I was raised in the absence of dogs. My dad was a germophobe with little interest in something so messy as cohabiting with another species. Accordingly, my roster of boyhood pets was limited to smaller creatures that were, well, harder to relate to. Tropical freshwater fish, for example (several of these managed to jump out [...]
California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco It’s been raining a lot lately. This is good for our reservoirs, but not good for my weekend plans. All this time spent indoors, reading good books and drinking hot tea, reminds me of the winters that I spent in New York City. Without the means or the time [...]
Farmer’s cheese with California peppercorns and foraged lambsquarter (a plant, not a lamb) A few weeks ago, I took part in a foraging and cheese-making course taught by Pascal, a survival and wild foods expert in the Los Angeles area. Pascal teaches a wide variety of wild food and outdoor skills courses, which he lists [...]
Feeding a baby squirrel at the California Wildlife Center After looking at more depressing images of the ecological disaster in the gulf, I’ve been feeling like I need to get on the next plane to the southeast coast and start scrubbing away at oiled seabirds or patrolling “burn boxes” to rescue mired sea turtles from [...]
Toki and I show you what not to do (T. Kornylak) Our puppy, Toki, is currently attending Puppy Kindergarten. Like the other new puppy parents, we have a lot of the usual questions about potty training, jumping, and chewing. But we also want to know – what’s the best way to keep your dog off [...]
About a month ago, Josh and I brought home an adorable pound puppy we named “Santoki” – or “mountain bunny” – after a chestnut-gathering bunny in a famous Korean children’s song. awww, baby bunny I’m a dog lover, so I’ve always had a soft spot for dogs at the crag. I’ve climbed with awesome crag [...]
A few weeks ago, a very considerate family member sent us two glorious pounds of fresh mushrooms from Oregon. He ordered it through a company called Mushrooms All Year. It was the most amazing gift! We spent the next four days cooking morels, black trumpets (my favorite), yellow feet and chanterelles. I just wish that Mushrooms [...]
In 2008, I read a New York Times article that piqued my interest in the growing movement of underground supper clubs. Underground supper clubs provide a unique dining experience in a non-traditional setting. At the very least, the meals are not served in a restaurant. More often, it could be the home of a volunteer, [...]
“Deconstructed Strawberry Shortcake” My weekend adventures aren’t restricted to climbing, diving, and traveling. Sometimes, my most memorable adventures are of the culinary kind. For my birthday, I recently had the pleasure of visiting The Dining Room, at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena. I’m a huge fan of the Bravo reality television show, Top Chef. [...]
This weekend, Santa Monica will be hosting two photo events: Photo LA (The 19th Annual International Los Angeles Photographic Art Exposition) and Review LA. Photo LA will be held in the Santa Monica Civic Center, open to the public from Friday, January 15 – Sunday January 17. Review LA, a photographers networking event, will be [...]
