Sexiest Man Without a Pulse

Around this time of year, the end caps of supermarket checkout areas are filled with "People Magazines" showcasing the Sexiest Man Alive. The denizens of this list have long included Clooney, Pitt, Damon, Depp, Gere, et al. The cast of the "Oceans Eleven" remakes, Ben Affleck, a handful of buff young TV stars showcasing their pecs, a few real life heroes thrown in for good measure. I'll admit perusing the issue for male eye candy is an interesting diversion while waiting behind someone with a basket filled to the rim with Thanksgiving haul. But, yawn. Ho hum. Same old. Why limit the list to those with a pulse? History is resplendent with film idols, historical figures, and the like with sex appeal up the ying yang. Without further adieu, I present my list of Sexiest Men Deceased.

In Memorium, 2009

2009 marked the passing of quite a few celebrity hotties. While intelligence and a sense of humor would place William Safire and Soupy Sales at the top of the list, I will stick with the more obvious choices, in the tradition of "People" and "E!"

Dennis Cole: American actor, once married to Jacyln Smith of "Charlie's Angels and K-Mart fame. In the seventies, he had a bitchin' head of blond feathered hair and a cute face.

DJ Am/Adam Goldstein: Tall, dark, handsome in a brooding way. Amazing talent. Live fast, die young, leave a good-looking corpse kind of sexy.

Michael Jackson: Talent in the stratosphere. Dancing phenomenon. Enough said.

Ted Kennedy: Power. Last living Kennedy sibling of JFK and Bobby. Kennedy equals sex appeal. The hard living, yachting Hyannisport meets Chappaquiddick bad boy thing doesn't hurt. Nor did his commitment to universal healthcare.

Ricardo Montabaln: Welcome to Fantasy Island. White linen suit, suave, sexy accent. And remember those Chrysler commercials.

Patrick Swayze: "Dirty Dancing," "Ghost" I rest my case.



Still Dead After All These Years...

Humphrey Bogart: "We will always have Paris."

Rock Hudson: Pretty dreamy in those flicks with Doris Day...

William Holden: Hard drinking bad boy, especially in "Sabrina" with his move of filching a bottle of bubbly and two flutes destined for the tennis court...

Bobby Burns, Scottish poet

Elvis: Those lips, those eyes, that deep fried peanut butter and banana???

James Dean: Smouldering...

JFK: See above mention of Teddy...

John F. Kennedy, Jr.

Bobby Kennedy

Sinatra: The Rat Pack had a special glamorous sexiness of its own...

Dean Martin

Peter Lawford

Paul Newman: Those eyes and that salad dressing!

Heath Ledger: Talent and sex appeal in one...

Cary Grant: Elegance personified...

Gregory Peck: My mom's favorite...Those eyebrows and "Roman Holiday"...



I am sure I have left off a slew of others. Please feel free to leave your own suggestions...

In Memory of Mom's Apple Pie

This weeks marks eight years since my mother passed away from breast cancer. Today, as I perused the produce aisle, I was tempted by the MacIntosh, Romes and Granny Smiths to bake her famous apple pie.

My childhood memories are puncuated by the vision of piles of red and green apple peels filling the kitchen sink. I would pull the peels on top of the pile, munching as I did my homework while my mother prepared her grandmother's beloved pie. Now, my namesake, Grandma Bessie, made her crust from scratch. Her secret ingredients were a dash of lemon or orange juice in the crust and filling and a layer of corn flakes under the apples. My mom used Ritz pie crust which was probably the only prepared crust without lard. I have used Marie Callendar's and sprinkle my bottom crust with Cinnamon Toast Crunch but everything else remains the same.

During the final weeks of my mother's life, she would share with me some of her recipes for brisket, stuffed chicken breasts, and that famous pie. As with most women, our recipes will outlive us. We hope our children continue to make our lasagna, brisket, wontons, or pierogis long after we are gone.

Yesterday, my younger daughter helped me slice the apples with the same kind of gadget my mother used. "When I grow up, I am going to be a great cook," she proudly noted. I am sad my daughter never had the chance to know my mother. Yet, from a certain angle, she resembles her and certainly shares her childhood spunk.

In a sense, our loved ones never leave us. We are bequeathed their favorite recipes, maybe some jewelry or a favorite scarf. We reminisce with family members and friends. We look at old photographs, fondly remembering the past.

To immortalize my mother, my grandma Fran, and her mother-in-law Grandma Bessie, I leave you the family recipe for apple pie.

Mom's Apple Pie

prepared double pie crust

1/2 c. crushed cornflakes (or Cinnamon Toast Crunch)

4 MacIntosh apples, pared, cored, sliced

4 Granny Smith apples, pared, cored, sliced

3/4 c. sugar

2 T. flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1 T. orange juice or lemon juice

Butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon salt, and orange or lemon juice in a large bowl. Line pan with half of pie crust. Sprinkle bottom of crust with 1/2 cup crushed cornflakes or Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Fill crust with apple mixture. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust. Pinch sides and make fork impressions in top crust. Bake 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 50 minutes or until top browns.