On a day just before 9/11, Mary Ellen Sloan went for what she thought would be a typical walk around her Avenues neighborhood. She knew nothing of the goings-on inside the well-maintained Queen Anne house at the corner of 1300 East and South Temple. Its sign simply read ‘Zen Center.’ She felt compelled to climb the steps and returned the next evening for a class. “I went in … [Read more...]
Archives for August 2020
Comfort Kitchen – 10 Classic Cookbooks for the Home Chef
Thanks to the pandemic, many of us are spending an inordinate amount of time cooking and eating at home. And not surprisingly, we seem to be longing for foods that comfort us. I doubt if many are creating cuisine minceur dishes at home these days, opting instead for meatloaf, roast chicken, casseroles and such. Correspondingly, I find myself reaching for tried and true classics … [Read more...]
2020 Tomato Days Dine-Around
Handle Reopens We were happy to hear from our friends at Handle restaurant in Park City that it has reopened for both indoor and outdoor service, seven days a week from 5 p.m. to close. Seating is limited and so reservations are strongly urged. Takeout service is also available at Handle. The staff says, “If you are ordering takeout give us a call close to 5 p.m. and … [Read more...]
Epic Sour Brainless on Guava & Habanero
My son, Hank, and college friends of his were visiting us last weekend and my wife, Faith, picked up an array of interesting beers for a weekend cookout. One that got my attention - in part because it’s one of the strangest sounding beers I’ve ever come across - was Epic Brewing Co. Sour Brainless On Guava & Habanero, Cellar Reserve. What in the world?, I thought. It’s … [Read more...]
Shoyu Chicken
A very popular and delicious Cantonese dish is Shoyu (soy sauce) Chicken. It’s very easy to make and the emphasis is on the technique of very gently cooking the chicken. Give it a try! Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, 3-4 lbs. (or you could use cut-up pieces) 2 tsp. sesame oil 2 tsp. canola or peanut oil 4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly mashed to release the … [Read more...]
More than 22,000 Households Apply for Pandemic EBT
More than 22,000 households have applied for Pandemic EBT, out of an estimated 77,000 households that qualify for the program. The program provides a one-time benefit of $308 to children in kindergarten through 12th grade who were receiving free or reduced-price school meals on March 16, 2020. This is a federal food assistance program by Congress as part of the Families First … [Read more...]
Neat Utah Places to Explore – If You Can Get In
Neat Places to Explore - If You Can Get In As if Utah doesn’t have an endless supply of natural landscapes and historic sites to discover, the state is also packed with mysterious underground wonders just begging to be explored ― if you can only get into them. Driving up Little Cottonwood Canyon, I often forget there is an entire world tunneled into the granite. … [Read more...]
Squaw Peak Road – My favorite Sunday drive in Utah
I rediscovered the great American road trip in the 1980s after returning from graduate school in Alabama. I had just started up Provo Canyon in my car when I saw the turnoff to the Squaw Peak Road (FS Road 27) on the right leading to the Rock Canyon area above downtown Provo. The Rock Canyon “Gorge” is easily visible from I-15, immediately above the Provo LDS Temple, and … [Read more...]
Red Acre Center – Community-Supported Agriculture Program Offers Fresh, Local Food
Sara Patterson’s love of gardening led her to start a farm that now feeds several dozen families and cofound a nonprofit that advocates for policies benefiting small rural and urban agriculture. The venture just outside of Cedar City is thriving. The for-profit Red Acre Farm sells shares in the operation, and in return, the 40 member families get food for three meals a day, … [Read more...]
Grafton – A Silver Screen Ghost Town
Covered in dust and aged by tragedy, there’s an old town situated outside of Zion National Park. Now a ghost town, Grafton was repeatedly abandoned by Mormon settlers because of its inhospitable environment. Illness, severe elements, and Indian attacks made the town lethal to most of its inhabitants. In 1859, five families settled along the Virgin River in what would become … [Read more...]