| SUNDAY ARTS CALENDAR
Wichita Military Gun & Collectibles Show, buy, sell, trade, free appraisals, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. today, Cessna Activity Center, 2744 S. George Washington Blvd. Admission $4, children 12-under free if accompanied by adult. Shrine Circus, 1:30 and 6 p.m. today, Kansas Coliseum, 85th North off I-135. Reserved seats $20; general admission $14, $5 children 2-12. Information, 316-755-1243. Shopportunity, exclusive shopping and fundraising event, noon-9 p.m. Tue., NewMarket Square, Maize Road and 21st. Tickets $25, available by calling 316-942-6300, ext. 271. West High School Car Show, 4-8 p.m. Wed., West High School, 820 S. Osage. Public invited to participate. Car registration fee $10. Spectators free. Call John Matzen, 316-973-3786, for information and registration form.
He cooks up his own way to honor grandfather
Nearly 10 years ago to the day - April 15, 1997 - Jesse Robinson Simms, then 18, was on the field at Shea Stadium, shoulder-to-shoulder with a cadre of luminaries that included President Clinton, taking part in a 50th anniversary celebration of the day his grandfather, Jackie Robinson, broke through major-league baseball's color barrier. At the time, Simms seemed on a path to be the first in the family to carry on his grandfather's athletic legacy. A 6-foot-3, 270-pound prep school football star from North Stamford, Conn., Simms had signed a letter of intent with UCLA, where Jackie had excelled in baseball, football and track and had met his wife, Rachel, Jesse's grandmother. The emotional attachment to UCLA was strong. Jesse never knew his grandfather, who died seven years before he was born, but he became well aware of his deeds through his mother, Sharon, Jackie's daughter, and his now-84-year-old grandmother, who helped raise him and still visits almost every weekend.
New downtown shop offers gourmet greatness
For fans of high-end food and gifts, Mawby's has a lot to offer. Just ask owner Chris Perry. "It's so difficult to describe, short of a book, what's in here," said Perry from within his downtown "Gourmet Luxury Lifestyle" shop on Barnard Street, which opened March 19. "People would ask me, 'What's Mawby's going to be?' I used to dread the question. There are so many unusual products. There's so much going on in the store, it's difficult to distill it into a short answer."For starters, Mawby's boasts gourmet food that customers can order for carry-out eating. A duck breast sandwich and buffalo meat burger highlight the unique menu offerings. "We're a restaurant with no seating," said Perry. "We're selling people gourmet food that they can take home with them."Then there's the imported cheeses, chocolates and desserts, and hard-to-find gift items | like antique Victorian-era flasks made of sterling silver and crocodile-skin from London, leather luggage and folding chairs from Africa and hand-made purses and cutlery.
Make Herbes de Provence
Herbes de Provence is a blend of several flavorful herbs. It originated in Provence, a region in the southeast of France bordering the Mediterranean that is rich in a vast variety of herbs and boasts a sophisticated culinary tradition. As in many such blends, there are a number of versions, with thyme, savory, rosemary and lavender common to most. The blend may not be readily available in the chain supermarkets; seek it out in some gourmet markets or on the Internet. Just more than an ounce costs around $6, plus shipping, on the Web. To make your own blend, you can get several recipes online. Here is one: Mix 1 teaspoon each dried thyme, ground rosemary, summer savory, marjoram and dried basil; ½ teaspoon each lavender (optional but traditional), dried sage and dried oregano; pinch fennel seeds; and 1 bay leaf, crumbled.
VB Boulevard Vino
I enjoy spending the odd afternoon visiting various wine shopspoking around among the offerings, looking for a bargain or something new. If you enjoy the pleasures of the bottle hunt like I do, then I recommend a visit to Grape & Gourmet (Loehmanns Plaza, 4000 Virginia Beach Boulevard, Suite 180, VB, 486-9463, www.grapeandgourmet.com) to enjoy some cellar time. Proprietors Kevin and Deborah Aylesworth left successful careers behind in Satellite Telecommunications to try their hand at something new. Their something new is really something special. A "clean, well-lighted place." No, not a Hemingwayesque bar, but an elegant and upscale wine shop, well-stocked with bottles from both the big-name vineyards, and smaller lesser-known boutique wineries. Like the wine you had at your favorite restaurant last Saturday night? Then Grape & Gourmet probably has it in stock.
Dogwood Festival ushers in a blooming season
Beverly Molander can picture the perfect day. People are just starting to wear shorts and T-shirts. The sun is shining brightly as the wind lazily blows, carrying the clean scent of blooming flowers and fresh cut grass. Throw in a few bags of kettle corn, an avenue of art vendors and all the merriment of the Dogwood Festival, and it's a recipe for one fine day.
"Doesn't that sound lovely?" said Molander, event manager for the festival.
Now in its 71st year, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival will be held this weekend, whether or not the forecast is as ideal as Molander pictures.
"I'd say 71 years is pretty commendable," Molander said. "I've been attending for, oh gee, years and years. It's an Atlanta tradition. When the Dogwood Festival is here, you know it is officially springtime."
Spread throughout Piedmont Park, the Dogwood Festival will bring together the best of the city's dining, music and arts scene.
Top gadgets for the kitchen
What technology gadgets do the experts love, or would love to have? CNN.com is asking experts in several fields about their favorite high-tech toys. This week, we asked the editors of Cooking Light magazine. (CNN) -- At Cooking Light magazine, we make a variety of dishes every day. And as much as we all appreciate good food, we also appreciate good help in the kitchen. Our editors and Test Kitchens professionals have tried all sorts of different handy kitchen gadgets, and these are some of our favorites: 1. Enrique Quintero Design Pocket Bar and Grill for iPod An iPod is known for storing a multitude of songs, but it can do more than provide a soundtrack for dinner. Now you can use your iPod to organize your favorite food and drink recipes.
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