Favorite things to do
photo: lena ringstad
Cooking
My other passion – cooking. If there’s something that I can chop, dice, sauteé, braise, roast, bake or broil, I’m in! In my studio, you’ll usually find the Food Network running on TV. My favorite holidays are Thanksgiving and Christmas when I get to spend a couple days cooking for everyone. These are some of my favorite food and cooking sites.
cooksillustrated.com
finecooking.com
kitchendaily.com
foodtv.com
KPCC/NPR
The news and information on NPR, I find to be some of the best on the radio, but the human stories are like no other. Local shows like ‘Off Ramp’ showcase the best and most interesting aspects of Los Angeles, ‘The Story’ with Dick Gordon gives us an in depth look at current events through people’s experiences and ‘Wait Wait, Don’t Tell Me’ is one of the funniest things on radio – IMHO. And, for you iPhone users – KPCC – there’s an app for that! I love it. When I travel (even internationally) KPCC is always ready to go!
Descanso Gardens
Descanso Gardens is probably one of my very favorite places to visit, especially in the spring. They plant thousands of tulips and other annuals. When they explode it’s a carpet of color that is like no other. At the same time of year the lilacs in the garden fill the air and the camellia forest is ablaze with millions of blossoms. Unbelievable!
descansogardens.org
Scuba Diving
Hollywood Divers in Los Angeles is where I learned how to Dive and truly discovered how magical it is beneath the sea. All great guys, great deals and GREAT dives!
Hummingbirds
Since I was a kid and spent hours watching hummingbirds feed outside my Great Grandparents’ window, I’ve been fascinated by the wonderful birds. They way they seem to float effortlessly, suspended in mid-air. The fact that their wings beat about 50 times each second and their little hearts can beat upwards of 1200 beats per minute is beyond my comprehension. To me, they’re magic.
Big Bear, CA
Among my favorite places to spend time is Big Bear, CA. We try to get there as often as possible. There’s decent skiing in the winter, a stunning lake with great fishing and boating and more hiking than we could ever do. The mountains a stunningly beautiful all year long. It reminds me a lot of the Pacific Northwest where I grew up and being only a short two hour trip from LA, it’s a real treasure!