| CH Iwanaga, musical pioneer
When she was 12, Chizu Helen Iwanaga began playing piano for temple services at the Stockton Buddhist Temple. But the repertoire of Buddhist music back then was thin. Western music wasn't a part of the Japanese Buddhist tradition, so temples had adapted Christian hymns. Mrs. Iwanaga changed that. A pioneer in Buddhist music, she composed Buddhist gathas, or hymns, and organized and conducted choirs in several temples. She died last Tuesday from complications after a fall and a heart attack. She was 92. Mrs. Iwanaga was a small, energetic woman full of passion. She loved cooking, gardening, the Food Network, the 49ers, the Giants and Ichiro Suzuki, her family said. Even when she was hospitalized after her fall, she was making sure her family was cared for, said her daughter-in-law, Reiko Iwanaga of Saratoga.
An endless feast on the high seas
Greetings once again from aboard the HAL cruise ship Veendam. In seven days we have traveled more than 3,000 nautical miles of open sea since leaving the Gulf of Mexico on a course set for Sao Miguel, Azores - one of nine mid-Atlantic Portugal islands. One nautical mile is 1.15 land or statue miles. By now, the 1,200-plus guests have found their favorite activities as well as their sea legs. We have been blessed with pleasurable 60-degree-plus weather and only a day and a half of notable swells. I included "sea bands" in my luggage. They are elastic wristbands with a plastic pressure dot placed on the area of your pulse. The bands also are used to control nausea experienced by chemotherapy patients and morning sickness during pregnancy. The Veendam's executive chef advises an empty stomach should be avoided in heavy seas.
Boeckman: Gateway Market opening for business
Next Tuesday is the scheduled opening day for the Gateway Market, the European-style market located on the former site of the Metro Market, at Woodland Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway.
Among the market's products and services are gourmet specialty food items; fresh meats, including those from Niman Ranch, and a butcher; fresh seafood and sushi; a cheese and olive bar; a wine and beer shop with a wine-tasting bar; catering and delivery; prepared salads and entrees and takeout meals; a coffee bar; and a 120-seat cafe where meals will be served. Cafe patrons can order frittatas and breakfast sandwiches; salads and sandwiches; pizzas and pasta and other daily seasonal entrees.
South Union Bakery has relocated its baking operation to the site and will be supplying at least 12 types of breads for the market.
Weekends At Renaissance Austin Hotel Now Include Shopping Bonus As ...
(openPR) - (AUSTIN, TX) –April, 2007 – The Renaissance Austin Hotel now offers guests a weekend of luxury with a shopping bonus, as part of their “Shoes, Bags, and Beds" package. Beginning April 1, 2007, guests who book a weekend stay at the 492- room hotel get to take advantage of super savings at the hotel and terrific shopping at the upscale stores in the area. The new Austin hotel package is offered at $179 per night and includes: deluxe guest room accommodations, complimentary Starbucks coffee for two, complimentary valet parking, and a $50 gift card (per night's stay) to be utilized for shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue or any of the Arboretum shops – all within walking distance of the hotel. “This is a terrific package for our guests while also providing them with an outstanding value," commented Rob Gillette, General Manager of the Austin, Texas hotel.
Space tourist to sup on Martha's cuisine
Software pioneer Charles Simonyi hasn't even lifted off for his adventure in space yet, but he's already adding a personal touch to the experience. The former Microsoft exec has answered dozens of questions from people around the world on his blog (www.charlesinspace.com), and last week announced he would be serving a six-course Martha Stewart meal in space. Apparently, the standard freeze-dried "meat in white sauce" was no match for his friend Martha's cooking. Simonyi says: "Although the food is very good there, it is somewhat basic, and after a couple of weeks, everything starts tasting the same. I am certain a little variation will be surely welcome." Simonyi will share the gourmet lunch with his crew during his 10-day stay at the International Space Station.
Gate Gourmet Credit Ratings Upgraded
RESTON, Va., April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Global airline catering and logistics provider Gate Gourmet has received upgraded ratings from two of the world's largest credit rating agencies, reflecting the company's continuing positive momentum. Moody's reported late last week that it has affirmed Gate Gourmet's corporate rating at "B2," and upgraded the company's two loan facilities by one notch to "B1" for the first lien and "B3" for the second lien. Moody's said Gate Gourmet's "metrics improved substantially in 2006 over 2005, benefiting largely from significant cost reductions undertaken since 2005." The .
A canal runs through it
The Gowanus Canal has been home to industry for 300 years. Brooklyn's first gasoline was refined on its banks, the borough's first brick factories were there along with its big printing presses. Generations later, the canal is home to hundreds of small businesses, ranging from concrete manufacturers to artisan furniture shops. Here is a look at a few of them. .
'Roo and brew
But this goopy mess of Lincoln Log-sized planks of deep-fried potatoes isn't making things easy. Suitable for a family of six, the appetizer is threaded with limp sauteed spinach, a few shredded artichokes, mozzarella and shredded parmesan cheese. For good measure, it's all drenched in creamy alfredo sauce. It's almost as if some Leona's holdover back in the kitchen just said: "Eh, what the hell--let's just substitute French fries for fettuccini."
Still, it's one of those dishes that will beckon after a night of drinking at one of the many nearby nightclubs, like SpyBar, the club directly below Hop Haus. No potential hangover could withstand this creamy carbo-load. With a 4 a.m. liquor license, there's little doubt Hop Haus aims to lure post-party people. (At 7 p.m., however, the afterwork crowd seemed to be enjoying itself too.)
This is all strange territory for the 57-year-old classic Italian chain.
|
