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TV Media Weekly | March 24 - 30, 2018 By Adam Thomlison TV Media Q: I enjoyed "Monk," espe- cially when Bitty Schram played Sharona, his sidekick. What's she doing these days since leaving that show? A: Oddly enough in the over- sharing era of social media, we don't know what Bitty Schram is doing. Stars often keep up accounts on Twitter or Instagram to let fans know what they're up to, and to plug whatever new projects they're working on, even after they leave the limelight. But Sch- ram has not. It's possible, though, that she's glad to be out of the limelight. She's only appeared in one thing since the end of "Monk" in 2009, and she didn't even audition for it. She had a bit part in the 2016 indie comedy "Moments of Clarity," which she said resulted from the producers calling her up. "They just gave it to me, which was very nice," she said in a 2015 interview with the Vallejo Times- Herald. This suggests she isn't ac- tively chasing new roles these days. She may have become embit- tered toward the whole acting business after her experience on "Monk." It's no secret that she left the show on bad terms partway through its third season in 2004. The rumors at the time said that she and co-supporting stars Ted Levine and Jason Gray-Stan- ford were all due for a contract renewal, and all three were ask- ing for more money. The other two returned to the show but Schram did not, which, if the ru- mors are true, would certainly have made things awkward on set. That said, whatever feelings she had weren't bad enough to stop her from returning for a guest turn in the show's final sea- son in 2009. Apart from her part in "Monk," she's most famous for her role in the classic baseball comedy "A League of Their Own" (1992) — her character's tears were the setup for the film's enduring line, "There's no crying in baseball!" That role has led to the only other post-"Monk" appearance I could find for Bitty Schram, and it's a weird one: she's scheduled to be the celebrity guest on June 2 at Canal Park in Akron, Ohio, for a "League of Their Own" night held by the minor-league ball team the Akron Rubber Ducks. The first 1,000 fans will receive a bobblehead doll shaped like her character from the film (for the record, I'm not making this up). Have a question? Email us at questions@tvtabloid.com. Please include your name and town. Personal replies will not be provided. Hollywood Q&A By Andrew Warren TV Media C ooking at home can be such a joy, but as a home cook, it sometimes doesn't take much to make me feel like I'm in over my head. After all, professional chefs can spend years studying at culi- nary school apprenticing under accomplished chefs and decades perfecting their craft. How's a home cook supposed to keep up with that? Well, we at home may never be able to achieve the culinary mastery that the likes of Gordon Ramsay or Tom Colicchio have accomplished in their storied ca- reers, but with Ina Garten's help, we can at least get tons of help- ful tips. She knows just how it feels to be a home cook with no culinary training: she herself is self-taught, relying mainly on cookbooks and feedback from family and friends, and in her long-running Food Network se- ries, she shares all of that helpful cooking advice. "Barefoot Contessa: Cook Like a Pro" currently airs Sundays on Food Network, and in this week's March 25 episode, the helpful host shows how to make some amazing one-dish meals that don't require any sides. First, she makes a one-pot meal that's quick and easy to throw together but big and hearty enough to feed an entire dinner party: tender lamb shanks and orzo. Then pizza is on the menu as she whips up smoked salmon pizzas while sharing the trick to making foolproof home- made dough for the crust. A roast chicken cobb salad is a lighter but no less tasty option for a one- dish meal, and she finishes off the lesson with mouthwatering baked polenta with mushrooms and blue cheese. Through every dish, Garten patiently explains each step and the reasoning behind it — there's nothing archaic or myste- rious here. Being self-trained her- self, she knows exactly what steps and techniques can trip up a home cook but also knows how to tackle them. Every home cook wants to cook like a pro, and Ina Garten is someone who's been in that ex- act place. She shares her best ad- vice in "Barefoot Contessa: Cook Like a Pro," Sundays on Food Network. Ina Garten's lessons are perfect for any home cook 10 | Cooking this week Sunspot 2 x 2" Vicker's Graphics 2 x 1.5" Tech Repairadise 2 x 1.5" Ina Garten hosts "Barefoot Contessa: Cook Like a Pro"

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