Clara Ann Fowler was one of 11 children born to a railroad laborer in a small town outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma.  As “Patti Page,” she would become one of the most successful singers in the 1950s.  Her honeyed voice made hits of songs like “Tennessee Waltz,” “(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window,” “Allegheny Moon,” and “Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte.”  She died recently at the age of 85.  And you can listen to her reminisce with Leonard in an interview from March 2001.

Robert Bork made history back in 1987 when his nomination to the Supreme Court was blocked by Congressional Democrats. As a result, modern boundaries of cultural fights over abortion, civil rights, and other issues were drawn. As solicitor general in the U.S. Justice Department, Bork had been involved in the 1973 "Saturday night massacre" of the Watergate era, carrying out President Richard Nixon's order to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox. The former federal judge and conservative legal scholar died just recently at the age of 85, and you can hear his 1989 interview with Leonard.

The Wall Street Journal just published what was Ada Louise Huxtable’s last article about the 42nd Street Library’s restructuring on December 4th of last year.  Her prose was vigorous as ever, belying her 91 years. She had accomplished many “firsts” in the course of her long career at the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal – including as the first full-time architecture critic at an American newspaper, as well as winning the first Pulitzer Prize for criticism, awarded in 1970. You can hear her December 2008 interview with Leonard here.

Tony Walker, one of the people who's the subject of Michael Apted's 7 Up series, was on the Lopate Show to discuss "56 Up," the 7th installment of the project. Apted has been following 14 men and women since the age of 7, checking in with them every 7 years. Tony is now a cab driver in London and he told us what he's been reading and listening to -- and his favorite comfort food, which is a classic.

Filmmaker Michael Apted was on the Leonard Lopate Show recently to talk about his film "56 Up," the latest installment in his "7 Up" series. He's been following 14 men and women since the age of 7, checking in with them every 7 years, and he was joined by Tony Walker, a member of the group who became a London cab driver. Apted also told us what he's been reading and watching in between.

By Minimally Invasive / Serves 8 to 10

WHO: Minimally Invasive, a graphic designer and freelance writer living in Ringwood, New Jersey, is always up for trying something new. Her latest projects are perfecting her smoker technique, as well as turning out the perfect focaccia. She blogs at www.chimeraobscura.com/mi.

WHAT: A hearty, earthy ragu best made a day in advance. We’re confident this would be just as satisfying over pasta as it is over polenta.

HOW: Mushrooms, which are pureed with the rest of the sauce once the short ribs are fall-apart tender, make the liquid cloaking the shredded short ribs nice and meaty, and the wine, anchovy, tomato paste, and mustard make it sing.

WHY WE LOVE IT : Minimally Invasive wrote, “Let’s be honest, short ribs are great in any incarnation, but I wanted to use them in a ragu that had a little more oomph than the typical braise, so I went into umami overdrive with porcini.” The gremolata is a nice bright touch at the end. On a frosty winter evening, this would be perfect with a big green salad and the other half of that bottle of red wine.

By Midge / Serves 4

WHO: Midge lives in Boston and is a journalist specializing in travel. She says, “Cooking, especially baking, is my way of winding down after a long day.”

WHAT: A rich pudding that has just the right balance of bitter and sweet.

HOW: Starting the water bath with cool water, rather than hot, cooks the pudding very gently, giving it the most incredibly silken, glossy structure.

WHY WE LOVE IT: Puddings thickened with cornstarch make great comfort food, but Midge’s luxurious caramel custard, which uses egg yolks as its only setting agent, elevates pudding to dinner party fare. As with any egg-enriched custard, the key is careful tempering. As for the caramel, be sure to brown it as far as your nerves allow.

Midge says: “So far, one of the best parts about living in Boston is my proximity to Toscanini’s burnt caramel ice cream. I’m not even that into ice cream, but this flavor, with its slight bitter edge to cut the richness, is cracklike. I attempted to capture it in a pudding, and after incinerating a lot of sugar, I think I finally got it.”

By Table9 / Serves 1

WHO: Table9 is a Greensboro, Alabama, youth program director and passionate home chef.

WHAT: A refreshing, balanced toddy that won’t make you feel as if you’ve been hit over the head with booze.

HOW: Table9 was adamant about using Maker’s Mark bourbon—“the only true bourbon to drink”—as the base of this toddy.

WHY WE LOVE IT: It turns out that bourbon and citrus are a great match, and just a hint of honey smooth out any rough edges. Cheers!

1/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice (regular lemon juice will do in a pinch)

1/2 cup fresh blood orange juice

1 teaspoon honey

1 shot (1 1/2 ounces) Maker’s Mark bourbon

1 cinnamon stick

1. Combine the citrus juices with the honey and bourbon in a tumbler. Add just enough hot water

to fill the glass almost to the top. Serve with the cinnamon stick.

What the Community Said:

hardlikearmour: “Congrats! What a beautiful drink. Love the blood orange.”

From The Food52 Cookbook: 140 Winning Recipes from Exceptional Home Cooks, by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs.

Cartoonist Chris Ware was on the show to talk about his graphic novel box set Building Stories. He shared his guest picks with us.

Ric Ocasek, songwriter, poet, producer, and founding member of The Cars, shared his guest picks with us when he came by to talk about his new book, Lyrics & Prose.

Director Bartlett Sher was on the Leonard Lopate Show recently -- along with actors Tony Shaloub and Seth Numrich -- to talk about the Broadway revival of Clifford Odets' classic play, "Golden Boy." He also told us what he's been reading and listening to recently. Find out what Bartlett Sher's a fan of!

Caraway Kringles "Christmas Cookies and Candies"
Submitted by Barbara Myers

Cream: 1/4 lb butter and 1 cup sugar.
Add 1 egg, 2 tsp caraway seeds

Sift 2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt

Alternate adding flour mix and 3 tbs brandy to above butter mix.

Chill 2+ hours.

Roll 1/8 inch.

Cut, dust with confectioner’s sugar, bake at 375 degrees about 10 minutes – until lightly browned.

Notes: Important to use fresh caraway seed (homegrown is nice) or at least not old seed. Brandy can be good cognac, Drambuie (my favorite), or Irish Mist, or your choice.

Time: about 45 minutes, plus cooling

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup white rice flour

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted, cold butter, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 tablespoon chestnut, or other dark, full-flavored honey

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Pulse together the flours, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and honey and pulse to fine crumbs. Pulse a few more times until some of the crumbs start to come together, but don’t overprocess. The dough should not be smooth.

3. Press the dough into an even layer in an ungreased 8- or 9-inch square baking pan or 9-inch pie pan. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Bake until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes for the 9-inch pan, 45 to 50 minutes for the 8-inch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares, bars, or wedges while still warm. 

Makes one 8- or 9-inch shortbread.

Avocado Goat Cheese Spread
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

2 Medium Ripe Avocados
1 Tomato
1/3 Cup Goat Cheese
2 Tbsp Chopped Coriander
1/3 Tsp Chili Powder
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper To Taste

Directions:

Cut the avocados in half, removing the pit and peel off the skin.  In a small bowl mash the avocados with a fork until fairly smooth. Dice the tomato and add to the avocados. Gently crumble the goat cheese and add to the mixture. Add spices and combine. Drizzle in two tablespoons of olive oil and using a spatula make the mixture smooth. Set aside.

Personalize it: make the spread your own by adding flavors your family enjoys. Delicious additions to this recipe include items such as; spinach, basil or raw onions

Sautéed Shrimp
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1/2 lb Fresh Shrimp
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Mustard Seeds
12 Curry Leaves
1/2 Tsp Chili Powder
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Heat a nonstick frying pan or skillet.  Add olive oil and heat for a few minutes.  Add the mustard seeds and cook until the seeds begin to pop like popcorn kernels, then immediately add in the shrimp, curry leaves, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Cook just until shrimp is light pink throughout.

To serve:

Open and lay flat one washed and dried leaf of Boston Bibb Lettuce. Spread a table spoon of Avocado Goat Cheese Spread in the center and place one or two shrimp on top, then roll the leaf closed.

This dish is perfect for entertaining—you can serve it hot or at room temperature.

TIME 20 minutes

MAKES 6 to 8 servings

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 salmon fillet (2 to 3 pounds), skin on if you like
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

1. Heat the oven to 475°F. When the oven is hot, put the butter on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put the pan in the oven for the butter to melt, about 1 minute. Watch it the whole time: As soon as the foaming stops, remove the pan.

2. Put the salmon in the seasoned butter, skin side down, and sprinkle the top with more salt and pepper. Return the pan to the oven.

3. Roast until the salmon is just cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes. To see whether the fish is done, stick a paring knife between the layers of flesh; the center should be bright pink and still a little translucent. Garnish with the parsley and serve.

TIPS

Salmon is one of the most popular types of fish in the United States, and deservedly so. It’s got beautiful, tender flesh (as long as you don’t overcook it) and amazing flavor. Wild salmon, which at this point comes pretty much exclusively from the Pacific Northwest (mostly Alaska), is the best choice for the environment and is leaner, darker, and better tasting than farm-raised salmon.

VARIATIONS

Herb-Roasted Salmon: Skip the parsley for garnish. In Step 1, use 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. In Step 2, add 2 tablespoons minced shallot and ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, thyme, or dill leaves to the pan along with the salmon. Continue with the recipe.

 Salmon Roasted with Olives and Thyme: Skip the parsley for garnish. Before Step 1, pit and chop 1 cup kalamata olives. In Step 1, sprinkle the salmon with pepper, but skip the salt (olives have plenty). In Step 2, add the olives and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves to the pan along with the salmon.  Continue with the recipe.

Actor Norbert Leo Butz was on the Leonard Lopate Show recently -- along with his co-stars Katie Holmes and Judy Greer -- to talk about the Broadway production of the new play "Dead Accounts." He also told us he's a fan of Gregorian chants. Find out what else he's a fan of!

Writer, composer, and lyricist Rupert Holmeswas on the Leonard Lopate Show recently to talk about the Broadway revival of his show, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood." He also told us what he's been reading and listening to recently. Find out what he's a fan of!

Jessie Mueller was on the Leonard Lopate Show recently to talk about her starring role in the Broadway revival of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood." She also told us about some of her favorite things. Find out what she's a fan of!

Actor Jim Norton was on the Leonard Lopate Show recently to talk about starring in the Broadway revival of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood." He also told us what he's been reading and listening to recently. Find out what he's a fan of!