Enjoy Magazine South Valley Living—November 2015

®

South Valley Living Magazine

NOVEMBER 2015

Family Time

www.enjoysouthvalley.com

Enjoy the magazine It’s on the house

Contents ®

South Valley Living NOVEMBER 2015

CR A FT I NG

44 A Simple Décor D.I.Y. to Celebrate Fall

GOOD FI N DS

9 The Schoolhouse Restaurant and Tavern in Sanger Rocks 16 Behind the Scenes of the Picnic Sandwich Shop and Parlour Bakery

I NSPIR AT ION

19 Molding the River’s Edge Pottery Studio 26 Great Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy Fall

I NT ER EST

13 The Art of Shane Guffogg

LOCA L S

6 The Modern Designs of Nick Hernandez 31 Uncovering the South Valley Roots of Pistacia Global

M A I N ST R EET

28 The 12th Annual One Enchanted Evening in Clovis

SHOW TI ME 23 Fall in Love with Visalia Opera Company’s Carmen

I N EV ERY ISSU E

36 Store Front—Welcome Fall 38 Enjoy the View—Jeri Burzen 40 What’s Cookin’—Pumpkin Pecan Bread & Pumpkin Pecan Breakfast Bread Pudding 42 Spotlight—Calendar of Events 46 Giving Back—Here’s to Men’s Health in Movember

The Picnic Sandwich Shop & Parlour Bakery Photo by Jacki Potorke

Enjoy magazine is not affiliated with JOY magazine or Bauer German Premium GmbH. NOVEMBER 2015 ENJOY | 3

NOVEMBER 2015

COV ER PHOTO

Salina Marroquin at The Gardens in Tulare

By Tamara Orth

Special thanks to Fresh Cut Flowers and Against the Grain Rentals for table decor props.

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” ~Author Unknown This Thanksgiving, we look forward to gathering our loved ones near, to celebrate, reflect and take stock of the blessings that make our lives complete.

Chillier weather is finally upon us, and when the weather outside gets frightful, consider seizing the opportunity to check out the opera.

“Carmen” sends arrows through the hearts of everyone from newcomers to opera enthusiasts.

Hungry? Stop by Visalia’s Picnic Sandwich Shop, which has been a fixture on downtown Main Street since 1968. Treat yourself by taking home some of their fresh-baked treats. Or check out the School House Restaurant and Tavern, a former elementary school where they serve up classic American dishes with a twist.

Santa is polishing up his sleigh, and if you need an infusion of holiday spirit, you’ll be delighted by Old Town Clovis’ One Enchanted Evening.

Follow the luminaries from shop to shop, visit with friendly shopkeepers and enjoy a free horse-drawn carriage ride.

Meanwhile, we’ve got a great excuse for you to set your razor aside for the next month — during “Movember,” men let their moustaches grow as an imaginative way to raise awareness (and funds) for men’s health issues.

We wish you a glorious Thanksgiving, from our family to yours.

®

SOUTH VALLEY LIVING

YVONNE MAZZOTTA publisher MICHELLE ADAMS publisher RONDA BALL editor-in-chief KERRI REGAN copy editor MICHELLE ADAMS graphic design JERED MILLER STEPHANIE GIMLIN JUAN VERDUZCO contributing graphic designers MONICA FATICA consultant/ advertising sales representative LYNN LEARNED advertising sales representative VALERI BARNES advertising sales representative BRANDI O’BRIEN sales assistant/event calendar/website AMANDA NAMBA event calendar/photography ALEX PUJOL JOSH LOPEZ deliveries www.enjoysouthvalley.com 505 W. Center Street Visalia, CA 93291 559.804.7411 Email General: info@enjoymagazine.net Sales and Advertising information: info@enjoymagazine.net

© 2015 by Enjoy Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproductions without permission are strictly prohibited. Articles and advertisements in Enjoy Magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management, employees, or freelance writers.

Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions.

If an error is found, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us of the mistake. The businesses, locations and people mentioned in our articles are solely determined by the editorial staff and are not influenced by advertising.

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Enjoy Magazine South Valley Living

Schoolhouse Restaurant and Tavern Photo by Jacki Potorke

NOVEMBER 2015 ENJOY | 5

LOCALS

| STORY AND PHOTOS BY FACHE DESROCHERS

THE MODERN DESIGNS OF NICK HERNANDEZ

6 | ENJOY NOVEMBER 2015

“The details are not the details.

They make the design.”

THOSE WERE THE WORDS of Charles Eames, one half of the iconic Eames design duo, who have been celebrated for decades for their gamechanging contributions to modern architecture and furniture. With their quintessentially minimalist, modern aesthetics, the Eameses were communicating something as undeniable as it is advisory: the devil is in the details.

Nick Hernandez – founder and chief craftsman of Wakebloom Furniture – understands such observations about detail to be perfectly true. To be someone who believes deeply that anything worth doing is worth doing with focus, high standards and attention to the small things is part of Hernandez’s personality, but it was his foray into building midcentury furniture that truly drove the point home. “I first started building furniture in the reclaimed style, which is often very forgiving, but midcentury is kind of the exact opposite of that,” explains Hernandez. “Because with these modern designs, there’s just no margin for error. I found out pretty quickly that it is not easy.” Hernandez laughs reflectively. “My first midcentury piece; I don’t think I’ve ever sworn so much in my life.”

For those who swoon over the clean lines of Hernandez’s work, he is more than equal to the challenge that building midcentury furniture presents. “I had to learn a lot of new techniques, but that’s perfect for me,” says Hernandez. “I do really enjoy making these kind of spotlight pieces that people buy to not only use, but to love. And that’s why I want to make sure that I do a good job. I’m a bit of perfectionist that way.”

A native of Exeter, Hernandez’s educational and life pursuits took him all over, but it was his passion as an educator that brought him back to mold young minds at Fresno State and College of the Sequoias.

“It’s been good being back,” he says. “I’ve run into a lot of the creative crowd that has also moved back here, and there’s a lot of people doing very interesting things.” Inspired by the efforts of his peers and eager to add some creative balance to his life, Hernandez founded Appendage & Bough with fellow furniture craftsman Ryan Ratzlaff, and began to carve out his identity in the medium.

But after building reclaimed pieces for awhile, Hernandez began to feel as though his efforts were becoming lost in a sea of similar builders. He also felt a familiar hankering for a new creative challenge, and the midcentury style with its history, iconic contributors and timeless aesthetic was just too perfect a fit to pass up. “I got into midcentury furniture because it’s more than just a trend,” explains Hernandez. “When the Eameses were designing, for example, they were criticized a lot for being strange and too progressive. I think what a lot of people don’t quite realize about the midcentury look is that it wasn’t just a fad; it was a time when a lot of forward-thinking designers were working on art.”

Photo by Tina

Gutierrez

It comes as no surprise that a good deal of the educator’s connection to the midcentury style comes from his understanding of its history.

And with this understanding, Hernandez is able to establish his role in the ongoing celebration of modern design. “I like to understand the history of things, because I think it’s important to the design of the piece,” says Hernandez. “I really enjoy researching the lives of these great old designers, and what inspired them to make what they made. Because it’s their designs that I’m making. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel; my work is more of an homage.”

As a creator, Hernandez is something of a self-contained universe.

But as someone who is inspired by challenges, he sees great potential in connecting with other local creatives. “There’s a friend of mine who loves to cook, and once every few months, she gets a bunch of people together, they all pay a bit of money for ingredients, and then they all cook together,” says Hernandez. “And I think that might be neat for me to try, to assemble a group who are interested in building to work together.”

“I guess I’m interested in mobilizing creative people,” continues Hernandez. “That kind of network is so important to our artistic community. People can sometimes be a bit fragmented, so it’s exciting to think of ways to bring us all together.”

At the end of the day for Hernandez, the devil may be in the details, but salvation is in the sum of all their parts. And with his devotion to history, craftsmanship, and the creative community, the resulting pieces of Wakebloom Furniture are nothing short of nirvana. • Wakebloom Furniture • (559) 798-6484 www.etsy.com/shop/WakebloomFurniture

Fache Desrochers is a writer, photographer and artist. Her work can be viewed at fachedesrochers.com.

NOVEMBER 2015 ENJOY | 7

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GOOD FINDS

| BY JORDAN VENEMA | PHOTOS: JACKI POTORKE

T H E S C H O O L H O U S E R E S TA U R A N T A N D TAV E R N IN SANGER ROCKS THE SCHOOL HOUSE RESTAURANT and Tavern is probably about the only place where you wouldn’t mind serving a detention. Granted, it’s been more than 50 years since the last homework assignment was handed out at Frankwood Elementary, but that hasn’t kept its current owners from dishing out a few culinary lessons of their own. We’re not talking home economics class here, but rather a new school in fine, seasonal dining: classic American dishes made with a twist.

The original Frankwood Elementary was built in 1890, just down the road from the 8,000-square-foot brick building that replaced it in 1921. But the final bell rang for Frankwood Elementary in 1958, after which the building was sold to a local couple that transformed the school into the successful western salon and steakhouse, Sherwood Inn. Between its evolution from recess to Friday night dates, the building houses many memories for locals in the Sanger and Reedley area. But “after Sherwood closed, it sat empty for about nine years, and the building kind of deteriorated,” says Michelle Jackson, one of the coowners and partners of the School House Restaurant.

That was when Kelly and Connie Brooks of Reedley purchased the property. “They had so many wonderful, nostalgic memories of when they used to date in high school, and this was their spot.” They knew they wanted to preserve the building, but beyond that, says Jackson, the Brookses hadn’t a clue what to do with it.

The building was purchased in 2010, but soon after, the Brookses approached Michelle and husband Ryan Jackson, who were then living in Napa, to discuss partnering to open a restaurant. The Brookses attended high school with Ryan’s parents, who farm in the Reedley area, and so knew his reputation as a fine-dining chef.

Ryan attended the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco before working as chef tournant at the Domain Chandon, and later as the executive chef at Napa Valley’s Brix Restaurant. “He comes from the ultrarefined, fine-dining cuisine,” explains Michelle, who was the special event director for the Silverado Vineyards in Yountville.

With a background in events and cuisine and wineries and restaurants, as well as Reedley roots, the Brookses thought the Jacksons seemed the perfect couple to start School House. “They were impressed with what we were doing,” says Michelle.

For the Jacksons, “the timing was great. We’ve got two young kids, cousins are down here in Reedley, and so we were ready. The timing was right,” says Michelle, “and we had the right project with this restaurant.”

The transition was pretty natural, despite a more than two-year renovation. “We remodeled to this rustic country elegance that it is today,” says Michelle, “with touches of the schoolhouse motif.” 4

continued on page 10

NOVEMBER 2015 ENJOY | 9

10 | ENJOY NOVEMBER 2015

They kept the layout of the old schoolhouse, with dining areas in rooms like the old auditorium, which still has its stage, bordered with the American and California flags. The decorations, though, are far from kitsch – vintage desks, old chalkboards. “Just small touches,” assures Michelle. “It’s not gimmicky.”

From the auditorium to the old school hallway with the original drinking fountain at its end, the restaurant has an air of nostalgia about it – the original brick, the wood floors. But other than the ingredients, there’s something incredibly fresh about the School House Restaurant and Tavern.

Michelle describes their approach as “refined tableside service with a relaxed yet friendly atmosphere.” Their culinary approach is “handcrafted seasonally fresh, house-made everyday cuisine with a contemporary twist.”

In short, it’s Napa Valley service with a friendly approach.

But the real education at School House begins with the cuisine. Michelle says their kitchen environment can be intense, only because “my husband has very high expectations in the kitchen.” Their employees “come here because they want to learn.”

Handcrafted is how she describes their food – contemporary classic favorites, New American cuisine.

Their signature entrée is meatloaf, which takes four days to make. “We make everything, from our soups, our sauces, our salad dressings, our ketchups and mayonnaise, our desserts – everything.”

“We hand-squeeze all of our juices for our signature cocktails,” she continues, “and we even make our own vegetable stock for our Bloody Mary mix.” School House grows its own vegetables and herbs on site, so Michelle means it when she says, “our culinary philosophy is

locally sourced, house-made, seasonally fresh cuisine.”

Guests can wind down in the tavern in front of a flat screen TV, or they can make dinner reservations for the auditorium. Between the lunch menu, tavern menu and dinner menu, guests can order anything from pizzas and lamb sliders to pan-seared Mahi Mahi on a bed of lemon risotto.

School House also hosts live music every Friday night on the tavern stage – “that one day a week we encourage everyone to come dance a little” – and more of a singersongwriter vibe during Sunday brunch.

School House puts a new face on a building with a lot of history. In the restaurant’s reception area hang many black-and-white class photos from Frankwood Elementary. “People stop and look every time they come, and they look at these photos, saying, there’s me, or there’s my uncle, or there’s my dad. It happens almost daily,” says Michelle. It’s just one of the many reminders here at School House Restaurant that though the name and fare have changed, school is still in session.• School House Restaurant and Tavern 1018 S. Frankwood, Sanger (559) 787-3271 • www.schoolhousesanger.com Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 11 am-9 pm; Sunday 10 am-8pm Jordan Venema is a freelance writer and California native.

He’s a fan of wild stories, impetuous traveling, live music, and all the food. But mostly, he’s a fan of his six-year old son, Cassian. He can be contacted by email at jordan. venema@gmail.com.

NOVEMBER 2015 ENJOY | 11

Blow Dry Bar & Boutique

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12 | ENJOY NOVEMBER 2015

DRAWINGS ALL DAY!

INTEREST

| BY FACHE DESROCHERS

THE ART OF SHANE GUFFOGG THE TIME: THE 1960S. The place: the foothill community of Lindsay, Calif. The story: something was blooming in this small farming town that had nothing to do with agriculture.

A young artist’s eyes were working relentlessly, taking in everything under the dusty sky that sloped wide to meet the imposing rise of the Sierras. Shane Guffogg had finished kindergarten. And while many children his age were still focused on learning to read, write and tie their shoes, Guffogg could already hear the beat of his own drum loud and clear, calling him down the path that he would walk for the rest of his life.

“When I was a little kid, I would go to the Hallmark store with my mom, and the paints there fascinated me,” recalls Guffogg. “I would look at a tube and smell it and dab a little bit on my fingers and wonder how artists could take this substance and make it into a work of art. I thought it was like alchemy, like magic. So I always wanted to be a magician in that regard.”

Guffogg attended elementary school in Lindsay, then high school in Strathmore. But he had barely set foot into first grade before his teacher took note of his intense natural ability and stridently unique perspective. “My teacher took my drawings to the principal’s office because they wanted to know who was helping me. And when I said no one, they called my parents to confirm, and they said, ‘No, he just sits and draws all day.’ So I’ve been the class artist ever since.”

Not one to deny destiny, Guffogg was on a plane to London the day after he graduated high school. His single goal was to go to the resplendent museums, stand in front of history’s greatest paintings and see what they were like in person. “I very quickly stumbled into the National Gallery in London, and I came upon Rembrandt’s penultimate self portrait. And as I stood there I could see the brush strokes, I could see which colors he used, and it was almost as if the information was being downloaded into my brain,” says Guffogg. “A month later, I found myself in Milan, standing in front of da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper,’ and that was the day that it sank in entirely what my destiny was.”

Upon his return stateside, Guffogg enrolled in Porterville College and began painting intensely on his own, supplementing his self-education with curriculum that felt relevant to the metaphysical foundation he was trying to develop for his 4

continued on page 14

NOVEMBER 2015 ENJOY | 13

I had realized by then that all the arts are a form of communication, so the question became for me, ‘ What is it that I want to say?’ art. “Art history seemed particularly important for me to learn, because it has been a dialogue going on for generations, and I wanted to know what that conversation was,” says Guffogg. “I had realized by then that all the arts are a form of communication. So the question became for me, ‘What is it that I want to say?’”

Guffogg took that question with him to Cal Arts in Valencia for graduate school, where he excelled so distinctly that he was given the opportunity to travel to New York City for a semester to work in an art field of his choice. Guffogg continued his trajectory of absorbing every horizon he could, while simultaneously honing in on his philosophy and technique as an artist. “I started off painting realisticallyand figuratively, but then I moved into a more abstract expressionist space because I decided that I didn’t want to tell literal stories anymore,” explains Guffogg. “I wanted to write a wordless poem. I wanted to bypass the intellect and get to the soul of the matter.”

Shane now has his own studio in Los Angeles where he creates works in oil, pastel, watercolor and glass; he displays them in acclaimed galleries such as the Leslie Sacks Fine Art Gallery in Brentwood. His work has also been at the Bert Green Fine Art Gallery in Chicago, along with shows in Naples, Bologna and Venice, while a huge collection of nearly three decades of Guffogg’s work is currently on exhibit at the Museum of the Russian Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg.

But as global as Guffogg’s influence has become, his roots remain incredibly relevant to him – so much that he will be returning to exhibit a selection of paintings in his hometown of Lindsay. The exhibit will hang during the week of Nov. 14, cumulating in a public reception on Nov. 21, from 5-7 pm at the Lindsay Museum and Gallery.

“I have always wanted to make work that was as relevant to someone in Lindsey or Strathmore as it would be to someone anywhere else in the world,” muses Guffogg. And with his unflinching self-reflection, devotion to the process and uncanny talent, it seems that not only has Guffogg always done this, but that he always will.• www.shaneguffogg.com • Find him on Facebook Lindsay Museum and Gallery • 165 N. Gale Hill Ave, Lindsay Gallery show dates: Nov. 14-21 Reception Nov. 21 5-7pm

Fache Desrochers is a writer, photographer and artist. Her work can be viewed at fachedesrochers.com.

Photos Courtesy Of Shane Guffogg 14 | ENJOY NOVEMBER 2015

699 W. Center, Visalia (across from Smart & Final)

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GOOD FINDS

| BY JORDAN VENEMA | PHOTOS: JACKI POTORKE

Piece of the Pie BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE PICNIC SANDWICH SHOP A N D PA R LO U R B A K E RY

PEOPLE USUALLY WON’T HESITATE to admit on a bad day that life ain’t no picnic. But ask Ray Ransberger, and he’ll say otherwise: it absolutely is a picnic. You wouldn’t guess by looking at him, but Ransberger is well into his 70s, and is still running Visalia’s Picnic Sandwich Shop, where today he breaks away from cleaning the meat slicer to talk about the history of the restaurant. A few customers – might as well call them friends – walk up to the register where Ransberger greets them by name, asking about their day as he rings them up.

For more than 50 years Ransberger has been in the restaurant business, and though he’s worked almost daily since the Picnic Shop

16 | ENJOY NOVEMBER 2015

opened in 1968, “you couldn’t keep me away if you tried,” he says. For him, it’s not just about business or the food – it’s about friends, it’s about family, it’s about making people happy.

The Main Street location has been a downtown fixture since 1968 (the first Picnic Shop opened on Mooney in 1967). And while it couldn’t be more centrally located, there are still Visalians who miss the shop, and many more unaware they bake their own goods.

Heidi Ransberger, Ray’s daughter, runs the bakery, the Picnic Parlour, which has been located in the back of the property since the mid-1980s.

e

“This used to be Don Estes Institute,” says Heidi, hands covered in flour and standing above about a dozen banana cream pies. “When I was a little girl, I used to be scared to death of running by the hall because Don Estes was going to come out and pinch my cheeks. His styling chair was right there,” she points, “and he would see me and I would try to run by.”

Heidi practically grew up in the restaurant, where she started working when she was only 8: “on my way to school,” she says, “then on my way back.”

Like many other members of her family, Heidi had plans to become a registered nurse; even her father Ray had almost attended medical school until he decided upon the restaurant business. Heidi was attending a nursing program in Fresno when her brother died in a car accident in 1992. That was around Thanksgiving, “and I came back to help out,” explains Heidi, admitting it was a rough time.

But it was also an opportunity for Heidi to return to the family business, where both her mother and father work.

That was more than 20 years ago, and the family tie was strong enough to keep her partially covered in flour. Still she laughs, “I don’t really know what I want to be when I grow up yet.” Whether it’s nursing or baking, “it’s both manual labor. I don’t know how I picked either; I was supposed to be a princess.”

Consider Heidi a princess of her own realm, with sole dominion over a kingdom of pastries and pies. Between the danishes, quiches and pies, she also cooks the meatloaf for the restaurant. And while she bakes “whatever I have time for, really,” she guarantees a staple of pies and cookies for the shelves. From walnut to coconut cream and berry and fruit pies, they sell by the slice in the restaurant, and in the bakery

they sell whole for about $15.

“I keep the pies and cookies up so we have those every day, and if I have time, I’ve been making these – well, we call them Smirks. They’re like a variation on the Snickers bar.”

Just like her father, Heidi stops what she’s doing to speak with customers as they come through the door, whether they’re placing an order or sitting down at a table to eat. What Heidi loves most about the job, she says, is exactly that: “Having neighbors.” She spends a bit of time talking with “Nate the shoe guy” from Brown’s Shoes, which is a few stores down from their restaurant. “People are just happy when they get here.” And how could they not, when generally they leave with a pie or a full belly?

Heidi’s father Ray agrees. The opportunity to talk with customers, send them home happy and content after a good meal – that’s why you couldn’t keep him from work even if you tried. “I mean, every day I am here with my family. My wife works here, too,” says Ransberger.

Doing what he loves with the ones he loves: proof that life really can be a picnic, when you find your place and people. • Picnic Sandwich Shop & Bakery 114 W. Main St. • Visalia • (559) 734-1847 Monday-Friday 10am-2pm; Saturay 10am-3pm

Jordan Venema is a freelance writer and California native. He’s a fan of wild stories, impetuous traveling, live music, and all the food. But mostly, he’s a fan of his six-year old son, Cassian. He can be contacted by email at jordan.venema@gmail.com.

NOVEMBER 2015 ENJOY | 17

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INSPIRATION

|

BY JORDAN VENEMA

| PHOTOS: MONICA FATICA

a labor of love M O L D I N G T H E R I V E R ’ S E D G E P OT T E RY S T U D I O

UP THE HILL IN THREE RIVERS, along the bank of the South Fork, Anne and H.J. Brown turn and mold blocks of clay into gracefully glazed pieces of art. Married nearly 50 years, this duo is the creative force behind River’s Edge Pottery, but if you ask who is the better potter, H.J. will tell you, “Oh, she is.” For H.J., it’s not even really a question. “But,” he clarifies, “we’re not afraid to give and take, back and forth, and follow the evolution.”

H.J. was likely referring to the evolution of a block of clay, delivered and unwrapped, from slab to wheel to hand to kiln, to the sum of their collaborative efforts. But H.J. may as well have been talking about their relationship – a 48-year marriage that likely has influenced their pottery as much as has their individual personalities.

Any relationship that can last a half a century will mold its component parts, but the Browns are especially unique, since they’ve known each other since childhood. That’s a lot of time for back and forth, give and take. “Actually, we’ve known each other since before we were born,” says H.J. “Our mothers taught school together.”

Since that first meeting in the womb, both Anne and H.J. have grown into equally driven and ambitious individuals. Anne became a teacher in the Los Angeles area, while H.J. pursued photography and cinematography. They married relatively young (at 21), but through their demanding careers, the marriage was a steady constant.

It wasn’t until retirement that the couple began to take pottery seriously, though Anne has been doing it longer. “I’ve been doing this off and on for 40 years, but I haven’t been able to do it steady the whole time because I had little kids,” she explains.

“When I was teaching I didn’t do it very much,” she continues. “I stopped for eight years one time, and teaching consumed me. Then H.J. built me this studio, and I sat down at the wheel and it came right back – like riding a bicycle.”

That was in 1996, two years after the Browns bought their current home along the South Fork River. Both were then still living and working in Los Angeles, so Anne visited the studio on the weekends.

That she even began working with clay was almost an accident. “I was trying to graduate early,” Anne says with a laugh, “so I took art classes because I thought that would be easy.”

She studied under an internationally famous potter, who passed away in the middle of the course. Anne never got a chance at the wheel, “and that left this burning desire to do it,” she says. “And one day I was nine months pregnant with my daughter, and we found a place two miles from our house that did wheel classes. It’s not about hand building for me,” Anne clarifies, gesturing at H.J: “He does the hand building.”

Which really describes, on the surface anyway, the give and take, the back and forth between them. But their pottery isn’t just a process separated by division of labor. The couple spends more time working together now than ever. It wasn’t until their retirement that H.J. even began helping with Anne’s pottery.

H.J. was gone for about half of the first 30 years of their marriage, traveling as a cameraman. But the nature of his work translated to the hands-on creativity, the building and constructing, the process of working with clay. 4 continued on page 20 NOVEMBER 2015 ENJOY | 19

Photo by Tamara Orth

“Oh, I’ve been building camera rigs since I was kid,” says H.J, who traveled the world shooting for National Geographic. Engineering was just another part of the job, adapting cameras and rigs for unexpected weather and terrain.

H.J. later shot music videos for bands like Fleetwood Mac, as well as the popular television show Friends.

H.J. brushes aside his work. “It’s just stuff,” he says, repeating, “just stuff.” He knows it was an unusual career, and he just happened to establish himself in what he calls a tiny business – and he’s grateful for it. Now, after years spent traveling and shooting, he’s content to spend his time in the studio. “That’s all you have to do,” he says. “You have to eat, you have to sleep, you need a shower, and otherwise there’s nothing interrupting your focus.”

“When you get into the flow, you can go eight, nine hours,” he says.

“You become what you’re doing, and there’s nothing else. You don’t hear the river, you don’t hear the birds – it’s a wonderful place to go…

That’s what you did when you shot. You got into a zone.”

H.J. may never even have joined Anne in the zone if it weren’t for the purchase of a slab roller. That was when they had to extend the studio, to create a workspace for H.J., where he cuts, molds and shapes clay by hand.

Now, the Browns go through about a half-ton of clay every six months. “The clay comes in those boxes,” says H.J. pointing to a large stack in the studio, “and then it goes out onto that table and gets weighed.” Then Anne takes the wheel.

The wheel sits on a balcony overlooking the river, protected by a weather-worn patio umbrella. It was originally in the studio, “but the first summer I moved it out there and it never came back in,” H.J. says. “She’ll put on a vest and though it might be snowing, she’ll throw it; if it’s raining, she’ll throw it.”

After Anne throws the clay, it’s moved inside the studio to dry on shelves. Then it goes to the kiln, and onto another shelf; then it’s waxed and glazed, and immediately

20 | ENJOY NOVEMBER 2015

placed back in the kiln, after which, voila: River’s Edge Pottery.

H.J. describes the process of recycling their unused clay, and how he designed the floor of the studio to quickly allow pressure cleaning. H.J. also has dabbled with mixing and blending glazes, and created samples that surround the workspaces of the studio. Just how many samples are there? “Oh, there’s a gazillion,” laughs Anne, though H.J. begins counting them out, “let’s see there – 80 of them.”

H.J. admits, “I have to be real organized,” to which Anne responds, “and I’m pretty much slapdash.”

Her pottery, however, is anything but slapdash. The beautifully formed and colored pieces rest neatly on the shelves, glaze catching the light. Some pieces are a combination of H.J.’s handwork and Anne’s throwing, the give and take, the back and forth, the result of an evolution.

Looking at all the pottery on the shelves, it’s almost hard to believe that just two people could produce so much. “It’s definitely addiction,” Anne says. “And a labor of love.”

You could call their pottery a career, but they’re not making a killing at it. “It’s started off at 10 cents an hour,” H.J. deadpans, “and now I think we’re up to about 25.”

“But you know what,” Anne quickly adds, “it’s cheaper than a psychiatrist.”

If they’re not making a living doing this, then why do it at all? Why make enough pottery to keep six different stores stocked? The answer, says Anne, is simple: “Because we like it.” And what better way to do something you like, than to do it next to somebody you like? • Find Rivers Edge Pottery in Three Rivers at Hearts Desire and Anne Lang’s Emporium, in Visalia at The Naked Nut and Enjoy the Store and in Santa Monica at Lois Lambert Gallery

Jordan Venema is a freelance writer and California native. He’s a fan of wild stories, impetuous traveling, live music, and all the food. But mostly, he’s a fan of his six-year old son, Cassian. He can be contacted by email at jordan.venema@gmail.com.

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SHOWTIME

| BY FACHE DESROCHERS

arrows through the Heart FA L L I N LO V E W I T H V I S A L I A O P E R A CO M PA N Y ’ S C A R M E N

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO FALL IN LOVE? Some people say it happens in the blink of an eye, like a strike of lightning.

Others maintain that it creeps up slowly, more akin to the tide coming in. However fast you personally tumble, most people agree on one thing about falling in love: you know without a doubt when it happens to you. For centuries, the art of opera has brought audiences to their knees in supplication, and to their feet in adoration. But one opera in particular sends arrows consistently through the hearts of everyone from novice viewers to venerable enthusiasts, one opera that makes you fall in love, whether you are ready or not: Carmen.

“Carmen is particularly special to me because it’s the first opera I ever saw, and the one that really introduced me to what opera is,” says Rosalinda Verde, who would know a thing or two about the charms of the medium as the founder and executive director of the Visalia Opera Company. And Verde is not the only one with a soft spot for Carmen. The production has enjoyed generations of acclaim by critics and casual enthusiasts alike – not just for its well-known arias and exquisitely composed music, but because of the wily adventures of a main character so compelling that the title could be nothing other than her name. 4 continued on page 24

NOVEMBER 2015 ENJOY | 23

“I THINK MANY WOMEN RELATE TO HER AND ADMIRE HER KIND OF POWER,” VERDE SAYS THOUGHTFULLY. “CARMEN IS A LOT OF THINGS TO A LOT OF PEOPLE. Set in Spain around 1820 and written by French composer Georges Bizet, Carmen is the story of a young and fiery gypsy girl whose strong will, seductive ways and beautifully untamed nature showers the worlds of those around her with a veritable storm of glamorous drama. Although Carmen has far stronger cultural and artistic legs to stand on, one can’t help but draw a comparison between this timehonored production and a certain more modern, soapier type of opera. But the drama and intrigue that characterizes this show seems to be the very reason why it has remained so popular, so mesmerizing, and so wonderfully accessible for so many. “We started an opera class at the Creative Center, and Carmen is the one that everyone is always the most intensely focused of,” says Verde. “Which is understandable, because the story is so intense itself. It’s the tale of a woman using her wiles to get her way, and get out of trouble.

She’s very powerful, dominating, unpredictable and even fearsome.” When the audience first meets Carmen, she is singing to a crowd about the untamable nature of love. Just a scene or two later, the authorities are called because she has pulled a knife on another girl at the cigarette factory that employs her. “So she’s in a lot of trouble from the very getgo,” Verde says with a grin. “And I think it’s interesting to see how she gets herself woven into that trouble, and then out of it, and then back in it again, and what her fate is at the end of the story.”

Although the opera was written more than a century ago, the title character remains a force of nature and a formidably independent woman – even by today’s standards. “I think many women relate to her and admire her kind of power,” Verde says thoughtfully. “Carmen is a lot of things to a lot of people. Many women are compelled

24 | ENJOY NOVEMBER 2015

to tell me how they relate or how they don’t, and I’ve seen her played a lot of different ways. But for me, the takeaway has always been that Carmen is powerful, and Carmen is complex.”

Carmen premiers October 30 at café 210, and the Visalia Opera Company has envisioned a fully modern take on its presentation, which will include an exciting digital backdrop and narration by local actor and educator Susan Matthews. “I’m really excited about Susan’s narration because she’s an incredible performer, and I know she will really tie the story together for the audience,” says Verde.

“And that really helps to make a longer opera like this one more condensed and accessible.”

It seems that when it comes to opera, Carmen is the eternal femme fatale of the genre; the woman in the red dress, the enchantress whose siren song is nothing short of irresistible. So if you are ready to fall in love with opera, Carmen is waiting for you, ready or not. • Visalia Opera Company 559-802-3266 www.visaliaoperacompany.org Find them on Facebook Carmen show dates and location: Oct. 30-7pm; Nov. 1-2pm; Nov. 6-7pm; Nov. 8-2pm 210 W. Center Street, Visalia Tickets: www.voccarmen.brownpapertickets

Fache Desrochers is a writer, photographer and artist. Her work can be viewed at fachedesrochers.com.

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SEASONAL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, DAIRY, EGGS, MEATS AND PLANT STARTS • HAND CRAFTED ITEMS • HEALTHY PREPARED FOODS FROM LOCAL ARTISANS • LIVE LOCAL MUSIC • NUTRITION AND COOKING TIPS MASTER GARDENERS SHARING INFORMATION SAMPLES • ASK FARMERS ABOUT YOUR FOOD

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/pitakabob NOVEMBER 2015 ENJOY | 25

INSPIRATION | PHOTO: TARAMA ORTH

An Autumn Agenda

G R E AT WAY S TO S LO W D O W N A N D E N J OY FA L L U Buy

local apple cider

U Stroll

at dusk and breathe the crisp air

U Stomp

on crunchy leaves

U Bake

5 different things with apples

U Visit

a farmer’s market

U Walk

through downtown on a sunny day

U Try

a new flavor of tea

U Read

a good book

U Bring

a loaf of pumpkin bread to a neighbor

U Watch U Try

a Jane Austen movie

a new soup recipe

U

Have

s’mores by candlelight

U Make

pumpkin pancakes

26 | ENJOY NOVEMBER 2015

U Buy

a new autumn-scented candle

U Pick

apples with your significant other

U Purchase

throw

U Eat

or make a new blanket or

dinner outdoors

U Host

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MAIN STREET

| BY JORDAN VENEMA

it’s beginning to look a lot like

CHRISTMAS THE 12TH ANNUAL ONE E N C H A N T E D E V E N I N G I N C LO V I S IT’S NEARLY THAT TIME OF YEAR, when sharper winds and chillier evenings will usher in the holiday season. Pumpkin spice has already arrived, and the leaves have begun to fall, but not until the carols are sung and the cocoa served can we really say, ah, Christmas.

For some, the holiday season begins sooner, and for others a little later, but in Old Town Clovis the Christmas season comes regularly.

Every Thursday before Thanksgiving, the Business Organization of Old Town transforms Old Town Clovis for One Enchanted Evening, an annual tradition entering its 12th year.

This year, the event falls on Nov. 19, and begins at 5pm. As the late fall evenings come more quickly, shop lights and frosted windows will shine all the brighter, welcoming Clovis and Valley residents to a night of eating, drinking and caroling. All in all, the evening is a perfect primer for getting in the Christmas spirit.

“If it’s a cold, crisp night, it’s a nice thing to do for the fall,” says Carole Lester, executive director of the Business Organization of Old Town. “It’s a great way to start the season.”

With each passing year, One Enchanted Evening has included more businesses and welcomed more guests to Old Town Clovis.

“Basically, it used to be a cookies-and-punch kind of evening, and an evening that guests could come out and see the decorated stores,” says Lester. “It’s grown significantly over the last few years.”

Anywhere between 5,000 and 8,000 people come out to follow the luminaries from shop to shop, meet with local owners and participate in the free horse-drawn carriage rides.

28 | ENJOY NOVEMBER 2015

Photos Courtesy Of Business Organization Of Old Town [Clovis]

“I’m always astonished at the lines for the carriage rides,” Lester says. “The kids just love it, and it’s a great family thing to do.” Free rides continue between 1 and 4pm every Saturday and Sunday through the weekend before Christmas.

Overall, Lester says One Enchanted Evening adds up to a pretty magical night. “The arbors are all lit up with lights and hanging stars, Christmas music is piped through a PA system, the carolers go around,” Lester says. “Just listening to the jingling of the carriages and the clip-clopping of the horses’ hoofs – it gives a whole different feeling.”

That feeling is the real allure of One Enchanted Evening: not only the Christmas atmosphere, but also a kind of holiday timelessness. Shop owners and carolers wear Victorian-inspired attire. Choral groups like Jubilation Singers, Gold Note Chorus and Voices United dress up and sing carols. And should Santa arrive, nobody would be surprised to see him walking down the street.

In true Dickensian Christmas fashion, shop owners offer food and drink to whomever walks through their doors. “We have a lot of stores that do really stunning designs for their windows,” says Lester, “and a lot of the antique stores – we have 12 or 13 – get way into it.”

Owners often frost their store windows, and deck their halls with lights and decorations. “They like to see if they can outdo themselves each year,” Lester says. “The ante seems to go up each year.”

One Enchanted Evening is really the chance to thank the customers who’ve supported small businesses. And that, says Lester, is the purpose of this event: to say thank you, and to give shops the opportunity “to showcase not just what they’ve decorated, but what they sell, what they offer, so people will come back and remember to shop local.”

There’s an added incentive for people visiting these shops during One Enchanted Evening. Every participating shop will offer guests an entry into a drawing; every store visited is an extra ticket toward the free raffle. At the end of the event, three winners will be chosen. Three prizes will be awarded – $250, $150 and $100 “scrips” – which are like “play money” that can be used at participating stores.

As if small towns needed any more charm, ye olde towne of Clovis will get an extra dose on one fall evening.

So come all ye faithful and all of good cheer, and celebrate the holiday season for One Enchanted Evening – sing some carols, enjoy a cup of cocoa, bring the family, but Grinches need not apply. • One Enchanted Evening • November 19, 5-8pm Business Organization of Old Town (Clovis) www.oldtownclovis.org/one-enchanted-evening

Jordan Venema is a freelance writer and California native.

He’s a fan of wild stories, impetuous traveling, live music, and all the food. But mostly, he’s a fan of his six-year old son, Cassian. He can be contacted by email at jordan. venema@gmail.com.

NOVEMBER 2015 ENJOY | 29

Robyn Robyn Graham Graham Robyn Graham Real Estate Group Real Group Robyn Estate Graham (559)786-3109 robynegraham@gmail.com robyngrahamproperties.com

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Copyright 2015 Keller Williams® Realty, Inc. If you have a brokerage relationship with another agency, this is not intended as a solicitation.

All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Equal Opportunity Housing Provider. Each office is independently owned and operated.

Copyright 2015 Keller Williams® Realty, Inc. If you have a brokerage relationship with another agency, this is not intended as a solicitation.

All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Equal Opportunity Housing Provider. Each office is independently owned and operated.

at embellish & restore Intro to Crochet Intro to Knitting Macramé Hand Lettering Flower Crowns

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Please visit freidacalifornia.com for dates and details

Tamara Orth | freidacalifornia@gmail.com

| BY JORDAN VENEMA

Photos: Juan Verduzco

LOCALS

U N CO V E R I N G T H E S O U T H VA L L E Y R O OT S O F P I S TA C I A G LO B A L SOMETIMES THINGS HAVE A FUNNY WAY of coming full circle. Vahid Salehi attests this truth, recalling his first visit to the valley when he was 8 years old. “I remember coming out to Visalia for a summer visit,” he says, and seeing the fields for the first time, his uncles’ orchards.

Almost 30 years later, Salehi now calls Visalia home, and he recently began his own business, Pistacia Global. “Pistacia is actually the genus of the family that the pistachio tree belongs to,” explains Salehi. “We were looking for names of our company, and we wanted to be a little different and a little creative. But we didn’t know we were going to make it harder for ourselves,” he says with a laugh.

Pistacia Global officially began in 2007, but pistachios have been a part of Salehi’s family for generations. “Actually, I’m the fourth generation,” says Salehi. “My father, my grandfather, and his father – they all farmed pistachios.”

It wasn’t until the 1970s that his family first planted roots in California, which is when pistachios really began to take hold in the American market. In that sense, his family included some of the first pistachio farmers in California.

When the market for pistachios began to boom, three of Salehi’s uncles moved from Minnesota, where they were physicians. His father, who studied engineering in Minnesota but went back to Iran, followed his brothers in the ‘80s, after the Iranian revolution.4 continued on page 32

IT’S MORE THAN A BUSINESS. IT’S ABOUT KEEPING A FAMILY TRADITION GOING. NOVEMBER 2015 ENJOY | 31

Photos: Tamara Orth

“Long story short,” says Salehi, “they were interested in pistachio farming because that’s what their father did.”

Since the 1970s, America has blossomed into the world’s second largest pistachio producer, though it grows only about half the pistachios that are grown in Iran. In fact, about 90 percent of pistachios grown in California belong to the Kerman variety, named after the Iranian city where Salehi’s family farmed. “Everybody in that area, the majority of people farm pistachios,” says Salehi, saying it’s like corn in South Dakota – it’s everywhere.

Salehi, who moved to California when he was 14, had no intention to follow the family tradition. “I studied business and finance,” explains Salehi, “and after graduating from college in 2004, I did banking and finance mortgage for a couple years.” But, he says, “I just didn’t enjoy it.”

Salehi reconsidered following his father’s footsteps. “So I decided to come back and get into our roots, farming.”

Salehi wanted to work side-by-side with his family, but he also wanted to maintain his independence, so he started his own company, beginning with just 40 acres of his own and another 40 acres “that was the land of a friend who wanted to work with me.”

Whether it was his background in business and finance or the family familiarity with the nut, Pistacia Global grew from 80 acres in 2007 to almost 1,600 acres this year, most of which are in Terra Bella and areas south of Porterville.

Salehi, however, believes the growth has a lot to do with the pistachios themselves: they couldn’t be a much better investment if they grew themselves. He also describes the market as unique. “Pistachios are a great investment, proven long term, which doesn’t swing like stock markets,” he says. “If you look at the curve of farming over the last 20, 30 years, the point has always been up.”

Though the investment is proven, it still requires foresight. Once planted, a pistachio tree takes at least five years before it yields its fruit. Much of the success

32 | ENJOY NOVEMBER 2015

of Pistacia Global has come word of mouth, from connections of friends and family wanting to invest long-term. Much like the pistachios themselves, the growth was natural.

“We find the ground that’s suitable,” says Salehi, and with the investment purchase acreage. “Once the land is purchased, pretty much everything from A to Z is done through our company.” The investors, he says, don’t even need to worry about farming.

With a little foresight, Salehi has grown a product that’s as good as gold – Nature’s Gold. Pistacia Global sells in bulk, but they also package and sell flavored pistachios in 16-ounce bags, under the name Nature’s Gold. Chililemon, jalapeno and garlic, “but roasted and salted,” says Salehi,” nothing compares.”

Nor does belonging to the family tradition. Salehi remembers as a child, “going to the farms with my dad, and sitting in the truck with him… There’s times when I reminisce, and think about him.”

Salehi wasn’t just drawn to pistachios because they’re a proven investment – he was going back to his roots, which had already dug deeply in the ground, both in Iran and here in California.

“We have an attachment to this valley,” says Salehi. “It’s more than a business. It’s about keeping a family tradition going.” • Pistacia Globa • www.pistaciaglobal.com

Jordan Venema is a freelance writer and California native.

He’s a fan of wild stories, impetuous traveling, live music, and all the food. But mostly, he’s a fan of his six-year old son, Cassian. He can be contacted by email at jordan. venema@gmail.com.

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Exeter Gift Certificates make Great Christmas Gifts for Employees, Friends, Loved Ones, Teachers, Stocking Stuffers and MORE! Available at the Exeter Chamber of Commerce all Year Long.

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vintage, home decor, gifts, & refurbished furniture custom painted pieces Wednesday-Saturday 11-5 158 E Pine Street, Exeter • 559-592-3960 owners: Jodi & Stefanie

Annual Holiday Party at the Gallery ART AUCTION FUND RAISER

Serving wine, champagne and hors d’oeuvres Date: Time: Place: Tickets:

November 14, 2015 4:30 - 8:00 p.m.

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Get tickets at the Chamber of Commerce office & Exeter Flower Company

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STORE FRONT

|

AUTUMN SENSATIONS

TASTE, SMELL, SEE... WELCOME FALL

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SOUTH VALLEY

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Photography cards

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36 | ENJOY NOVEMBER 2015

Visit our NEW expanded location! Paint your own pottery in our beautiful garden patio. Contact us to schedule a private party or visit our website to see our weekly calendar of events.

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(559) 892-5153 www.freestyleevents.com mjz@freestyleevents.com

Imagine your space, tailored to the way you live.

Vintage Apparel & Goods 514 E. Main Street, Suite B Visalia, CA 93292 (559) 740-7356 www.theamigorow.com

Let Tailored Living personalize your space today with a variety of customizable solutions for your entire home.

Contractors license #000000

559-334-6996

ENJOY THE VIEW

| PHOTO: JERI BURZEN

38 | ENJOY NOVEMBER 2015

YOSEMITE FALLS, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK Sailing in the Caribbean sparked Jeri Burzin’s interest in photography years ago.

Workshops in beautiful national parks and training through the California State University Summer Arts program increased her passion for photography. Nature’s designs are often the subject of her work, and she enjoys showing how the commonplace may become the unusual. See her work at www.jeriburzin.com.

NOVEMBER 2015 ENJOY | 39

WHAT’S COOKIN’

| BY LANA GRANFORS | PHOTO: KARA STEWART

November Recipe If you did not get to the pumpkin fields to pick your fresh pumpkin, or you do not have the time to bake fresh pumpkin for this recipe, don’t worry. Canned pumpkin puree is perfect as the base ingredient in this recipe or other sweet or savory recipes. This recipe will fill your home with that warm and fragrant aroma of winter baking right in your oven!

40 | ENJOY NOVEMBER 2015

This bread recipe is wonderful served a little warm with a spread of butter, alongside coffee or tea, or maybe a nice glass of cold milk. Set one loaf aside for a breakfast bread pudding to have on a cold winter mornings, or perhaps even Christmas morning.

Enjoy!

P U M P K I N P E C A N B R E A D Makes: 2 Loaves & P U M P K I N P E C A N B R E A K FA S T B R E A D P U D D I N G Servings: 6

PUMPKIN PECAN BREAD

1 ½ cup chopped pecans 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour 3 cups granulated sugar 1 T pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 - 15-oz. can 100% pumpkin puree 1 cup canola oil 4 large eggs ²⁄ ³ cup water PREP TIME: 20 minutes BAKING TIME: 1 hour – 1 hour 10 minutes TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 20 minutes – 1 hour 30minutes

PUMPKIN PECAN BREAKFAST BREAD PUDDING One loaf of Pumpkin Pecan Bread, cut into 2-inch cubes (recipe above) 1 ½ cup heavy cream or half and half 4 eggs, well beaten 1 tsp vanilla 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 oz. freshly grated knob of ginger 1 cup brown sugar ¼ cup pecans PREP TIME: 10 minutes BAKE TIME: 30 minutes TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes

PUMPKIN PECAN BREAD STEP 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

STEP 2: Heat a large dry skillet. Add chopped pecans and allow for toasting, in a single layer, for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally throughout the toasting time. Do not overcook as they can be bitter. Allow these to cool.

STEP 3: Stir together flour, sugar, pie spice, soda and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the bowl by moving the dry mixture to the outsides of the bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, canola oil, eggs and water; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.Fold in cooled, chopped pecans.

STEP 4: Prepare two 9x5-inch loaf pans. Grease both lightly with a bit of butter or spray with cooking spray. Lightly dust with flour and discard any loose flour. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pans.

STEP 5: Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Test by inserting a toothpick in the center. It should come out clean.

Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pans to wire rack and cool completely, usually 1 hour.

PUMPKIN PECAN BREAKFAST BREAD PUDDING STEP 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

STEP 2: Grease a 9-inch casserole or baking dish. Place the bread cubes in the pan. Combine all the remaining ingredients together in a bowl and mix well.

LOVE OUR RECIPES? Come into Enjoy the Store (Redding, Red Bluff or Visalia) each month and ask for your FREE recipe card.

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PEC PUMPKIN EAKF PECAN BR PRE P TIM

November Recipe

PUMPKIN

E: 20 min utes BAK ING TIM TOTAL TIM E: 1 hou r – 1 hou r 10 E: 1 hou r 20 min utes min utes – 1 hou r PUM PKI 30m inut

N PEC AN BRE AKF BRE AD PUD DIN AST G One loaf of Pumpkin ING RED IEN TS Pecan Brea (recipe abov d, cut into e) 2-inch cube 1 ½ cup heav s 4 eggs, well y cream or half and half beaten 1 tsp vani lla 1 tsp. pum pkin pie spic 1 oz. fresh e ly grated knob of ging 1 cup brow er n sugar ¼ cup peca ns

2015

PRE P TIM E: 10 min utes BAK E TIM E: TOTAL TIM 30 min utes E: 40 min utes

es

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Prepare two cooled, chop add or spray ped peca with cook 9x5-inch loaf pan ns. s. Grease ing spray.

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Let cool er and a war m maple syrup

PUM PKI N PEC AN BRE AD 1 ½ cup chop ING RED STEWA RT ped peca IEN TS | PHOTO : KARA 3 ½ cups ns GRANF ORS all-p RECIPE BY LANA 3 cups gran urpose flour PUM PKI ulated suga N PEC AN 1 T pumpkin r BRE AD STEP 1: Preh pie spice eat oven 1 tsp. baki to 350 deg ng soda rees.

1 tsp. salt STEP 2: Heat a larg 1 - 15-oz. e dry skill a single laye can et. Add chop r, for abo 1 cup cano 100% pumpkin pure occasion ut 5 min ped peca la oil ally utes e ns and allow 4 large eggs Allow thes throughout the toas or until lightly for toasting brow e to cool. ting time , in ²⁄³ cup wate . Do not over ned and fragrant & D , stirring r A cook as they E R B STEP G AN can be bitte PKIN PEC r.

D P U D D I N 3: Stir togethe

MP

STEP 3: Pour over bread cubes and press the bread lightly to help soak up the mixture. Bake for 30 minutes (the liquid mixture should be baked firm). Let cool and set up for at least 15 minutes, then serve with butter and a warm maple syrup or whipped cream topping.

Lana Granfors enjoys traveling, gardening, cooking and spending time with her friends and family– especially her grandchildren, Jillian and Garet.

NOVEMBER 2015 ENJOY | 41

SPOTLIGHT

| NOVEMBER 2015

in the November spotlight FROM FOOD TO FUN, SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY Race Against Hunger

(VISALIA)

DOWNTOWN NOVEMBER 26 | 8 AM

Old Town Flea Market

(CLOVIS)

RODEO GROUNDS NOVEMBER 7 - 8

This special event features hand-selected vendors, and food and beverages will be available to purchase. Admission is $5 per adult (kids 12 and under are free).

The Old Town Flea Market invites guests to enjoy two days of “junk love shopping.” For more information, visit www.oldtownflea.com.

7

This year marks the 11-year anniversary of the Race Against Hunger, the largest 5K in the Central Valley benefitting Visalia Emergency Aid Council (VEAC). For more than 83 years, VEAC has provided food, clothing and shelter to needy families in Tulare County. For more information, visit www.visaliaturkeytrot.com.

26

Fesitval of Trees Tulare County Symphony presents Fire and Ice

(VISALIA)

FOX THEATRE NOVEMBER 21 | 7:30 PM

The Tulare County Symphony celebrates Finnish violinist and composer Jean Sibelius on the occasion of his centennial during “Fire and Ice.” The program also continues the symphony’s Beethoven series with Symphony No. 4, when Danielle Belen will perform what some consider to be the 20th century’s best violin concerto. For more information, visit www.foxvisalia.org.

17 42 | ENJOY NOVEMBER 2015

(THREE RIVERS) ST. ANTHONY RETREAT NOVEMBER 19 | 6 PM

Enjoy this joyous Christmas celebration and auction. More than 20 decorated trees from local nonprofit organizations will be available for auction. All proceeds benefit the nonprofits. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, wine tasting and cocktails. Tickets are $25.

For more information, visit www.stanthonyretreat.org.

A Christmas Story, The Musical

(FRESNO)

ROGER ROCKA’S DINNER THEATRE NOVEMBER 12 - 29 | 11 AM - 4 PM

19

Veterans Day Run

(PORTERVILLE)

It’s everybody’s favorite story set to wonderful music, and as delightful as ever! Complete with leg lamps, Red Rider BB guns, and dire warnings of eye injuries, this one is not to be missed. For more information, visit www.rogerrockas.com.

DOWNTOWN NOVEMBER 11 | 7:15 AM

1130

This event features a 10K run, a 5K run, 5K walk and a Kid’s Fun Run. The race begins at 7 am in front of City Hall. Awards will be given to first through third place in each age category for running and walking events. All participants will receive an official race day shirt. For more information, visit www.ci.porterville.ca.us.

12

CALENDAR

Clovis

November 1 • Two Cities Marathon & Ultra Half, www.runfresno.com November 4, 11, 18, 25 • Open Mic Night, On The Edge Coffee House, 412 Pollasky Avenue November 7, 14, 21, 28 • Old Town Clovis Farmer’s Market, Pollasky Avenue between Third and Fifth Street 7-11am (559) 298-5774, www.oldtownclovis.org November 7 - 8 • Old Town Flea Market, 748 Rodeo Drive, 10am-4pm (Early Bird Saturday only 8am-10am) November 18 • One Enchanted Evening, Old Town Clovis, 5-8pm (559)298-5774 November 28 - 29 • Horse Drawn Carriage Rides, Old Town Clovis, 1-4pm, www.oldtownclovis.org

Exeter

November 1 - 16 • EFAMilies care packages for the troops drive (559) 786-6896 November 14 • The Stag Saloon’s Chili Cook-Off, 115 E. Pine Street, Starting at 10am (559) 592-7177 • Veterans’ benefit run/walk, Exeter City Park, 8 - 11 am, (559) 786-6896

Fresno

October 28 - November 1 • Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream, Selland Arena, www.fresnoconventioncenter.com November 1, 5 - 8 • Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater presents: Shenandoah www.rogerrockas.com November 1 • Two Cities Marathon & Ultra Half, www.runfresno.com November 1 - 7 • A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Woods Theatre, Fresno State (559) 278-2216 November 7 • Ronald McDonald House Annual Red Heart Ball- A Night in Monte Carlo, Fresno Convention Center, 5-11pm www.fundraise.com/RedHeartBall • Fresno Wicked Wine Run, Engelmann Cellars, 3:15pm www.wickedwinerun.com November 12 - 29 • Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater presents: A Christmas Story, The Musical www.rogerrockas.com November 16 • Riverdance- The 20th Anniversary World Tour, Saroyan Theatre, 730 M Street 7:30pm www.fresnoconventioncenter.com November 27 - 29 • ZooLights at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, 894 W. Belmont Avenue

Hanford

November 14 - 15 • Annual Holiday Boutique, Civic Auditorium, (559) 585-2525 November 17 • Hanford Carnegie Mixer, 5:30-7:30pm

Kingsburg

November 14, 28 • Music Jam, 1450 Ellis Street, 5-9pm www.kingsburgchamber.com

Lemoore

November 7 • Rotary Crab Feed, Cinnamon Municipal Complex (559) 924-5658

November 11 • Veterans Day Parade, Downtown Lemoore November 28 - 29 • Christmas Crafts Show, Civic Auditorium (559) 924-6767 November 29 • LVFD Christmas Tree Raising, Center of Fox & D Street

Lindsay

November 7 • Que’n for Kids Annual Cook-Off

Porterville

November 6 • First Friday Coffee, Galaxy 9 Theatre, 7am www.portervillechamber.org November 7 • Heritage Foundation Fundraiser/Under the Harvest Moon www.portervillefair.com November 11 • Veterans Day Run, Downtown Porterville, 7:15am (559) 782-7521 • Veterans Day Parade, Downtown Porterville (directly after the Veterans Day Run)

Selma

November 7 - 22 • The Music Man, Selma Arts Center www.selmaartscenter.com November 14 • Selma Downtown Merchants Holiday Open House, 10am

Springville

November • Springville Farmers Market, Springville Ranch, 36400 Hwy 190, 9 am - noon, (559) 359-0713

Three Rivers

November 6 • Turning Violet at Kaweah River Trading Co., plus book signing, 41891 Sierra Drive, 7-9pm www.kaweahrivertrading.com November 7 • Decorating Tubs for Bathtub Race/Open House, Three Rivers Bed and Breakfast, 42490 Kaweah River Drive, 9am-5pm November 8 • TRUS Foundation Dinner & Auction, Memorial Building, 4-8pm www.trusf.org November 14 • Winter Concert Series— Blake Poulio, violin, Community Presbyterian Church 43410 Sierra Drive, 7pm November 19 • Festival of Trees, St. Anthony’s Retreat Center, 6-9pm www.stanthonyretreat.org

Tulare

November 6 - 7 • 47th Annual Tulare Collectible Show & Sale, 1771 E. Tulare Avenue Nov. 6: 9am-6pm Nov. 7: 9am-2pm (559) 781-6319 November 7 • NovemberFest, Wayside Church of the Nazarene, 6-9:30pm • Tulare County Farm Bureau YF&R Casino Night, 6-9pm, Call (559) 732-8301 for tickets • Trails for Tails, Santa Fe Trail in Tulare, 9am Registration, Walk Begins at 10am (559) 303-6930 November 14 - January 3 • Global Winter Wonderland “Travel the World in One Night,” Tulare County Fair Grounds, www.tularechamber.org

Visalia

November 1, 6, 8 • Visalia Opera Company Presents Bizet’s Carmen, 210 W. Center Avenue (559) 802-3266

|

NOVEMBER 2015

November 7 • Roller Town Derby Double Header - Military Appreciation Day, Roller Towne, 520 S. Linwood, 5 - 9 pm, (559) 733-8686 • Blind Babies Foundation presents Walk in their Shoes, Blain Park, 9:30 - noon, (559) 281-5294 November 8 • Fall 2015 Rusty Roots Show, Sears Parking Lot, 10am-4pm November 15 • Winter Concert Series— Blake Poulio, violin, Main Street Theatre 307 E. Main Street, 3pm November 19 • Ladies’ Night, Clay Cafe, 1018 E. Mineral King, 6 - 10pm, (559) 733-2022 November 20 - 21 • Boys and Girls Club of the Sequoias fundraiser golf tournament, Visalia Country Club, (559) 592-4074 November 25 • Sound N Vision Foundation pre-Thanksgiving R&B/Soul Party, Cellar Door 101 W. Main Street, 7:30-10pm www.snvfoundation.org November 26 • Race Against Hunger, Downtown Visalia, 8am www.visaliaturkeytrot.com November 27 - 28 • Nutcracker Ballet presened by Theater Arts Alliance, LJ Williams Theater, 360arts.brownpapertickets.com November 28 • Children’s Story Hour, Clay Cafe, 1018 E. Mineral King, 9 - 10:30am, (559) 733-2022 November 30 • Candy Cane Lane Parade, Downtown Visalia, 7pm www.downtownvisalia.com • Pizza with a Purpose, The Planning Mill Artisan Pizzeria, 6-9pm

Ice House Theare www.visaliaplayers.org

November 1 • The Rocky Horror Show, 2pm

Visalia Fox Theatre www.foxvisalia.com

November 11 • Classic Flicks at the Fox: Hannah and Her Sisters, 7pm November 14 • Comedy Jam with Loni Love, 8pm November 17 • Heart, 7:30pm November 21 • Tulare County Symphony presents Fire and Ice, 7:30pm Event times and dates are subject to change without notice.

Please check event phone number or website to verify dates and times. Enjoy Magazine is not responsible for any inconvenience due to event changes.

GET YOUR EVENT ON THE CALENDAR! Please visit www.enjoysouthvalley.com or email info@enjoymagazine.net to post your calendar events. If you’d like your event to be listed in this section of Enjoy magazine, it must be posted on our website or emailed by the 5th of the month—one month prior to the next magazine issue. For example, a December event will need to post by November 5. Thank you.

NOVEMBER 2015 ENJOY | 43

CRAFTING | STORY AND PHOTOS BY TAMARA ORTH

LET’S GIVE

THANKS

A S I M P L E D E C O R D . I .Y. T O C E L E B R AT E FA L L

METAL TRAY CHALKBOARDS SUPPLIES

Metal serving trays (available at most thrift stores) Foam brush Chalkboard paint Sandpaper Chalk and chalkboard pen 3M command strips

METAL TRAY CHALKBOARDS INSTRUCTIONS 1. With the sandpaper, scuff up the area of the metal trays where you will be adding chalkboard paint.

2. Apply the chalkboard paint with a sponge brush onto the metal trays.

3. Once the first coat of paint is completely dry, paint second coat. Repeat this process until the desired part of the tray is completely covered.

4. Once the final coat of paint is dry, prime the chalkboard by rubbing a piece of chalk on its side all over the chalkboard, then wipe off excess chalk.

5. You are now ready to write your desired word or phrase on the chalkboards with chalk or a chalk pen.

6. The kind of surface you will be hanging the trays on will determine the hanging method you should use.

The 3M Command Strips worked well with many surfaces.

44 | ENJOY NOVEMBER 2015

LEAF GARLAND SUPPLIES

Leaves (magnolia shown here) Floral wire

LEAF GARLAND INSTRUCTIONS 1. Gather many leaves.

2. Starting with 2-3 leaves, wrap the stems with the floral wire multiple times.

3. Continue to add 2-3 leaf groupings by placing the new grouping’s stems an inch lower than the previous wired grouping, then wire both groupings together.

4. Continue this method of grouping and wire wrapping until you have reached your desired length of garland.

5. Hang as desired.

6. Enjoy!

NOVEMBER 2015 ENJOY | 45

GIVING BACK

| BY JORDAN VENEMA

46 | ENJOY NOVEMBER 2015

Photos Courtesy of Great American Barber Shop

H E R E ’ S T O M E N ’ S H E A LT H I N M O V E M B E R IN 2003, TWO AUSTRALIAN MATES were chatting over beers about the regrettably lost art of the moustache. These gentlemen had the great idea, like so many are prone while quaffing pints, to bring back that forgotten trend. Thirty friends accepted their initial challenge, and for one month, collectively committed to growing the finest, classiest facial hair that ever graced the face of that southern continent – or the faces of those 30 dudes, anyway.

In 2004, the moustache movement grew from 30 participants to 500 – and they raised $50,000 along the way, which was donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia. Thus was born the Movember Foundation, a portmanteau for moustache and November, the month during which the foundation encouraged men to grow facial hair to promote awareness for men’s health.

Movember has come a long way since 2003, traveling many miles and to other continents, while raising more than $650 million toward 1,000 different programs, ranging from mental health to prostate and testicular cancer.

Basically, these two Aussies turned the moustache into a walking, talking, hirsute billboard for men’s health. And Movember’s message is still growing.

Other than offering an excuse to grow one fantastic moustache, Movember encourages participants to use their emerging scruff as a talking point – for inquiring minds - about men’s health. Also, the November 1 kickoff is a great reminder for men to get that yearly check-up.

Fresno local Tye Featherstone began noticing the resurgence of the moustache a few years back. He had already been in the industry some 20 years – cutting, styling, teaching, you name it – but “for the last three or four years,” he says, “I’ve been led to open up an old-school barber shop with more of a modern feel.” Eight months ago, he opened The Great American Barber Shop in Fresno, where he is organizing his own Movember fundraiser.

Featherstone was partly inspired by fellow Great American Barber Frank Reiland, who has been hosting Movember events since 2011, when he used to barber at Visalia’s GoldStar Barbershop.

Being a barber, says Reiland, “it’s about community, it’s about looking out for each other, and if I can bring barbers together for a good cause, I’m going to do it.”

“As I started to get to know guys in my chair, I began to put a face to men’s diseases, kids who were diagnosed with testicular cancer, dads that had prostate cancer, guys that are struggling with mental health issues,” explains Reiland.

“It just began to resonate. It just became natural – and I’m going to keep doing this as long as I can.”

So when Reiland moved to the Great American Barbershop, it was

just as natural for him to partner with Featherstone and host an even larger Movember event. And there couldn’t be a better-suited location than the Great American Barber Shop, which offers the old school “hot lather back of the neck shaves, the proprietary massage,” and of course, “the hot towel, straight razor shave,” says Featherstone.

On Sunday, Nov. 1, The Great American Barber shop will close shop at 6pm, “like we normally do, and then reopen at 7pm,” explains Featherstone. “We’re going to be doing hot towel, straight razor shaves, because the idea is to start with a clean face for November, and grow it out the entire month.”

While the straight razor shaves will cost the regular $25 per shave, all proceeds will go to the Movember Foundation. The event will last until 10pm, and Featherstone hopes to shave at least 30 faces.

But Movember isn’t just straight razor shaves and clean faces.

Firestone Brewery is donating 805, which will be served free to legalaged patrons, and DJ Savage from Visalia will spin his tables. “He does a full genre,” says Featherstone, “but he’ll do a little bit of soul, some blues, some rock ‘n’ roll.”

“Honestly, we just want to bring people in and get them interested in the Movember event,” says Featherstone. “Basically, just get them on board to start November 1, to get their physical, and make sure they’re healthy.”

If you miss the event but notice the surfeit of facial hair on the faces of your peers, understand that these men are not just lightning rods for fashion, but also ambassadors of men’s health.

Do your part, men and women – grow out whatever hair you choose, and style it however you like. And for those moved by Movember, Featherstone encourages them to celebrate at the end of the month at a location to be determined and shared on his website. “We’ll have awards for the best moustache, the worst moustache, the I-couldn’tgrow-a-moustache.”

And yes, there will be prizes, he says – if growing an attractively styled moustache isn’t already a prize in itself • The Movember Foundation • www.movember.com Great American Barber Shop • (559) 412-4339 9595 N. Sommerville Drive #102, Fresno Monday-Friday, 9am-8pm; Saturday, 9am-7pm; Sunday 10am-6pm Kick-off & Shave Party Nov. 7-10pm

Jordan Venema is a freelance writer and California native. He’s a fan of wild stories, impetuous traveling, live music, and all the food. But mostly, he’s a fan of his six-year old son, Cassian. He can be contacted by email at jordan.venema@gmail.com.

NOVEMBER 2015 ENJOY | 47

December 12 & 13 $10

12th 5:00pm 13th 5:00pm

3737 S. Akers St. Visalia, CA 93277 559.733.7090

Sat. 5:00 // Sun. 9:00, 10:45, 12:30