Born this day in 1881, Pablo Picasso was renowned as a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, stage designer, poet and playwright. He spent most of his adult life in France, where the above photo was taken.

Rather than share a history of the great artist’s life and work – you can find those here and here – I’d like to tell you what I’ve learned about Pablo and food.

According to an article in Vogue magazine from 1964, Picasso’s favorite dishes were eel stew and omelette tortilla Nicoise. You can check out the article here. Me? I’m going to leave the eels alone, but the omelette sounds yummy. Bon appetit!
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And now please enjoy this video of David Bowie doing an excellent cover of Jonathan Richman's rocker Pablo Picasso. Bowie's stance on eels and omelettes is unknown.

Born on this day in 1912, famed chef, author and television personality Julia Child died on August 13, 2004, just two days shy of her 92nd birthday. She packed a whole lot of living in between.

Beloved for her cheery personality, warbling voice and straightforward manner, Julia is best known for introducing the art of French cooking to American home chefs. 

Three to Know:

1. Julia Child served in the Office of Secret Services (OSS) as a top secret researcher during World War II. She was stationed in Washington, DC, Sri Lanka, and China, where she met her husband. They moved to France where Julia taught herself to cook and then organized with friends to teach others. 
2. Her iconic cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking was first published in 1961 by Alfred A. Knopf, and ran a modest 726 pages. Co-authored with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, it has remained in print ever since and received its first e-book edition in October 2011.
3. Julia began a long television career in 1963 at WGBH-Boston with The French Chef. Her quirky personality comes through loud and clear whether appearing on her own, with a co-host (Jacques Pepin was a perfect kitchen partner for many years), or with a full cast of characters.

​Another famous “Julia” video comes to us courtesy of Dan Akroyd and Saturday Night Live (SEASON 4, 1978) -- this is definitely worth your time, whether it's your first viewing or your 101st. 

In November 2009 our foodie group’s themed dinner was a Tribute to Julia Child. Unfortunately there are no photos or blog posts to document the occasion, but I assure you the evening was a huge success full of culinary delights and a few good stories about Julia’s rich life. Here’s what we made, mostly using recipes from Herself:

• Appetizers: Gorgonzola cheese balls w/ chives or walnuts, country pate and potato leek soup
• Drinks: Upside down martini, bourbon & ginger ale and buttery nipple shot

This was our course, and perhaps I’d better explain. The upside down martini,made with 5 parts vermouth to one part gin, was Julia’s favorite cocktail. Her husband Paul was an enthusiastic mixologist and enjoyed his bourbon, hence the inclusion of this brown liquor stalwart. And as to the buttery nipple shot – well, butter was one of Julia’s favorite ingredients AND she seems like a good-time gal who would not be above sending a few shots down the hatch. So what do you think – a round of buttery nipples for everyone? Cheers!

• Main course: Coq au vin, baby red potatoes and salad w/homemade dressing
• Dessert: Chocolate cake w/almonds

​Finally, I simply must share a divine bit of music that honors Julia Child AND provides a detailed biography. WOW – this a capella-rap sound awesome, marching to its own beat and following a singular vision. Much like our birthday girl, Julia Carolyn McWilliams Child.
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Otherwise known as the face – and the flute -- of classic rock band Jethro Tull, Ian Anderson was one of my musical heroes during my formative years.

As a high school flute-player, I was accustomed to a repertoire of conventional orchestral pieces: the Grand Canyon Suite, Peer Gynt, perhaps a little Mozart.

​The marching band got a little funkier – we regularly brought the hometown crowd to their feet with our version of the Theme from Shaft. 

But Ian Anderson brought flute playing into a whole new realm of rock and roll. Folk rock, hard rock, prog rock – Jethro Tull blended them all together to create a unique sound, distinctly their own.

While their influence has been seen in the work of many other musicians, they were outstanding in their field – and in my heart.  

Thank you, Ian Anderson, and many happy returns of the day! 
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Singer, dancer, actress, trail-blazing civil rights activist (she refused to perform for segregated audiences in the U.S.), and active in the French Resistance during World War II, Miss Josephine Baker has worn many hats and costumes – including the famous banana skirt.

Born on this day in 1906, she was known by many nicknames including the “Black Pearl,” “Bronze Venus,” “Jazz Cleopatra,” and the “Creole Goddess” prior to her death in 1975.

Learn more about this inspiring woman here and here.

And please take a moment now to enjoy this vintage video clip of La Baker (wearing an awesome headdress!) performing in Paris, 1955. 

Bon anniversaire, Josephine!

​h/t Jean-Marie Terrasse

Legendary world-class trumpeter, bandleader, and mad genius Miles Davis was born on this day in 1926. He died in 1991 at the age of 65. You can and should read about his life here and  here and listen to his music every chance you get. Here’s a good place to start.

But today I want you to turn your eyes to this awesome piece of video of Miles and Prince performing together in concert. Yes. I know nothing about it except god bless the internet for bringing such joy into my life – and now yours too! Thank you Fayçal ZOUMHANE for this gift.

And thank you, Miles, for being a musical innovator and disruptor, long before that became everyone’s bread and butter. Happy birthday, man. 

Born Cherilyn Sarkisian, our fearless leader (not to mention singer, actress and Twitter enthusiast) Cher is celebrating a birthday today. How old is she now?

Doesn’t matter.
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She can turn back time. 

Janet Jackson turns 50 today – Happy Birthday, Miss Jackson! (if you're nasty) Long established as a fine artist in her own right, along with her famous siblings, Janet has been moving and grooving, body-rolling and shimmying, executing precision-edge choreography like it’s nothing for her whole career. All the while singing her heart out with a kitten-soft yet powerful voice.

Check out this video (it's a little silly in the beginning but gets real good starting at 2:40) and then crank up the playlist -- it’s time to start dancing. Miss Jackson wants it that way.

The obvious thing would be to play singer and social activist Stevie Wonder’s tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. and the fight to get his birthday recognized as a national holiday. The single Happy Birthday failed to hit Billboard’s Top 100 list but it did reach #2 on the U.K. charts in August of 1981. (Thanks, Wikipedia!)

But while I appreciate the song’s message (and supported the cause back in the day) it’s just not one of my favorites. Mind you, Stevie’s got a rich catalog to draw from, which is how we’ve ended up with this delightful playlist.

Hit the Play arrow, turn it up, and sing right along – you know you want to!
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Happy 66th birthday, Stevie, and thanks for all the great tunes!
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I was first turned on to the The Rocky Horror Picture Show during my freshman year of college. (Thanks, Paul!) This was not long after it became a smash hit cult film and there was still a counter-culture vibe to it (so a million years ago). If you were cool enough to dress up in wacky clothes and face paint, stand in line for a midnight show, and throw toilet paper at the screen week after week, boy oh boy, you were Arctic in the best possible way.

Tim Curry starred as Dr. Frank-N-Furter and forever after secured his fame as the “sweet transvestite from transssssssexual Transylvaniaaaaaaaaah.”
He went on to play many other roles onstage and in the movies – including Mozart in Amadeus and King Arthur in Spamalot on Broadway, and the butler Wadsworth onscreen in Clue. He also had a brief career in pop music, recording such hits as I Do the Rock and Paradise Garage in the early 1980s, both of which were in high rotation at my house.

But to me Tim will always be first and foremost the lascivious, lip-licking, eyebrow-cocking, corset-wearing, high heel-strutting s/hero of Rocky Horror. Please join me in celebrating today’s birthday boy – 70 years old on April 19 – with a video clip of the iconic song “Don’t Dream It, Be It.” Words to live by, Tim – and Happy Birthday to you!

Today’s post tells the story of old friends, great music, and the kismet of right place/right time.

I want to tell you about two dear friends with whom I’ve had a lasting bond for over 30 years – Linn Vercheski and John Morrison, each celebrating a birthday today.

Boston University’s theatre program has never been the same since John and I paired up to sing The Bare Necessities from The Jungle Book as a class assignment. To clarify – John sang one helluva Baloo; I was a mediocre Mowgli, piping up with a “Yeah, man!” every so often. He’s a working actor today and in fact is opening a production of 1776 in the Philadelphia metro area even as we speak. So proud of this guy for living a rich creative life filled with theatre, music, and writing when so many of us (raises hand) have left for other, in many ways easier, pursuits.

Linn and I became friends and then housemates while working at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey, my first job after college. Although she was an amazingly talented costume designer, a series of circumstances eventually steered her into a business career back in her home state of Florida. She continues to radiate style and creativity from every pore, even if she doesn’t always realize it herself. There’s a lot of talk these days about “curation” – whether an event, experience, design or collection. Linn has been curating beautiful things and meaningful experiences for those around her since forever, and will soon begin an exciting new chapter in her creative journey.

I am amazed to realize my good fortune, calling these two fine people my friends for so many years when I surely don’t deserve them. I often wonder – what is the glue that has bonded these friendships when others have run their course? I think we were all our creative best selves when we met, full of energy, passion for the arts, and an abiding love of music. And while our present-day realities may have diverged a bit from the big dreams of yesteryear, I think that’s where we go and who we become again whenever these longtime friendships are reengaged. Plus John and Linn are good friend-tenders, taking care to maintain the important relationships. I’ve learned a lot from them (and need to practice more).

“So where does Al Green come into all of this?” you may be asking yourself. Well, he’s got a birthday today too. 70 years young. His easy, sexy, sultry soul music from the 70s is as comfortable and familiar as an old friend. There’s no doubt that we all wore out the grooves on our Al Green LPs back in the day and let’s be honest, we’re still singing along when his just-as-sweet-today hits play on the oldies station.
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Let’s wrap up this ode to longtime friendship with heartfelt birthday wishes for Linn, John and Al. Hit Play and sing along if you remember the good old days.

Rachel Maddow is not only an author, political commentator, and host of The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC but also a classic cocktail enthusiast and amateur bartender.

Cocktail Moments are an occasional feature on her TV show wherein Rachel drops a little mixology knowledge on the viewers, mixing drinks and telling stories. Highly entertaining! You can find some of them here.
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For your viewing pleasure today, please enjoy this fun clip of Rachel making a Donald Trump-inspired cocktail for Jimmy Fallon. “It’s really a terrible drink.” 

Happy birthday, Rachel, and Happy Friday to us all – cheers!

Two of music’s living legends share a birthday this Friday, March 25th:

• Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, née Reginald Dwight turns 69;
• And Lady Aretha, Queen of Soul – well, a lady never tells her age.

I think you’ll find, when you hit Play on this Birthday Dance Break Playlist, that these two divas share more than a birthday. Love of glitz and glamour? Check. Strong talent and a distinctive musical style like no other? Checkarooni. Brings the drama and high emotion? Checkity-check-check! And thank goodness for all of that.

So go on now. Get on up, turn it up, and get down!

I am not now and have never been a Star Trek fan. Not a hater either, settle down there Skippy, just never really watched the show. Sure, I’ve seen bits of episodes here and there while flipping through channels, and I get the pop culture references that have extended the show’s legacy – and that of its actors – for decades.

William Shatner will always be Captain James T. Kirk. I’m guessing he might have mixed emotions about that identity overtaking his own. (It‘s OK, he can afford all the therapy sessions he wants.) He’s also been T.J. Hooker, Denny Crane in Boston Legal (loved that show!), and the Priceline guy.

But perhaps my favorite of Bill’s roles is that of oh-so-emotive chanteuse, or perhaps it’s more accurate to say spoken word artiste. He recorded an album in the late 60s titled The Transformed Man which featured such gems as Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. It’s everything you never knew you wanted, and so much more.
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So hit play, turn it up, and set your phasers to ‘stunning’ cuz that’s the only word for it. Happy Birthday, Bill!

Afternoon Dance Breaks - a chance to get up from the desk, crank up the tunes, and dance your fool head off for a few minutes before resuming the daily grind. 

Today would be Wilson Pickett’s 75th birthday. One of the top American R&B/rock/soul singers and songwriters during the 60s and 70s, he was known as a soul shouter. One listen to the playlist below and you'll know why. Wilson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. His personal life was said to be troubled, but the music always sustained him. And he never stopped giving the fans a good reason to dance.

Let’s get right to it then, in honor of Wicked Wilson Pickett. Click here to learn more about the man and his music. 

The occasion: Entirely hypothetical. I don’t know Fabio and we've never shared a meal. However if we did it might look something like this:

• I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter spread lightly over an organic brown rice cake. Please do yourself a massive favor and watch these awesome commercials starring today's birthday boy.
• Whey Protein Shake from his company, Healthy Planet Nutrition
• One (1) fish oil capsule from Healthy Planet Vitamins, to keep his hair shiny and silky
• Big bowl of berries, the birthday boy's favorite dessert per one of several fan clubs

​Several years ago I saw Fabio in person outside the Chicago Omni Hotel en route to his waiting limousine. He looked like nothing so much as an elegant, purebred afghan hound, with the long, glossy hair flowing well past his shoulders, and his beautiful, angular face. That sounds like an insult, comparing him to a dog, but it’s not meant to be. He was/is beautiful, which accounts for his successful multi-faceted career as a model in fashion as well as for romance novel cover art, soap opera actor, product spokesman for Old Spice and I Can’t Even, and now, at 57, a fitness and nutrition entrepreneur.

And now, just because there’s some wacky s#!@ to be found on the internet, please enjoy this absolutely insane Happy Birthday Fabio video. Hey, you’ve stuck with the post this far, might as well click it. 

Singer, songwriter, guitarist, co-founder of the influential rock group the Velvet Underground, and legendary solo artist Lou Reed was born on this day, March 2. He would have been 74.  

Lou always appeared to be a surly SOB and the gossip seem to back that up. Often cited as the “godfather of punk,” he brought a downtown swagger and snarling embrace of ugly and untouchable topics to his music that was shocking and addictive. No one else was singing about NYC’s gritty/dirty/druggy/ dangerous/exhilarating street life in the 60s/early 70s. Ol’ Lou knew some fascinating people and had some tales to tell. I, for one, am all ears.
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"I Me Mine,” is what I like to imagine George Harrison would say about this scrumptious-looking example of an egg sandwich, reported to be his favorite food.

Today is George’s birthday; he would have been 73 years old. In honor of “the quiet Beatle,” let’s enjoy a couple recipes for tasty, tasty egg sandwiches (bacon jam optional but definitely recommended) and a rockin’ playlist.

The Ultimate Egg Sandwich – from Just a Taste
Egg Sandwiches with Bacon Jam – from Raley’s

Happy birthday, George!​

From his beginnings as a sardonic cartoonist (Life in Hell) to creator of TV shorts (The Tracey Ullman Show) to current day status as a multi-award-winning writer, producer, voice actor, animator (and yes, still a cartoonist), Matt Groening has achieved more than most artists ever dream of. Let’s wish him Happy Birthday as he celebrates his 62nd on Monday, February 15th.

And because, this year, it is also Presidents Day let’s dig into this classic Simpsons video clip in lieu of birthday cake. (Especially that kinda-great, kinda-scary Bender cake in the photo above, I don't want to mess with that. I swear it's watching me.)
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 In case you’re interested – I was – Matt’s favorite foods are Vietnamese spring rolls, Thom Kha Gai soup, and bananas. If you’d like to make these dishes/send to Matt/enjoy them yourself, here are a few yummy-looking recipe links:
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• Vietnamese Shrimp Spring Rolls with Spicy Hoisin Peanut Sauce – from Bowl of Delicious blog
• Thom Kha Gai (Chicken Coconut Soup) – from Bon Appetit
• Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie – from Chiquita

Robert Nesta Marley, who died of cancer in 1981, would be celebrating his 71st birthday tomorrow, Saturday, February 6.

A Jamaican singer, songwriter, musician and guitarist who achieved global acclaim for his relaxed, easygoing riddim, Bob became the face of reggae for millions of music-lovers worldwide. He was a complex man: spiritual, militant, ambitious, and sometimes less than kind to his large family. Despite the contradictions I think it’s safe to say he earned his place in history for popularizing reggae music outside of the islands, and as a symbol of Jamaican culture.

Happy birthday, mon!