ARE YOU...
Issue #2 2018
PLG ESTATE’S PETER LORIMER
PUBLIC ARTIST ED MASSEY
MEDICINE MAN SHAMAN JON
PORTA VIA’S
PETER GARLAND
KINDRED SPIRITS KAREN SNOOK
GALLERY ARTIST LAURIE RASKIN
Around Town: “LITTLE ETHIOPIA”
Publisher
Lon Levin CalRE# 01965638 Editor/Contributing Writer
Jodi Mitchell CalRE# 01470032 Real Estate READY is a subsidiary of Lon Levin Real Estate (LLRE) CalRE 01965638. ©2018 Lon Levin Real Estate. All Rights Reserved. All content is the property of LLRE and cannot be copied or used without the expressed written consent of the publisher Real estate agents affiliated with PLG Estates Brokerage are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. ©2018 PLG Estates. All Rights Reserved. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. ©2018 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker Logo, Coldwell Banker Global Luxury and the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury logo service marks are registered or pending registrations owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. CalRE#01470032
REMEMBER TREEHOUSES The Editor gets nostalgic about childhood, summers and the endless fun of treehouses THE BOSS Co-Founder of PLG Estates and Netflix star, Peter Lorimer answers some very personal questions. KINDRED SPIRIT KAREN SNOOKS Displaced kids and abandoned animals find a savior in former corporate officer. THE MAYOR OF CANON DRIVE Restaurateur Peter Garland, creator of Beverly Hills popular bistro Porta Via, talks about life. AROUND TOWN: LITTLE ETHIOPIA A quick review of one of the hidden gems of Los Angeles. SHAMAN JON A medicine man who’s had an extraordinary journey helping people. AN ARTFUL LIFE WITH LAURIE RASKIN We get down to specifics with one of the hottest artist/designers around. ED MASSEY: ARTIST WITH HEART One of the top event artists sits down with the editor and get personal about his cause and success.
SMILE
There is a line in Rickie Lee Jones’ song, “Young Blood”, that is never far from my thoughts: “You never know when you’re making a memory. They will wish they were here together again, someday.” We all experience our lives through the lens of our memories. They shape who we are, who we become, and what life feels like in the moment. Those of us who were lucky enough to grow up on the Westside of LA share a commonality of experience and savor the memories of our youth that propel us forward.When we were kids the famous restaurants in our neighborhood were The Bistro, Chasens, Scandia, The Luau and Trader Vics to name a few. Clubs like Pips, The Daisy and Bumbles lined the golden triangle of BH and beckoned us to sneak in and come play. If you weren’t quite old enough for that, there was Beverly Park with its pony rides, small Ferris wheel and bumper cars. Everyone I know had at least one birthday party there and - as it was only five minutes away from BH – it was an easy visit on the weekends. In this edition of Around Town, Lon reminisces about days at the park, and visits with Peter Garland who has created one of BH’s favorite bistros, Porta Via. Years from now we expect someone will be waxing eloquently about their days there with family and friends. We’ve also ventured out and discovered the vibrancy of Little Ethiopia. Lon talks to artists Ed Massey and Laurie Raskin about their processes and dreams and how they found themselves with international followings. They have forged paths that others will likely follow. Karen Snook was a top-level executive who now remarkably rescues children and animals. Lon sits down with Peter Lorimer, the other half of the dynamic duo at PLG and asks him how he built his real estate career and how his new Netflix Series “Stay Here” came to fruition. I visit with Shaman Jon, a medicine man and long-time friend, who has helped many people. He wasn’t what I thought a shaman would be but has proven himself a powerful healer behind a relaxed and unassuming façade. I think he even surprises himself sometimes. Once again, we hope you enjoy the stories we’ve put together.
Happy Fall
remember
treehouses by Lon Levin
As summer winds down, I am reminded how much I love the outdoors and all it has to offer. It makes me think about the beach, the park, the lake and... treehouses. In most people the word treehouse conjures up a feeling that takes them right back to their childhoods. Whether you actually had a treehouse or not, you know that feeling. It’s the same feeling you got when Johnny the ice cream man showed up at the playground or your Little League team won a championship. You’re transported back to a time when all of one’s imaginary worlds were real, and when all it took to become a pirate, a cowboy or a wizard was a good friend to play along. My first treehouse was actually a clubhouse my younger sister, Sindee, and I built in the rafters of our garage. I can’t remember how we actually built it, but I do remember that I always felt a great pride of ownership every time I ventured up there. Dirty, dusty and hot, it was nevertheless ours. These days things have changed. Owning a treehouse is often a status symbol as it is a child’s retreat. Celebrities
like Julianne Moore, Val Kilmer and Sting all own highly designed treehouses that are literally works of art. Designers, architects and treeehouse builders all over the world have challenged themselves to keep building bigger, better and more ingenious treetop structures. You have only to spend some time at the Canopy Cathedral in Pennslyvania or the $7 milliion treehouse restaurant at Alnwick Gardens in England to see how magnificent treehouses can be. Perhaps Walt Whitman said it best: “After you have exhausted what there is in business, poltics, conviviality ...what remains? Nature remains.” And that may be the ultimate draw to the world of treehouses: freedom from the constraints of everyday life. The trees are there, just as they’ve always been, waiting for us to come to them. The islanders of New Guinea built in the trees thousands of years ago, seeking shelter from floods and wild animals. The Romans arranged platforms in trees to monitor activity along their borders. The English nobility built treehouses to entertain their guests. And now we, too, can raise our structures into the limbs and leaves. Given the innovations that have proliferated over the last couple decades, treehouse building has come of age. You no longer have to harm a tree to build in it. Structural engineers like Charles Greenwood, innovators like Michael Garnier and designers like Simon Torquil, Tom Chudleigh, Dustin Fiedler and Roderk Romero have taken treehouse building to an entirely new level. People like us, the backyard builders and their adoring children, are the beneficiaries. For those who love this time of year and want endless summers of magic, the outstretched tree limbs beckon.
*Revised excerpt is fom the Globe Pequot publication “Treehouses” written by Lon Levn
LORIMER PETER
“When one wins, we all win”
We embrace each and every nuance of our agents persona encouraging them to run toward the traits of their personality they feel show the world who they are, never hiding or feeling that they need to pretend to be someone they are not. This “take me as I am” approach by definition breeds a more confident agent with their North star always being and unwavering from “whatever is in the best interests of the client first” mantra being the navigator of how PLG operates. Additionally, we wanted our clients to experience a far more creative environment than the sterile norm so that the byproduct is an open, free and utterly transparent experience that, thankfully, our clients seem to gravitate to as evidenced by the constant repeat business our agents receive. Last, but certainly not least is, we at PLG treat each other as family, when one wins we all win and when one loses we circle the wagons to nurture, learn and grow how we can all benefit from the experience. Yes, we are not the norm, but that’s just how we like it here at PLG and if you are looking for a swat team of creatively-minded entrepreneurs then look no further than PLG. Peter Lorimer
Peter Lorimer joined Keller Williams Realty, in 2005, where he was rookie agent of the year. He then went on to have 3 back to back years of being the number #1 agent in his brokerage. Culminating in 2009, where he earned the prestigious distinction of being the #1 top producing Keller Williams agent for the entire LA region, including Beverly Hills, Malibu and Bel Air and all other areas of Los Angeles County. Never one to rest on his laurels, in 2010 Peter decided to branch out on his own and launch his long planned and awaited, PLG Estates based in Beverly Hills. He and his team of hand picked agents cater to a discerning clientele, many of whom are extremely well known individuals with creative tastes, but who wish to remain fiercely private. Originally from the UK, Pete had tremendous success as a record producer before coming to the US, working along side some of the biggest recording artists of the 80’s and 90’s and having over 30 #1’s in the Billboard
Club Charts and another 25 around the world. It was his love of working with artists, his creative mindset – and a succession of personal real estate investment deals - that led him into the world of real estate. In 2010, Pete passed another milestone by proudly becoming a naturalized US citizen . As Pete’s business acumen grew over the years, he realized a tremendous need to assemble a S.W.A.T. team of support staff headed up by his wife and business partner Cindy Lorimer, herself an acomplished business woman. Her natural ability for real estate and tremendous attention to detail have helped give PLG Estates its reputation for legendary customer service throughout every step of the transaction. Whether it’s a first time buyer looking for a $100, 000 condo, or a well-heeled celebrity in search of a $10 million beachfront hideaway, every client is treated equally and given top-notch service by one of a team of agents. When did you first think about what you wanted to do as an adult? Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors? As an adult I have had multiple careers and the first career I wished to have was in the music business. First, as a Top 40 band member and then as a record producer/DJ.
I was discouraged by everyone and their mother as they quite rightly gave me sound advice which was the chances of you being successful are next to nil. Regardless, I decided all or nothing it shall be, as I left home and went to England as not much more than a child at 16. I headed to London to become a record producer, but I did not know a soul nor anyone in the business. 18 months later I had my first hit and from there it spawned 16 years of consistent hit making.
What kind of kid were you? Where did you grow up? What were your influences? I was always a mischievous kid, never mean, and ridiculously fair, to the point of, if you wanted to share something or not I was going to share it with you. I grew up in Yorkshire, an industrial part of northern England county that I could not wait to escape. I sought a much more liberal environment. I found that the industrial north of England was somewhat narrow in its parameters of thinking in a liberal way. My influences were all music. Jazz played a very big part in my early years as my father was a jazz saxophonist up until he died. Soon after I discovered classical music, and then the big mistress of my life, electronic dance music. My early influences were Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Electric Light Orchestra, and that’s about it, those are the big three. How did you get into the music industry? Are you a singer, songwriter or musician? I got into the music business through playing in bands at school, starting with jazz and big band swing and then
gravitating to reggae and then eventually pop. My heart was always on the production side and the songwriting side and the remixing side, so when I pursued a career in London, it was a total crap shoot. That is the genre of title I went after. I was lucky enough to carve out an extremely successful electronic music career that still gets me royalties to this day. Why did you switch professions? And why did you think you could be successful and happy doing it? . I produced my first record at seventeen years old and had been in the business for approximately fifteen to eighteen years, professionally from the age of sixteen. I had always been tech geek and I was in many chat rooms regarding technology. One of the chat rooms informed me that you could now rip from CD’s. I inquired, “What does that mean?” The person who was in the chat room replied, “you can pull the digital data off of CD’s so you never need to buy them anymore.” At that moment, I had a moment of clarity and I realized that the music industry was going to go through a massive change because of the digital technology. In addition, I had found myself venturing into another area. I felt that the Los Angeles property market was still under valued on the global stage so I set to carving out an investment career I made several successful real estate ventures which gave me a taste for the industry. And with me being me, I wanted to get on the inside so I decided to become licensed and really have at it in my usual all in or all out fashion. What I found was, the style created from my former life intriqued people. They became attracted to the style I worked in the real estate industry. It was far less corporate than my colleagues. This allowed me to grow a loyal, creative base of people who eventually gave me the ability to start a creative, focused real estate company. To answer the original question...what made you think you could be successful at it... truth be told... I had no idea whether I would be successful or not. I just knew that I was gonna throw every cell of...every ounce of my energy at it and if I was going to fail or succeed, I would be happy with either outcome as I would have given it everything I had. And I would’ve succeeded or failed under my own volition...that has been a thread throughout my multiple careers. Tell us about the evolution of the videos, shows and wildly energetic character we all at PLG know and love? The evolution of the character known as Peter Lorimer was really born by the fact that I knew I was going into an incredibly saturated industry that was founded by Wall
Street up to the back teeth. So always having an independent mindset and wanting to find white space in an incredibly dense industry such as real estate, it led me to the conclusion that marketing via social media with a heavy emphasis on video was the route we should take as a company. I did my research and I realized that my competition was few and far between and the people that I found on social media back then were rather vanilla and a little bit dull, spouting numbers and statistics without much sparkle. That was another moment of clarity for me. I decided to put the kids college fund down the kitchen sink behind growing... no, deploying a social media campaign, but with a video that was done with authenticity, vulnerability and was characterized as Infotainment, I wanted to give information in an entertaining fashion so people would be engaged and enjoy the way that I informed them.
This brought the genesis of The Magic Minute, where I broke off bite size pieces of information regarding the real estate industry and fit them into one to three minutes videos. Then I got the internal itch to do more and for my social media to evolve. This is when the Backstage Pass happened and this was much more of a vlog format. It can be long form – sometimes as much as fifteen to twenty minutes –then the touch paper was lit. I was utterly consumed by this medium. I knew that more or less we were the only voice – certainly that I could find out there – so making content was the agenda every single day. As the Netflix show is concerned, I never intended to create media so I could get a TV show. But in a similar fashion to Justin Bieber, they discovered me on YouTube and invited me to come in and meet them. And the rest as they say is history.
Interview with Karen Snook
AKINDRED
SPIRIT
by Lon Levin
Karen Snook is the Executive Director of the “Kindred Spirit Animal Rescue Farm”. We met for the first time when my wife and I took our grandkids to the “farm”. We were all taken by the animals and their personal stories of how they arrived at this wonderful refuge in the middle of the residential suburb of Reseda. What follows is my interview with this fascinating and energetic lady who saves animals for a living. After 20 years in the corporate world where her last role was Vice President of Leadership Development for Countrywide Financial Corp., Karen decided to follow her heart and work in the non-profit world. She got her undergraduate degree from UCLA and her MBA from Pepperdine. She has been the Executive Director for three other animal advocacy organizations and learned a lot from each experience. She earned her Permaculture Design Certificate from Larry Santoyo, and enjoys designing super-efficient multi-function gardens. Kindred Spirits Care Farm is the fulfillment of a dream for her. When did you first think about what you wanted to do as an adult? Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors? I’ve always been a bit of a loner – super independent. I never shared my dreams with teachers, friends or family. I might share plans, but once I had a plan, it really didn’t matter what anyone thought, whether they encouraged or discouraged me. Once I had a plan, I had made my decision and people’s opinions were irrelevant. I think the only one I shared dreams with is my husband, and he is totally supportive. He kept me going in the beginning when I was so unsure of myself. What kind of kid were you? What were your influences? I was a weird kid. Skinny and smart (not a good thing in our culture). I liked adults much more than I liked kids.
Other kids in my school valued people who were rich and/or pretty and/or athletic and I knew I was none of the above and would never be any of the above. So, from the start, I knew I had to find some other path than the one taught by popular culture. I grew up in a suburb in the San Francisco bay area. What is now known as Silicon Valley. I was the poor kid who grew up with rich kids, but growing up with rich kids taught me in no uncertain terms that money does NOT make you happy. To me it seemed like the richer my peers were, the more miserable they were. I was lucky to have the freedom of my financial poverty, so I did not have the pressures of those who were Harvard or Stanford bound. I had the freedom to become me rather than being pressured to live the expectations of demanding parents. My influences were trees. And Granite. And Water.
I have always looked to Nature to teach me what was real and reliable. Nature always made sense. Humans?...Not so much. Our culture is built on lies, greed and jealousy. Not something I ever felt drawn to. Is my weirdness obvious yet? I really don’t fit in. I don’t take selfies. I hate telephones. I don’t listen to music much. I prefer silence. I don’t shop. I don’t care about food. I prefer to be alone 90% of the time. How did you transition from the corporate world to rescuing animals?? I actually started rescuing animals while I was still in the corporate world. My husband and I went to a 13-day Kalachakra Initiation with the Dalai Lama in 1999. At the end of the session, the Dalai Lama told the audience that attending the Kalachakra was just the beginning and that we had to DO something with the gift he had just given us. He wanted us to not just go home and have everything be business as usual. He wanted his hard work to translate into compassionate action. So I started trying to help animals. I volunteered at the local animal shelter, and soon enough, I was fostering animals and then running a rescue organization. I didn’t start working with farmed animals until later. I went vegan in 2008 after hearing about the horrors of the dairy and egg industries. In 2009, I knew I wanted to start my own non-profit that would help animals and vulnerable people through sustainable care farming. It took me a few years to get my act together and get started, but
Kindred Spirits Care Farm got started in 2013 and there is no turning back. You’re basically in a residential area? How does that sit with neighbors? Have you found them welcoming or otherwise? The neighbors love us. We have cleaned up the farm and built gardens. The students are happier and better behaved because they feel better. We have neighbors who volunteer to help out on the farm and in the gardens. The place feels better, looks better and smells better since we got here, so neighbors are very happy. Why did you think you could be successful and happy at what you’re doing now? This is a complicated question. I knew I would by happy because I would be doing meaningful work that helped animals, people and the planet. Financial success is still uncertain. No insurance plan in the U.S. will pay for participation on a care farm. My “customers” tend to be poor, vulnerable, and unable to pay for participation. I have to fundraise for everything, and I’m not very good at that yet. But, I grew up poor, and am pretty comfortable with a frugal lifestyle, so I expect I will have time to learn.
How does the program with the kids work? How does the artwork they’ve done factor into the whole? Learning on the farm, working with the animals and in the gardens are programs to re-engage the kids with learning, with compassion and with self-care. The artwork is another program with the same basic cause. We want the students to re-connect with their creativity, with self-confidence, with positive thoughts about themselves and their potential. What do or did you do to promote yourself and get more backing? Not enough! The first three years Kindred Spirits Care Farm existed, we just worked on this farm trying to make it into the very special place it is today. We really just started promoting ourselves last year and we are learning how to do it as we go. We go to local vegan events when we can have a booth. We hold very special dinners here at the farm twice a year around the solstices. We have our Facebook page and website. We are certainly open to suggestions for more and/or better ways to promote ourselves. What is your ultimate goal or goals in life? My ultimate goal in life is to help save the planet. I want to do my part to bring this place back to balance. We are so very far off track right now, it’s uncertain whether or not we will be able to survive our own arrogance.
#RESIST
Interview with Peter Garland
THE MAYOR OF
CANON
DRIVE
It’s in the DNA
“There was nothing better than making money as a kid for me!” To the outside world Beverly Hills is a city that symbolizes wealth and prosperity. Home buyers will sacrifice home size and surrounding grounds just to be in the right zip code, especially 90210. It means a lot to them. But, to the natives of Beverly Hills this gem of a city means something else. It means community, a common bond of living and growing up in what still feels like a close-knit village. The stores, streets and businesses change but the personal connection does not. I grew up in Beverly Hills during the 60’s and 70’s. My friends and I used to ride our bikes after school to hang out at Gunther’s Drug store on Canon and little Santa Monica. Behind the counter serving up burgers and fries was Roger, a fairly flamboyant attendant who regularly chided us on being spoiled brats and not tipping enough. There was Toy Mart, Rudnicks, Phil’s Poultry, Pixie Town, Harry Harris Shoes and many others now a part of our collective memories.
The bistros and high end stores of today’s Beverly Hills have replaced those long forgotten icons but one restaurant still thrives on that community feeling,...Porta Via on Canon Drive.
Porta Via is the brainchild of Peter Garland, a Beverly Hills native who like me, is a Beverly High graduate. Peter’s mother had a clothing store called MG across from the famous Mr. Guy’s in Beverly Hills for many years. It was there Peter told me he first encountered the value of attention to details, customer service and being present, all parts of his practice today as a top restaurateur. “I observed my mother and how she paid attention to everything and it had a great effect on me.” Peter has always had a love for food and hospitality. Another early influence was the Crown Room at the Hotel Del Coronado. “I loved getting bananas and cream at the Del. The china, the sterling and the sounds of people enjoying themselves all made a big impression on me.”
“While at the PR firm I got to work with hospitality clients and I was drawn to them.” He started working very early on in his teens. His mother knew the manager at Gelson’s in Century City who gave him a job as a boxboy. “There was nothing better than making money as a kid for me!” He worked at Hunter’s Books and Burger Hills on Beverly Drive and then during college he worked at PR firms Rogers and Cowan and Baker, Winokur, Ryder. “At the agencies I worked with hospitality clients and I was drawn to them.” In 1994, Peter sensed a need for a new great place to dine and get together in Beverly Hills. Inspired by Wolfgang Puck and Michel Richard he created Porta Via with the goal to “serve beautiful food that tastes great!” As he explained to me “good food is just easier to work with.” I asked Peter if he cooked himself and as he explained to me while he doesn’t, he knew his success depended on working with the best young chefs around. He started working with Chef Sandy Gendel (owner of “Pace”). Other young people were excited by his venture and they wanted to be a part of it, like J.P. Amato who is now in charge of rebranded Musso & Franks. He knew consistency was all important to make Porta Via a success so he kept the menu and staff together.
For the first six years he operated out of a 900 square foot space. The restaurant on Canon Drive soon became destination dining. Clientele grew. Actors, producers, directors, sports stars and everyday people interacted together to create a “must see” happening bistro. The restaurant expanded to 1500 square feet, then another 1500 square feet to the north. Soon after stars like Jessica Alba, John Lithgow, Magic Johnson, Derek Jeter and Mel Brooks frequently showed up. “Mel sits outside so he can wave at the tour buses that pass by!”
“I loved getting bananas and cream at the Del. The china, the sterling and the sounds of people enjoying themselves all made a big impression on me.”
As one BH native to another I asked Peter if he thought the physical changes to our city had changed it’s character, it’s improbable description as the richest small town in America, an adult Disneyland of top clothing stores, high end Bistros and a plethora of medical practices geared to keep it’s patronage youthful. “No, he mused,”It’s still the same as it was when we were kids. Everyone knows everyone else. We’re a close knit community.” After an hour or so Peter asked me if I’d like some lunch. “Of course, I’m at Porta Via!” I quipped. Peter ordered Sea Bass for us both then we returned to the interview.
“The restaurant biz is like a Broadway Show. It takes a lot of preparation.” I asked him to walk me through a typical day for
him as the “Producer” . “First thing in the morning I take my kid to school, after that I head to Porta Via. I touch base with the chef
and the servers to see what needs to be done. I used to be anxious about all that but not now.” After his morning meet in Beverly Hills Peter heads to his latest endeavor, Porta Via in the new Palisades Village complex which opened on September 22nd. It’s the first time he’s built a restaurant from the ground up, hiring the architect and designer along with all the subcontractors. “I worked with architect Greg Ginter out of Santa Monica and a great designer who is a newcomer to Los Angeles, Sophie Goineau from Montreal. We aimed for an evolved Porta Via look that has a more coastal vibe”. I stopped by on opening day to wish Peter good luck. I noticed Larry David dining outside with his daughter and didn’t see an available seat in the house. The restaurant and the Caruso complex were bustling . It looked like everything Peter hoped for had come to pass. He was on the floor talking with staff and customers. Off to a good start!
I’m a resident of South Carthay adjacent to Fairfax. One of the true delights of the area is Little Ethiopia, which is located on Fairfax Avenue between Olympic Boulevard and Whitworth Drive in Los Angeles, California. It is part of the P.I.C.O. Neighborhood Council. The area has a high concentration of Ethiopian businesses and restaurants, as well as a significant concentration of residents of Ethiopian and Eritrean ancestry. Los Angeles County hosts the 2nd largest Ethiopian American population, unofficially estimated at over 60,000.
SHOPPING
Many of the local shops contain items that are distinctly Ethiopian. Women’s traditional clothes are often made from cloth called shemma. It is basically cotton cloth, woven in long strips which are then sewn together. Sometimes shiny threads are woven into the fabric for an elegant effect. It takes about two to three weeks to make enough cloth for one dress. The bottom of the garment or shirt may be ornamented with patterns. Men wear pants and a kneelength shirt with a white collar, and perhaps a sweater. They also frequently wear knee-high socks, while women might not wear socks at all. Men as well as women wear shawls: the netela. The shawls are worn in a different style for different occasions. Bracelets and necklaces of silver or gold are worn on arms and feet to complete the look.
ETHIOPIAN CUISINE Ethiopian cuisine characteristically consists of vegetable and often very spicy meat dishes. This is usually in the form of wat, a thick stew, served atop injera, a large sourdough flatbread which is about 20 inches in diameter and made out of fermented teff flour. Ethiopians eat most of the time with their right hands, using pieces of injera to pick up bites of entrées and side dishes. If you’re lefthanded I’m sure the locals will be accepting and of course the wonderful food tastes just as good. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church prescribes a number of fasting periods, including Wednesdays, Fridays, and the entire Lenten season, so Ethiopian cuisine contains many dishes that are vegan.
“The
music of Ethiopia is extremely diverse, with each of the country’s ethnic groups being associated with unique sounds...”
A typical dish consists of injera accompanied by a spicy stew, which frequently includes beef, lamb, vegetables and various types of legumes, such as lentils. Gurage cuisine also makes use of the false banana plant. The plant is pulverized and fermented to make a bread-like food called qocho or kocho, which is eaten with kitfo.The root of this plant may be powdered and prepared as a hot drink called bulla which is often given to those who are tired or ill. Another typical Gurage preparation is coffee with butter and Kita herb bread which is baked. Pasta is frequently available throughout Ethiopia, including rural areas. Coffee is also a large part of Ethiopian culture and cuisine. After every meal, a coffee ceremony is enacted and coffee is served. Of course describing these wonderful foods doesn’t do them justice. One has to sit down with friends, order a wide range of dishes and share. The aromas and tastes are unique and wonderful.
MUSIC CULTURE If you’re lucky enough to visit Little Ethiopia when there’s festival or music gathering you’re in for a real treat. Ethiopia is a musically traditional country. Popular music is played, recorded and listened to, but most musicians also sing traditional songs, and most audiences choose to listen to both popular and traditional styles. Popular musicians from Ethiopia include internationally renowned and recognized artists such as the Los Angeles–area expatriate Aster Aweke, The Weekend and Teddy Afro, who is often accredited with the fusion of Rastafarian styles into mainstream Ethiopian music.
Inteview by Jodi Mitchell
S H A M A N JON RASMUSSEN “Being a shaman is challenging as we have to navigate both as a functioning member of our family and society and someone who has one foot in the world of Spirit - so we tend to not fit in well with any p a r t i c u l a r n o r m o r c o n s i s t e n t p e r s o n a l i t y t y p e .”
You are a practicing Shaman. Can you please describe what that means? A shaman is typically born with gifts of high levels of sensitivity, empathy, and ability to see and engage with the non-physical aspects of nature after some initiations and training to help people.
What drew you to Shamanism? I had studied and practiced many healing, spiritual & philosophical modalities and then learned that Shamanism is the broad envelope that encompasses them all and more. And after several near-death experiences and a strange childhood, I began to piece it all together. The
final straw was when one healer told me that my purpose and work in life was to be “mediator of souls between the worlds”, and then three years later, my soon to be shamanic teacher, Alberto Villoldo said to a workshop group I attended that a Shaman is just a “mediator of souls between the worlds”.
What sort of training did you go through to do what you do? The formal shamanic training and initiations that I went through were very comprehensive and included four years with the Healing the Light Body School by Alberto’s Four Winds Society and initiations by his Qero teachers of the Peruvian Andes. In the training it is important that the shaman heals as much of her or his own issues as possible, and become unattached, un-offendable, and non-judging, all in order to work on the broadest spectrum of people that may come to us without our own stuff getting in the way. Then there is an extensive set of wisdom teaching, processes and initiations that form the basis of our work with individuals, couples, or groups.
“My favorite style of home is whatever style my wife loves. All I need is a little access to sunlight and warmth to stay healthy. ” How does being a Shaman jibe with your personality? Is it something that comes through you or are you fully integrated as a shaman at this point? Being a shaman is challenging as we have to navigate both as a functioning member of our family and society and someone who has one foot in the world of Spirit - so we tend to not fit in well with any particular norm or consistent personality type. As a result, Shamans are enigmatic and can fit in with anyone at any given time, and therefore tend to be not well understood by most people. h When you are in a session with a client, do you see images? Hear voices? Can you describe what it’s like for you? When I’m in a session, I tend to track mostly by feeling in my body and hands, and what seems to be images or movies in my head. I may also “hear voices” but that also tends to be not through the normal auditory canal. ancourage her clients to invest in quality, whether it’s appliances or ingredients.
“Shamans recognize that energies and entities can take up residence in virtually any object or property as well plants, animals, and humans. ”
How does shamanism best serve in today’s society? I think as always, Shamanism serves society in terms of empowering everyone to be more deliberate, conscious, courageous and benevolent creators of their lives and influence on the world. Shamans facilitate this healing and empowerment by clearing past patterns and inspiring people to envision their ideal life and world. Specifically today, the biggest and most important impact that Shamanism is having in my opinion and that of my teacher’s is helping to put the Feminine back in charge of the world from several hundreds and thousands of years of fear-driven masculine (the Patriarchy) rule. I believe if we flipped it so that women and all forms of the feminine held 80% of the majority of all policy bodies and organizations then the major problems of the world would be solved very quickly. What do the majority of people want from your services? People come to me with issues across the board. All of our experiences in life come to us through health, relationships, work (giving our gifts to the world), and resources. And it turns out that the patterns I address at the core of a person’s soul (aura and chakras in Sanskrit, Anima in Italian, etc.) tend to manifest issues across one or more of those parts of their life. Once we heal the core, and my clients do a little homework, they begin to see positive shifts in all of the areas they wanted to improve. You offer space clearing among other services. Can you describe what that does for a property? Shamans recognize that energies and entities can take up residence in virtually any object or property as well plants, animals, and humans. So I often like to include a cleansing or clearing of my client’s space so that they more easily are supported by and hold command over their environment. You are on YouTube preparing Chelsea Handler for her trip to the Amazon to experience Ayahuasca. How did that come about? Chelsea’s producers heard about me through another client, which is 99% of how people tend to come to me, to ask a bunch of questions about Ayahuasca. I offered to do a
session for one of the Producers as a gift, and the experience was so powerful for her that she recognized that it would be a fitting part of the episode Chelsea Does Drugs to show how a similar altered state and profound experience could come without ingesting any drugs. After our session, which was an hour, but only 7 minutes could be shown it was obvious that the work I did for Chelsea would help her to have the breakthrough experience on Ayahuasca that she was hoping for - and it did! There seem to be a lot of talk about ayahuasca ceremonies these days. Can you describe the training an Ayahuasqero goes through? Ayahuasqero’s, who are specialized shamans that work the plant medicines exclusive to the Amazon rainforest traditionally go through years of training directly in the jungle with the plants and/or a master Ayahuasqero. Compared to the work I do, which accomplishes the same healing, Ayahuasca can be extremely intense physically, mentally, and emotionally for at least 4 hours in one sitting. Working with plant medicines as such requires the shaman to be particularly capable of holding space, or keeping negative energies from taking advantage of the vulnerable situation. Like any form of medicine if done well and from a client’s place of power, Ayahuasca can produce great results.There are easier and harder ways to heal across the planet, and it depends on where the client resonates and wants to be most. What is the craziest story you have in your years of practice? That’s a little bit like asking what is the most interesting surgery a neurosurgeon has performed? This whole practice is relatively “crazy” considering we are going lifetimes back and forward in time and miracle results are the norm. I wish I could pick one out for you, but part of our training is to also downplay what we see and what gets accomplished, and really stay in the moment of now with our current client and session. Just about anything you can imagine, by now after 10,000 plus sessions
I have likely witnessed it. Shamans typically lived apart from society – is that still a necessity for the job? It is not a necessity to avoid society like that, but it is helpful to be held in as big a space as possible. We need to conserve energy and have our sensitivities protected a bit from projection and various forms of noise just to stay healthy and live to work another day. Your wife is a nurse. What does she say about being married to a shaman? “Oh she would have a lot to say to you about being married to a shaman. My wife is a nurse, but dances through various capacities and is currently working as a community outreach co-ordinator for a visiting nurse and hospice company. She will tell you that at first as I was going through my training it was tremendously challenging because I became a different person from the one she married. But, when she went to the shaman training as well, mostly to yell at Alberto and see what had happened to her husband, she could see the value and the positive impact the work was having. Fortunately our relationship is based on lightness and humor and me allowing her to do anything she wants and be completely in charge, and this has helped to keep us together for 26 years now. What’s your favorite style of home? My favorite style of home is whatever style my wife loves. All I need is a little access to sunlight and warmth to stay healthy. How did you come by the name, “Shaman Jon”? “I think that was you, a cut to the chase description, as if feathers and rocks and spirit water doesn’t do it.”
www.shamanjon.com
Laurie
RASKIN . .A very fine artist Laurie and I are friends. I'm not sure when that started but it goes back a ways to high school. This has given me a great perspective on her achievements. Her progression to master artist has been steady and carefully nurtured. The result is spectacular. She has elevated a cut n' paste methodology to Matisse-like level and has had great success. Yet still she is the same smiling, exuberant woman I met years ago. When did you first think about art as something you wanted to do? Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors? I always wanted to make art. I cannot remember a time that I did not think of myself as an artist. As a child, my parents sent me to take art classes for children at LACMA and at UCLA extension. I also took drawing classes for kids at Art Center College of Design, and I had a little art studio set up at my house. My mother was very encouraging and she actively took me to Museums. When I got into high school I had fabulous art teachers and I also had a darkroom in the basement of our home. I identified myself as an artist and never thought not being in the arts when I grew up.
What kind of kid were you? Where did you grow up? What were your influences? I loved and appreciated art and design growing up. I was always aware of the visual world around me. I grew up in West Los Angeles and ended up at Beverly Hills High School where they had an excellent art department. When I was in High School, there was a large Bauhaus Show at LACMA and in Pasadena. That show changed my life. I wished I could go back in time and have been a student there. When California Institute of the Arts was just opening in the early 70's, they came to my High School to give a presentation. I was enchanted and also recruited by them in my senior year. I thought Cal Arts was going to be the closest thing to the Bauhaus. They had a school of Art, Design, Theater, Music, Film and Writing. I was in heaven. When I graduated from Cal Arts, I went to work as a Graphic Designer. I worked for years creating album covers, books, murals, and packaging designs. In 1984, when the Olympics came to Los Angeles, I was one of the 12 artists chosen to do one of the official Signature Series Posters for the games. At the same time, someone saw the house I was living in and asked if I would design their offices.
She took four of my existing art works and turned them into luxury area rugs. Viola! It was a dream come true. They premiered the carpets at The Cube Art Fair last October in Brussels and there was also a two-page feature story at that time in Paris Match magazine about our collaboration. In answer to the question of how it started to come about. I just worked for several years at my art and then posted it on Saatchi Art- an online gallery. In 2012, Saatchi did a feature story on me and other things followed. I think you just have to go for it and not be afraid to put yourself out there.
I figured that I was visual and I could translate my design sensibility into 3D design. I did that office and other jobs followed. I inadvertently began a career as an interior designer that spanned 25 years. It was 10 years ago that I realized how much I missed doing art. I decided to go for it and do my personal art work again. I feel very blessed to be having a late term career creating my own art and doing what I love. What markets does your work appear in? Newspapers, magazines, galleries? How did that come about? My work appears in galleries, magazines, murals, clothing design, carpets, hotels, public places, art fairs and private collections around the world. I am represented in galleries in Los Angeles, Brussels, Paris, Miami, and Las Vegas. One of the most exciting things that happened to me this past year is my collaboration with Didden and Co in Belgium. That came about because the owner of my Brussels gallery was in LA a year ago and we had dinner. He asked me what I would really like to see happen with my art. I told him that I always wanted to have my art be on carpet design. I think much of my more abstract work applies itself really well to that application. He said he knew someone in that business and before I knew it, I got a call from Nathalie Didden telling me that she wanted to collaborate with me.
"I always wanted to make art. I cannot remember a time that I did not think of myself as an artist." How has the advent of the computer affected your work? You work traditionally and digitally, which do you prefer? Actually, I never work digitally. I am a dinosaur when it comes to the computer. I hand cut all of my images, I hand print them and paint. The computer has only aided me in getting myself out there. I have a web page, I’m on Instagram and I’m on Facebook as Laurie Raskin Fine Art. Actually, my Las Vegas gallery found me on Instagram. I don't have that many followers, but it shows you the power of social media.
I never paint digitally. I use Gouache, Acrylics, Inks and Colored Pencils. Your work appears all over. What is your favorite venue to work in? I like to work in all venues. I would love to do more fashion. My art works very well on fabrics and it would be really fun to see my work on the outside of an airplane. Literally, the sky is the limit. It appears as if gallery shows are on your agenda right now. Is that where your focus is? My focus is on making the work and where it ends up is a surprise to me. Galleries of course are always a focus. My work is currently showing in 3 different galleries around the world. I just got back from Paris where I had my first solo show at Galerie 55 Bellechasse. It was an amazing experience. My work is very well received
in Europe. They connect to my influences and I think I am more exotic there as a California Girl. What does your process entail? Start to Finish. Can you give us a short step-by-step? I am a collector of images – postcards, books, brochures, newspapers, photos, etc. I am a total visual junky. My collection spurs ideas. I also frequent libraries and used book stores. I like to Xerox images from my sources, blow them up, reduce them down, cut them up and create new images. I use the cut images, I move them around paper and then create new works. I use a Xerox machine that uses toner ink that transfers to paper. I transfer images backwards onto a paper and then I really go to work with paint and inks and sometimes collage again. I am very process oriented. I start with an idea, but I work in the moment and allow the works to come through me. What do you do to promote yourself? I am actually not very good at promoting myself. I have been very lucky that the works themselves have taken me to wonderful places. I mentioned that I first put my work up on Saatchi Art. I think that is a good idea for most artists. They have a wonderful online presence and they've also started producing art fairs around the world for emerging and established artists. They had their first LA fair this last March in Downtown called The Other Fair. I participated in that one. Through that fair, I met a wonderful man who has a company called Visual Contrast that supplies art to designers and hotels. He is making limited editions of my work in his new collection. I am also on social media, but besides being in galleries and being online, I have a hard time making cold calls or promoting myself. What's the future hold for Laurie? Any ultimate goal? Mine is to have a barn studio in a rural area where I can paint on large canvases, have no idea what I am going to paint and drink white wine all day. You? I want to live right where I live. I love my house and I love LA! I want to travel, travel, travel and make art. I am actually living my dream life right now. That is why I am grateful everyday. Right now is the best time in my life. I could not have imagined that starting making art again at an older age would be this satisfying and fun. I do dream of collaborating with a fabulous fashion designer and seeing my work on a runway. And I mentioned the airplane. Who knows where my work will end up? See more of Laurie's work at www.laurieraskin.com
MASSEY ED
“The
pure
physicality
of
pushing
paint on canvas or mixing plaster and taking a mallet to form something had a very special quality to it.
I had
such a thorough enjoyment of the process of pushing paint, it was very freeing. ”
When did you first think about what you wanted to do as an adult? Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors? I didn’t know I was going to be an artist. In college I was designing clothes and was interested in fashion. After five years designing clothing I realized the limitations fashion had on me: commerce, functionality and wearability that were set within the industry for me as the functionality of clothing was rewarded with orders. I felt that I was limited because of the practical nature of fashion – it had to be worn to be sold and be profitable.
“I had a very active
imagination and
played many hours
at a time setting up plastic toy soldier war scenarios”
(continued) And it was at the same time that I was trying to work as a painter and sculptor. I thoroughly enjoyed the creative process. I could concoct and create and it didn’t have to have any function to it nor did it have to have any particular audience as long as I felt satisfied doing the work, which I was. I loved the opportunity to let my imagination run free. The pure physicality of pushing paint on canvas or mixing plaster and taking a mallet to form something had a very special quality to it. I had such a thorough enjoyment of the process of pushing paint, it was very freeing. I began doing sculpture but never realized in my early 20s that I would actually continue on to this day. My family has always been extremely supportive of the work I do and that’s typically a rarity for a young person choosing to be a fine artist. I think most people I know and most of my friends even going to art school were persuaded not to go into the field of Fine Art. I felt that when I chose to do my graduate studies my family was extremely supportive and
encouraged me to keep striving for whatever I dreamed of doing. What kind of kid were you? Where did you grow up? What were your influences? I grew up in Los Angeles. Both my parents came from outside of the US: My mother born and raised in a small town outside of Veracruz, Mexico; My father was born and raised outside of Paris, France. Being the youngest of three my family gave me quite a bit of latitude to do as I wished. I was a youngster when my parents divorced so my mother raised me. She served as a very strong role model for me and exposed me to many Latin American artists especially the Mexican muralist; Siqueiros, Orozco and Rivera. The colors of Mexico enchanted me; the dynamic warmth of the color palette that was chosen in the art, architecture, textile design, fashion, and Mexican culture itself. Surprisingly, I was not exposed to a great number of art museums or galleries as a youngster but much more so to large public murals on Mexico City’s buildings and university walls. As early as I can remember, I loved to create and draw with color markers. My greatest enjoyment other than playing sports, was seeing how toys were built - silkscreens, painted figurines. aesthetically pleasing vehicles and fully articulating action figures were on the top of my list. I had a very active imagination and played many hours at a time.setting up plastic toy soldier war scenarios.
You were a top Volleyball player. Did you think about the Olympics or playing in pro leagues? I grew up loving to play sports, in particular volleyball was my passion. I played as often as possible as a high school teenager and college athlete. I continued to play for a club team where I had the opportunity to play abroad. I was extremely focused on volleyball and then my interests began to change and focus more on fashion in the visual arts. You did fashion design for Team USA. How did that happen? Were you always interested in fashion? While in college I played volleyball and realized many of the athletic shorts that I would put on were too tight around my thighs and were just plain uncomfortable. So I set out to make my own shorts mostly beach style volleyball shorts. I started a small company with my sister, Lillian, and later my brother, Bernie joined us. I was designing men’s and women’s activewear and our Team USA line sold across the country and abroad from stores such as Neiman Marcus and Marshall Fields to boutique style stores such as Fred Segal and a host of many many others. I enjoyed fashion but realized that being successful in the industry meant that the clothing had to be functional, wearable and had to have certain qualities to be in the marketplace. I felt at a certain point that it was too restrictive for me. As my interest began to shift
into painting and sculpture. I only needed to please myself creatively and visually as I was not making it work for the market place. I was creating works that inspired me and that I felt an urge to make. Why Sculpture? How did it lead to Columbia and your commission from the Principle Financial Group As I departed Team USA sportswear and fashion and manufacturing of clothing I submersed myself in a studio for a year in a community studio space with approximately 20 painters and five sculptors. I thrived on making things in the round. I loved the physicality of mixing plaster, cutting wood, using tools and seeing the worksite to come to life. I especially gravitated towards figurative work and social criticism. It was an extension of my interest in the social sciences. I was still in my early 20’s (a grad student at Columbia University) when I created a work dealing with the hierarchy of corporate America. It depicted intraoffice competition, highlighting ethnic gender imbalance and wage discrepancies. I did other important projects dealing with race relations and crime and punishment. The corporate ladder sculpture, however was my largest physical sculpture at that time - measuring 20 ft in height. Once it was completed it became an extremely controversial piece of public art in this country. It got major media coverage and ultimately had to be taken down.
From there your work seems to get more socially conscious, how did that happen and why? From the onset the majority, if not all my work dealt with social issues - social criticism. I felt as a student in the field of sociology I could portray my messaging points much more forcefully through the visual arts then with a pen. The visual impact of my work on viewers was critically important. I knew that many people may flip the page of a newspaper or magazine or click the channel of a TV set if the subject matter was not of interest to them. But with a piece of art that was put up in front of a high-profile public setting, the viewer would have no choice but to see and study the work. My hope is that they will contemplate it and discuss the subject at hand. This observation could lead to profound and passionate commentary by the general public and by many who may not frequent a museum or gallery. One of the most important aspects and interesting parts of my work is that everyone; men, woman and children - have the experience of seeing important artwork that has a unique message. The appeal to me is to make the art accessible to all - 24 hours a day and at no cost to anyone.
“I loved the physicality of mixing plaster, cutting wood, using tools and seeing the worksite to come to life.”
Explain a little about the oil derrick art event at Beverly Hills High School? In 1995 after completing the Mortality exhibition on rape and completing my first children’s picture book, Milton, I was invited to read at bookstores, schools, and at pediatric care units. To make a long story short, I witnessed children in the pediatric care unit playrooms drawing and painting on paper, the same as any school kid in a regular classroom. Around the same time I had seen the oil tower situated near Beverly Hills High School begin to fall apart. Millions of cars passed the tower on Olympic Boulevard annually and it was badly in need of a facelift. I’d studied the tower and came to the realization that the 165 foot structure could not be scaffolded and repainted. I learned from the structural engineers that the original walls of the structure were painted directly on the ground and later elevated by crane. The old tower was the only building that I knew of in a metropolitan area anywhere in the world that could be removed piece by piece. There wasn’t any concrete, wood, steel, or windows to deal with...the pliable, removable walls could be brought down to ground level. It dawned on me that the children at the pediatric care units could paint them and then later the parts could be brought up by to the structure’s heights and installed panel by panel. That is how the concept came for “Portraits of Hope”. The idea
was to include thousands of children throughout the state of California. The concentration was predominately in hospital settings where the kids could not get out and paint a mural on any structure outside of their hospital environment. After the political approvals that took several years, the project was ready to go. We witnessed tremendous effort by tens of thousands of children and adults as they completed what became the “Tower of Hope” in Beverly Hills, California. The hand-painted structure measured slightly taller than the Statue of Liberty! What’s does your daily process entail? Start to finish. Can you give us a short step-by-step? I work with my brother Bernie on the “Portraits of Hope” projects. Most of these are large scale civic and public art projects - we wear many hats. It starts with the creative development of projects, then he and I work the political process, speaking with foundations, individuals and corporations that want to partner with us. We request political approvals from elected officials to permit the unimaginable. We do not accept government funds - we depend fully on private and corporate funding to support our large scale, civic and public art projects. We’re now going on our 23rd year! I’ve learned a lot about different areas that are not in my field of of expertise. From NASA to NASCAR and nearly everything in between. It’s a privilege to work with groups that care.
What do or did you do to promote yourself and get more backing?What exciting projects are you working on now? There are always exciting projects on the horizon I’m developing a few as we speak. Currently we were just given the political approvals to transform a large section of the Los Angeles convention center and a roof section measuring over 200,000 ft. I am also developing and working on a patent for a renewable energy - a public art project that I envision will look spectacular. Lastly, I am developing an artwork for the Fairfax location of Samy’s Camera. The art design will measure approximately 50ft in height and measure just over 100 feet in length and should make for an extremely vibrant addition to the Fairfax Corridor. I’m very excited to work on this project and I thoroughly enjoying working with Samy and all of the very knowledgeable folks at the store.
A MOMENT IN TIME Beverly Hills and Los Angeles before all the glitz and glamour.
Ever wonder where the local street names of Beverly Hills come from? Burton Way? Whittier Blvd? Doheny? The fact is these three streets were named after very prominent business men who founded the city more than a hundred years ago. In early 1900, Burton Green, Max Whittier and Edward Doheny along with other business partners bought the Hammel and Denker Ranch. Their intention was to set up an oil drilling company, Amalgamated Oil which was set up to explore the area for “black gold”. For six long years they drilled and came up empty handed. In 1906 the leader of the venture, Burton Green created a new venture, The Rodeo Land and Water company. The idea was to create a new and exclusive community with tree-lined streets, spacious lots and generous parks.
The Hammel Denker Ranch in 1903
The new community was given the name “Beverly” after Beverly Farms in Massachusetts, an area Mr. Green fondly remembered from his youth for it’s beautiful landscape.
“Burton Green built a magnificent estate on Lexington Road that became one of the first landmarks of the area”
On January 23, 1907 the subdivision was officially recorded. After a year of prime infrastructure construction, advertisements were placed in the papers to attract potential buyers. Within three years it looked like the hills of Beverly were not as enticing as it’s owners had once thought. In 1910 a new plan was put into to place to attract visitors and buyers. A new hotel would be built right in the heart of Beverly which backed up into the hills. The Beverly Hills Hotel was completed in 1912. New visitors could stay at the hotel and take tours of the area to see where they may want to build a new home. There were horse trips into the canyons and hills to explore building sites. Finally potential buyers could see for themselves the value of having a home in the area. In 1914 Beverly Hills was incorporated.
With the prestige of the new hotel, Beverly Hills took on a new spirit and activity. Wilbur Cook, a prominent landscape artist from New York was appointed to create a master plan for the area. It included the preparation of estate lots north of Sunset Blvd surrounding the Beverly Hills Hotel and the smaller lots to the south.
Editor: I want to thank The Beverly Hills Historical Society, Phil Savenick for his help and Marc Wanamaker for supplying the historical information via his book “Early Beverly Hills”. More to come in the next edtion and on our Instagram feed at levin.lon
The Hollywood Brown Derby’s
Famous Grapefruit Cake The Brown Derby was the name of a chain of restaurants in Los Angeles, California. The first and most famous of these was shaped like a man’s derby hat, an iconic image that became synonymous with the Golden Age of Hollywood. And while the restaurant chain has dissappeared it’s legacy lives on in memory and it’s more than delicous menu. One of the favorite deserts served there was a Grapefruit Cake. The Hollywood Brown Derby’s Grapefruit Cake Serves 8 (Adapted from Cooking with Mickey and the Disney Chefs)
Assembly: 2 large grapefruits Cake: 1 1/2 cups cake flour 3/4 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup water 3 eggs, separated (at room temperature) 3 tablespoons grapefruit juice 1/2 teaspoon grapefruit zest 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar Frosting: 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature 1 tablespoon grapefruit juice 1 teaspoon grapefruit zest 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted 6 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan and line with a parchment circle. Lightly grease the parchment and set the pan aside. Start by zesting and then segmenting the grapefruits. Reserve the zest for later in a small bowl covered with a damp piece of paper towel to keep it from drying out. Cut off the top of bottom of a grapefruit and stand it up on one of the cut edges on a cutting board. Use your knife to carefully cut off all of the rind moving from top to bottom in strips, keeping with the natural curve of the fruit. Carefully cut in between each membrane to remove grapefruit segments. Put removed segments in a strainer set over a bowl to collect juices. When all segments are removed, and only a juicy mass of membrane is left, squeeze the remaining juice from the membranes into the same bowl over which the grapefruit is draining. This fresh juice will be strained and used in the cake and frosting later. Repeat with the remaining grapefruit. To make the cake, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into mixing bowl. Make a well in center of dry ingredients. In a separate bowl add the water, oil, egg yolks, grapefruit juice, and zest. Beat until smooth. Then add the wet ingredients to the well in the center of the dry ingredients and beat until just mixed. Do not over beat. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until whites are stiff but not dry. Gradually fold the egg whites into the cake batter, folding gently with a rubber spatula until just blended, but do no over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched with a finger. Invert pan on a wire rack until cool (If the pan slides off by itself, that’s fine, but if not, just leave the pan on until the cake is cool). If still in the pan, run a spatula around the edge of cake. Carefully remove from pan and carefully peel off the parchment paper circle from the bottom of the cake. With a serrated knife, gently cut the cake in half to form two layers. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until smooth and fluffy. Add the grapefruit juice and zest. Gradually blend in confectioners’ sugar and beat until well blended. Add food coloring, if desired.
The journey starts with the first step
www.lonlevinrealestate.com CalBre#01965638
