MONTCLARION: October 26, 2012
Tucked in the crawl space of our house is a box. It’s an orange and black bin that holds decades of Halloween memories. Every year, I dust off the cobwebs and pop off the plastic lid to reveal costumes and makeup and candles and corncobs. This year, I dug a little deeper. Continue reading
HILLS NEWSPAPERS: October 26, 2012
The ratio of humans to ghosts is unknown. That’s probably a good thing, knowing how spirits can violate one’s personal space.
Yet, this is the season to seek out these elusive beings. Cemeteries aside, there is no better place to meet up with a ghost than a historic hotel. Here are five California favorites: Continue reading
CONTRACOSTATIMES.COM: September 27, 2012
Robert Louis Stevenson once described wine as “poetry in a bottle.” But the real music is made during crush, when the grape skins are broken to prepare them for wine production. Early autumn sees a steady flow of visitors to the vineyard-laced valleys of Napa and Sonoma. The tasting rooms are abuzz with the talk of tannins as wine lovers rush to find pairings for dishes such as braised short ribs and pumpkin soup.
Yet, not everyone loves a parade. If you’re looking for a more intimate experience, here are three off-the-grid wine regions that will help you avoid the rush to the crush.
Santa Cruz: Fourteen wineries make up a consortium called Surf City Vintners near Swift Street and Ingalls in Santa Cruz. The area has a funky warehouse feel, which just lends to the fun of going door-to-door to taste wine. The most recognized label is Bonny Doon Vineyard, a soulful operation that was nearly lost when disease decimated its vineyards in the mid-1990s. Today, Bonny Doon wines are a Santa Cruz favorite, coupled with a popular on-site café called Le Cigare Volant. Each table has its own private nook, where locally-grown foods are paired with the winery’s organic offerings.
Nearby, Marin Artukovich is having more fun than a vintner should have. The coffee-grower-turned-winemaker owns MJA Vineyards, where soft Hawaiian music plays as he pours tastings of several of his “girls” —
MONTCLARION: May 24, 2012
It’s Memorial Day weekend, and all across the land, there are wispy clouds of grilling smoke, with just a hint of cayenne. And mesquite.
The barbecue is more than just a cooking device — it’s a savory symbol of summer. We lovingly spritz our veggies in olive oil and make up our marinades days in advance. We crisp the greens and shape the patties and load up the coolers with drinks. It’s a ritual we do better than anyone on earth, and we’re proud of it. So fire up the coals and let the barbecuing begin. Continue reading
Permaculture class at Merritt College
Members of the permaculture design class receive instruction from teacher Christopher Shein, below on hill, as they maintain the hillside in the landscape and horticulture lab at Merritt College in Oakland, Calif. on Friday, April 20, 2012. (Jane Tyska)
MONTCLARION: May 10, 2012
It’s Mother’s Day Weekend. That’s right — we do way too much work to be honored on just one day — we deserve a long weekend like Washington and Lincoln.
They ran the country, but we run companies, households, churches and schools. Let’s put our feet up this weekend and, with any luck, we’ll come out of it with a pedicure and a foot massage. Continue reading
SAINT MARY’S MAGAZINE: February 12, 2012
With a deep luminous core and a bright cherry/ plum nose, the 2007 Brother Timothy Cabernet Sauvignon is ready to debut. “It’s the vintage of the decade,” said celebrated winemaker Dave Guffy of the Hess Collection, who handcrafts a cabernet annually to benefit the Lasallian Education Fund. Continue reading
SAINT MARY’S MAGAZINE: February 19, 2012
Photos by
Mention wildlife and college in the same breath and it conjures up visions of the 1970s movie Animal House. But in a setting as serene as the Moraga Valley, the wildlife most talked about at Saint Mary’s College is the four-legged or feathered kind. Consider the words of ornithologist Brother John James O’Neill, who noted 100 avian species on campus in 1981: “It is my hope that this list will give guidance to Integral Biology students and pleasure to visiting birdwatchers. May it also serve as a reminder of the beauty that surrounds us if we only take the time to look, and wonder.” Continue reading
OAKlAND TRIBUNE: January 26, 2011
With a celebratory clink of the glass, Oakland winds down its second annual Oakland Restaurant Week on Sunday. The culinary event features 10 days of deals at 37 local restaurants as part of a statewide campaign.
From San Diego to San Francisco, restaurant weeks have been boosting local economies by enticing diners to eat out in traditionally slow months. But few cities have had the kind of gastronomic growth spurt that Oakland has seen. Continue reading
CONTRA COSTA TIMES: January 12, 2011
Montclair is joining the ranks of several Oakland neighborhoods getting attention from “foodies” these days. Local writer Serena Bartlett has launched a new culinary walking tour peppered with historic anecdotes of what she calls “unique food offerings” in the village, known more for its quaint hillside setting and proximity to parks. Continue reading
Ginny Prior 