Do You Really Know Your Neighbors?

 As I walk around my neighborhood, I love to look at the landscaping.  I never realized that one's outdoor decor and landscaping could be sending a signal to passersby.  Someone hit me with the information recently that gnomes in the front landscape may indicate that the couple inside are swingers.  I confirmed this by talking to others and by researching this bizarre topic.

There's a realtor in North County San Diego, specifically Carlsbad, that posted this information on line.  She had clients looking at property in a family friendly community in Carlsbad and found out that there were many swingers in the area, all identifying themselves as such by gnomes in the front yard.  Who knew?  

Next time you take a walk, you may want to be on watch for gnomes.  Now let me be clear, there are other reasons for adding a gnome to your lawn decor, but it could be a sign of what's going on behind closed doors.  Upon further digging, I found that there are other signals that a couple may be identifying themselves as swingers.

White landscaping rocks, pampas grass, pineapple door knockers, plastic pink flamingos and of course gnomes may all indicate that swingers are looking for action.

Don't be fooled by the community.  This exists in family friendly areas, senior communities, and very upscale areas alike.  Who knew?

Fighting Flat Earth Theory

 People who believe that the Earth is flat aren’t coming to that conclusion from a scientific conclusion. They, instead, believe that we are being misled and lied to, that scientists want you to believe that the Earth is round, despite its flatness.

So the question isn’t "why do people believe in a flat Earth" but rather "why do people believe in a conspiracy?" And the answer is the same reason it always is: a lack of trust.

Many people don’t trust the society around them, most notably the representatives of that society. That trust often falls even further when it comes to trusting government officials, members of academia and scientists

By claiming that the Earth is flat, people are really expressing a deep distrust of scientists and science itself.

So, if you find yourself talking to a flat Earther, skip the evidence and arguments, and ask yourself how you can build trust.

Throughout history, there have been flat-earth believers, who doubt what seems to most people, unquestionable.  The flat-earth conference began in earnest in 2009.  They have their own models to propose their beliefs.  Some say the Earth's edges are surrounded by a wall of ice holding in the oceans.  To account for night and day, most flat-Earthers think the sun moves in circles around the North Pole.  

Can you believe that 7% of the Brazilian population thinks the earth is flat?  This shocking number is attributed to a resurgent evangelican Christian church.  It would be easy to dismiss flat earthers as simply being misguided due to lack of education, but that's not it.  It seems to be based on both a conspiracy mentality (conspiracy theorists) and a deeply help belief that looks a lot like religiosity but isn't necessarily tied to religion.  

It's hard to imagine anyone believing in a flat earth after the volumes of science we have.  But there are some that do, and that is frightening.

The Night of the Murdered Poets

 There's so much I don't know.  It amazes me that everyday I learn about some incident from history that I knew nothing about.  The latest bit of knowledge is learning about the night of the murdered poets, in Russia, on August 12, 1952.  

On August 12, 1952, thirteen Jewish intellectuals were executed by a firing squad in Moscow's Lubyanka prison, after being convicted of treason and espionage.  The mass execution, one of Stalin's final acts of persecution, became known as the "Night of the Murdered Poets."

Among those executed, were five Yiddish writers who were part of the JAC, Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee.  The organization had been formed during the Holocaust to lobby world Jewry to support the USSR in fighting Nazi Germany. While Stalin initially overlooked the development of the group, he tightened his control of the country after the war ended.

Stalin's reign of terror began by murdering the head of the JAC, Solomon Mikhoels.  He then secretly arrested members of the organization, held them in prison without charging them for several years, while they were tortured.  A memorial for the JAC victims was dedicated on the 25th anniversary of the Night of the Murdered Poets in Jerusalem's Rasko neighborhood in 1977.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7H9uo3j5FQ  click on this link to find out more about this historical event.

Maria Empanada is Fantastico

 I was watching Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives one night about a week before my trip to Colorado, when I watched Guy Fieri review Maria Empanada, and knew I had to go there when I was in Denver.  Lorena, the Argentian owner who came here with just $300 in her pocket and big dreams, now has four locations.  When Lorena first arrived, she made her empanadas for a friend who served them at a party, where a caterer tasted them and gave Lorena her first big order.  The rest is history.  

I visited the location on Broadway in Denver, and at 11:00am it was still busy with breakfast customers.  The empanadas are probably the best I've eaten.  The dough is soft and flaky.  They even have a gluten free option, so my grandson Lennon was happy.  They serve several breakfast empanadas, one similar to a burrito with eggs, potato and cheese, another with chorizo.  The all day empanadas include chicken chimichurri, beef and peppers, ham and cheese, just to name a few.  There are many vegetarian empanadas as well.

Of course Maria Empanada also has the iconic Argentine cookie.  Shortbread cookies filled with a dulce de leche cream.  Just wonderful.  If you look at their website you will see that they can also be shipped to you!  If you do find yourself in Denver and are looking for a nice light breakfast or lunch, give Maria Empanada a try.

Fall Dinner Means Pumpkin

 If you're like me, you already getting sick of "pumpkin everything."  Pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin latte, pumpkin bread, even pumpkin flavored cereal.  Well, I have a quick and easy dinner meal that you'll enjoy anytime of year!  It's a great way to use up a can of pumpkin.  I call this one dish meal Pasta with pumpkin and parmesean sauce.  Here it is.  When I made it I didn't measure anything.  Sorry about that, but these measurements are close to what I used.  I love it.

                                              Fusili with pumpkin, parmesean and sage

Sauce

1/2 can pureed pumpkin, no sugar added

2 T. butter

2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped

2 heaping tablespoons grated parmesean

Several spoons of pasta water (to thin out the sauce) from the cooking water of the pasta

Fresh sage, browned in butter if you have it.  If not, I just sprinkled a little dried sage in the sauce

Melt butter, add garlic and cook until butter bubbles around the edges.  Add pumpkin, however much you like, and combine.  I added several spoons of the pasta water to thin the sauce.  Then add the parmesean cheese.  Season with salt and pepper, but not too much because the parmesean cheese is salty.

While making the sauce, cook the pasta.  I used penne, but fusili would be even better.  It has more nooks and crannies to hold the sauce.  Drain the pasta and add to the sauce.  

To  serve, simply put pasta on plate, sprinkle more parmesean on top, and add sage leaves if you have them.  This a great fall meal, and especially good for meatless Mondays.  Enjoy

Great Pizza in LA: Jon and Vinny's

 Things are opening up in a big way.  Every time I go to LA to visit my mom, which is about once a month, we go out for at least two meals.  I've had some great food recently, and our visit to Jon and Vinny's in Brentwood was no exception.  They also have a branch in West Hollywood, plus several other restaurant brands.  They own and manage Petit Trois (two locations in LA), Son of a Gun in LA, a wine company called Helen's, and Danos Dumplings.  

At the Brentwood location of Jon and Vinny's, they built a huge, socially distanced outdoor dining area in what was formerly the parking lot.  The outdoor area must seat about 30 people, more than the indoor area.  In any event, the food is the star.  Everything is delicious.  Pizzas, pasta, salads (great salads), etc.  I was there for dinner, but I would love to try it for breakfast.  In addition to the usual suspects for breakfast, like pancakes, bacon and the like, they have some items you don't often associate with breakfast.  Ricotta bruschetta with orange blossom honey and sesame seeds, polenta, olive oil and parmesean, melon and prosciutto, and spaghetti carbonara, pancetta and pecorino,  Yum.

If you're in the Brentwood/Santa Monica area, try Jon and Vinny's.  Great food in a great setting.

An Evening With Friends

 Regina, Merrilee and I enjoyed an evening out recently.  We chose BlueWater Grill in Carlsbad.  It's been around for about three years, since Fish Veracruz closed, on Carlsbad Village Drive.  We went on a Wednesday around 6pm, and I was shocked that there was a 30 minute wait.  Luckily they had entertainment (a folk singer) to keep us happy, and a wonderful, strong, Margherita.  We were happy and hungry when we were finally seated, and immediately dug into the sour dough bread and butter on the table.  How can you resist that?

We started the meal with an order of fried calamari, probably one of the best I've had in a long time.  It was lightly battered, fried but not greasy, with a remolod sauce and a sweet and sour sauce.  That was gone in no time flat, and we all ordered our entrees.  Merrilee ordered scallops on a bet of mashed potatoes with vegetables.  She loved it, and had enough to take home for another meal.  I ordered grilled salmon with scalloped potatoes, Regina ordered another fish (sand dabs?) and scalloped potatoes.  The fish was delicious, and the potatoes were outstanding.  If you go there, try the scalloped potatoes.  

No room for  dessert.  The menu is extensive and includes everything you would expect, including lobster roll and cioppino and key lime pie for dessert.  The food was great, and of course, dinner with Merrilee and Regina is always a treat.

Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad

 Cauliflower is all the rage today.  Roast it, puree it instead of potatoes, use it as a crust for pizza.  Here's another way to use cauliflower, which I recently discovered, and maybe the best use of the vegetable yet.  Use it in place of bulgar wheat to make tabbouleh salad.  It's fantastic.  One of my favorite dinners is a Mediterranean dinner with tabbouleh salad, hummus, tzadiki, falafel, and pita.  Try this salad next time you want a light, yet tangy and refreshing salad.

                                                  Cauliflower Tabbouleh Salad

1 pound riced cauliflower (I buy the packaged riced cauliflower for convenience)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

1/2 cup flat leafed parsley

1/4 cup olive oil

6 scallions, chopped

4 Persian cucumbers, chopped

3 radishes, thinly sliced

1 lemon, juiced (or about 1/4 cup lemon juice)

1/2 cup red onion, chopped, salt and pepper

red pepper flakes to taste (not too much)

Put the riced cauliflower in a pan with a little olive oil, and cook for about three minutes, just to soften

Mix the cauliflower with all the other ingredients.  Make it in advance to give flavors a chance to meld. 

Enjoy as a side salad, or include in a medly of Mediterranean  salads with pita. Either way, enjoy.

The Benefits of a Weighted Blanket

 The Odyssey Blanket, and other weighted blankets for humans, have been on the market for a number of years, but before people started using them, they were used for decades with animals.

When we had race horses in the late 80's, 90's and part of 2000 and 2001, we had several that we anxious, extremely high strung, and out of control around July 4 and other nights when fireworks were shot off.  Thoroughbreds are by nature high strung, but some are almost impossible to control.  We had two stakes horses, very expensive, who could not calm down in the starting gate.  They would rear up, throw the jockey, not be able to race.  Our trainer suggested the weighted blanket, developed by the Horse Whisperer, Monty Roberts.  It's a special blanket that is put on the horse as he enters the starting gate, then when the gates open, it pulls off.  It made a huge difference, and both horses that used the blanket had a successful racing career.

Now my dog Pepper is another story.  He, too, has terrible anxiety during a rainstorm with thunder and lightening, fireworks, explosions at Camp Pendleton.  He shakes so, I'm afraid he's going to have a heart attack.  I bought him a Thunder Coat, a tight fitting coat that is supposed to help make him feel secure.  Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

Now humans are using the weighted blanket.  It is supposed to relieve anxiety and relax you.  I have not used it, but it probably works, just like it works for other animals.  First we try it on animals, and when it works, we try it on people.  The weighted blanket is just another tool for people with sleeping problems.  I'm sure it helps.

Pizzana in Brentwood (and West Hollywood)

 There is one more delicious restaurant I want to mention from my August trip to LA during my rotator cuff recovery.  It is Pizzana.  It's an Italian pizza restaurant, with a few antipasti and salads also available.

About a dozen years ago Caroline and Chris O'Donnell (yes, the actor) were hosting one of their pizza parties, when they were introduced to Daniel Uditi, a chef from Italy.  With Daniel and Candace and Charles Nelson of Sprinkles Cupcakes, the O'Donnell's opened Pizzana.

It was so hard to get into when it first opened, but since the pandemic things have cooled off.  The food, however, is as good as ever!  

It's a Neopolitan style pizza, with a thin crust that bubbles up around the edges, and the middle is a little soft and chewy.  Pizzana offers about 10 pizza pies, and it's hard to decide what to get.  I had the mushroom pizza, filled with several varieties of mushrooms and lots of cheese.  Great.  Pizzana also has antipasti, such as charred broccolini, carciofi arrosti, which is grilled artichokes in a vinegrette dressing.  A brussels sprouts salad with chopped apple and pistachios was my favorite.

Pizzana is a very casual restaurant.  Great food and good service make it my go-to place for pizza on LA's Westside. 

Enough With The Thoughts and Prayers

I'm sick of every time there's a mass shooting, hearing fire, police and government officials say "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims."  Of course we are thinking  of them, but instead of praying for them, why doesn't somebody do something?

On Wednesday we again had a school shooting, fortunately not a mass shooting as so many in the past, but one that could have been easily avoided.  This was an altercation between students, one of whom had a gun, and when the argument escalated, the one with the gun took it out and opened fire.  Fortunately no one was killed, but hundreds of children and their families were traumatized, possibly with long term effects.  Not to mention the strain on hospitals, fire and police departments that probably spent untold amounts of money to ready ambulances, busses, etc. for the worst case scenario.

I don't care where you stand on the 2nd amendment, school shootings must be prevented.  Why are kids bringing loaded guns to school anyway?  Many of these children are totally untrained in the operation of a firearm, yet are walking around with a loaded gun.  I know it sounds awful, but how about metal detectors or security checks for students each day?  I know about ghost guns, but there's got to be a way for security to check each child as he/she enters school.

The right to bear arms is given to us in the constitution.  I don't think our forefathers had in mind that teenage children should have the right to bring weapons to kill other students and teachers that they didn't like.  Something is very wrong. 

Will Bulk Shopping Change Forever?

 One of the things I missed most when the pandemic began was bulk food shopping at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and just about every other market around.  I loved going into North Coast Produce and buying 4 dates from the bin, rather than a big box that I would end up throwing out.  Bulk shopping allows the shopper to buy just what they want.  This is especially important for single people or just a couple, who can never use up a large box of hemp seed or flax seed.  It is so wasteful!

Well, the pandemic shut down bulk shopping right away.  You could find the bulk items prepacked by store employees in plastic bags, but it was never just what I wanted.  

For quite a while, companies were unsure regarding the safety of bulk grocery items, but I guess they are all following the science (what a concept) and the CDC must now say that bulk food offers no health risk of cross contamination, as originally thought.

Yippee.  I went to Winco in September and ALL the bulk items they offer were available.  I was so happy.  Then, I went to Sprouts a few days later, and found the same thing.  No more prepackaged food.  You can use the scoopers to fill your plastic bags and get just what you want.  

Although the pandemic rages on due to those that refuse to follow the science, at least we have bulk foods from the grocery companies now available, because the grocery industry IS following the science.

The Waverly in Cardiff

 My lunch bunch group ate at The Waverly recently.  We all raved about the food, ambience and service.  I can't wait to go for dinner.  It's a very contemporary atmosphere, with soft beige on the walls and ceilings, fans and a beautiful bar.  There is seating both inside and out, and lots of heaters outdoors for the cold weather.

The food is unique, but delicious.  They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, and although we were there for lunch, some of us had breakfast.  The creme brulee french toast was out of this world.  Brioche bread, carmelized on the top and bottom to create a nice crunch, was served with berries and whipped cream.  Avocado toast and eggs benedict were also on the breakfast menu.

We tried some appetizers for the table first:  a delicious, creamy eggplant dip spread on toasted bread was wonderful, but I loved the pickled potatoes with creme fraiche.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Small new potatoes were cooked, pricked with a fork, then brined before being fried.  I will try to make them at home.  They were that good.  They have several bowls, a large bao filled with beef, cheese and lettuce, to simulate a Big Mac (not for me), a few grilled sandwiches, and a wonderful hot shrimp dish.  Oh, I can't forget the salted carmel butterscotch pudding.

The Waverly is not for someone wanting to eat the same old thing all the time, but more for those who want to try something new and different.  The Waverly checked all the boxes for me:  beautiful restaurant with attentive servers, excellent food and unique choices.  I can't wait to go back.  (The Waverly is in Cardiff, right near Seaside Market).