How is that for a job title! In an era when movies like “The Pigkeeper’s Daughter” played in grind houses across the country, there was one man who made a fortune by delivering a series of software sex comedies!
Harry Novak started Boxoffice International Pictures in 1964, and hit the grind house circuit soon after with the sex romp “Kiss Me Quick” – check out this poster!
One notorious sexploitation stunt was to take a classic story and “perv it up!” So Novak told the story of the “secret sex lives” of history’s most enduring love story, and he knocked off other hit films as well!
In the late 60’s, “I Am Curious (Yellow)” shocked America with its candid and frank look at sex in Denmark. Novak saw a good thing and did a version from Tahiti!
Remember when Marlon Brando shocked the world with his demand for butter?
“Sassy Sue” and “The Pigkeeper’s Daughter” were classic software sex romps, full of tons of nudity and action…and speaking of action, Novak also loved to document the country’s road to ruin…
These films were made quickly and cheap, and they jumped on whatever was happening in the real world – so “a city ripped apart by sin and lust!” was his way to look at the criminal underworld in America’s cities…
But perhaps Novak’s greatest claim to fame has one of the greatest movie titles of all time:
Now THAT’S entertainment! Movies don’t get this wacky anymore! The plot is simple: Two aliens from a dying planet are on a mission to impregnate Earth women – of course they are!
Here’s a funny fact about the quality of this film:
When the spacemen are ready to land, the globe stops and zooms into the center of South America – the interior of Brazil. When they get out of their spaceship, they are in Hollywood!
These movie theaters showed movies full of sex and violence, and they played 24 hours a day…”grinding them out” for single guys…read about this crazy era in movies here:
Talk about a fun locker room! One of the NFL’s most legendary stars not only hung out with Farrah Fawcett, he made football history when he said:
“We’re going to win Sunday. I guarantee it.”
It is the boldest prediction in Super Bowl history! And it was true…launching the legend of “Broadway Joe” Namath, one of the NFL’s most colorful stars…need proof? How about his choice of wardrobe when on the sideline?
It’s a legend that re-emerged in a recent N.Y. Times article, “Does Celibacy Help Your Game?”, discussing how Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has taken a public vow of celibacy [for Biblical reasons]. The article asks one person if that will help his game…and they asked, of course, Broadway Joe Namath, who replied:
“If some players don’t keep themselves from having sex before big games, it remains a favorite tactic of coaches!”
Time To Celebrate The Sexy Legend Of Broadway Joe Namath!
He will always be one of football’s most colorful players, a Super Bowl-winning Quarterback who played and partied in America’s biggest city – and he lived up to every one of his legends! Who else would get ALL three of these Sports Illustrated covers!
From Superstar on the rise to NY party boy – and Super Bowl legend, the story of Joe Namath was, at the beginning, a traditional one…
Namath played college football for the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant at the University of Alabama from 1962 to 1964, before becoming a superstar NFL Quarterback for the New York Jets, becoming the legendary “Broadway Joe” Namath.
He wore white fur coats on the sidelines when not suited up to play, and he lived “larger-than-life” in a city that not only embraced him, they made him the toast of the town!
Namath’s legendary status was sealed when he boldly predicted that his New York Jets, from the upstart American Football League, would beat the legendary Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl 3.
“We’re going to win Sunday. I guarantee it.”
The conservative minds at the NFL were shocked by such a bold proclamation!
Namath backed up his bold guarantee by leading a shocking Jets victory over Don Shula’s NFL Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, 16-7. Many feel it led the NFL to move faster to merge with the AFL…it was one of the NFL’s most shocking upsets of all time.
Ann-Margret has had an amazing career, from co-starring with Joe Namath and Elvis, to starring in the cult classic “Tommy” – with an outrageous baked bean scene!
Sold by a German outdoor supply company, this amazing blend of science and nature allows you to take a cheeseburger out for a hike, or an overnight camping trip!
Now of course, as funny as the can looks, you DO have to bite into it at some point – and you will get this:
Thanks to FXcuisine.com, there is a great writeup with pictures of the entire process of making a Scottish deep-fried cheeseburger!
FXcuisine is François-Xavier (FX), a French-speaking Swiss native living on the shores of Lake Geneva. He is passionate about gastronomy and cooking and created his website to share adventures with Internet users the world over.
The concept is simple: deep fry a cheeseburger. Boom. Done and done.
Go to his site to get more detail on how this burger is made, but a brief overview: take frozen hamburger that has been infused with cheese. Batter it, deep fry it, eat it. Repeat. Here it is again:
You like burgers? You like BIG burgers? You like BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG burgers?!?!?!?!
Welcome to Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub – located in Clearfield, PA. It was founded by Denny and Jean Liegey in September 1977. with a goal to make giant hamburgers to attract attention.
Here is the Beer Barrel Belly Bruiser from their website:
This is a burger that can feed an Army – especially an Army going out on maneuvers – and since you are out in the wild…it all goes back to this: let me know if you’d ever bite down on one of these!
Yes, you can order just about anything served out of a can, check out the wildest ones here – yes, everything from armadillo, possum, brains and more – you will never look at potted meat the same way again!
He’s been called the “laureate of American lowlife” – and this classic photo by Mark Hanauer captures the intensity and bravado of one of America’s greatest Writers, Charles Bukowski!
He was both a boozer and a brawler – which he captured with incredible honesty in his writing, but so much more…he lived the life he wrote about, using the pseudonym Henry Chinaski in his books to tell his story…as his first novel, “Post Office” captures so well…
This is just one of his more memorable quotes. In 1986, Time magazine called Bukowski a “laureate of American lowlife”. He lived the life he wrote about, capturing life on the fringes of society – he embraced his life and wrote about it with power, anger and dignity – using his alter ego as an outlet to express his own rage.
His novels included “Post Office”, “Ham On Rye” and “Hollywood.” That’s fitting because his life was turned into a movie starring Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway!
This 1987 film captured Bukowski’s life to a tee, a seedy world of alcohol, lust and violence.
First, check out the trailer:
Mickey Roarke was “Henry Chinaski”, who spends his days drinking and listening to the radio, and he spends his nights drinking and fighting. He meets Wanda – who is a barfly, who believes that “if another man came along with a fifth of whiskey, I’d go with him”.
The movie captures the spirit of Charles Bukowski in dialogue like this:
Tully: You can really write. Why do you live like a bum?
Henry: I am a bum. What do you want me to do? Do you want me to write about the sufferings of the upper classes?
Tully: This may be news to you but they suffer too.
Henry: Hey baby, nobody suffers like the poor.
The film was shot using authentic locations around Los Angeles. All of the bar scenes, and the apartments featured throughout the film were real Bukowski haunts with names like Firefly, Boulevard Inn, Ski Room, Catelina Cocktails, The Elbow Inn, The Golden Horn, Craby Joe’s, Smog Cutter, Frady Hank, The Sunset, Silver Platter, Side Show and Snug Harbor.
This movie, like Bukowski’s writing, isn’t for everyone…this ISN’T “The Great Gatsby” life he’s writing about! But it is authentic, raw and beautifully written – and you can see more about this great Artist by going to the website that honors his work:
I came across an amazing documentary on Showtime last night – and it includes a brilliant live performance by Jimi Hendrix that must be seen to be believed!
Yes, Jimi plays the guitar with his teeth during the performance – but what is so incredible about this documentary is that it was shot just a few months before Hendrix died…
Key Art for the SHOWTIME documentary Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church. PHOTO: Courtesy of SHOWTIME
Jimi Hendrix: Electric Church!
Showtime’s documentary captured Jimi’s performance at the Atlanta International Pop Festival in 1970, where hundreds of thousands of people gathered to hear him play at the so-called “southern Woodstock.”
What’s amazing is that the festival footage was shot by “Can’t Buy Me Love” director Steve Rash, and it went unreleased after a deal to turn it into a documentary back in the ’70s fell through – so it sat undeveloped in his garage for decades!
The film is also a fascinating historical document, as it shows the racial unrest in the south leading up to the show – and how the “hippies” took over a small southern town with only one police officer!
Jimi Hendrix performs for a half hour, and it’s a “greatest hits” of all of his best songs, performed with effortless brilliance by Jimi…this is a great historical record of an amazing performer at the prime of his career…
Festivals came to a horrific end after The Rolling Stones performed at Altamont, and Hells Angels killed someone in the crowd as part of their “security”:
I know what you are thinking: with award season upon us, this is certainly an Oscar contender! And it has a rich past – with other classic “hillbilly” movies like this!
OK then, this is one crazy genre of film! Don’t worry, the “child brides” are clearly of legal age – but in the early days of exploitation, this was racy stuff! Here are some classic examples of “hicksploitation!”
I love this definition! Hicksploitation is “a genre of exploitation film relying on stereotypical depictions of rural whites of the American South and Appalachia”!
In an era when “Deliverance” made everyone afraid to go in the woods, these movies exploited a sub-culture full of “gorgeous girls that set the Ozarks on fire!”
Well, I just might take you up on that! How can you misunderstand the intent of this movie? Take a look at the trailer:
And it’s in “Flaming Hillbilly Color!”
“Flaming Hillbilly Color!” What’s NOT to love? In an era of “Hillbilly Handfishing” and “Honey Boo Boo’s family situation, there seems to be a Hillbilly revival!
See what I mean? Come on down to the farm for some fun! Producer Harry Novak was a legend for his lowest-common denominator approach to film making, which resulted in movies like these playing in drive-in theaters all over the country to an audience of very “excitable” teen boys!
And if Sue wasn’t “Sassy” enough, then it’s time to meet “The Pigkeepers Daughter!”
She Brought A New Meaning To The Phrase “Driving A Hard Bargain!”
I find these movie posters fascinating – see how lewd they are, with obvious come ons and double entendres – literally anything they could think of is included – these films played drive-ins all across the country – again, for teenage boys willing to part with their allowance for a chance to glimpse a naked girl!
Here is the VERY “NSFW” trailer for “The Pigkeepers Daughter!”
This genre of “sexploitation” has been captured for us to enjoy forever thanks to the great work by SomethingWeird Video, which lovingly restores and releases these movies to a nation eager to “head down south!”
Here are some other funny looking titles that jumped on the “hicksploitation” bandwagon:
One of the genre’s most popular entries was “Gator Bait!” Claudia Jennings starred in this classic hicksploitaiton film – Jennings was Playboy Magazine’s Playmate Of The Year in 1970, and she parlayed that into an acting career, including “Gator Bait” – shot in ten days!
Check out the trailer!
In general, you needed scantily-clad women who could kick ass! And there were plenty of films that could offer that up, like this one, also starring Jennings!
“I Saw A Werewolf Drinking A Pina Colada At Trader Vics…His Hair Was Perfect”
Thanks to Chet Phillips for this terrific image! Time to celebrate the Author of one of music’s most iconic lines – let’s hear it for Warren Zevon, the Singer/Songwriter of “Werewolves Of London”!
Zevon’s work includes such classic songs as “Werewolves of London”, “Lawyers, Guns and Money”, “Poor Poor Pitiful Me”, “Tenderness On The Block” and “Reconsider Me.”
“I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
Walkin’ through the streets of Soho in the rain
He was lookin’ for the place called Lee Ho Fooks
Gonna get a big dish of beef chow mein”
Let’s get right to it: here is the music video for his most famous song, the legendary “Werewolves Of London” from his “Excitable Boy” album:
“Excitable Boy” is a perfect album. Another song was also a big hit, known for very fun, inventive lyrics:
“I went home with a waitress…the way i always do
How was I to know she was with the Russians too?”
“Send Lawyers, guns and money, the shit has hit the fan!”
The “Excitable Boy” album is a masterpiece of pop rock, with intelligent lyrics and great melodies…one of his most beautiful songs from the album is this:
Several other albums followed, but with less commercial success, and after the disappointing reception for “The Envoy”, Asylum Records dropped him from the label, which Zevon discovered only when he read about it in the “Random Notes” gossip column of Rolling Stone!
Zevon re-emerged in 1987 on Virgin Records with the terrific album “Sentimental Hygiene”. The song “Bad Karma” featured R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe on backup vocals, and one of his best ballads is also featured, “Reconsider Me”.
In 1991, Zevon released “Mr. Bad Example”. This album featured the gorgeous pop hit “Searching for a Heart”, which was featured in the film “Grand Canyon.” Here is the music video:
According to Wikipedia, Zevon felt dizzy before playing at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival in 2002, and was ultimately diagnosed with inoperable peritoneal mesothelioma (cancer of the abdominal lining that is associated with exposure to asbestos).
Zevon recorded his final album, “The Wind”, with guest appearances by close friends including Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Jackson Browne, Timothy B. Schmit, Joe Walsh, Billy Bob Thornton, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty and Dwight Yoakam.
“Shadows are falling and I’m running out of breath
Keep me in your heart for awhile
If I leave you it doesn’t mean I love you any less
Keep me in your heart for awhile”
On October 30, 2002, Zevon was featured on the Late Show with David Letterman as the only guest for the entire hour. The band played “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” as his introduction. Zevon performed several songs and spoke about his illness.
In the green room after the show, Zevon presented Letterman with the guitar that he always used on the show, with a single request: “Here, I want you to have this, take good care of it.”
“Aint no room on board for the insincere”
After Zevon’s death, Letterman replayed the Singer’s “Mutineer”:
Warren Zevon died on September 7, 2003 at the age of 56. “The Wind” was a big hit, and Zevon received five posthumous Grammy nominations, including Song of the Year for the ballad “Keep Me in Your Heart”.
“The Wind” won two Grammys – for Best Contemporary Folk Album, and “Disorder in the House”, Zevon’s duet with Bruce Springsteen, won Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal. These posthumous awards were the first Grammys of Zevon’s career.
It is probably one of the most photographed images in Hollywood, but no matter how much the city promotes “the heart of Hollywood”, the iconic buildings from entertainment’s storied past are being destroyed in front of our eyes….
This is a familiar story on local news: another legendary Hollywood landmark torn down in the name of progress…many are leveled, some just evicted…recently, another landmark restaurant that catered to the stars announced it was closing:
The latest casualty is Dominick’s, the legendary West Hollywood restaurant that was home to some of the Rat Pack, as well as Hollywood’s biggest stars. As the Los Angeles Times reported:
“Dominick’s opened in 1948. Frank Sinatra was a frequent visitor, and the restaurant has been a celebrity hangout ever since, with famous customers including Brad Pitt, Ewan McGregor and Britney Spears.”
“There is history in every pore of the place, from the brick that props up a nail that is holding up a piece of the front wall to the funky slope of the roof. Dominick’s has plenty of charm. This is not a restaurant for the hip or the harried, and it is certainly not a restaurant for a Foodie. But for anyone who wants a restaurant that does not take itself too seriously, Dominick’s is a very pleasant place to be.”
Dominick’s is just the latest Hollywood landmark that is disappearing. It’s a very sad trend, as Hollywood’s history is demolished and forgotten:
The legendary Chasen’s restaurant was located just west of Dominick’s – one of Tinseltown’s most fabled hangouts. It was renowned for its chili, which Elizabeth Taylor loved A LOT!
Here’s Liz enjoying her favorite food at the restaurant with Eddie Fisher – yes, Carrie’s Dad, who Liz stole away from Debbie Reynolds. No doubt they had the chili, because, as this book excerpt points out – Liz LOVED IT!
The Restaurant Is Gone, But The Red Banquettes Live On!
The restaurant was known for its red leather banquettes – and when Chasen’s closed in 1995, the banquettes were saved! More on that in a moment, but first, there is a great documentary that tells some of the restaurant’s greatest stories:
Someone who is trying to save Los Angeles landmarks like Chasen’s – and it’s legendary banquettes – or at least document them before they are gone forever – is my friend Alison Martino – and she worked tirelessly with the new owners to keep the Chasen banquettes in the Bristol Farms grocery store – all part of what she does with her terrific website:
Her website “Vintage Los Angeles” is telling the story of Hollywood’s legendary venues, with the hope of helping keep them alive for future movie lovers to enjoy.
Alison produced a great video showcasing the history of “Tail O The Pup”, a legendary LA hot dog stand that, yes, was shaped like a hot dog! See this incredibly fun video here:
Here is a photo Alison has shared on her social media, taken with her parents – her father was legendary Hollywood entertainer Al Martino! Along with being one of our greatest singers, he also starred in the greatest film ever made!
Martino was terrific in “The Godfather” as Johnny Fontaine, the down-on-his-luck singer helped by Don Corleone…here is a look at some of the most interesting trivia about the making of that classic film:
Beatles fans rejoice whenever Paul McCartney embarks on another worldwide tour, and why not? His shows are 3 hours long, and every single song is a classic…he is one of the world’s great musical treasures….
Yes, Ringo also tours extensively, playing great Beatles songs, his own solo hits, and the best songs from his “All-Starr” band!
What’s fascinating is that Ringo Starr is out on the road more than McCartney! According to Billboard magazine, the 12th and longest-running incarnation of his All-Starr Band, together since 2012, is planning to hit the road again in the new year.
“Yes, we are going out again, I believe next summer,” Todd Rundgren tells Billboard. “We decided to do another American tour”.
Here is what Todd told Billboard about Ringo’s touring plans:
“As far as Ringo`s concerned, as long as everyone is able to show up he’s probably just going to keep doing this until either he can’t do it anymore or one or more of us can’t do it anymore!”
Billboard delves into the genesis of the band: Ringo touring with musicians who have their own hits, as well as playing all of his own…but Todd points out that’s not always an easy thing for the “All-Starr” band to do:
Ringo Star at the Santa Barbara Bowl with his band Richard Page, Steve Lukather, Starr, Todd Rundgren, Gregg Bissonette, and Gregg Rolie (July 11, 2014)
Todd points out that you can’t just be able to play your own music:
“Part of the problem with an All-Starr band is his minimal requirement is that you have three hit records. Well, it’s easy enough to find somebody who can play their three records, but they all have to be able to play everybody else’s hit records, and often you would get somebody who can just play their own records, and then when it comes to play everyone else’s stuff they just turn the volume on their guitar down and pretend to strum. That doesn’t happen with this lineup.”
So Ringo’s current lineup remains intact, and that means Todd Rundgren will be traveling the world with Ringo once again!
Here is a fan’s video from 2014, with Todd’s song “Love Is The Answer” performed by the All-Starr band:
Ringo actually had some of the biggest hits of the post-Beatles era in the 70’s…lots of great solo music from John, Paul George and Ringo, but what if they had never broken up? Well, one book took ALL of the Fab Four’s solo songs and imagined them as Beatles albums:
I love this book! There’s no doubt that The Beatles would have released amazing albums if they hadn’t broken up – you can see what those albums would have been like by clicking here:
Ringo starred with Raquel in the cult classic “The Magic Christian” – and yes, Macca wrote the movie’s theme song for Badfinger! Read more about this classic movie by clicking on my story here:
I bought this great collection of postcards from “the boys” to Ringo when he was ill – and the box set was signed by Ringo – a really fun and intimate look at what was going on in Ringo’s head – and if you want to get really inside it, take a look at this terrific biography!
“Ringo: With a Little Help” – by Michael Seth Starr
Forget the similar last name, Michael Seth Starr has covered television as a reporter and columnist at The New York Post since 1995, with a number of great entertainment biographies. Now, he take on the world’s most recognizable drummer!
“Ringo: With a Little Help” looks at Ringo’s entire life, from his sickly childhood to what the book calls his “triumphs, addictions, and emotional battles following the breakup of the Beatles as he comes to terms with his legacy.”
Click on my story to see more on the postcards and this great book:
As the book title says, Ringo is performing a number of Beatles songs on tour, such as the iconic “With A Little Help From My Friends”…but Paul McCartney is still going strong as well!
McCartney is touring the world and making new music – read about his latest album, one of his best, “NEW” – and see his great music video with Johnny Depp and Meryl Streep! – by clicking on my story here:
“Home For Christmas” is Daryl Hall & John Oates’ first full length album of Christmas music. It was released in 2006, and it a beautiful collection of new and timeless Christmas music…
The CD features two new songs written by Hall & Oates: “No Child Should Ever Cry on Christmas” and “Home for Christmas.”
Here are Hall & Oates performing a gorgeous version of “The Christmas Song” on “Live From Daryl’s House”:
The CD also includes a version of “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear”, which became their second number one Adult Contemporary hit. Here is the live version of “It Came Upon A Midnight…
007 has had some of the most beautiful Actresses in movie history featured as a “Bond girl”…including such modern-day Actresses as Halle Berry and Rosamund Pike -but in the beginning, it’s wasn’t that type of stunt casting. Here’s a look at one of the earliest Bond girls who moved from 007 to Giallo!
Claudine’s big break came in 1965 when she was cast in the fourth James Bond film. Auger is, to me, the most beautiful Bond girl of all – and she shares the poster with Sean Connery as Bond girl “Domino” in “Thunderball”:
Auger holds her against up against 007, and the film’s huge success made her a star – which she used to star in some of the best 1970’s sex shockers of all time!
Here is the plot for this classic Italian thriller:
Inspector Tellini investigates serial crimes where victims are paralyzed while having their bellies ripped open with a sharp knife, much in the same way tarantulas are killed by the black wasp!
Claudine is terrific in the film, which is one of the best Italian “giallo” thrillers – more on this genre in a second, but first, time for some choice dialogue!
Paolo: “But, man isn’t an insect, my dear Simon. We have centuries of civilization behind us, you know.”
Simon: “No, I don’t know. I wasn’t there.”
Or you can call it “Bay Of Blood” – it was known by both titles – and many others as well!
Here is the plot: Countess Federica, the elderly owner of a coveted piece of bayside property, is brutally slain by her husband–who is himself killed by a mysterious third person at the murder scene! Who is the killer? Director Mario Bava’s black comedy of human greed boasts 13 characters and 13 of the most shocking murders ever filmed!
As I mentioned, this film was released in the US with a multitude of titles, including “The Last House on the Left Part II”, even though this film had nothing to do with Wes Craven’s cult shocker “The Last House on the Left”!
It was all part of a cooking adventure with the Author, who hosts cooking classes at her house in Provence, France.
It inspired me to make my family her classic roast lamb shank, which is baked on top of potatoes, onion and tomatoes so that the incredible juices from the lamb soak into the gratin!
As the holiday season approaches, everyone will eat lots of food and sit down to watch classic holiday movies – and we all have our own favorites! I’ve got a list of the best holiday movies, including RARE behind-the-scenes photos from the set of “It’s A Wonderful Life”, and so much more!
First, get into the holiday spirit with Billy Mack’s “Christmas Is All Around”!
Thanks Billy, just what I needed to get into the holiday spirit! If you know this song, then you LOVE “Love Actually” – one of the best holiday movies ever! And I’ve got great trivia about the film, courtesy of the terrific website “IMDB.”
“Love Actually” is a series of inter-locking stories that take place during the holiday season: some are funny, and a few are sad – with an all-star cast including Kiera Knightley, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Hugh Grant and Emma…
OK, I get it, you’ve celebrated the holidays – relatives visiting, with wonderful meals, gifts and conversation…day after day after day – and now you just need to be alone. But guess what?
Sure, this Jimmy Kimmel party LOOKS fun, but even these partygoers left at some point! I know there are traditions and all, but you can’t just keep entertaining…enough is enough! It won’t work if you put on a classic holiday film like this:
Who would leave before finding out if he was going to “shoot your eye out with that thing?” But what if, instead of “A Christmas Story”, you decided to screen THIS MOVIE:
How fast do you think this film would clear the room? I’ve got just what you need to send the relatives back to Fresno where they belong? What’s my secret?
One of America’s most acclaimed Cinematographers/Directors has died…here is the story from Deadline.com:
A longtime liberal activist, Wexler photographed some of the most socially relevant and influential films of the 1960s and 1970s, including the Jane Fonda-Jon Voight anti-war classic, “Coming Home”, as well as the 1969 Best Picture winner “In the Heat of the Night”. He worked with Francis Ford Coppola on the Ocar-nominated “The Conversation”, and worked with George Lucas on “American Graffiti”. Finally, he also worked on the 1975 Oscar-winning Best Picture “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”.
Even though we currently live in contentious political times, history has shown that nothing has changed. So many significant cultural events get lost to time.
Thanks to Antonio Ruiz and several others for sending me this picture…they naturally assumed it was EXACTLY the kind of burger I would like – and you know what? It IS!
One of Chicago’s best burgers was recently called America’s too – I will introduce you to this burger of beauty, as well as some of America’s other best burgers as well.
First however, I would like to honor myself with a burger I created many years ago…
My favorite burger of all time – I created it in high school, when I worked at Herfy’s drive-in in Seattle. It combines all the things I love: it’s a cheeseburger burger topped with fries, then melted cheddar cheese and a dollop of tartar sauce!
When it comes to burgers, all taste combination bets are off!
Well, the Led Zeppelin Guitarist seems a bit “cautious” when it comes to his burgers, but with this kind of musical muscle behind it, the cheeseburger is the clearly the “food of the gods”!
Big ‘n’ Little’s serves up a huge homage to the Big Mac, and as you can see, they tower over the original! This relaxed eatery was featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives”, and they are always packed with fans of stuff like their deep-fried cheeseburger:
Big ‘n’ Little’s also makes an homage to the “Big Mac” that puts McDonald’s to shame – it’s a giant burger that packs a ton of flavor – fresh ingredients, secret sauce and delicious double patties:
Kuma’s was just voted one of America’s best burgers! They all have a heavy metal theme, which is why I love them so much – because that attitude infuses everything at the restaurant!
Study this chart: it’s a beautiful thing. But big massive burgers aren’t he point right now – sliders are three bites – you enjoy one, and then you try another – a different flavor…with sliders you can go around the world in your mouth!
OK, I admit it: I LOVE a slider with french fries and tartar sauce…I make them all the time and I’m not ashamed. But now I have another reason to try some new sliders – and I want to share all of them with you!
The key to a great slider is what goes ON the meat! Whether it’s cheese, spices or sauces, it is all about what adds a unique flavor to the basic hamburger patty. As for the bun, I make sliders by using small dinner rolls, but there are many specialty stores that carry slider buns as well.
Your basic hamburger uses good quality ground beef with at least 15% fat content, to ensure lots of juicy flavor. I put minced onion in as well, and I use minced garlic as well. I also like to use a fun salt – like pink Hawaiian sea salt, and a fair amount of pepper.
Mai Oui? Why Not, It’s Your Burger! The French Slider!
Here’s a great slider from France. The definition of a French slider is blue cheese, and blue cheese ONLY – take your regular hamburger, and fold in crumbled blue cheese into the meat before you grill.
As you see, pics on the internet also show that you can top the burger with a chunk of blue cheese and add grilled onions underneath!
Late Night Snack In Barcelona – The Spanish Slider! – Hamburguesa!
Time to head to Spain for this slider recipe. Spanish flavors take this slider to a whole new level – as always, start with your traditional hamburger patty. The key here are the condiments.
The topping here is an olive tapenade, that gets spread on top of the cooked slider – you can find recipes for making tapendade, or you can buy it in a jar, but it includes black olives, capers, anchovies, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice – cook the burger first, and after you turn it add a slice of Manchego cheese and Jamón – Iberico ham – prosciutto-like ham!
What can I say? Here is a burger that never fails to satisfy. Just toast the bun, cook the burger, add the cheese, let it melt, put it on the bun with some or ALL of the added ingredients, and you are set!
Top Bun
Cheese – melted and dripping
Bacon! Bacon! Bacon!
Slider Patty
Tomato
Pickle
Mayonaise, mayonaise, mayonaise!
Bottom Bun
I tried to cut back on this recipe, but heard from several folks that it’s a favorite! An Aussie slider is just like ours, with two key differences. They add a slice of beetroot – OK, we call it beet, they call it beetroot – underneath the burger. It adds a great, slightly sweet and nutty flavor to the taste.
Everything else is the same – add cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce if you like – and if you want to go totally Aussie, take the second step to complete fulfillment – add a fried egg on top….the best!
Of course, you MUST include some “Hoppin’ John” as well…as my friend and terrific Author Michael Ruhlman says, “this ‘Hoppin’ John’ recipe is a dish from the American south featuring black-eyed peas, often included in southern food and soul food recipes, traditionally served on New Year’s Day by those angling for good fortune all year long.”
The beautiful photo is courtesy of his wife Donna, and see his entire recipe on his great website here:
“Flaming Pie” was McCartney’s tenth solo album, released in 1997. It is full of classic Macca tunes, and a ton of great celebrity musicians joining him, including Ringo!
The Spelling Of “The Beatles” Leads To Flaming Pie!
The title of Paul’s solo album is a reference to a story John Lennon told in Mersey Beat magazine in 1961. He was explaining the origin of the Beatles’ name:
“It came in a vision – a man appeared on a flaming pie and said unto them, ‘from this day on you are Beatles with an A.’ “
Thanks, John! Now, let’s get right to the incredible music on “Flaming Pie”! Here is Paul performing the title track live at Glastonbury in 2004:
“Flaming Pie” is a terrific song, perhaps because Paul had taken some time off to work on the “Beatles Anthology” – in fact, this was McCartney’s first studio album in four years!
The album featured McCartney’s son James, along with a lot of other Musicians. In the album’s liner notes, McCartney said the music was helped by his recent work on the Beatles Anthology project:
“It reminded me of The Beatles’ standards and the standards that we reached with the songs. So in a way it was a refresher course that set the framework for this album.”
The album has no filler whatsoever – there are catchy songs, great musicianship, and an energy behind it…”Flaming Pie” stands tall alongside the best music of his career…
At the time of the album’s release, Macca released a video showing the making of the album called “In The World Tonight”, which is a slight variation on the title of one of the songs on the album…here is the great music video:
McCartney wrote another terrific song, “Young Boy” while his wife Linda was making lunch for a New York Times writer in 1994. A few months later, Steve Miller joined McCartney at his home studio to record the song, which is one of his best – it evokes the “Rubber Soul” era, in my opinion.
Paul wrote “The Song We Were Singing” about the time when he and John Lennon lived at 20 Forthlin Road, in the early days of the band.
Since the song was about Paul’s friendship with John, a fan put together a great tribute video – check it out!
The songs on “Flaming Pie” like “Song We Were Singing” are nostalgic, but also energetic and upbeat as well – a collection of great songs with poignant lyrics and catchy hooks…and Ringo too!
Yes, Ringo also participated in the “Flaming Pie” sessions! Ringo and McCartney recorded a track that McCartney had started working on a decade before, the gorgeous “Beautiful Night”.
Here is the great music video, with Ringo on drums. The song begins with a beautiful melody, and crescendos with a great celebratory ending!
What a terrific song, which ends the album on an upbeat note! Well, the album has a coda, which we will discuss in a moment…first, one more special guest to introduce!
The day after Paul and Ringo recorded “Beautiful Night”, ELO’s Jeff Lynne showed up at the studio!
Lynne was, of course, one of The Traveling Wilburys with George Harrison, and a huge Beatles fan. Ringo, Paul and Lynn jammed for awhile in the studio, which became the song “Really Love You”, the first track credited to “McCartney–Starkey”!
As I mentioned, there is a coda to “Flaming Pie” – it was the last album that Paul and Linda sang together on…in the final short song that evokes “The Lovely Linda” from Paul’s first solo album…
“When you’re wide awake say it for goodness sake
It’s gonna be a great day
While you’re standing there get up and grab a chair
It’s gonna be a great day”
“Great Day” features backing vocals from Linda McCartney – interestingly, the song was actually recorded in 1992. It’s a touching end to the album. Linda died from breast cancer in 1998.
It’s a beautiful coda to one of McCartney’s greatest albums…
“Flaming Pie” was McCartney’s tenth solo album, and the last one with participation from Linda. There is only one album from Macca that was credited entirely to “Paul and Linda McCartney” – the brilliant “RAM.”
You can read all about this classic album by clicking here:
Hey Todd Rundgren fans, here’s my review of the show from Beverly Hills California on January 6th – and yes, Todd rocked!
First, I apologize for the quality of the pictures…my iPhone did NOT want to capture any good shots, but I DO have some great video to share, so let’s get to it!
First of all, my son Jeff and I bought the tour apparel, which looks great – and I was excited to give Jeff a chance to see Todd live for the first time!
The Saban Theater in Beverly Hills seats about a thousand people, and on this wet el nino night in Beverly Hills it was packed with fans, and Todd did exactly what he promised to do:
Yes, it was indeed a greatest hits show, as Todd wryly noted twice during the concert: he mentioned that some fans still want songs from 45 years ago, and haven’t paid attention to anything he’s done since!
It was stated in a funny way, but he also commented that those same fans want to hear the songs EXACTLY as they were recorded as well!
Well, as you are about to hear, he did just that – Todd and the band performed the songs virtually note for note as they were originally recorded, although with all the great Todd live energy you’d expect, and with his voice sounding perfect as well…
“I Saw The Light” and “Love Of The Common Man” were first – have a listen:
Todd’s voice was perfect all night, hitting high notes with ease…and the band was tight and focused as well…
Todd then performed the Nazz classic “Open My Eyes” – this slightly psychedelic-60’s song announced to the world that Todd could write a great hook with smart lyrics…in fact, every song has such great writing – Todd really knows how to tell a story…
Todd and the band then performed flawless versions of “Can We Still Be Friends”, “Black & White” and “Lysistrata” – and this classic, “Black Maria”:
Todd was on fire with his guitar – and he was really enjoying the harder edged music…that said, Todd also performed “Sometimes I Don’t Know How To Feel” and the R’n’B medley from “AWATS” – softer material that showed off his voice – and then of course he launched into his other classic hit:
The jib camera crane you see in the picture above was “virtual reality!” Todd told the crowd that he filmed the entire show in VR so we will soon be able to see the show from all around Todd!
The show lost a few of the songs that were in previous fan posts: there was no “#1 Lowest” or “God Said”, but Todd did perform “Drive”, “Kiddie Boy” and a gorgeous version of “Lost Horizon”:
Todd performed both “Rise” and “Soothe” from the new album, but interestingly, his encores were “Hello It’s Me” and “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” – he did NOT close with “A Dream Goes On Forever”….here’s his beautiful live rendition of “Hello It’s Me”:
The show was great from start to finish, and the fans were dancing in the aisles by the end – the two hour show flew by – and my son LOVED IT! We’ve added a new “Todd Is God” fans thanks to this classic live Todd show!
If seeing Todd’s new tour just makes you want MORE TODD, I posted this story about Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band tour planned for 2016, with some great insight from Todd. You can read that story here:
I have a VHS – yes, VHS! copy of Todd’s “Live In Cyberia” tour – signed by Todd!
This London performance is an amazing artifact: Todd performing inside a circular cage with fans all around him – using computers to play with the order of songs as fans yelled out selections…
This is a great collection of Todd live performances, both solo and with Utopia – a treasure trove of great music, showing a very talkative Todd having funs with the british fans…see some of that here:
We begin with one of the most creative Chefs in Paris! Chef Alain Passard earned his 3rd Michelin star in 1996 and has held them ever since….and in 2001, Chef Passard rocked the culinary world when he announced he was going to focus on vegetables in his cooking!
While Chef may have moved proteins to the side, he didn’t lose any flavor at all! Here are some examples of his playful touches with food, and since it’s primarily vegetables, why not this:
Yes it was an incredible “ham foam” that was smoky rich but light and delicious, and then we were shown the dessert that was another of Chef’s surprises:
Our other ‘three star” experience was at a much more traditional French food palace, but the Chef was also engaging, warm and welcoming – and the entrance was spectacular!
Alex got the red carpet treatment when we arrived at Guy Savoy, because you enter a 4,300-square-foot top-floor space on the site of the oldest institution in France – which is also the oldest factory in Paris: the Monnaie de Paris — the French mint!
Chef Guy Savoy got his third Michelin star in 2002 and has held them ever since – Savoy offers up a more traditional french 3-Michelin star dining experience, but still full of surprises, which begin when you get:
As you can see, a large cart is wheeled over to your table, with a -78 degree hunk of dry ice – for their signature “salmon cooked on dry ice with lemon and chervil gelee dish!
Here is a video I shot capturing one aspect of the cooking process:
And here is how it looks when presented on your plate:
Chef Adeline Grattard has a long history of cooking in Asia, so she creates exotic dishes that mix french style with asian bursts of flavor. Her partner and husband Chiwah is known as the “Tea Guru”, and you are given a unique tea when you first arrive…
Bravo to Chef Adeline Grattard, who certainly has more stars in her future! Another incredibly creative, Asian-influenced Chef is operating just across the Seine from the Notre Dame Cathedral!
Another great restaurant is called “Ze Gallerie Kitchen” – and while the interior looks very “pop art”, the food is meticulous in its preparation! Chef William Ledeuil learned his craft working for Guy Savoy, and his food comes out looking like a 3-star dish!
What was so fun here is that we were seated right next to the kitchen, so we could watch all of the magic as it was created – and which I captured in a snapchat:
Sea Bream with Lemon and Diced Oyster and Grilled Scallop!
The richness of Sea Bream, with small bites of the other ingredients made this dish a winner for us – and of course, made all the more fun by being able to watch the kitchen in action:
This was our Christmas Day lunch – what better way to celebrate the holiday than by eating at the Jules Verne restaurant, located on the second level of the Eiffel tower!
We have a terrific view toward the business area of Paris. Of course, since you in on the second level of the Eiffel Tower, you get a great view of the structure as well!
This tenth star feast is amazing – a rich potato tower topped by an equally powerful portion of caviar…we had ten stars of food magic on this Paris trip!
Image may be NSFW.
