November 2009

Horoscope November 2009

Saturn enters Libra now, to remain there until Oct. 2012. Alliance with countries who flaunt international law are strained, if not broken. It will become evident that lawmakers can be the most egregious lawbreakers, as we run more and more offenders out of public office. The Aquarian Age Internet will be the force of consensus that leads us out of darkness.

Thanksgiving Spice - Chef Michel Despras

BY MARYANN RIDINI SPENCER

“Do you want to know a secret?” Michel Despras whispers with an anticipating smile, ready to divulge the French method for rendering the most tender, juicy turkey.

Thanksgiving Spice - Chef Camerino Torres

BY MARYANN RIDINI SPENCER

Hot peppers, chili, cilantro, avocados, tomatoes, and chocolate bring a distinctive Mexican flair to Camerino Torres’ Thanksgiving meals.

Thanksgiving Spice - Chef Biagio “Gino” Cipriano

BY MARYANN RIDINI SPENCER

“I celebrated my first Thanksgiving only 10 years ago,” Gino Cipriano says. “When I moved from Sicily to the United States, I didn’t know many people. My new friends, not wanting me to spend the holiday alone, invited me to share the day with them and made me feel like I was a part of their family. I will never forget that day. It will always be my most special Thanksgiving memory.”

Intelligencer - November 2009

By Janice Kleinschmidt

Ready to turn your hot chocolate or yams into a gourmet treat? Try using handmade, low-fat, gluten- and high-fructose corn syrup-free Plush Puffs.

Culture for All

By Janice Kleinschmidt.

The nonprofit Coachella Valley Housing Coalition mission to improve the lives of low-income families means more than satisfying its goal to put them into quality housing. It also introduces disadvantaged youths to opera and tennis, often considered pastimes for the wealthy.

Stars Will Shine For Disabled People

Janice Kleinschmidt

The event celebrates Dennis Lambert, who has written and produced hit songs on pop, R&B, rap, jazz, country, and adult contemporary charts. A luncheon gala and evening concert featuring Natalie Cole, the Commodores, Tavares, Player, and other entertainers who have recorded Lambert’s songs benefits DesertArc.

Editor's Letter - November 2009

Steven Biller

As Palm Springs Life this month presents its annual Social Datebook & Charity Register, we must acknowledge the fiscal challenges that philanthropic organizations face as the economy slowly recovers.

The Historical Triangle

BY SHARON APFELBAUM AND KATHY STRONG

North Beach snuggles between Fisherman’s Wharf and the steep slopes of Telegraph and Russian hills. Its Italian roots dominate in busy trattorias, cafés, and delicatessens that define one of San Francisco’s oldest neighborhoods. Once a refuge for the city’s Beat counterculture, it retains the close-knit village character.

Game On!

BY STEVEN BILLER

Standing in front of Continental — one of 14 paintings in the new Arcade series by Alex Couwenberg — viewers familiar with the artist’s oeuvre might need a minute, if that, to appreciate the smart direction in which he has taken his work.

Picasso Marks a New Season

BY CAROL CHEH

Heather James Fine Art in Palm Desert opens a significant survey of Picasso’s paintings, drawings, and sculptures from several major periods, including Cubism.

Coming to Fruition

By Janice Kleinschmidt

When Fresno State Winery posted photos on its Web site of 5,800 clusters of grapes hanging from the ceiling of its barrel and storage room, e-mails came in from as far away as Armenia and Uzbekistan. “It was like being in a rain forest of grapes,” says Winemaster Ken Fogelsang.

Making His Mark

By Janice Kleinschmidt.

Jim Casey emerges from his swimming pool sporting a dark suit, white shirt, red tie, and bowler. Defying the typical image of a wealth manager, Casey wears his sense of humor as well as the Magritte style associated with the branding of his company, Integrated Wealth Management.