Arroyo Monthly February 2010

F IE N LE I VL II NV G I N IG N I TN H TE H GE R SE A TN E G L E VN AA L LA ER YE A F I N R A PB AR SI AE D

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FEBRUARY 2010

CRIMES OF THE HEART …AND OTHER LOVE STORIES

4 ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ ARROYO

ARROYO VOLUME 6 ~ NUMBER 2

M O N T H LY

8 CRIMES OF THE HEART… AND OTHER LOVE STORIES 9 PASADENA CONFIDENTIAL Esotouric takes the criminally curious on a mischievous tour of the area’s dark underbelly.

–By Noela Hueso

12 AN EXPLOSIVE AFFAIR Did a young Flintridge socialite conspire with her lover to kill her parents and grab her fortune?

–By Michael Cervin

16 LOVE’S SCIENCE FOUND Our intrepid reporter uncovers the “ologies” of love.

–By Nancy Spiller

ART 36 SMOKE AND MIRRORS Pasadena-born Pae White has earned international acclaim for her artworks that turn everyday objects into “an invitation to marvel.”

–By Nancy Spiller

DEPARTMENTS 7 FESTIVITIES The Television Critics Association, the Glendale Philharmonic Orchestra and Optimist Youth Homes

40 THE LIST Pasadena Literary Festival of Women Authors, Chinese New Year celebrations, quickie Shakespeare and more

43 OBJECTS OF DESIRE Butter up your honey with these suggestions from Arroyo’s Valentine’s Day Gift Guide.

45 KITCHEN CONFESSIONS ABOUT THE COVER: Color Study — Rectangles, Concentric Circles and Hearts (After Kandinsky) by Nancy Spiller

ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ 5

celebrating

food

&

living

EDITOR’S NOTE

well

AH, LOVE — EVERYBODY’S FAVORITE FOUR-LETTER word. St. Augustine called it “a temporary madness.”

Scallops with Peach Balsamic Reduction

Shakespeare declared, “Love is a devil. There is no evil

10 JUMBO SCALLOPS

looks back at a particularly explosive affair involving a young

3 T BEYOND THE OLIVE’S EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Flintridge socialite and her loner boyfriend. In 1947, the

angel but love.”

Indeed. With Valentine’s Day upon us, Michael Cervin

(LIGHT AND/OR FRUITY - ARBEQUINA OR ASCOLANO)

couple — Beulah Louise Overell and George “Bud” Gollum — stood trial on charges of

1/4 C PANKO BREAD CRUMBS

murdering her parents, whose bodies were recovered after their yacht blew up in

1/2 C BEYOND THE OLIVE’S PEACH WHITE BALSAMIC VINEGAR

Newport Harbor. In the end, prosecutors failed to get a conviction. Cervin examines the

3 GREEN ONIONS (THINLY SLICED)

aftermath of a trial that mesmerized the country.

SALT / PEPPER Season thawed scallops with salt & pepper before rolling them in panko bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in large skillet. Cook scallops for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes each side.

Remove from pan and keep warm. Deglaze pan with balsamic vinegar and onions and allow it to reduce (only takes 3 or 4 minutes). Drizzle the reduction over the scallops and serve.

THE FIRST 10 PEOPLE WHO BRING THIS RECIPE INTO THE STORE WILL RECEIVE

20% OFF ENTIRE PURCHASE. Exp. 2/28/2010 10 North Raymond Avenue | Old Pasadena 626.844.EVOO | www.beyondtheolive.com

Of course, there are many kinds of love — and many ways in which it can go wrong. Noela Hueso introduces us to Virginia Judd of South Pasadena, who killed her mother and brother in 1946 and turned the gun on herself but decided instead to use her final bullet on the family poodle. Hueso discovered that gruesome tale on Esotouric’s Pasadena Confidential Crime Bus Tour, which exposes the area’s seldom-seen seamy underbelly. In this issue, she takes you along for the ride.

Naturally, love can also be sweet, as Nancy Spiller demonstrates in her illustrated essay, “Love’s Science Found.” In it, she offers her tasty remedy for lovers who miss the

.

first heady rush of romance. And for those who want to keep their sweethearts hanging around until next Valentine’s Day, we offer our gift guide.

Finally, Spiller talks to one of the art world’s fastest-rising art stars — Pasadena-

born-and-bred Pae White — whose work goes on view this month as part of the highly

FOR JOIN US

WL SUPER BAOY & SUND AY

prestigious Whitney Biennial.

— Irene Lacher

ES D VALENTIN

ARROYO MONTHLY Altadena, Arcadia, Eagle Rock, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, Sierra Madre, Pasadena, San Marino and South Pasadena

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY 3 Big Screen Plasmas Surround Sound

Domestic Beer Draft or Bottle $2.00 Imported Beer Draft or Bottle $4.00 Cocktails $4.00 Discounted Appetizer Menu

VALENTINES DAY 3 Course Meal Bottle of Wine

EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher PRODUCTION MANAGER Yvonne Guerrero ART DIRECTOR Joel Vendette JUNIOR DESIGNER Eisen Nepomuceno WEB DESIGNER Carla Marroquin COPY EDITOR John Seeley CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Bilderback, Michael Burr, Michael Cervin, André Coleman, Mandalit del Barco, Patt Diroll, Gary Dretzka, Jenn Garbee, Lynne Heffley, Katie Klapper, Ilsa Setziol, Kirk Silsbee, John Sollenberger, Nancy Spiller, Bradley Tuck PHOTOGRAPHERS Johnny Buzzerio, Teri Lyn Fisher, Gabriel Goldberg, C.M. Hardt, Melissa Valladares

Big Live Entertainment A rose for your sweetheart!

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dina Stegon ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Fred Bankston, Dana Bonner, Carolyn Johansen, Leslie Lamm, Alison Standish ADVERTISING DESIGNER Carla Marroquin

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VP OF FINANCE Michael Nagami HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker

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BUSINESS MANAGER Angela Wang ACCOUNTING Alysia Chavez, Monica MacCree OFFICE ASSISTANT Emma Rodriguez Luna PUBLISHER Jon Guynn

ArroyoMonthly.com ©2009 Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

FESTIVITIES

1

2

3

4

The Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa Pasadena is one of the Television Critics Association’s favorite locales for its biannual press tour, where networks woo journalists with panels and parties celebrating their upcoming seasons, and the winter 2010 jaunt in mid-January was no different. While 5

6

several networks fanned out across the L.A. area to host parties after panel presentations, a few remained in Pasadena to toast their shows and celebs. Emily Deschanel, Olivia Wilde, J.J. Abrams and other Fox stars and producers converged on Villa Sorriso Jan. 11, after NBC Universal feted South Pasadena’s Alison Brie, Amy Poehler and Alison Sweeney at the Langham Jan. 10.

At the Fox fete: 1. Mark Valley 2. Jane Lynch and Emily Deschanel 7

8

3. Tamara Taylor 4. Alex Borstein and Seth Green At the NBC Universal party: 5. Brian Williams and David Gregory 6. Melanie B 7. Amy Poehler 8. Craig T. Nelson 9. (Left to right) Joel McHale; Alison Brie; Jeff Gaspin, chairman, NBC Universal Television Entertainment; Yvette Nicole Brown and Danny Pudi

PHOTOS: Chris Haston/NBC/Oxygen and © 2010 FOX BROADCASTING

9

ABOVE: FOX’s Diana Agron (left) and Lea Michelle

Optimist Youth Homes & Family Services received a $25,000 Community Impact Grant from the New York Life

The Glendale Philharmonic Orchestra

Insurance Co. on Jan. 4. “We are grateful

made its debut, under the baton of Artistic

for New York Life’s investment in this

Director and Principal Conductor Mikael

agency, which will have a lasting effect on

Avetisyan, at the First Baptist Church of

the entire community,” said Sil Orlando,

Glendale on Jan. 9. Soloists at the sold-out

executive director of Highland Park’s

inaugural concert included orchestra

education and treatment center for juvenile offenders and other at-risk children.

Left: The Glendale Philharmonic Orchestra Right: Marine AbrahamyanAdasho

founder and cellist Ruslan Biryukov, celFROM LEFT: Melany Choura, Long Beach Optimist Club treasurer; Phil Infelise, OYHFS board member; Chuck Thoin, New York Life agent; and Bob Brown, retired New York Life agent

list Maksim Velichkin and soprano Marine Abrahamyan-Abdasho.

ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ 7

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Spring Blossoms

CRIMES OF THE HEART

S THE A E K A T S ON URIC ESOTO LLY CURIOU F THE A O CRIMIN VOUS TOUR ELLY. B IE MISCH DARK UNDER AREA’S UESO ELA H

BY NO

PHOTOS: From top by Dan Jansenson; Noela Hueso

thor the auisits the d n a ebo our v op: Crim ; the t From at ct a crime reen ado Bridge Color

ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ 9

CRIMES OF THE HEART

WN G CLO N I K O LO ISTERN I S A ECENT E R E A S N U YO TO Y DAY ET. BU R E I SAW. E R V T T E S A H T A O W N E ng IT’S N PASAD XACTLY E gs circli H T S ’ U T lack rin O A b S H o T w n t A u , ts h g with ON NING R son pan rish red a O im g r c a M y e d g Y t to mak and bag ce painte CLOUD as a sigh n, his fa plaid tie

Joan Redd and companions on the tour Left: Sirhan Sirhan’s mother’s former home

10 ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ ARROYO

PHOTOS: Noela Hueso

tio He w ket, conversa is head. stard jac in h u p n m e o e d d d e n was oversiz ulevard s mashe ask. His The clow dora wa Oaks Bo m fe ir a ’s n F it w d d o n r n b a ealing like a ba n Street been rev e. An old s to a g m a h n li fr h his eyes r y ic A lk and of wh n his bu ruesome us Tour, e corner g B h , t d e ir to e im limply o r d w e e. of the ential C eyes sor as I head g locales a Confid ed him n in r t e anyone’s d te in a n o s u a p o P c rination pin al I first en public u mi-annu gleefully t e , a s 6 h ugh t 0 . ’s e 0 s r ic 2 a r e since d it w ling thro red h r b d s Esotou t u o e m c h r c u w c t tc o e o a l s e h c e Crimebo and the tour group on to dark about ould that hav like grav the bus n City’s going on ce that c s crimes ounded n s n u la e w lo g g ic u lo the Crow a o c ic in v e e o id g h is m r t s t e H r a s v . a a w e ju is h es and he g up. This xposure , I could sometim ck make public e use me,” roached c t la x p u b E p b t “ a a , I h — d t s s re A s just all murmu s Angele r of cere be it wa y d him, I gal in Lo a e le s m s il a , ’t p re maste in r n I a a is g s het iz a A b . n ff r e ’s e mix tour was o s. Th e u e te h e h io t r s c iv is a n c , s s o t ac d as la g clown commen describe e-sniffin opriate r im r p c p a only be ly in n o . ff the s. of names o teresting s as full e world’s for hour a g h d t w in e s k e a in c h a e d to be in t t h r a o, toute , were c cover th termind gers ente Crimeb hinta, 21 soon dis f passen and mas C o r , ld r d u to a te a o e is lo w r s s part of ec bu ger and I no, is th 8 to be a eep any er youn 5 le k h $ e monies, g d to n id n a h a A g p , n 42 l were s, enou had each generatio Cooper, s. Severa o e d h e ir im w ir wall fact t h , K t e s , t r r a r, orne WASPy of touris t. Coope At the c ’s crowd udents to y t ation lis a s eles. v here d r e o e g s T e e . ll r ry Los Ang n co board, w ing rsion d n ia u n s o c u x A s e o u r r m a d mandato u o s -ho , ushere s, includ nging fr uric trip the four husband e 1950s and ’60 lectic, ra at Esoto c ’s e e r behind b e s ff a p o o w r o , e h t kes and dC oth rience racked jo lips from guide an c ooper’s c r C o in. n the expe u f b e io o to is e ’s telev oon e settled s. Crim f som n d w e r o n d e s s a a a ft n r a a a r lm e — p fi th vete hotguns of Roses vintage Schave, -barrel s nament r spooling Richard le u n b o u u T o e r d o e ag w rds and onitors in longs — swo ie video m g bands lt in ia h c c e r p a of m aking s footage alloon-m b is h t u passed o

PHOTOS: Noela Hueso

bpite the morbid su ordinary tour. Des ur yo ’t sn who , wa am ly te ar otouric This cle s was light as the Es bu e th on d oo . m e les ta ject matter, th told their horrible e Joan Redd, wryly id gu by was wealthy e ed er in Th jo . re we t and furious fas e m ca ry ise m tally unbalAnd the stories of eap to put his men ch o to s wa , 95 18 o, in in a giant chicken H.G.C. Gordon wh d instead kept her an n tio tu sti in an High School anced wife in om; South Pasadena ro g in liv e th of e dismissal in coop in the middl th the prospect of wi ed fac o, wh r, ce en e pistol and killed th Principal Roland Sp g with a .22-caliber tin ee m ff d an sta a rs; to he e 1940, cam cretary and two ot nt, vice principal, se to kill herself school superintende o, in 1946, planned wh , dd Ju ia in rg Vi her last bullet South Pasadena’s r but instead used he ot br d an r he ot m r rather a after taking out he bbed herself, leaving sta e sh d, en e th who le (in out Charles Fuller, on the family pood p ry Redd told us ab sto e th s dena e tour grou wa sa e Pa er s th ehaved in hi ing with th mess). Then isb m m or d f an e es pr th o clo b Crime ed his own said, “considerchain-smoked, stitch t surprising,” Redd no t’s “I .

14 19 t, in ha p neighborhood back rhood, wearing a to ndered the neighbo wa e H p. .” ed im er ch a sw s an ing he wa housewives who d freaking out the supporting role in ringing doorbells an l heritage played a ra ctu ite ch ar h ric Mission Pasadena’s rian farmhouse on cto Vi t es od m a d r,” the tour. As we passe rhan Sirhan’s mothe t that the structure that belonged to Si , Schave pointed ou e na us de ho ks sa e rd oc Pa th bl wa h is o to s ut tw hi ck So ed ba Street in number. “T before being mov h on Lake Avenue 77 film Halloween the bus headed sout rnated as ca As . in us . Who knew re ld ng en to eli be re s dd s appeared in the 19 ha Re wa it n, where , my mind tio ur ca to lo e t th en of es d pr e en its th e d at north in 1996 to downtown and th e? t your spine adjuste place so close to m e. “Now you can ge fic of r’s to ac pr h dark history took iro uc m a ch there was still one so t bu , se ing to a clo quipped. aw ve dr a ha s s, Sc wa en e,” rd on us Ga no ho ta ter n eli af The Carm Rite Temple on Hallowee up to the Scottish s pulled up next to d bu lle e t th pu , e ou es W ut ed e. in fil ak m all m yet another d we After 90 more stop to ne sphinxes, to hear do Street Bridge, an ra sto lo of Co ir e pa th its s to t he th en nc wi lu r 1933, of r sack small park adjac Marengo Avenue overy, in Decembe portunity to eat ou sc di op e r th ou : s m wa he is ay p m Th sto d ple, dead t the to stretch our legs. story of murder an the steps of the tem r hosts provided. Bu on ou e ng ffe lyi co er d ev an Si d ies ok at onar us to widely publicized or partake of the co Crimebo gathered Pasadena dentist Le . The murder was ds ll. After the break, un we wo as rt e sta ho os to e d ns rp th ne gu pu in r le sig s de had anothe from multip ents, casting tourist The stop was also accounts of real ev a d remain unsolved. m ul fro wo rl d climbed one gi an he ld e as -o tim ar ck e stage fictionalized ye th o saved a 3first I hung ba wh At l o. ge eb an im an Cr ed d th ay ba him too. whose ring roles. I portr be our photo op wi . Others posed with -year-old mother, as 22 er er m (H ca . e 37 th r 19 fo in d ge on pose tumble off the brid s sprawled lifeless of the statues and time, Crimebo wa y.) is ck th lu By so t. I ’t d. ou sn re to y ab de wa d wa s, en ar e rr st he of th idea this wa Finally, I su nate dentist we’d ju , stopping a quarter ge rtu id fo br un e e th th ne ss e eo nro lik m ge , ac so r ps r fo We headed the temple’s ste adequate barriers fo aled by the camera e sides — rather in e him, our fates se up tiv d sid ra be ng co m alo de cli e e e ac H th pl e n. y in io m at exam took ebo’s estim AM mit suicide, in Crim inding us that m re , ed determined to com de erations to come. e th do to be d ul wo it easy ations, that, to date, about and showed us how May 1. For reserv tempt to jump and Crime Bus Tour is at al ar nti ye de ch nfi ea Co le na op one or two pe The next Pasade emselves off there. essful in finishing th t in cc en su m cid en in be wn ve no ha -k 0 25 visit esotouric.co a little oper told us about e Co th s, in bu , e 26 th 19 on 1, y ck ar Ba how on Janu urnament of Roses: ed at the corner of the history of the To Crimebo, the world’s onl grandstand collaps ed ck pa y crime-sniffing clown a , de d ra an pa le op pe 0 25 g middle of the rin ulevard, inju Bo do ra lo Co at d wh an idea Madison Avenue the accident had no ers just in front of ok lo on r the t fo Ye ng o. di tw au killing and appl be heard cheering d ul co d an e the site us ed ca en lling be had happ particularly compe be to ry sto is th d y family and I parade. I foun exact spot where m e th be to ed en pp of the tragedy ha years. rade for the past 15 ue toward have watched the pa on Los Robles Aven rth no g in ad he re re mere Before long, we we ighborhood. We we ne y m to r se clo d ht ser an ng it, we turned rig Altadena, getting clo t just before reachi bu t, ee str y y m ed m nn blocks away fro g about Robert F. Ke Redd started talkin d an et re St d ay from my ar ow on H an. Four blocks aw rh Si an rh Si n, ssi assa t a street and his convicted yellow house withou ain pl a of nt fro ed in street, the bus stopp ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ 11

WAS HERE T H G THOU EVEN RD , K N I S N BOA T ’ O N R D I E TIM CHT D D TO A O E THE YA G G I R ED INT E R T E I T M N A PLI H DYN N UP, S W O ENOUG L F B TOM O HAVE T D O L B U THE T SHO NK TO U THAT I S S D FACT I ES AN C S E U I O P I UR ION THAT C A MILL H T U B .

R BEULA O D B N R A A TER ORT H T. WAL N NEWP I O P AD E DY DE DE TH I A S E E R B L ST EA D ALMO E WER G D I HOWE R S T Y N I S L F TOP LL OF HE AU T .

D OVERE E O XPLOD NED T E O P E I G H BLUD THE S BEEN WHEN D A T, A H UMEN RELLS R E T V S O N I HE LY E LIKE THAT T H T WIELD , D O N H A W H E N OF BEFOR ESTIO U Q E DEATH T IN R. TH H NIGH AMME C H R A N E PE IM M BALLAT GR H T N ER. ER O OGETH of Flintridge HAMM T E L H A T R ht in ED TE ision R MAT f the tony subdiv e home they boug E H T O o h t s g o AS AN 1976). T resident ccordin 1947 W verells were early ñada Flintridge in ed at $600,000, a World War II

ost– The O La Ca as valu Los unt by p part of oday, w o t e s m a d m a n e iture in c a n t e iv r s s b s u l a h F il t ic s m ’s h ll sucre ich (w as a ered the r of Ove 930s, wh . That w e h 1 e t n r w ly im fu r t o a t e e d a the rts at th estor an ships th ed repo relation ssful inv e s s c e c u in s s publish a u er, ating b ds. Walt for cultiv standar n w o n k , was Angeles

S O L P X E N A Bud Gollum and Beulah Louise Overall

, His wife oothly. m per s lo o e s v te de e run a v t s a e h l t a o e r fe may n counters with as suffihome li n nator w e is e s ic H t e . s n h e a T ris e. om rive. his nam is enterp ve had r eulah D h e a B g f h t o e id o r t e s t r s t d e n c re ge and ns Fli Flintrid as rumo bdivisio ho gave u w in w s , s , h a t e t n la d li li u e Be kF am ving ocia were ha en. Fran he top s hat he n t t S y . f r e e o .S h t h e U t n h a o and ed wit hen and likely th rell was nraptur and it’s añada: T and lah Ove , C r u e e a r B L e ciently e t d o a n ow th f Ranch , Walter us phila “We kn maker o notorio In 1929 . a lm y e s fi a ll e a w h V t t e, da had no . Flin ewcomb irl who ta–Caña g N n e that Sen d n c e s h il e o r o J arty for eC a sp ,” says thday p ON PAGE 14 nt of th ise was ir u u b o o c a an affair L c a d h a l D a la t they h —CONTINUE historic orn. Beu Now, a one poin d was b t il A h “ c . e ly b on Newcom Beulah’s rding to o c c a , s friend

12 ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ ARROYO

R I A F F A E V I S DID A YO U

NG FLIN

BY MIC TRIDGE HAEL C ERVIN | SOCIALI PHOTO TE CONS S COUR PIRE WI TESY O F USC: TH HER LOS AN LOVER T GELES EXAMIN O KILL H ER COL ER PARE LECTIO N NTS A

ND GRA B

HER FOR TUNE?

ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ 13

CRIMES OF THE HEART

Certainly any child accused of killing her parents would arouse morbid curiosity. Beulah Louise was young, a fresh-faced 18, reasonably attractive and the heir of wealthy parents who lived in an exclusive enclave. Adding to the salacious mix, Gollum and Beulah Louise wrote bizarre love letters to each other from the confines of their cells, where they planned a jailbreak. The leaked letters made front-page news across the country. They seemed like the overheated ramblings of children, littered with so many declarations of “I love you” as to make one’s head spin. “Would you still marry me if I were broke?” Beulah Louise wrote to Gollum. “Oh Pops darling, please promise you will marry me.

You’re an uplifted human being. You’re the most intelligent person I ever heard of. Einstein was a moron compared to you. Yes, sir, you’re the object of my adoration and the creature of my determination.”

The letters held hints of darkness as well. “Because I love and adore and worship and cherish you with all my heart, I’ll kidnap you and carry you off somewhere where no one will ever be able to find us and I’ll make passionate and violent love to you,” Gollum wrote. “If you ever marry another person, I will kill him.” Letters published in the Los Angeles Examiner on April 29, ABOVE: Beulah Louise during the trial RIGHT: Remnants of the bomb; Jurors tour the boat

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

Beulah Louise, but no one came. So the mother, not wanting Beulah Louise to be traumatized, discreetly paid people to show up,” Newcombe says.

Later, as a USC student, she managed to find love with George Gollum, a World War II veteran, apparent loner and new USC student, four years her senior. No one seems to have liked him much either. But Beulah Louise and Gollum had found each other and planned to marry — over Walter’s objections. Police said they had other, more sinister connections: The dynamite used to blow up the 47-foot cruiser, the Mary E, was the same explosive material found by police in Gollum’s trunk, which he and Beulah Louise had purchased from the Trojan Powderworks Factory in Chatsworth days before the blast.

Police arrested the lovebirds. News accounts of the day offered various scenarios about where Gollum and Beulah Louise were when the boat exploded.

Some reports claimed they were seen rowing away from the boat; others said they were on shore getting hamburgers. Since the crime occurred in Newport, the six-month trial was held in Santa Ana, where it drew a rapt audience across the country and became California’s longest and most expensive trial to date.

14 ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ ARROYO

1947, revealed that they’d both vowed to take sleeping pills if either one was unfaithful to the other.

It seemed like a slam dunk for the prosecution. Beulah Louise’s motive was said to be her position as the sole heir to her parents’ fortune. Gollum had the trunk full of dynamite. No one thought Walter had enemies who would want to orchestrate his demise. But zealous prosecutors made critical blunders.

Prosecutors contended that certain screws used in the detonation device were exceptionally rare, and how was it that those same screws were found in Gollum’s car? The defense went to a local hardware store and easily purchased the same “rare” screws, tossing them around the courtroom. The defense also argued that Gollum had purchased the dynamite at Walter’s urging; his attorney claimed that Walter wanted to do something drastic because his unstable financial situation was becoming untenable, although that scenario was never proved conclusively. Gollum’s lawyer also planted doubt about the nature of the Overells’ head injuries, undermining the autopsy conclusion that the couple was bludgeoned to death.

The jury eventually decided that Walter was depressed enough over his deteriorating finances that the explosion was “the accident of suicidal tampering with dynamite,” according to court documents. The two were acquitted of all charges as the throng of observers, skeptical of such a well-brought-up young lady’s capacity for perfidy, exploded into applause. Insurance money based on a double indemnity claim resulted in a $140,000 award. “Afterwards, many of the jurors said they all believed that Gollum and Beulah Louise had done it,” Newcombe says. “But they felt George acted like a Svengali over her and they

Celebrate the New Year with a Beautiful You! wanted to give her a lesser sentence.” Jurors thought they never had that option and, like much of the country, they felt sympathy for Beulah Louise.

By the time the trial ended, Gollum and Beulah Louise were no longer planning on wedded bliss. Their love resembled the Mary E, whose remains had been put on display in Long Beach as a tourist attraction; 150,000 people wandered through the death boat before it was sold for scrap and shipped, allegedly to Coney Island, as junk, a twisted and broken memory. Time Magazine reported that the actual value of the Overell estate at probate was $310,000. But there were bills to pay and attorneys’ fees. According to the L.A. Times in 1949, the now single heiress began drawing $300 a month from the insurance policy and $500 from an inheritance that had shrunk to only $70,000.

By age 20, Beulah Louise decided to marry, but not George Gollum.

Perhaps ironically, as the Times reported on June 25, 1949, she planned to walk down the aisle with Robert Cannon, 28, an L.A. cop. Curiously, she was quoted as saying there would be no honeymoon, dismissing it as “a ridiculous custom.” That marriage failed after two years. Then in 1953, she married Joseph Kooyman, a barkeeper in Las Vegas. That too failed, but with more

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$ tragic consequences. Beulah Louise had begun to drink heavily and was under the supervision of a psychiatrist. At age 36 — 18 years after her parents died — she drank herself to death, according to Las Vegas Deputy Coroner Harvey Schnitzer. She was found naked on her bed covered in bruises, two empty vodka bottles nearby and a fully loaded .22-caliber rifle at her feet. In her Times obituary, Schnitzer said Kooyman claimed “she was always falling down.” Newcombe suggests her bruises may have been self-inflicted, caused by guilt about the beating deaths of her parents.

After the trial, Gollum stole a car and spent nine months in a Georgia jail, according to the Times. After that, he seemed to vanish. In 1988, the paper tracked him down and ran a brief piece on the 50th anniversary of the crime.

Gollum, then 62, told the reporter he was living “near Lake Tahoe” and dipping into real estate speculation. He claimed to have a daughter and son and mentioned that he’d been separated from his wife of 20 years. The Orange County Register later reported that Gollum died in February 2009 in Wasilla, Alaska. He was 83.

Was Beulah Louise a spoiled rich kid who finagled Gollum into conspiring with her to kill her parents and grab a fortune? Was Gollum the mastermind who saw opportunity in a young, naïve Flintridge girl? Did Walter and Beulah Overell, as parents of an only child, set in motion a string of events that led to their untimely demise? The truth of that night will never be known. All four principal players in this tawdry drama are dead. Left behind are speculation and questions that are part of the lore of La Cañada-Flintridge, occasionally asked but never answered. AM

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HOME&DESIGN PROJECT: SHERMAN OAKS DINING ROOM FIRM: HDA INTERIORS

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Interior design ventures can range from small, specific projects, like reupholstering a chair or hanging new drapes, to large missions like redesigning an entire room or creating a design plan for a new home. In every case, there’s more to the job than rearranging furniture. The interior designer usually doesn’t limit herself to using her eyes. We encounter our living spaces with all of our senses, and with a keen response to the subtle, seemingly intangible elements, like aroma, sound density and light. The astute interior designer addresses every nuance of that experience.

“Sometimes I just have a little bit of work to do, like redecorating a room or choosing fabric for furniture, and sometimes I’m concentrating on a whole house,” says Carol Cobabe of Carol Cobabe Design. “But the design experience is always a kind of magic. I can be standing with plaster dust on my feet in an ice-cold house, discussing plans with a contractor or client, and I think – here we are, making wonderful things happen in this house.”

Mineh Aghayani grew up in the world of fashion and fabric. She founded Mineh Designs, a boutique custom drapery —CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

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and window treatment company and focuses her design sensibilities on creating and installing unique draperies and blinds for her clients. Mineh doesn’t define her work in terms of scale; to her there are no small jobs. Your need for a designer may fall somewhere between freshening up the window coverings and making over the entire home, but the requirements for success in your venture remain fairly constant.

CLIENT AND DESIGNER: THE DREAM RELATIONSHIP Probably the most important aspect of your relationship with a designer is compatibility. Yes, you want to find a conscientious, visionary professional to collaborate with you on a fresh home or a redesign project. But you’re unlikely to achieve your dream home – or room, ornaments, sur-

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“My job is to help the client decide what to do in a window setting,” explains Mineh. “The first thing I ask is: what do you want to see in the room, how do you want to feel in there? It’s all about the client’s personality, so first I have to get know them.”

After 15 years in the business of global, high-end commercial design, Chelsea and Antonio Hernandez have broadened their business to include residential projects. Chelsea describes the client-designer relationship as a crucial component of success. According to Chelsea, most designers will meet with potential clients for free or for a nominal fee to discover whether the chemistry and communication —CONTINUED ON PAGE 29

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feels right for both parties. During an interview a seasoned designer will listen to your ideas, share his or her portfolio with you, and perhaps suggest references.

“You’re going to spend a lot of time with a designer, and it’s not just about the work,” she says. “We’ve done really large scale design like casinos and resorts around the world and learned the importance of knowing people. In residential design the relationship is more personal. You know that someone will value and live in that room that you create.”

“I like everyone I work with, and I think the feeling is mutual,” Carol Cobabe agrees. “Some projects last for a long time. I have clients whom I’ve worked with for five years and we’ve actually formed a lovely friendship over those years.”

If your project involves other partners, like architects, contractors, trade and crafts-

people, both you and your interior designer will need to develop productive relationships with those people as well. You all form a team. The more you understand and respect each other, the more beautiful your home will be at the end of the endeavor.

TIME AND MONEY: You don’t have to spend half a decade with your designer to learn the value of communication. Terri Julio does it all in a day. Her company, Terri Julio Day of Design, offers a compact service for those who don’t need, or can’t afford, a full-time design team. Clients who prefer to carry out certain tasks and follow through on their own, but who don’t want to make costly mistakes, and therefore seek the resources of a professional designer, call Terri. She arrives with all the tools of her trade, plus names and referrals for contractors,

PHOTO: Courtesy of Lois Mahar (Kitchen Redesign)

—CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

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plumbers, electricians, craftspeople – and lunch from Julian’s. She leaves her clients with scaled drawings and the information they need to proceed with a design project.

Terri has been in the design business for 20 years, so she never gets nervous about making the connection and creating the drawings for home owners. Like most designers, she’s driven by passion and molded by her extensive experience in the field.

Lois Mahar’s projects usually last longer than a day, but she too stresses the merits of schedule. “I’m very time-conscious. I always ask – is there a deadline?

What are you doing for Easter, or New Year’s Eve? As a project manager my job is to consult, participate in space planning, and work with the contractor and keep him moving.”

In general, time equals money, and you don’t want to spend an inordinate

amount of either to accomplish your design goals. At the same time, you want to avoid sloppy or shoddy work. A professional, qualified interior designer should be able to understand (or help you to establish) both your budget and your schedule.

CONTINUITY: Before Cynthia Bennett started her design/ build construction business, she studied English at UC Berkely, then lived in the Netherlands for 16 years. While she was abroad she became interested in the historical restoration of homes, an interest she pursued when she returned to the United States.

“When you remodel you need to pay attention to moldings, doorways, casings,” Cynthia says. “The details are so important in design. You want to remain so true to the original, that people won’t

PHOTO: Courtesy of Terri Julio (Home Office)

—CONTINUED ON PAGE 33

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—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

BOTTOM LINE: The bottom line, as Walter Gropius says, is neither intellectual nor material. The bottom

line — the ultimate goal of any interior design project — is to create an integral, comfortable, sensually appealing space which will reflect and glow with the life of the inhabitants. Probably the best way to find a designer who can facilitate this process is through referrals. Other resources include the local chapter of the American Society of Interior Decorators (ASID), and local events like the ASIDsponsored “Home and Kitchen Tour,” held annually in October, and the “Pasadena Showcase House” event, which takes place through April and May, and is sponsored by the Pasadena Philharmonic. And by all means, do a little homework. Page through magazines, visit retail and other design outlets, search for fabrics, colors, textures that you love – then choose the right designer for you, to bring your imagined world to life. ■

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notice the restoration.” Unless you want to make a statement. If you want to blend or contrast design across genres, this can be quite interesting and Cynthia sees transitional design emerging in the United States. “You can find continuity and drama in the combination of old and new, especially in furnishings, and you can coordinate with color.”

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ARROYO

HOME DESIGN

BUILDERS & REMODELERS BADE CONSTRUCTION, INC. Bade Construction Co., Inc., family-owned and operated, has been in business since 1965. Over the years, the company has built hundreds of single family homes, condominiums and office and industrial buildings. It also has extensive experience working with city and county planning & building departments in processing architectural plan. Bade Construction is recognized as one of the premier home builders in the San Gabriel Valley. 77 Las Tunas Drive, Suite 202, Arcadia; call (626) 574-7354; badeconstruction.com

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JAMES COANE & ASSOCIATES Since 1994, James V. Coane, has specialized in: custom residences, estates, historic renovations and expansions, residential and apartment interiors, multi-family residential, corporate interiors, retail and small commercial building design. American Institute of Architects award winners, and named Best Architect by Pasadena Weekly, their projects have been in Architectural Digest and other magazines and used as locations for filming and fashion shoots. Wellversed in historical and modern architecture and design and known for attention to detail on all projects. Visit jvca.com or call (626) 584-6922.

GREEN AKEENA SOLAR Akeena has helped thousands of satisfied customers realize lower energy bills with clean, renewable solar power.

Our mission is to help our customers reduce or eliminate their electric bills with the award-winning Andalay system — the most reliable solar power system on the market today. We are committed to our customers, designing custom project specifications and managing all paperwork for permitting, hookup, rebates, and incentives. Call (888) 2533628 or visit akeena.com.

MARK HOUSTON ASSOCIATES, INC. Mark Houston Associates Inc. provides residential planning and design services in San Gabriel Valley, San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles and surrounding areas. With Mark Houston Associates Inc. you are an integral part of the design process. We work with you to create a residential environment that expresses your personality, values and vision. This collaboration begins with discerning your needs and flows through to the completion of construction. (626) 357-7858

INTERIOR DESIGN PACIFIC HOME DESIGN Pacific Home Design Studio is a small full-service design firm dedicated to providing quality custom home and commercial design in the Los Angeles area. With over 10 years of experience, our staff will create a design that meets your needs, lifestyle and budget, without compromising quality and attention to detail. At PHDS, we take pride in excellence and strive to achieve perfection in each and every project, no matter the size. Call (818) 230-2364 or visit PacificHDS.net.

CAROL COBABE With a philosophy of “good design resulting in the creation of harmony in one’s environment,” Carol’s work has been published in countless publications. She has participated in several showcase houses, the Los Angeles Assistance League Design House, the Venice Family Clinic Design House and Little Company of Mary Design House in Palos Verdes. Carol is also a winner of the coveted First Place Award of the L.A. Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers. Call (626) 441-6052.

REVEAL STUDIOS Our goal is to welcome everything that we are given: program, budget, site specifics, concerns and constraints. We won’t stop design at the four walls and roof – we create total environments. Ultimately, the solutions must be a specific and inspiring fit for the needs initially expressed.

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Your home should be more than just a place to hang your hat.

It should be a perfect place where vivid dreams and cherished hopes surround you. It should exude panache, glamour and inspire you to live your most extraordinary life. HDA’s portfolio includes stellar Spanish bungalows, ultra-modern estates and everything in between. Contact HDA Interiors today and let us help you create a space that truly is a reflection of you. Call (626) 584-0742 or visit hdesignassociates.com.

Dolores Kroop has worked as a designer for over 20 years.

She brings to her work a background in art and design, with experiences and exposures garnered through years of growing up abroad in South America, Europe and the Middle East.

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“My mission is to offer more people an opportunity to consult with a professional designer and afford them a service that fits into their budget.” Those words capture Terri Julio¹s practical and thoughtful approach to her profession. A full day of design consultation is a great way to begin any project. Terri’s philosophy also extends to “putting the client¹s wants first.” She simply guides those desires to a beautiful conclusion. Call (626) 447-5370.

WELLS FARGO The Patsy Grant Team at Wells Fargo Home Financing meets your needs. Because your home is one of your biggest investments, it's important to ensure that your mortgage fits you. This is our specialty — helping you find mortgage solutions that meet your current situation while complementing your long-term financial goals. We will help you determine what mortgage options work for you, guide you through the loan process and answer your questions.

Patsy: (626) 577-3721; Jim: (626) 577-3703

INTERIOR SPACES FLOORGATE, INC. Floorgate offers premium hardwood flooring designed to keep up with your family’s lifestyle. We offer the largest selection of colors and styles in wood flooring, hardwoods, laminate, carpet and tile, with virtually care-free finishes and our assurance of quality. Hardwood floors are incredibly beautiful, highly durable and extremely affordable. And they're always natural and safe for the environment. We install over 50,000 square feet of flooring every week! 3350 N. San Fernando Road, Los Angeles; call (323) 478-2000.

OUTDOOR LIVING GARDEN VIEW LANDSCAPE Specializing in landscaping, nurseries and pools, Garden View Inc. can take you from a design idea to a finished, detail-oriented garden. Garden View & their clientele are recipients of 60 awards from the California Landscape Contractors Association. The intent of the company is to provide high-quality interrelated outdoor services. The synergy between having their own designer/project managers, in-house crews, their own large nursery, and being a licensed pool builder provides for efficiency, competitive pricing, quality and schedule control. Call (626) 303-4043.

IMPORT LIVING Welcome to Import Living, where we have everything you are looking for in home decoration. All at wholesale prices! We have original pieces, decorative and well crafted, along with excellent service. We make sure every piece is just how you want it and we will have it ready for delivery or pick-up. Come in and experience our great service and incredible furniture! 2 Stores to serve you: 979 E. Colorado Blvd in Pasadena and 1705 S. Mountain Ave. in Monrovia. Call (626) 578-0366 or (626) 359-4900.

GAROCCO POOLS Plan for your new pool or pool remodel. The time is now to start the process of building your new pool. Your family and friends will thank you at the beginning of the summer as you start to enjoy the beautiful new addition to your home and yard. Garocco, Inc. is well known for their outstanding pool design and construction. Call now to set up an appointment for a design consultation. 656 E. Green St. Pasadena 91101 626-359-5050 garocco.com

KITCHEN TUNE-UP Kitchen Tune-Up is one-stop shopping if you’re looking to change your kitchen. A Tune-Up is a process in which existing wood cabinets are made to look as close to new as possible.

We offer refacing, custom cabinets, bathroom vanities as well as home entertainment centers and closets. We can add pullout drawers, spice cabinets, even that island you’ve been dreaming about. We are Steve and Megan Morelock. Please call for a complimentary consultation at (626) 533-4402

MARBLE AND STONELIFE Our skilled staff is ready to evaluate and address all of your stone and concrete related needs — floor leveling, scratch and stain removal, crack repair, grout restoration, polishing, sealing, and color enhancing. We offer concrete polishing, acid stain and polishing, acid stain and sealing, and have extensive experience with all types of natural and man-made stone: marble, granite, terrazzo, travertine, limestone, onyx, sandstone, concrete, Mexican tiles, agglomerate, slate, terra cotta, flagstone, brownstone, brick, ceramic and more. Call (877) 773-5820.

MAUDE WOODS Stepping into Maude Woods: Artful Living, shoppers may feel they’ve entered someone’s beautiful home. Owner Carrie Davich mixes new upscale furnishings with vintage and renovated second-hand treasures. Within this “home” shoppers can find a unique hostess gift for $25, a $5,000 table and a variety of beautiful items in between. 55 E. Holly St., Pasadena CA 91103. 626-577-3400. maudewoods.com

REAL ESTATE

MODERN LIGHTING Modern Lighting has been serving Southern California's lighting needs since 1946. With all types of fixtures in every price range, you’ll find what you want; if not we do custom design. We have stocks of light bulbs to compliment your fixture and we continually watch the marketplace for the best buys. Our staff has decades of lighting experience.. Feel free to contact us if our service is what you are looking for. Call us at (626) 286-3262 | ADVERTISEMENT |

LIN VLACICH-SOTHEBY’S Lin Vlacich of Sotheby’s, a 25-year veteran in the real estate profession, is known for her reputation and success as a leader in the San Gabriel Valley brokerage community, as well as for high professional ethics, superior negotiating skills, innovative marketing plans and extensive knowledge of real estate sales. Committed to excellence in representing buyers and sellers throughout Pasadena, San Marino, South Pasadena and the surrounding communities. Call (626) 6886464 or (626) 396-3975 or email vlacichs@aol.com. ■ ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ 35

PASADENA-BORN PAE WHITE HAS EARNED INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM FOR HER ARTWORKS THAT TURN EVERYDAY OBJECTS INTO “AN INVITATION TO MARVEL.”

BY NANCY SPILLER MULTI-MEDIA ARTIST PAE (PRONOUNCED “PAY”) WHITE MAY BE ONE OF PASADENA’S BETTER-KEPT CULTURAL SECRETS, BUT IN INTERNATIONAL CIRCLES, SHE’S GARNERING ACCOLADES FOR HER COLORFUL INSTALLATIONS, SCULPTURES AND MIXED-MEDIA WALL WORKS THAT PLAYFULLY INTERSECT THE WORLDS OF ART AND DESIGN. AND EVENTS CONTINUE TO CONSPIRE AGAINST THE THIRD-GENERATION NATIVE MAINTAINING HER LOW LOCAL PROFILE. White will be among a handful of Los Angeles artists in the 2010 Whitney Biennial, opening Feb. 25 and running through May 30. The Whitney Museum of American Art exhibition, which attempts to identify the key currents in contemporary American art, is always among the art world’s most prestigious, and this year, it’s even more selective: The recession has pared down the number of participants to 55, down from 100 during the bubble year of 2006.

The show comes on the heels of three milestones for White last fall: She covered chandeliers with birdseed and lifted spirits at the 53rd Venice Biennale, had a major solo exhibit at Mills College Art Museum in Oakland and stole Pasadena’s Armory Center for the Arts’ 20th-anniversary show with her heroic tapestries of smoke plumes and crumpled aluminum foil, a clever turn on the “smoke and mirrors” concept, as the Los Angeles Times’ Christopher Knight noted. Calling “Smoke Knows” and “Colored Crinkle” “two knockout works,” Knight wrote, “White’s gorgeous pair of enormous woven tapestries” were “an invitation to marvel.”

Jay Belloli, the Armory’s director of gallery programs, first became aware of White’s work when she did a Vaseline cake for the center’s 1998 show In The Polka Dot Kitchen. He considers her a conceptual powerhouse and “one of the most important artists of her generation in Los Angeles.”

At Casa Cuadrada, the Montecito Heights home she collaborated on with her architect-husband, Tom Marble, White greets a visitor with an easy smile and eyes wonder-wide. (Her birth name is Cynthia, but she prefers the ambiguity of her childhood nickname.) She’s dressed tomboy casual in blue jeans, a black sweater and distressed cowboy boots, her long, thick hair pulled back in a ponytail. At her side is KeeBee, the mixed-breed rescue dog who arrived at her Highland Park studio as a puppy.

36 ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ ARROYO

White’s home worktable features a small model of the Venetian pavilion in which she suspended a colorful open-weave “ceiling” of silk thread, hung birdseed-covered chandeliers at eye level and left the building’s doors and windows open as “an invitation to the birds.” Not that she wanted them held captive inside the piece she titled “Weaving, Unsung.”

“I hate real animals being used in artwork,” she says. Instead, she invited competitive Italian bird callers to create the illusion of an avian presence for the first week of the show last June. “It added to the lore of the piece,” she notes. “They were there and then they were gone.”

Invited to participate in the Biennale’s Making Worlds show by curator Daniel Birnbaum, White came up with the idea for her piece during her first visit to the space in January. “It was a cold and foggy night and felt to me like the attic of an eccentric who might keep birds,” she says. White’s cheeky offerings weren’t inspired by the chandelier-heavy locale of Venice; rather, they represent a format she has worked with for years. Fabricated in Lithuania from terracotta and then painted in flat, solid colors such as black or red, their “crystal” facets subtly reflect the play of light. “They automatically read as something traditional,” she says.

Three hang over a midcentury table and chairs in her book-lined dining room, and one is on public view at Planned Parenthood’s Los Angeles headquarters.

Much of her work incorporates quotidian elements — used foil, junk mail, fallen leaves or a plume of smoke monumentalized in tapestry form.

“My interest,” she says, “is in freeze-framing something elusive, something that’s barely even there. For instance, the point cloud animation created from 3D scans of a dying 800-year-old oak tree [a mesmerizing installation in her Mills exhibit] is unbelievably intimate, yet no physical interaction with the tree ever took place. I could not touch it; it was too fragile.”

Also in the Mills show were handcrafted sycamore leaves scattered throughout two galleries. “These are the gutter leaves, the debris,” she says.

“It’s a portrait of a place that’s completely transitional, what’s about to go away… the quintessential portrait of California in October.”

Interpretation of White’s work can be elusive. She shys away from set explanations, preferring that viewers “come up with their own story for the art. I take more from artwork that keeps telling me things, reminding me of different things, that has loose ends.”

“Smoke Knows”, 2009 cotton and polyester 120 x 252 inches BELOW (from left): Pae White “In Between the Inside – Out” (Dying Oak, Ballerina and Manzanita Grove), 2009 mixed media, variable

PHOTOS: Fredrik Nilsen (“Smoke”); Joe Goode (portrait); © Paul Kuroda (“In Between the Inside – Out”)

“2 Moons of Tunis,” 2003 terra cotta, 75" tall x 106" wide

Asked if contemporary art may be speaking to an increasingly smaller audience, she’s quick to reply: “The last thing I want is a consensus. It’s the kiss of death… I don’t know if my work sets out for some big appeal. You get a high-level education with an emphasis on theory, and sure, there’s a level of elitism in that, and you pay a lot of money to get that. Someone who doesn’t have that can approach the work and get whatever meaning they want. You can have a small audience. That’s okay, too.”

Her own education in contemporary art came early in life. Born in 1963 to a father who worked for the Mars Candy Company and a culturally engaged homemaker–mom, White was raised in the Linda Vista and Arroyo areas of Pasadena. “I have a very clear memory of Warhol’s show — the Marilyns and the Brillo boxes,” she says of the seminal 1970 Pasadena Museum of Art exhibit she visited at age 7. “Warhol made me realize I could see something other than a painting in a museum. That was incredibly liberating for me.”

Highly influential as well was the “magic box” filled with glitter, beads, crayons and paint an aunt gave her for Christmas. She remembers it as “an art studio in a box,” which she kept, like buried treasure, under her bed between creative sessions. White took high school classes at Art Center College of Design and earned her undergraduate degree at Scripps College in Claremont, where she studied painting — miserably. “I didn’t have the talent for making the paintings I thought I should be making,” she recalls. She returned home to Art Center for her MFA, completing it in 1991.

“Art Center was criticized as being cold, conceptual and businesslike,” she says. “That was exactly what I needed. I think it’s irresponsible to get an art education without having a business discussion. At Art Center, it was discussed as a profession, rather than a hobby. Art Center was dismissed as a trade school. It was under the radar.” There she studied with conceptual mischief-maker Mike Kelly and worked for him for five years. After graduating, she did set decorating and art direction for commercials, films and music videos.

Her fine art practice now keeps her busy full time. White is represented by two galleries in Los Angeles — 1301 PE and China Art Objects Galleries — and several in Europe, but none in New York. “I don’t believe an artist must have New York representation to have an art career,” she says. “Los Angeles is home to some of the best art schools in the country. Because of this, the city is a hotbed of post-grads who remain in the city and contribute to a dynamic and experimental atmosphere which makes the city a true art destination.”

The international network of fabricators who turn her concepts into reality include the Belgian tapestry factory with a digital loom that John Nava used for his Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels project in downtown L.A. She engaged them in her four-year-long effort to complete the 36-by-119-foot

stage curtain commissioned for the new Oslo Opera House, created using photographic images of crumpled aluminum foil. She included hints of the theater’s colored seats “so the audience would feel themselves reflected in it.”

She worked hard, as well, at trying to achieve a “neutral flow” in the aluminum foil. “I didn’t want anyone to see Abe Lincoln’s face in it or anything,” she says with a laugh. A serendipitous fingerprint, however, now serves as her signature on the piece.

Looking toward the future, White is keeping her own options open. When she grows weary of the project-management aspect of her current work, she contemplates a simpler relationship with art. “I have a desire to return to painting, to doing something quiet, intimate, direct, small and contained — and that doesn’t require FedEx or checking on the status of anything online!” AM ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ 37

EDUCATION& ENRICHMENT Huntington Learning Center The Huntington Learning Center is a nationally recognized leader in the field of improving a child’s basic study skills through remediation and enrichment programs. Students are given individual attention by certified teachers using personalized programs tailored to improve skills in a child’s trouble areas. Huntington offers individual testing and tutoring in reading, math, study skills, writing and SAT/ACT preparation to students of all ages.

Parents who would like additional information, or who are concerned about a specific aspect of their child’s academic performance, are encouraged to contact the Huntington Learning Center in Arcadia at (626) 294-0700 or in Pasadena at(626) 798-5900.

Mathnasium Mathnasium is a highly specialized learning center where kids go year-round to improve their math skills. Students as often as they like - for as long as they like. The goal is to enhance your child’s math skills, understanding of math concepts and overall school performance. At the same time, Mathnasium builds your child’s confidence and forges a positive attitude toward the subject, yielding overwhelming results. Independent studies by EyeCues Education Systems found that Mathnasium students’ performance increased more than two letter grades in as little as three to six months. Enroll today to find out. (626) 510-6284 or visit mathnasium.com Upstage Upstage is a part-time theatre arts school in South Pasadena that runs an afterschool program during the school year and a summer camp in July and August. Today, more than ever, theatre skills are vital for a young person’s development. At Upstage students learn how to speak more clearly, move more easily, act more naturally and become self-aware.

Call (626) 310-0447, visit upstageschools.com or email adrian@upstageschools.com. ■

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A HIGHLY SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS

THE

LIST

COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER

DISCUSSING ARCHITECTURE AND MORE AT SCI-ARC

A MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTION AT GCC Feb. 5, 6 and 7 — Bethune Theatredanse celebrates its 30th anniversary with performances of the multimedia production Silent Roar at Glendale Community College Theater. Written, directed and choreographed by Artistic Director Zina Bethune, Silent Roar incorporates works by environmental artist Wyland as it expresses the hardships experienced by a young gray whale separated from his family and the friendship he forms with a disabled boy on the Southern California coast. Performances are at 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 5 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets cost $18 to $35.

Glendale Community College Theater is located at 1500 N. Verdugo Rd., Glendale. For tickets, call (800) 838-3006 or visit brownpapertickets.com.

A CHINESE NEW YEAR SPECTACULAR Feb. 5 through 14 — Just in time for Chinese New Year, the Shen Yun Performing Arts Show comes to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The performance blends ancient culture with modern technology, featuring classical Chinese music and dance against digital backdrops, accompanied by a live orchestra. Hundreds of dancers reenact ancient legends in a two-hour show with bilingual hosts. Ticket prices range from $39 to $240.

The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is located at 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. Call (800) 880-0188 or visit laspectacular.com.

SHAKESPEARE IN A HURRY Feb. 6 — The Reduced Shakespeare Company, a three-man comedy troupe, presents The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) at 8 p.m. at Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium. An ambitious production condensing all 37 of The Bard’s plays into 97 minutes, this irreverent, fast-paced snapshot was London’s longest-running comedy, playing for 10 years at the Criterion Theatre. Tickets range from $10 to $29.

Beckman Auditorium is located at 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena. The ticket office is located at 332 S. Michigan Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 395-4652 or visit events.caltech.edu.

CELEBRATING WOMEN AUTHORS Feb. 6 — The Pasadena Literary Festival of Women Authors returns to the Pasadena Senior Center from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with four award-winning authors scheduled to speak: Reyna Grande (pictured), author of Across A Hundred Mountains and Dancing With Butterflies; Claire LaZebnick, author of Good As It Never Was, The Smart One and The Pretty One and the nonfiction Growing Up on the Spectrum: A Guide to Life, Love and Learning for Teens and Young Adults with Autism and Asperger’s; Nicole Mones, author of The Last Chinese Chef; and Marisa Silver, who wrote Babe in Paradise, No Direction Home and The God of War. Tickets cost $75 and include lunch. Proceeds benefit the Pasadena Senior Center.

The Pasadena Senior Center is located at 85 E. Holly St., Pasadena. For tickets, call (818) 790-0404 or email pasadenaliteraryfestival@gmail.com.

40 ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ ARROYO

NOISES OFF ON AGAIN Feb. 5 through 14 — A Noise Within has extended its run of Michael Frayn’s Noises Off with eight performances ending Feb. 14. The British farce explores the chaos onstage and off as an overworked and under-rehearsed company of veteran actors prepares for a world premiere.

A Noise Within is located at 234 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale. Call (818) 240-0910, or visit anoisewithin.org.

FINE ART, FILM AND MORE AT THE AUTRY Feb. 6 through March 7— The Autry National Center’s 13th annual Masters of the American West fine art exhibition and sale opens Saturday with a 5:30 p.m. preview and runs through March 7. The country’s most important Western art show showcases the work of 75 contemporary artists in a wide range of subject matter and media. Opening weekend activities include tours and a Saturday chuck-wagon lunch and awards ceremony. Visit autrynationalcenter.org.

Feb. 13 — InterTribal Entertainment presents the fourth annual Creative Script-to-Screen Showcase festival, spotlighting short films produced by emerging American Indian writers, filmmakers and performers. In Search of the World’s Best Indian Taco starts at 7 p.m. The event, free with museum admission, will include previous winners and a Q&A session.

Feb. 21 — The Native Women in Film Series presents Edge of America, directed by Chris Eyre, at 2 p.m., followed by a screening of a film selected by the UCLA Film and Television Archives. Screenings are free with museum admission. The series is a precursor to the April exhibition Home Lands: How Women Made the West.

The Autry National Center is located at 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park. Call (323) 667-2000 or visit theautry.org.

A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE OF MUSIC Feb. 7 — The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra launches this season’s Family Concerts series with a musical walk on the wild side with Carnival of the Animals, at 2 p.m. at the Alex Theatre. Jeffrey Kahane conducts Camille Saint-Saëns’ work of the same name as young pianists Felix Jen and Kazumi Kanagawa take the stage. The piece is accompanied by original poetry written by young writers from 826 L.A., a group co-founded by author Dave Eggers to help students ages 6 through 18 develop creative writing skills. Before the performance, Kidspace Children’s Museum and the L.A. Zoo host hands-on activities, including touchable “zoos” of animals and instruments. Tickets cost $10 and $16.

The Alex Theatre is located at 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. For tickets, call (213) 6227001, ext. 215, or visit laco.org.

PHOTO: Noises Off by Craig Schwartz

The month’s free talks at Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) include: Feb. 3 — Florencia Pita, SCI-Arc faculty member and editor of the school’s periodical Onramp, moderates a 7 p.m. discussion of the next wave of architects, showcasing undergraduate and graduate work from 2007 through 2009.

Feb. 10 — Michel Rojkind Halpert, principal of Rojkind Arquitectos of Mexico City, discusses “Risk Contamination” at 7 p.m. Halpert argues that taking the risk of allowing others’ ideas to contaminate one’s mind can lead to bigger thinking and talks about the challenges of building during this time of economic crisis.

SCI-Arc is located at 960 E. 3rd St., Los Angeles. Call (213) 613-2200 or visit sciarc.edu.

RENOWNED THEOLOGIAN SPEAKS Feb. 10 — Claremont School of Theology marks Martin Luther King’s legacy with a dinner and lecture by Dwight Hopkins, a prominent authority on black and liberation theologies and the black church. The University of Chicago Divinity School professor speaks at 7 p.m. at the school’s Mudd Theater. Admission is free. The annual Martin Luther King dinner begins at 5 p.m. in Haddon Conference Center. For dinner reservations, email PASA@cst.edu or call Janis Brown at (909) 447-6355.

Claremont School of Theology is located at 1325 N. College Ave., Claremont. Visit cst.edu.

COVER FAMILIAR GROUND AT PROJECT_210 Feb. 11 — The solo exhibition Abel Alejandre: Familiar Ground opens and continues through March 6 at Project_210 gallery. The artist takes on issues of masculinity, patrimony, sexuality, aggression and isolation through large woodcuts and graphite drawings on primed wood panels. A reception for the artist is scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. Feb. 14.

Project_210 is located at 2888 E. Walnut St., Pasadena. Call (323) 225-2229 or visit project210.org.

CALIFORNIA ART GOES ON THE BLOCK Feb. 16 — John Moran Auctioneers presents a sale of fine California and American art — some 200 lots of landscapes, Western works and regionalist watercolors — at 6:30 p.m., after a preview starting at noon, at the Pasadena Convention Center. Artists represented include Frank Tenney Johnson, Edgar Paxson, Olaf Wieghorst (all from a private Orange County collection) and Nicolai Fechin.

The Pasadena Convention Center is located at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena. Call (626) 793-1833 or visit johnmoran.com.

HEARTS AND FLOWERS AT DESCANSO Feb. 14 — Descanso Gardens and Patina Catering offer a three-course Valentine’s Day dinner at the Boddy House. Seatings are at 6 and 8 p.m. The cost is $67 per person ($59 for members). For reservations, call Patina at (818) 790-3663.

Feb. 20 through 27 — Descanso recreates its past with the Golden Age of the Camellia Festival, recalling the 1950s and ’60s, when the venue celebrated its extensive camellia collection with pageantry, society shows, a Queen of Camellialand contest and walks through the camellia forest. The festival includes Faery Tours of the Camellia Forest at 9:30, 10:15 and 11 a.m. Feb. 20, Charles Phoenix’s Retro Slide Show of Southern California at 8 p.m. Feb. 20, a Brewing Camellias tea-tasting workshop at 1 p.m. Feb. 21 and a Garden Walking Tour of the camellia forest at 2 p.m. Feb. 27.

Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. Call (818) 9494200 or visit descansogardens.org.

CHINESE NEW YEAR AT THE HUNTINGTON Feb. 20 — The Chinese New Year Festival will be celebrated from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Huntington Library, Arts Collections and Botanical Gardens. Year of the Tiger festivities feature lion dancers and drummers, martial arts demonstrations, a shadow puppet theater, mask-changing performances, readings and signings by children’s book authors, Chinese opera, a display of penjing (potted miniature trees), fresh flowers for purchase and more. General admission is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, $10 for students ages 12 to 18 and $6 for kids 5 to 11; children under 5 are admitted free.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens is located at 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino. Call (626) 405-2100 or visit huntington.org.

—CONTINUED ON PAGE 42 ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ 41

Valentine’s Day 2010 THINK

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A HIGHLY SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS

THE

LIST

COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41

BAROQUE MEETS BRAZIL AT OCCIDENTAL Feb. 21 — Santa Cecilia Orchestra’s concert season is in full swing, with orchestral concerts performed at Occidental College’s Thorne Hall and chamber concerts at Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock. An orchestral concert Feb. 21, conducted by Sonia Marie De Léon de Vega, showcases the string orchestra, with selections by Vivaldi, Bach and VillaLobos at 4 p.m. at Thorne Hall. Ticket prices range from $7 to $26.

Occidental College’s Thorne Hall is located at 1600 Campus Rd., Eagle Rock. For tickets, call (323) 259-3011 or visit scorchestra.org.

THE AMAZING RACE REVEALED Feb. 28 — The San Marino Celebrity Series, sponsored by the San Marino Guild of Huntington Hospital, presents Michael Norton, senior producer, and Elise Doganier, co-creator of the TV reality series The Amazing Race, at 4 p.m. at Arcadia’s Santa Anita Church. The producers will discuss the show’s adventures in the 50 countries it has visited, as well as casting and working with foreign governments to map out the most challenging routes. Tickets benefiting the hospital cost $30.

Santa Anita Church is located at 226 Colorado Pl., Arcadia. Call (626) 584-1512 or (626) 441-1465 or email smcelebrityseries@gmail.com AM

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A DAY OF DANCE IN PASADENA Feb. 20 — Lineage Dance presents Pasadena Dance Festival 2010 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. From 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., dance lovers and dancers ages 12 and up can attend classes, workshops and showcase performances. The event culminates in an 8 p.m. performance

by Chicago dance company Hubbard Street 2, Luminario Ballet, Lux Aeterna, KIN Dance Company, Capoiera Batuque, Revelation Arial Dance Company, Yogen’s Bollywood Dance, Terri Best Dance and Lineage Dance. Proceeds benefit the Pasadena Educational Foundation’s fund for arts in the schools. Tickets for the evening performance cost $30 in advance, $35 at the door.

Unlimited passes for the full day of classes and workshops cost $40 in advance, $45 at the door.

For tickets, visit the Pasadena Civic box office, call (626) 449-7360 or visit ticketmaster.com or lineagedance.org. The Pasadena Civic Auditorium is located at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena.

PHOTOS: Pasadena Dance Festival courtesy of Lineage Dance

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keen on its “original cast-iron skillet” version, that’s all it sells. If you order

Box — a tasteful assortment of

Lisa Marich’s toffee made from an old family recipe, chances are she’ll have

pink and purple roses, Asiatic

whipped it up in her Pasadena kitchen. You can’t find a treat that’s more

lilies and button spray

homemade than that. $12 to $42.

chrysanthemums — you’ll

Available at Vroman’s Bookstore, Pasadena Museum of History Store and

sidestep one of the hazards of

pasadenatoffeeco.com.

holiday bouquet-shopping: the dreaded cliché. $70 to $100.

Flower Box is located at 822 Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena.

Call (626) 799-5224 or visit flowerboxforu.com.

Keep it clean Ladies who are watching their girlish figures will appreciate a heartshaped box filled with Lush’s no-cal bath treats. The True Love Gift comes with a red-glitter Love Soap, an aphrodisiacinfused Sex Bomb Bath Bomb, Yummy Yummy Yummy Shower Gel and more. $44.95.

Lush is located at 24 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 792-0901 or visit lush.com.

—CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ 43

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 43

Treasure chest Give your bauble baby the ultimate jewelry box by L.A. home designer Elizabeth Weinstock. The Box is 43 inches tall and can be custom ordered in embossed leather, snakeskin and vinyl-embossed

Pax Americana

snake. It comes with silver-

It never hurts to get your point across

dipped hardware and

when you’re showering your beloved

necklace hooks, ring

with gifts. Try these Bed Hog sheets,

columns and earring and

emblazoned with your very own DMZ

bracelet compartments.

line. $69.99 to $79.99.

$16,500 to $25,000.

Visit bedhog.com.

Available at Maxfield, 8825 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles.

Call (310) 274-8800. Also available at Bourgeois Bohème, 330 N. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles. Call (323) 936-7507.

The gift you give yourself A classic that needs no introduction: Victoria’s Secret Corset Merrywidow with matching v-string. $68.

Victoria’s Secret is located at 21 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Call (626) 683-9193 or visit victoriassecret.com.

Naughtywear has its place, but we think simple is sexy too. Saving the planet is even sexier. Stellina’s Ava

A girl’s best friend

Chemise is made of 95 percent

For your traditionalist, a

eco-friendly bamboo and 5 percent

delicate 18k white gold heart pendant with .33 carats of bead- and bezelset diamonds. $2,229.

Shown here on a 14k white gold chain that’s 16 inches long. $89.

Arnold’s Fine Jewelry, 350 S. Lake Ave., Suite 110, Pasadena.

Call (626) 795-8647.

44 ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ ARROYO

spandex. $62.

Visit stellinastyle.com.

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

It’s My Party SO I’LL BAKE IF I WANT TO. IS THERE A BATTER WAY TO CELEBRATE MY FABULOUSNESS?

BY LESLIE BILDERBACK | PHOTOS BY TERI LYN FISHER

Welcome to my favorite month. February is packed with all sorts of fun, probably in an attempt to overcompensate for its lack of days. Mardi Gras, Valentine’s, Presidents and Groundhogs are all rolled into one gorgeous month when the air is crisp and clear, there’s snow on Mt. Baldy and, from the top of the San Gabriels, you can catch a glimpse of Catalina.

And best of all, it’s my birthday.

Yes, February is my month and, while most women my age fear the dreaded birthday, I embrace it. That’s because with each passing year, I grow more and more powerful. Like the mighty redwood, my trunk has plenty of rings, but I am much stronger now than I was 20 rings ago (although not necessarily more mature).

My birthday is awesome on many levels. For starters, the day revolves around

The historically arduous task of cake-baking turned the baker into the most

me, which rules. And I know I will get great presents, because I learned long ago that

exalted of cooks. During the French Revolution, the parents of Marie-Antoine

it pays to hand over a list. There is none of this “You should know what I want” non-

Carême dumped him on a kitchen doorstep (keep this in mind, kids), where he

sense. Some say 20 years of marriage should be enough to learn a person’s likes

worked his way up to become the “Chef of Kings.” His cakes were known for

and dislikes. But I can’t expect him to be paying any closer attention to me than I do

their elaborate rococo towers of sugar, marzipan and pastry and are still consid-

to him. If we relied on that logic, our home would consist of nothing but Star Trek

ered the ultimate symbol of decadent cuisine.

action figures and cookbooks. With a list, I get what I want and he knows it will make

Towers of fondant, layers of royal icing and filigree piping are impressive to

me happy. It’s win-win. (We let the kids make lists too, but it’s just to give them a

look at, but I prefer to eat more down-to-earth cakes. And the more arcane and

false sense of empowerment. They usually just get socks and underwear.)

archaic, the more I love them. Take the red velvet cake, for instance. This old

By royal decree, my birthday is a chore-free day (although this does not necessari-

thing has had a resurgence of popularity, probably due to me. (I was making it

ly mean someone else does my chores for me — they just pile up for the next day), and

before it was cool, which I claim about a lot of things, but in this case it’s true.)

I also get to eat whatever and wherever I want, which usually means I drag everyone to

Cheap red food coloring and cocoa powder give it the dark red, Scarlett O’Hara

some weird restaurant that serves offal, or an oddly exotic cuisine. (More for me.)

color. And because the recipe predates mass-produced baking powder, it is leav-

Yes, there are many fun ways to celebrate me, but my favorite by far is the cake.

I love cake. I love making it, decorating it and eating it. I love it big or small, plain or fancy, made from scratch or out of a box, from a frou-frou bakery or Albertson’s.

It was not until I became a chef that I truly appreciated the glory of cake. Cake

ened with baking soda and vinegar. If it’s too bright and doesn’t have the faint aroma of a grade school science project, you know it’s not authentic.

I also love the Lady Baltimore Cake, which you’ll probably see around town as soon as this article is published. It is thought to have originated in a Southern

baking is not hard, but it takes a small amount of forethought, an understanding of

romance novel at the turn of the 20th century. Readers went into a frenzy trying to

basic kitchen chemistry and the ability to follow a recipe. (That last one is the ingredi-

find the recipe, which existed only in the author’s imagination. (I can relate.) In

ent most frequently lacking.) It is certainly easier to make a cake now than it was in

response, home cooks created something similar to the Queen Cake, the Lane

the olden days. Imagine the bakers who worked without electricity or baking powder.

Cake and the White Mountain Cake, all popular recipes of the day. It is a fussy

The only thing they had to leaven their cake was an arm strong enough to beat in

old recipe, loaded with nuts, dried fruit and pretentiousness. Layers of egg

500 strokes of air. We could start that trend again, only we’ll call it The Baker’s

white–leavened cake are filled and frosted with a billowy meringue. It is a towering

Workout, “guaranteed to reduce underarm flab,” and sell it on QVC for $19.99.

—CONTINUED ON PAGE 46 ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ 45

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

LADY BALTIMORE CAKE ¾ cup shortening 2 cups granulated sugar 3 cups cake flour 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 6 egg whites 1 recipe Italian Meringue (see below)

1. Preheat oven to 350˚. Coat three 10-inch cake pans with pan spray, line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper, then spray the paper too. Beat together shortening and sugar until smooth and creamy. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, and add to shortening mixture, alternating with milk. Stir in vanilla, and set batter aside.

2. Whip egg whites to stiff peaks, then fold gently into batter. Divide batter evenly among three pans, and spread smooth. (Do not tap or whack the pans, as it will deflate the egg whites.) Bake 15 to 25 minutes, until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks to cool completely. .

ITALIAN MERINGUE 1 cup sugar ½ cup light corn syrup ¼ cup water

½ teaspoon salt 4 egg whites 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a large saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, water and salt. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until it reaches firm ball stage* (245˚).

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using a whisk or an electric mixer, whip the egg whites into stiff peaks. Continue whipping while slowly drizzling in the hot sugar syrup. Add vanilla and whip until stiff peaks are formed. (When adding the sugar syrup, try not to drizzle it on the whipping whisk.

This tends to spin it into threads, like cotton candy. And don't be alarmed when the addition of sugar syrup deflates your stiff whites. Continued whisking brings back the peaks.)

* As it cooks, sugar moves through several stages: thread, ball, crack and finally caramelization. The stages refer to the form sugar takes when cooled. Candy thermometers are fine for measuring the sugar mixture, but to double-check the stage by hand, spoon a small amount of boiling sugar into a dish of ice water.

As soon as it chills, touch it. It will be stringy, like thread, pliable and easy to form into a ball, or crisp and easily cracked. Each stage corresponds to a specific temperature, which will be specified by the recipe.

ASSEMBLY 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped 1 cup golden raisins 1 cup dried figs, chopped

Grated zest of 1 orange 1 cup orange juice 1 cup sugar

1. Stir together pecans, raisins, figs and orange zest. Set aside 1/3 cup and mix the remainder with 2 cups of meringue. Combine orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then remove from heat.

2. Place one cake layer on serving platter and brush with orange syrup, then spread with half the meringue fruit mixture. Top with the second cake layer and repeat. Place the third layer on top, brush with syrup, then ice top and sides with remaining meringue. Decorate with a sprinkling of remaining fruit, and serve at room temperature.

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 45

crisp nutty meringue, buttercream and marzipan. There are no gaudy frosting roses

white-on-white affair, mostly popular in states that still refer to the Civil War as the

or plastic pirates on these cakes. Just a simple gleaming glaze of chocolate, the lus-

War of Northern Aggression. Lord Baltimore has a cake too, which is made from

ter of a caramelized hazelnut or the dainty swirl of piping from a single paper cone.

yolks instead of whites and is therefore somehow manlier.

Upside-down cakes were created by some brilliant baker who clearly wanted to

To amuse the rug rats, I have produced cakes shaped like nonfood items, such as Hello Kitty, a mermaid, a piano, a garden and a colossal Golden Snitch

please me. Their icing is miraculously self-generated from the fruit, butter and sugar

(that’s from Harry Potter, people). On his birthday, my husband prefers the cake

trapped at the bottom of the pan. It is the lazy baker’s dream come true and an

his mother used to make him, which consists of 22 pancake-like layers glued

ancestor of the skillet cake, favored at the chuck wagon because it could be made

together with currant jelly. This year I broke with tradition and surprised him with

over an open fire. The pineapple variation, with maraschino cherries nestled into the

another recipe his mother claimed he loved as a child. (Note to self: Be sure to

center of each perfect pineapple ring, gained popularity after World War I, when Dole

verify the item in question was actually loved by husband and not stealthily fed to

embarked on a media blitz to popularize mechanically canned pineapple.

the dog when mom wasn’t looking.) Happy Birthday, indeed. AM

French cakes (often given the honorific gateaux) are a pleasant enough affair, but, like the French themselves, are completely different from their American coun-

Leslie Bilderback is a certified master chef and baker, a cookbook author and a for-

terparts. Thin and sophisticated, with names such as l’Opéra, Reine de Saba and

mer executive chef of Pasadena’s School of Culinary Arts. A South Pasadena resi-

Marjolaine, they are soaked in ethereal syrup and layered with haughty elements like

dent, Bilderback teaches her techniques online at culinarymasterclass.com.

46 ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ ARROYO

TASTE

T H E

F L A V O R S

O F

A R R O Y O

Scarlet: The Correct Color for Valentine’s TANTALIZING TEAS AND NO-BLUSH BURLESQUE TOO

BY DAN O’HERON While you may not have been manor born, on any visit to the Scarlet Tea Room you can be cradled in the lap of luxury.

Entering, you’ll be dazzled by the large crystal chandelier of Swarovski design, the gold and scarlet drapery, the walls with golden lamp sconces and tables set with fine porcelain, it’s a picture of a room in Camelot, framed and glazed.

On this Valentine’s weekend, could there be a more ideal setting for a declaration of love? On February 13th and 14th, following dolled-up afternoon teas, there’ll be special multi-course prixfixe champagne dinners, served with romantic Parisian-themed trimmings and music.

I can just hear a would-be lover: “Hello, Scarlet, I’d like to make a reservation tonight for a proposal for two.”

On a daily basis (Tuesday through Saturday), experience the classic ceremonious teas and colorful array of gourmet sandwiches, salads, soups and entrees. For fine dining, indulge in a menu that includes upscale dishes like porcini-crusted trout, SCARLET grilled prime rib-eye steak and French traditional coq au vin.

TEA ROOM With a plethora of special events like Valentine’s weekend, 18 W. Green St., owner Karen Mikaelian has engaged Danica Leigh as Scarlet’s Old Pasadena general manager. Leigh expects to burnish an already glowing (626) 577-0051 national reputation as an entertainment producer with ambitious scarlettearoom.com projects that circumvent the ordinary: like burlesque dancing in a tea room.

Opening in March, an artistic presentation by an international troupe of dancers will include burlesque revues such as old time “call and response” gags between piano player and dancers. To voluptuous rhythms – believe it or not – beguiling dancers will twist and twine to and fro before slowly divesting most clothing.

Also in March, to offset largely masculine interests, Scarlet appeals to the other-half with “Ladies Night Poker.”

So, for special events like fine dining and wining, sophisticated teas, syncopated rhythms, dining in bare essentials and poker, Mikaelian and Leigh sure know when to hold ’em. ■

MALAGUETA BAR & GRILL

THE MELTING POT RESTAURANT

FOUR SEASONS TEA ROOM

43 E. Colorado Blvd., Old Pasadena (626) 564-8696 malaguetarestaurant.com

88 W. Colorado Blvd., 2nd Floor, Old Pasadena (626) 792-1941 meltingpot.com/Pasadena

75 N. Baldwin Ave., Sierra Madre 4seasonstearoom.com (626) 355-0045

CUISINE

CUISINE

CUISINE

Exceptionally flavorful South American fare featuring dishes from Brazil, Columbia, Peru and Cuba. Our original wood-fired pizzas are fantastic.

Fondue becomes a memorable four-course dining experience. Dip into something different and discover all the ingredients for a unique dining experience – private tables, attentive service, fine wines and signature fondue dinners.

50+ varieties. China teapots. English Bone China teacups.

Hand-made tea bags. Egg-washed scones baked to order served with cream and raspberry jam. Seasonal sandwich flavors. Presented with edible floral and fruit garnishing.

DINERS’ FAVORITES

DINERS’ FAVORITES

DINERS’ FAVORITES

1. Bife Buenos Aires ($17) 2. Rib Eye Acebolado ($20) 3. Braised Lamb Shank ($18)

1. Big Night Out ($44-49 per person) 2. Cheese Fondues ($16) 3. Chocolate Fondues ($16)

1. Afternoon Tea ($22.00) 2. Sandwich Tea ($17.50) 3. Salad Tea ($17.50)

VIBE

VIBE

VIBE

Intimate feel with color paintings on wall. Visible wood-fire grill at back of restaurant. Beautiful chandeliers in front windows . . .

Get ready for fondue paradise. You’ll think you’ve died and had gone to heaven! Beautiful, romantic location overlooking historic Colorado Blvd. in Old Pasadena.

PRICE

PRICE

In traditional bungalow home. Hardwood floors. Floor-to ceiling paned windows with linen window treatment.

Crown moulding wall sconces and antique furnishings.

Alice in Wonderland events. Fairy Tale Teas. Musical Teas.

Murder Mysteries.

$$$$$

$$$$$

PRICE $$$$$ AVERAGE PRICE PER ENTREE: $ (UP TO $10) | $$ ($11–15) | $$$ ($16-25) | $$$$ ($25+) | ADVERTISEMENT |

ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ 47

TASTE

T H E

F L A V O R S

O F

A R R O Y O

The Colombo’s ‘Experience’ DINING AT THIS EAGLE ROCK STEAK HOUSE AND JAZZ CLUB IS LIKE TREATING YOURSELF TO A TREASURE FROM THE PAST Some old-timers seem to be doing just fine — better than their juniors — despite the challenging economic climate. Colombo’s in Eagle Rock — serving LA since 1954, at the current location since ’84 — is a good example. If it weren’t for the large flat-screen TVs above the long bar, you’d think you were back when Colombo’s was in its infancy.

It has the fifties’ friendly warmth and ambience, including cozy red leatherette booths, but timeless culinary specialties.

Colombo’s calls itself an Italian steak house and jazz club. You can order seven different cuts of meat — from top sirloin ($13.95) to filet mignon ($21.95) — à la carte, adding such sides as baked potato ($2), sautéed spinach with garlic ($2.50) or penne ($3). Or try the grilled salmon, served with sautéed fennel, tomato, capers and olives and a spaghetti bed ($17.95).

Many of Southern Italy’s homiest dishes are available: sausage and peppers ($16.95), a massive platter of three split grilled sausages atop sautéed red and green peppers in sherry wine sauce, on a bed of spaghetti, and the colorfully presented COLOMBO’S hand-rolled lasagna ($15.95), four upended noodle rolls spread with chopped spinach, parmesan, mozzarella and goat cheese 1833 Colorado Blvd., baked in marinara, clustered clover-like in a marinara pond.

Eagle Rock The lasagna is equally delicious using the recipe by Sam (323) 254-9138 (the founder, whose widow, Ann, still runs Colombo’s today), Full bar/ Major cards/ Nightly entertainment with ground beef, Italian sausage, mushrooms, ricotta and parmesan (also $15.95; $10.95 at lunch).

You can “Create Your Own Pasta Dish!” picking from five shapes and ten sauce/meat permutations — from basic oil-and-garlic or marinara sauce ($11.95) to Alfredo sauce topped with six shrimp ($19.95).

Salads are only $1.95 with entrée, and garlic toast comes gratis to munch with a wine or cocktail.

Don’t rush into eating if the music’s playing. There’s entertainment every night, maybe a Latin jazz combo or the velvet vocals of pianist Sonji Kimmons.

The Colombo’s experience is like re-gifting yourself a treat from the past. It’s an old-fashioned restaurant with modest prices and wonderful entertainment that still provides a lot of pleasure. ■

NIKKI C’S

CLEARMAN’S NORTH WOODS INN

NEW MOON RESTAURANT & BAR

470 South Rosemead Blvd., Pasadena (626) 792-7437 Nikkics.com

7247 Rosemead Blvd., San Gabriel (626) 286-8284. clearmansrestaurants.com

2138 Verdugo Blvd., Montrose (818) 249-4393 newmoonrestaurants.com

CUISINE

CUISINE

CUISINE

Nikki C’s is a modern Italian steakhouse and bar that embraces the flavor of traditional Italy as well as perfectly prepared steaks & fish. Extensive martini & wine selections.

Generations of Southern Californians have headed to this snow-capped dining destination for its hunting lodge ambiance, sawdust on the floor and lumberjack sized portions of fun and food.

New Moon’s contemporary take on classic Chinese cuisine is a happy balance of traditional asian flavors and fresh ingredients that have been re-imagined for contemporary tastes. Impressive wine list and a full bar.

DINERS’ FAVORITES

DINERS’ FAVORITES

1. Cheesebread Sliders ($7.95) 2. Fried Chicken Dinner ($19.95) 3. Australian Rock Lobster Tail & Filet Mignon Supreme ($49.95)

1. Chloe Shrimp ($14.95) 2. Filet of Sole in a Blackbean Sauce ($13.50) 3. New Moon’s Dragon Beef ($12.95)

DINERS’ FAVORITES 1. Braised Short Rib Tacos ($16) 2. Lasagna ($16) 3. 10 oz. Bleu Crusted Filet Mignon ($29)

VIBE With a romantic dining room and a chic sports bar, Nikki C’s offers a dual dining experience. Nikki C’s provides the tastes, the vibe, and the service to leave you entirely satisfied.

PRICE $$$$$

VIBE VIBE From juicy hamburgers to tender filet mignon to fresh seafood, fans get all the fixin’s: enormous baked potatoes, signature cheese bread, tangy red cabbage slaw and creamy blue-cheese green salad.

Casual, yet sophisticated atmosphere and attentive service has gained Zagat-rated New Moon a dedicated following.

The newly opened bar has already proved a popular spot with special happy hour drink prices and menu.

PRICE PRICE

$$$$$

$$–$$$$$

48 ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ ARROYO

AVERAGE PRICE PER ENTREE: $ (UP TO $10) | $$ ($11–15) | $$$ ($16-25) | $$$$ ($25+) | ADVERTISEMENT |

A smile is nearly always

inspired by another smile

ART, ANTIQUES &JEWELRY Arnold’s Fine Jewelry Arnold’s Fine Jewelry is celebrating 120 years of serving Pasadena area families. From stunning engagement rings, engraved sterling baby gifts, watches for grads to spectacular evening baubles, Arnold’s is a destination for those seeking the very finest. Bruce Arnold’s personal joy is to suggest designs that respectfully restyle your cherished heirlooms. Thirdgeneration jeweler Arnold invites you to bring jewelry for repair or cleaning. Professionalism, trust and friendliness are why Arnold’s will be the choice for generations to come. 350 S. Lake Ave., suite 110, Pasadena. Call (626) 795-8647 or visit arnoldsfinejewelry.com Cañada Jewelry Family owned and operated, with over 28 years of experience in the design and manufacture of fine jewelry. Our knowledgeable staff will offer you the best service to create your special occasion jewelry. Come in and see our exquisite array of diamonds, gold, and silver jewelry. We also carry a large selection of writing instruments, watches, and gifts. We are an authorized dealer of Citizen and Lladro. Visit us at 965 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada-Flintridge.

Call (818) 952-2021 or visit canadajlry.com.

Fancy That!

Gifts, Home Accents & Seasonal Décor 2575 Mission Street | San Marino | CA 91108

—CONTINUED ON PAGE 50

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ARROYO ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ 49

—CONTINUED FROM PAGE 49

Fancy That!

A scientist, a singer/composer, an author and a philosopher all agree…

“Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love” ~ Albert Einstein “… if you love somebody, tell them” ~ Rod McKuen “True love stories never have endings” ~ Richard Bach “may not be a smart man but I know what love is” ~ Forrest Gump Fancy That! ~ Brilliant gifts for all the Valentines in your life. 2575 Mission St., San Marino.

Call (626) 403-2577.

John Moran Auctioneers A full-service auction house for over 40 years, John Moran Auctioneers is internationally recognized as a leader in sales of exceptional antiques, fine art, jewelry and eclectic estate items. In addition to monthly Estate Auctions, Moran’s conducts tri-annual California and American Art auctions featuring top 19th and 20th century Impressionist and Western artists. Clients value Moran’s for expertise and dedication to top-quality personalized service. For information about consigning, purchasing at auction, estate services, appraisals, and free walk-in Valuation Days, please call (626) 793-1833 or visit johnmoran.com.

G.H. Wilke Our story began when Gilbert H. Wilke purchased a jewelry store in Arlington Heights, Illinois at the onset of the Great Depression, October 1929. But we’re not finished yet! Now celebrating our 80th year, we’ve been here for you in great times and greater times, customizing beauty for your every occasion. Many, many thanks to all our loyal friends. We look forward to more years of providing you the perfect jewelry complement. For personalized designs as well as a fantastic collection of estate, antique and contemporary styles, come see us for a fun experience in a jewelry store! Contact Tracy R. Wilke, Dario Pirozko or Mila Banez. Call (626) 284-9444 ■

Cañada Je welry & Gifts Give your loved one something special to treasure from our unique jewelry collection.

Valentine Specials ½ ct. white

½ ct. white &

natural

1 ct.

natural yellow diamond

DIAMOND BRACELET

HEART PENDANT

CHOCOLATE DIAMOND PENDANT

$1176

$599

$599

Regular price $2940

Regular price $1194

Regular price $1194

&

14K gold engraved Engrave your HEART CHARM thoughts into words for $99 for FREE Jewelry and watch repair, personalized engraving, including items bought elsewhere.

We specialize in custom designing and we will re-design your old jewelry.

La Cañada Town Center • 965 Foothill Blvd.

La Cañada Flintridge, Ca. 91011 P (818) 952-2021 • F (818) 952-2029 MON.- SAT 10:00-7:00 50 ~ FEBRUARY 2010 ~ ARROYO

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