Meal

Molly Shore Thanksgiving is not always a Norman Rockwell moment of friends and family feasting at an oversized table overflowing with food. For many seniors and shut-ins, it is a lonely time. But this year, as in past years, the Beverly Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and the Joslyn Adult Center joined forces to bring a home-cooked meal to elderly residents. Joslyn recruited community volunteers to take holiday dinners to people who would otherwise not have a traditional Thanksgiving meal, said Renee Crawford, the center's social services supervisor.

The First United Methodist Church of Glendale opened its doors on Christmas morning to provide sustenance instead of a sermon. Through the 13 annual Food for Body and Soul Christmas morning breakfast, more than 60 homeless and less advantaged residents from Glendale, Burbank and nearby cities got a full meal in the church?s cafeteria. Food for Body and Soul is a 13-year-old nonprofit program that provides Sunday lunch and then a sermon to those in need. The church also operates The Lord?

You've probably heard that red wine goes with meat and white wine goes with poultry -- and that summertime calls for chilled, white wines while wintertime necessitates the warmth of reds. While these "rules" can be helpful, consider pairing wine and food based on weight, texture, and flavors. Gina Gallo, third-generation winemaker for Gallo of Sonoma, encourages wine drinkers to enjoy different varietals throughout the year and to try unexpected pairings.

Jacqui Brown Local businessman Richard Raad enjoys giving back to the community and has found a way in which to do it. For the past eight years, he's been coming to the Salvation Army in Burbank as a volunteer to help serve Thanksgiving dinner to more than 400 local residents who come each year to enjoy this meal. "I was asked to come here and serve meals the first time," Raad said. "After spending Thanksgiving Eve here, I went home and told my wife 'When we worry about things and we see what's going on out there, things aren't as bad as we thought,' and then I asked her to join me the next year."

Jocelyn Center and Boy Scout Troop 209 team up with a local catering company to feed seniors this Thanksgiving Day. Louis Emilio, owner of Command Performance Catering, arrived in his kitchen at 4 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning. He faced a mountain of food, enough to provide more than 90 Burbank seniors with turkey, stuffing, ham, yams, mashed potatoes and all the fixings. "I've been doing this since I got my business," Emilio said. "My employees come early, everyone gets involved like a family."

Annie Bettelli LA CRESCENTA -- 'Tis the season to be jolly, not stressed out over what to give as a present for the holidays. I can't think of a more welcomed gift than one that would get me off the hook from cooking. Breakfast In Bed, delivers the gift ofsmiles as well as beautifully appointed, custom-made breakfasts right to your home. Owner and chef, Juli Jenewein prepares hearty, four-course homemade breakfasts which also include juice and coffee that are cooked to order.

Salvation Army has Thanksgiving dinner The Salvation Army, Burbank Corps, will have its annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 25 at the Salvation Army Corps, 300 E. Angeleno Ave., Burbank. Many Burbank companies, service organizations and individuals contribute time, money and services to help the army provide a complete Thanksgiving dinner for more than 400 people each year. The Thanksgiving Committee works hard to see that people who are alone and entire families will be able to sit down to a full meal served by many caring volunteers.

As the sun sets tonight, millions of Jews around the world will engage in the time-honored tradition of Passover, a holiday in which the telling of a 3,000-year-old story sometimes turns into conversations about current events, and where eating a meal is less a means to consumption than a celebration of history. For Rabbi Richard Flom of Burbank’s Temple Emanu El, Passover is an opportunity to address some of the ills that plague developing nations, including poverty and hunger.

You may not see stars if you visit Star Cafe in Montrose, but you might have a stellar, if casual, meal. This comfortable spot has been popular with locals since the 1980s, and the saw-dusted floors and relaxed atmosphere make it especially family-friendly. An air-conditioned, enclosed patio up the back stairs offers a respite from the clanging kitchen clatter up front. Soft, fragrant, oil-rich rolls are brought to the table immediately. The bread, flecked with pepper flakes and spice, is frighteningly addictive.

Local families dependent on free and reduced-price school meals could find it harder to keep their children fed this summer. The city of Burbank will not be offering its summer parks program and complimentary free meals due to budget cuts, officials said. In the past, the program has operated at four sites, including McKinley and Miller elementary schools and Lundigan and Maxam parks, serving more than 8,500 meals. Roughly one-third of Burbank Unified's 16,670 students qualify for free and reduced-price meals, which are subsidized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Local families dependent on free and reduced-price school meals could find it harder to keep their children fed this summer. The city of Burbank will not be offering its summer parks program and complementary free meals due to budget cuts, officials said. In the past, the program has operated at four sites, including McKinley and Miller elementary schools and Lundigan and Maxam parks, serving more than 8,500 meals. Roughly one third of Burbank Unified's 16,670 students qualify for free and reduced-price meals, which are subsidized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Families who are seeking to apply for free and reduced-price meals for their children can do so now through the Burbank Unified School District. Applications and instructions are currently being distributed to all households, and are also available at the principal's office at each school site. Applications must be completed and submitted to the school for processing. They are accepted at any time during the school year. Household size and criteria information is available on the district website at www.burbank.k12.ca.us.

Church Women United of Glendale hosts the 34th annual “Meals on Wheels” program from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 134 N. Kenwood St., Glendale. The salad bar luncheon will feature meat salads, fruit salads, deviled eggs and bread. Tickets cost $8. All proceeds assist those who can't afford the meal. Call (818) 243-9573. There are still seats available for children and teens to join Summer Acting Camp at Glendale Centre Theatre. The three-week camp session is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday from Aug. 1 through Aug. 22 at the theater, 324 N. Orange St., Glendale.

State education officials this week announced that four sites in Burbank and one in Glendale will participate in government programs to feed lower-income schoolchildren through the summer. The two federally funded programs extend school lunch programs into summer, said Carol Mercado, a supervisor in the Burbank parks and recreation department, providing an important source of nutrition during the months-long school break. "It provides a meal for many kids who would not get a decent meal during the day," she said.

CITY HALL — A group of seniors this week won their bid to restore a nutritional meals program at McCambridge Recreation Center after taking their case to city officials. The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved reinstating senior nutrition lunches at the center, albeit in a smaller room. A larger space will be reserved to generate city revenue through popular fitness classes. Now, roughly six months after lunches at McCambridge Recreation Center were stopped, they are slated to resume as soon as Monday.

CITY HALL — A group of seniors this week won their bid to restore a nutritional meals program at McCambridge Recreation Center after taking their case to city officials. The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved reinstating senior nutrition lunches at the center, albeit in a smaller room. A larger space will be reserved to generate city revenue through popular fitness classes. Now, roughly six months after lunches at McCambridge Recreation Center were stopped, they are slated to resume as soon as Monday.

With the city facing a budget scenario in which it will have to tighten its belt to the next notch, no matter the pain, it’s inevitable that some social programs will feel the squeeze. Already the situation has started to manifest itself in senior meals program, where city administrators are floating a proposal to consolidate lunches to two locations — the Joslyn Adult Center and the Don Tuttle Senior Center. The McCambridge Park location, which has been out of service since September while crews install seismic retrofits, would be permanently axed from the program.

Old Town Montrose has its many charms ? unique shops, meandering sidewalks and warm restaurants. And in the middle of it all is Gail?s Bistro, a casual place with comforting food and a welcoming atmosphere. Owner Gail Connel herself is a powerhouse of cooking energy, running a catering business (Gourmet a go go) as well as the bistro/wine bar. She seems to know most everyone who walks through the door and gives a warm smile to strangers. The food she prepares is healthful, and she never skimps on the good stuff.