« May 2012 | Main | July 2012 »
Give Dad a gift he can truly use, one the whole family will love: a Wood Fired Pizza-Making Class in Pizza Politana's kitchen at 434 Payran Street in Petaluma.
This is Pizza Politana's one and only Summertime class, so don't miss out. It's this Saturday, June 16th. 2012, 11.30 am to 1.30 pm. Cost is $75 per person.
Participants will enjoy the pizzas they make, of course, as well as local libations throughout the class!
Call 707-766-2775 or visit www.pizzapolitana.com/events to reserve a space.
| | | |
| | |
| | | |
| | |
Petaluman, Ashley Allred of Odd Bird
Waters
Eleven local bands and a dozen innovative young artists join forces at the Phoenix Theater on Saturday, JUNE 23rd, 2012 to perform and showcase their works in a rally of support for the venue that has nurtured their multiple creative talents. “Everyone participating in the show either originates or has a special connection to Petaluma and The Phoenix Theater,” says event co-producer, Gilles O’Kane.
Petaluma's very own Waters will headline the show, with support from Dogbag, also of Petaluma, Meat Market (Oakland), Odd Bird (Santa Rosa) and John Courage & The Great Plains (Santa Rosa). Teenage Sweater (Santa Rosa), Owl Paws, LEMME ADAMS, All Your Sisters (San Francisco), and Pet Sounds (Santa Rosa) will also support.
The show will feature a unique stage set up with two stages on the floor to the left and the right of the main stage to allow for nonstop music.
Petaluma-area artists, including Will Elias, Nick'Olas Paine, Jeffrey Cheung, Jackson Dargie, Marlena Mendoza, Avery Wheless, Cannon Dill, Colin Chapman, Paul Yakovlev and Gilles O'Kane will transform the lobby of the old 1905 Opera House into an art gallery for the evening.
“This is a special show not only because of the grandiose line-up of local artists but also because it is a benefit for the Phoenix Theater,” says O’Kane, 21-year-old film student and guitarist for Waters, a popular, young alternative folk band in the area since its founding band members (including my son, singer/songwriter Rocco Rivetti), met as high school students in 2007.
“Setting the show up as a benefit allows young artists and our community to give back to the Phoenix and show our gratitude for always being there for us,” he says.
The show begins promptly at 6pm. Tickets are $8 and will be available at the door or online (http://www.thephoenixtheater.com/event/122817/).
| | | |
| | |
Almost four years ago a party for Miss Cherry Vanilla Lollipop featured all sorts of tasty British treats.
Since she wasn't actually born at the time (though not long after) it seemed a shame that she'd missed out on all the fancy teatime festivity. We've made up for it since, so much so that's this little miss is quite the afternoon tea aficionado!
As one of her fairy godmothers, it was perfectly fitting to invite her over for peppermint tea and Fairy Cakes a couple days before Miss Cherry Vanilla Lollipop and family take off for an awfully big adventure - hopefully involving frequent servings of Pineapple Iced Tea.
Old fashioned Fairy Cakes made quite a comeback in the UK this June, with Jubilee street party tea tables around the country piled to the hilt with multi-colored frosted delights, often featuring dolly mixtures, wings and intricate icing patterns.
Here's a recipe to whip up a batch for your own Miss Cherry Vanilla Lollipops when they stop by for tea:
Old Fashioned Fairy Cakes (makes 12)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 large, farm fresh eggs
8 tablespoons of sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tablespoons of milk
Frosting
1/2 cup of unsalted butter
1 cup of powdered sugar
Drop of food coloring of choice
Small candies to decorate
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Add all the ingredients into a big bowl and combine until smooth with an electric whisk. Spoon into paper liners in a cupcake tray, cooking for 15 minutes until golden. Remove from pan immediately so that the cakes don't continue to cook once you've taken them out of the oven. Remove cases when cool. Slice the top off each cake and tops in half to make wings.
Mix icing sugar, a drop of food coloring and butter until smooth for a hard frosting. Spread generously on cakes and add halved wings at an angle. Decorate with candies.
| | | |
| | |
It is only the second time in history that Britain has celebrated 60 years of an individual monarch's rule. And both of them were women. Queen Victoria reigned for 64 years.
By the healthy and robust looks of 86-year-old Queen Elizabeth II as she ruled the waves from a wake of an historic flotilla of a 1000 boats on the River Thames, this Sunday, the epic record set by the stoic Victorian doesn't present too much of a challenge to this equally sturdy, modern day monarch of renowned family longevity.
The Queen's husband, 90-year-old Prince Philip, it has been reported, was rushed to hospital today with a bladder infection, sadly missing the Royal Jubilee Concert infront of Buckingham Place this evening and likely Tuesday's Ceremonial Day and Royal Carriage Procession.
* BBC America will live-stream events Tuesday June 5th, beginning at 5.15 am Pacific Time.
* CNN will carry the Royal Carriage Procession from 10 am to 12p m anchored by Piers Morgan, with the Jubilee Concert airing here in the States Tuesday evening.
Not to miss out on all the pomp and ceremony and just plain, old fashioned, good fun, traditional street-party nosh and commaraderie of the risilient, sharing Brits, Petaluma staged its own Big Jubilee Lunch, Steptoe & Sons' Rag & Bone-style against a rustic and suitably eccentric backdrop of the lumber yard at Heritage Salvage, Sunday, July 3rd.
We're sending our photos and story to The Big Lunch UK , delighted to have joined the ranks of millions of people all around the world who gathered together to share lunch with friends and neighbors in the simple spirit of community.
For several hours Sunday afternoon, you might have thought you'd crossed the Pond if you'd stumbled through the Union Jack-bedecked gates of Canadian Michael "Bug" Deakin's eclectic Heritage Salvage reclaimed wood yard, just off the busy 101, on Petaluma Blvd South.
The yard is closed on Sundays, so in lieu of a complicated street closure, Petaluma's Big Jubilee Lunch team of former Director of the Petaluma Historic Museum, Susan Villa, Executive Director of the Petaluma Vistors Program and Downtown Association, Marie McCusker, co-owner of Aqus Cafe at Foundry Wharf, Lesley McCullaugh and yours truly, opted for the resourceful Susan's Steptoe & Sons' solution for a space to conjur up the old country with buntings and balloons, decorated tables, portable radio station, an indoor Best of British Baking & Desserts table, shade and plenty of beer.
Royal Trivia with Lesley, a singa-long with Brit ska band Hoovers frontmen Bill Sell and Paul Whiting, egg and spoon racing and a knobbly knees competition served to turn back the clock to our childhoods in the UK and memories of where we were for historic events such as the the Silver Jubilee, royal weddings and other key moments in royal history of the past half century ago.
Trifle's were the biggest hit on the dessert table, with several different takes on the sherry and Irish whisky-winning soaked sweet sponge base with its layers of custard, cream and fruits.
Not nearly everyone knew each other at the Big Jubilee Lunch which was the whole point of participating in the international event and it was endearing to pull up a chair , have a chat and a cucumber sandwich or two with all sorts of nice folk.
Kathleen Cooper impressed the crowd with her beautiful, iced union jack sponge cake and award-winning platter of home made pork pie, scotch eggs and pickled onions.
Posh Spice, aka Victoria Beckham, otherwise known in these parts as Allison Murphy impressed judges with her poise, style and hand made hat, taking the prize for best British celebrity look-alike from fellow contentants, including not just one but two revivals of the late Amy Winehouse.
| | | |
| | |
