March 12
Liza May Minnelli's Birthday
 

Liza Minnelli has won three Tonys for her roles on Broadway, an Oscar in 1972 as Best Actress for Caberet, and an Emmy in 1973 for her TV special Liza with a 'Z'.  Her parents, Judy Garland and Vincent Minnelli, were also both Oscar winners and Hollywood royalty.  When Liza was born, Frank Sinatra was the first person to visit her in the hospital. She was named after a song by her parents'  close friend Ira Gershwin, and her godmother was Kay Thompson who allegedly based her Eloise books partly on Liza's childhood antics. However, some have have called her "Bad-Luck Liza"  because her myriad of health problems including two hip replacements, several knee surgeries, double pneumonia,  and surgery for vocal cord polyps when there was concern that she would be able to sing again. She has also battled alcoholism and obesity, although the latter battle was temporarily won when she allegedly lost 90 pounds. But the most discussed bad luck was her marriage to two openly gay men, songwriter/performer Peter Allen and concert producer David Gest. Her mother also had a penchant for gay men.  When Judy Garland found Vincent Minnelli in bed with another man, she had.her first suicide attempt. Judy's fourth husband, Mark Herron, was also gay and allegedly carried on an affair with Liza's husband, Peter Allen, for years. Judy introduced Liza to the flamboyant Peter who was the warm-up for Judy's nightclub act and there were rumors at the time that he spent their wedding night with a boyfriend.  Then there was the totally weird David Gest whom everyone knew was gay.  According to one columnist, " To marry one gay husband is a misfortune, two looks like a pathology." Liza's marriage to and subsequent divorce from Gest was tabloid fodder for months. Tito and Michael Jackson were both best men at their wedding which featured a gaggle of old-time celebrities, many of whom surprised people that they were still alive. Their divorce was even weirder. Gest accused Liza of repeatedly beating him while they were married causing him brain damage, while she claimed he had stolen several million dollars from her. As Jon Stewart observed, "There is no conceivable amount of money worth telling the world that you were beaten up by Liza Minnelli." But Gest contends that he is a "victim of domestic violence" and that marriage to Liza has left him with "vertigo, nausea, hypertension, scalp tenderness, insomnia, mood dysphoria, photosensitivity and phonophobia." So here is a perfect recipe to serve Liza if she accepts your invitation to drop by for dinner. Enjoy it with Liza with a 'Z'. Be sure to ask a few of your gay friends since she might like one of them, and get married again.
Lobster Liza (with a 'Z")
Ingredients

2 TB butter 6 shallots chopped 1green pepper, chopped 1 lb chopped, cooked lobster meat 1&1/2 cup tomato sauce, heated	2 TB lemon juice I TB sherry 2/3 cup  freshly grated Parmesan cheese salt and pepper to taste 4 slices toasted white bread
Instructions

1. Turn on oven to broiler temperature.
2. Heat butter in a saucepan.
3. Cook the shallots and pepper for about 3 minutes over low heat.
4. Mix in the lobster meat , tomato sauce; lemon juice, and sherry. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper
   Cook over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Correct seasonings and spoon mixture over toast.
5. Top with Parmesan cheese and broil for about 2 to 3 minutes in oven,

Serves 4