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That quintessential romantic holiday is here and you know your significant other wants a romantic meal with you. But you’ve put off making reservations, can’t cook and are thinking “I don’t know how to do any of that stuff!” Well, guess what? It’s not that difficult. I have a plan for you.
I am by far not the most romantic man around (and my wife agrees since she let that through the editing process) but I have a book on hold right now all about making romantic meals.
How does a guy like me who isn’t the most romantic man in the world write a book about making
romantic meals? Because I know the secret.
It’s not a matter of knowing how to make rose petal crepes with crème fraise (pronounced krem fresh) that you think your significant other is hoping you make, but a matter of you showing that you were thinking about them.
In some relationships that may be as simple as making a bowl of corn flakes and serving it in bed. That’s it, sometimes. It isn’t that your significant other wants you to make something extravagant, but rather that you make it yourself with them in mind; truly, THAT is the most romantic meal.
Every relationship is different. My wife actually has become accustomed to my odd way of looking at the world and now feels all warm and fuzzy when she is called “scary,” or told that she has “minnow eyes,” “kelp hair,” or “dolphin lips.” Really! Those are compliments! Oh, and I call her “Moose.” OK, actually I call her “Mousse” because she's sweet and fluffy and light ... Get it?
My world is a far more interesting place (“Babylon 5” reference for the nerds) than most people may be used to, but my wife has adapted to it. That’s one of the reasons people may not completely understand the nature of some of my columns, because I see things differently than most people and need some getting used to.
Today I’m not going to give you the history of St. Valentine’s Day since you aren’t going to be making any points by gazing across the table at each other and saying, “It is believed that Valentine’s Day
was created by early Christians as a way to supersede the pagan holiday of Lupercalia, just like they did with Christmas and Saturnalia ...”
The idea that you should keep in your mind is that today is the day that your significant other wants you to be thinking about them first, not the trivia of an early Christian saint. That is, unless you’re my niece Elizabeth, but she’s freakishly smart.
If you remember the classic American movie “Dr. Detroit,” starring Dan Aykroyd, there’s a scene that illustrates my tip for the day.
In a pinch for a dinner party, they took fast food fried chicken, coated it in an Indian curry sauce and pretended that the meal was catered. This type of deception – no, we’ll call it resourceful meal creation – isn’t something you can really pull off with well known fast food unless you are really good at it.
That’s not to say you can’t work around the basic idea. Try this: get a roasted whole chicken from the deli center at the grocery store (plain, lemon garlic, rosemary, it doesn’t matter), some pistachios, raspberry jam, a basting brush, steam-in-the-bag frozen vegetables, and a freshly baked loaf of French
bread.
When you get home, shell about twenty pistachios and chop or smash the nuts into small pieces, mix them with about half a cup of the raspberry jam, then mix in a little water or even soda so it has a
paint-like consistency.
Throw the vegetables in the microwave according to the instructions.
Now using the basting brush, lightly paint the jelly/nut mixture all over the chicken (raspberries and pistachios are both rumored to be aphrodisiacs). Serve the vegetables in a bowl, carve the chicken and
cut the bread at the table. Voila! A beautiful unique meal, just for your sweetie. Candles lit on the table will put you over the top.
Whether you are a guy or a girl preparing for a guy or a girl, this simple little throw-together is just impressive enough and has a unique enough of a flavor to impress. Tah dah!
If you aren’t able to have dinner with them, you can surprise them sometime with bringing a picnic lunch to their workplace. Tell your significant other the day before that you want to have lunch with them and make an appointment for when you will show up.
The day of your lunch simply go to the deli and pack up on sandwiches, potato salad, salads, bottled soda or water, and be sure to ask the deli person for some plastic utensils and plates (they usually have some, get extras for serving). Throw in a blanket to set up on, and you’re set to go.
You don’t even need to have a special picnic basket. Don’t bring any alcohol; you don’t want to cause any trouble with the boss.
Show up about 15 minutes early and set it up where coworkers can see but you won’t be in the way. Keep anything like napkins or paper plates weighted down or kept in the bag so they don’t accidentally
blow away with the next breeze. I did this for my wife once and her coworkers talked about it enviously for weeks.
It’s that easy. So go out an impress your significant other and have a Happy Valentine’s Day.
Ross A. Christensen is an award-winning gardener and gourmet cook. He is the author of "Sushi A to Z, The Ultimate Guide" and is currently working on a new book. He has been a public speaker for many years and enjoys being involved in the community. Follow him on Twitter, http://twitter.com/Foodiefreak .
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The crash occurred at around 5:30 p.m. on Highway 29 near the S-Bar-S Ranch, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Full details about the number of vehicles involved and the number of injured parties were not immediately available, however a Chevrolet Suburban and a Ford Crown Victoria were reportedly involved, based on the CHP reports from the scene.
The CHP reported that some subjects – including a small child – were trapped inside one of the vehicles involved.
Highway 29's northbound lane was diverted at Red Hills Road from Kit's Corner, the CHP report said.
A helicopter was requested to come to the scene, and the CHP said there were children involved in the crash transported to Sutter Lakeside Hospital and a driver was transported to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.
Tow trucks were called to help remove the vehicles from the scene, the CHP reported.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
The quake occurred at 9:50 a.m., according to the US Geological Survey. Its epicenter was located one mile east northeast of The Geysers, four miles west southwest of Cobb and six miles west northwest of Anderson Springs at a depth of 1.2 miles.
US Geological Survey records showed that the quake was followed by five smaller aftershocks – ranging in size from 0.6 to 2.1 in magnitude – within about seven minutes, and all located within a mile of The Geysers.
The last earthquake measuring 3.0 in magnitude or above in Lake County was reported Jan. 30 two miles north of The Geysers, and measured 3.6 in magnitude, as Lake County News has reported.
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Reports of a noxious odor in a Clearlake neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon led to the discovery of a naturally occurring release of gases including hydrogen sulfide, as Lake County News has reported.
The Lake County Air Quality Management District (LCAQMD) conducted initial testing of air samples at a site located in a vacant lot where the gas was observed to be venting from a hole in the soil.
Calpine Corp. environmental staff provided additional laboratory testing of the vent gases, according to the report from Lake County's Environmental Health and Public Health departments.
Testing revealed the presence of hydrogen sulfide at levels capable of causing adverse health effects, officials said.
In addition to LCAQMD, Lake County Fire Protection District, city of Clearlake Police Department and Public Works Department, and Lake County Health Services all responded to the site.
Many residents of the neighborhood in Clearlake are familiar with the periodic venting of geothermal gases, the report stated.
The noticeable increase is the consequence of saturation of the soil by recent heavy rains, causing gases that are normally present in low concentrations in the soil to collect in pockets and release to the surface through any available channel. This concentration of the gases can be seen as a bubbling in the soil and can be detected as a rotten-egg or skunky odor.
The gases are comprised of a mixture that includes hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide and methane.
Hydrogen sulfide is known to produce a range of harmful health effects depending on its concentration and the duration of exposure. In addition, venting of the gases to an enclosed space can be dangerous by displacing oxygen necessary for breathing.
Responders to the Clearlake incident near Robinson Avenue and Division Street conducted air sampling at the site of the initially discovered vent. Hydrogen sulfide levels were found to be significantly elevated at the source, with levels that would be expected to cause eye and respiratory tract irritation and potentially more serious effects with prolonged exposure over hours.
Temporary measures were taken to reduce the release by covering the site with plastic sheeting, which reduced the hydrogen sulfide levels in the immediate area to less than half of the initial measurements. Levels taken at the closest home, approximately 60 feet from the site were only 1 percent to 2 percent of the original level at the source.
Residents in the immediate vicinity of the gas release were notified and advised to consider precautionary evacuation on a voluntary basis.
With assistance from the American Red Cross, one family was housed in a local hotel, officials reported.
Additional air sampling over a wider area, including Burns Elementary School, was conducted early Thursday morning. There were no detectable levels of hydrogen sulfide at the school.
A Public Health advisory also was distributed to residents in the areas impacted by the geothermal gas release.
Since hydrogen sulfide gas can produce symptoms, the health advisory encouraged residents of the affected neighborhood with recent, unexplained onset of irritation of the eyes, nose or throat, difficulty breathing or worsened asthma, headaches, poor attention span or poor memory to see their doctor for evaluation.
Young children and people with existing medical conditions are generally considered more susceptible to the adverse effects of this type of exposure. Staying away from the source of exposure is the recommended prevention and treatment.
As of mid-day Thursday, air samples from approximately 50 feet away from the geothermal vent showed essentially little to no detectable levels of hydrogen sulfide. Although levels may fluctuate slightly, these findings provide reassurance that significant exposure can be avoided by simply staying at least 50 feet away from the vent site, reducing the level of concern for households in the area.
Later in the day, with the assistance of Calpine engineers, a filtering device was installed to filter the escaping gas.
Following installation of the device, the filtered air showed no detectable hydrogen sulfide. This device will remain in place as long as necessary and will continue to be monitored by appropriate agencies.
With the filtering device in place, concerns about exposure of neighborhood residents largely subsided, but responders remain at the scene and are currently reassessing some leakage of gas that has been detected adjacent to the filtering device, officials reported.
Multiple agencies continue to monitor the area and, though the initial vent area has been capped, additional vents may be present.
Additional measures may be necessary if significant vents or large areas of gas release occur.
This seasonal release of naturally occurring gases is a temporary situation that is expected to resolve once the soil is no longer saturated with water, according to the report.
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CLEARLAKE – For the last day and a half local health and public safety officials have been working to put safety measures in place in response to a natural hydrogen sulfide leak discovered in a Clearlake neighborhood.
The leak was found in an empty lot off of Division Avenue between Pearl and Uhl avenues late Wednesday, according to Doug Gearhart, Lake County's air pollution control officer.
Work continued throughout the day on Thursday to put equipment in place that would help diminish the problem, Gearhart said.
On Thursday evening, Gearhart and crews were finishing up operations to mitigate the leak, which was giving off a very strong sulfur smell reminiscent of a truckload of rotten eggs.
In addition to Gearhart from Lake County Air Quality Management, officials working to install the equipment and manage the scene included Lake County Fire Protection Battalion Chief Willie Sapeta, Clearlake Police Chief Allan McClain and some of his officers, Environmental Health Director Ray Ruminski, Clearlake Public Works Director Doug Herren, as well as Office of Emergency Services and Lake County Public Health staff.
Ruminski estimated there were eight homes within 200 feet of the leak.
“Nobody's in acute danger at this point,” he said.
Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless but highly flammable gas that is emitted by volcanoes and hots springs. An Occupational Health and Safety Administration fact sheet on the gas explains that it is heavier than air and collects in low-lying, poorly ventilated areas, and is both an irritant and an asphyxiant.
Such leaks aren't uncommon in Lake County, which owes its geothermal resources to the volcanic forces underneath the ground that emit such gases. Ruminski said it's part of the landscape, and it's one of the reasons why Lake County and surrounding areas have mineral springs.
Ruminski said that in an industrial setting like the geothermal operations at The Geysers, there are occupational health and safety staff who manage gases like hydrogen sulfide on a routine basis.
In certain concentrations, hydrogen sulfide can be poisonous, and when strong enough “it's very, very dangerous,” said Ruminski.
Ruminski said there was a similar incident of a natural hydrogen sulfide leak in the Clearlake area several years ago.
In that instance, a family with small children found the gas entering their home, he said.
He added, “They never did go back in that particular case.”
Gearhart said there are many such vents around Clear Lake giving off hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide and methane.
“This is the first one strong enough to be considered a health hazard,” Gearhart said.
Ground saturation had sealed the natural fissures through which the gas normally escapes, Gearhart said. So the gas ended up moving laterally until it could find a spot to get out, doing so in a concentrated fashion.
He said they made a gravel cone – which they later covered with soil – to help direct the gas through the vent, which was a large white pipe with a charcoal filter on the top. Ruminski called it a “scrubber system.”
A small, battery-operated fan that can run for weeks at a time exerts a slight negative pressure that is helping draw out the gas, Gearhart explained. A venting hose was placed so that it ran up a nearby power pole.
“We're creating an easy spot for the gas to come out,” he said.
By late Thursday the rotten egg smell was still extremely strong, but Gearhart said, “This is really good for what it was.”
The equipment setup at the Division Avenue site is considered a short-term measure, Gearhart said.
“The is a temporary thing but we don't know how long it will be needed,” he added.
By summer he said the ground will be dry and the gas will start moving out of natural fissures again.
The readings were zero after the equipment was in place, Gearhart said.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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