In Spain I’ve had octopus, and in Sweden I’ve eaten reconstituted lutefisk, but heart is a dish I’ve never encountered in any of my travels. Last Saturday, however, that changed. After morning errands at the Westside Farmers Market, I stopped in at El Salchichero, where it warmed my heart to find that I don’t have to cross any geographical boundaries to leave my comfort zone and embark on a gastronomic adventure. When butcher Chris LaVeque told me what organs they had for sale, I couldn’t resist buying a pig heart. For $3 per pound it was an excellent deal and made a delectable dinner for three—but not necessarily a simple one.
News
Ten Questions for Don Rothman
The retired UCSC writing professor and author of a new book of photography talks about Walnut Avenue, his pet peeves and the lessons of grandparenting.
PLATED: March Madness
Even a quick glimpse at the Westside Farmers Market last Saturday convinced me that spring really is about to, well, spring. There’s nothing like baby shallots and leeks—for example the splendid lineup at Dirty Girl Farm’s well-stocked stand—to convince any foodie that new ingredients are blossoming in our local organic fields.
The Return of Peter Murphy
Vampiric figures traditionally recoil from the spotlight, but Peter Murphy may be a reluctant exception. The musician who most embodies vampire iconography in his stage persona has long demonstrated a conflicted relationship with fame. Peter Murphy’s mark on goth rock history is undeniable: anybody who spent their teenage years adorned in flowing robes and black eyeliner can identify the former Bauhaus front man at the first note of his sepulchral baritone. Murphy’s solo work, while not as immediately recognizable, is full of goth night anthems. Such infamy would seem counter to Murphy’s reclusive nature—a trait demonstrated by his choice to relocate to Turkey in the early ‘90s—but Murphy remains visible on his own terms.
Students Seek Ethnic Studies Major
With Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget proposal on the table, higher public education is looking at a likely cut of $1.4 billion dollars—$500 million of which is slated to come from the University of California system. Protests took place across the state on March 2 in the second annual National Day of Action for Public Education. While building occupations and arrests were made at other campuses, UC-Santa Cruz remained peaceful—although hardly silent.
Safeguarding The Waves
Surfing and non-surfing Santa Cruzans alike can now rest easy knowing that the 7-mile stretch of cliff between Natural Bridges and Opal Cliffs, home to legendary Steamer Lane, the Hook and the grom-friendly waves at Cowells, are protected. Kind of. Santa Cruz was officially declared a World Surf Reserve in an announcement made Feb. 24 by the Davenport-based Save the Waves Coalition, which is responsible for bestowing the largely ceremonial honor.
Patient Care Coming Under Fire
The Santa Cruz Skilled Nursing Center may be the largest nursing home in the county, but under its previous owners, it was faced with 21 complaints over patient care. Things have improved considerably since Nazareth Healthcare took over the facility, and its rating has been raised from one star to two. Nevertheless, a new complaint filed with the California Department of Public Health is raising questions as to whether things have really improved beyond the visible building renovations.
The Cost of Desalination
At a meeting of the city of Santa Cruz Water Commission, the price for a new desalination plant was given as $99 million—and that was just the largest of several major water projects that the commission voted on for the next three years. The total cost of all the projects is $120 million.
Adventure Out: Keepers of The Flame
We muster at 10 o’clock under the redwoods outside Boulder Creek on a Saturday morning in February, 19 people shivering in our fleece and sweatshirts around a smoky fire. We are here to learn basic wilderness survival—how to keep ourselves alive in the elements in case someday, somehow, things go terribly wrong. With slide show.
Drunken Woman Rescued from Cliff
The excitement began on Sunday morning, when families living along the cliff near the Boardwalk trestle heard desperate calls for help.
