The Centennial of L. Ron Hubbard

Today would have been the 100th birthday of Scientology founder, L. Ron Hubbard, had he not died in 1986. Or did he?

Scientology's new ad campaign touts immortality. "You are a spirit. You are your own soul. You are not mortal. You can be free. You have been invited." In Hubbard's honor, I'm inviting you to try a recipe from everyone's favorite sofa-jumping Scientologist. It was published in his friend, Paul Newman's cookbook and calls for 1/2 a cup of garlic.

Tom Cruise's Linguine with Zesty Red Clam Sauce

Tomato Sauce:
1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup capers, undrained

2 cups chopped parsley plus 1/2 cup additional for garnish

2 cups chopped plum tomatoes

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt
1 heaping teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper




1 pound linguine



Clams:

30 littleneck clams, scrubbed

1/4 cup chopped garlic

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup vegetable broth or water



Heat the oil in a large saucepan until hot. Add the garlic and capers, then carefully add the parsley. Stand back because the oil may spatter. Add the tomatoes, lemon juice, wine, pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.



Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook according to the package directions until firm but tender.

While the pasta is cooking, steam the clams.

Place the clams in another large pot with the garlic, wine, and vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, shaking the pot, until all the shells are open. Leaving the open clams in the pot, drain off all but 1/4 cup of the steaming liquid and stir it into the tomato sauce. Cover the clams and keep warm while preparing the rest of the dish.



Drain the linguine and add to the tomato sauce. Cook over high heat for about 4 minutes to heat through.



Divide the pasta among 6 heated bowls. Top each serving with 5 clams and garnish with the remaining parsley.

Hello/Goodbye Telly Savalas!

The irrepressible Telly Savalas (TV’s Kojak for those of you born in the 80s or God forbid, later) was born on January 21, 1922 and died on January 22, 1994. Born Arostotelis to Greek-American parents, Savalas’s character was famous for his love of lollipops and trademark quip, “Who loves ya baby?” His best friend was John Aniston (Jennifer's father) and Savalas was Jennifer Aniston's godfather.

Honor his memory with these chicken “lollypops” accompanied by tzatziki (a traditional Greek sauce of garlic, yogurt, and cucumbers that I like to augment with salty feta cheese).

Greek Chicken Lollipops with Tzatziki

4 pounds of chicken wings
1/2 c. olive oil
juice of two lemons
3 minced garlic cloves
1 T. fresh oregano, thyme, and/or rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste

To make lollipops, use a paring knife to cut around the thin tip of each chicken wing to loosen the meat around the joint. While holding the base, push the meat down gently to expose the bone and form a "chicken lollipop." Remove any flesh left on the thin end with a clean towel.

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, herbs and seasonings in a bowl. Add chicken lollipops and marinate at least one hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place lollipops on baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes or until done. Serve with Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce)

Tzatziki (Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce)

3 c. Greek yogurt
1 T. lemon juice
2 garlic clove, chopped
2 medium cucumbers, seeded and diced
1 T salt for salting cucumbers
Salt and pepper to taste
1 c. Feta cheese (optional)

Peel cucumbers, then cut in half lengthwise and take a small spoon and scrape out seeds. Discard seeds. Slice cucumbers, then put in a colander, sprinkle on 1 T salt, and let stand for 30 minutes to draw out water. Drain well and wipe dry with paper towel. (This step is key; seeds and unsalted cucumbers will make for watery, inedible tzatziki mush.)

Blend cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill, black pepper (and feta cheese if you’re using it) in a food processor using the steel blade until smooth. Stir the blended mixture into the yogurt.

Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving so flavors can meld.

Oven-Roasted Root Vegetables and Garlic

Ahmir Khalib Thompson, professionally known as Questlove, is the drummer for The Roots, Jimmy Fallon’s in-house band. Today is his 40th birthday. Celebrate with oven-roasted ROOTS vegetables and garlic -- perfect for a cold winter night.

Oven Roasted ROOTS Vegetables and Garlic

4-6 cups peeled, chopped root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, beets, Brussels sprouts, turnips, celery root and squash)
1 medium red onion
2 -3 tablespoons olive oil
1 head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut root vegetables into 1 1/2 inch chunks and slice onion into sixths or eighths.

Toss vegetables and garlic cloves in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet or in a shallow baking pan.

Roast in oven until lightly browned and tender (40 minutes to one hour); turning occasionally. Scoop into a bowl and serve.

Gordon Ramsey suggests drizzling vegetables with honey toward the end of their cooking time to caramelize further. Also, consider tossing in fresh rosemary, thyme, or sage if it complements your main course.