College of the Desert Street Fair

For locals and visitors to our desert, one of the more popular weekly attractions is the College of the Desert Street Fair. It features a broad range of items for sale, from established businesses, individuals or entrepreneurs with nifty gadgets. Cousin Peg was planning to go on Saturday so I asked to tag along. She had clearly been a number of times, and knew to get there before 8 am while it was still empty. After a quick overview of the map, we made our way through the rows and rows of tented vendors, selling their wares. I like open-air markets. The rows of tall, majestic date palm trees soared overhead, framing the street fair against the morning blue sky. I suppose its sort of a high-class swap meet. It's all new merchandise, and all the vendors have their tax licenses clearly posted. Many accept charge cards too, which makes it handy. Several of the vendors recognized cousin Peg, which indicated that either the same ones are there each weekend, or Peg sure does a lot of shopping. Probably both. (Jennifer, you'll have to weigh in on that). There is plenty of food to eat, and things to interest men, women and children alike, To tempt and tantalize you I thought I'd show a few photos to give you an idea of the type of stuff at the street fair:

above: Woven baskets, Oriental rugs & paintings

above: live musicians, harpist and pan flute. Each selling copies of their CDs.

above: Belly Dancer tops, and Bob's Belts

above: fresh produce: fruits, vegetables, and locally grown dates and strawberries too.

above: Garden water fountains and golf carts

above: Textiles (pillows, tablecloths, napkins) and garlic pressers

above: Mirrors, wall hangings and all kinds of original art.

So if you are wondering if there is stuff to do in the Palm Springs area, fear not. Take it from The Palm Springs Savant. The College of the Desert Street Fair is worth the trip. Just remember to go early before its too crowded, or too hot!
-Rick Rockhill

Help the Homeless: Save StreetWise Magazine

I was reading the Chicago Tribune online and was disturbed to read that StreetWise magazine is in danger of going out of business. As a former Chicagoan, I purchased StreetWise every week because it was a way to help the homeless who were trying to help themselves. I picked up this information below from their website:

StreetWise is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to empower men and women who currently are, or at risk of becoming homeless. StreetWise accomplishes this mission by publishing a weekly magazine which is sold to these men and women and they in turn sell it on the street for a profit. The publication is not a hand-out, but rather an opportunity for these vendors to become financially self-sufficient through gainful employment. StreetWise was founded in 1991 and has become a staple reading of the Chicago streets.

How it All Works:

It costs StreetWise 35 cents to print an edition of the magazine, which it sells to homeless vendors for 75 cents. The homeless vendors sell copies on the street for $2. With the money StreetWise keeps, the non-profit provides job placement and counseling services to its homeless vendors. With the economy in it's current state, anyone could become homeless, so organizations like StreetWise are important to maintain.

They Need Your Help

Please consider making a donation to StreetWise from their website. Any amount will help. Click HERE to make a donation to StreetWise. Remember they are a registered non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization, so your donation is tax-deductible. I'm hoping I can get 20 of my readers to donate $20 to them. Any chance you can go check it out? Thanks

-Rick Rockhill

36 Hours In Palm Springs: An Article From the New York Times

The following article appeared in the New York Times on Sunday April 12th. I am sharing the article, with full credit to their writer and the New York Times newspaper. By ERICA CERULO, Originally Published: April 12, 2009
PALM SPRINGS was once the miles-from-Hollywood getaway; a place for '60s movers and shakers to eat, drink and sunbathe poolside while they awaited calls from studio execs. Today, after some hard-earned changes, the desert town nestled in the Coachella Valley is becoming a destination for laid-back cool once again. Palm Springs is finding a balance between the past and the present and attracting visitors just as happy climbing canyons and sipping cocktails on a lounge chair as taking in the design and architectural treasures of the past.

1) CRUISING ON TWO WHEELS
Because of its modest size, Palm Springs can easily be experienced over a couple days, or even a few hours. Start your trip with a self-guided bike tour. Big Wheel Tours (760-802-2236; http://www.bwbtours.com/) rents bicycles starting at $30 a day (plus $25 for pickup and delivery; bike and hiking tours are available). Free maps are available at the Palm Springs Visitors Center (777 North Palm Canyon Drive; 760-778-8418; http://www.palm-springs.org/). To scope out the dramatic terrain and local hot spots, pedal the Downtown Loop, which can be done in less than an hour, or the 10-mile Citywide Loop that takes you past the Moorten Botanical Gardens.
7 p.m.

2) AUSTRIA AND BEYOND
At Johannes (196 South Indian Canyon Drive; 760-778-0017; http://www.johannesrestaurants.com/), the chef Johannes Bacher bills the food as modern Austrian, combining classic Central European specialties like spaetzle and sauerkraut with decidedly borrowed ingredients and flavors, ranging from polenta to wasabi. But one of the best dishes is also the most traditional: a heaping plate of Wiener schnitzel with parsley potatoes, cucumber salad and cranberry compote ($26).
9:30 p.m.

3) PARTYING POOLSIDE
Back when Frank Sinatra held raucous shindigs at his Twin Palms home, Palm Springs was known for its party scene. These days, the best drinking establishments are in hotels. The white stucco exterior of the Colony Palms Hotel (572 North Indian Canyon Drive; 760-969-1800; http://www.colonypalmshotel.com/) conceals a welcoming hideaway with stone walkways, towering palms and, when needed, patio heaters. At the buzzing restaurant Purple Palm, ask to be seated by the pool and order a plate of Humboldt Fog chèvre, organic honey and local dates ($11) with your drink to top off the night.
Saturday
9:30 a.m.

4) A MODERNIST MECCA
Along with the moneyed 20th-century tourists came eye-catching buildings: hotels, commercial spaces and vacation homes. Next to a hopping Starbucks on the main drag sits one of the city's oldest architectural touchstones: a concrete bell tower salvaged from the long-gone Oasis Hotel, which was designed by Lloyd Wright (son of Frank) in 1924. This spot is also where Robert Imber, the often seersucker-clad architectural guru and one-man show behind PS Modern Tours (760-318-6118; psmoderntours@aol.com), starts his three-hour excursions, which provide a survey of the city's key structures with a focus on the midcentury sweet spot. For $75 a head, design enthusiasts can press their faces against the windows of Mr. Imber's minivan, catching glimpses of the iconic Albert Frey-designed Tramway Gas Station, Richard Neutra's 1946 Kaufmann Desert House and the mass-produced but stunning Alexander homes that your guide identifies by pointing out the four key components — “garage, breezeway, windows, wall” — in their various arrangements.
1 p.m.

5) CHIC CHEEK
The wait for brunch at Cheeky's (622 North Palm Canyon Drive; 760-327-7595; http://www.cheekysps.com/) should be a tip-off: the bright, streamlined space, which opened in January and feels airlifted from L.A. — in a good way — has quickly become popular. The “devils on horseback” sandwich (dates, prosciutto, Gorgonzola and watercress on a baguette for $9) shares space on the menu with custardy scrambled eggs ($9) and roasted brussels sprouts ($10) — all of which should be washed down with an agua fresca ($3).
3 p.m.

6) USED GOODS
After eating, stroll the adjacent blocks on Palm Canyon Drive, a strip that's terrific for high-end vintage shopping, if a little dangerous for those who quickly reach for their credit cards. Among the many stores that focus on better-with-age décor, just a few have mastered the art of curating. At a La MOD (768 North Palm Canyon Drive; 760-327-0707; http://www.alamod768.com/), nearly 70 percent of the merchandise, which is heavy on Lucite and lighting, is sourced locally, according to the shop's owners. Across the street, Modern Way (745 North Palm Canyon Drive; 760-320-5455; http://www.psmodernway.com/) stocks an eclectic collection of larger pieces like Arthur Elrod couches, Verner Panton cone chairs and Hans Olsen dining sets. For something you can actually take home, head down to Bon Vivant in the Palm Canyon Galleria (457 North Palm Canyon Drive, No. 3; 760-534-3197; http://www.gmcb.com/) where the store's charming proprietors make you feel like a genuine collector for purchasing an $18 engraved brass vase or a $5 tie clip.
5 p.m.

7) STAY SILLY
At the perky Palm Springs Yacht Club, at the Parker Palm Springs hotel (4200 East Palm Canyon Drive; 760-770-5000; http://www.theparkerpalmsprings.com/) playful spa offerings include the Wringer ($150), a deep-tissue rubdown best for pain-seekers, and the Matriarch ($150), a wrinkle-fighting facial. Even if the stay-young schtick gets to be too much (“We believe you can swim right after you eat” reads the spa's Web site), you can't complain about a pedicure that uses only animal-free products ($60) and will last for weeks.
8 p.m.

8) FRIEND OF THE HOUSE
Most of the favored area restaurants have an old-school vibe: tuxedoed waiters, a headwaiter who has worked there since opening day and steak-and-lobster specialties. Though the six-year-old Copley's on Palm Canyon (621 North Palm Canyon Drive; 760-327-9555; http://www.copleyspalmsprings.com/) might not have the culinary history of nearby Melvyn's Restaurant and Lounge, which opened as an inn in 1935, it has a different sort of storied past — it's housed in what was once Cary Grant's estate — and food that incorporates 21st-century flavors (the spring menu included dishes like a duck and artichoke salad with goat cheese, edamame and litchi; $12).
11 p.m.

9) TOASTING FRIENDS
The cocktail craze has made its way to the desert, and the guys manning the bar at the cavernous Amigo Room at the new Ace Hotel (701 East Palm Canyon Drive; 760-325-9900; www.acehotel.com/palmsprings) are leading the way. In addition to measuring, shaking and pouring classic concoctions like the margarita, they offer more offbeat options like the Figa (fig-infused vodka with Earl Grey and honey tangerine; $8) that reek of late-night innovation. The cool but mellow vibe — supplemented by décor featuring burgundy leather booths and glass tables with inlaid pesos — will keep you ordering.
Sunday
9 a.m.

10) GET CLOSE WITH CACTUS
Those looking for an early-morning calorie burn might prefer the uphill battles of Gastin or Araby Trail, but a hike through Tahquitz Canyon (500 West Mesquite Avenue; 760-416-7044; http://www.tahquitzcanyon.com/) offers a leisurely alternative. An entrance fee of $12.50 gets you access to a 1.8-mile loop and the sights and smells that come with it: desert plants, lizards aplenty and a stunning, 60-foot waterfall. Unless you have an intense interest in beavertail cactus and white sage, skip the two-hour ranger-led tours and explore the trail at your own pace.
THE BASICS
Getting from the New York area to Palm Springs generally requires a change of planes. Plenty of major airlines (Delta, American, US Airways, United, Northwest and Alaska Airlines) serve the city's centrally located airport. One-stop tickets from New York start as low as $240, according to a recent online search. You can also fly into Los Angeles or the lower-traffic Long Beach airport (nonstops from JetBlue starting at $219) and then drive to Palm Springs in about two hours.
The brand-new Ace Hotel (701 East Palm Canyon Drive; 760-325-9900; www.acehotel.com/palmsprings) is a chic and cheap option housed in a former Howard Johnson. Rooms are decorated with a local focus (think Southwestern rugs and egg-shaped rocking chairs). Some spaces have outdoor fireplaces or enclosed patios. Simple double rooms start at $89.
For Vegas-style glitz, check into the Riviera Resort & Spa (1600 North Indian Canyon Drive; 760-327-8311; http://www.psriviera.com/). Its 406 old-Hollywood-style rooms, which run $219 and up, sit on 24 acres that feature a huge pool fit for midday umbrella drinks.
If you're looking to avoid hubbub, turn to Korakia Pensione (257 South Patencio Road; 760-864-6411; http://www.korakia.com/), a favorite among the aesthetically inclined who started staying at this Moroccan- and Mediterranean-influenced hideaway (with weekend-morning yoga sessions) in the '90s. Rooms go for $194 and up.
Note that the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (http://www.coachella.com/) takes place over the weekend of April 17 just 23 miles from Palm Springs International Airport at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, Calif.

Now if that isn't reason enough to come visit Palm Springs, I don't know what is!

-Rick Rockhill

Great Grandma's Rice Pie Recipe for Easter

Growing up in an Italian family, Rice Pies were a traditional treat we thoroughly enjoyed every year- but strangely only once per year. Recipes for Rice Pie vary slightly by geographic area of Italy or by family tradition, but they always include the basics of white rice, sugar, ricotta cheese, milk and lemon. I can remember my great-grandmother making what seemed like dozens of her rice pies, one for every grandchild and their family. We would stop by her house sometime around Good Friday and pick up one of the treasured pies. After her passing, various members of the family continued the tradition within the family; my own mom made them a number of times as well. For some reason, it took me 41 years to make my own rice pies for Easter. I called my mom for the recipe, and she recounted how my great-grandmother explained the recipe from memory. Mom listened to her alternately use English and Italian to recite each ingredient and approximate quantities. You start by rinsing white rice- preferably soaking it overnight. Then partially cook it in water until it absorbs the water but is still somewhat hard.

then add COLD milk, sugar, cinnamon sticks and a whole lemon, cut into quarters. Cook until the rice has absorbed it. (While the rice is cooking, make the dough for the crust and chill so it is ready later on.)

Continue stirring the rice/milk/cinnamon/lemon mixture periodically on low heat so the milk doesn't burn. Once it is fully cooked, remove the lemons and cinnamon sticks and allow to cool.

In a separate bowl, mix the seven large eggs with the Ricotta cheese. Fold into the fully cooked rice.

Pour the combined egg/ricotta/rice mixture into the pie crust. Bake at 350-375 for at least one hour, but it will probably take an hour and 15 minutes total.

I had some left over dough to add strips on top of one of the two pies I made, but not enough for a criss-cross effect. They can be served room temperature the first day, after they have cooled down, but must remain refrigerated after that.

Great Grandma's Rice Pie Recipe (see instructions above)

Crust Dough:

1 1/2 cups flour

3 eggs

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons olive oil

Rice Mixture:

1 lb white rice (first soak, then partially cook in water)

1 quart of milk

3 cinnamon sticks

1 whole lemon

4 tablespoons sugar

After the above is cooked until thick, chill.

Ricotta Mixture:

1 pound of Ricotta Cheese

7 Large Eggs

Add 2 more eggs and 3 tablespoons of sugar

Fold into the chilled cooked rice mixture

Bake for 75 minutes at 350-375

The nice thing about these rice pies is that they are very nourishing and can be enjoyed as a dessert, or even with coffee in the morning. I'm glad I made my rice pies for Easter this year. Even though I wasn't with my family, I had a taste of my childhood right here in Palm Springs. Thanks for the recipe, Mom, these are for great-grandma!

-Rick Rockhill

Sunday Art Review: Fabergé Easter Eggs

Happy Easter to you! As I was enjoying one of my Easter chocolate cream eggs, I found inspiration for today's Sunday Art Review: Fabergé Easter Eggs. For those of you who may not be aware, Fabergé eggs are exquisite works of art created by Peter Carl Fabergé and his assistants between 1885 and 1917. They were initially made for the Russian Imperial Royal Family, presented to Czars Nicholas II and Alexander III. They were made of valuable metals like gold and platinum and are adorned with gem stones and decorated with various enamels. Made with exquisite detail and precision, they included tiny "surprises" inside, matching the various themes of each egg. The original 50 produced for the Imperial Family have had a storied history, and 8 remain missing to this day, undoubtedly sold on the black market. Fabergé eggs are a symbol of luxury and are true masterpieces of a jeweller's art. I thought this would make for an unusual subject for the Sunday Art Review, I hope you enjoy these:

Here's one from the private collection of The Palm Springs Savant:

above: It may not be one of the original 50 Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs, but it is a cherished item in my private art collection nonetheless. Thanks for stopping by the Sunday Art Review: Fabergé Easter Eggs. Hope you have a joyous Easter!

-Rick Rockhill

The Saturday Seven: Favorite Easter Candy

Today I found inspiration from my Easter basket for this week's scintillating edition of The Saturday Seven: Favorite Easter Candy. Regular readers know that I am a chocolate fanatic..it is one of my personal pleasures, and is synonymous with all major holidays. (Easter wouldn't be Easter, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas, etc). It went back to when I was a little kid, when the local candy shops on the East coast called Fanny Farmer were where my family bought the holiday candy. I can remember being a little kid and going to the Fanny Farmer Candy Shop downtown for an ice cream cone. It was always a special trip for me. Years later when I worked for the Chicago based Fannie May Candy Shops I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I had true reverence for the candy business, and enjoyed the seasonal aspects of each holiday. Easter was no exception. Thus the topic for this week's Saturday Seven: Favorite Easter Candy:

#1 Marshmallow Eggs- hands down my favorite. I love how they melt in my mouth.

#2 Cream Eggs- the fruit and nut and dark vanilla cream are so delicious.

#3 Jelly Beans- Made with Pectin means they are good for you (really).

#4 Foil Wrapped Milk Chocolate Eggs- so smooth n creamy!

#5 Foil Wrapped Bunnies- For some reason they taste different from the eggs...

#6 Solid Chocolate Rabbits- Dark or Milk Chocolate, you have to bite the ears off first, everybody knows that!

#7 Carmel Pecan Fudge Egg- Its a perfect combination of flavors, and perfect to slice off a piece at a time to savor it.

Well that's my list of favorite Easter Candy. What do you like? Go ahead, leave a comment. Oh and by the way, Happy Easter to you.

-Rick Rockhill

Philatelic Friday: Stamps of Easter

Since today is Good Friday, this week's theme for Philatelic Friday is Stamps of Easter. There aren't a great number of official government issued stamps with an Easter motif, but I was able to dig up a few on the Internet. Without question, Easter is my favorite holiday. For spiritual reasons, it is a time of rebirth, a time to reflect on oneself. Seasonally, Easter is synonymous with Spring, flowers blooming, and chocolate eggs. Speaking of flowers blooming, my favorite Easter flowers are white lilies, hyacinths and tulips, what about you? Well let's take a look at these Easter postage stamps, now shall we? Above left is from Slovensko, 2004.

above: Hungary eggs

above: Romania, Easter Bunny

above: Slovensko Egg, 2009

That's all for this week's edition of Philatelic Friday. Thanks for stopping by today.

-Rick Rockhill