Anne's Land

Community Treasures - Shakespeare in the Park

An actor friend and self proclaimed theater snob says this is FABULOUS. 

Just one of many ways to enjoy a summer night under the stars...sign me up!

Free Shakespeare in Barnsdall Park 2009

The Tempest & Henry V
June 26-August 30
Friday-Sunday at 7:30 pm
with special events throughout the summer

Admission is free, donations gratefully received.
Reservations are free to make and highly recommended.

Barnsdall Park
4800 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90027

To reserve your seat: boxoffice@independentshakespeare.com
or call (323) 836-0288

"...establishing itself as one of the community's treasures."
--Los Angeles Times

Ummmm....Umami burgers!

For those of you who appreciate a great hamburger and despise pretense and expensive valet service, this a jewel!  Umami is a small, casual, BYOB spot where you can find street parking or opt for the $2 valet.  The next difficult decision is choosing between the Truffle burger or the Port & Silton burger. 

Be forewarned:  you will start craving this food!

<++These are just the pickles

What is umami?   It’s called the fifth flavor and tastes like a roasted shiitake mushroom; it is not sweet, salty, sour or bitter.  If you are curious and want to learn more, check out www.umamiinfo.com.  The flow chart of “How Humans Experience Their food” is fascinating.

Owner Adam Fleischman is frequently on site interacting with his customers and genuinely enjoying his vocation.  With hundreds of restaurants to choose from in this city, there's nothing better than great food served by friendly owners and wait staff.  Adam is partial to French wines and recommends bringing a bottle of Chablis or Gamay to enjoy with your meal.

Eating at Umami might just be as satisfying as watching Roger Federer win his first French Open!

Umami Burger
850 S. La Brea Ave.
L.A. (323) 931-3000 or www.umamiburger.com.
Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.-9 p.m.
Takeout. Lot parking. MC, V. Burgers, $8-$11.

Looking for a Weekend Escape?

Feeling fatigued and in need of a change of scenery?  Consider driving North for a day or two!

Paso Robles is a quaint little wine country exactly half way between LA and San Francisco where highways 101 and 46 come together, just north of Cambria.  Last weekend some friends and I packed a picnic, a small overnight back and departed at 8am on Saturday.  We were in Paso tasting wine and having a picnic before noon!  

Apparently palm trees are a local favorite....is it just me or does it seem strange to have palm trees at a vineyard??? 

This region, like many others in California, started its growth spurt in the early to mid-1990s and now boasts nearly 200 wineries.  Most are Rhone varietals which offer a different perspective from those found in Santa Ynez & Los Olivos.

Wineries visited:

• L'Aventure Winery - my favorite.....joined the club. 
• Eberle Winery - great place for a picnic and spotting a pair of standard poodles
• Fratelli Perata
• Denner Vineyards
  
• Linne Calodo Cellars

For a special dinner and a fantastic selection of regional wines, try Artisian.  Here find some treasures less accessible to the general public at the tasting rooms.  Saxum was our favorite followed closely by Jacob Toft, a young up & comer!

The locals are warm and engaging without pretense.  Easy to get to, interesting wines, moderate prices....I'm going back soon!

See www.pasowine.com for more details and a calendar of events.

Recessing-fighting machines

The Crock-Pot.  Seriously?

Last Wednesday the LA Times food section featured a fun article entitled "Slow Revolution". Vaguely remember these from the 1970s?  Fast forward to the early 1990s and I recall receiving one from a professional mentor who swore by hers. The results were good but truthfully staying home to cook was not a priority then.

Cuisinart's 3.5 Qt Slow cooker is LA Times favorite.
About  $60 @ Bed, Bath & Beyond, Macy's & Crate & Barrel

Times are different.  Many of us adore good food and would rather have a home cooked meal any day.  The new and improved crock pot is sleeker looking on the counter top and offers a convenient way to prepare dinner, especially on weeknights.  The recipes covered in Times covered include: Cuban-style pork shoulder, Lamb tangine with dried fruit and While chocolate bread pudding with whiskey caramel sauce.  Yummy! 

Courtney uses hers often with great results. You might enjoy this recipe:

Braised Beef Brisket

Ingredients:
•    4-5 Brisket, Flank Steak or Boneless Chuck Roast (trimmed of as much fat as possible & blotted dry)
     (Courtney uses Flank)
•    3 medium Onions, sliced in thin half moons
•    1 cup prepared Chili Sauce
•    12 oz. bottle Beer (not dark, use Amstel Light)
•    ½ cup water
•    1 package Dried Onion Soup mix
•    1 teaspoon Salt
•    ¼ teaspoon Pepper

Directions:
1.    Put Roast in Slow Cooker.  If the meat is too big to lie flat in your cooker, cut in half & stack the      pieces on top of one other. 
2.    Add sliced Onions.
3.    In a bowl, combine: Chili Sauce, Beer, Water, Onion Soup Mix, Salt & Pepper.
4.    Pour over Meat & Onions.
5.    Cover & cook on LOW for 6-9 hours
6.    Skim off as much fat as possible from sauce, remove & shred meat & serve with sauce.

Great with yukon potatoes and a salad!

10 Ways to Save Money

With the current economic changes, a small shift in our behavior can make a big difference.  Today I went shopping for a "new" outfit in my own closet. I pulled out an old skirt and top I had not worn in years and I'm feeling as sassy!  I forgot how much I liked this polka dot number.  Last week I painted my own nails and saved $35!    So, when a friend sent this list to me today I was excited and wanted to share it with you.

1. Check your insurance policies for ways to lower premiums by raising deductions
2. Switch to generic brands where possible
3. Reduce your dining out habits
4. Join retailers' free rewards or loyalty programs
5. Replace one monthly movie date with one "at home" video evening
6. Redirect a portion of any pay increase to a savings account
7. When paying bills, make a "payment" to yourself and deposit this money into a savings account
8. Eliminate two trips to your favorite coffee shop each week
9. Review your phone and cable plans, looking for ways to get less expensive packages.  We recently did this for our business and lowered the bill over $300/month!
10. Call your credit card companies and inquire about a lower interest rate

More tips at www.YourMoneyCounts.com. Or, for tips on how to both save and become more "green" at www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html.

Please share your "frugalicious" story with me!