INSIDE & OUT : Go Figure

Jeffrey Manpearl’s Ferroglyphs are not your ordinary stick figures.

“They’re actually a crazy interpretation of myself,” said Manpearl, 29, of the steel figures, which he uses to adorn everything from candleholders to tables, from mirrors to security gates. “I’m such a stress-monger; I try to make my figures like happy people who don’t have a care in the world.”

There is no hidden meaning behind his work, he says; he just wants people to look at it and like it.

Manpearl, who has a studio in Rancho Dominguez, took his first welding/sculpting class at UC Berkeley in 1986. To make the figures and his other home and garden furnishings, he works with a mild steel plate, which cuts with a plasma torch.

He usually finishes off the items by polishing and painting them with a clear acrylic. If a client desires a rusty patina, he’ll leave the pieces in their natural state.

Manpearl’s figure collection numbers more than 50, the most popular being a 2 1/2-foot-tall ballerina set on a base.

Also available are objects such as hearts, stars and strings of ivy that can be put on switch plates, napkin rings, picture frames and bookends.

Among his larger works are a 5-foot-6 sax player (about $550) and a security gate (about $1,000) featuring a cloud and sun scene.

Several of his pieces are available at the Laguna Museum of Art at South Coast Plaza or by calling Manpearl during business hours at (310) 632-9867.

Fowl Play

If rotisserie-cooked chicken is your passion, then the vertical poultry roasters by Spanek Inc. of Saratoga, Calif., are just the ticket.

The roasters, made of tempered steel, cook poultry up to 50% faster and help keep the meat juicy and flavorful.

The vertical position bastes the poultry while allowing the fat to drain away, a boon for those looking for a low-fat cooking method.

You simply place the bird on the rack, then set the rack into a shallow baking pan with a little water, which keeps the draining fat from spattering all over the oven.

The designers of the roasters are the parents of company owner Denis Spanek, a marketing specialist. His parents devised the roasters about 20 years ago, and the popularity of rotisserie-cooked chicken has renewed interest in them.

Three sizes are available--a turkey rack (about $25) that is 9 3/4 inches tall, Cornish hen racks (about $17, sold as a set of two) that are 5 1/2 inches tall and one sized for chicken and duck (about $19) that is 7 3/4 inches tall. Recipes are included.

The Spanek racks are sold through Chef’s Catalog, (800) 338-3232, and at gourmet kitchen stores throughout Orange County.

Tall Tales

Mariann McDougall’s “A Pinch to Grow an Inch Growth Chart” makes it unnecessary to record your child’s growth with marks on the garage wall or the kitchen door--even if your child is 6-foot-2.

McDougall’s growth charts (about $10 each plus shipping and handling) are made of a durable vinyl and can move with you. They easily roll up and are also colorable and erasable.

McDougall, of Mission Viejo, has two sons, both over six feet, and seven grandchildren. She decided to create her own growth chart with some help from her friend, illustrator Chris Naves, so she could chart her sons’ growth.

“Most charts on the market only go up to 5-foot-6; mine measures up to 6-foot-2,” said McDougall, who began manufacturing her product last October.

“It’s a nice keepsake that they can take with them when they leave home.”

*To order the chart, call (714) 455-9230 or write to 2M Creations, Box 6080-313, Mission Viejo, CA 92691.