Category: Bay Area

Prosciutto is prosciutto, right? It’s thinly sliced, dry cured pork that adds so much salty, buttery flavor to everything from sandwiches to pizza or a charcuterie board. It’s all pork, all salty, all aged. So why are there such huge differences between brands? First, it’s key to understand how prosciutto, whether it’s domestic or imported, is made. This pork is dry cured using salt over several months. In Italy, it must be aged for at least 13 months to be called prosciutto, but the best prosciuttos are aged much longer than that — up to 36 months. Aging concentrates the flavors and tenderizes the meat and fat. The longer the prosciutto ages, the better it becomes. The United States produces some great prosciutto, but as you might have guessed, some of the best store brands are imported from Northern Italy, either from Parma, home to Prosciutto Di Parma, or Friuli Venezia, home to San Daniele. Prosciutto from Di Parma comes from heritage pigs and tends to be salty and deep-flavored; prosciutto from San Daniele is sweeter and less salty. The best prosciutto is smooth and

Banana bread lovers will rejoice in this waffle-ized classic. This hearty (healthy… shhhhh!) breakfast is packed with  banana flavor and the nutty undertones one expects, but with a crisp texture and a little hint of coffee to ring in the morning. I’m reluctant to call out that this recipe is gluten-free and vegan for fear it will drop the bar thirty percent, as people tend to do for baked treats that fall into those two categories. But rest assured, you can keep that bar right where it is. The batter whips up in just a couple of minutes, and you can either eat these hot off the press or freeze them for popping into the toaster on rushed mornings. A pat of butter and warm maple syrup usually does the trick, or top them with yogurt or peanut butter and honey for an even more filling breakfast. Kids will go nuts for mini chocolate chips sprinkled over hot waffles. If you don’t have almond meal on hand, simply throw blanched almonds in the blender instead. You can use frozen bananas you’ve stashed away for a

PLEASANTON — Just 10 days before she was killed by an angry ex-boyfriend, a Pleasanton woman described as a “devoted mother” had taken steps to protect herself and her family from harm. Jasmine Del Mar requested and was granted a temporary restraining order against 39-year-old Sean Barry, citing an incident where he discharged a firearm after an argument in their Pleasanton home. But Barry was undeterred. On March 7, five days before an Alameda County judge would have decided whether to make the order permanent, Del Mar called 911 to report that Barry illegally entered her home on Saginaw Circle, armed with an AR-15 rifle. The police dispatcher heard the sound of gunshots, then Del Mar yelling, “are you kidding me,” before the line went dead, authorities said. When law enforcement officers arrived at the home a short time later, they found Del Mar dead and Barry gone. Police located the car driven by Barry, an Oakland resident, and followed him onto Interstate 580, where his vehicle crashed near Castro Valley. Officers who had surrounded his car found him dead inside, along with the AR-15, in what

TODAY’S WORD — NONPROFIT (NONPROFIT: non-PROF-it: Not conducted for the purpose of deriving a profit or gain.) Average mark 24 words Time limit 35 minutes Can you find 32 or more words in NONPROFIT? The list will be published tomorrow. YESTERDAY’S WORD — LISTEN lenis lens lent lest lien line lint list lite inlet inset isle islet sent silent silt sine site slit snit stein stile tile tine tinsel enlist nest To purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last! RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. Contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe at kzsaxe@gmail.com.

“My husband’s passions are bridge and fishing,” a club player told me. “It’s a mystery how he can sit in a boat for hours waiting for a bite, but when we play bridge he has no patience at all.” She was today’s East, and her husband led a heart against six spades. Declarer took the ace and led a trump to his king, and West took the ace and led another heart: jack, queen, ruff. “South cashed one high trump,” East said, “then took the top diamonds, ruffed a diamond, led a club to his jack and ruffed a diamond. He returned a club to his king, drew the missing trump and won the last two tricks with good diamonds. I think my hubby should stick to fishing.” FIRST TRUMP West swallowed the bait when he won the first trump. He must let South’s king win. If South leads a second trump. West wins and leads a third trump. South can ruff only one diamond in dummy and loses a diamond. If South tries to set up the diamonds without leading a second trump, East

Dear Amy: My brother-in-law of 20 years has always been rude, hateful, disrespectful and in a perpetual bad mood. My sister – his wife – always made excuses for his bad behavior, and so my family “turned the other cheek” and treated him with love and kindness, anyway. One day at a party I overheard my brother-in-law telling his friend how he never liked me or my family. He then proceeded to make fun of us. A few days later I confronted him and my sister about it. My brother-in-law confessed to hating me and my family. He said we had done nothing bad to him personally – he just hated us. My sister knew how he felt all along, and now she’s acting like it’s not a big deal. We don’t want anything to do with my brother-in-law ever again. We are all feuding, and I don’t know what to do or how to save my relationship with my sister over this betrayal. – Shocked Dear Shocked: Your reaction to this insult seems to blame your sister – presumably for tolerating her husband’s long-standing

DEAR HARRIETTE: This week, I invited one of my friends over to my apartment to have dinner. We had a great time. As the night came to an end and she was walking out, I spotted a ring on her finger that looked familiar. I told her that I have a ring that looks just like that, and I asked if I could see it up close. I had accidentally gotten a black dot of ink on it, and sure enough, the ink was on the ring she was wearing. I told her that it was my ring, and she silently took it off and walked out the door. We haven’t spoken in a week, and I don’t know if I ever want to again. I am feeling betrayed and hurt, and I’m at a loss for how to proceed. How could someone I considered a friend take something so personal from me without even acknowledging it? Should I confront her about it, or is it best to just let the friendship go? I’m torn between wanting closure and not wanting to engage with someone

One of the key players in Saint Mary’s winning the men’s West Coast Conference this winter is headed out of Moraga. Aidan Mahaney, the hometown kid who starred at Campolindo, has entered the transfer portal, a source at the school confirmed Tuesday. Mahaney was a first-team all-WCC performer in his sophomore year, leading the Gaels at 13.9 points per game. He was a key figure to get them going in the WCC title game victory over Gonzaga, when he finished with 23 points including five 3-pointers. Fellow starter Joshua Jefferson, who averaged 10.2 points and 6.5 rebounds before a knee injury ended his season in February, has also entered the portal. Mahaney’s scoring average was actually down from his freshman year, but he took on more of the load running the offense after veteran guard Logan Johnson graduated. Gaels coach Randy Bennett has known Mahaney since the guard was young, as he played alongside Bennett’s own sons in the East Bay throughout his development. Ahead of the Gaels’ third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth last month, Bennett and several Gaels players emphasized the culture at Saint

1415 Barlow Court – Google Street View The property located in the 1400 block of Barlow Court in Fremont was sold on March 7, 2024. The $1,925,000 purchase price works out to $993 per square foot. The house, built in 1977, has an interior space of 1,939 square feet. Nestled on a generous 6,888-square-foot lot, the property provides abundant outdoor space including a pool. These nearby houses have also recently been sold: In November 2022, a 2,325-square-foot home on Skelton Court in Fremont sold for $1,555,000, a price per square foot of $669. The home has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. On Skelton Avenue, Fremont, in August 2022, a 1,874-square-foot home was sold for $1,420,000, a price per square foot of $758. A 1,874-square-foot home on the 1400 block of Skelton Avenue in Fremont sold in February 2024, for $1,800,000, a price per square foot of $961.

LAFAYETTE — With the game on the line, Acalanes junior David Gonzales stepped up to the plate calm, cool and collected. The Dons had the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth with one out and a chance to complete an unlikely comeback against league rival College Park. When Gonzales glanced over at his team’s dugout before stepping into the batter’s box, his coach Connor Hornsby pointed to his temple and mouthed the words, “Be smart.” The outfielder simply nodded and five pitches later, he was jumping into his teammates’ arms. In stunning fashion, Acalanes came back from a three-run deficit late to beat College Park 4-3 on Tuesday and extend its unbeaten streak to 17 after Gonzales’ walk-off walk in extra innings. “We always have that comeback mentality,” Gonzales said. “We know if we’re ever going to get down, we know we can come back. We’re never out of a game.” Acalanes celebrates after winning against College Park 4-3 in the ninth inning at Acalanes High School in Lafayette, Calif., on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)  Acalanes junior Ando

SACRAMENTO – Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown wasn’t in a sentimental mood after his team routed Golden State 118-94 in a do-or-die play-in game on Tuesday night.  Sure, he spent six years as an assistant from 2016 to 2022 under Steve Kerr and helped the Warriors win three titles.  And yes, his former team faces a franchise-defining offseason as the dynastic trio of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson is in jeopardy of dissolving once Thompson reaches free agency. And of course those familiar players, who already looked awfully old and slow in the blowout, will only get older and slower as they approach the back half of their 30s. Even if they do come back, making the playoffs wouldn’t be easy.  So what did Brown think of his team possibly dealing the lethal blow to what was left of the famed “Death Lineup” he once coached? He had more important things to worry about. “The reality of it is, is that it’s not my problem, and it’s not my concern,” Brown said, more focused on planning for the Pelicans and the Kings’ second

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Lance Lynn earned his first win for the St. Louis Cardinals in seven years, a 3-2 victory over the Athletics on Tuesday night before a season-low crowd of 3,296 at the Oakland Coliseum. Lynn (1-0) allowed two runs — one earned — and five hits in seven innings, lowering his ERA to 2.18 in four starts. The 36-year-old right-hander went 72-47 for the Cardinals from 2011-17. After pitching for five other teams, he returned to St. Louis during the offseason for an $11 million, one-year contract. “From the get-go, they weren’t going to let me try to get to two strikes or get them in a strikeout situation,” Lynn said. “So then you just mix and match early and let them have some weak contact. We had some great plays behind me. All in all, that’s a good recipe.” JoJo Romero and Ryan Helsley each got three straight outs, with Helsley earning his major league-leading seventh save in eight chances. St. Louis won its second straight over the A’s and got back to .500 at 9-9. Masyn Winn and Jordan Walker

Baseball No. 3 Serra 7, Bellarmine 0 Josiah Rodriguez had himself a game on Tuesday. The Serra standout hit two home runs, had three hits overall, knocked in four runs and scored three runs to lead the first-place Padres to a victory over visiting Bellarmine in a West Catholic Athletic League game. Serra led 2-0 through four innings. The Padres stretched the advantage to 3-0 with one in the fifth and 6-0 with four in the sixth as they upped their record to 16-3 overall and 7-1 in the WCAL. Sam Kretsch scattered eight hits and struck out eight while pitching a complete-game shutout for Serra. The Padres also got two hits apiece from Jake Downing and Ian Josephson. Bellarmine lost its fifth in a row to fall to 10-10, 3-5. Sawyer Stout had two hits for the Bells. No. 4 Valley Christian 3, St. Francis 1 Valley Christian completed a two-sweep of St. Francis, winning on the road behind 6 1/3 strong innings from ace Quinten Marsh and an RBI apiece from Jordan Ortiz and Brock Ketelsen. Marsh and Hunter Fujimoto each had two

SAN PABLO – A body pulled from an East Bay estuary last fall has been identified as an elderly San Pablo woman that authorities believe was killed by her son-in-law. A DNA profile of the body matched that of 74-year-old Que Thi Tran, the San Pablo Police Department said Tuesday. Tran’s son-in-law, 41-year-old San Pablo resident Phuc Hong Vo, has been charged with her murder, as well as the murder of his wife, 40-year-old Tho Ngoc Ly. Ly’s body has not been recovered. Authorities on Tuesday searched an estuary in the city of Alameda, where Tran’s body was found on Sept. 30, 2023, according to police. “This is an active and ongoing investigation and the location of victim Tho Ly’s remains are not confirmed,” police said. Tran and Ly were reported missing on Sept. 13. In December, police called on the public to help find them. A news release at the time said the mother and daughter “reportedly traveled to the Southern California region following a family argument.” Their most recent confirmed sighting was at the Sutter Avenue home where Vo and both victims lived.

19848 Veronica Drive – Google Street View The spacious property located in the 19800 block of Veronica Drive in Saratoga was sold on March 29, 2024. The $3,550,000 purchase price works out to $1,409 per square foot. The house, built in 1970, has an interior space of 2,520 square feet. This two-story house boasts a generous living space with five bedrooms and three baths. Inside, a fireplace adds character to the home. In addition, the house includes a two-car garage, ensuring ample room for parking and storage. The property occupies a sizable 9,775-square-foot lot. Additional houses have recently been purchased nearby: In March 2024, a 2,860-square-foot home on Kane Court in Saratoga sold for $3,475,000, a price per square foot of $1,215. The home has 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. A 2,479-square-foot home on the 19800 block of Kane Court in Saratoga sold in February 2024, for $4,050,000, a price per square foot of $1,634. The home has 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. On Garnett Court, Saratoga, in April 2023, a 2,687-square-foot home was sold for $3,550,000, a price per square foot of $1,321. The

1503 Albany Court – Google Street View A 1,682-square-foot house built in 1959 has changed hands. The property located in the 1500 block of Albany Court in Milpitas was sold on April 8, 2024, for $1,650,000, or $981 per square foot. This single-story house provides a generous living space with its four bedrooms and two bathrooms. In addition, the house includes a two-car garage, ensuring ample room for parking and storage. The lot of the property covers a substantial area of 6,720 square feet. Additional houses that have recently been purchased close by include: In February 2023, a 1,000-square-foot home on Solar Court in Milpitas sold for $1,350,000, a price per square foot of $1,350. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. On Solar Court, Milpitas, in September 2022, a 1,361-square-foot home was sold for $1,250,000, a price per square foot of $918. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. A 1,504-square-foot home on the first block of Lawton Drive in Milpitas sold in January 2024, for $1,420,000, a price per square foot of $944. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.

By Regina Garcia | Associated Press MEXICO CITY — Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ordered the closure of his country’s embassy and consulates in Ecuador on Tuesday in solidarity with Mexico in its protest over a raid by Ecuadorian authorities on the Mexican embassy in Quito. Maduro and other presidents participating in a virtual meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States expressed their support for Mexico’s request to have the United Nations suspend Ecuador from the world body over the April 5 raid. But Maduro was the only one to announce the recall of a diplomatic mission. “The condemnation has been unanimous, total, absolute,” Maduro said, referring to the excoriation Ecuador’s move has drawn. “No one today in this world comes out to defend this barbaric act.” Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa had ordered authorities to raid the Mexican diplomatic outpost to arrest the country’s former Vice President Jorge Glas, a convicted criminal and fugitive who was holed up at the embassy since December. Mexico granted him asylum hours before the raid. The extraordinarily unusual use of force drew immediate condemnation from governments around

By Danny Freeman, Fabiana Chaparro and Chris Boyette | CNN An 81-year-old Ohio man is charged with murder after he shot a female Uber driver he mistakenly believed was working with a scammer and attempting to extort him, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. William Brock shot Loletha Hall several times outside his South Charleston home on March 25, according to a criminal complaint. Hall was taken to a local hospital where she died. Brock told police that prior to the shooting he had received threatening phone calls from a male caller who claimed one of Brock’s relatives was being held in jail, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office. The caller then asked Brock to wire money for the relative’s bond, and when Brock resisted, the caller began threatening to harm him and his family. When 61-year-old Hall arrived in her Uber at Brock’s residence, he shot her multiple times, the release states. Brock believed Hall had a connection to the scam caller and would kill him and his family, according to a 911 call he made after shooting her, authorities said. Police

Insurers in California have sounded the alarm: A warming climate has dramatically raised the risk of devastating wildfires, and with it the cost of providing coverage. But now a Peninsula lawmaker says those insurance companies should credit the state and homeowners for the work done to reduce our vulnerability to wildfires. State Sen. Josh Becker, a Menlo Park Democrat, has introduced a bill that would require insurers to consider the state’s efforts to thin flammable brush and trees as well as property owners’ steps to make their homes more fire resistant, such as covering vents and clearing vegetation. Those efforts would need to be incorporated into their risk modeling to determine coverage decisions and costs. “What we’re seeing is that in addition to the impact of home hardening, that forest treatment is going to have a big impact on wildfire risk, and that’s not being taken into account,” Becker said. “You have to take these into consideration.” Becker’s bill, SB 1060, comes as state officials scramble to prop up a home insurance market on the brink of collapse, with major insurers restricting coverage and refusing

Tom Cruise’s three ex-wives, Mimi Rogers, Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes, probably would have a lot to say about being married to the famously intense mega-star and their time inside his beloved Church of Scientology. But these women have mostly kept Cruise’s secrets, with experts in the inner workings of Scientology saying that Kidman and Holmes, in particular, probably signed non-disclosure agreements when their marriages to the “Top Gun” actor ended. US actress Katie Holmes and daughter Suri Cruise arrive the opening night premiere of “In The Heights” during the Tribeca Festival at the United Palace Theatre on June 9, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)  But no such agreement probably applies to Cruise’s youngest child, Suri Cruise, from whom he’s long been estranged, Page Six reported. With Suri turning 18 on Thursday, she and her mother Katie Holmes should no longer receive the reported $400,000 a year Cruise paid as part of a divorce settlement. Cruise also agreed to pay Suri’s college and health care costs, Page Six added. As an adult

When New York City restaurateur Keith McNally called James Corden a “tiny Cretin of a man” in 2022, he was able to count on swaths of support among people who tend to agree that the former late-night host is one of today’s more annoying celebrities. But it looks like McNally, the owner of famed eatery Balthazar, has gone too far with one of his brash and provocative opinions about another famous person. In an Instagram post Monday, he called Lauren Sanchez “absolutely revolting” and said that she and her fiancé, multibillionaire Amazon fonder Jeff Bezos, make “an ugly and (expletive) smug-looking couple.” “Is this what having 1000 billion dollars does to people?” McNally asked. For some reason, McNally doesn’t seem to know that it’s not considered cool to comment on women’s looks. He also insulted a woman who is well-regarded by others in her elite social class, people who view her as a beautiful, kind, accomplished woman. Some of those people came to Sanchez’s defense on McNally’s Instagram, including Chrissy Teigen. The model and influencer is no stranger to the nastiness of social media, both