Pork Stew with Mushrooms and Artichokes

Is it cold and snowing where you are? Are you swirling in the center of the Polar Vortex? Here in Southern California it’s a beautiful and sunny 72 degrees today. I say that not to brag, but with desperation. Can we have some of your snow and rain? Pleeeease…. In case you haven’t heard (being buried under all that snow and all), we are in the middle of the worst drought in recorded history here. There is NO snow in the mountains and the reservoirs are drying up.

Things are getting desperate here, yet it seems like most people where I live are completely unaware. My lawn is the color of old cardboard, while my neighbor’s lawn looks like a golf course watered three days a week. Local news talks about the unending forecast of “beautiful weather”, and moans if there is even a 20% chance of rain (which never …