Sunset articles from December 2003

Sunset archives from December 2003

A season for sweets.(From the Editor)
December 1, 2003... My husband and I have great neighbors on both sides of our street. We don't see each other often, and we wave hello more than we speak, but when there's a real need, we're very neighborly. Whether it's helping to rebuild a fence, find a stray...

Recycling potted bulbs.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... I would like to use the ideas from the "Bulbs for Pots" article (October, page 76), but it seems wasteful to me to throw the bulbs away after only one season of bloom. I ordered dozens of good-quality bulbs for a great showing in spring. Can I...

Glowing front porch.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... I was inspired by "Make a Glowing Gar-land" (October, page 133). I wrapped an orange rope light with autumn-leaf garlands and strung it across my front porch. It looks so warm and inviting now, I can't wait for cold nights! --Coleen Dillon...

Postcard from England.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... I have received your magazine for some years through a subscription from my daughter, who lives in San Jose. When I have read my copy, it is passed to relatives, then friends, and finally to my dentist's waiting room. The receptionist tells me...

Praise from New England.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... I have been receiving Sunset for almost one year now and am ready to renew. We live across the country in Massachusetts, but my husband and I enjoy the food, gardening, and decorating ideas. The people out this way should see what they are...

Honey lover shares her source.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... I enjoyed "Liquid Gold" (September, page 132). Honeyville (800/676-7690 or www.honeyvillecolorado.com) in Durango, Colorado, has a fantastic selection of honeys. I found them at a farmers' market and now I order their stuff. I especially love...

Coastal Christmas.(Window on the West)(Heceta Lighthouse Victorian Holiday Open House)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The light blazing in Heceta Lighthouse at the tip of Oregon's forested Heceta Head has been a mariners beacon for nearly 110 years. But only since 1996 has the Queen Anne--style keeper's house been lit too, and only for the holidays. Completed...

Holiday blooms.(Best of the West)(narcissus)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Narcissus bulbs planted in a paint can will brighten someone's life for weeks. 1. Cover a 1-quart paint can (about $1 at hardware stores) with wrapping paper, securing the seam with double-stick tape. 2. Guided by the depression in the...

Party starters.(Best of the West)(Hanukkah appetizers)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... For a quick Hanukkah appetizer, we've combined the old take-advantage-of-leftovers approach (cooked brisket, in this case--one of our favorite foods this time of year) with a let-somebody-else-mix-the-dough strategy. If you don't happen to...

Green wood.(Best of the West)(Eco-Timber)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... One of the most visible features in today's eco-friendly homes lies right underfoot: the wood floor. Knowing how a wood is grown and cut is central to choosing a sustainably harvested product. One of the leading sources is Eco Timber, a company...

Twinkle time.(Best of the West)(decorative lights)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Anyone who has cruised through neighborhoods during the holidays has probably noticed that decorative lights are all the rage (see "All Aglow," page 79). Lighting manufacturers have responded with a flurry of new designs that appeal to even the...

Tinsel and tubas.(Best of the West)(TubaChristmas)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... In a series of concerts across the country, hundreds of tuba players join to oompah their way through "Jingle Bells," "Silent Night," and other traditional tunes to celebrate TubaChristmas. The annual celebration of all things tuba usually...

Northern California in December.(Best of the West)
December 1, 2003... * SAN FRANCISCO Experience Dickens Feeling a bit Scrooge-like this holiday season? Treat yourself to Gerald Charles Dickens Performs A Christmas Carol in the recently restored Venetian Room at the Fairmont Hotel. Dine on holiday fare as the...

Best Wrapping.(Best of the West)(gift wrap)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Each year, tons of gift wrap go to landfills after the holidays are over. Here are six easy ways to cut down on waste. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Roll it up. Soft gifts like clothing can be rolled in sea-grass beach mats or bamboo...

Mission melange: taste the many flavors of San Francisco's Mission District melting pot.(Travel and Recreation)
December 1, 2003... Every December I make a pilgrimage to San Francisco's Mission District, where I become a shameless callejera--a person who loves to hang out in the street. I prepare by putting on thick-soled shoes (for pounding the sidewalks) and hauling out...

Surf's up in blue Hawaii: see the west's biggest waves--and the world's best surfers--at classic beaches along Oahu's fabled North Shore.(Travel)
December 1, 2003... You can't find Rocky Point on standard road maps of Oahu. But every surfer worth his salt knows how to get there: The path is next to Sunset Beach Neighborhood Park and across the road from the restaurant with the giant tiki standing sentry on...

Small-town Silicon Valley: visit San Jose's First Street for holiday shopping and fun.(Northern California Day Trip)
December 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It may be the center of Silicon Valley, but during the holidays, downtown San Jose remembers its small-town past. In the 1950s, local businessman Don Lima drew a crowd just by setting up a Christmas display in front...

Mad about mochi: celebrate the Japanese New Year with a traditional treat.(Travel)
December 1, 2003... It's chewy, it's gooey, and it looks about as appealing as library paste. But around New Year's Day, when people are lined up impatiently to get it at Benkyodo Company in San Francisco's Japantown, you'd think that mochi was worth its weight in...

Year-round plenty: find great treasures at these Winter farmer's markets.(Travel)
December 1, 2003... It's a drizzly December morning, but Debbie Warren doesn't mind. Pausing beneath a canvas stall at the Marin County Farmer's Market in San Rafael, she shakes drops of water from a bunch of rainbow chard. "Rain or shine, I'm here," Warren says...

The caves of Napa: underground tours and tastings at five valley wineries.(Travel)
December 1, 2003... Napa Valley's wineries are going underground. Scores of vintners now boast barrel-storage caves. While the idea of aging wine in a cool, dark subterranean warehouse isn't new to the wine country--barrel-storage caves have been excavated here...

Information.
December 1, 2003... Information worth sending for Circle the numbers on the post-paid card and mail, call 800-967-3189 or fax 413-637-4343. TRAVEL To receive all information on a state or category, circle the state or category number. 101. Alaska ...

Pint-size citrus; gardeners everywhere can find room for these dwarf trees.(Garden and Outdoor Living)
December 1, 2003... For nearly 300 years, the mild-winter West has had a love affair with citrus. Orchards carpet the land in parts of California, and oranges, lemons, limes, and other citrus are familiar trees in home gardens. Until fairly recently, most of...

New 'Shooting Star' hydrangea.(Northern California Guide)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Forced into flower for the holidays, snowwhite hydrangeas make perfect companions for red poinsettias and evergreens strung with colored lights. The new 'Shooting Star' lace cap hydrangea enhances seasonal decorations even more. Each of its...

Event.(Guide)
December 1, 2003... PETALUMA, DEC 6-7. Join Cottage Gardens of Petaluma Growers at its third annual Holiday Open House. Enjoy live music and refreshments while you shop for holiday greens and decor. 9-5; free. 3995 Emerald Dr., off Petaluma Blvd. N.;...

Bookshelf.(Guide)(gardening books)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2003... Award-winning books. Any of these books, which have won awards from the Garden Writers Association, would make a fine holiday gift for a gardening friend. Amaryllis, by Starr Ockenga (Clarkson Potter/Publishers, New York, 2002; $20;...

Fresno's festival of lights.(Guide)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The soft light of 3,000 luminarias (candles set in paper bags with sand in the bottom), Christmas carols around the campfire, hot cider, and winter's best flowers and vegetables combine for a magical evening at the Garden of the Sun and...

Tough-love beauties.(Guide)(bromeliads)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Bromeliads are ideal houseplants--they thrive on neglect, yet their blooms can last as long as 12 weeks. The following variegated Guzmania bromeliads, which grow from 1 1/2 to 2 feet tall, are available at well-stocked nurseries. ...

What to do in your garden in December.(Northern California)
December 1, 2003... GIFT SHOPPING * FAVORITE TOOLS. Every gardener on your gift list can use a new tool. Here are some of our favorites: the Classic English Garden Fork ($49) or the Heirloom Hand Trowel ($12), both from Smith & Hawken (www. smithandhawken.com...

Holiday escapes: three families celebrate the holidays in three different, wonderful ways.
December 1, 2003... Holiday is a joyful word. Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah, the winter solstice, New Year's Eve--all are occasions to offer up good cheer, to imagine peace on earth for a moment. But the details of an ideal holiday mean different things to different...

A season for simplicity: personal accents warm a remodeled farmhouse.
December 1, 2003... When Stephanie Zeigler and her husband, Eric, purchased an old farmhouse in Mill Valley, California, it was dark, with small rooms and colored walls. A full-time mom to 4-year-old Grey and 2-year-old Bo, Stephanie has a background in...

Make it sweet; for holiday gifts or a special treat, homemade candy is irresistible.
December 1, 2003... Is there anything more delicious, more purely self-indulgent, than a square of dark, creamy fudge or a piece of crunchy, buttery toffee? And when it's homemade, the treat is sweet indeed. This year, we're bringing back the tradition of...

Toffee and brittle.
December 1, 2003... Of all the tricks you can do in the kitchen, caramelizing sugar is one of the very best--and one of the easiest. Just let a sugar syrup bubble away until it turns a golden amber. You'll be rewarded with deep flavor and candy that sets up...

Melt-in-your-mouth fudge.
December 1, 2003... Perfect fudge is a rare treat. Velvety smooth, with richness and mouthwatering flavor in every bite, our chocolate and maple-walnut fudge deliver that elusive ideal. But perfection can come with a price. More than most candies, fudge requires...

Chocolate barks.
December 1, 2003... Barks are among the easiest confections you can make. Just exercise a little care in melting the chocolate, and you'll be rewarded with beautiful candy that's perfect for gift-giving--or snacking. Cranberry-Pistachio Bark PREP TIME:...

Best of Sunset cookies.(Special Recipe Collection)
December 1, 2003... One of the best parts of the holiday season is the smell of cookies warm from the oven. Even those of us who are too busy to bake during the rest of the year find the time to make a batch of cookies in December. These festive treats will make...

Every garden evergreens: these beautiful conifers work wonders.
December 1, 2003... During the holidays, we tend to associate conifers with Christmas trees as we select the prettiest cut firs and spruces to decorate. But conifers are also beautiful landscape plants that serve many uses. You can plant them this month. ...

All aglow: how to make a splash with holiday lights, beside an entry or in your garden.(Home and Design)
December 1, 2003... As twilight arrives earlier and earlier on cold December days, something magical happens at homes around the West: Holiday lights flicker to life. They create glittering galaxies on porch ceilings, bathe eaves and gables in a warm glow, and...

Pop-up master suite: adding space without overwhelming the house.(Before & After)
December 1, 2003... The owners of this small house in Marin County, California, wanted more room. Architect Neal Schwartz helped them see that going up with a master retreat was the best house option. Because the 1950s ranch house is built on a slope, schwartz had...

Dressed for the holidays: bright greens and ivory set an elegant mood.(Home)(table decoration)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... For a fresh alternative to the traditional Christmas palette of red and green, we decorated this tabletop with materials in soft shades of green and white set against a backdrop of crisp white linens. Napkins are embellished with simple...

Grand feast: an old-fashioned Christmas dinner comes with all the trimmings.(Food and Entertaining)
December 1, 2003... As Ebenezer Scrooge finally learns in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, the holiday is about generosity. Dinner reflects the spirit--for most people, a feast of particularly special, familiar foods, eaten with family and good friends. ...

Best beef: Kobe-style beef is tender, flavorful, and now available in the West.(Food)
December 1, 2003... Until recently, Japan boasted the best beef in the world but harbored a secret. Kobe cattle are legendary for their tender meat--and for the massages and beer- and sakelaced diet they're given. But since the early 1970s, many of those Kobe cows...

Holiday madeleines.(Food)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Petite, buttery madeleines are nothing more than moist little cakes baked in a pan with shell-shaped indentations. Traditionally made with sponge-cake batter flavored with a little lemon peel, madeleines can be made from other kinds of cake...

One great food wine.(Wine Guide)(sparkling wine)(Buyers Guide)
December 1, 2003... Here's a well-kept secret that shouldn't be: There's a sensational wine that goes with a huge range of foods, can be found just about everywhere, and isn't even expensive. The wine? Sparkling. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's a...

Put the rub on chicken; spa cooking inspires light, zesty weeknight fare.(Food)
December 1, 2003... Weeknight dinners in December can be a dilemma. Winter's cold nights make you long for something warm and spicy, while the rich fare of the holiday season leaves you yearning for a simple, healthy meal. For an easy solution, we look to spa...

Jervings per carton: 4. if nobody's looking: 1.(Safeway SELECT Great Escapes Florentine Tiramisu Treat)
December 1, 2003... This isn't so much a dessert, as it is an escape. A mad dash across oceans, across time, to a romantic piazza al fresco, over-looking a glorious fountain, under the same starry skies that once awed Michelangelo. For it is in the timeless town...

Warm winter favorites: readers' recipes tested in Sunset's kitchens.(Food)(quick chicken cassoulet)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Quick Chicken Cassoulet Russell Ito combined leftover roast chicken with a few basic ingredients and came up with an easily assembled chicken and white bean stew. If you don't have leftover cooked chicken, buy roast chicken at a supermarket or...

Warm winter favorites: readers' recipes tested in Sunset's kitchens.(Food)(banana-caramel bread pudding)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Banana-Caramel Bread Pudding Roxanne Chan created this rich, creamy bread pudding to mimic the flavors of a favorite bar cookie. PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/2 hours MAKES: 8 servings 1. Arrange bread cubes evenly in a buttered...

Warm winter favorites: readers' recipes tested in Sunset's kitchens.(Food)(spicy braised pork shoulder)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Spicy Braised Pork Shoulder Mickey Strang likes bone-in pork shoulder because she can combine it with a few other ingredients in a Dutch oven and then forget about it until dinnertime. She serves this spicy pork with rice and beans. To peel the...

Warm winter favorites: readers' recipes tested in Sunset's kitchens.(Food)(spinach timable)
December 1, 2003... Spinach Timbale Nancy Nachman Silverman learned to make this custardy baked spinach dish from Marie-Blanche de Broglie, a Parisian cooking teacher. You can assemble it through step 2 up to a day ahead; cover and chill. Bake chilled mixture...

Frosty lemon martini.(Food)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... PREP TIME: About 10 minutes NOTES: Look for lemon-flavored vodka and liqueur (such as the Italian liquore di limoni) in well-stocked supermarkets and liquor stores. For extra frostiness, put sugar-rimmed glasses in the freezer for 7 to 8...

Cocktail hour: entertain in style with the ice-cold tang of martinis and oysters.(Food)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Lately, it seems as if every chic restaurant offers its own house cocktail, together with that quintessential sophisticated appetizer, oysters on the half-shell. But who wants to battle the crowds at the hippest oyster bar in town? Move the...

Crab in season: a Mendocino expedition yields fresh, simple Dungeness dishes.(Food)
December 1, 2003... We set out in search of crab aboard El Patron, which nosed away from the Rumblefish dock in Noyo Fishing Center, then lifted its prow into the white mist to plow past the black cliffs of Northern California's Mendocino coast. Mountainous swells...

More than just our home.(Western Wanderings)(Rancho Camulos)
December 1, 2003... There's more traffic on State 126 than there used to be. But turn off the highway east of Piru, California, and walk down the gravel path, past the black walnut so ancient its limbs are propped up with metal crutches. There's the old house with...