Mirror March 2017

April - May 2017 • Vol. 6 Issue 2

Food & Wine Issue Cooking Wine Festivals Travel & more...

themirrormag.com

April - May 2017 | Vol 6 | Issue 2 2520 N. Dixie Highway | Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954.530.4970 Fax: 954.530.7943

Publisher NORM KENT norm.kent@sfgn.com

Table of  contents News Features

Food

The Bathroom Scare  10

The Match Game  30

Breast Cancer Survivor  12

Cooking Sous Vide  32

Lambda Lit from Coast to Coast  20

Winemaker For A Day  34

Retirement Equality  26

Travel: Riverside, California  36 Find a Festival  38

Columns

Cookbooks  40

Stay Healthy And High  8

Baking With Liquid Courage  42

Fashion: Booty and the Beach  16

Susan Spinello  44

Chief Executive Officer PIER ANGELO GUIDUGLI Associate Publisher/ JASON PARSLEY Executive Editor jason.parsley@sfgn.com Associate Editor Jillian Melero JillianMelero@gmail.com

EDITORIAL Art Director BRENDON LIES artwork@sfgn.com News Editor JOHN MCDONALD

john.mcdonald@sfgn.com

Senior Features Reporter CHRISTIANA LILLY A&E Editor / Design J.W. ARNOLD Digital Content Director BRITTANY FERRENDI

SALES & MARKETING Director of Sales MIKE TROTTIER & Marketing mike.trottier@sfgn.com Sales Manager JUSTIN WYSE justin.wyse@sfgn.comm Senior Sales Assoc. KEVIN HOPPER kevin.hopper@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Assoc. EDWIN NEIMANN edwin.neimann@sfgn.com Advertising Sales Assoc. TIM HIGGINS tim.higgins@sfgn.com Distribution Services Rocky Bowell Brian Swinford Printing THE PRINTER’S PRINTER National Advertising RIVENDELL MEDIA 212-242-6863 sales@rivendellmedia.com Accounting Services CG BOOKKEEPING The Mirror is published quarterly. The opinions expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor are those of the writers. They do not represent the opinions of The Mirror or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their names or pictorial representations in The Mirror. Furthermore the word “gay” in The Mirror should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT community. All of the material that appears in The Mirror, both online at www.themirrormag. com, and in our print edition, including articles used in conjunction with the Associated Press and our columnists, is protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, and is jealously guarded by the newspaper.

Nothing published may be reprinted in whole or part without getting written consent from the Publisher of The Mirror, Norm Kent, at Norm@ NormKent.com. The Mirror is published by the South Florida Gay News. It’s a private corporation, and reserves the right to enforce its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, illustrations and photographs.

M E M BGay E R News.com, Inc. MIRROR Copyright © 2017, South Florida

Associated Press 4 THE

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Florida Press Association National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association MEMBER

publisher’s editorial Shelled hemp, seeds and hemp oil.

Stay healthy And

W

high

elcome to the Mirror’s Food and realize how easy it will be to infuse your mac Wine Issue, the last one before n’ cheese with a dose of THC oil? Linguini will the menu changes for every fine restaurant never taste the same again. in Florida.

Cooking with cannabis is an art form. You Why, by next year at this time you will be have to learn the science of decarboxylation. able to order sativa- infused muffins at the Worry not. From Bob’s News to Barnes and Floridian, and baked cannabis apple pies Noble, bookstores are offering a host of ‘Howfrom the Capital Grille. You will be using To’ cookbooks with classic and high class canna butters on your bagels. culinary recipes for your brownies. They Indica Wines will be offered in nightclubs won’t be like Grandma’s. to ease the stress of your day, and medicinal The medical marijuana industry has marijuana will be smoked in cigar bars. But cultivated a wealth of new magazines for don’t worry. The pilots flying your plane cooking purists, from The Cannabist to won’t be able to indulge. There will still be Edibles hotels that won’t allow cannabis to The cannabis culture is emerging be consumed on their properties digitally as well. Go online and Nevertheless, the medical you can read books entitled marijuana dispensaries ‘Marijuana Cooking Basics,’ Linguini opening soon in a or a popular feature, ‘10 will neighborhood near Common Marijuana you will feature a large Cooking Mistakes and never selection of edibles.

How to Avoid Them.’ taste However, these are often Be your own healthy overpriced pre-made, prehempster. Stock your the same packaged cannabis infused pantry with high-quality, again. treats that are making their potent infusions of cannabis debut in the market as a novelty. in coconut oil and olive oil. Use Unfortunately, many edibles still those basic infusions to medicate come packed with sugar, high fructose corn a healthy diet full of whole grains, nuts and syrup, and other unhealthy ingredients. seeds, leafy greens, lean proteins, fresh fruit While these processed food delights can be and vegetables to discover the healing power an easy way to get medicated on the go, many of real food. medical marijuana patients prefer making Once you master the art, it’s time to woo their own medicated snacks and infused your partner. Heck, you are going to get some meals — and for good reason. action tonight especially after you feed your There’s nothing like a home made bowl better half strawberries dipped in cannabisof penne pasta for dinner, sautéing grape infused chocolate. Make the glaze with a tad tomatoes, scallions, baby shrimp and crushed of canna-coconut oil and melted chocolate, red pepper in canna-olive oil. And do you and allow the strawberries to be coated with

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Norm Kent this sexy enticement. Press the strawberry against your lover’s mouth ever so gently.

Need a quick refresher after a long workout? Time to indulge in a medicated smoothie, or THC dosed iced tea. Now there’s some kick in those drinks. Me? I had a Raspberry Hemp Milk smoothie after a taxing flight from Seattle to San Diego.

Mmmm, good.

Every month High Times Magazine features a favorite new recipe. Your choices can include Mary Jane’s kale chips, ganja granola bars, super sensei oatmeal cookies or my own favorite, a grilled mango and peach pot salad.

Thanks to our new constitutional amendment, you too can soon become a medical Jane. So damnit, become an activist and let your legislators know you want our new law to treat marihuana as a medicine not a menace. Fight for dispensaries and wide distribution, so you can cook your way to personal freedom, unrestrained by government interference.

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feature • transgender

e r a c S m o o r h t ms have a o B o r t s e e r h ic T om Jim Crow to now, puybmil norities lly

Christiana Li

Fr

A

o vilif been used t ristiana Lilly Ch

fter less than two months in office, the Trump administration undid one of the Obama White House’s proLGBT legislation: bathroom rights for LGBT students.

In the alleged interest of children and their safety in school bathrooms, students must use the restroom that aligns with their sex at birth — a blow to parents of transgender children.

“The fact is we’re not asking for our own bathrooms,” said Aryah Lester, the founder and director of Trans Miami. “We’re just asking to have a comparatively safe place in order to just do our business, what everyone else does in the bathroom.”

The fight for bathroom rights among transgender people is actually a part of a long history of unease, prejudice, and segregation in bathrooms. A place where everyone just wants to do their business and leave, since Jim Crow laws and beyond, fear of what happens in the bathroom has lead to stereotyping and legislation under the false guise of safety and health.

“The bathroom itself is highly sexualized, a place where people come in contact with their sexuality, with their vulnerability.

There’s a whole set of rules about bathrooms that exist,” said Fred Fejes, a professor at FAU and a fellow at the Peace, Justice and Human Rights Initiative.

During the civil rights era, racial segregation laws were justified as a means to protect the public from the “crazed negro” and the supposed diseases that black people carried that white people did not. This lead to black people being forced to using separate restrooms and even separate glasses and dinner utensils when working at a white

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C. ashington, D. s Protest in W Ted Eytan.

Photo Credit:

sKid ▲ ProtectTran

person’s home. Black men especially were Human Rights Campaign and the American characterized as uncontrollable sex fiends Civil Liberties Union, there have been zero who would prey on helpless white women. verified cases of a transgender person “When it produces a brute, he is the worst attacking a cisgender person in the restroom. and most insatiate brute that exists in human According to a study by the Williams form,” wrote Clifton R. Breckinridge of black Institute, transgender people might be the men in 1900, according to the Jim Crow ones who are more likely to be assaulted. The Museum of Racist Memorabilia. study interviewed 93 transgender people While the civil rights era is dealing — 68 percent said they have been verbally with separation by race — one that was harassed and 9 percent have been physically commonplace and completely accepted assaulted. They also shared stories of being without question in many parts of the barred from using the restroom at school or country — and the transgender “bathroom at work. bill” is gender, or one’s perceived gender, One transgender woman said she was there are many overlapping qualities. sexually assaulted while in the men’s For Lester, the standout for both cases is restroom — the one “bathroom bill” that one population is being treated as less advocates would have wanted her to use. than. During Jim Crow, black people were Fejes pointed out that it’s not only perceived as second-class citizens to their transgender people who historically have white counterparts. In the transgender been feared in the restroom, but also gay people bathroom debate, those men. The stereotype exists of straight against using the bathroom men fearing an unwanted foot of one’s choice is stating tap between bathroom stalls that they are not equal to in a code for sexual activity.

“This whole a cisgender person.

In Florida, the “purple issue is “This whole issue pamphlet” was released with is pretty much sexually explicit photos and pretty much fabricated,” Lester warnings detailing how fabricated.” said. “It’s letting the gay men sought oral sex fear take over from and were sexual deviants.

- Aryah Lester the propaganda that’s This was all during the “red Trans Miami allowing people to math scare” of the Johns Committee, wrong decisions when it where Florida’s government went comes to allowing for protections after gay men and women in Florida’s for people.” universities.

Fear mongering is a huge part of bathroom Today, with transgender Americans consciousness, and it’s easy to do since asking for the right to use the bathroom of people feel so vulnerable using restrooms. their choice, those opposed are crying out In fact, according to multiple activist groups, for the protection of women and children including Transgender Law Center, the in restrooms. The argument is that should a

◄ A recent transgender rights march in Cincinatti, OH. Facebook.

transgender woman, physically born a man, be allowed in the women’s restroom, the women will be at risk of being raped or attacked and children will be molested.

“The fear mongering is very similar in both cases,” Lester said of racial segregation and the transgender bathroom issue. “Now we see the same fear mongering happening when it comes to the bathroom issues and inciting fear of child molestation or sexual assault when historically, when we look at the numbers, the numbers really point straight forward that trans people have never been involved in any of these types of incidents.”

To showcase how things will go should opponents get their way, a transgender man created a photo series #WeJustNeedtoPee in 2015. Michael Hughes took selfies in bathroom mirrors alongside female friends applying makeup or walking out of bathroom stalls, and the hashtag went viral among other transgender people showing the outrageousness of restrictive bathroom laws.

With the Trump administration now rolling back the work former President Barack Obama did for the transgender community, the photos are coming back around. In fact, some didn’t believe Hughes was born biologically female.

“When you have Caitlyn [Jenner] coming out and so on, it’s really hard to maintain this image that the transgender women who are in the bathroom represent a sexual threat because it’s like, this woman is a threat?” Fejes said.

With Trump striking down Obama’s legislation for transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice in schools, the response has been mixed. Many cheered, praising the president for protecting children from predators and not giving into political correctness. Others, though, were disappointed that he not only disregarded the rights of transgender students, but also was ignoring Title IX rules, which bans discrimination based on a student’s sex.

“The message was from the White House was actually that the administration doesn’t care for the safety of trans students,” Lester said. “That was a very disappointing thing to hear, [especially] with the high rates of bullying and teen suicide that we have, especially with the LGBT community.”

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feature • health

a f o y r o t S e Th

r o v i v r u S r e c n a C Breast ndi

Brittany Ferre

I

t was the first time she had seen herself the same way everyone else did.

“I feel inspired by that person,” said Bernadette Zizzo, a cancer survivor, looking at a photograph of herself. “You don’t think you’re looking well, because you always have that tired feeling. Down, sleeping a lot, drained.”

In 2011, Zizzo was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer called LCIS. She was familiar with the cancer — her own mother had died from the same illness.

She underwent a double mastectomy upon doctor recommendation, and received breast implants in their place. Shortly after, Zizzo contracted E coli and had to remove her implants.

“She never even left the hospital, it went bad so quickly,” said Debbi Burke, Zizzo’s business partner at Art Frenzie, a gallery that specializes in framing. “They took out one right away and the other right after that.”

It was about a year before they proceeded with any more surgeries.

In October of 2015, a different doctor came in and gave her new implants. She wound up with a major infection, causing her to be in and out of the hospital for months — including needing to undergo six surgeries in eight weeks to get rid of one of her infections.

“The infection got so bad that it turned into this major bacteria, they couldn’t figure out what it was, kept me there for three and a half months to cure it,” she said.

She’s been in treatment and recovery ever since with various antibiotics.

But in October, out in the public for the first time in months, Zizzo saw a photograph of herself up in Susan Buzzi’s month-long

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“Resilient Women” photo documentary at the Broward Main Library.

“Wow, I do look healthy there,” she said, pausing to admire the photo with a smile on her face. “Happy, healthy.”

Her photograph — which depicts her laughing and leaning against a sturdy tree — was in the gallery through the end of October to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

And like the tree, she sees herself as “Stronger. Much stronger. Stuff to live for, right?”

Previously, Zizzo was bedridden, causing isolation with her friends and acquaintances.

“I haven’t seen anyone since the last show (over a year ago),” she said. “I was a little nervous coming in (to the photo exhibit) because I hadn’t seen anyone in a while, I didn’t know what to expect.”

But her relationship with Buzzi, the

“There were days when she could not even lift her hand out off the bed.”

- Susan Buzzi Photographer

creator of the photo documentary, inspired her to participate in a photoshoot and attend the gallery. “She’s a doll,” Zizzo spoke of Buzzi, whom she has known for the last six years. “I love her.”

Three days after they met, the photographer accompanied Zizzo into her double mastectomy surgery, which lasted about eight hours. During the process of going in and out of recovery, Buzzi kept in touch with Zizzo and occasionally visited her.

“There were days when she could not even lift her hand out off the bed,” Buzzi told SFGN. “She was so weak she would fall asleep as we were talking.”

“It’s been a road for her, a struggle. But she still smiles, she still has that little drive — well, it’s more than a little drive. She’s got something inside her that just has to keep going. As soon as you meet her, she’s just effervescent.”

Although Zizzo is the co-owner of Art Frenzie, she has been out on disability while she recovers. Her business partner, Burke, has been there to support her along the way.

“It’s been crazy,” Burke said of the surgery and recovery processes. “I’m her best friend and partner and we are just like family, so I just try to help wherever I can.”

Despite all of the surgeries and treatments, Zizzo looks forward.

“I can’t ever say people are ever the same after cancer, after the treatments,” said Zizzo. “But I can say, it makes you a fighter. I believe the truth about all of this is, it’s what you’re made of. If you’re a fighter inside, if you have the will, that’s what it’s really about. Of all the people that I’ve met, you can see it in their eyes. It’s either doom and doom and doom or it’s that fight.”

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feature • FASHION The Aloha-YouDoins Hawaii-based designer Reyn Spooner emphasizes “Mai iloko mai” – which translates to “That which is within matters” – in his island-inspired, abovethe-knee board shorts constructed with four-way stretch, a drawstring tie with Velcro closure, and UPF 50 protection, available in colors like ink, smoke, and seafoam. $75-$85, reynspooner.com

Booty And the

beach

Shake what your mama gave you in a kaleidoscope of prints and patterns prepped to get soaking wet Mikey Rox

S

tep onto any gay beach – from Miami’s Haulover to Asbury Park’s 5th Ave. to Will Rogers Beach in Los Angeles – and you’ll bear witness to a veritable catwalk of loosey-goosey board shorts, fitted trunks, and skintight Speedo-like swimwear.

While anything goes on the summer’s sandy shores – especially

The King of the Jungles You won’t have to cast a wide net to bring all the bottoms to your beach towel in Original Penguin’s lion photoprint snap-togethers that are anything but cowardly. Mesh briefs on the inside help keep your animal in its cage. $79, originalpenguin.com

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if the area is clothing optional (better pack those dark lenses!) – this year’s styles continue last year’s thighs-the-limit trend with a twist: Button-closure shorts with waist-specific sizing. Here we cultivate some of the more stimulating designs for 2017 with a smattering of tradition tossed in for good measure.

The DSLs Loose lips sink ships but the allover open-mouth print on Andrew Christian’s Kiss Me bikinis – featuring a snuggle pocket to hug your goodies just right – will have the Navy’s finest bellowing “Land Ho!” But how’d they know your name? $41, andrewchristian.com

feature • FASHION

The Royal Tenenbums While England likely doesn’t top your list of must-plan summer getaways, Craghoppers’ Northbeach shorts, photo-printed with a breezy British seascape, are fortified with SolarShield Zinc Oxide UPF 40+ protection and an anti-chlorine finish to prevent fading so you can turn up at the hotel pool on this side of the pond. $60, craghoppers.com

The Top-toBottoms Versatility best describes the multipurpose, bold-hued floral mid-thighs from Descendant of Thieves – they’re just as legit on the beach as they are in a bar – that you’ll wish your oneway boy toy would take a cue. $89, descendantofthieves.com

The Polly Wanna Partys Fans of ABC’s Shark Tank will feel fully vested in the Caribbean-influenced parrotprint trunks from Tipsy Elves – shark Robert Herjavec made a deal in 2013 with founders Evan Mendelson and Nick Morton, providing a $100,000 investment for 10 percent of the company – but your pair will only set you back a couple-a Jacksons. $40, tipsyelves.com

The Schools Frat-tastic Chubbies continues its foray into snap-shut shorts – it’s ‘sky’s out, thighs out’ elastic waists have dominated its swim collection for the past few years – with a few new additions for summer ’17. Seven designs in all, from mono-colored to wild prints – like this salt-water fish style – feature four-way stretch fabric and a zipper-close back pocket for all the important documents you’ll need to take a dip. Anything can happen these days. $70, chubbiesshorts.com

The AlohaYou-Doins

Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. He splits his time between homes in New York City and the Jersey Shore with his dog Jaxon. Connect with Mikey on Twitter @mikeyrox.

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feature • art

Lambda Literary Raises Queer Voices from

Coast to Coast

Foundation launches Lambda LitFest in LA and will award 29th annual Lammys in NY Jillian Melero

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LAMBDA LITERARY FESTIVAL, LOS ANGELES, MARCH 6 - 12

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ambda Literary, the Los Angeles-based LGBTQ literary organization, held its inaugural Lambda Literary Fair— #LambdaLitFest— throughout LA, March 6-12. The weeklong festival began with community curated events including discussions, pop-up readings, and performances at venues “from Pasadena to Long Beach,” culminating in a Lambda Lit sponsored conference and closing party over the weekend.

“Especially now, this is an important event for the community, for queer readers and writers to come together and be heard,” writer and LitFest committee member, Dan Lopez told the LA Times. “We want to create more and more places for LGBTQ voices in the literary world.”

Highlighting the diversity of queer voices is one of Lambda Literary’s missions.

One of those voices belongs to Meliza Bañales, aka Missy Fuego, a slam poet, writer, filmmaker and 2016 Lambda Literary Award finalist. Bañales was nominated for her 2015 debut novel “Life Is Wonderful, People Are Terrific.”

Bañales moderated the community-curated We are Chicanx: A Brown-Queer Revolution. Chicanx, described as “a new, radical, decolonized, inclusive identity” (more specific than Latino/Latina, and replacing gendered forms of the word) “forged on the streets of L.A. for LGBTQ and non-binary familia.”

In a 2015 interview with Lady Clever magazine, Banales spoke about being an outcast among out groups as a woman of color, and finding her identity as a Chicanx/Xicana feminist:

school student Jessica Tran, the only ‘normal’ one in a family of superheros. Juggling school and an internship with the town’s supervillain’s Jessica also has to deal with her crush on one of the popular girls, while navigating between hero and villain territory.

Lee explained her choice to clearly depict Jessica through her Asian American heritage and her queer identity in an interview with Talk Nerdy to Me: Jess has always been who she is from the very start of this project. It’s very deliberate, from the title to her heritage; a bit of a play on realizing that many of the Asian American characters that you see in media are very often supporting characters or “sidekicks,” there to prop up the straight white protagonist.

Being bisexual and Chinese-Vietnamese seemed like the height of invisibility for me; I wanted readers to see Jess and that specific intersection of sexuality and race, and for her to be the main character and have her own story.

Actively having a character define themselves, firmly without vagueness or question, is helpful, especially in mainstream media, because it helps show people that they aren’t alone, that this concept exists, that it’s a possibility for them.

I was always told, “You’re never gonna be happy being queer and you’re never gonna be safe or accepted.” This was enforced by American culture, but really enforced by Xicano culture. Then there’s the added baggage, “You’re already a woman, you’re already a Xicana Latina — and now you wanna be a gay? Do you have any idea how hard that’s gonna be?” So when I first heard there was such thing as Xicana Feminism, I felt like I had been cracked over the head!

We Are Chicanx featured readings, performances, and a Q&A with Bañales and others who helped define the culture including web-zine creator Alma Rosa Rivera, Stephanie M. Hernandez, Esperanza Cisneros, and Josefina Valadez. Admission was pay what you can, and the event was hosted by Avenue 50 Studio in LA, Thursday March 9.

Celebrating the Asian American LGBTQ+ Experience, Friday March 10, the Chinese American Museum hosted an evening of readings and performances as well as a panel discussion and book signing with poets, writers and actors. The community curated event included queer artist and filmmaker Celeste Chan, bisexual writer and author of “Not Your Sidekick,” CB Lee, actor Jared Goldstein, historian and activist Eric Wat, writer and editor Karen Yin, actress Jenapher Jun-Yi Zheng, and musician Marcus Tran.

Lee’s young adult novel “Not Your Sidekick” is the story of high April - May 2017  THE

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Another voice heard over the weekend belonged to singer/songwriter, classical pianist and “Transparent” writer/producer, Our Lady J, who was one of five panelists for Queer Characters in Novels, Screenplays and Everything in Between, a “master class” in developing LGBTQ characters across genres, on Saturday March 11.

In an interview with the LA Times, Our Lady J described her experience working with “Transparent” creator Jill Soloway: Jill has a mission to topple the patriarchy. Really, the way to do that is to educate people and employ people. She acknowledged that there was a lack in the number of trans people who were writing and working in Hollywood. And so she wanted to teach us all the tools so we can write our own shows or be staffed on other shows. It’s just a way of giving the tools to trans people to actually make a living in this town.

The panel also included author Lucy Bledsoe, author/ illustrator MariNaomi, crime novelist Michael Nava, and former Queer As Folk actor, turned co-creator and executive producer of “the Fosters” Peter Paige. Author and HIV activist Noel Alumit, served as moderator.

The discussion was one in a packed schedule for Lambda’s LitFest Saturday, the culmination of the week’s events, held at Barnsdall Gallery Theater in Hollywood, March 11. After the morning plenary, the day’s panels covered “Quintessentially Queer LA” and “Queer Truth: Nonfiction & Journalism in a Post-Truth World,” before ending with the evening’s entertainment, “UnCabaret” a lineup of queer comics.

The LitFest Closing Party wound down the weekend with dancing, cocktails — and crafting — at Akbar in Silver Lake, Sunday March 12. Events were free and open to the public.

28th Annual Lambda Literary Award Winners Lesbian Fiction “Under the Udala Trees” Chinelo Okparanta Gay Fiction “God in Pink” Hasan Namir Bisexual Fiction “The Life and Death of Sophie Stark” Anna North Bisexual Nonfiction “Irrepressible: The Jazz Age Life of Henrietta Bingham” Emily Bingham Transgender Fiction “Tiny Pieces of Skull, or a Lesson in Manners” Roz Kaveney LGBT Debut Fiction “A Love Like Blood” Victor Yates LGBT Nonfiction “No One Helped: Kitty Genovese, New York City, and the Myth of Urban Apathy” Marcia M. Gallo Transgender Nonfiction “Born on the Edge of Race and Gender: A Voice for Cultural Competency” Willy Wilkinson Lesbian Poetry “Life in a Box is a Pretty Life” Dawn Lundy Martin Gay Poetry (TIE) “Crevasse” Nicholas Wong

2017 LAMBDA LITERARY AWARDS, NEW YORK, JUNE 12 Lambda Literary began with the Lambda Rising bookstore, in Washington DC and owner L. Page Maccubbin.

The first Lambda Book Review, a comprehensive look back at the year in LGBT writing, was published in 1987.

And the first Lambda Literary Awards were organized by 1989, to coincide with Book Expo America, then known as the American Booksellers Association, the national book convention.

Now, Lambda Lit will present their 2017 ‘Lammys,’ across 25 categories to authors of LGBT fiction and nonfiction. The winners were announced March 14.

“Reconnaissance” Carl Phillips Transgender Poetry “succubus in my pocket” kari edwards Lesbian Mystery (TIE) “Ordinary Mayhem” Victoria Brownworth “Tarnished Gold” Ann Aptaker Gay Mystery “Boystown 7: Bloodlines” Marshall Thornton

Continued on next page

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Programs & Services Beyond the events and awards, Lambda Literary also supports emerging LGBT writers through programs including the annual Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices, started in 2007, and the LGBTQ Writers in Schools program, launched just last year.

LGBTQ Writers in School connects authors with classrooms via free Skype or in-class visits to encourage diversity in reading and writing.

The program was designed for teachers of grades K-12, student organizations, and organizations serving LGBTQ youth.

Last spring Lambda partnered with the New York City Department of Education to make LGBT Writers in Schools available to K-12 students throughout the nation’s largest school district.

New York City LGBT Community Liaison, Jared Fox, recruited educators throughout the city to assign LGBTQ books to their students and prepare for an in-person author visit.

Twenty authors, including Adam Silvera, Bil Wright, Naomi Jackson, Alex Gino, Peter Cameron, Cris Beam and Ariel Schrag visited New York schools to talk to students about their work and LGBT issues. Books were donated to classrooms from publishers including HarperCollins, Picador, Scholastic, NoBrow Press, and Simon and Schuster.

This spring, Lambda has scheduled 39 visits to schools throughout the five boroughs, with help from a city grant. Authors Chinelo Okparanta, Naomi Jackson, Laurent Linn, Garrard Conley, Cris Beam, Ariel Schrag have all signed on to speak with New York City’s students to engage them in discussions of LGBT issues and storytelling.

The annual Writer’s Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices, will be held Aug. 5 - 12 at the Otis College of Art and Design, in Los Angeles.

The 2017 retreat includes: • a fiction workshop led by Garth Greenwell, author of “What Belongs to You;” • a young adult workshop led by Malinda Lo, author of the young adult novels “Ash,” “Huntress,” “Adaptation,” and “Inheritance;” • a poetry workshop with TC Tolbert, • a gender queer feminist, performer and dancer; a nonfiction workshop with Diana Cage, author of “The Lesbian Sex Bible;” • and a playwriting workshop with Phillip Howze, a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, and a Resident Writer at Lincoln Center Theater.

Guest panelists will be announced at a later date.

The Lambda Lit Writer’s Retreat accepts 12 students per workshop.

Applicants submit prose, poetry, or a manuscript and are judged on “craft, creativity and originality.” Tuition for the program is $850, room and board are $800, and the application fee is $25. Scholarships are available.

For more information on Lambda Literary awards, events, scholarships, and programs or to read the Lambda Literary Review visit www.LambdaLiterary.org. Follow Lambda Literary on Facebook and Twitter @LambdaLiterary or email admin@LambdaLiterary.org.

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Lesbian Memoir/Biography “Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear” Kate Carroll de Gutes Gay Memoir/Biography “James Merrill: Life and Art” Langdon Hammer Lesbian Romance “Making A Comeback” Julie Blair Gay Romance “When Skies Have Fallen” Debbie McGowan Lesbian Erotica “The Muse” Meghan O’Brien Gay Erotica “Érotiques Suprèmes” Miodrag Kojadinovic LGBT Anthology – Fiction “Beyond: The Queer Sci-Fi & Fantasy Comic Anthology” Sfé R. Monster (Editor) & Taneka Stotts (Assistant Editor) LGBT Anthology – Nonfiction “Glitter and Grit: Queer Performance from the Heels on Wheels Femme Galaxy” Edited by Damien Luxe, Heather M. Ács, Sabina Ibarrola LGBT Children’s/Young Adult “George” Alex Gino LGBT Drama “Bright Half Life” Tanya Barfield LGBT Graphic Novels “The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ & Amal” EK Weaver LGBT SF/F/Horror “The Gracekeepers” Kirsty Logan LGBT Studies “A Taste for Brown Bodies: Gay Modernity and Cosmopolitan Desire” Hiram Pérez Two special awards will honor an Emerging LGBTQ Writer and a Mid-Career Novelist. The ceremony takes place Monday, June 12 at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in New York. Tickets to the event are on sale now at nyuskirball.org/calendar/lambda2017 Look for 2017’s special honorees, award presenters, and entertainment to be announced in April.

DS, CANDY, GREETING CARLTIES, GIFTS, BASKETS, NOVE OR N A

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• So many classics from the sweets to the gifts, toys • So many great things coming from the Toyfair • And don’t forget all the famous candy that dates back to 1806!

To the Moon

2205 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL 33305

(954) 564-2987

ToTheMoonMarketplace.com

April - May 2017  THE

25

feature • retirement

y t i l a u q E t n e m e tir

Re

ways w e n in s e y evolv it l a u q e e r marriag The fight fo lly Christiana Li

$170,000.

That’s how much a forensic accountant told Carol Wartenberg and Laura Hohnecker that they are missing out on in retirement savings because, essentially, they are gay.

Together since 1986, the couple was unable to enroll in an investment plan since their relationship was not recognized by the state, and they want to stand up for couples just like them. They started SameSex Families for Retirement Equality with their nephew and are leading the way for other same-sex couples.

“They have overcome so much and to have this taken away from them in their golden years is just a slap in the face,” said Ryan Walker, the couple’s nephew.

The couple’s story begins in Panama City in 1986 when they met while working at a mental health facility. Wartenberg’s home was being sprayed for for pests, so she brought her small dog into work. When he got loose and ran into a meeting, she saw Hohnecker for the first time.

“I said, ‘What kind of an agency is this where dogs are running around?’”

Hohnecker laughed.

The women got the opportunity to spend more time together when at another meeting, Wartenberg mentioned she needed subjects for her dissertation.

Hohnecker offered to help, and the two hit it off and began dating, but not openly.

Unfortunately, when they were outed

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 April - May 2017

as lesbians, work became a difficult place for the both of them. The program director claimed that the two were only psychologists because of a “desire to sexually abuse girls.”

“We spent our lives working with abused children so that was particularly horrific,” Hohnecker said.

The last straw was when the director encouraged staff to open her interagency email, looking for communication between

“This wouldn’t have happened if they were

straight.

None of this would have happened if they were straight.”

- Ryan Walker Nephew of the couple

the two of them. In 1989, the couple decided to leave Panama City so Hohnecker could continue her education at Nova in South Florida.

“We were very careful to make sure that whatever endeavours we were in or whatever jobs we took, we were not going to be in the closet anymore,” Wartenberg said.

However, the discrimination didn’t stop.

In her work, Hohnecker dealt with matters in family court and learned that several attorneys had spread derogatory rumors about her. At one point, an attorney asked if she was having an affair with another psychologist while she was on the stand — in a case about child custody.

Wartenberg worked in private practice, and when the father of a child she was treating found out she was a lesbian, he claimed malpractice.

But things were looking up for the couple. In 1999, Broward County passed the Domestic Partnership Act, recognizing same-sex couples and affording them many, but not all, rights of married couples.

Wartenberg said they were “in the front of the line to get a certificate.”

Eventually, she moved to work for the Broward County School Board in 2003. As a government employee, she was enrolled in the Florida Retirement System (FRS). Since the county recognized their relationship, Hohnecker was eligible to receive health insurance and other benefits.

Incorrectly, the couple also assumed that

feature • retirement

Hohnecker would be eligible to be listed as a beneficiary on Wartenberg’s pension plan, which is run by the state and did not recognize same-sex or domestic partners. In 2007, she learned that her partner would not receive any savings from her pension plan, but that they needed to be enrolled in the county’s investment plan instead.

Years passed, and when marriage equality was passed in Iowa, Hohnecker’s home state, the two married. Then in January 2015, Florida recognized same-sex marriage.

A few months later, the Defense of Marriage Act was overturned by the Supreme Court and it was the law of the land. Looking at their benefits, they could register as spouses, and Wartenberg looked to move back to a pension plan.

Unfortunately, she learned those enrolled in the FRS are only allowed to change their plan once — she had already used that up when she switched from a pension to investment plan.

“I would never have made the second choice [of an investment plan] if Laura would have been able to receive my pension.

So my situation was that I felt I’d been discriminated against because I had to make choices based on protecting my partner at a time when the heterosexual bias for the retirement plan was there,” Wartenberg said. “Broward County just hands you the retirement information. You’re the one who is supposed to in some way figure out which plan is appropriate for you.”

In a statement to SFGN, Broward County Public Schools said that they are “required to follow the procedures outlined in the Florida Retirement System’s (FRS) Employer Handbook, which provides employees

with a one-time opportunity to change/transfer on their own initiative into the opposite plan prior to termination. This matter would be best taken up with the FRS.” Angry, Wartenberg decided not to let what she thought was an injustice just slide by and filed a complaint with the FRS. After speaking with officials in Tallahassee, she says they agreed it didn’t seem fair but there was nothing they could do.

Now, the couple is taking on the state. They hired an attorney and have been working with Equality Florida and Lambda Legal. They also hired a forensic accountant, who calculated that the couple would be losing out on $170,000 in retirement savings due to their predicament.

“I think the number speaks for itself,” Walker, the couple’s nephew, said. “This wouldn’t have happened if they were straight. None of this would have happened if they were straight. For me, that was really the crux of the issue and that’s the important part of the issue.”

Walker, an advertising writer in Wisconsin, came to South Florida to visit his aunts last year. They told him about their mission, the cost of which was quickly adding up, and he suggested they create a campaign to spread the word. Using his marketing background, he created a Go Fund Me account, a Facebook page, and a website. From there, Same-Sex Families for Retirement Equality was born.

“We have to take care of these people, we have to take care of the generation that was

before us and do what we can,” said Walker, who is gay as well. “We’ll never be able to repay the debt that we owe them. We can only try and make some down payments on it.”

The couple’s ultimate goal is to be able to return a pension plan with the Broward County School Board. This month, they are filing a discrimination suit with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the school board. From there, they will find out the direction their case will take them.

“I’ve always known Carol to have fine eyes for justice and fairness, so I’m not surprised that she’s taken on this fight not just for herself but for others,” Hohnecker said of her wife. “I’m proud of her. Our marriage is like any other marriage, where one party desires to take care of the other. I’m proud of her.”

Learn more and donate at RetirementEquality.com.

April - May 2017  THE

27

DINE OUT

ONEDAY

FIGHT AIDS Thursday, April 27th

Thursday, April 27th a percentage of your check will benefit Broward House

Join

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For Participating Restaurants visit: BrowardHouse.org or DiningOutForLife.com

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 April - May 2017

Media Sponsor

Food & Wine Section Wine • Travel • Home Cooking • Festivals • And much more!

J.W. Arnold

April - May 2017  THE

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feature • Food

e m a G h c t a M The ne Wi d n a d o o ring F Pai o t e id u G A Simple k Karlin Ric

T

here are those who are intimidated by the idea of pairing food and wine. They’ve been intimidated by those wine snobs who make a big production about smelling the cork, swishing the wine in their mouth and practically gargling at the table. The whole point of pairing food and wine is finding food and drink that complement each other. It is a little more complicated than “white with fish, red with meat”, but not so much that you need to feel intimidated. These are

not so much rules, but guidelines, to help you get the most out of your meal.

Knowing about how to choose the right wine is all about knowing how food and wine pairings work. The flavor of a particular wine is derived from four specific components: acid, salt, sweet, and texture. The flavor components of food include fat, sweet, acid, salt and bitter. Successful food and wine pairings allow complementary components to work together, either by pairing similar

elements or by contrasting them, as in pairing a soft Chardonnay with a cream sauce, versus something that will cut through the richness, like a crisp, dry wine, such as a Sauvignon Blanc or a Pinot Grigio.

Understanding how these factors make wine pairings work is fundamental to learning how to pair food and wine. With a little knowledge of the characteristics of grape varieties, you can find the match that pleases you.

The following wine and food pairings are classics and serve as a guide for beginners. As in any endeavor, it is best to experience the tried and true so that you have a basic understanding and reference point before you branch out on your own.

Red Wine Pairings Sparkling Wine Pairings Smoked Salmon Caviar Cold or raw shellfish Fruit Milk chocolate

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Pork roast Duck breast Cheeseburger Pasta-meat sauce Pasta-cream sauce Steak and fries Leg of lamb Chocolate cake

Pinot Noir Burgundy Pinot Noir Chianti Syrah Zinfandel Cabernet Merlot

White Wine Pairings Mussels Chicken Sate Sushi & sashimi Thai food Arroz con pollo Fried foods Lobster roll Pumpkin ravioli Grilled fish Salad

Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay Riesling Gewürztraminer Vouvray Soave White Bordeaux White Burgundy Chenin Blanc Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris

feature • Food

Acid

Acid in both food and wine perks up the taste buds. If you’re enjoying a dish with a hint of acidity, say a lemony fish dish or a salad with a vinaigrette dressing, choose a wine with an acidity level at least equal to the wine, such as a Sauvignon Blanc or Sémillon.

Salt

Salt activates the taste buds making the flavors of food more intense. That’s why restaurant food always seems to taste better; chefs use way more salt than the home cook. While it augments the taste of food, salt tends to have the opposite effect on wine; reducing the fruitiness of a red, or bringing out too much oakiness in a Chardonnay. Sweet wines, such as a Sauterne hold up against food rich in salt, such as cheese. Sparkling wines also pair well to salty food, the carbonation brings out more flavor nuances, much in the same way beer does. That’s why champagne and oysters go together so well, or sushi with saki (which is, technically speaking, not a wine but has some of the same properties).

Sweet

For entrees and salads with a sweet component, say a fruit sauce, try a rich, white wine, such as Chardonnay. Wines with a higher alcohol content will also balance sweetness in a dish nicely. For dishes with a higher level of sweetness, such as desserts, try to find a wine that is sweeter than the dessert. A late harvest Zinfandel can balance a sweet chocolate dessert or a meat dish with a fruit sauce.

Texture

Just as you don’t mix a pair of lightweight linen pants with a heavy wool coat (you wouldn’t, would you?!?!?!), keep your wines aligned with the heaviness of your dish. A big slab of prime rib goes with a full-bodied red, such as a Petite Syrah or a Malbec. If you can’t see through the wine when it is poured into the glass, it is full-bodied. A lighter dish, such as a grilled chicken breast or fish with pasta calls for something lighter and airier, such as a Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer or a Torrontés.

Dessert

Americans tend to have coffee or tea with dessert, but in Europe, wine is the preferred beverage. A good rule of thumb is that as the color of the dessert gets darker, so should the wine. For example, a cheesecake would pair nicely with a Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc, while flourless chocolate cake can stand up to a fortified wine like a Ruby Port or a Sherry.

As you become more comfortable, you can play with these guidelines and see what you like best. No one’s going to call the wine police if you want a glass of Pinot Grigio with your pot roast, or a hearty Cabernet with your fish. The whole point

of food and wine pairings is to enhance the enjoyment of each.

If you still feel you need some guidance, see the chart accompanying this article.

For more complete listings, winefolly.com offers a number of helpful charts.

April - May 2017  THE

31

COOKING Sous Vide

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble, Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble T

hat famous song of the witches from Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” ran through my head as I eagerly plugged in the Sancaire sous vide machine that arrived earlier in the day.

No, I wasn’t making a bubbling soup from eye of newt and toe of frog. Instead, I was hoping to prepare the perfect filet mignon.

Let me back up a bit. Sous vide is the French cooking method that utilizes a heated water bath to perfectly cook vacuum sealed meats and vegetables to an exact temperature.

Sous vide has long been the domain of nouvelle cuisine chefs using industrial machines that could cost thousands of dollars....at least until a couple of years ago.

Several companies, including Sancaire, have introduced sous vide wands that can be attached to the rim of a pot and allow home cooks to harness the power of this precise method. Some devices can even be operated and monitored remotely via a mobile app.

Why, you ask? Well, as I was soon to discover, sous vide is a cooking method best practiced by the patient chef. Because the food is cooked at relatively low temperatures to acheive even heating, it can take hours to prepare a steak, chicken breast or pork.

When my steak emerged from its bath I also discovered that, while the meat was evenly cooked throughout and incredibly tender, it was gray and looked somewhat unappetizing.

That’s why the user’s manual recommends a quick sear or even a couple of minutes under a blowtorch.

I was still enamored with my new kitchen gadget, but decided it was time to call in an expert. I phoned personal chef and boutique caterer Lee Torain of Chef 4 the Day. “If you’re a home cook, you probably don’t have a blowtorch,” admitted Torain, who said he regularly uses his commercial sous vide machine for large catering jobs.

Torain does own a blowtorch, but more often, he will pre-sear his meats. Because they are then sealed before being immersed in the bath, the meats don’t lose the caramelization.

This method also saves time because a very hot skillet is required to adequately sear the meats and sometimes the process can ruin the perfectly cooked interior.

“One of the main benefits of sous vide is that you’re not tied to the time of when something has to be served. If you cook chicken in the oven, when it’s ready, it’s ready. If your guests haven’t arrived yet, you’re in trouble.

With sous vide, it can stay there,” he explained, noting the constant temperature of the water bath means the meat never overcooks.

One of Torain’s favorite sous vide dishes

is short ribs. He cooks them in the machine for 72 hours—yes, three days!—and said the results are “like nothing you’ve ever tasted before.”

Vegetables can also be prepared using sous vide, but Torain said the effort may not be worth it for many cooks because some vegetables must be heated to relatively high temperatures and other methods, such as steaming or roasting, produce equally satisfying results.

There are many creative uses of the machine yet to be explored. Sous vide can produce the perfect poached egg and the best part of the process is the egg already comes pre-packaged in the perfect watertight container­—it’s own shell.

I’m personally looking forward to creating custom infused liquors. It’s easy (according to the Sansaire cookbook): just add fresh fruit or zest to the liquor of your choice, seal in a mason jar and cook at 135 degrees Fahrenheit for one to three hours.

The possibilities are endless, as long as I’m not afraid of a little trial and error.

Torain encouraged me, “It was something I taught myself because I liked the idea of science meeting cooking. I’m always interested in those kinds of gadgets. It’s a technique that’s quite easy to pick up and learn. As long as you know the right temperatures, it does all the work for you.”

— J.W. Arnold

Sous Vide Cooking Reference Protein (1” thick)

Core Temperature

Time

Tender Beef

126°F

1:00

Poultry (White Meat)

144°F

1:30*

Poultry (Dark Meat)

149°F

1:30*

Fish (Salmon, Tuna, Cod) 122°F

:30

Pork (Shoulder, Belly)

149°F

36 hrs.

Beef (Short Ribs, Brisket) 144°F

72 hrs.

* allow additional 30 mins. to pasteurize

The equipment described in this article was provided by Sansaire. To learn more or to find a local retailer, go to Sansaire.com.

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Facebook.com/frenchystable Email: frenchystable@gmail.com

April - May 2017  THE

33

DIY Winemaker for a Day

Eureka! I think I’ve got it...

T

here is a joke I heard several times while visiting tasting rooms in Northern California wine country: If you want to make money making wine, you’d better make a lot of money doing something else first.

There are a lot of reasons, I was told. First, winemaking is foremost an agricultural business. You can’t make wine without grapes and they are a notoriously finicky fruit, demanding precise care and help from Mother Nature. Second, real estate in prime growing areas like Napa and Sonoma Counties has gone through the roof. As “big wine” has purchased the family-owned acreages, prices have soared.

But there’s still something romantic about the whole notion of retiring to a valley estate and becoming a winemaker. Like that multimillionaire film director Francis Ford Coppola and race car driver Mario Andretti and a host of Hollywood A-listers.

Well, I did get to try my hand at the ancient art, at least for a day, at Raymond Vineyards in St. Helena. For $125, any budding winemaker can spend an afternoon in the winery’s blending room crafting their own custom red blend and bottling it himself.

Every winery features a tasting room and offers tours, but a visit to Raymond really is a trip down the rabbit hole, relatively speaking, thanks to the vision of its flamboyant French owner, Jean-Charles Boisset.

To put it simply, Raymond Vineyards is the wine version of Alice’s Wonderland or Willy

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Wonka’s magical chocolate factory that we all fantasized about as children. There are no Mad Hatters or Oompa Loompas, but plenty of eccentric touches.

The Theater of Nature showcases the winery’s biodynamic and sustainable growing techniques and, yes, you’re also likely to encounter some friendly animals and a special hospitality area for four-legged guests, too.

The Corridor of Senses is a long hallway where guests can smell the distinct, complex aromas found in wine, each contained in old fashioned perfume spray bottles and surreally held by hands mounted from the wall.

Amid the towering tanks of aging wines, ornate, sparkling chandeliers illuminate the Crystal Tasting Room. And, throughout the building, mannequins dressed in glittery and glitzy costumes that would inspire the inner drag queen in any visitor are watching the action from every vantage.

For my experience, I was led into a very scientific looking laboratory with stainless steel tables and topped with dozens of glass test tubes and beakers. We donned our silver metallic lab coats and took our seats at the tables, ready to concoct a magical mixture.

This was very serious business, I decided (with just a touch of camp, too).

In addition to the usual cabernet sauvignons, merlots and pinot noirs, many wineries also produce proprietary red blends. Some are table wines, but others are very special, drawing the same prices as prized cabs.

Our host, Joseph, then filled individual beakers with two varieties of cabernet sauvignon (one aged in an oaky new barrel and the other “neutral” oak), merlot and cabernet franc.

Using the lab tools, he then showed us how to precisely mix varying amounts of each wine to taste and resulting in our own unique blend.

“It’s amazing how just a couple of percentage points can make a huge change,” he said. “Does that five percent really make that big of a difference? You can taste and see the difference.”

He also explained that our tastebuds most accurately guide our decisions. Joseph didn’t particularly like merlot, for example, but he found it added a critical dimension to his blends.

After about 45 minutes of trial and error, I arrived at my perfect formula: 25% new oak cabernet, 40% neutral oak cabernet, 10% merlot and 25% cabernet franc. On to the bottling room we proceeded.

Joseph keyed my formula into a machine that dispensed the various varietals into my bottle. Then we moved to the corking machine. No automation here. The bottle was placed on the base, a cork loaded and with one pull of the handle, my creation was sealed. We then pressed the foil wrapping and then it was time to create a label.

Many guests create their custom labels weeks or days in advance and submit them to the winery via email. Often, the wines are intended for a special occasion, a wedding or anniversary. Because the winemaking experience is popular as a corporate teambuilding exercise, some companies design their own private labels and then order several cases for later delivery.

Admittedly, I was so focused on the winemaking experience, I really hadn’t put much thought into my label. I settled on “J.W.’s Signature Red” and, after the printer spit out the label, I affixed it to the bottle and took a moment to admire the results of my efforts.

No, I won’t own a Napa Valley winery any time in the future (unless I win big in the lottery), but I can say that I tried my hand at the ancient art of winemaking and it was fun. I would definitely do it again. If you find yourself in wine country, you should give it a try, too.

To learn more about Raymond Vineyards and the Winemaker for a Day program, visit RaymondVineyards.com.

–J.W. Arnold

DESTINATION Riverside, California

Explore the Inland Empire

Nestled in the Jurupa Valley just 70 miles east from downtown Los Angeles, Riverside is a walkable community with plenty of history.

DRINK AND DINE

ATTRACTIONS

STAY

Located at the crossroads of Southern California’s Inland Empire, Riverside offers a wide variety of dining options. For authentic Italian fare, visit Bella Trattoria, 3649 Mission Inn Ave., pictured above. For a taste of old Spain, Sevilla of Riverside, 3252 Mission Inn Ave., offers tapas, paella and other Iberian staples. Gram’s Mission Bar-B-Que, 3527 Main St., dishes up delicious, smoky pork and brisket. And, of course, your trip isn’t complete with authentic Mexican meal at Tamale Factory, 3663 Main St. Wash it all down with a cocktail at the popular local gay bar, Menagerie, 3581 University Ave. The prices are right, but the music is better at this friendly joint.

There are plenty of outdoor activities in Riverside. Explore the last remaining orange grove in the county at Citrus State Park, pictured above (parks.ca.gov). Climb to to the top of historic Mount Rubidoux for a panoramic view of the valley and city below. Stroll the scenic Main Street Mall and admire larger-than-life statues of Cesar Chavez, Mahatma Gandhi, Korean independence activist Dosan An Chang Ho, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Riverside’s own Eliza Tibbetts, who grew the nation’s first naval orange tree. Later catch a show at the lovingly restored Fox Theater, 3801 Mission Inn Ave.

A trip to Riverside must include a stay at The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, 3649 Mission Inn Ave., a national historic landmark.

The architecturally stunning four-diamond resort with authentic stone work and red terracotta roof offers an award-winning spa and restaurant. If you’re traveling to Riverside on business, the Marriott Riverside, 3400 Market St., can be found adjacent to the new convention center.

For travelers on a budget, the historic Thunderbird Lodge, 2711 University Ave., is conveniently located just a few blocks from all the nightlife downtown and also near the freeway.

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DATEBOOK Find a Festival EAT UP

The Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival, held each year in late February, is among the largest events in the country, but other South Florida communities also host tasty showcases throughout the year.

Whether you’re a serious foodie or just tired of the same old dishes, check out one of these upcoming local food and wine festivals: WELLINGTON BACON AND BOURBON FEST – March 23 – 24 This popular event takes two American favorites, bourbon and bacon, and wraps them together in a two-day, palate-pleasing party.

DelrayBaconFest.com BOCA BACCHANAL – March 24 – 25 Meet award-winning chefs and vintners while savoring their signature cuisine and wine selections during this an openair event at the Mizner Park Amphitheatre in Boca Raton.

BocaBacchanal.com MIAMI RUM RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL – April 22 – 23 Spend a weekend trying hundreds of fine rums from the Caribbean and beyond at the largest rum festival in the world.

RumRenaissance.com 38 THE

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LAS OLAS WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL – April 21 Fort Lauderdale’s famous Las Olas Boulevard shuts down for a day to make way for more than 70 of South Florida’s top restaurants, breweries and vineyards.

LasOlasWFF.com

KEY WEST LOBSTERFEST – Aug. 10 – 13 Sportsmen come from all over the world to fish for lobster at the start of the spiny Florida Keys lobster season, so naturally a kick-off celebration is a must and downtown Key West is the place.

KeyWestLobsterFest.com

RIVERWALK BURGER BATTLE – May 13 “Where’s the beef?” Find out which local restaurant serves up the best burger in Broward at Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale’s Burger Battle, one of the hottest tickets of the year.

GoRiverwalk.com

DINE OUT LAUDERDALE – August – September The best of Broward County’s restaurants will be featured for six weeks with special three-course prix fixe lunch and dinner menus during this annual event.

Sunny.org/Restaurants

MIAMI SPICE – Aug. 1 – Sept. 30 Miami doesn’t celebrate Restaurant Week. Instead, enjoy two months of specially priced prix fixe menus at some of the hottest restaurants in the metro area.

MiamiAndBeaches.com

FLAVOR PALM BEACH – Sept. 1 – 30 This month-long event featuring tasting menus is designed to introduce diners and visitors to the vast array of restaurants throughout Palm Beach County.

FlavorPB.com

DOWNLOADS Books, Music & Video

Cooking with the Bears: Healthy Recipes by Hairy Men

by Angelo Sindaco 176 pages / $54 / DRAGO This coffee table-worthy collection is more picture book than cookbook, but the mostly Italian recipes are good, too.

If you like bears, you’ll love this book.

Big Gay Ice Cream: Saucy Stories and Frozen Treats

by Bryan Petroff and Douglas Quint 192 pages / $6.24 / Barnes & Noble This unique book uses a high school yearbook theme to classify the ice cream recipes from easy (Freshman) to advanced (Senior) options.

The Big Gay Cookbook 222 pages / $7.47 / Create Space Independent Publishing Platform / Amazon.com What can we say about this one?

Well, it’s the perfect gift for that boyfriend who also cooks in the kitchen to save his favorite recipes.

Blast from the Past

The Gay Cookbook (1965) The Complete Compendium of Campy Cuisine and Menus for Men...or What Have You

by Chef Lou Rand Hogan 280 pages / Sherbourne Press / Copies available from Amazon.com, Ebay.com, VintageCookbook.com This campy cookbook, still available from booksellers and online auction sites, was the subject of a scholarly article by Stephen Vider published in 2013 in the journal American Quarterly: Published in 1965 and promoted in mainstream and gay media, Hogan’s cookbook presented a style of camp humor that challenged popular representations of gay life as lonely and “seedy,” as well as early gay rights activists’ emphasis on gender-normative self-presentation. The cookbook was also emblematic of an expanding gay print and consumer culture, which increasingly located the home as a site of consumption and social and sexual connection. The Gay Cookbook...reveals how domesticity blurred divides between “public” and “private” gay life, and provided a space to negotiate Cold War class, race, sexual, and gender conventions.

We just think it’s a funny read. Yes, there are recipes, but the book isn’t so much about the very dated recipes as the colorful and critical era in which it was written.

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Eating Disorders are a serious disease.

You need someone who is an expert to help you navigate your recovery.

Most people who have an eating disorder are in denial. So how do you know if you have a true eating disorder? Here are some warning signs: 

Obsessing over food (when you are going to eat next, what you are going to eat, etc.)



Isolating from others so you can eat as much or as little as you want without others commenting.



Hiding food for consumption later, when you are alone.



Excusing yourself to go to the bathroom after each meal, so you can purge what you just ate.

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Excessive exercising, sometimes for hours each day.

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BUSINESS Baking with Liquid Courage

Nate Bakes Cakes with a “Kick” “Baking, as much as people don’t realize it, is chemistry­­—temperature, ingredients, timing—and lots of trial and error,” explained Nate Floor, the young man behind a new catering company, Baking with Liquid Courage.

Floor’s cakes and other baked goodies have a secret ingredient, alcohol. He can whip up delicious desserts that incorporate all sorts of spirits, including rum, tequila, whiskey, vodka, bourbon and even wine and champagne.

The Utah native originally planned a career in technology. He trained in three-dimensional design and sculpture and still maintains a “day job” managing support teams for a leading software company.

“My mom suggested I try (sculpture) with food and I started building custom cakes at home in Utah,” Floor recalled.

His first “adult” creation was a birthday cake Celebrity chef Art Smith, left, congratulates for a friend’s grandmother, who requested a Baking with Liquid Courage founder Nate Floor, center, and Jon Rodriguez at the Pride Fort LauPatron tequila-themed party.

“She wanted a cake that tasted like a derdale Kick-Off Party in February. margarita,” he said. “I’d never tried it, but suggested infusing the cake with tequila and she loved it.”

Floor’s culinary creations really took off after he moved to South Florida about 18 months ago.

He met Hernan Valverde, a well known manager and marketer for several international liquor brands, who “educated” him about the different types of alcohol. Floor set out experimenting further and Valverde recognized the opportunity and invested in the business.

“Whiskey is super dense, versus vodka, which makes a cake light and fluffy,” Floor said. “I originally started with online recipes, but with Baking with Liquid Courage, we sought to make everything from scratch so the flavors would come through. It took more than a month to fill out our menu and new flavors trickle in from time to time, too.”

With rum, he creates mojito and pina colada flavored cupcakes. Whiskey is the secret ingredient in his Cinnamon Toast Crunch and whiskey and coke cupcakes. Raspberry lemonade and sour watermelon martini cupcakes are light and fluffy thanks to vodka. Bubbly sparkling wine provides the zing for orange zested mimosa and strawberry rosé cupcakes.

Floor is happy to make non-alcoholic desserts, also, for those sober (or underaged) occasions.

He incorporates peanut butter cups, fresh vanilla and various fruits in those selections.

His clients can be just as inventive with their requests. He once created a cake that was loaded with gummy bears soaked in vodka. He acknowledges some trial and error because his first attempt was baked at too high a temperature, resulting in melted gummy bears. Another client requested a wedding cake inspired by Andes mints.

“I’m taking on my first wedding cake and basing it on these little mints that are round and green,” he exclaimed, noting it was resounding success.

Floor is the first to admit that he will have to sell a lot of cupcakes if he expects his business to grow. Shipping cupcakes is not only challenging, but expensive. He’d like to expand into a traditional brick-and-mortar bake shop in the next two years and is developing clever ways to share his treats with customers around the world. Within a few months, he hopes to be shipping layered desserts packaged in custom beer and liquor bottles sealed with a bottle cap to highlight his company’s brand. He’s also expanding his lines of cakes and cake pops.

Last month, celebrity chef Art Smith, personal chef to Oprah and Lady Gaga, discovered Floor’s talents. Baking with Liquid Courage supplied desserts for a Pride kick-off party and, after trying one, Smith kept coming back for more.

“Seeing somebody from the Food Network at that level as excited about my business as I am, that’s crazy,” Floor said.

To learn more about Baking with Liquid Courage, view a menu and place orders, go to BakingWithLiquidCourage.com.

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MARGARITA CUPCAKES Makes 16 cupcakes

Baking with Liquid Courage’s recipe may be secret, but you can try your hand at baking margarita cupcakes with this easy recipe from TipHero.com: Ingredients Cupcakes 1 15.25-ounce box white cake mix ¼ cup lime juice ½ cup tequila ¼ cup buttermilk or milk ½ cup vegetable oil 3 large eggs 1 tablespoon lime zest (from 2 limes) 1 tablespoon tequila, for brushing the tops Frosting 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature 2 cups powdered (confectioners’) sugar 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 tablespoon tequila ½ tablespoon lime zest (from 1 lime) Garnish ¼ cup sanding sugar (optional: mix with ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt) How To 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Line a muffin tin with paper or foil cupcake liners, and spray the liners with nonstick spray.

2. Pour the dry cake mix into a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat the mix together with the lime juice, tequila, buttermilk, oil, large eggs and lime zest until just combined.

3. Divide batter evenly among the muffin tins.

4. Bake 14 to 17 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cupcakes to cool to room temperature.

5. Brush the tops of each cupcake with the reserved tablespoon of tequila. Refrigerate the coated cupcakes for 30 minutes.

6. While the cupcakes are in the refrigerator, make the frosting by whipping the cream cheese and butter together until completely smooth. Add remaining ingredients and whip until combined.

7. Pipe frosting onto each cupcake. Sprinkle with sanding sugar to garnish.

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Quotable Susan Spinello, CS Sommelier and Wine Writer

To say Susan Spinello is passionate about wine is an understatement.

The New Jersey native and longtime LGBT ally is a certified sommelier on the staff of a popular South Florida steak house and a regular contributer to Left magazine, a San Francisco Bay-area publication serving the gay and lesbian community.

She speaks frankly—and admits she’s not always political correct—when it comes to her passion. More recently, she has embarked on a new venture as a wine educator. Contact her on Twitter, @CertifiableSomm. Spinello shared some of her thoughts with Mirror.

ON HER DECISION TO PURSUE THIS CAREER I’ve been in food and beverage my entire life. My parents had an old hotel on the Jersey Shore and as a young kid, I was right there behind the bar. Of course, things were different back then.

ON WINE What turned me on to wine is that it is an ever evolving product.

It’s almost like having a pet, it’s living, it’s breathing, even when it’s in the bottle it’s evolving. That process doesn’t change until you consume it. I do have a true passion.

ON BECOMING A CERTIFIED SOMMELIER The reason I decided to become a certified sommelier is, as a female server especially in South Florida, there is an emphasis on youth. Women are waitresses and men are waiters. We are servers and professionals.We don’t appreciate being asked what do you do for real? Once you get that status of certified sommelier, you’re respected. Your opinion matters, not that it doesn’t matter without the letters behind your name, but it’s a perception on the part of the public.

ON THE LGBT COMMUNITY I’m a straight white girl, princess of the manor. I’d be queen, but there are too many already. Actually, I’ve always gravitated to the gay community.

ON HER WRITING I broaden my knowledge because I write and am forced to research every month. The most interesting stories come from two sources: alcohol and madness. The two are not connected necessarily, otherwise it’s just a bedtime story. This is what makes living worth living...Like the gnarly dormant vines in the winter, there’s such a parallel in life. If everything was cushy, we’d just sit on our hands all day long, but because we have to fight and strive and seek that one drop of water that will sustain me for another day, that’s what makes it interesting. There’s nothing artificial about wine in its natural form.

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ON CHARDONNAYS When you think of American whites, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are probably the first to cross your mind, and so they should be. We have excelled in so many different styles of Chardonnay from lush, tropical, buttery, big and oaky to crisp tree fruit and tart citrus with clean minerality. Chardonnay is the most planted white grape in North America, yet it can be completely different from one bottle to the next. This is based on so many different factors including location, soil, climate, growing techniques and winemaking manipulation. Enter the oak equation, malolactic fermentation and blending. It makes it hard to find a Chardonnay that won’t make someone happy. White Supremacy: Making Whites Great Again, Left, April 2016 ON SUSTAINABILITY IN WINE MAKING Sustainable wine is not a thing, but rather a practice, an attitude, a conscientious decision to do the right thing in the vineyard, the winery, and the community. It’s practicing greener efforts utilizing such things as renewable energy, repurposing resources, taking care of labor forces, educating consumers and respecting our environment for the long haul. It’s rethinking water conservation, lowering waste and emissions and farming for the future. Shattered Resolutions (and Unicorns), Left, January 2016 ON FINDING THAT HIDDEN GEM (ON THE MENU OR THE STORE SHELVES) Try everything. That’s really the bottom line.

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