News from the Mudd

Cool.

Last week we were too consumed by meat products to mark this momentous anniversary. On Sept. 26, 1957, West Side Story opened at the Winter Garden in New York, with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by a very young Stephen Sondheim. An item in the New York Times that day revealed that it dealt with “the timely subject of juvenile delinquency.” They might as well have said “Oklahoma! it ain’t.” The next day Times reviewer Brooks Atkinson showed that he got it: a score that captures “the shrill beat of life in the streets;” “Everything contributes to the total impression of wildness, ecstasy and anguish;” “This is one of those occasions when theatre people…are all in top form.”

The Mudd has the original cast recording, the full score, the 1961 film (on DVD) starring Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer, and the crazy, what-were-they-thinking 1985 studio recording with José Carreras as the Polish youth and Tatiana Troyanos as the Puerto Rican teenage girl. Give it a listen just to hear UW-Milwaukee’s own Kurt Ollmann.

Symphony of a Thousand + One Guitar Player

mahler

An ocean away on Sept. 12, 1910, “Antonio Martello pleads guilty…to playing a guitar and singing Neapolitan ballads to a woman in the Bronx and is sentenced to serve 20 days in the workhouse as a common nuisance.” — <a href="http://carol.lib.lawrence.edu/F/?func=item-global&doc_library=LAW01&doc_number=000326728&year=&volume=&sub_library=LUCIA"Music Since 1910.

The Mudd has numerous recordings of the Mahler and even one of Neapolitan songs.

We’re So Glad We Had That Time Together

burnettOn September 11, 1967 The Carol Burnett Show premiered on CBS. It was the first hour-long comedy-variety show to be hosted by a woman. When you think about it, the show produced theater (skits,) production numbers and musical numbers with all the trappings every week: choreography, sets, costumes by Bob Mackie, the works. Today the costs would be prohibitive and TV audiences probably would have no interest. But back then people stayed home to watch the show. Imagine doing this for a weekly TV show today.

The Paley Center for Media, formerly The Museum of Television & Radio, has an informative profile on Carol Burnett for you young folk who missed this golden age. You can also hear Carol Burnett on the original cast recording of Once Upon a Mattress.

Always Dress Your Carcass in the Best From Neiman Marcus

A trainOn September 10, 1907 a new department store, Neiman Marcus, (that’s a big store in Big D) opened its doors. Also on this day 75 years ago at one minute past midnight the A Train started running on the IND 8th Avenue Line in New York.

There’s a Neiman Marcus in Manhattan at 41st. and Broadway. The A Train doesn’t run over there, but you can take it to 42nd St. (the Port Authority Bus Terminal) and then take the IRT Times Square-Grand Central Shuttle. It’ll get you pretty close. And listen to Billy Strayhorn’s “Take the A Train” while you’re traveling.

Working 3-5

boss

The day’s half over, but you can still benefit from National Employee/Boss Exchange Day. Of course, it’s likely that you don’t work in a place that actually use the terms “boss” and “employee” anymore. So if you’re the “employee,” swap tasks with your “team builder,” “ring master,” or “zoo keeper.” You can’t really wreck anything in just one day. And if you’re normally the one “in charge,” try living stress-free: check out youtube, read the paper, play some computer games.

Are You Feeling Lucky?

google 1998

Nine years ago it wasn’t a verb. It wasn’t even a noun. It was a fledging business working out of a garage in Menlo Park, California. And the only Google most people had ever heard of was Barney.

Google itself doesn’t officially state the date the company started, but Web lore has it that it was incorporated on Sept. 7, 1998.

That’s A Spicy Meat Product

pizzaAs you all know September is the Great American Low-Cholesterol Low-Fat Pizza Bake Month. This is the month we are encouraged to make pizzas with no-fat cheese, healthy vegetables, whole wheat flour (or better yet, soy) and no meat. To this we say, “pffft.” Celebrate Salami Day by making a REAL pizza. Yes, we know salami isn’t the topping of choice for pizza, but its fat-laden goodness is just the ticket for a yummy meal. If not pizza, how about muffaletta/muffuletta?

Muffuletta/Muffaletta

1-10″ round Italian loaf or 6 ciabatta rolls

About 1/2 pound each Italian cheese and meat: Genoa salami, Italian ham, Italian roast beef, mortadella, provolone, mozzarella, etc.

Olive salad

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Make olive salad a day ahead of time because the flavors need to marinate and also because it takes a long time to chop up everything.

Amounts are approximate (all amounts are after chopping.)

1/2 c. chopped pimento stuffed green olives

1/2 c. chopped pitted cured black olives (a couple of different kinds – about 1/3 – 1/2 lb. with pits total)

1/2 c. chopped giardiniera (mixed marinated Italian vegetables)

1/4 c. chopped cocktail onions

1/4 c. minced flat-leaf Italian parsley

2 T. chopped capers

1 clove garlic, minced

1 t. dried oregano

1 t. dried basil

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper to taste, about 1 t.

Mix everything together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or over night. To assemble sandwiches, cut bread in half horizontally. Remove some bread from both cut sides to form shallow hollows. Spread half the mixture on the bottom. Layer alternating meats and cheeses. Cover with remaining spread. Cover with other bread half and squish down hard. This will make it easier to eat and also get the marinade into the bread. Cut into portions.

Sandwich can be made ahead of time and wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.