February 7, 2012, marks the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth, and to honor the literary giant, friends of the Dickens Universe (and Dickensians from all over Santa Cruz) will be hoisting a pint at the Parish Publick House (in Almar Plaza) from 5 to 7pm.
None dare call herself a devotée of Great Expectations, Bleak House or David Copperfield and be absent from this momentous celebration.
You thought maybe the fruitcake fiasco was going to get me down? Ha!
I’m on to my next artisanal exercise—orange bitters, the old-fashioned way (another pun I simply couldn’t resist, but only serious tipplers will get it).
First I had to locate Seville oranges, whose sour rind is one of the basics of any decent orange bitters. A Berkeley specialty produce store had some, so I had my agents rush on over.
Grain alcohol was another de rigueur ingredient (the words “grain alcohol” bring back queasy memories of fraternity party punch bowls). That was pretty easy. EverClear—which comes with no fewer than three “highly flammable” warnings on its label. Coriander, caraway seed, cardomom, gentian extract — you practically trip over these semi-exotic ingredients thanks to our profusion of fine natural foods emporia. And Amazon.com obliged with a source for quassia chips.
But quinine powder. Hmmmmmm – I’m still looking.
Meanwhile, I dried the orange peels in a very low oven. Then added them, plus seeds, to two cups of 100 proof alcohol. Now the infusing takes place. Two weeks worth, until the next step. (to be continued…)
Everybody with a grocery list and a shopping cart knows how food costs have skyrocketed. The price of a loaf of bread (okay, a loaf of locally-baked, organic, whole grain bread) makes me actually gasp. Coffee? Unbelievable. Chicken that has been raised humanely costs an arm and a leg (apologies to the poultry). So of course the costs of running a restaurant have gone through the roof.
I sympathize.
But I am not going along with the program of lowering standards.
If you have a house specialty, e.g. the jalapeño cornbread at Zachary’s, that has become a beloved signature of your dining establishment, don’t mess with it! Cut corners somewhere else. Or cut down the portion size. Just don’t change the recipe and offer some lesser dish in its place.
I’m one of those consumers with such a strong loyalty to my favorite places, that I wouldn’t mind seeing prices raised a bit to cover costs — rather than substitute ingredients, or lower the quality of the overall product. Many restaurateurs have told me that patrons will not tolerate prices going up — but my experience tells me that patrons will be even angrier if the product quality goes down.
Times are going to be tough for a while longer. But life is short. Make the decisions you, and your conscience, (and your clientele) can live with.
If you adore the literary ingenuity of Charles Dickens, whose work marks the apogee of the English language, then you’ll be intrigued by the newest exploration of Dickens’ masterpiece, Bleak House, by celebrated scholar and UCSC professor John Jordan.
Better yet, come hear Jordan talk about Dickens, nineteenth-century English narrative fiction and his new book, Supposing Bleak House — Thursday, February 2, 7pm @ Bookshop Santa Cruz.
[Photo credit: Carolyn Lagattuta/UC Santa Cruz]
So many artworks, so little time. Make plans to visit the Mary Porter Sesnon Gallery this month.
In the main gallery, prolific alumna Katerina Lanfranco unveils a gallery-sized installation, Natural Selection.
In the adjoining gallery, a group show Clear Cuts features work by Beatrice Coron, Kota Azawa, Matt Farrar, Felicia Gilman, Lauren Scanlon, Jill Sylvia, and Kara Walker.
Across the portico, in the Porter Faculty Gallery, enjoy an exhibition of Laser Cut Relief Prints by Richard Wohlfeiler. All of these shows are free and open to the public.
For details visit the Sesnon website.
A book of sensory adventure: The rituals, passions and discoveries of an engaged life.