California may be hemorrhaging jobs, but there’s one opportunity popping up all over the place. I’m talking edible mushrooms – appearing en mass at a forest near you.

The job of a mushroom hunter can be rather lucrative – even for the hobbyist. Just ask reader Blake Gilmore, who’s been picking pounds of Chanterelles and trading them for free food at some fine Oakland restaurants. Who knew a bag of shrooms could be your ticket to a nice night out? Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: FEBRUARY  25, 2010

Talk about chasing down a story. Last week, I got a call from a reader who was pretty sure Chanterelles were growing on his backyard slope. “If you want them, you can have them,” said Joseph, who hadn’t seen that many mushrooms since he lived in Bavaria.

So I gathered my crack team of mushroom hunters and we drove to the patch, which – sure enough – was peppered with golden Chanterelles. Under the shade of an old Oak tree was a veritable feast of fungi. We came, we sautéed, we savored.

The job of a journalist is not always easy. You have to be willing to dig – to root out the story. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: FEBRUARY 18,2010

NFL legends and a red carpet evening. Sounds like the Superbowl – but it’s a local event coming up at the new sports bar in Oakland’s Woodminster neighborhood – Monaghans. Organizer Rich Lieberman says Hall of Famer Jim Brown is the headliner for a major charity gala from 5-10 pm on April 8.

“It’s going to be huge,” says Lieberman. “We may have five Browns there – it may be a “Brown out”’ he jokes. In addition to inviting former Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown and Former House Speaker Willy Brown, he’s invited enough big names to field a team – including Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: FEBRUARY 12, 2010

Now appearing…the Chanterelles. I’m not talking about a girl band here, but rather the mushrooms, which are popping up all over the hills this winter. Several readers have told me they harvest these golden girls in their own yards – and the pickins’ have never been better.

“I like to sauté them with garlic and olive oil,” says Jane English, whose husband, Ron, has found seven of the forested fungus on their property since the rains began. I won’t tell you where, (Chanterelle lovers are extremely protective of their patches) but they grow under oaks and will reappear annually if harvested carefully. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: JANUARY 29, 2010

The ongoing economic challenge (do we still call it a recession?) has me thinking of new ways to entertain. So when a coupon appeared in the mail last week for a free bowling party (shoe rental extra) I went straight to my hotmail address book. GIRL’S NIGHT OUT. MEET IN THE LOUNGE AT SOUTHSHORE LANES AT 6 PM.

Eight intrepid moms met in Alameda that night. The lounge was a room in need of a remodel, but no one seemed to mind. The heralding of happy hour had buckets of beer at a discount, and $3 “minis” of Sutter Home wine. You could feel the excitement starting to build. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: JANUARY 23, 2010

Everyone I know belongs to a book club. For some reason, I can’t commit. If there were a newspaper club, I might think about joining. But then it would probably be made up of dinosaurs like me – and what fun would that be?

I did give one book club a try, recently. A local moms group put novels aside, to view photos of the host’s trip to Thailand and Laos. I was happy to attend as it didn’t involve “homework” and featured an authentic Thai meal.

But even more to my liking is the club that meets monthly for munchies and movies. The Film Club was formed five years ago by Tina Banda (a local cinematographer) and her guitarist husband Michael Papenburg. The rotating host calls the evening to order, introduces the film (anything from an obscure foreign art film to a box office hit) and afterwards, a lively discussion ensues over dessert. How sweet is that? Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: JANUARY 15, 2010

There’s a weird, hollow feeling in my heart. Nothing can treat it – it just has to heal on its own. The pain occurs every time my daughter goes back to college.

You’d think I’d be used to it by now. We’ve put her on a plane to Georgia plenty of times over the last two years. For some reason – it doesn’t get any easier.

I should be happy with my daughter’s choice of schools. Our family loves Athens, and is Bulldog proud to the point where most of our wardrobe sports big red G’s. This Christmas we exchanged Georgia sweatpants and tee shirts – and I got a keychain that barks out the UGA fight song. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: JANUARY 8, 2010

2010 is just seven days old, and already I’ve broken my number one resolution – to eat less chocolate. Why is the cocoa bean so alluring? Like a smoker to a cigarette, it’s the first thing I think about each morning as I rifle through the cubboards for a truffle to sweeten my coffee. A pour man’s mocha, I call it. It’s how I greet the day.

Does this make me a bad person? No. It just makes me a plump person, which leads me to my other resolution – weight loss. If anyone knows of a good fat free chocolate, please let me know. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: January 1, 2010

WELL, IT WAS bound to happen. After years of writing this column, I’ve got nothing to say. No salacious gossip, no new ideas. The well is dry, and the bucket is missing. Don’t think the irony escapes me. It’s New Year’s Day, and I’ve got nada.

I suppose I could write about crime, again. Smash-and-grab thieves have been wreaking havoc in the hills. One crook even took a bunch of reusable shopping bags from the back of a reader’s car. Continue reading →

MONTCLARION: December 25, 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope this day finds you in good cheer, enjoying the warmth of family, friends and the holiday yule log on channel 20. The yule log is especially important if it’s a “spare the air” day — but that’s a subject for another column.

If you’re like me, you’ll be looking for a way to extend Christmas through the weekend. Here are my picks for some last-minute outings: Continue reading →