Cityview | Central Iowa's Independent Weekly

Choosing Cherries

Author of ‘Cherries Over Quicksand’ helps women become the ones guys can’t live without

Jenn is 24 years old and lives in Des Moines. A petite, bubbly, young woman, she seems to have everything going for her — a successful job, close friendships, an energetic social life and a warm smile. But this Valentine’s Day, Jenn will spend the holiday single, much like other women who painstakingly dissect frustrating bonds with the opposite sex. Jenn’s dating status has involved three serious relationships and three ugly break-ups. The most recent involved the man going back to his ex-girlfriend.

“The guy I was dating broke up with me because he still had previous feelings for his ex,” Jenn said. “He did the whole, ‘It’s not you, it’s me’ thing,’ and I was really hurt because it was out of the blue. It was a really hard break-up because I had so many feelings invested in it.”

Enter Rhonda Ricardo, who knows all too well what Jenn and other women feel like when their man has one foot out the door and they can feel the ground crumbling under their feet. Ricardo, a former legal secretary in Civil and Family Law, spent years asking men one question, “What went wrong?” From their answers, she wrote “Cherries Over Quicksand: Fun Stories From Men Who Returned to Their Resilient Women.” The work is a collection of more than 70 short stories full of advice for women, like Jenn, who have gone through relationship break-ups...Read More>>

Branstad and gays: well, er, uh, but, yes, no, maybe

Terry Branstad wants to make one thing perfectly clear.

“Well, I don’t think people should be discriminated against.”

What about gays?

“I don’t have a problem with people that want to live together and raise a child and things like that.”

So then the former governor who wants his old job back has no problem with gay marriage?

Not so fast... That would be the end of society as we know it. “Well, it’s got to do with the whole structure of the American society. And, uh, a lot of people say when other ancient societies have gone this direction, it was the beginning of the end of their society. Because, the building blocks of really having stable culture is really having one man, one woman marriage.” ...Read More>>

Experience teaches Newcomer to slow down, live spiritual life

Experience has taught Carrie Newcomer, a singer-songwriter with more seasoning than her last name suggests, several things judging by the depth, humor and clarity of her 12th album for Rounder Records, “Before & After,” to be released Feb. 23.

It has helped hone her keen observations of the world through poetic lyricism and deceptively simple arrangements steeped in folk, Appalachian and classical influences.

It has taught her not to ignore her midwestern voice.

It has helped her successfully walk a professional line between the secular and sacred worlds.

And it has taught her how to slow down and to live her life.

“We live such busy lives,” said the 51-year-old musician from Bloomington, Ind. “We have a lot of information coming at us from so many sources. It is easy not to be present in our own lives.”...Read More>>

Sandwich quest makes surprising discovery

Hillel the Elder invented the sandwich (herbed Paschal lamb between slices of pita) about the same time he enunciated what would become known as the golden rule. So, to feed others as he would feed himself, George Formaro (Centro) recently gathered a “munch bunch” of serious sandwich lovers to share favorite local discoveries. Six chef/restaurateurs brought favorites, from restaurants other than their own, to share and judge. Everyone was born and raised in Iowa, so the group shared similar tastes in comfort food as well as in cutting edge style.

Formaro, Linda Bisignano (Chuck’s) and Tony Lemmo (Café di Scala) all brought Italian sausage sandwiches. Those from Noodles Pasta & Sandwich Shop, Café di Scala and La Pizza House were traditional Calabrese, like those restaurants. All included Italian sausage (Graziano’s or homemade) on Italian bread (Krispy Krust, Fancy or South Union focaccia) with cheese, peppers and marinara. The preferred Frank’s Special (Café di Scala) also included basil pesto, smoked provolone, fried eggplant, red onions, garlic and fennel marinated tomatoes and Pecorino Romano. A fourth Italian sausage sandwich defied tradition. The Norwood Bar & Grill’s was made with ketchup and mustard.

“The idea of putting on ketchup and mustard is against everything I believed in growing up Italian. It sounds so wrong it made me cringe, until I tried my first one. It works. I love it,” explained Formaro. Lemmo, Cyd Koehn (Hy-Vee) and Hal Jasa (Phat Chefs) all agreed. Bisignano wasn’t so sure.

...Read More>>”