Column

As I write this, I am gazing down at my “best man,” my little poodle named Max. We have had a tough day. He had his teeth cleaned and one pulled. They put him under anesthesia to do it and he’s a bit groggy. It is definitely in his best interest, and in mine in the long run, although I had one hell of a day, waiting. I knew he would be okay and I love my doggie doctor, but I’d rather have half a dozen of my teeth pulled than think about him in any pain. Such I’ve become.

I love my puppies. I’ve become the guy I used to laugh at. I go out in my football parka in the rain with my little white poodle and little black Yorkiepoo, both with their raincoats on. Although I love my family with all my heart, the kind of love and devotion many of us humans get from our little canine friends is just something wonderfully different. Their dependence on you, makes you very dependent on them.  One of my sons says, “Dad you love Max and CoCo more than you love your four human children.” I always look at him with a smile and say, “What’s your point?”  Bottom line: I love my puppies and I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to them or they got sick or… or… or went to their maker. I often say, I don’t know what will happen if they go before I do. I try to keep it in perspective, but……

So to the point: I heard about dog cloning a while back and put it in the back of my mind. But recently, I came across a story about a country singer who wants his best friend cloned. I can’t remember the singer’s name, sorry, but his love for his puppy does have my attention. I need to figure out if dog cloning makes sense. Enter into the equation the story of Nina and Edgar Otto and their golden lab, Lancelot. Nina says, “There was always that look in his eyes, so human. He was my best friend, my Prince Charming, and my constant companion. The actual thought that he was going to be gone, I couldn’t live with.”   Edgar says, “We didn’t expect him to die. He was much too young.”  When Lancelot got cancer, they saved DNA and put in the winning bid to a South Korean company of $155,000. They now have a cloned puppy that looks exactly like Lancelot. So here we are. Procedures are being done. That same company charges about $100,000 for us consumers.

Those who say cloning is not a good idea say there are thousands and thousands of dogs that need homes, and most of them can become wonderful companions. There is also the consideration that you won’t be getting the same puppy if you clone. They are socialized from birth and by sixteen weeks, they have much of their personality. We adopted our second puppy at a year and a half. Does it make sense we would get the same wildly wonderful, technicolor dog. Our first came from a litter of three and had been on his way to be the wonderful gentle soul he is when he made our home his.

They are five years and four, so hopefully I have time to figure it out. Would we be able to bring them back, or just have puppies that look like them?

Our ties with our “little people” are amazing. When Max looks into my eyes he sees into my soul and I see into his. Losing either of them would/will be devastating. The temptation to try to bring them back is enormous, but does it make sense?

 

Elvis Presley. Whitney Houston. Miley Cyrus. Justin Bieber. They all have one thing in common—they were raised in the church. Good kids, no doubt.

Gracie Trey (AJ Michalka) was a good kid, too. She was raised by parents who cared for, nurtured and brought her up, not only in the church, but on the “platform” (church word for stage). John Trey (James Denton), alias Johnny Trey, had been a superstar, at least for a little while. He rose like a shooting star and crashed back to earth again, broken and spent. He finds God in the midst of his mess and never looks back.

John gave his six year old daughter her first guitar and from that day forward Grace and her Dad were inseparable. Their love of music was their bond and they were both really good at it—“naturals,” some would say. Along the way, Grace picks up the piano as well as a lot of “stage presence.” John leads the worship band in their church and Grace is his right hand. But somewhere along the way, Grace starts to dream of stardom.

It’s every parent’s dilemma. There is something embedded in us that we want more for our children; more than we had and more than we’ve achieved. We might want them to take over our family business and take it to new heights, or just maybe it’s the next hit single. But John had been there and barely survived, he knew well the pitfalls of Hollywood and that is the last thing in the world he wanted for Grace. He knew she wasn’t safe out there and he, above all, wanted her to be safe.

Let’s go back to Justin or Miley and their predecessors, who are many. Whether it’s getting an inheritance at eighteen or being “discovered” at 12, kids do not have the maturity to go down that road alone. I remember when Miley Cyrus was interviewed by Barbara Walters in the beginning of her career. Her father, Billy was there and the crux of the conversation was about her being a good girl, raised right and not about to stray from her Christian values. If you are even living in the same country you know how that has turned out. We have the same story for Justin Bieber. It makes you wonder what these kids are thinking. The fact is, probably, they aren’t. They either turn 18 or amass enough money where their parents no longer have any influence over them. Money can be a blessing or a cruel taskmaster and for the most part, these kids don’t know the difference until it’s too late.

Grace Unplugged is a wonderful, well written and acted film. It’s a great movie to watch with your kids or your grandkids. It may be just the thing that keeps them from over glamorizing stardom. I highly recommend it even if you aren’t there for the faith aspect. It’s easy to rent and well worth the buck thirty!  I look forward to your comments at chastings@rockcliff.com.

 

 

Worn and well-loved hard back book covers decorate the walls of a cozy wood clad office. Encyclopedias and books from travels stacked on shelves with personal artifacts and photos. Decorating book shelves, whether they are in the Family Room, home office, or in a built-in down the hall, is an art that can be mastered with a few simple tricks.

The home library should be a sanctuary for the avid reader with plenty of space to store the books you once lost yourself in. Stack books side by side and lay them flat with personal items on top to add dimension and character. If you have collections, sort the books by color and height. Sometimes removing the paper cover reveals a gorgeous hardback book that needs to be displayed. Keeping a consistency within the shelves keeps the eye traveling around the room.

Built-ins that travel down a wide, long hallway maximizes much needed book storage space. Keeping this area well lit with recessed spot lighting will accent your display nicely. Bookshelf space only has to be as deep as the width of a book so small accent walls can handle a decorative, custom niche. Designing your cabinetry to reflect your personal design style can be tricky. Wood species, stain or paint color, and decorative elements are all items a designer can assist with. Your home library area is a fun way to express your style and show off your love for books and travel.

Fresh from our field trip the Big City, today we continue to redraw our lines of content.

Today we visit a local star with reaches that are surpassing our circulation and explore a little of why we will continue to see Chef Rodney Worth’s empire grow exponentially for years to come.

When I started out on this writing endeavor, my aim was to bring you the reader a taste (from experience) of why some restaurants experience success while others go dark and pack up in the dead of night. Food plays such a surprisingly small attribute to the formula that sets notable places apart. In my upcoming book, What Seem to be the Problem?, I draw the thick line in the sand that separates those that “get it” and those that don’t. Rodney Worth GETS IT!

Born and raised right here in the area of ALIVE’s circulation, Rodney has always had his finger on the pulse of the Tri-Valley, simply because it is his pulse as well. He understands what we want and how we want to feel, and he has never over complicated that. With his business sense coming from grocery store operations (his first job) and his food passions coming from the kitchen at Wente Vineyards as well as Bizou (now Coco 500), Rodney is no stranger to fine food and high end clientele.

What sets Rodney apart from most is that he only wants to give it all away! His desire is that we, as consumers, experience what he knows to be true. Those truths are that farm to table is the best way to eat in a close-knit, family-friendly community. That ALL food served needs to be raised sustainably or needs to not be served at all. That certification of food prepared is crucial. Certified “line caught” fish, certified “wild”, certified “grass-fed” and “free-range.” This is the food that is important and this is the food that will make you feel good. This is food that will not poison you but rather feed your soul.

Then he brings in his strong family values and blurs the line to non-existent between family and his professional life. He opened Ferraris Cucina Italiana as homage to his wife Natalie, her heritage, and their family recipes. He hosts his son’s baseball parties at his restaurants. He brings his kids with him to work so they can see what he does and he brings us all along for the ride on Facebook where I have never seen his children not smiling (they get that from him too).

Rodney is a bit of a hero to me personally because I admire this man for showing us all that success can come from doing what you love the right way.

Five years ago our family lost our patriarch and since that time, the carving of the Thanksgiving bird has become more a scene from Saw than function. Rodney’s YouTube tutorial on how to properly prepare and carve a Turkey saved our holiday! When I was told by Eric here at ALIVE that I should gather testimonials from celebrities for the back cover of my book, Rodney was the only person I approached, because his is the only testimonial I wanted. I forwarded the book to him so that he could form a valid opinion and then decide if he wanted to endorse. To my delight, he connected. Just knowing that Rodney and I speak a similar language and that both of us want to share that secret language with the public makes me want to put his baseball card in the spokes of my bike.

Rodney has six restaurants listed here in order of opening: Peasant and the Pear (Danville), Peasants Courtyard (Alamo), Little Pear, Prickly Pear and Ferraris (Blackhawk) and Pear Southern Bistro (Napa).

Pick one and go!

Most parents know that children learn their ABC’s faster by singing rather than saying the letters. The added tune makes learning the ABC’s easier to learn and remember. Students who sing or play an instrument score up to 51 points higher on SATs than the national average. Children who grow up exposed to music have a great advantage in many ways over those who seldom hear music.

Music is good for you – physically, emotionally and spiritually. Music affects your mood, makes you feel happy, enchanted, inspired, wistful, excited, empowered, comforted and even heroic.

Many generations of parents probably balk at what their children are listening to and identify with, in terms of contemporary music they hear on radio, television, compact discs and live concerts.

As a teenager in the 1950’s I’m sure my own parents were not happy with the advent of rock n’ roll as exemplified by Bill Haley and Elvis Presley, among others. Fast forward to today – acid rock, heavy metal rock, etc. permeate the airways with ear-splitting decibel levels. Because of this hearing abuse, many physicians predict a generation of hard-of-hearing adults will emerge. Hearing organ damage is inevitable if children keep listening at the current levels. The musical value of today’s pop and rock music comes into serious question as to its inherent worth in ones aesthetic judgments concerning its benefits, merit and lasting values to society. Parents are cautioned to watch out for obscene or disturbing lyrics, according to a news article from the British Broadcasting Corporation.

Classical Music

In a study by Sarah Harris at the Institute of Education, University of London, Harris found that exposing children to classical music boosts their concentration and self discipline. It also improves their social and general listening skills and develops sharper minds that are less likely to suffer a mental decline.

These three very famous compositions are highly recommended for children.

Young Peoples Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten, England’s best known modern composer, introduces children to the instrument families: woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion. He first writes for the instrument families then for each one individually. This work is a delightful and fun piece designed for people unfamiliar with the orchestral instruments. Children will learn a lot from this work

Peter and the Wolf by Russian composer, Sergei Prokifiev, is a “symphonic tale for children,” according to Curt Sachs in his book, Our Musical Heritage. This musical story is told by a narrator. The woodwinds are associated with four characters in the story: the flute, personifies the bird; the oboe, the duck; the clarinet, the cat and the bassoon, the grandfather. The French horns describe the wolf and the strings portray Peter. The hunters are represented by rifle shots simulated on drums.

Carnival of the Animals, considered must listening for children was composed by French composer, Camille Saint-Saens. This work is in 14 sections. The inspiration for the piece might have been prompted by his students who asked him to write a musical joke for them. He regarded the writing of the work as a “piece of fun.”  Ironically he did not allow the piece to be published or performed during his lifetime. The reason for this was he did not want this “fun piece” to distract from his work as a serious composer of substantive music. He wanted the work to be published posthumously however. People enjoyed it so much that it has become one of Saint-Saens most famous compositions. The instruments of the orchestra reproduce the sounds made by the various animals. The suite is scored for small orchestra and two pianos. This piece is “A tour through the animal kingdom in short bits,” states Ethan Mordden in his book, A Guide to Orchestral Music.

These are all very prominent and enjoyable works that can teach children a lot about music.       Other musical selections children enjoy are: The William Tell Overture by G. Rossini (familiar as one of the themes of the radio and television show, The Lone Ranger) Children’s Corner Suite by C. Debussy; The Nutcracker by P. Tchaikovsky; Simple Symphony by B. Britten; Pier Gynt Suite by E. Grieg and Orpheus in the Underworld by J. Offenbach

Cartoons and Films

In 1940 the landmark Disney feature Fantasia dealt with classical music in an animated form for children. This movie exposed the audience, children and adults, to great works of popular classical music including The Nutcracker, The Rite of Spring, Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Night on Bald Mountain and Ave Maria. The goal was to expose children to great music. Cartoons, during their early days and today, often play classical music as background for the action on the screen. Popular animated children films today expose the audience to excellent musical sound tracks.

Many dramatic feature and action films use classical music to help express the emotions the actors are feeling and expressing. Music in films helps make the story and the acting on the screen much more effective.

Why not expose your children to music of lasting value that they will learn to embrace and will lead to a new appreciation of music of worth? By introducing your children to music written for them you will be doing them an enormous service that will lead to a lifetime of musical enjoyment and personal fulfillment.

Make classical music a natural part of your children’s daily life but never force classical music on them and be careful not to ban other forms of music.

Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net

Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville Community Band.

One of the nice aspects of American life today is the respect and love accorded to the nation’s veterans. It is common practice now for civilians to place their hand over their heart when passing a young man or woman in uniform. Having grown up during World War II, I remember the sacrifices made by our young people of the “Greatest Generation” and the great generations of fighting men and women since then. Let’s give them all a special salute with a few questions.

1. He flew over 25 missions in WWII over Europe and was a Brigadier General in the Air Force reserve at the time of his death. Who is this Oscar winning actor?

2. He was drafted into the Army after graduating from Notre Dame. He was wounded in Vietnam, but played on four Pittsburg Steelers Super Bowl winners after his discharge. Who is he?

3. Two famous celebrities died while flying over the English Channel during WWII. One was a bandleader and one was a famous British actor, who had starred in a 1939 Hollywood blockbuster. Who were they?

4. One of our greatest composers supplied the music for two separate Broadway sows that featured enlisted Army personnel in WWI and WWII. The shows were “Yip Yip Yaphank” and “This is the Army.” Who was the composer?

5. Our most celebrated hero of WWI was Sergeant who captured an entire unit of Germans single-handedly. His story was told in a 1942 movie. Who was he?

6. A cartoonist served as a war correspondent during WWII. He captured the life and struggles of the average foot soldier with a group of cartoons featuring two grizzled GIs trudging across Europe. Their names were Willie and Joe. Who was the cartoonist?

 

March brings overcast, sometimes drizzly mornings interspersed with sunny afternoons. Bursts of color begin to erupt in our home gardens; and each week some new seasonal delicacy appears at the farmers’ market. Stands brimming with fragrant citrus fruits are now joined by other cool-weather crops like snapping-fresh asparagus spears, sweet multi-color beets, tender salad greens, big bumpy fava beans, mild-mannered leeks, a trilogy of plump peas (English, sugar-snaps, and snow peas), and a scarlet sea of early strawberries. The farmers’ market is also well stocked with crisp green cabbage and numerous potato varieties ideal for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Spring flowers abound…ever the perfect antidote to a gloomy day.

Even with all this bounty before us, it would take a very cold-hearted Californian to resist the charms of the season’s first artichokes. Here where they are cheap and plentiful, artichokes have become part of the California lifestyle. I never tire of them—steamed or boiled; braised; marinated; fried; stuffed and baked; or blanched and charred on the grill. Bring it on.

The following recipe is adapted from one that appeared in Sunset magazine a number of years back. This convenient cooking method is a nice switch, and celebrates the artichoke’s origins with aromatic Mediterranean flavors. It’s also a great make-ahead dish, since these artichokes are equally delicious at room temperature.

 Prickly Points

–Edible thistles of the sunflower family and native to the Mediterranean, artichokes were brought to California in the 1880’s by Italian immigrants.

–California produces 100% of all commercially grown artichokes in the United States

–Approximately 75% of harvested artichokes are sold fresh; the remaining 25% are
processed as canned hearts and crowns or as frozen, quartered artichokes

–Globe artichokes are cultivated mainly in California’s foggy mid-coastal regions.

–The peak season for artichokes is March through May, with a shorter second season in the fall. Artichokes grown in the fall are usually more cone-shaped than round, and their outer petals have a purplish tinge.

–The first artichokes to appear at the top of the plant are the largest; those picked thereafter are smaller. The “babies” that grow under the plant’s large silvery leaves rarely develop a choke, so they can be cooked and eaten whole or cut into slivers and eaten raw.

–Buy artichokes that feel heavy for their size, with an unopened, compact leaf formation and firm stem with little sign of browning at the end. The leaves should “squeak” when pressed together. (However, note that thornless varieties—without prickly tips—will not pass the squeak test.)

–A slightly bronzed or blistery look on the leaf edges (dubbed “winter’s kiss” by some advertising wizard) is merely an indication of the artichoke’s exposure to frost, and does not affect the artichoke’s quality. (In fact, some growers swear they taste the best.)

–Refrigerate unwashed artichokes in a closed plastic bag for up to 5 days.

–When preparing artichokes, some cooks prefer to wear rubber gloves to protect their hands from the prickly tips.

–To reduce discoloration, as you are working drop each cut artichoke  into a large bowl of acidulated cold water (i.e., 3 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 quartcool water).

–Don’t discard the artichoke stems! They taste remarkably similar to the prized hearts. When you find an artichoke with a nice fat stem, use a small knife or a swivel-bladed vegetable peeler to remove the tough, fibrous outer layer; then steam or roast it along with the artichokes. (Watch closely, as they cook faster.)

–1 medium artichoke weighs in at a mere 60 calories, with 7 grams of fiber.

 Oven-Steamed Artichokes

3 large farm-fresh artichokes, each about 4 inches wide, preferably with thick stems attached

1/4 cup California extra virgin olive oil

6 large garlic cloves, peeled if desired

6 small sprigs of fresh thyme or other favorite herb

6 thin lemon slices, seeds removed

Coarse (kosher) salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Working 1 artichoke at a time, break off and discard the small tough outer leaves. Use a large knife to cut off the tips and stems. With kitchen scissors, snip off the thorny tips from the remaining leaves. Trim the dark base from the stem end and peel the coarse outer fibers from the stem and artichoke bottom. Cut artichokes in half lengthwise and remove and discard the fuzzy choke with a melon baller or small spoon. Drop artichoke halves and stems in a bowl of acidulated water. Repeat with remaining artichokes.

1. Pour oil into a 13- x 9- x 2-inch baking dish…or any other dish in which the artichokes will fit snugly in a single layer. Roll the peeled stems and artichoke halves in the oil to coat lightly. Arrange artichoke halves cut-side down in the baking dish. Place a garlic clove in the cavity where the choke had been; then slide a sprig of thyme and a lemon slice under each artichoke half. Tuck the stems into spaces between the artichokes. Cover with parchment paper to prevent discoloration; then cover tightly with foil. Bake until the artichoke bottoms are just tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 40 minutes.
2. Carefully place each artichoke half on a serving platter, cut-side up, leaving the garlic and thyme in place, topped by the steamed lemon slice. Arrange the stems on the platter; drizzle the baking juices over all, and season with salt. Serve warm or at room temperature; as is, or with mayonnaise, aioli, melted butter, and/or fresh lemon wedges on the side. Serves 3 artichoke lovers at dinner, or 6 polite people as part of a buffet.

 

The Danville Certified Farmers’ Market, located at Railroad and Prospect, is open every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. For specific crop information call the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association at 1-800-949-FARM, or visit their web site at www.pcfma.com. This market is made possible through the generous support of the Town of Danville. Please show your appreciation by patronizing the many fine shops and restaurants located in downtown Danville. Buy fresh. Buy local. Live well.