Dining, Arts & Entertainment

Melanio Oliva first grew tobacco in Pinar Del Rio, Cuba in 1886.  His growing operations were suspended while he fought in Cuba’s War of Independence. After returning from war, Melanio resumed his operations.  In the early 1920s, Melanio’s son, Hipolito Oliva, took over the growing operations.  Hipolito cultivated the Oliva family fields for several decades.  As Cuba became over-run by communists, the tobacco landscape changed. 

If I told you what sacrifices I make for my single readers, you’d want to erect a statue in my honor.
Case in point: This last month I attended a new singles’ event here in the Santa Clarita Valley.  It was a selfless act.  I did it for you.  There were no expectations, or even the slightest hope that I would finally and fortuitously meet the man of my dreams, my perfect match. 

This time of year is an exciting time at the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market, one of my favorite places to buy organic produce.  As the weather warms up we start to see changes from mostly root vegetables to some fruit with a brighter hue to them.  In addition, the fruit out there starts to get sweeter and more complex in flavor.

Start your engines… Six Flags Magic Mountain will host the first ever “Crusin’ For A Cause” charity motorcycle ride on Sunday, June 6.  All proceeds from the ride will go to the Santa Clarita Valley Boys and Girls Clubs.  Old Road Harley will donate a motorcycle to be auctioned off at the annual Boys and Girls Club “Born To Be Wild” event on June 12.

The City of Santa Clarita invites community members to sign up to participate in a night of murder, mayhem and fun with an excursion to a Dinner Detective Interactive Murder Mystery Show.  Attendees will arrive at the City’s Sports Complex Activities Center by 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 1 to be whisked away to Los Angeles for a night of superb food, spooky mystery and great fun.

If you’re in the mood for appetizing Mexican food, Cabo Cabana Fresh Baja Grill is the place to be.  This quick serve Mexican Grill focuses on serving only the freshest Baja and authentic, Bajathentic style Mexican food, freshly prepared and perfect on the taste buds.  Owners Nicolas and Karen Ortiz, along with their staff, provide friendly service and scrumptious food. “All our food is made fresh and made to order,” states Nicolas and Karen.

Come celebrate the history and heritage of railroading this month in downtown Fillmore’s Central Park, admission is free.  The Santa Clara River Valley Railroad Historical Society (SCRVRHS) and Fillmore & Western Railway are co-sponsoring the 2010 RailFest celebration on Saturday and Sunday, March 27 and 28. 

St. Patrick’s Day is nearing and you are probably looking for some tasty St. Patrick’s Day recipes.  The Irish have such a tasty way of preparing hearty comfort food; you do not have to wait for St. Patrick’s Day to try these tasty recipes.  Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day are not that different from everyday Irish cooking.  Here are two very tasty and easy St. Patrick’s Day snacks for any party.  The first recipe is for a tasty dip.  What would any party be without a good dip?

Just for spite, my wife presented me three gifts on Valentine’s Day.  A Vermont Teddy Bear, a Pajama Gram, and a star named after me, recorded in book form at the National copyright office.  The star is named Alpha Gullible.  She knows that I make fun of all three of these.
The good news is, we have an incredible month of comedy lined up for you in March. 

A 10-year effort to establish a permanent home for Santa Paula’s renowned art collection is about to succeed, as the sparkling new Santa Paula Art Museum is set to open its doors.  The opening exhibit, Celebrating the Founders:  Organizers of the Santa Paula Art Show, will showcase the artists who started the Santa Paula Art Show in 1937, and which resulted in Santa Paula’s amazing collection.

It’s the lucky month of March, and I must say I was a lucky girl to have a recent sighting of my own!  I spotted actor Michael DeLorenzo in Los Angeles last month.  He is a talented actor and was sweet enough to take a photo with me. 
Michael DeLorenzo started out as a dancer in the motion picture and television series Fame. 

I call it the Picasso Syndrome.
It’s the myth that creativity is only for the specially talented, genetically gifted, slightly (yet positively) deranged—you know the kind, enormously successful (or dramatically not so), eccentric artistic types who stir up drama, are haunted by trauma and only on occasion spurt artistic expression very painfully and messily.  As artist Julia Cameron observed, “We all know how broke-crazy-promiscuous-unreliable artists are.” 

Art is for people to view, enjoy and be inspired by the creativity of the artists’ paintings, photography and sculpture.  The Santa Clarita Artists’ Association wants to provide art to Holy Cross Providence Hospital and Cancer Center for patients to see art everyday.  On Friday, January 29, a painting was presented as a gift to Holy Cross Providence for their patients to enjoy from the Santa Clarita Artists’ Association.

In January, a collection of nearly 800 local students, families and community members filled the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center (PAC) at College of the Canyons for the second installment of the PAC’s Almost Free Family Series, sponsored by McDonald’s of Santa Clarita.

Server: Would anyone care for dessert?
Guest: Dessert?  Let’s just take a look at the menu.
We all know this situation.  Everyone at the table comments on how full they are and how they can’t eat another bite, but when the server comes and asks whether anyone would like dessert; you find that there is always room for dessert, for good ones at least.

We’ve all experienced it.  That moment at the end of a meal or drink when the server approaches the table and strategically places the bill between you and your new date.  Sometimes it’s snatched up before any discomfort can creep into your psyche and disturb an otherwise enjoyable evening.  Other times, however, it just sits there, awkwardly demanding attention while defying you to ignore it and carry on gracefully as though there had been no disturbance in the force.  So here’s the question of the month….

Following a tough start to the new year in terms of receiving donations, the Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry received a much needed $10,000 donation from Wells Fargo to help tackle hunger in 2010.  The donation will support the organization’s soaring demand for food services, which experienced more than 43,000 total client visits in 2009.
Belinda Crawford, Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry’s executive director, says the donation comes at a time when high unemployment is pushing demands for help to record levels and when charities are worried about resources to meet the needs of the most vulnerable. 

A lot of people think Persian food is a very heavy meal, containing mostly rice and meats.  Well that is not true!
Talking to the Persia Restaurant owner, Homayoun Daryani we noticed that the Persian food could be one of the healthiest food around.
“If you are worried about the rice for your diet, you have to know that the rice in Persia Restaurant is cooked in two process, so it loses the starch behind at the first boiling period and it gets fluffy in the second process which is steaming.