June 01

Norma Jeane Mortenson's Birthday
 
She was born Norma Jeane Mortenson but baptized Norma Jeane Baker (her mother's maiden name) since her mentally unstable mother Grace had separated from Martin Mortenson before her pregnancy. The future Marilyn Monroe began life not knowing who her father was and the search for a father underscored much of her life.

Norma Jeane  met  and married Jim Dougherty when she was a teenager The marriage lasted until 1946 when Monroe decided to pursue a modeling career. After bleacher her hair blonde, Norma Jeane Dougherty became a  successful model , appearing on dozens of magazine covers.  In 1946, she came to the attention of  a 20th Century Fox executive, who arranged a screen test for her. Lyon was impressed and commented, "It's Jean Harlow all over again". She was offered a standard six-month contract at  $125 per week and changed her name to.s Marilyn Monroe.

Soon she would make Hollywood history with several classic performances and quickly become one of the greatest celebrities of all time.  Her marriage Joe DiMaggio captivated the world. Her affair with President John F. Kennedy has become part of history and led to rumors that believe that she was murdered. No murder charges were ever filed and her death has since become one of the most debated conspiracy theories, even though it was ruled to be "acute barbiturate poisoning."

So to celebrate Marilyn's birthday, we have a recipe based on a little known fact that Marilyn  was crowned the first Queen of the Artichokes in Castroville, California and her quote "My breasts are beginning to sag, my waist isn't bad, my ass is what it should be — the best." So today, rent out a copy of "Gentlemen Prefer Blonds (1953) and whip up a dish of  Artichoke Bottoms Stuffed with Spinach while you watch the former Artichoke Queen's delicious bottom.
 

 Artichoke Bottoms Stuffed with Spinach   

Ingredients
 

6 large freshly cooked artichoke bottoms
2 TB butter
2 TB flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup veal glace de viande*
 

3 egg yolks, beaten
1 cup cooked spinach, squeezed dry and minced
1 tsp grated lemon zest
salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
3 'TB grated Parmesan cheese
a slides lemon for garnish
 
Instructions
 
  1. Preheat broiler.
  2. Make a roux. Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Blend in flour and Cook for I minute. Remove from heat.
  3. Blend wine, glace de viande and egg yolks into roux to make sauce. Cook sauce over low heat for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set sauce aside.
  4. Combine spinach, 4 TB of sauce, salt, pepper, and zest. Spoon into artichoke bottoms.
  5. Spoon remaining sauce over spinach mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
    Heat under broiler until cheese begins to brown.  Remove from heat. Garnish with a sliced lemon and serve  immediately.

* See Appendix A

© 2011 Gordon Nary and Tyler Stokes