Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, December 18, 2021

The Chef Knows By Peter Dills The Chef Knows By Peter Dills 
Mountain View News Saturday, December 18, 2021 

THE HAPPIEST OF 
HOLIDAYS TO YOU 
ALL!!! 

I hope that you were able to spend valuable 
time during Christmas with your family 
and friends. Next up on the calendar, The 
New Year! I think time is speeding up on 
me. 
One of my favorite subjects is joyfully known as “Bubbly.” I do not wish to be a referee with 
zebra stripes, but I think it is important to discover some of the more intriguing historical 
elements of the liquid that tingles within our glass upon the stroke of midnight. There is a 
difference between “Champagne” and “Sparkling Wine.” Champagne is a distinct region 
in France and by strict French Law, only grapes grown and produced in the region can be 
called Champagne. Many states and countries produce a sparkling wine using very similar 
methods as the French. In California the procedure is called, “Champione Method.” In 
Spain they call it Cava, and South Africa uses Cap classique. An Italian sparkling wine is 
called Asti. In Germany, Sekt is a common sparkling wine. Other French wine regions cannot 
use the name Champagne, i.e. Burgundy and Alsace produce Crémant. Sparkling wines 
mislabeled Champagne can be and are often seized and destroyed by legal authorities. 


How did this wonderful bottle of Bubbly come into our world? Most believe that the monks 
of France developed and began the process some four hundred years ago. It appears that 
these guys have a lot of free time on their hands. Like some many of our greatest discoveries, 
Champagne was actually a mistake. Can you believe that! Most wines were drunk 
very early, but some were transported long distances and through the journey, the casks 
would warm and set off a secondary fermentation. A strange bubbling would be noticed 
when these casks were opened. Dom Perignon gets the credit for one of the first successful 
deliberate capture of the “mousse” in a bottle. Since then many a ship has set sail and many 
weddings have started and ended with Champagne. Here are a few of the funnier quotes 
I found… 

"I only drink Champagne when I'm happy, and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when 
I'm alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I am not hungry 
and drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it - unless I'm thirsty." (Lily Bollinger) 

I drink Champagne when I win, to celebrate . . . and I drink Champagne when I lose, to 
console myself." (Napoleon Bonaparte) 

"In victory we deserve it, in defeat we need it." (Winston Churchill) 

“Champagne makes you feel like it’s Sunday and better days are just around the corner." 
(Marlene Dietrich) 

"My only regret in life is that I did not drink more Champagne." (John Meynard Keynes) 

"Champagne is the only wine that leaves a woman beautiful after drinking it." (Madame 
De Pompadour) 

"Three be the things I shall never attain: envy, content and sufficient Champagne." (Dorothy 
Parker) 

So, if this has got you in the mood for bubbly, I can’t blame you. In fact, I toast you!! Drink 
responsibly! Wear eye protection if you insist on letting the kiddies rocket the cork with a 
bottle opening! 

Come join me this Tuesday at Pop Champagne Bar for a night of Bubbly!! Reservations 
required. Email me thechefknows@yahoo.com for further information. Thanks to Google 
for helping me research this. 

Tune into my Live Radio Show 5PM Sunday AM 830 KLAA, Are you on Instagram? I am 
follow me there too 


LOS ANGELES COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH 
CONFIRMS 8 ADDITIONAL CASES OF THE 
OMICRON VARIANT 
• 8 new confirmed cases reported today, for a total of 15 confirmed cases in Los 
Angeles County 
• Available information to date indicates: 
• 7 were symptomatic, none required hospitalization 
• The 8th case has unknown symptoms status 
• 5 of the 8 were fully vaccinated and none have received a booster 
• 1 reported international travel and 2 reported travel outside CA 
• 2 of the 8 had previous SARS-CoV-2 infections 
• 2 cases live in the same household 
Preliminary data indicates that the Omicron variant is highly infectious and that being fully vaccinated 
might not provide adequate protection against infection. Public Health encourages everyone 
who is eligible for a booster to get one as soon as possible and to continue wearing a mask when in 
crowded public spaces 
HIGH COMPLIANCE WITH MASKING REQUIREMENTS KEEPS 
L.A. COUNTY RESIDENTS SAFE AND HEALTHY; 
CDC RECOMMENDS MRNA VACCINES OVER JOHNSON 
AND JOHNSON 
Public Health data suggests that public mask wearing is one of the most effective strategies 
at reducing the spread of the virus when compliance is high. 
In L.A. County schools, where mask wearing is mandatory indoors, this practice (in combination 
with other mitigation strategies and outbreak management) has kept transmission 
low. This protective effect was demonstrable even in elementary schools before 5-11 
year old were eligible for vaccines. With more than 1.55 million students across 3,000 L.A. 
County schools, Public Health is routinely seeing less than a dozen outbreaks each week.
Public and business sector masking compliance is high, indicating the broad understanding 
that this small behavior change adds a layer of protection that enables us to engage in 
our customary activities without endangering ourselves or others. Public Health regularly 
conducts site visits to assess mask compliance across a variety of L.A. County businesses, 
during which we determine compliance among customers, employees and their staff, and 
overall safety requirements. Out of more than 1500 site visits conducted between December 
4th-10th, the vast majority of businesses and industries, including restaurants, bars, food 
markets and hair salons, had masking compliance rates above 95%. 
Public Health notes yesterday’s endorsement by the Centers for Disease Control of updated 
recommendations made by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) 
for the prevention of COVID-19, expressing clinical preference for adults 18+ to receive an 
mRNA COVID-19 vaccine over Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine. As of December 
12th, over 530,000 residents in L.A. County have received a dose of the Johnson & Johnson 
COVID vaccine. We remind residents that L.A. County’s supply of mRNA vaccines is abundant 
and that when it is time to get a booster dose, individuals previously vaccinated with 
the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should consider boosters with Pfizer or Moderna. 
“Masking requirements reduce transmission without much disruption to people’s routines 
and allow businesses to reduce risk for their customers, and workers,” said Barbara Ferrer, 
PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “We would like to express our sincere appreciation 
to the business community of L.A. County for leading by example on masking 
as champions for public health. The take home message is clear: masking creates safety for 
employees and customers, reduces COVID transmission in our communities and helps 
everyone stay safe here in L.A. County.” 
Ferrer continued, “We appreciate the CDC’s guidance on vaccine choice. While any vaccine 
is better than no vaccine, we urge those who have received Johnson and Johnson vaccines to 
obtain booster doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to ensure they are well protected from 
both suffering severe Covid outcomes and transmitting infection to others.” 
Public Health has identified a total 1,556,685 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of 
L.A. County. Today’s positivity rate is 1.6%. 
Public Health would like to remind residents that getting vaccinated or boosted remains 
critical as holiday traveling and gatherings begin. 
Additionally, all residents across L.A. County should continue: 
• Getting tested to help reduce the spread, especially if you traveled for the holidays, 
have had a possible exposure, or have symptoms, or are gathering with people not in your 
household. 
• Adhering to masking requirements when indoors or at large outdoor mega events, 
regardless of vaccination status. 
Residents are also reminded that they are legally required to be isolated if they have a positive 
COVID test result and that vaccinated close contacts with symptoms and unvaccinated 
close contacts need to be quarantined. 
COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and are recommended for everyone 5 years old 
and older to help protect against COVID-19. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible 
residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Appointments are not needed 
at all Public Health vaccination sites and many community sites where first, second, and 
third doses are available. 
To find a vaccination site near you, or to make an appointment, please visit:
www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) or www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). 
COVID 19 ONE YEAR LATER: 
WHERE WE ARE NOW 12/17/21 VERSUS (THEN-12/18/20) 
Cases/Deaths are still occuring especially among the unvaccinated. 
Cases 2021 (2020) Deaths 2021 (2020)
LA County 1,556,685 (501,635) 27,208 (8,199) 
LA COUNTY VACCINATIONS AS OF 12/17/2021Adults 82.2% Seniors 96.8% 
Cases Deaths Fully VaccinatedArcadia 3,617 (1165) 149 ( 44) 85.4% 
Altadena 4,345 (3459) 81 (23) 81.2% 
Bradbury 42 ( 30) 0 ( 0) 67.4% 
Duarte 2,884 (1093) 102 (41) 79.3% 
Monrovia 4,233 (1513) 87 (41) 76.7% 
Pasadena 14,151 (4536) 368 (138) 80.9% 
Sierra Madre 719 ( 223) 13 ( 5) 85.5% 
So.Pasadena 1833 (614) 49 ( 28) 89.8% 

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