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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
September 6, 2007     Shelton Mason County Journal
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September 6, 2007
 
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What's Cookin'? Victoria invents recipes By REBECCA WELLS With a chef for a sister and a grandmother who ran her own cooking business, Victoria Paul comes from quite a line of cooks. Not surprisingly, she also has fun in the kitchen. Since she recently had the chance to visit Italy, her culinary .persuasions have been leaning more toward European and Medi- terranean cuisine. "I loved it! I loved the culture and I loved the food and wine, of course," Victoria says of her time in Italy. "It was really great to go out and see how other countries and societies kind of function and what I like and what I don't like." LIVING in Italy, Victoria had the chance to visit Pisa, Sylvania, Venice and other well-known Ital- ian areas, as well as wineries in the countryside. Carnivale, a famous festival where everyone donned costumes and even stars and celebrities showed up to join in the celebra- tion, was one of the highlights of her stay. "It was great!" she reminisces. "I'm very lucky that I was able to have that experience." Originally from California, she grew up and graduated from high school here in Western Washing- ton before the opportunity arose to visit Italy. Cultural differences between Italy and the United States soon caught her attention, too. For in- stance, she was amused to learn how scandalous American per- spectives on relationships seem to an Italian's viewpoint. "WOMEN THERE really, re- ally, really cater to the men." she noticed. On the other hand, she was sur- prised to find out men commonly live with their parents well into their 30s and 40s, until they man- age to build a house of their own and marry. "So it's not uncommon to be dealing with a mamma's boy," Vic- toria says. Siestas were a new concept for her to deal with in scheduling her days over there. During this cus- tomary, three-hour lunch break, just about every establishment closes up shop so personnel can enjoy a full, extensive meal fol- lowed by a nap before returning to work. This meant she had to make sure she had everything she need- ed, from gas to last-minute gro- ceries, before siesta. Otherwise, she had to wait for everything to reopen a few hours later. Coming from the non-stop, 24-hours-a- day, seven-days-a-week society in America, Victoria felt quite a bit of culture shock in trying to adjust to the slower-paced, Italian lifestyle. "It's kind of hard," she says. EVEN SHOPPING in Europe had a different approach. She saw women carrying their own bags 'and carts to purchase just what they needed for a week from little corner markets and small stores. Mega supermarket chains aren't as popular over there. "Everything is bought fresh," Victoria recalls. "They're not like us, where there's a lot of junk food To make round pegs in square WORKING AT a little grocery store in Shelton reminds Victoria Paul of the corner markets where she shopped while spending time in Italy. and stuff that goes really quick." This contrast followed her home this spring when she accepted a job as a cashier at the Shop and Hop store in downtown Shelton. Her parents, Gerald and Joan Els- berry, own a chain of these little grocery stores in the area. She's been coaqmuting to work from the Centralia-Chehalis area. "I found it to be a great transi- tion, because I love to sell and I love working with people," Victo- ria says. Enjoying the personal, one-on-one atmosphere the shop allows her to have with customers, she is reminded of the little stores she shopped at in Europe. Instead of a continuous row of shelves full of various products, her family's little shop sells a broad assort- ment of merchandise on a more compact scale. She has become so used to the discount prices at her workplace, price tags at other stores sometimes shock her. BUT WHAT SHE enjoys most about her job is finding creative ways to incorporate goods sold at the store into meal plans. With her bubbly personality, she has fun spontaneously recommending new cooking ideas to her custom- ers as they consider possible uses for an item, even if she hasn't tried the recipe yet herself. "And it's exciting for me to tell people different recipes," she says. "I just pop recipes out like that!" She has found it less expensive to make a meal from scratch using food she sees on sale rather than buying something pre-seasoned, prepackaged or ready-made. Eventually, she would love to enhance her culinary skills by taking and later teaching cooking classes. "Because I personally love to cook and I love entertaining peo- ple in that way," she says. THESE DAYS, SHE enjoys ex- ploring restaurants around Shel- ton during her lunch breaks from work, sampling the local flavor. However, her retail days recently came to a close as she moved on to a career involving the palate from a very different angle: She became a dental assistant in Olympia. She has completed a six-month training program in the dental field and has experience volun- teering in dentistry when needed. Though she enjoys working in sales, dentistry's competitive pay, benefits and regular office hours appealed to her. Someone she re- ally admired who worked as a den- tal assistant also influenced her decision. Victoria shared a recipe for an Italian-inspired appetizer. Most of the ingredients are items she has come across at work. Chicken Artichoke Bruscetta Ingredients: l fresh baguette loaf 2 6-oz. jars of marinated artichoke hearts 1/2 C. red onions, chopped 1/4 C. cherry tomatoes, chopped 1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded or one 12-oz. can of chicken 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1/2 C. fresh Parmesan cheese, grat- ed Preparation: Cut baguette loaf into 1-inch slices. Lightly brush top of bread with olive oil and line up the slices on a baking sheet. Toast them in the oven for eight minutes or until toasty. Remove from oven and set aside. Chop artichokes into small chunks and add the chopped red onions, cherry tomatoes and shred- ded chicken. Lightly mix these in- gredients together and add about two tablespoons' worth on top of each bread slice. Bake for 10 min- utes in the oven and then take out and sprinkle fresh Parmesan on top. Unless otherwise noted, all events take place at the Mason County Senior Activities Center at 826 West Railroad Avenue. The senior center hours are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center's telephone desk (426-7374) is closed for lunch from noon till 12:30 p.m. Adult lap swimming is set for 11:15 a.m. weekdays and noon on Saturday at the Shelton High School Pool. Friday, September 7 8:30 a.m., Tai Chi class. 9-11 a.m., line dancing. Noon, potluck. 12:30 p.m., receptionist meet- ing. 6:30-10 p.m., Old Time Fid- dlers. Monday, September 10 8:30 a.m., Tai Chi class. 9 a.m., beginning line dancing and Wrinkles of Washington trip. 10-11 a.m., line dancing. 12:45 p.m., pinochle. 1 p.m., watercolor painting. Tuesday, September 11 Foot care by appointment. 9 a.m., Puyallup Fair trip. 9-10 a.m., line dancing. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., sewing circle. 10-11 a.m., intermediate and advanced line dancing. 10:30 a.m., information and as- sistance with Merridee Anderson. 1 p.m., bridge. Wednesday, September 12 8:30 a.m., Tai Chi class. 9 a.m., line dancing. 12:30 p.m., game day. 12:30 p.m., open-air drawing class. 1 p.m., travelogue. Thursday, September 13 9-11 a.m., line dancing. 9-11 a.m., EZ Crafters. 11 a.m., blood-pressure checks. 1 p.m., bingo. Union ¢ to bake this New Union plans its community salmon event will run from 1 on Saturday, September Union Fire Hall. Admission for while children ages 6 may eat for $5. and younger will be fed Proceeds will benefit building fund. More information is by calling 7855 between 10 a.m. Peters' Theatre 0fl Now acce Beginning to Ballet. Jazz Modern Ages 3 and Starting week of Se For additional information, c Peters' Theatre of (360) 426.1 grande_jete@qwest.i Wrinkles of Presents At to ... A Tank Town Tale Directed by Michele Penberthy 4 Musical direction by Nathan Youn For more call September 7, 8, 9, 2007 Washington Center for the Performing m m m mmmmm mmml m mm mmm m m m Fest singers I BACK TO SCHOOL mmzdentifled i Specml A photo caption in last week's ] edition of The Journal incorrectly • identified the Master's Singers as [ the New Community Church of Union worship band. holes fit The Master's Singers appeared Includes: * Starting and charging is difficult, no doubt, in a photo collage depicting enter- [ but once they're in it s every bit tainment at Festival of Hope 2007 * Oil change system test as hard to get them out. in Shelton. [ : Tire rotation • Inspect fluids Brake check • Check belts and hoses I II W0000lts*M°st cars and s,  432 8771 I , (;u/ion00 H,lr I)ooilW ' Auto * Truck [ Dmestic ° Come and join us at our full-service salon • Foils, hair colors, perms • Men's & women's haircuts • Razor cutting • Waxing. eyebrows, lip, chin Relax with a Cm,n Anderson Page 14 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, September 6, 2007 I I I k Z 321 S. 2nd St. Downtown Shelton 426"' Family owned & Open 8am-5pm Monday-Friday www.vanderwals operated since 1942 ............. .,m What's Cookin'? Victoria invents recipes By REBECCA WELLS With a chef for a sister and a grandmother who ran her own cooking business, Victoria Paul comes from quite a line of cooks. Not surprisingly, she also has fun in the kitchen. Since she recently had the chance to visit Italy, her culinary .persuasions have been leaning more toward European and Medi- terranean cuisine. "I loved it! I loved the culture and I loved the food and wine, of course," Victoria says of her time in Italy. "It was really great to go out and see how other countries and societies kind of function and what I like and what I don't like." LIVING in Italy, Victoria had the chance to visit Pisa, Sylvania, Venice and other well-known Ital- ian areas, as well as wineries in the countryside. Carnivale, a famous festival where everyone donned costumes and even stars and celebrities showed up to join in the celebra- tion, was one of the highlights of her stay. "It was great!" she reminisces. "I'm very lucky that I was able to have that experience." Originally from California, she grew up and graduated from high school here in Western Washing- ton before the opportunity arose to visit Italy. Cultural differences between Italy and the United States soon caught her attention, too. For in- stance, she was amused to learn how scandalous American per- spectives on relationships seem to an Italian's viewpoint. "WOMEN THERE really, re- ally, really cater to the men." she noticed. On the other hand, she was sur- prised to find out men commonly live with their parents well into their 30s and 40s, until they man- age to build a house of their own and marry. "So it's not uncommon to be dealing with a mamma's boy," Vic- toria says. Siestas were a new concept for her to deal with in scheduling her days over there. During this cus- tomary, three-hour lunch break, just about every establishment closes up shop so personnel can enjoy a full, extensive meal fol- lowed by a nap before returning to work. This meant she had to make sure she had everything she need- ed, from gas to last-minute gro- ceries, before siesta. Otherwise, she had to wait for everything to reopen a few hours later. Coming from the non-stop, 24-hours-a- day, seven-days-a-week society in America, Victoria felt quite a bit of culture shock in trying to adjust to the slower-paced, Italian lifestyle. "It's kind of hard," she says. EVEN SHOPPING in Europe had a different approach. She saw women carrying their own bags 'and carts to purchase just what they needed for a week from little corner markets and small stores. Mega supermarket chains aren't as popular over there. "Everything is bought fresh," Victoria recalls. "They're not like us, where there's a lot of junk food To make round pegs in square WORKING AT a little grocery store in Shelton reminds Victoria Paul of the corner markets where she shopped while spending time in Italy. and stuff that goes really quick." This contrast followed her home this spring when she accepted a job as a cashier at the Shop and Hop store in downtown Shelton. Her parents, Gerald and Joan Els- berry, own a chain of these little grocery stores in the area. She's been coaqmuting to work from the Centralia-Chehalis area. "I found it to be a great transi- tion, because I love to sell and I love working with people," Victo- ria says. Enjoying the personal, one-on-one atmosphere the shop allows her to have with customers, she is reminded of the little stores she shopped at in Europe. Instead of a continuous row of shelves full of various products, her family's little shop sells a broad assort- ment of merchandise on a more compact scale. She has become so used to the discount prices at her workplace, price tags at other stores sometimes shock her. BUT WHAT SHE enjoys most about her job is finding creative ways to incorporate goods sold at the store into meal plans. With her bubbly personality, she has fun spontaneously recommending new cooking ideas to her custom- ers as they consider possible uses for an item, even if she hasn't tried the recipe yet herself. "And it's exciting for me to tell people different recipes," she says. "I just pop recipes out like that!" She has found it less expensive to make a meal from scratch using food she sees on sale rather than buying something pre-seasoned, prepackaged or ready-made. Eventually, she would love to enhance her culinary skills by taking and later teaching cooking classes. "Because I personally love to cook and I love entertaining peo- ple in that way," she says. THESE DAYS, SHE enjoys ex- ploring restaurants around Shel- ton during her lunch breaks from work, sampling the local flavor. However, her retail days recently came to a close as she moved on to a career involving the palate from a very different angle: She became a dental assistant in Olympia. She has completed a six-month training program in the dental field and has experience volun- teering in dentistry when needed. Though she enjoys working in sales, dentistry's competitive pay, benefits and regular office hours appealed to her. Someone she re- ally admired who worked as a den- tal assistant also influenced her decision. Victoria shared a recipe for an Italian-inspired appetizer. Most of the ingredients are items she has come across at work. Chicken Artichoke Bruscetta Ingredients: l fresh baguette loaf 2 6-oz. jars of marinated artichoke hearts 1/2 C. red onions, chopped 1/4 C. cherry tomatoes, chopped 1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded or one 12-oz. can of chicken 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1/2 C. fresh Parmesan cheese, grat- ed Preparation: Cut baguette loaf into 1-inch slices. Lightly brush top of bread with olive oil and line up the slices on a baking sheet. Toast them in the oven for eight minutes or until toasty. Remove from oven and set aside. Chop artichokes into small chunks and add the chopped red onions, cherry tomatoes and shred- ded chicken. Lightly mix these in- gredients together and add about two tablespoons' worth on top of each bread slice. Bake for 10 min- utes in the oven and then take out and sprinkle fresh Parmesan on top. Unless otherwise noted, all events take place at the Mason County Senior Activities Center at 826 West Railroad Avenue. The senior center hours are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center's telephone desk (426-7374) is closed for lunch from noon till 12:30 p.m. Adult lap swimming is set for 11:15 a.m. weekdays and noon on Saturday at the Shelton High School Pool. Friday, September 7 8:30 a.m., Tai Chi class. 9-11 a.m., line dancing. Noon, potluck. 12:30 p.m., receptionist meet- ing. 6:30-10 p.m., Old Time Fid- dlers. Monday, September 10 8:30 a.m., Tai Chi class. 9 a.m., beginning line dancing and Wrinkles of Washington trip. 10-11 a.m., line dancing. 12:45 p.m., pinochle. 1 p.m., watercolor painting. Tuesday, September 11 Foot care by appointment. 9 a.m., Puyallup Fair trip. 9-10 a.m., line dancing. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., sewing circle. 10-11 a.m., intermediate and advanced line dancing. 10:30 a.m., information and as- sistance with Merridee Anderson. 1 p.m., bridge. Wednesday, September 12 8:30 a.m., Tai Chi class. 9 a.m., line dancing. 12:30 p.m., game day. 12:30 p.m., open-air drawing class. 1 p.m., travelogue. Thursday, September 13 9-11 a.m., line dancing. 9-11 a.m., EZ Crafters. 11 a.m., blood-pressure checks. 1 p.m., bingo. Union ¢ to bake this New Union plans its community salmon event will run from 1 on Saturday, September Union Fire Hall. Admission for while children ages 6 may eat for $5. and younger will be fed Proceeds will benefit building fund. More information is by calling 7855 between 10 a.m. Peters' Theatre 0fl Now acce Beginning to Ballet. Jazz Modern Ages 3 and Starting week of Se For additional information, c Peters' Theatre of (360) 426.1 grande_jete@qwest.i Wrinkles of Presents At to ... A Tank Town Tale Directed by Michele Penberthy 4 Musical direction by Nathan Youn For more call September 7, 8, 9, 2007 Washington Center for the Performing m m m mmmmm mmml m mm mmm m m m Fest singers I BACK TO SCHOOL mmzdentifled i Specml A photo caption in last week's ] edition of The Journal incorrectly • identified the Master's Singers as [ the New Community Church of Union worship band. holes fit The Master's Singers appeared Includes: * Starting and charging is difficult, no doubt, in a photo collage depicting enter- [ but once they're in it s every bit tainment at Festival of Hope 2007 * Oil change system test as hard to get them out. in Shelton. [ : Tire rotation • Inspect fluids Brake check • Check belts and hoses I II W0000lts*M°st cars and s,  432 8771 I , (;u/ion00 H,lr I)ooilW ' Auto * Truck [ Dmestic ° Come and join us at our full-service salon • Foils, hair colors, perms • Men's & women's haircuts • Razor cutting • Waxing. eyebrows, lip, chin Relax with a Cm,n Anderson Page 14 - Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, September 6, 2007 I I I k Z 321 S. 2nd St. Downtown Shelton 426"' Family owned & Open 8am-5pm Monday-Friday www.vanderwals operated since 1942 ............. .,m