4

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M a r c h 8 , 2001 Vo l u M e 72 , I s s u e 13 T h u r s day

INsIdE

n NEWS: Once a scarce commodity, mush-rooms are now springing up everywhere

n DETOUR: Well-known novel turned play portrays war through the eyes of a young girl

Men’s basketball begins Big West tour-nament this afternoon

against Utah State—see sports page 7

C a L I F O r N I a s T a T E u N I V E r s I T y , F u L L E r T O N

http: / /dai lyt i tan. fu l ler ton.edu

MayRa BElTRaN/Daily TitanCamera cops stay vigilant on the corner of Westminster Avenue and Brookhurst Street in Garden Grove.

Red light runners beware

By Marlayna slaughterBeckdaily Titan News Editor

Zoom, click, you’re busted. Gone are the days when drivers speeding through yellow lights merely had

to keep their eyes peeled for police cruisers to avoid a ticket.

Camera cops—cameras mounted at busy intersections, designed to nab drivers who run red lights—are rapidly sprouting up throughout Southern California.

Although Fullerton has yet to take advantage of the relatively new technology, Lt. Greg Mayes of the Fullerton Police Department said it would not be long before it does.

“You’ll probably see more and

more cities phasing in the cameras within the next year,” Mayes said, adding that although in Fullerton the project requires the city council’s approval, there is already a good deal of support for the program.

In Beverly Hills, where the cam-eras have been in place since 1998, there is also some resistance.

While much of the controversy is based on concern over Fourth Amendment privacy rights, some take issue more with the cost of

the ticket itself, rather than the pos-sibility that their constitutional rights have been violated.

At $270 per citation, the average camera cranks out 2,000 tickets per month, potentially generating more than half a million dollars each for the city.

The steep penalties combined with the fact that offenders are often not aware they’ve been caught or that they have even broken the law until

nTREND: Mounted cameras catch drivers who break the law

Student faces charges after dorm break-in

By kathleen gutierrezdaily Titan staff Writer

A Cal State Fullerton fraternity member was arrested at the Sigma Pi house on Monday for vandalism and possession of a deadly weapon.

The student, 21-year-old Michael Ryan Schreiber, pled not guilty to charges at the Fullerton Municipal Court House on Wednesday afternoon and remains in custody. His bail was lowered from $50,000 to $7,500.

Campus police arrested Schreiber for allegedly breaking down the door of a student’s room in Cobb Residence Halls and for allegedly attempting to assault him and other students with brass knuckles.

He was allegedly searching for his ex-girlfriend, who lives in the dormi-tories, when he was told she was out with a male friend who also lives in the same facility.

The report, taken by campus police, said Schreiber beat on the door of the male student. His roommate looked through the door viewer, saw Schreiber and the brass knuckles he allegedly wore, and refused to open the door.

The roommate yelled to Schreiber that the male student was not home and then Schreiber kicked the door down. A part of the door’s frame-work was taken in as evidence against

Schreiber.“He literally kicked the door right

in, breaking the hinges off and every-thing,” said CSUF Detective Thomas Gerhls.

Schreiber told police that he did not know how many people were in the dorm room, so he wore brass knuckles to protect himself.

Gerhls also said that the harass-ment against the female student has been ongoing. Schreiber allegedly resorted to this action after a series of attempts to contact his ex-girlfriend were unsuccessful.

The ex-girlfriend submitted two harassment-related e-mails from Schreiber to campus police as evi-dence of intent.

According to the police report, the roommate said that after Schreiber kicked in the door, he was demanding that he reveal the male student’s where-abouts. When he refused, Schreiber got into his car and drove back to the Sigma Pi house.

Responding to a call from the roommate, campus police drove to the house and found Schreiber’s blue Camaro parked outside with the engine still warm. Another Sigma Pi member allowed police inside and took them to Schreiber.

Police found Schreiber in his room where they arrested him for terrorist threats, possession of a deadly weapon and vandalism to CSUF property.

To protect their privacy, campus police requested that Schreiber’s vic-tims remain anonymous pending fur-ther investigation of the case. The pre-trial hearing is slated for March 14 at 8 a.m. at Fullerton Municipal Court.

nCRIME: Sigma Pi member is in police custody for allegedly kicking down a door in Cobb Residence Halls

CaMEras/ 3

Check out the Daily Titan online this year at http://dailytitan.fullerton.edu.

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Space and the Web meet

By saMantha gonzaga daily Titan asst. News Editor

Dr. Charles Hung Lee and Dr. William Gearhart want to make information about space satellites more accessible. Today most sci-entists must rely on expensive soft-ware to get this data.

But Lee, Gearhart and seven math, computer science and engineering students are striving to eliminate this reliance.

A small room with four computer

stations, two space posters and an electric fan the size of a walk-in closet is one of the places where they work.

This tiny area is where they streamline their project dealing with the use of a Web-based tool for space communications.

As the end of the month nears, the group will discover if the year-long project will earn the approv-al of Caltech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

This cooperative research is a project in which CSUF is the only university collaborating with JPL.

The premise presented to the stu-dents involved is the creation of a Web tool that will enable scientists to access JPL information on the Internet.

“JPL has many telecommunica-tions planning tools mainly used

for NASA missions,” Lee said, a professor of mathematics.

“But it is not centralized. The goal is to see how good the com-munications link is.”

Currently, scientists who wish to access information in JPL must employ the use of several software systems in addition to their autho-rized clearance. Since not every com-puter has these programs installed, it restricts the way scientists can get the information they seek.

“Anyone in the world with an authorization can log on and get access,” Lee said.

Since such important information will be online, security is an impor-tant issue.

Senior Tai Vo, one of the stu-dents working on the project, said,

DavID RIvERa/Daily TitanSenior Tai Vo and Professor Charles Hung Lee are involved in a research program with JPL.

nSCIENCE: Students design an Internet-based communication model for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Redemption Week gift certificates exchanged for bookstore receipts

By kelly Meaddaily Titan staff Writer

The Titan Shops gave back $13,726 in redemption gift certifi-cates this semester.

Redemption Week is a bian-nual event that gives students $5 for every $100 they spend at Titan Shops.

Last term the store gave away $16,368.

“Predominantly the spring semes-ter is less than the fall semester,” said Chuck Kissel the customer ser-vice manager for the Titan Shops.

More than 1,000 students redeemed their receipts this semes-ter.

The largest gift certificate was for a student who spent $1,000 at the store. He received a $50 gift

certificate.The next Redemption Week will

occur between Sept. 17 and Sept. 23.

Students will get money back for purchases between late July and early September.

“Students can get the tail end of it,” Kissel said, referring to summer session students.

The store has given $117,084 since Redemption Week started in the fall of 1997.

Nearly 10,000 receipts have been redeemed.

nRETaIl: The Titan Shops gave students an opportunity to receive $5 for every $100 spent on books

lORRaINE DOMINgUEz/Daily TitanA total of 10,000 receipts redeemed over $100,000 in vouchers.

JPL/ 3

NEWsthursday, March 8, 20012

twotwoA GUIDe TO WHAT’S HAPPeNING

BRIEFS

The daily Titan is a student publication, printed every Tuesday through Friday. The daily Titan operates independently of Associated Students, College of Communications, CSUF administration and the CSU system. The daily Titan and its predecessor, the Titan Times, have functioned as a public forum since inception. Unless implied by the advertising party or otherwise stated, advertising in the daily Titan is inserted by com-mercial activities or ventures identified in the advertisements themselves and not by the university. Such printing is not to be construed as written or implied sponsorship, endorsement or investigation of such commercial enterprises. The mail subscription price is $45 per semester, $65 per year, payable to the daily Titan, College Park 670, CSUF, Fullerton, CA 92834.

Copyright ©2001 Daily Titan

Editor in Chief 278-5815Managing Editor 278-5814News 278-5813Sports 278-3149Main 278-2128 Photo 278-2991

advertising 278-3373 Editorial Fax 278-4473advertising Fax 278-2702DT online: http://dailytitan.fullerton.edue-mail: dailytitan@yahoo.com

denise sMaldino

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Joel helgesen collin Miller

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darleene Barrientos

Marlayna slaughterBeck

saMantha gonzaga

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daMian calhoun

Magda liszewska

JaMie ayala

lorraine doMinguez

daVid riVera

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Editor in ChiefManaging EditorBusiness Manageradvertising sales Manageradvertising Production ManagerNews EditorNews Editorasst. News Editorasst. News Editorsports Editorasst. sports Editordetour EditorOpinion EditorPhoto EditorPhoto EditorInternet EditorCopy EditorCopy EditorCopy EditorProduction ManagerProduction ManagerProduction Managerassociate EditorFaculty adviser

Online Job Fair by Titan Connection

Cal State Fullerton students can make job connections on-line. “March Madness Virtual Job Fair” aims to facilitate student search for internship opportunities and professional job offers.

Up to 10 versions of a resume can be uploaded.

Those with Titan Connection accounts receive a daily update of the jobs available to both students and alumni.

Those interested in opening an account, and are interested in the job fair can get assis-tant in registration from the Career Planning and Placement Center, or by calling (714) 278-2135.

“March Madness Virtual Fair” ends March 31.

Cal State Fullerton leadership

acknowledged by the Institute for the

advancement of Engineering

CSUF’s College of engineering and Computer Science was presented the Long-Term Organizational Leadership Award.

Richard Rocke, acting Dean of eCS, and Jesa Kreiner, engi-neering division chair, received the award given by The Institute for the Advancement of engineering its annual banquet.

The event coincided with the 50th anniversary of National engineer’s Week.

CSUF’s record of success show more than 45,000 engi-neering students who have earned degrees, and now hold positions such in state and fed-eral government agencies. 0

Computer science students involved in software design and its related areas.

High ranking in nationwide competitions was also some-thing that the awards commit-tee considered. This encom-passed both student and faculty achievements — students for their design projects and faculty for their extensive research studies.

Certificate programs and close interactions between stu-dents and engineering profes-sionals in the Orange County area has largely to do with facilitating leadership qualities.

Santa ana seeking vol-unteers for youth 2001

Santa Ana’s Parks and Recreation Department is searching for volunteers for its “Youth expo” on Sunday, March 18.

The “Youth expo” is a day-long activity planned for boys between the ages of eight and 18. It aims to inform youths of the opportunities and assis-tance that await them in the areas of career and character-building.

Music, food and entertain-ment will be part of the festivi-ties.

Information on colleges, career opportunities and gov-ernment employment will be provided by local businesses, schools and organizations.

Check-in for the “Youth expo” begins at 10:30 a.m. The event will begin at 1:30 p.m. and ends at 5 p.m.

It will be taking place at the Santa Ana Stadium, at Flower and Civic Center Drive.

For more information, con-tact Michelle Santana at (714) 571-4230.

CALeNDAR OF eVeNTSCalENDaR OF EvENTSCampus

A 24-hour study hall is now available in the Titan Student Union at the West Food Court. It is open Monday through Thursday.

A band will perform today at noon in the TSU Round Table Pizza Pub.

A free film will be shown today at 5 p.m. in the TSU Titan Theater.

A ping-pong tournament is scheduled for Friday, March 9 at 2 p.m. in the TSU Underground.

A Guitar Gala Concert is sched-uled for Saturday, March 10 at 8 p.m. in the Little Theatre. Tickets are $8. Discounts available.

The Pacific Symphony Institute Orchestra will perform on Sunday, March 11 at 5 p.m. in the Little Theatre. Tickets are $ 13. Discounts available.

A jazz concert is scheduled for Wednesday, March 14 at 8 p.m. in the Little Theatre. Tickets are $8 at the door and $5 with advance Titan discount.

A symphonic band will perform on Thursday, March 15 at 8 p.m. in the Little Theatre. Tickets are $8 at the door and $5 with advance Titan discount.

Community

The musical, “Jerry’s Girls,” will be performed on Saturday, March 10 at 8 p.m. in the Plummer Auditorium in Fullerton. Tickets are available at the CSUF Performing Arts Center Box Office for $20 and $25. Discounts available. For more information call (714) 278-2434.

The Brother’s of St. Patrick is hosting its annual St. Patrick’s Family Festival on Sunday, March 11 on the grounds of The Brother’s of St. Patrick (between the 22 and the 405 freeways at 7820 Bolsa Ave. in Midway City). Tickets are $10 at the gate.

A St. Patrick’s Day concert with the Irish-American group Solas will perform at the Irvine Barclay Theatre on Saturday, March 17 at 8 p.m. For more information call (949) 854-4607.

Planned Parent2 X 3

Waseda Oregon“Live & Learn”2 X 4

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NEWs thursday, March 8, 2001 3

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they receive the ticket in the mail, has led some to question issues such as prevention versus punishment.

Does the technology actually help to prevent the mayhem caused when stressed out commuters run red lights, or is it simply a way for the city to capitalize on the problem?

Traffic school instructor Dean Baker said he believes issues like this are why the average citizen takes exception to the system’s legitimacy.

“Most people really hate the idea that they’ve been busted by a cam-era,” Baker said. “Especially because they don’t find out until several days later—it gives them the creeps.”

Aside from the system’s preventive efficacy and its federal constitution-ality, there are also questions about whether the use of these cameras con-stitutes a speed trap, which has been illegal in the state of California since 1923.

The device is triggered when an automobile trips a sensor at the entrance of an intersection when the light turns red.

To determine if the driver has bro-ken the law, the device measures the interval of time taken to cross two dif-ferent sensors in the pavement, deter-mining velocity based on how long it took to get from the first sensor pad to the second.

If that time exceeds two-tenths of a second, a photo is taken and a ticket is issued.

Another issue in question is the fact that the system is operated by an outside company—US Public Technologies in San Diego—rather than a governmental agency, as is required by law.

Because there is no departmen-tal expert on the force, US Public Technologies, which receives $25 per conviction, is responsible both for maintaining the equipment and, more importantly, for issuing citations.

Although each ticket is first sent to the department for approval and verifi-cation, Baker said many complain that

the process is a mere formality and does not ensure legitimacy.

“Besides not liking the idea that ‘Big Brother’ is watching, most people in traffic school for camera citations think the program is corrupt when they find out how it works,” Baker said.

Although camera cops can be found in Orange County, the closest being in Garden Grove, many O.C. residents are unfamiliar with the program.

“I’ve never even heard of them,” said sophomore Jeff Lieber. “But I’ll definitely be looking for them now.”

Lieber likened the issue to the recent news that people at the Super Bowl had been photographed upon entering without either their permission or their knowledge.

He said that although he is unsure how he feels about the constitutional-ity of the program, on a personal level, it does seem rather invasive.

“Sure you can’t expect total privacy when you’re in your car or in a public place, but the idea that the government may have pictures of you without you even knowing is a little disturbing.”

CAMERASn from page 1

Experiencing Cold War

By terry JolliFFedaily Titan staff Writer

The terms, “Iron Curtain” and “Checkpoint Charlie” may not mean much to many students at Cal State Fullerton, because so many were small children when the Berlin Wall was torn down.

But in 1982, while the wall still separated East and West, I decided to tour the “Russian sector,” which turned out to be a very enlightening adventure.

Standing at the Brandenburg

Gate, I looked across into the bleak and unhappy eastern sector. The Berlin Wall was lined with simple gravesites, flowers and memorials to young men who had tried over the years to escape and were shot down by the guards.

Many of those who tried to escape were blown up by booby-traps plant-ed along the wall.

Standing at the 12-foot-high con-crete wall was a strange experience, facing the painful reality that those people on the other side were sepa-rated from loved ones-family and friends-and freedom.

I took a tour bus into the east-ern sector through one of the 21 Checkpoint Charlies. We were told that if we carried any West German currency on us, it would be confis-cated.

Guards carefully scrutinized our passports, searching the bus inside and out, and they rolled huge dollies

with mirrors along the undercarriage of the bus, checking for people try-ing to cross the border.

Entering the checkpoint, I observed steel-enforced concrete walls and barbed wire fences in a tight maze of hairpin turns, thwart-ing any escape attempts by the East Berlin citizens. Besides which— there were guard towers contain-ing soldiers with binoculars and rifles visible everywhere. It was like a scene straight out of a WWII movie.

East Berlin had socialized medi-cine and no unemployment. In fact, the government needed manpower so desperately that they imported workers from Poland and other neighboring countries.

The brighter students were sent to the universities, while the rest were sent to trade schools. Citizens were not allowed to leave the eastern sector until they reached the age of

65-when they were no longer con-sidered productive or of use to the government.

We were allowed to exit the bus only when they wanted us to view Communist monuments. And at lunchtime, we were herded into a small restaurant. It was the only restaurant we were allowed to eat in, the guide told us.

There was a lot of hostility toward Americans in Europe during that Cold War period. One West Berliner told me that Germans feared that if war broke out, it would again take place in Europe, and they didn’t want American missiles in their countries.

In a small southern town in Germany, we saw posters in store-fronts, pictures of Ronald Reagan with missiles pointing out the top his head, with the words, “Americans, go home!”

At one point, we were told the

hotel had rooms available when they saw the German plates on our car. Once they saw our American pass-ports however, the hotel was sud-denly full.

Nearly 20 years ago, we paid over $3 a gallon for gas in Europe and citizens were more than willing to tell us what high taxes they paid and how spoiled we Americans were.

Even back then, West Berlin had a highly esoteric and intense nightlife. The punk rock movement was very evident throughout the city.

Of course, in 1989 after 28 years of a city divided, the wall was brought down.

Last year, a 10-year anniversa-ry celebration including concerts, fireworks and speeches, three for-mer leaders, Russia’s Mikhail S. Gorbachev, Helmut Kohl of Germany, and George Bush, were honored for their part in the diplo-macy that helped to topple the wall

nCUlTURE: Ten years before the fall of Communism, the Berlin Wall served as a symbol of division

MayRa BElTRaN/Daily TitanCamera cops are somewhat camouflauged against stoplights.

“Security will be very tight and something that will be ensured.”

The model that the team will be introducing on March 31 is but a prototype.

Should JPL find the model appli-cable, designing features such as security will be left entirely to their personnel.

It has contributed $20,000 to the project, which was matched with approximately $50,000 by CSUF.

“This is a task that will mutually benefit CSUF and JPL,” Lee said.

Indeed — the project has spurred the birth of another telecommuni-cations project by seniors Suzanne Sindi, a mathematics major and Tai Vo, a double-major in mathematics and computer science.

“It’s a hands-on research that has helped me apply class material straight to this [project],” Vo said. There is also a lot of overlapping between mathematics and computer science.”

The off-shoot of the Web-tool project is a feasibility project that uses a math model to schedule com-munication between satellites and the ground stations on Earth.

Functions will not be limited to communication, and will include retrieval of data, such as relaying signs of possible volcanic activity on a planet.

The application of math is heavy because the project is an analytical model. Geometry is employed since it will determine which satellites can “talk” first.

“Anytime you have receivers, you’ve got senders,” said mathe-matics professor William Gearhart. Let’s say you’ve got several satel-lites in space. Not all of them can ‘talk’ at the same time. This is a model that will see who gets the right of way, who gets to ‘talk’ first.”

Lee hopes to lobby for a bigger grant if the project is successful.

“With this capability, people can use these tools without conflict problems,” he said.

JPLn from page 1

NEWsthursday, March 8, 20014

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Mushroomscleanse the body and taste great!

tamic acid, a natural version of monosodium glutamate—that yummy salty flavor found in some Chinese food that can be associated with headaches and high blood pressure.

“Mushrooms are a natural flavor enhanc-er, so any dish they are in will automati-cally have a richer, deeper and fuller flavor,” Schulz said.

True mushroom fans, of course, can’t find enough ways to prepare them. While attending culinary school, I found adding mushrooms to many traditional dishes gave the recipe a new twist.

Mushrooms absorb any liquid that is added to them, this makes their capacity to take on and hold flavor unbeliev-able. Whether you’re preparing a simple sauté with garlic and olive oil, or adding boun-tiful foreign flavors, the options are endless with these little fungi.

I’ve always heard that you should never wash mushrooms under water because they soak it up like a sponge. Conventional w i s d o m says to clean mushrooms with a soft brush or wipe them with a damp paper towel. That’s fine if the mushrooms aren’t too dirty to begin with. I like to use a brush because it’s a little easier and tidier than paper towels.

Washing really isn’t necessary for sanitary reasons. Commercial mushrooms are grown in a sterile medium, such as peat moss, so they are safe to eat if they only get a light brushing. But cleaning a bunch of really dirty mushrooms one at a time is downright tedious. And if you use paper towels, you’ll go through a bunch of them. To save time, I’ve been known to defy the critics and wash mushrooms under the faucet. Turns out, I’m in good company.

Harold McGee took on this bit of kitchen lore in his book “The Curious Cook”. He reasoned that mushrooms are already 90 percent water, so what difference could a few drops more make? Harold weighed 23 fresh mushrooms, soaked them in water for five minutes, and weighed them again. They barely soaked up any water-only 6 grams, or less than half a tablespoon, among all those mushrooms.

There are 3,000 varieties of mush-rooms to-date, some of which can be deadly. A single mouthful of a certain mushroom belonging to the Amanita family can bring on one of the most agonizing illnesses, accord-

ing to the Encyclopedia of Cooking. Death claims about half of those stricken. Yet

the Amanita is said to be so deli-cious that, just before being shaken

by the first seizure, one woman asked the cook for the recipe. Most poisonous

mushrooms, however, are not so viru-lent, bringing stomach upsets rather than death. One of the Amanita causes intoxication, rather than a sick feeling.

Others of the Psilocybe species, found in Mexico and South America, induce a

visionary state and have been revered as sacred by Indian tribes for generations.

Mushrooms continue to increase in their demand, not just for cooking, but for medici-nal purposes as well. So the next time you’re in the mushroom section at your supermar-ket, instead of grabbing your traditional white buttons, succumb to some exotic vari-ety and be inspired by their magical flavors.

By deBra santellidaily Titan Copy Editor

Everywhere you look theses days, an extraordinary bounty of exotic mush-rooms is turning up on restaurant menus and at grocery stores.

It wasn’t long ago that fresh shiitakes were a rarity; now they regularly appear in produce bins along with the more familiar cultivated varieties—white but-tons, creminis, portobellos, and oysters.

If you’re lucky, you may even find wild mushrooms such as morels, hedgehogs or black trumpets in season. For mushroom lovers, that’s reason enough to rejoice.

A recent survey of the top chefs conducted by the National Restaurant Association, “What’s Hot…What’s Not,” showed 80 percent ranked specialty and exotic mushrooms first among 20 cur-rently hot and trendy foodstuffs.

The perks of the abundant selec-tion of mushrooms are not lost on Chef Roberta Dean of Caper’s Catering in Los Angeles.

“As little as eight years ago all you could get your hands on were your basic white buttons and on occasion enoki mushrooms,” Dean said. “Today the vari-eties are endless, lending to exotic and interesting recipe ideas.”

Mushrooms cleanse the body, defend against illness and even speed recovery. These may seem lofty orders for a mere fungus, but scientists are uncovering new evidence that some mushrooms, at least,

really do have medicinal properties. For example, the shiitake, which is

widely used both as food and as medicine, contains a substance called lentinan that’s been shown to have cancer-fighting pow-ers. In a study by Japanese researchers, patients with either stomach or colorectal cancer who were given a purified version of lentinan, along with chemotherapy, survived longer than those treated with the drugs alone.

One theory about how len-tinan works is that it boosts the potency of tumor-kill-ing drugs. But it also seems to stimulate the body’s own defenses against can-cer. And there may be other benefits. Shiitakes contain eritadenine, a substance that appears to reduce blood lev-els of cholesterol and also contain a fair amount of fiber.

However, from a strict nutritional standpoint, the scale seems to teeter back and forth. According to Gordon M. Wardlaw’s book “Perspectives in Nutrition,” mushrooms contain chromium —and high doses of chromium picolinate may cause cancer.

“They are a great food—but not a cure-all for any ailment,” said Cal Sate Fullerton Nutritionist Ada Schulz. “Foods go in and out of fashion—whatever is currently ‘in’ is touted as the new wonder food.”

“In,” they must be, because according to

the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), sales of the 1999-2000 U.S. mushroom crop were 867 million pounds, a record high and 1 percent above 1998-99 and 6 percent from 1997-98. Mushroom consumption increased 192 per-cent between 1970 and 1994, according to the U.S. Department

of Agriculture (USDA).Shiitakes are said to be

the favorite mushroom in Japan, according to USDA’s Cooperative State Research Service. As many as 200,000 Japanese cultivate these forest fungi as a sea-sonal cash crop from logs of the Shii tree. The U.S. shiitake pro-duction is rising, from nearly zero in 1980 to 3

million pounds in 1987. Shiitake production could

mean jobs for at least 20,000 U.S. farmers, said Dr. Gary F. Leatham, a

USDA research chemist. Exploiting non-traditional food

resources could lead to substantial nutri-tional breakthroughs in developing coun-tries facing malnourishment. In Pakistan, the increase in population is creating an alarming situation regarding food produc-tion, said Dr. Tahir Hussain, author of the book, “Growing Mushrooms: A New Horizon in Agricultural.” Mushrooms are easy to grow and can be grown from

the barks of trees, taking up limited space and pre-venting trees from being cut down. Mushrooms are referred to as an alternative food source. They are high in protein and economical to grow, according to the USDA.

In addition to their health ben-efits, mushrooms are extremely low in fat and calories, and full of flavor. That means they can add lots of punchy flavor to all sorts of dishes without adding additional fat. They also intensi-fy the taste of veg-etables and light meats because they’re rich in glu-

The mighty fungus has gained popularity in the United States regularly appearing at supermarkets in dozens of

different forms.

lORRaINE DOMINgUEz/Daily TitanDifferent mushrooms provide a plethora of health benefits.

lORRaINE DOMINgUEz/Daily TitanMore and more gourmet chefs are using a variety of mushrooms to add flavor to their recipes.

- see page 8 for recipes

NEWsthursday, March 8, 20018

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Roasted stuffed MushRooMs

I’ve had too many mushrooms dribble down my chin at parties. Then I learned a secret, roasting the caps before stuffing. Roasting not only cooks the caps; it draws out excess liquid. Sprinkling the mushrooms with coarse salt before roasting helps extract maximum moisture without overcooking and helps flavor the mushrooms.

You need large white mushrooms for this recipe. The stems will get chopped and used in the stuff-ing, but sausage is the key player. Its quality will make or break this recipe, so pick a good one-mild or spicy it’s up to you. Asiago cheese has a big fla-vor that can stand up to the sausage. Grate it fresh — it’ll melt better and hold the filling together.

Makes 24 appetizers. Work time takes approx-imately 20 minutes, while cooking time takes 20 minutes.

Toss with 1/2 cup olive oil; roast: 24 large white mushrooms Kosher saltBrown:oz. Bulk Italian sausageAdd and Sauté:1/3 cup yellow onion, finely choppedcups fresh spinach, choppedStir In: cup Asiago or Parmesan cheese, grated1 t. cayenne pepperTop With: 1 cup dried breadcrumbs PoRtobello PeRfection

Here’s a terrific entrée that uses feta cheese and spinach and only takes 15 minutes to prepare.

4 large or 8 medium-size Portobello mush-rooms

non-stick cooking spray, preferably garlic fla-vored

1-tablespoon fresh basil1-tablespoon olive oil3\4 cup diced tomatoes1\3 cup diced onions3 cloves garlic, minced1 cup white wine1 cup feta cheese, crumbledsalt and pepper to taste1 package fresh baby spinach leaves1\4 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Cut off stems and discard. Scrape out and discard mushroom gills. Place mushrooms caps rounded side up on a bak-ing sheet and coat with cooking spray. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven; preheat broiler.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add onions, garlic, tomatoes, and sauté 5 minutes. Add white wine, simmer 1 min-ute. Add spinach, basil, feta, salt and pepper, cover and cook until liquid is mostly absorbed.

Turn mushrooms over and fill with spinach mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top. Broil until cheese is golden brown. Garnish with basil leaf.

sautéed MushRooMs

VinaigRette

Sautéing is probably the most popular way to cook mushrooms. It shows off the best a mushroom has to offer in flavor and texture. The trick is doing it right.

Here’s the deal. Mushrooms are nearly 90% water. When they cook, all that water comes out.

Now, the water carries a lot of flavor, which you don’t want to lose. Sautéing evaporates just the water, leaving the flavor concentration on the mushrooms.

First, don’t pack too many mushrooms in the skillet — cook them in batches if you have a lot.

If the pan’s crowded, the water can’t evapo-rate, and you end up braising instead of sauté-ing.

Braising results in a Grey color and soft tex-ture. You want golden, firm-yet-tender mush-rooms.

Second, cook mushrooms over a rela-tively high heat. This helps the water evaporate quickly. If it takes too long, the mushrooms will get rubbery.

Sautéed mushrooms put a twist on typical vinaigrette. They give it body and fla-vor. This hearty vinaigrette is delicious over roasted vegetables, such as asparagus or root vegetables.

Try it with grilled chicken breast, pork, or tuna steaks. Or toss cooled vinaigrette with greens.

Gourmet mushroom recipesA night of inti-mate poetry and By taylor goldMandaily Titan staff Writer

Rhianne Bergado, a member of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Alliance, spoke of her innermost emotions through poetry to a crowded room.

“Justify to me hate in the name of God, injustice in the name of Allah and bigotry written into our laws,” she said in a poem she recited from memory that was inspired by Matthew Shepard.

The LGBA held its second annual Perceptions Poetry Night on Tuesday in the Tuffree room of the Titan Student Union.

David Atilano, a co-chair of the club, said that this event was held in the spirit of creating mutual respect and understanding throughout all of Cal State Fullerton.

He explained that guests usually real-ize that the person performing is sharing something deep and personal with a crowd of strangers. “I always feel ner-vous until I realize that everyone is there to support me,” Atilano said.

He chose to recite lyrics from the song “Alma Matters” by the gay artist Morrissey. Atilano said that these words have meaning for him because the artist defies those who don’t agree with his lifestyle. In the song, he has somebody in the world that loves him regardless of other people’s opinions.

Ben Quan, secretary for LGBA, said that Perceptions allows all

individuals to see how LGBA mem-bers view the world around them through expressions of poetry, music or artwork.

“It is a reflection of how they view

the world,” Quan said.Quan read a poem that he wrote along

with one that a friend wrote but did not feel comfortable reciting in public.

In his poem Quan said, “For the sun never saw the moon’s beauty inside because the sun could not swallow its pride.”

“Sometimes you don’t know what’s there until it’s gone,” Quan said, refer-ring to the excerpt. He said that people sometimes see things in others that they never saw before, which seemed to be the theme of the evening.

Bergado, the main coordinator of the event, said that members of the anima-tion club and members of the Associated Students Executive Board attended the event.

Perceptions also appealed to poetry fans throughout CSUF. This event is intended for “all different walks of life,” Bergado said. In addition to being an opportunity for members of LGBA to perform in front of a crowd, Perceptions also served as a fundraiser.

Bergado explained that there is a stig-ma attached to LGBA, so it is hard for the club to earn money. Although not required, it was suggested that each guest pay $5 at the door.

The money raised through this event is intended for the club’s major event of the semester, Pride Culture Night.

Quan said LGBA planned to have 40 to 50 people attend the event, and 16 people are planning to perform live.

“Hopefully poetry will rid stereotypes or prejudices that people might have,” Quan said.

Daniels and cures their ills.”

T h e T i t a n s l e a d i n g s c o r e r t h i s season w a s sen ior forward I k e Harmon.

Harmon averaged

13 points and six

rebounds in only 18 games this season.

Freshman guard Ryan Dillon led

the Titans with a 38.3 shooting

percent from the three-point arc.

Harmon has dealt with stress fractures

in his left foot on two separate occasions and

coach Daniels doesn’t even worry about his

senior not being ready for this game.

“He’s never played a game in shape this season.

With the injuries, he has always had to play himself in shape,” Daniels said. “He’s playing in pain and that’s a tribute to him.”

“He looks good to go,” Daniels added about Harmon.

“I’m glad for his senior year that he’s going to have a chance to play in a tournament.”

In the previous two meetings this season, the Aggies defeated the Titans 76-52 in Titan Gym and 58-46 at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

“We got hammered at home and

played them close at their place,” Daniels said. “We’re going to try and control the tempo because we’re not a run and gun team.”

“Just because we’re playing in Anaheim, nothing is in our favor. It’s going to be nice to have our fans, but I haven’t seen fans win a game yet,” Daniels added. “No one touches the floor until game time and if we make our shots and get some defensive stops, then we have an opportunity.”

In Logan, Utah back on Feb.10, the Titans battled all night and trailed 42-37 with 14:24 left in the second half, but that was as close as they would get. CSUF struggled mightily from the field shooting a dismal 31.4 percent, including a combined 1 for 18 from center Babacar Camara and guard Kevin Richardson.

“At least we don’t have to worry about their fans getting into their heads and making them take shots that do not have to take,” Daniels said. “Hopefully they will make some shots this time.”

However, in both games the Titans played without their senior leader, Harmon and Utah State head coach Stew Morrill knows how Harmon changes the Titan game plan.

“Fullerton scares us to death, espe-cially with their all-league player back in (Ike) Harmon,” Morrill said during the pre-tournament telecon-ference. “He’s a very explosive player that adds a lot to their team and that is what gives them a chance to win.”

“He’s a great post-up player that can step out and hit the three,” Morrill said of Harmon. “Since he has returned, you can tell that the level of play of the rest of the team has improved. They only lost to Irvine by three and lost to Long Beach State by one. By no means are we looking ahead to a second round game, we will have our hands full with this one.”

By Damian CalhounDaily Titan Asst. Sports Editor

You can call it an 11th hour reprieve, but the Cal State Fullerton men’s basketball team has received new life as the 2001 Big West Conference Tournament begins today at the Anaheim Convention Center.

After weeks of fighting and claw-ing to just make the postseason, CSUF was given new life and com-bined with a 70-59 win over UC Riverside and an Idaho loss to UCI Irvine, the Titans not only made the tournament but improved their seed-ing to 7th.

“Our guys are real excited about getting in and starting the 3rd sea-son,” CSUF head coach Donny Daniels said Monday during the pre-tournament teleconference.

CSUF faces defending confer-ence champion the Utah State Aggies (24-5, 13-3), immedi-ately following the Long Beach State-Boise State game. The Titans-Aggies tilt should begin around 2:30 p.m.

Utah State finished sec-ond, two games behind the regular season conference champion UC Irvine. The Aggies are led by senior forward Shawn Daniels and senior guard Bernard Rock, both players were honored as first

team All-Big West selections. Utah State also had junior guard Tony Brown receive 2nd team honors.

Brown led the Aggies with a 12.2 scoring average and Daniels was a close second at 12.1. Daniels also shot a team-leading 60.5 percent from the field.

“They have a lot of weapons, they’re well-coached, they make their shots and they run various sets,” Daniels said. “Rock makes them go and he knows what Morrill wants, it’s like having an extra coach on the floor. And when things aren’t going their way, they throw the ball i n t o

Go-to- guy Ike

Harmon will look to slam

home a victory tonight over 2nd

seeded Utah State.

ThursDay, marCh 8, 2001

ReadThe Daily Titan Online

http://dailytitan.fullerton.edu

KiRa HORvaTH/Daily TitanChris Smith elevates for two in the Titans’ win over UCR on

The Cal State Fullerton wom-en’s basketball team had its season ended last night with a 79-50 loss to the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos in the first round of the Big West Conference Tournament at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The top-seeded Gauchos were led by freshman center Lindsay Taylor who had a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds in only 21 minutes. Taylor, who won Big West Conference Freshman of the Year, also had five blocks and was 11 of 12 from the free-throw line.

Senior forward Nicole Greathouse also scored 19 points on eight of 10 shooting from the field.

The Titans were unable to stop the offense that flowed off of the Gaucho bench. Four Gaucho reserves combined for 45 points on 15 of 29 shooting from the field.

UCSB and CSUF battled through the first half. The Gauchos took a 12-point lead into halftime 39-27. CSUF shot 30 percent from the field in the first half, while UCSB shot 43.2 percent.

The second half was all Gauchos. A 36-10 run over the first 17 min-utes of the second half, sealed the Titans fate as they fell behind 75-37. The Gauchos burned the nets in the second half, shooting 51.9 percent, while the Titans could only make 32

percent of their shots. Freshman guard Tamara Quinn

again led the Titan attack with 14 points. The All-Freshman team member shot five of 15 from the field.

Junior Chante Gifford was the Titans’ second leading scorer with nine points. Heather Hansen chipped in eight points and nine rebounds for the Titans.

CSUF finished the season at 1-27. The Guachos will continue their ascent up the Big West Conference ladder with a noon game against the Long Beach State-Boise State winner. —Daily Titan Staff Reports

nBiG WEST: The Anaheim Convention Center is the back-drop for the CSUF’s opening round tussle

Women dealt early roundKO by UC Santa Barbara

Titans set sail on playoff

arts & entertainment

March 8, 2001

By Magda LiszewskaDaily Titan Detour Editor

It would seem that putting Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt in the same movie would make for hugely suc-cessful two hours, but while evoking a few laughs, "The Mexican" does not turn out what it is set up to be. The film is titled after one of the gadgets, the main characters share few scenes, and a supporting actor steals the show. The two heartthrobs barely share a few scenes and even then, no sparks are flying, which might be disappoint-ing for some fans.

In the opening scene, Samantha (Roberts) and Jerry (Pitt) are in their Los Angeles apartment. Their love nest crumbles when Samantha finds out that before Jerry can fully commit to marrying her, he needs to finalize his divorce with the mob. He has one more job to do before he is free of his boss’ influence. He is to travel south of the border to retrieve a priceless antique pistol called "The Mexican."

Furious, Samantha throws a fit as Jerry promised to quit the mob and go to Las Vegas with her. She shows a complete disregard to the fact that if he does not get the gun, he will be killed, throws his things out the window (how original) screaming hysterically and breaks up with him. While her ex-beau goes to Mexico, she gets into her VW Beetle and heads for Las Vegas. Her plans are interrupted when she gets kidnapped by Leroy, a hit man whose job is to "regulate funki-ness" in case Jerry screws up.

Known to most viewers as Tony Soprano, James Gandolfini carries the role with charisma, which by

itself makes the movie worth seeing. Gandolfini demonstrates how skill-fully portrayed character can regulate a mediocre movie. He creates a multi-dimensional character with surprises and thus steals the movie. By far the most likeable character, Leroy reveals his emotional side without turning into a sissy and does not hesitate to kill when the situation calls for it.

Sam soon discovers that Leroy is not an average mobster. "You're a very sensitive person for a cold-blooded killer," she observes. She also learns that her kidnapper is gay and that is when their scenes together become a true pleasure to watch.

Gandolfini has much better chemis-try with Roberts than Pitt does and he brings out the best in her. Sam and Leroy quickly become friends and start working on each other’s relationship issues. Forget dia-monds, "The Mexican" shows that a gay man is a girl’s best friend.

Roberts overacts in a few scenes but she is delightful in her interactions with Gandolfini. Pitt on the other hand, carries his role more on his looks than tal-ent in a far from ou t s t and ing performance

to create a character worth caring about.

The movie misfires in a few aspects and occasionally looks as if it was thrown together from scraps in the editing room. Why would any self-respecting mobster send a doofus like Jerry to run another errand after he had already screwed up several times, remains a mystery throughout the film. It is also never clear what exactly Sam sees in her goofy boyfriend who manages to "Forrest Gump his way out of trouble." The movie ends in quite a clumsy way when characters kill people for the first time and it does not make any impression on them. Nor does it carry any consequences.

"The Mexican" may disappoint

By eLana PruittDaily Titan Staff Writer

Matthew Good Band wants to be just that - straight-forward and nice. But clarity and poetry combine into a world of emotions that could be heavy with confusion for the simple-minded.

The Canadian quartet creates inter-esting sensitive post-grunge rock with some blessed piano, some cheerlead-ing spirit and some blunt affirmations of love, self-doubt and depression.

Titled "Beautiful Midnight," lead vocalist Matthew Good lets us into his dark mind that is fixated on the time of day corresponding with cer-tain feelings. Each song seems to illustrate thoughts corresponding with the time of day.

Starting the game off strong, "5:00 p.m. - Giant," a female cheerleading anthem begins a tune with a cheer about success, which is Good’s inten-tion that just does not get anywhere, "When you blow out like a dead star/ it reminds me how uniform your beautiful is/ we carry on like it’s easy/ like you’re all out and I’m your man."

The conflicting themes of success and scarred love nicely coalesce into a serene tune, with Good aware of his pain and in control of his anger by expressing the disgust of being used.

The music illuminating this album varies with Good’s emotions, which can be low key then picked up with livelier drama in comparison to Matchbox 20.

The more nighttime picks up and the sky turns dark, Good lets loose and can’t hold his tongue anymore. In "8:00 p.m. - Deep 6ix," he contem-plates the pain of reliving past love and trying to make it anew, but just doesn’t know how. "I don’t know I don’t know/ pretend to know where you think/ you are deep six come to bare it’s midnight/ everywhere who knows who knows/ polyurethane people live in the rain."

It is possible that listening to some of the songs in which Good slowly pours out his heart with dramatic guitar relaxation, an impressionable listener will probably feel saddened with his sultry voice that is closely in sync with the spiritual band Creed and romantic Bush. Only it is more playful, testing different sounds. This album should come with a warning label "Only listen to if already feeling lonely."

Rolling past midnight, the good-ness of this band releases its monsters and fears less poetically while the

subconscious does not hide its face from the truth. In "2:00 a.m.- A Boy and his....," things get frightening because the freaks tend to come out at night. "A boy and his machine gun/don’t move stay right where you are/ talking can only give you away/ and there’s nothing to say."

Band mates, Ian Browne, Dave Genn and Rich Priske stand behind evil-twisted gorilla masked Good throughout the CD booklet. Some of the colorful photos of these guys standing side-by-side with something to say blur into one, as lyrics are written unconventionally like a col-lage with scribble-scrabble brushing through each page.

Like negatives of film, these pic-ture show the guys in a series of still motion, but as the night goes on, these guys turn into dark maniac rockers.

Then the beautiful midnight ends with a light-weighted "Sun Up- Running for Home." Piano keys are stroked and violins are bowed rede-fining classical music, while Good’s voice cries out like a calm baby who drank the last of his milk.

"’I close my mouth now and I scream/ I open the door and there’s nothing left redeeming/ I saw your face before in rough/ you should wait around awhile cause your body’s bound to turn up/ so low for how high?/ well it’s too late tonight and I’m sure you’re right."

By eLana PruittDaily Titan Staff Writer

"The Diary of Anne Frank" premiered March 2 at the Curtis Theatre and succeeded in illustrating the true story about the Holocaust and a Jewish teen-age girl's best friend, her diary.

Danielle Kincebach fell naturally into character as the lights brightened up the first scene. Playing Anne Frank, Kincebach brought her diary alive with clarity, confidence and emotion. Kincebach was completely in tune with Anne's written thoughts as she expressed them in voice-overs while the audience watched a courageous Anne writing and speaking the words in unison.

For the virgin eyes that have never read Anne's diary pages in a novel form or have witnessed its live perfor-mance that reflects recent Jewish history, it is a remark-able story that has a tragic ending.

This Pulitzer Prize and Tony award-winning, non-fic-titious drama began in 1942. The Franks, Anne's family, avoided being deported with millions of other Jews to concentration camps. They secretly hid in an attic above Mr. Frank's business with another family and an elderly man, while Christian friends risked death to keep their hiding a secret. These eight people lived in the "Secret Annex" for two years until they were discovered by Nazi soldiers bullying them into death camps.

While they were hiding, Anne wrote in a diary, which was a gift from her father the day they arrived in the small annex, so her mind did not rot from loneliness. She wrote about tolerance, love and pubescent senti-ments. The only person to survive from Anne’s family was her father. Otto Frank discovered her miraculous diary in 1945, after visiting the annex one last time. He is credited for making her diary public and famous.

Kincebach spoke and acted out Anne's words with studied knowledge of her character's fear, pain, hope, and trust in God, which the young girl was forced to face for two long years in seclusion.

Most of the actors were talented in becoming real people that went through injustice than others, and C.C. Deere is one of the believable ones. She played Mrs. Van Daan, the mother and wife of the adjoining family. She was witty, bold, sarcastic and hilarious.

Deere used a shreeky know-it-all voice that con-nected with her "don't touch me" attitude toward Mr.Van Daan's sexist and mean attitude toward her and their son Peter. Though, she was already molded into a homemaker with domestic duties. Her conflicting traits of feminism versus domesticity conflicted one another portraying the time period and old views.

To live with eight people for two years without fresh air and sunlight except for a window with a yellowish tint, music and news radio, friends and relatives, healthy food, and sanitation should cause depression, bitterness and illness.

The audience had to imagine sickly complexions with pale skin and loss of hair from lack of proper nutrients, in order for the passage of time to seem realistic. Stage make up should have been applied on the actors for authenticity.

The Franks and the Van Daan's bickered with humor and love, though the love was not always obvious, and they got on each other's nerves. Though, the fact that these families knew they were safer than any other Jewish families caught under the stronghold of Hitler's wishes, always brought them back to terms with their temporary survival.

Based on such an intense and horrid reality, all actors took their character seriously by staying focused in cen-tral as well as background scenes. The side moments of reading, sleeping, dressing, and preparing food were just as important as the highlighted scene, because it showed that they were consistent in stressing their normalcy despite their sad situation.

The only characters that had accents were Otto Frank played by Richard Comeau, Mrs. Frank played by Laura Flores, and Mr. Van Daan played by Tony Grande, though their accents sounded like a mixture of Spanish and German. Yet, that aspect of the play was a small imperfection, because in attic in1942 everyone spoke Dutch.

The lighting created significant changing moods for different situations, which evoked strong emotional con-nection from the audience.

Brightness filled the stage as all actors shared equal importance in scenes at their meeting table. Then focus-es shifted, such as lights shining on Anne and Peter Van Daan's intimate talk in his room as a dim mood set on the rest of the annex. Anne grew close with the teen-age boy Peter, played by a nervous Dennis Baker, receiving her first kiss as he gave her reason to wake up in the morning instead of always remembering the dark sky filled with death.

The elderly Mr. Dusel, played by Douglas Ewen, also sparked personality in the play. His character entered in the third scene. He brought the sad knowledge of the Holocaust to tight quarters filled with hope. He was a lonely man in need of hiding. Anne was crushed with the news of her best friend's death, which forced everyone to forget about petty ordeals and be thankful for their life.

After Mr. Dusel's appearance, the two families hop-ing to live in secrecy for only a short time ceased hope as false expectations gravitated to fear.

Old black-and-white photographs of the real Anne sitting at her desk, Adolf Hitler, the Star of David and other Jewish symbols were shown on side walls of the stage between scenes. Mixed media is put to good use with melancholy music, hateful German voices, and the reading of Anne's diary serving as background to these pictures.

It contributed to the fact that six million lives were killed in the Holocaust and more than one million were under the age of 16.

"The Diary of Anne Frank" will continue to play through March 18 at the Curtis Theater, with Danielle Kincebach's lovely performance as a Jewish girl search-

Jerry (Pitt) and Sam (Roberts) reunite after numerous adventures.

Courtesy of Dreamworks

Viva Mexican!

Of love and war

First-time pairing of Hollywood prince and princess on screen brings a surprising but entertaining result.

The award-winning drama brings to life war experiences of a Jewish girl as written in her diary.

Courtesy of Atlantic RecordsFrom left to right: Dave Genn, Matthew Good, Rich Priske and Ian Browne

Courtesy of Curtis TheatreFrom left to right: Richard Corneau as Mr. Frank, Brandi Walker as Miep Gies and Alan Schneider as Mr. Kraler in “The Diary of Anne Frank.”

The young and the restlessThe band expresses emotional turmoil on the latest album, “Beautiful Midnight.”

!

DETOurthursday, March 8, 20016

By deBra santeLLiDaily Titan Copy Editor

Can’t a vegetarian get a decent meal anymore? How many vegetables, rice and tofu can someone eat before the thought of it becomes so dull that paint thinner sounds exciting.

Most restaurants cater to meat-eat-ers. I figured I had to face facts -- most Americans devour meat, and lots of it.

Bottom line – most Americans are overweight. Diets high in fat, choles-terol and loaded with meats are cul-prits in the fat-factor in America.

At 17 my cholesterol was 217. The doctor gave me two options – pills or change my diet. A year after becom-ing a vegetarian it dropped to 121. Sure I’m an animal lover, but health was my initial reason for becoming a vegetarian.

The problem I faced eating a veg-etarian diet is it can become boring, especially if you’re a vegan, which means no meat, fish, eggs, or dairy.

Au Lac gourmet vegetarian res-taurant specializes in Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine has become my muse.

Ironically, Mai Nguyen, owner of Au Lac faced high cholesterol from poor diet 10 years ago.

At the time her friend had opened Au Lac, but after a short time the vegetarian restaurant was struggling. Nguyen helped get the restaurant on its feet and when it was faced with clos-ing she offered to take Au Lac over. Without the support of her family, and only her firm belief in the philosophy of the restaurant she dedicated herself to it.

The road to get to this point, Nguyen explained, was not easy. When she

first took over she had no prior experi-ence in the restaurant business and was not a formally trained chef. The chef at the time was trained in Chinese cuisine and believed in deep frying practically everything. Nguyen did not want this for her restaurant; she wanted healthy food with great taste.

She told me a story of the day she changed the chef’s mind for the bet-ter. Two customers were dining and Nguyen explained that today was buy one get one free day. Nguyen prepared their dishes healthy, simply sautéing with little oil and seasoning and the chef fried the same dishes. The cus-tomers enjoyed the less oily dishes, which convinced the chef to stay with Nguyen all these years. He in turn has readapted his cooking style, not to mention losing a significant amount of weight himself.

That was in 1977, and today Au Lac is still here.

Over the years Nguyen has become a self- taught chef. She explained wherever she went she would taste the seasonings and marinades, not the meat. Chicken in its pure form, unseasoned with no spices, tastes like a bland dough ball with a rubber consistency.

Beef by itself, not even a little salt, has a bit of a foul smell with a bitter underlying taste. Americans crave the seasons, sauces, marinade and above all the salt used with meats. Of course meat is one source of protein but vegetarians can and usually get just as much protein in their diet.

Nguyen bases her restaurant on offering "meat" tasting products that everyone is used too, without the meat. The base ingredient in all her "meat" products is soy protein.

Basically the soybean is the starting

product for all "meat" imitation prod-ucts. The soybean is packed with pro-tein and can be made into what we all know as tofu. However, it can also be formed into products that have a fiber consistence that resembles the textures of meat. Once a soybean is made into tofu, it can only be worked with very delicately, since tofu can fall apart eas-ily. Soy protein can look, feel and taste like meat with machines.

I asked Nguyen how this is pos-sible, because I’ll tell you, the dishes I had tasted like meat, chicken, pork, and shrimp -- surely not soy? She explained for instance, shrimp fla-vor comes from seaweed. By adding seaweed to the soy protein, forming it into little shrimp, even including

the orange strips with natural coloring from seasons,

there’s no taste dif-ference. The dif-

ference is in the health factor.

N o r m a l l y I would not indulge in so much food, but

I was in paradise so indulging was on

my mind. I wanted to try as many creations of

these so-called "meat" products as possible.

The menu is divided into sections, so I ordered something from each section.

The first dish I tried was Vietnamese eggrolls. They are served with lettuce, mint and purple basil that you wrap around the fried eggroll and a "fish" dipping sauce ($4.95). The eggroll was traditional in the sense of what most would be accustomed too, but by wrapping the eggroll in lettuce it gave it a lighter, fresher, healthier taste.

Vietnamese crepes are a standard Vietnamese dish. French colonization in Vietnamese cooking is abundant from all the years of French infiltra-tion in Vietnam. Au Lac does not use

any eggs or dairy products to make their crepes, but instead uses bean curd. Bean curd comes from the top layer of the water when soybeans are boiled to make tofu. This top layer is skimmed off which makes bean curd. By adding chopped up bean curd, rice and turmeric for the yellow color of eggs, the crepes are prepared. Stuffed with bean sprouts, tofu and lots of veggies. Anyone that’s indulged on savory crepes before will be pleasantly pleased ($4.95).

Soups are a good way to gage a restaurant detail to flavor. After all what makes soups is the broth not necessarily the additional ingredients. Nguyen imports a veggie powder that is quite expensive, but none the mat-ter she explains. This veggie powder is a key ingredient to many of her dishes because of its concentrated flavor of veggies and spices. This is the key ingredient in her vegetable soup broth. Tofu and meat slices are added as well as veggies making for a sensation flavor of spices, herbs and comfort ($4.95).

In the section labeled "tofu para-dise," I tried salted and peppered tofu ($6.95). This way of preparing dishes by lightly salting, peppering and flour-ing the product before a quick fry is a conventional Vietnamese style. The tofu was firm and the seasoned coating was savory and punchy with a hidden spice to it.

Cha Lua, which is a traditional Vietnamese pork roll steamed in a banana leaf, is just beautifully tasting as well as looking. The "pork" is sea-soned with veggie powder, sugar, salt and leeks, creating a bounty of flavor upon each bit. Banana leaves let off a wonderful flavor as well as preserving the food from bacteria, which dates back to the early years in Vietnam when refrigeration didn’t exist.

My favorite dish was the soy beef with watercress ($7.50). This dish has a French influence with watercress and a vinegar \ sugar sauce. The taste was unbelievable; each piece of "meat"

was flavored with herbs, seasoned in this bitter but sweet sauce and present-ed with bursting colors of greens, reds and delectably looking "meat."

In the tradition of the all-American dish chicken wings, Au Lac offers drumsticks with plum sauce ($7.50). They even went as far as to put a little wooden stick for the "leg" of the chicken. The sauce was a sweet fruity flavor with a bit of a zing to it.

Next on the plate was fried "shrimp" ($7.50) … too cute! The soy shrimp was seasoned with salt and pepper, then lightly breaded and fried, no oily taste, just an eerie resemblance to shrimp. Served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce, this is a must try.

How much fun can a vegetari-an have? The dishes to pick from are endless and inventive to no end. Nguyen says she constantly adds new dishes to keep it interest-ing and challenge herself.

Challenging herself she does, facing

a society that sides with meat as the first choice for dining, she is deter-mined to fool and hopefully sway the biggest carnivore.

Au LAc16563 Brookhurst St. Fountain Valley, Ca, 92708(714) 418-0658http://www.aulac.comHours of operation:Tues. – Sun. 10:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.

M o n d a y closed

Mayra Beltran/Daily TitanCustomers enjoy healthy, tasty food at Au Lac restaurant.

Meatless meats and other dishes at Au Lac satisfy vegetarians and meat enthusiasts.

I can’t believe it’s not meat !