Bena Mae’s Kitchen: Past my sell-by date

Have I been kept in the fridge too long? Have I gone past my expiration date?
More and more I find that I don’t connect with the latest trends, fashion, popular opinion, etc. And I ask myself, is it just me or is the rest of the world on the wrong track. Am I too inflexible or stubborn to accept the things over which I have no control.
Wednesday night of last week, in an effort to escape the chaotic news about Libya and Japan, I clicked the remote button and landed on American Idol, thinking that it would cleanse my thoughts of world disasters and human suffering. Not that I don’t care about them, but 24/7?
The theme that night was the Mo-Town Era. Now I admit to liking the majority of the songs from that period, many that have become classics and are as good today as when they originated …”Sitting on the Dock of the Bay, My Girl, Just My Imagination”… anything by The Temptations. Try not to dance when you hear their music—I dare you.
But instead of what I remembered from the original artists, all I heard were the AI contestants screeching for high notes, singing their own version that ignored the words and melody as they were written. It was near impossible to recognize the songs that had remained popular for decades. Some of the performers (but not all) were garbed in outlandish outfits that brought nothing to their performance. The most ironic thing was that most of them had credible singing voices. But they were disguised by their effort to out-warble the others in their traveling up and down the scale with their oohs and aahs. It was an assault on my ears.
I thought back to another night last week when Laurence Welk– yes, Laurence Welk– was paying homage to the giants of the Big Band Era…Glenn Miller, Harry James, Artie Shaw and a slew of others. Welk was in perfect sync with his interpretation of the songs they had made so popular. He stayed true to their original recordings, never putting his own stamp on their arrangements. Now, that is what I call respect. Why trifle with what is already perfection.
I am not suggesting that the AI contestants adopt what they consider the dark ages of music…Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Ella Fitzgerald, and others. The bubble gum audience they play to would not stand for it. And they would not buy the products that pay for the show. Which begs another question. Do the young people who vote–and they are the majority voters–consider the best talent or the most popular when they call in?
This is a huge flaw in the votes, as evidenced by their voting off Casey–one of the most talented in the group, but who was saved by the good sense of the panel of judges.
“Lord, help me to accept the things I cannot change.” You know the rest.

This cool and elegant dessert will serve a crowd. You could use the chocolate sandwich cookies for the crust or graham cracker crust if you’d like.

Strawberry Cream Dessert

30 ‘golden’ vanilla sandwich cookies or graham cracker crust
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (6-ounce) package strawberry-flavored gelatin
1-3/4 cups boiling water
1 (6-ounce) can pineapple-orange juice
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups mashed or pureed strawberries (about 3 cups whole berries)
1 (8-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Crush the sandwich cookies by placing in a heavy-duty plastic bag and pounding with a rolling pin. Place in 13” x 9” glass baking dish. Pour melted butter over, mix well with fork, and press the buttered crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
In large bowl, combine gelatin with the boiling water. Stir until the gelatin mixture completely dissolves. Add the pineapple-orange juice and the cold water and stir well. Then add the strawberry puree. Refrigerate until the mixture becomes a bit thicker.
Using a wire whisk, stir in the thawed whipped topping until smooth. Chill in refrigerator for 10-20 minutes longer or until mixture thickens a bit more but is not set. Then pour over crumb crust in baking dish. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or until set. You can also freeze this dessert. Serves 12-16