Christina Waters

The window of Annieglass, full of seasonal shimmer.

As a Celtic-American, I like to research my ancestral roots, passions and rituals.
What a terrific find! Samhain, aka Halloween, is actually a pre-Christian, distinctly pagan, AND Celtic celebration of the change of the seasons. During this astronomical moment between summer and winter, the spirits of the dead are most likely — according to the hyperactive imaginations of my wild Celtic predecessors – to walk the earth.

Not only ghosts, but all of those other fanciful spirits beloved of the Celts — demons, fairies, goblins, sprits and all the Little People. Whether the Druid priests who led the Samhain rites actually carved pumpkins is a matter of speculation, but they did build bonfires to ward off evil spirits, and worshipped trees as powerful spirits of the forest. Which of course they are.

Remember all those Celtic priestesses when you dress up as a witch and practice some “tricks” on October 31 - Samhain, All Hallow’s Eve.

Muriel and Michel of Au Midi invite all of their friends and patrons to come to the great French summer fest known as Bastille Day — Tuesday, July 14th, naturellement!

The intimate Aptos bistro will be open that evening by reservation only, for a limited seating of French food, music and ambience. The holiday menu includes chilled gazpacho, paella Provençal, and fig tart — for a special prix fixe of $25 per person (tax & tip not included).

Allons enfants de la Patrie!

Au Midi is located at 7960 Soquel Drive (behind the Aptos Cinema). 831-685-2600

Join wine-loving lovers for a day of romance, wine and chocolate up at the newest winery located on one of the oldest vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Vine Hill makes stunning pinot noirs and syrahs that you’ll be able to taste along with desserts from top area bakeries. You can also purchase the perfect Valentines gift.

The beautiful tasting room is surrounded by acres of vineyards - very romantic for strolling - and awesome views of the canyons below. Valentine’s Day makes a nice excuse to check out this lovely spot - and treat your sweetie to some fine wine (AKA the elixir of love).

When: Saturday February 14th

Time: 12:00PM to 4:00PM

Cost: $15 per person or $5 for wine club members

Check the website for details and directions.

Here are a few suggestions.

1) A bottle of fine wine will please anyone with tastebuds. Try something local and premium from Vinocruz, or something French and luxurious from Soif. Comb the aisles of Shoppers. A great gift.

2) Give an exhilirating experience to someone special - a cruise on the Chardonnay II sailing ship. If you hurry (think of that guy on TV who’s always selling weird stuff), you can buy a gift certificate for one of the many weekend sails on this lovely vessel. Sunset cruises on the Monterey Bay, or a Sushi Sunday, whale watching, there are many packages. Until December 31, the price is $49.50 per person, plus tax - which includes beverages and light appetizers. Buy three gift certificates and get the 4th one FREE! Call 831/423-1213, or check the website.

3) Tickets to the Nickelodeon Theater.

4) A gift certificate for $100 to a favorite restaurant. You know the ones I mean.

We did Thanksgiving our way this year, and shared a small, informal, but luxurious meal - with no turkey in sight.

The menu:

fresh cracked Dungeness crab with three dipping sauces

creamy polenta topped with parmesan reggiano

braised bitter greens - mixed sorrel and chard

Veuve Clicquot champagne &
pumpkin pie

The crab - largest, sweetest I’ve ever tasted - was from the mighty Staff of Life. So was the fresh sorrel, which is never available in markets. And I made the pumpkin pie with double the spices, and used whole cream instead of condensed milk. Killer!

Another sample of jewel queen Kate Coburn’s consummate earring designs. These elegant earrings of chrysophrase in matrix, suspended from gold-filled findings, will be on sale at the upcoming Women at Work Holiday Craft Sale, Friday, December 5 from 11:30-1:30 at UCSC’s Stevenson Event Center. You will be blown away by what you see!!!!

What would Jesus eat? we asked as we thought about a special Easter dinner this year. Well, obviously lamb, yogurt, onions, rice pilaff, pine nuts, something with lemons and olive oil. Garlic, absolutely garlic. Lamb grilled over wood found in the desert, like mesquite.

With Middle-Eastern spices and ingredients in mind, we pulled together a truly delicious dinner of elements, that with a few exceptions — tomatoes, asparagus and red bell peppers on our skewers, and a Meyer lemon pie with crème fraiche - might have easily been found in the markets of Nazareth.

Okay, so the apostles didn’t have Peeps. But had they, they surely would have enjoyed them. Our pink peeps this year were genuine añejo - aged for over one year in a top cupboard of my kitchen. Just dessicated enough to give a unique depth to each bite. (more…)

Just when you thought it was safe to invite a few close friends over for a holiday gift exchange, some individuals simply go gonzo. Normally polite women, like the attractive, usually restrained Elaine (to protect her clients I am omitting her full name), can — given the prospect of a free present — lose all control. She wasn’t alone the other night at the tastefully-decorated home of Susan “knits in her sleep” Beach. There were others, women who know better but just plain lost it at the prospect of opening presents BEFORE CHRISTMAS!

Desperate Housewives. It started quietly enough. Elaine roamed through the gleaming expanse of the recently remodelled Beach kitchen, picking at appetizer plates, rolling her eyes, making little moaning sounds. Then more cheese platters arrived. More moaning. Before we knew it, the place was crackling with pent-up female energy ready to explode.

Out of Control and Well-Accessorized. Here’s an example: pasta (from my friend Joan Levine’s Camouflage) shaped, well, like a certain part of human anatomy. Well this was certainly not my grandmother’s gift exchange, I can tell you. And by the time Elaine grabbed (yes, grabbed) for the large present in the center of the table, she went, well, ballistic.

The rest isn’t appropriate for a public venue, but you can use your imagination. Holiday gift exchange — think about it.

To get you into the mood, here’s a shot of one eentsy slice of dioramic enchantment available at the gift shop in The Garden Company.