December 11

Brenda Mae Tarpley's Birthday

When Brenda Mae Tarpley appeared on the Peach Blossom Special on WJAT-TV, she was introduced as Brenda Lee, a name created by the show's producer who suggested hat she shorten her last name to Lee. Brenda made her first network television appearance on March 31, 1956 on the Ozark Jubilee from Springfield, Missouri. when she sang "Jambalaya" after which the show received three times the day's usual fan. Jack O'Brien, a Ncolumnist for the Journal American opened his TV review by saying that "I didn't catch the name of the 9-year-old singer on last night's Ozark Jubilee but she belts a song like a star." And a new star was born and Brenda was soon booked on the Perry Como Show and other national TV shows.

Brenda Lee's fans often refer to the 4 ft 9 pop/rock-a-billy/country singer as Little Miss Dynamite for her size, her explosion of hit songs in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, as well as her 1957 hit song "Dynamite. Her two best-selling recordings are "I'm Sorry" and "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree." "I'm Sorry" hit # 1 during the summer of 1960 and stayed on the Top 100 for over 6 months, and earned Brenda's her first gold record selling over one million records. "I'm Sorry" is featured The Fisher King (1991), Boy's Life (1993), and Tommy Boy. (1995) "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" didn't hit the charts when it was released in 1958, but when it was re-released in 1960, and became #4 in the Top 10 All Time Christmas Songs and is Brenda's second biggest selling record. But it may be bet remembered for being featured in Home Alone. (1990).

Brenda made her film debut in the movie, Two Little Bears (1961) which featured her recording "Speak To Me Pretty." She then had a small role in Smokey and the Bandit 2 (1980). In 1990, she recorded "You're in the Doghouse Now" for the Dick Tracy soundtrack album, although the song was not included in the film.

Brenda has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, and the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. But one of the most memorable tributes to Little Miss Dynamite came from John Lennon who said of Brenda: "She has the greatest rock and roll voice of them all."

So to celebrate Little Miss Dynamite's birthday, we suggest a dish that is a tribute to her superhit "Dum Dum: which includes the lyrics

Ah ! I want you with me all of the time,
Tell me you love me and you'll be mine,
There's so many things that we could do,
So say the words and make my dreams come true;

and make all of your culinary dreams come true with Prawns Dum Dum, and enjoying this spicy treat while watching Brenda in Smokey and the Bandit 2.

Prawns Dum Dum

Ingredients for marinating prawns

1 lb prawns
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tsp red chili powder –
1 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric powder

Ingredients for cooking prawns

4 cloves –
2 bay Leaves
2 mace – 2
1 black cardamom –
2 green cardamoms
1 tsp Garam Masala powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder –
1/2 cup thinly sliced .onions
2 TB .chopped
3 green chilies split into halves
5 TB oil

Ingredients for cooking rice

2 cups cooked Basmati rice
2 cloves
2 Bay leaves
1 black cardamom
2green cardamoms –
salt to taste
1 TB oil
a pinch of saffron strands soaked in
    1 TB milk
chopped cilantro.

Instructions

1. 'Wash thoroughly prawns, drain all the water and keep them in a bowl. Add the the ingredients under marinating prawns
     and mix well. Let it sit for 15-30 minutes.
2. Cooking prawns: Heat oil in a wide pan, add cloves, bay leaves, mace, black cardamoms, green cardamoms and sauté
     for 1 minute. Add bay leaves, sauté for 30 seconds, add onion and fry them till golden brown. Add green chilies, mint
     and fry for 1 more minute. Add the marinated prawns and fry until they are half done. Turn off heat, and let it sit
     in the same pan. we are going to add cooked rice on top of this.
3. Bring to boil 3 liters of water in a deep pan. When the water is bubbling, add all the ingredients under ‘cooking rice’
     except rice. Adjust salt so that water is is salty enough for rice. Add soaked rice and cook until rice is 90% cooked.
4. Drain all the water from rice, and add it on top of cooked prawns immediately. Spread evenly, drizzle the saffron water
     over rice, add cilantro and cover the pan with a thick cloth. Place a tight lid, so that steam wont go outside and the
     flavors from prawns blend into rice. Cook for 10-12 minutes under medium heat and turn off heat.Mix thoroughly and
     serve hot

Serves 2