WHEN one thinks of California, one thinks about film stars, tech giants, Rodeo Drive, and all the other things movies have taught us. Living in a Los Angeles suburb as a teenager, this wasn’t quite the California experience for this writer. It was driving down where Pat Nixon grew up, and hearing “Strawberry Fields Forever” while passing by (you guessed it) a strawberry field.

MEXICO CITY —  Diana Kennedy, a British-born food writer whose dedication to Mexico’s culinary heritage helped popularize the richness of the national cuisine in the English-speaking world, has died. She was 99.

HEINEKEN is releasing a smoother beer with a reduced alcohol content called Heineken Silver.

CEBREROS, Spain — When Spanish winemaker Jesus Soto returned to his land for the first time since a wildfire swept through the area, the sight of his charred grapevines left him in tears and feeling as though he had “lost part of my soul,” he said last Thursday.

TO MAKE the celebration of Krispy Kreme’s 85 years special, they’ve made shopping for doughnuts easier through Delivered Fresh Daily.

SONGS can uplift our spirits and lighten our mood at a time of anxiety. They can also help us learn, remind us of our history, and deliver messages of patriotism.

MANY of us know Juvenal Sansó for his exuberant floral paintings, his acclaimed etchings, and his azure-and-green Brittany series. But Fundacion Sansó’s latest exhibit, “Sansó: Prized and Personal Featuring Works from the Marlon and Marissa Sanchez Collection,” does not include florals paintings.

IDEALISM and uncompromising pride can lead to self-deterioration is the focus of the play Orgullo Compound, an online production written by Layeta Bucoy, a Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature Hall of Famer and multi-awarded playwright.

LOS ANGELES —  Paul Sorvino, who played the role of gangster Paulie Cicero in classic mob movie Goodfellas, has died at the age of 83, a spokesperson for the actor said on Monday.

LONDON — Portrait pictures of a young Queen Elizabeth II taken at the beginning of her reign and the jewels she wore have gone on display at Buckingham Palace.

SAN DIEGO —  Two new Avengers movies will reach theaters in 2025, Walt Disney Co.’s Marvel Studios announced on Saturday at a presentation to fans highlighting parts of its upcoming slate of superhero TV shows and films.

SAN DIEGO — The upcoming prequel to HBO’s Game of Thrones will explore the origins of the Targaryen dynasty starting at the time of the family’s greatest power, the cast and creators told fans at the annual Comic-Con pop culture convention on Saturday.