October 13
Paul Frederic Simon's Birthday

In 2006, Time Magazine named singer/songwriter Paul Simon as as one of the "100 People Who Shaped the World." Along the way, Paul has earned 13 Grammys, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and started loosing his hair when he married Carrie Fishe. His song "Graceland" is about ending his relationship with the often volatile Carrie by taking a road trip.

Pail's music was played 24/7 on nearly every radio station in America when he initially teamed up with singer Art Garfunkel as the duo Simon and Garfunkel and produced five influential albums. "The Sound of Silence,""Mrs. Robinson," and "Bridge Over Troubled Water,".were embedded in the DNA of millions worldwide . Their 1972 Greatest Hits album has sold over 14 million copies in the US becoming the number-one selling album by a duo. However, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" also described their increasingly frictional relationship and they both parted after the album release.

Paul continued to produce classic solo albums such as "Mother and Child Reunion," "There Goes Rhymin' Simon," and the classic "Still Crazy After All These Years" which produced four US Top 40 hits, "Gone at Last," "My Little Town," "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover," and the title track, and won the 1976 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

To celebrate Paul's birthday, we return to one of his earlier recording with Art for inspiration "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" originally track of their 1966 album "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme," and was released as a single after being featured on the soundtrack to The Graduate in 1968. Unlike his other original songs, Scarborough Fair is a traditional ballad of the United Kingdom, and opens with

Are you going to Scarborough Fair ?

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme;

Remember me to one who lives there,

For once she was a true love of mine.

It has been suggested that the lyrics refer to the black plague, with parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme being four herbs used to ward off the smell of the dead or dying. It was popular belief in Medieval times that the smell of the plague was responsible for infection and that herbs could be used to cleanse the air.

So we suggest celebrating Paul's birthday by making Scarborough Fair Lamb Rib Chops with Rosemary & Sage Crust, and watching Paul play music producer Tony Lacey in Annie Hall (1977).

Scarborough Fair Grilled Lamb Rib Chops with Rosemary & Sage Crust

Ingredients

1/2 cup medium-finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 TB medium-finely chopped fresh rosemary
1&1/2 TB medium-finely chopped fresh sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
12 bone-in lamb rib chops, 1/2-inch thick
Olive oil to grease grill rack

Instructions

1, Using your fingers, thoroughly mix the parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper in a shallow baking dish
    or pie pan. Coat the chops all over with the herbs, pressing gently with your fingers to help the herbs adhere.
    You can grill the chops right away or cover them tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 hours. '
2. When you're ready to cook the chops, prepare a charcoal grill so it's medium hot, or heat a gas grill to medium
    high Scrub the grate clean with a brush and oil it lightly. Use tongs to carefully set the chops on the grill.
    Cook until the herbs are deep brown but not charred and the meat is medium rare, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
    If there are flare-ups, move the chops to another part of the grill. To test for doneness, bend or cut into the
    chops next to the bone and check for medium-rare meat. Transfer to a warm platter and let rest in a  warm
    place for 5 minutes before serving.