6/24 Wink Martindale

Martindale was born in Jackson, Tennessee, and started his career as a disc jockey at age 17 at WPLI in Jackson, earning $25 a week.

He was hired away by WTJS for double the salary by Jackson's only other station, WDXI. He next hosted mornings at WHBQ in Memphis while a college student at Memphis State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1957. While there Martindale became a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

Martindale's rendition of the spoken-word song "Deck of Cards" went to No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and sold over a million copies in 1959. It also peaked at No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart in April 1963, one of four visits to that chart. It was followed by "Black Land Farmer". In 1959, he became morning man at KHJ in Los Angeles, California, moving a year later to the morning show at KRLA and finally to KFWB in 1962. He also had lengthy stays at KGIL, KKGO/KJQI and Gene Autry's KMPC. In 1967, Martindale narrated a futuristic documentary which predicted Internet commerce.

Television

Martindale's first break into television was at WHBQ-TV in Memphis, as the host of Mars Patrol, a science-fiction themed children's television program. It was at his tenure with WHBQ that Martindale became the host of the TV show Teenage Dance Party where his friend Elvis Presley made an appearance. Following Presley's death in 1977, Martindale aired a nationwide tribute radio special in his honor.
Martindale hosted numerous game shows, including Gambit, High Rollers, Debt, and Tic-Tac-Dough, among others. In addition, Martindale also created the USA Network original game show Bumper Stumpers. Martindale is second in the most number of game shows hosted at 15, behind fellow veteran game show host, Bill Cullen, who hosted 23 shows.

Later career

On June 2, 2006, Martindale received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2007, Martindale became a member of the nominating committee of the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. On October 13, 2007, Martindale was one of the first inductees into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Martindale appeared in various TV commercials and was also the spokesman for Orbitz. Until 2007, Martindale had a daily three-hour show on the syndicated Music Of Your Life format, which is heard on around 200 radio stations. On June 2, 2009, Martindale signed with the syndicated Hit Parade Radio format. The format began operation on February 7, 2010, with Martindale as afternoon drive personality. The syndicator stopped operating on June 6, 2010.

In 2008, Wink appeared on GSN Live, an interstitial program during the afternoon block of classic game show reruns. Several times during 2008, Martindale filled in for Fred Roggin on GSN Live while Roggin was on vacation. Martindale's last show was the GSN show Instant Recall, which premiered on March 4, 2010. Instant Recall would be the first show Martindale has hosted since Debt aired on Lifetime from 1996 to 1998.

en.wikipedia.org

Be sure to check out Wink's new Rocket Fizz Soda Pop!

The Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shops are one stop shops for all of your soda pop and candy cravings. There are thousands of bottled soda pops and candies from all over America, including some from other galaxies. The gigantic selection will launch you back in time to when you were a kid—even if you are over a hundred light years old. And if you are a kid, don't plan on growing up when you are inside of a Rocket Fizz store. Rocket Fizz is a lot of fun and nostalgic. There are hundreds of retro and gag gifts, and concert posters and movie posters, and tin signs too. The inventory is always expanding, just like outer-space. So if you want to have fun then fly on over in your space ship and cruise around a Rocket Fizz universe. Just be careful of those two alien Rocket Fizz founders and company owners—Robert (Rob) Powells and Ryan Morgan. No human ever knows what they are up to. They are always full of galactic surprises and a close encounter with either one of them can be very unpredictable. Rob tends to give away free candy whenever he is inside of a corporate store. And Ryan tends to give away a universe of soda pop knowledge. If his mouth is moving he is either chewing on candy or talking soda pop.

www.rocketfizz.com


Recipes of the Week

Chocolate-dipped cannoli with orange ricotta filling

Ingredients
8 store-bought cannoli shells
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips

Cannoli filling:
1 quart good-quality ricotta cheese
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
1/4 cup chopped citron (candied orange peel)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
For the chocolate:
Melt chocolate over a double boiler and dip half of each cannoli shell in the chocolate. Allow any excess chocolate to drip off then lay shells out on a silpat or waxed paper-lined tray to set while you prepare the filling.

For the filling:
Line a colander with cheesecloth, add the ricotta and let drain until very dry. Squeeze out any excess moisture in cheesecloth. Place the ricotta into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high for 5 to 7 minutes until light and fluffy. Add sugar, orange zest, chopped citron and vanilla extract, then mix on medium until just combined. Place the filling into a piping bag and fill chocolate dipped cannoli with the mixture. Serve as soon as possible.

Recipe from www.foodnetworktv.com


Pignoli Cookies

Ingredients
One 15-ounce can gluten-free almond paste, finely crumbled
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons honey
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch fine salt
2 large egg whites
1 lemon, zested
1/2 to 3/4 cups pine nuts
Special Equipment: disposable pastry bag
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line sheet trays with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with the paddle attachment, beat the almond paste on high speed until it is really broken up. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix on slow speed until well combined.

Add the honey, cinnamon, salt, egg whites and lemon zest and beat on medium speed until the mixture is well combined and very thick, about 5 minutes.

Fill a disposable pastry bag with the dough. Push the dough towards the tip and cut the tip off the bag. Pipe 1-inch balls onto the prepared sheet trays. Top with the pine nuts, pressing them into the dough to secure. Bake until the cookies are golden, 12 to 14 minutes.

Recipe from www.foodnetwork.com

ENJOY!

6/14 JACK JONES, LOVE BALL

Jack Jones is one of the greatest singers of all time. A true Singers' Singer and luminary. A double Grammy winner, Jack performs around the globe to sold-out audiences in venues ranging from Jazz clubs to the London Palladium. Jack Jones is the very definition of a complete and total entertainer. The New York Times raves, "he is arguably the most technically accomplished male pop singer...". There is only one Jack Jones.

Born in Hollywood, California, on the night his singer/movie star father, Allan Jones, recorded his hit, "Donkey Serenade". Jack would make his famous parents ( his mother was the elegant '30's actress Irene Hervey) especially proud of their award-winning son for the diversity and breadth of his talent. Jones attended University High School in West Los Angeles, while also studying drama and singing with private teachers chosen by his father. A young athlete, he gave up his track and football team sports to devote himself to serious study of the arts. Uni High was a school attended by teenagers from all economic walks of life. Ever conscious of his privileged life as the son of a famous show business family, he went out of his way to play down this part of his life with his friends, not knowing that after his graduation and parents' divorce, he would be financially strapped and have to start from scratch like most of the other students.

One of his most memorable experiences while in high school was when one of his friends, Nancy Sinatra, invited her father to sing in the school auditorium. It left an indelible mark that helped shape Jones' career choice.

Jones' professional debut was a brief stint as part of his father's act at the Thunderbird Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas when he was just 19 years old. He went out on his own three weeks later, working odd jobs including as a gas station attendant, to support himself while pursuing his singing career.

His first break came when a demo he recorded for songwriter Don Raye found its way to Capitol Records. While with the label he recorded a few singles and an album, which he admits was mediocre.

Although he eventually left Capitol. One gem from his album, "This Could Be The Start Of Something Big", caught the attention of a San Francisco club owner who booked him for a three week run at Facks. While performing there, he was discovered by Pete King, a producer and artist for Kapp Records who quickly signed him to the label.

Still working at his "day job" as a gas station attendant when his first album on Kapp was released Jones, while washing a customer's windshield, was surprised to hear one of his cuts playing on the car radio. He could now legitimately hope that his "day job" days would soon be over.

As his career gained momentum, Jones developed a deep appreciation for well constructed songs that also have emotional appeal. His respect for songs that tell stories with meaning and beauty led him to record works by the greatest balladeers of all time: Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen, Cole Porter, the Gershwin's, Harold Arlen, Michel Legrand and Alan & Marilyn Bergman. He was inspired by great Jazz instrumentalists he discovered during his teen years such as Gerry Mulligan, Clark Terry, Buddy Rich, Bob Brookmeyer, Dave Pell Octet, Marty Paiche Dectet, Shorty Rogers and the Giants, and Count Basie. Jones' talent and commitment to his art earned him two Grammy's for "Best Pop Male Vocal Performance" with his singles "Lollipops and Roses" by Anthony Velona and Bacharach/ David's "Wives and Lovers". His release, Jack Jones Paints A Tribute To Tony Bennett, was nominated for "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance". He was also nominated for "The Impossible Dream" and his recording of "Wives and Lovers" was nominated for "Record of the Year". His hit records include "The Race Is On", "Lady", "Call Me Irresponsible",and "What I Did For Love". On April 13, 1989, he was honored with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, close to where his father's star is located.

He is also renowned as a leading interpreter of musical theater -with acclaimed performances in "Guys and Dolls", "South Pacific", "She Loves Me", and "Pajama Game" . Over the years he has guest-starred on countless episodic and/or comedy television series. Most recently he starred as Don Quixote in Man Of La Mancha in the national tour. Most recently, Jack has completed a guest-starring role in the British comedy film: Cruise Of The Gods.

Admirers of Jones' talent include artists who influenced him as a young singer: Sinatra who said, "Jack is one of the major singers of our time," Mel Torme called him "the greatest 'pure' singer in the world" and legendary composers Sammy Cahn and Michel Legrand.

In 1971, Jones honored Michel Legrand by recording the first complete vocal album in English of the French composer's songs. Released by RCA, Jack Jones Sings Michel Legrand is an album which exquisitely showcases the vocalists art and a recording that Jones counts as one of his favorites. In 1997 he recorded New Jack Swing for Honest Entertainment, which introduced Jones to a new generation of fans with hip, swing renditions of "Every Breath You Take", "Have You Ever Loved A Woman", Keb Mo's "Dangerous Mood", "All Or Nothing At All" and the classic "Mack The Knife".

With over 50 recorded albums (17 of them chanting Billboard's Top 20) and consistently sold-out world tours, Jack Jones continues to charm audiences with his wit, sensitivity and vocal power. In addition to a successful recording career, Jones' impressive credits include film and television roles; an internationally syndicated TV variety show; performances at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the White House. He has also performed and later recorded popular theme songs for film and TV ("Love with a Proper Stranger", "The Love Boat").

On his second release for Honest Entertainment, Jack Jones Paints A Tribute To Tony Bennett, Jones pays homage to a friend and an American icon. He counts Bennett among those vocalists who most influenced his style (a small but elite group that includes Mel Torme, Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Eckstien, and Frank Sinatra). Professional relationship aside, Jones and Bennett have been friends since their meeting at Chicago's Palmer House Hotel in the late 60's when Jones attended the last show of Bennett's engagement at the Empire Room, before opening in the same room the following night.

Of his tribute album, which features some of Bennett's signature songs, Jones says, "This album is my way of saying thanks to a dear friend." In selecting songs for this album, he chose three of his personal Bennett favorites, "Skylark", "Shadow Of Your Smile" and "You Must Believe In Spring".

2008 marks his 50th anniversary in show business! In the early summer of 2008 the world's most recognized hotel brand, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts, launched their "M.B.A." (Master in Business Accommodations) marketing campaign bringing the timeless voice of Jack Jones singing a new recording of "The Love Boat Theme". Jones also recently shared his voice with a whole new generation when he sang "Boat of Romance" as part of an episode on the emmy-nominated Disney Channel animated musical television series Phineas and Ferb.

Jack Jones released the next chapter in his long history of making hits, Love Makes the Changes: The Lyrics of Alan and Marilyn Bergman. A tribute to the lives and shared love of Jack's good friends and celebrated songwriters, Alan and Marilyn Bergman. During their distinguished career, their songs have been nominated for sixteen Academy Awards, for which they have won three: "The Windmills of Your Mind" in 1968, "The Way We Were": in 1973, and the score for "Yentl" in 1984.

Jack explains the motivation behind the release, "After years of looking for material to record I have finally found it. My dear friends Alan and Marilyn Bergman have had the ideal loving and pure relationship, truly sharing almost every ounce of life. I call them: "THE MASTERS AND JOHNSON OF ROMANCE." So I wondered, 'How could they possibly perceive what it feels like when the music doesn't keep playing?' Well, on this CD we pay tribute to the most perceptive and creative couple I know. They have inspired me to put many of their wonderful creations into one of my story lines... Each of these song tells part of the story, most of which you and I have lived through. You write your own story as you follow the songs, and even if it doesn't turn out to be much of a book, it will be one hell of a score." This CD is available in Itunes for digital downloads and jackjonesmusic.com for tradional CD media.

Today, Jack can be found performing concerts to sold-out audiences around the globe at performing arts centers, casinos, symphony halls and even intimate cabarets. Jones' musical perfection and vocal passion unfailingly illustrate why he stands with the luminaries.

Recipe of the Week

CHEESY FRESH CORN AND SWEET ONION GRITS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small Vidalia onion, finely diced
3 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups stone-ground grits
1 1/2 cups grated aged white cheddar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
3 green onions, green and pale green parts only, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
Poached eggs, for serving, optional
Fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Heat the butter and canola oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the corn, season with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes. Ass the milk and 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the grits until well combined and continie whisking until smooth. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionaly, until thickened and smooth, about 45 minutes; add more water as needed to keep the mixture creamy. Remove from the heat, and whisk in the cheddar and Parmesan and the green onions.

Recipe altered from www.cookingchanneltv.com

ENJOY!

6/10 Bill Palmini, Tanya Chalupa, Rookie Cop Vs. The West Coast Mafia

BILL PALMINI AND TANYA CHALUPA – AUTHORS OF A ROOKIE COP VS. THE WEST COAST MAFIA: BREAKING UP THE "BEST IN THE WEST" GANG

In this gripping, true crime exposé, Bill Palmini, a rookie detective, hopes to take down the West Coast Mafia by gaining the confidence of notorious mob operative William Ettleman. Set against a backdrop of social turmoil, the book immerses readers in free love, drugs, robbery and murder, orchestrated by organized crime in locations like Sausalito, California. The Trident Restaurant, once a drug Mecca for Hollywood, the music industry and the New York hip, was co-owned by the Kingston Trio and their manager, Frank Werber, a self-proclaimed drug priest. Robin Williams worked as a busboy there and Janis Joplin had her own table. Sally Stanford, the former San Francisco Madam who later became Sausalito’s mayor, was a confidant of the infamous. Ettleman's safecracking gang targets the Trident. Mobsters like Frank “The Bomp” Bompensiero, on whom Sopranos character “Big Pussy” is thought to have been based, become involved. Palmini, utilizing Ettleman, joins the FBI and the Federal Strike Force on Organized Crime to penetrate the crime scene in Sausalito, loaded dice in Las Vegas and Reno, corruption in San Diego and stolen credit cards in Texas. Then he begins to break up one of the most notorious gangs on the West Coast.

ABOUT BILL: William G. Palmini, Jr. stepped into the world of true crime with his coauthor, Tanya Chalupa, when they were both working on a traffic safety grant in Albany, California, and a murder of a local homeless Vet was found to be tied to the Box Car Serial Killer - Robert Silveria, Jr. This led to their first publication by New Horizon Press, titled, Murder on the Rails. Their second project, A Rookie Cop Vs. The West Coast Mafia, is based on Palmini's experience as a young detective when he reeled in a high powered organized crime figure, William Floyd Ettleman. Currently, Palmini is Chief of the Department of Public Safety at UC Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco. He has decades of experience in police work and is a recipient of the J. Stannard Baker Award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the 2010 National Elks' Enrique Camarena Drug Awareness Award. His fame as the original Elvis Cop still follows him. His Elvis persona in police work earned him international media coverage and an honorary Gold Record Award from the Recording Industry Association of America.

ABOUT TANYA: Tanya Chalupa moved into the true crime genre when a murder of a homeless vet in the town where she was running a federal grant led to the capture of the Box Car Serial Killer. Accompanied by her research partner, Bill "Elvis the Lawman" Palmini, she steps into dangerous territories to interview killers, gang members, and those that are part of the underworld, to achieve a deeper understanding of the cases she writes about. Born in a DP camp in post-war Germany to Ukrainian parents, Chalupa grew up in the South Bronx. After she graduated from Queens College,City University of New York, she and her husband, Leo, moved to California, where she became the force behind California's Child Seat Restraint Law and other prevention legislation for babies and tiny tots, after her daughter's life was saved by a car safety seat. She piloted national and statewide programs for NHTSA and the California Office of Traffic Safety, OTS, and set up law enforcement task forces.She worked as a publicist and has produced numerous publications, including articles in national professional journals and newsletters.She is recipient of national awards: The Peter O'Rourke Award from the National Association of Governor's Highway Safety Representatives, NAGHSR, and the Public Service Award from NHTSA. She is also President of TKC Communications, Inc. She now resides in Northern Virginia with her husband.

06/03 Chef Rick Tarantino

Rick Tarantino or Chef Rick as he is know in the media has a diverse back ground that has helped him build a successful career as a celebrity chef. He attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst Campus and graduated with a Bachelors' of Science from the School of Food Science and Nutrition. Then began his work experience at the prestigious chain of Sheraton Hotels and Resorts from Los Angles to New York's five star St Regis Hotel, Rick worked his way up the corporate ladder. But that was only the beginning, with years of experience in the family hotel business that he was raised in and now with corporate hospitality business under his belt, he began his entrepreneurial career and started Inn Vision a state of the art in-room movie company in hotels around the country. After successfully selling that venture he went back into his family hotel and restaurant business with his father. Emerald Hotel and Resorts International, owned and operated hotels and restaurants in New England.

Rick then returned to school and received his Masters of Science degree from Johnson & Wales University, the world leading hotel and culinary school. Wanting to give back he began teaching at the school. That lead to an opportunity to develop an alumni and development office for the Chancellor, so when his father retired, they sold the hotel company and Rick began his next career as an educator, author and fundraiser. During the ten year period at Johnson & Wales, Rick met Justin Miller a young inspiring 6 year old who loved to cook. Rick trained Justin to become the Guinness Book of Records Worlds Youngest Chef and the two travelled the world cooking and inspiring others. This launched Rick in to the Television and Media industry.

The pair appeared on almost every national television show venue from Good Morning America, David Letterman, Disney, to the Food Network. Rick also became a research chef for many national brands like Westinghouse, Rival's Crock -Pot, Cattlemen's, BBQ sauce, Kraft Foods, and VacuWare to just name a few. In addition he now appears regularly on HSN ( Home Shopping Channel ) and The Shopping Channel Canada as well as National Infomercials and Tradeshows.

Chef Rick has experience in many media outlets, live appearances, press tours, news shows, morning shows, radio, infomercials, cook books, and currently co-hosts a cable cooking show called You Won't Even Miss it. He worked with Celebrities like the late Julia Child, Emeril Lagasse, Jarred Fogle from Subway and Martin Yen. He is sought after for recipe development by food companies and supermarkets. He develops many of the free recipes you pick up at the grocery store and tours supermarkets regularly teaching customers recipes and how to enhance their meals to get out of the "Food RUT". You can see him at Hannaford's, ACME, Lowes, Sweet Bay and Shaw's. He also endorsees his own line of products called Chef Rick Spices, Chef Rick Seafood , Proware Professional Kitchen Products and Bold Chef. He does product development for companies like All-Clad , Williams Sonoma and Westinghouse.

Go to www.myrastellidirect.com/chefrick!