Columnists

Before I formally begin this edition of The Flavor Chronicle, I would like to share with you that Sunday is the 53rd annual Morgan Hill Haru Matsuri (spring festival), which starts at 11 a.m. This is one of my favorite local festivals where you are surrounded by an abundance and variety of wonderful Japanese foods. Some of the food items include udon, sushi, manju and, of course, the much sought after and well-known chicken teriyaki boxes. If you don't already have plans for this Sunday, consider a visit and bring your appetite.

According to census data, Morgan Hill is a prosperous community. Even the casual observer will notice the million dollar homes lining many streets and expensive luxury cars choking parking lots.

Last month I got as close to heaven as any oenophile has ever been. I’m not much of a camper, but when Matt Levy, public relations and marketing manager, invited me to attend Camp Schramsberg, a three-day sparkling wine seminar at Schramsberg Vineyards in Calistoga, I jumped at the chance. Schramsberg Vineyards has been producing sparkling wine since 1965 when they became the first U.S. producer to use Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes in the méthode champenoise (where a secondary fermentation occurs while the wine is in the bottle - thus producing bubbles). These sparkling wines are so good that in 1972, the Blanc de Blancs was served at the historic “Toast to Peace” in Beijing, between President Richard Nixon and Premier Zhou Enlai. To this day, Schramsberg’s wines are still being served in the White House.

It was bad enough that, to avoid the looming April 15 tax filing deadline, I was forced to gather up receipts for my annual sacrificial offering to the tax gods by pawing through my well-designed, er … highly functional … ummm … OK, dubious “filing system.” (Hey – I’m running out of shoeboxes over here!)

Q: Michael, our 1-year-old pomeranian mutt, has a few extra teeth. The vet tells us that he never lost some of his baby teeth. Now they want to pull out all of those extra teeth, and I wonder if this is really all that necessary. Should we go along with the vet’s plan? Or can Michael live with a few extra enamels in his mouth?

Our local movie theaters – Gilroy Platinum Theater and Morgan Hill CineLux - are a couple of my favorite places to spend my extra time (and money). There’s just something about sitting in a darkened theater with a group of friends - and strangers - eyes glued to the big screen, laughing or crying or jumping out of our seats.

Gilroy High School’s recent production of the beloved musical “Annie” deserves accolades. Director Ethan Stocks created a tight, fresh production enhanced with choreography by Hilary Little, an outstanding orchestra prepared by Greg Grant, and a cast of talented actors.

It was warm and sunny at San Jose's Alum Rock Park last Friday. At 11:45 a.m., a group of more than 50 people, varying in age from children in strollers to seniors with canes and including four clergymembers, gathered in the uppermost parking lot. They could have been there for a picnic.