abuelita Petra's strong independence and entrepreneurial spirit led to several side jobs. She was an authorized seller for the Smiley Catalogue (a local vendor that specialized in nylons and underwear) as well as for L & S Sales (a precursor to Avon and Mary Kay Cosmetics). Her success in sales was evident in large customer base she served in the East L.A. area.

CHAPTER TWO

"In 1968 my family bought a $13,000 home in Belvedere district of East L.A., not far from the original house near First Street and Humphreys*, on the same block of the former location of the C.Y.O. and Self-Help Graphics & Art. My mom and Tia Belén remember accompanying my grandparents to sign the loan documents at Glendale Federal Bank on First Street and Indiana, near El Mercadito.

"Many of my cousins worked as farm hands tolling in the fruit fields of Orange County (Anaheim and Santa Ana) central California (Fresno and Bakersfield), and the Sacramento area (Winters and Porterville). They came every year for the "temporadas" - the pre-summer fruit-picking season that began in early May. Eventually our house in East L.A. became an unofficial rest stop for my migrant family members, whether on their way up or down central the California coast.

"My uncle, Andrés Bermudez Viramontes, was one of the many migrant workers who traveled from Zacatecas to California during the harvest season. With only a high school education, he worked in the fields of Orange County before settled in Winters, California.

"There he devised a harvesting machine that multiplied tomatoes and increased profits across California's tomatoes plantations. This was extraordinary for a migrant. The invention made him to one of California's strongest agricultural entrepreneurs and earned him the title "El Rey del Tomate" ("the Tomato King") here in U.S. and back home in Mexico.

"Andrés leveraged his position to organize other migrant workers, beginning with his service as a founding member and president of the Club de Zacatecanos in San Jose, California. Apart from San Jose, Zacatecano clubs formed across the U.S, including the Federacion de Clubes Zacatecanos del Sur de California (which not surprisingly, has its home base in East L.A.) or the Club Social El Cargadero in Santa Ana (one of the largest in the U.S.).

"Members of these clubs and hometown associations were so devoted to Zacatecas that they would raise funds to pay for civic improvement projects. In time Andrés would become the first bi-national American citizen of Mexican descent to win a popular election in Mexico, which he served until his death in 2009.

"His political candidacy provided a basis from which to consider opening the Mexican political system to the electoral participation of migrants, including voting rights for dual citizens and absentee voters.

"I was born in Monterey Park in 1980. I attended elementary school in East L.A., followed by high school at Loyola High School and an undergraduate degree in journalism/communications from USC.**

"My love for Los Angeles inspired me to work on interesting arts, culture, and heritage urban planning projects for various public, private, and non-profit community development organizations and large-scale nationally recognized foundations, as well as proactive local and regional public agencies. During this time I lived in East L.A., Long Beach, and Highland Park.

"In 2001, my sister Melissa gave birth to a wonderful new addition to our family: Avery Alyssa Arroyo, making way for a fourth generation of my family living under the same roof in East L.A., including my three siblings (Melissa, Shawn, and Justin), my mom, my Tia Belén, my uncle Isauro, and Shaleen. And just as education was important for my Abuelita Petra and Grandpa John, so to was it for my mom, Tia Belén, and uncle (my mom and uncle are both teachers in East L.A. and my aunt is a school psychologist).

"In 2008 I left Los Angeles to pursue graduate studies in urban planning and urban design at MIT. While at MIT, I worked on planning, design, and cultural development research and applied projects.

"My work led me to various cities including New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Boston, and Buffalo and was recognized through fellowships/scholarships from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, American Planning Association, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. My master's thesis, Culture in Concrete: Art and the Re-imagination of the Los Angeles River as Civic Space, focused on the role of art, culture, and landscape as a tool for civic engagement and public space planning along the Los Angeles River. Writing my thesis and its accompanying MIT CoLab Radio research blog (also adapted by Departures) was a uniquely personal project that allowed me to reflect on family's Eastside experiences and perspective.

"And while I missed Los Angeles, both my family's transnational experience and my experiences outside of L.A. taught me look at cities in a whole new way. They also inspired me to seek more international experience and projects overseas (Barcelona and Berlin) with the support of the MIT International Science and Technology Initiative. I also spent a month hiking over 700 miles across southern France and northern Spain along El Camino de Santiago.

"The other day I drove past my family's original house on First Street and Humphrey's. It looked just as it did, complete with the mosaic of the Virgin de Guadalupe on the façade.

"Just like our metallic blue legendary trunk, it's amazing to consider that my family's arrival story will soon celebrate nearly a century (since my Grandpa John's arrival in 1919) leading to four generations of life in East L.A. and across Southern California."

--John Arroyo
(as emailed to Jeremy Rosenberg)

Departures References:

Departures: Highland Park -- Brown and Proud, about Mexican immigration
Departures: Highland Park -- Reimagining the Arroyo Seco -- Cultural Producers -- interview with John Arroyo
Departures: Production Notes -- 52 Miles of Concrete -- posts by John Arroyo
Departures: Highland Park -- John Arroyo, Urban Planner
KCET: Harvest of Loneliness -- documentary about braceros.
Arrival Story: Natasha Case -- public space provocateur and ice cream entrepreneur
Arrival Story: Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, UCLA urban planning professor
Departures: Laws That Shaped L.A. -- Complete archive of Jeremy Rosenberg's other weekly column, this one about why the city turned out the way it did, featuring various urban planners and many others

Arrival Stories

View the ten most recent Arrival Stories
View the Complete Archive

*updated

**Jeremy Rosenberg works there.

Top Photo Illustration: (Clockwise from top left) -- The U.S. Social Security Card for Mexican immigrants for John Arroyo's Abuelita Petra; John Arroyo's Abuelita Petra (left) and Tia Cuca (right), taken shortly after arriving in Los Angeles in the late 1940s; a pay stub from Abuelita Petra's work at the Barth & Dreyfuss factory on Sante Fe Avenue; and the Alien Registration Receipt Card for John Arroyo's Grandpa John. All images courtesy John Arroyo

Do you or someone you know have a great Los Angeles Arrival Story to share? If so, then contact Jeremy Rosenberg via: arrivalstory AT gmail DOT com