Latest news with #Brenner
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Turn your kitchen into a taverna with these local Greek cookbooks
Just over a decade ago, Sharon Brenner moved to Athens and became enamored with the flavors and fragrances of Greece, the allure of fried dough drizzled with honey, the communal joys of sharing meze in a taverna late into the evening. The immigration attorney and food writer, now based back in Los Angeles, has written three self-published cookbooks to help share and recreate some of her experiences there. 'I felt like this country gave me so much, I really fell in love with it,' she said. 'A way to give back through food was to educate people about the country and their cuisine and the history, because it's all so intertwined.' Brenner, who is not Greek by descent, moved to Athens in 2014 with a then-boyfriend. Though their yearslong relationship ended almost as soon as they'd arrived — with Brenner's belongings still on a boat being shipped over — she chose to stay, and her love affair with the city bloomed. She worked remotely for an American law firm by day, and dove into the burgeoning community of food blogs in her off-time. She spent evenings sharing raki with friends in tavernas. The avid home cook began chronicling her own recipes online, and scouring the Greek markets for seasonal and new-to-her ingredients. She photographed her dishes with her cell phone. A year later, she bought a digital camera. Eventually she realized these recipes and photos could be compiled into a zine-like cookbook not to detail the breadth of Greek cuisine, but to provide a snapshot of her time there and inspire others to experience it. 'This was before Athens was as trendy as it is now and I felt like no one goes to Athens, or if they did, they stopped for a day on their way to the islands,' she said. 'It's this incredible city with all this artistic momentum and I thought it deserved its due. Any person you see in that book is my friend, any street you see is a street that I would walk normally. It was really [made] to holistically introduce people to the city, to encourage them to give it their attention.' When she returned to the U.S. in 2017, she finished her first self-published cookbook. 'Athena' debuted in 2020, and in 2022 she released a second run due to its popularity. She followed it with a digital cookbook, 'A Pie Project,' wherein she shared recipes for spinach pie, phyllo dough and other specialties. Then came 'Fry Day' — her latest — a cookbook devoted to all things golden and crunchy from a dunk in hot oil, and the kinds of dishes she missed eating there. 'How can I give cultural context and dispel stereotypes?' she asked of her work. 'Another thing I feel really strongly about in Greece — and I'm sure people from all over the world feel this way — is that people maybe know one dish from a country, and then they go there and they want to eat that dish. In Greece in particular, I felt like people would go to Greece and want to eat tzatziki and gyros and all these things that my friends aren't really eating on a daily basis.' A dish like horta — boiled greens with olive oil and lemon — is ubiquitous in Greece but fairly unknown in the U.S. in comparison. Brenner's cookbooks include recipes for recognizable dishes such as dolmadakia (stuffed grape leaves) and soutzoukakia (meatballs in tomato sauce), but also Cretan pasta with farmers cheese, a simple dish of pantzaria (roasted beets with garlic) and the comforting revithia (chickpea stew). During her first foray into cookbook publishing, she launched an intimate Greek dinner series in promotion. Athena Dinners took off. Friends, friends of friends, and total strangers gathered in art galleries, her own home and various other L.A. spaces for ticketed meals cooked by Brenner. Some served collaborative dinners from Brenner and local chefs such as Chainsaw's Karla Subero Pittol. She paused the dinner series in late 2023, hoping to revive it. Now that she and her husband are displaced due to January's Altadena Fire, Brenner is unsure of where or when it could return. Perhaps, she said, it might reappear in its more collaborative form, with local chefs and in a new space. She's also considering reprising her in-person, hands-on pie classes, teaching others by demonstrating just the right thinness of fresh phyllo dough stretched between her fingers. Making spinach pie, she said, is both therapeutic and a practice she hopes to constantly improve upon for the rest of her life. 'Since the fires, I obviously have been doing it a lot less,' Brenner said, 'but now that we're somewhat more stable, I've been making pie again, and I really missed it.' Brenner can be found popping up with her signature chocolate chip cookies — and occasionally her spinach pie — most often at neighborhood wine and culinary shop Altadena Bev. Her next appearance is June 7, and all three of her cookbooks can be purchased online. Eating out this week? Sign up for Tasting Notes to get our restaurant experts' insights and off-the-cuff takes on where they're dining right now. With a golden crust and drizzle of honey, these planks of sesame-coated Greek feta offer the perfect balance of sweet and savory. Mozzarella sticks will always have a place in my heart, but Brenner's 'Fry Day' recipe for fried cheese is otherworldly. The feta isn't stringy and melty so much as soft and fluffy, its natural saltiness curbed by the earthiness of sesame. Drizzle with copious honey or, as Brenner points out in this recipe, lend it an even more savory edge with oregano, olive oil and chile the time: 45 minutes. Serves 2. I often keep a ready-made tin of stewed gigantes on hand for a snack, a small meal unto itself, or a salad topping. The plump white beans in an allium-laced tomato sauce manage to hit the spot in a way other legumes can't quite manage. But after making and tasting Brenner's recipe, I think I'll always keep her homemade variety stocked in my freezer instead. Her version — with instruction from the owner of her favorite taverna in Athens — involves plenty of whole carrots, onion, celery stalks and garlic, which pack the already nutrient-rich dish with even more vegetal the recipe. Cooking time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, plus overnight bean soak. Serves 8.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Meet Rockford's Honorary Grand Marshall for the 2025 Memorial Day Parade
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — 100-year-old and World War II Veteran Robert 'Bob' Brenner will serve as the Grand Marshall in Rockford's 2025 Memorial Day Parade. Brenner served in the Navy during WWII from 1943-1946. He rode the USS MAZAMA, an ammunition ship in the South Pacific. 'I was a motor machinist mate third class,' Brenner said. 'I stayed third class because my opportunities to go on to more schooling was better as a third class than if I took another rate higher.' Brenner said he left the service when his wife was giving birth to their child. 'I enjoyed the Navy,' Brenner said. 'The Navy was a good life. If I hadn't married and had a child, I probably would have stayed in the service.' After the Navy, Brenner said he worked for Com-Ed for 39 years. As he reaches his 100th year of life, Brenner said he is excited to serve a new role as the Grand Marshall in Rockford's parade. 'Well, I'm kind of looking forward to it,' he said. 'I've never experienced anything like this.' Brenner said he will serve this position next to his wife and biggest supporter, Judy Brenner. 'I'm just so honored to be his wife,' Judy said. 'I'm just very honored.' Brenner said he is thinking of all of those who served before and after him this weekend, especially those who did not make it home. 'I don't know why me, I'm just an ordinary person,' Brenner said. '{I} did my job when I was in the service and that is about it. The people {that} didn't make it home, those are the people that we need to really honor.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Gulf Insider
20-05-2025
- Health
- Gulf Insider
Top FDA Official Discloses She Never Received COVID-19 Vaccine
A top Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official said on May 15 that she never took a COVID-19 vaccine due to concerns about biodistribution. Dr. Sara Brenner, the FDA's principal deputy commissioner, said during an event in Washington that she did not receive any of the COVID-19 vaccines. Brenner said that she was pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic. 'It was unknown at the time what the biodistribution patterns of those products were, and in my case, in particular, what the excretion would be in breast milk,' Brenner said. 'That was my primary concern, and that exposure I was very concerned about.' When asked whether the information that has emerged since then validates her choice, Brenner, who said she was not speaking on behalf of the FDA, said she thinks it does. Researchers reported in a 2022 paper that messenger ribonucleic acid, which is in the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 shots, was detected in human breast milk. Another paper, in 2023, detailed similar findings. Pfizer and Moderna did not return requests for comment. Dr. Marty Makary, the FDA's commissioner, has been critical of COVID-19 vaccine boosters. He has indicated that he received a primary series of one of the vaccines. Click here to read more…
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Maine will wait to see how other states' climate superfunds fare before considering its own
A house on Fortune's Rocks beach in Biddeford, Maine tilts after a series of severe coastal storms in winter 2024. The house was later torn down. (Photo by Maine Morning Star) With other states tied up in a federal legal battle, Maine lawmakers are opting to pump the brakes on an effort to hold fossil fuel companies accountable to see how those other cases play out. The Legislature's Environment and Natural Resources Committee voted Wednesday to carry over one of the two bills that would establish a superfund for large fossil fuel companies to pay for infrastructure repairs, resiliency efforts and other costs in the rural and low-income communities disproportionately affected by flooding and other disasters. Before the committee voted unanimously to ask the presiding officers to carry the bill into the second regular session that begins in January, Sen. Stacy Brenner (D-Cumberland) quoted a constituent of hers, Bob Monks, who recently died. Monks was known for his activism around good corporate governance and multiple U.S. Senate runs. Brenner said his idea that 'if you ran an elephant company, you would always clean up after your elephants,' captured the spirit of her bill. 'We need support to clean up after the elephants,' she added. However, Brenner agreed that it makes sense to wait until next year so the state has time to track what happens with the pending federal lawsuits before moving forward. Maine Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Melanie Loyzim made a similar suggestion during the public hearing for LD 1870. Vermont and New York have already passed similar superfund legislation. However, those states, as well as Hawaii and Michigan, have subsequently been sued for those policies, including by the U.S. Department of Justice. The Justice Department said the lawsuits are also meant to advance an executive order from President Donald Trump that targets state and local policies involving climate change, environmental justice and carbon emissions reductions. Rep. Mike Soboleski (R-Phillips) said his biggest concern with LD 1870 is the ongoing legal backdrop, so he appreciated the time to gather more information before deciding what to do in Maine. Since the committee agreed they only need one legislative vehicle to take up this topic again next year, members rejected the other related bill, LD 1808 from Rep. Grayson Lookner (D-Portland). Instead, they sent a letter to the Department of Environmental Protection asking it to report back to the committee with an update on those lawsuits. Lookner suggested having the department look into whether Maine would go after the same companies as the other states and collect other data, such as how much it would cost to implement this sort of measure. Loyzim told the committee her department was already planning to track the lawsuits as they unfold. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
USA Today
13-05-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Is your money market fund too expensive? Why high fees may (or may not) be worth it.
Is your money market fund too expensive? Why high fees may (or may not) be worth it. Show Caption Hide Caption What is a stock and how does it work? Buying stock can be a smart way to invest and, hopefully, make more money over time. If you're parking cash in a money market fund while waiting for recent market volatility to subside, you might be paying dearly for that safe spot. Many money market funds still carry high expense ratios, which are management fees expressed in a percentage. The average money market fund fee is 0.38%, which is sharply higher than the 0.05% average fee on an index equity mutual fund, according to the Investment Company Institute (ICI). That means, on average, you'll pay $38 annually for every $10,000 you have invested in a money market fund compared to $5 for the index equity mutual fund. Investors should be aware of this, so they don't fall into the trap of overpaying to hold cash. What is a money market fund? A money market fund is a type of mutual fund that invests in short-term, high-quality debt securities such as T-bills and certificates of deposit. Money market funds aim for high liquidity and stability. How can investors find lower fees? Look beyond your broker. 'Brokerage firms often limit investors to selecting from a menu of money market funds managed by the brokerage firm,' said Michael Brenner of FBB Capital Partners. 'If your broker offers you access to third-party money market funds, those may come with lower fees.' Try an exchange-traded-fund (ETF). 'Consider using a low-cost ETF which has underlying investments that are very similar to your money market fund,' Brenner said. 'Those ETFs may carry much lower fees than a similar money market fund. Bond Index ETFs have fees that average around 0.10%.' Are lower money market fund fees the answer? While looking for a cheaper money market fund isn't a bad idea, some money managers say people should only be using money market funds short-term, anyway, unless they're elderly and worried about loss. 'The big rip off is if you're using them for anything more than short-term because you're not growing your money,' said Ronnie Gilliken, president and chief executive of Capital Choice of the Carolinas. Money market fund rates aren't typically enough to fulfill the "Rule of 72" over a short timeframe, he said. The Rule of 72 is used to estimate how long it will take to double your money. Divide 72 by the interest rate (as a percentage) to get an approximate number of years it will take to double your money. The average yield for money market funds is currently around 4.14% based on data from the ICI Fact Book for 2025. What about fees in general? But while money market fees should be noted, investors should resist the urge to solely use fees to decide whether to invest in something or not, Gilliken said. Instead, people should focus on net returns, he said. Otherwise, people could end up eliminating outperforming funds from the outset. Take for example, a $10,000 investment in 1976, when Vanguard launched its first low-cost Vanguard 500 Index Fund. The Fund had an expense ratio of 0.14% when it was launched and has dropped now to 0.04%. That investment would have netted you $1,704,343 if you'd maintained it through 2023. Compare that to the $2,455,295 you would have earned had the money been invested in the five U.S. equity-focused American Funds available at the time, American Funds said. Since that's a net return, it includes the deduction of the maximum sales charge of 5.75% for equity funds, according to American Funds. The difference is that before buying stock of a company, analysts from the mutual fund company will visit the company, meet the chief executive and the board, get the company's financials, tour a factory or production areas, do data analysis versus the competition and if it's in a foreign country, assess political risk and legislation, Gilliken said. 'That's all included in the expense ratio,' he said. 'An index is just a thermometer of what is going on' but doesn't look at each individual company. 'Just because the company's big and in the index doesn't necessarily mean you should own it.' Sometimes, some experts say, a slightly higher expense ratio can be worth it. Energy company Enron was in the S&P 500 but went bankrupt in the early 2000s after widespread accounting fraud, misrepresenting its financial performance and hiding billions of dollars in debt, was discovered, he noted. Research, including from the famed Wharton business school, has shown 'active' investment managers often aren't able to pick enough winners to justify their high fees. However, if you can find one who can, sometimes, 'we deserve our compensation,' Gilliken said. Medora Lee is a money, markets, and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY. You can reach her at mjlee@ and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday.
