September 19
Leslie Hornby's Birthday

When Leslie Hornsby started modeling when she was 16, her then boyfriend/hairdresser/manager Nigel Davies persuaded her to change her name to Twiggy which was based on her childhood nickname Twigs because of her near-stick-like figure . Within one year she became the world's first supermodel and almost overnight changed the modeling business from voluptuous to ultra thin. Her trademark waif- like figure (31AA-22-3) boyish hair cut, androgynous wide-eyed expression, striking eye lashes, and mod clothes made her the idol for millions of teenage girls during the sixties revolution. Twiggy was named the "Face of '66" by London's Daily Express, which launched a worldwide phenomenon that rivaled Beatlemania. By the age of 17, Twiggy was one of the most famous faces on the planet and her photograph was even encased in a time capsule and sent into outer space

Twiggy then surprised her teenaged fans and turned her back on modeling at the age of 19, and reemerged as an award winning singing and dancing actress. 'When director Ken Russell asked her to star in his film version of the hit musical The Boy Friend (1971), she replied, " ... I can't act, I can't sing and I can't dance." However Twiggy won two Golden Globes for her performance in the categories of Best Actress and Most Promising Newcomer. More theater and TV followed and in 1984she was nominated for a Tony for her performance the Broadway musical, My One and Only.

In 2005, Twiggy joined the cast of the TV show America's Next Top Model as one of four permanent judges. She also returned to modeling, fronting a major new TV, press, and billboard campaign for Marks & Spencer, a British department store chain. In recent years Twiggy has spoken out against the trend of waif-thin models, explaining that her own thin weight as a teenager was natural: ""I was very skinny, but that was just my natural build. I always ate sensibly – being thin was in my genes."

So to celebrate her birthday. what would be more appropriate than a Twig Salad and to watch her enchanting performance in The Boyfriend? The DVD was finally released in April 12, 2011 and was remastered to the original 136-minute version after MGM butchered to a 109 minute version for the film's US premier.

Twig Salad

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp salt-free herb and spice blend
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 heads iceberg lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 pound chopped cooked chicken breast meat
1 (5 ounce) can chow mein noodles
1 (2.25 ounce) package blanched slivered almonds
1/4 cup sesame seeds, lightly toasted
4 green onions, chopped

Instructions

Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir constantly.
In small bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, seasoning blend, and pepper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, chicken, chow mein noodles, almonds, sesame seeds, green onions,
and poppy seeds. Toss and serve.