Shaker

Salt is bad for us; no, it's not; yes, it is. Many Americans probably thought this debate had been put to rest. A new study suggests this isn't the case.  That study, which found that low salt consumption was linked to a higher rate of cardiovascular disease and deaths, has cast new light on the skeptics of the "eat less salt" mantra. Many health experts were quick to say that the new research was flawed, in part because it only sampled a small number of adults, and young white adults at that.

Well, what do you know, we had a quake, and we had a warning too. As my colleague Joseph Serna reported Wednesday:  An earthquake early warning system being tested in California gave seismologists in Pasadena up to 30 seconds to prepare for Monday morning's temblor in the desert of Riverside County. “It was right,” said Kate Hutton, a seismologist with Caltech. “I sat really still to see if I could feel it and it worked.” Hopefully, Hutton was saying that without surprise in her voice.

Remember last year's New Year's resolution to lose that cocktail tummy? Yeah, that one. Well, we're plowing into the holiday season all over again and you've still got that cute little pot. Help is on the way in the form of a series of "fresh & skinny" cocktails served at the Yard House. Head mixologist Kip Snider shares a recipe for his tasty Juniper Fusion, which clocks in at somewhere between 115 and 170 calories. It's light in flavor as well: Cucumbers and strawberries enhance crisp gin that is spiked with tart lemon and lime juice.

Deep-pocketed bartenders in need of some extra pockets, the backpack of your dreams is here: Gin & Luck , a "lifestyle brand" created by bar consultant Proprietors LLC , introduces its first accessory "for the epicurean lifestyle. " It's a bag for carrying your bar tools and a couple of bottles of booze. It costs $395. (Think about it -- that's only 40 days of under-$10 lunches.) What you're paying for: heavyweight canvas, leather, nickel-plated hardware and waterproof compartments; a 1,540-cubic-inch main compartment that includes a lined pocket for a 15-inch laptop; a toolkit and shaker sleeve; and two side pockets that hold a 750-ml bottle each (there are holes in the flaps that allow the necks and tops of the bottle to stick out)

Thank you for the article on "Shaker's Sweet Success" [Feb. 7]. I immediately went to the top shelf in my kitchen and took down my sugar shaker. Sure enough, on the inside of the lid was printed Dripcut-Starline. Mine was dated 1959. In 1957, I worked on a campaign to build Bay Harbor Hospital in Harbor City and later I became a volunteer. I have no idea when the hospital purchased the shakers, but when the hospital closed in 2000, I took a shaker. I have placed the article inside so my heirs will know its history.

  Total time: 5 minutes Servings: 1 Note: From Colin Campbell of BLT Steak. Campbell uses Tio Pepe sherry, available at fine-wine merchants. To make simple syrup, heat equal amounts of sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Allow to cool before using. 2 ounces chopped cucumber, plus 1 slice for garnish 2 ounces Hendrick's gin 1/2 ounce dry fino sherry 1 ounce fresh lemon juice 1 ounce simple syrup Place the cucumber in a shaker and muddle.

The return of the cocktail culture has business booming in everything from cigars to torch singers' soundtracks. Riding the wave of related kitsch and collectibles are vintage cocktail shakers. "They're hotter than heck no matter who you talk to," says expert Harry Rinker. Stephen Visakay, author of "Vintage Bar Ware" (Collector Books), notes that the popularity of cocktails grew through the Art Deco era and the Great Depression.

Well, what do you know, we had a quake, and we had a warning too. As my colleague Joseph Serna reported Wednesday:  An earthquake early warning system being tested in California gave seismologists in Pasadena up to 30 seconds to prepare for Monday morning's temblor in the desert of Riverside County. “It was right,” said Kate Hutton, a seismologist with Caltech. “I sat really still to see if I could feel it and it worked.” Hopefully, Hutton was saying that without surprise in her voice.

It's not every day I get excited about a salt shaker. But there it was, a glass cylinder with a slanted top of chromed steel. Next to it, its sister, the pepper shaker, and a big dad of a sugar shaker. The sight of these elegant little objects transported me to my youth. Growing up in L.A., I'd see them in diners and restaurants, and in my own kitchen. In the 1960s, they looked modern and sleek. Space Age salt and pepper shakers. They were created by Henry Keck, a Cal Tech-trained designer.

The human appetite is a fickle thing. It may come on strong if you walk by a hot dog stand but disappear if you spend too much time thinking about the ingredients. Comfort eaters may feel ravenous at the end of a bad day. And people who are bored with what they're eating may feel full (or at least fed up) after just a few bites. At a time when so many people are struggling with their weight, appetite has become a hot topic. Researchers work to understand its ebb and flow, and dieters look for ways to dial it back.

Those of us who live in California can get a little snarky about earthquakes. Maine had a 4.0 earthquake? Oh, that's tough, quake-nonchalant Californians might be tempted to say.  Heard of Loma Prieta, 1989? San Fernando, '71? San Francisco, 1906? But, Californians, here's something you should know: Earthquakes are  different on the East Coast.  A 4.0 back East might jolt more people over a much wider area and, by some measures, could be a much more intense experience. "On the East Coast and in the Midwest, where they have an earthquake that they feel once every seven or eight years, it 's a big deal to them," California state geologist John Parrish told the Los Angeles Times in an interview Wednesday.

Just as the U.S. hotel industry begins to recover from the recession, industry leaders say they are being sabotaged by the Obama administration. The charge centers on a new rule proposed by Obama's Office of Government Ethics that would prohibit most federal employees from accepting free admission to conferences and other gatherings held by businesses or organizations that lobby the government. The American Hotel & Lodging Assn., the trade group that represents the nation's hotels, blasted the proposed rule, saying it is unneeded and would prevent federal employees from mingling with people to learn about trends and problems in the country.

Remember last year's New Year's resolution to lose that cocktail tummy? Yeah, that one. Well, we're plowing into the holiday season all over again and you've still got that cute little pot. Help is on the way in the form of a series of "fresh & skinny" cocktails served at the Yard House. Head mixologist Kip Snider shares a recipe for his tasty Juniper Fusion, which clocks in at somewhere between 115 and 170 calories. It's light in flavor as well: Cucumbers and strawberries enhance crisp gin that is spiked with tart lemon and lime juice.

It's not every day I get excited about a salt shaker. But there it was, a glass cylinder with a slanted top of chromed steel. Next to it, its sister, the pepper shaker, and a big dad of a sugar shaker. The sight of these elegant little objects transported me to my youth. Growing up in L.A., I'd see them in diners and restaurants, and in my own kitchen. In the 1960s, they looked modern and sleek. Space Age salt and pepper shakers. They were created by Henry Keck, a Cal Tech-trained designer.

Salt is bad for us; no, it's not; yes, it is. Many Americans probably thought this debate had been put to rest. A new study suggests this isn't the case.  That study, which found that low salt consumption was linked to a higher rate of cardiovascular disease and deaths, has cast new light on the skeptics of the "eat less salt" mantra. Many health experts were quick to say that the new research was flawed, in part because it only sampled a small number of adults, and young white adults at that.

Azer Farag Azer is here. So are the caricaturist and the writers, lots of writers, and that tall dentist, the son of the movie star. All here for lunch, herring and boiled egg. Where is Felfel? Praying. He'll be back. They're protesting again in the square. The revolution is over, but they march past with banners and rage. Maybe it's not over. There have been others. 1919. 1952. This one seems different, though. Who would have ever dreamed of the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak?

That 6.1 earthquake Oct. 1 also provided a mild jolt to video rentals of Universal's 1974 block-shaker "Earthquake," which wasn't exactly shaking up customers previously, according to several local retailers. "It's out now," said Monique Leigh of Off the Record Video in Sherman Oaks. "Even the day of the earthquake, somebody rented it that night. It never rented before, to be honest. Maybe twice every six months was the tops." Alan Forbes Jr.

MIAMI - A cool ocean breeze cut the day's humidity. Dresses up to there in hot pink sequins and acid yellows colored the sidewalks. It was around midnight on a Thursday in Miami's South Beach neighborhood, and the evening was just getting started. I was in town for a couple days in February and was determined to have a "real" Miami night life experience - whatever that meant. The clubs here are more intimate than those in L.A. or Las Vegas, with some bars nothing more than a DJ, lights and liquor in a small box-like room.

Enjoying that cottage cheese? We have a bit of bad news for you -- a cup of the stuff could contain roughly 1,000 milligrams of sodium, a little less than half of what you should consume in an entire day. Using three packets of ketchup on those fries? There's another 534 milligrams. Making people aware of how much sodium may be in certain foods is the idea behind a series of "Salt Shocker" videos produced by the L.A. County Department of Public Health's RENEW LA County initiative as part of their sodium awareness program.

In 1998, T-shirt designer and toy collector Mike Becker wanted a coin bank of the restaurant icon Big Boy ? the chubby, hamburger-hoisting character in red-and-white checkered overalls. He didn't, however, want to pay the more than $1,000 to buy the highly sought-after collector's item. On a whim, he licensed the rights to make the banks himself. Soon after, he launched into making bobbleheads of Big Boy and other pop-culture icons under the company name of Funko. "I never made collectibles or toys before; I was winging it the whole time," Becker said.