WHAT WOULD MARILYN MAKE FOR THANKSGIVING?

Over fifty years have passed since she died, but there is still a shroud of mystery surrounding the legendary Marilyn Monroe.  While she might still be one of Hollywood's most recognizable icons, Monroe remains an elusive figure, having been found dead in her Los Angeles home in 1962 at the young age of 36.

Those who knew her said she was often misunderstood. She was not the dumb blonde she might have portrayed in her films. She was smart and driven.   Monroe was known as a bodacious bombshell who oozed confidence and charisma. Off-camera, however, her psychological state was frail. Her love life was a continuous roller coaster and she dealt with bouts of depression.

Her death had been ruled a probable suicide, but those who knew her found it hard to believe she would kill herself. Forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht told People magazine he has a strong suspicion she might have been injected.

A few weeks before her death, Marilyn's career and personal life, in a sense, were on the rise. She was invited to a number of new film projects and spent a weekend with Joe DiMaggio at Lake Tahoe.    They planned to re-marry.

According to eyewitnesses, August 4, 1962 was a pretty typical day in Marilyn's life.  She apparently, did not sleep well and was a bit annoyed. Monroe spent most of her day with her psychiatrist, Dr. Ralph Greenson, who noted a distinct change in the state of the actress, and explained it with Nembutal (a barbiturate). In the evening Joe DiMaggio visited her to discuss their reunion. 

 

 

Sometime after 10 p.m. on August 4, 1962, Marilyn Monroe slipped into a coma caused by an overdose of sleeping pills. She would never regain consciousness.

 

Following the autopsy, Marilyn's body was released to her family. Marilyn's mother, who was institutionalized, did not take custody of the body. Instead, Former husband Joe DiMaggio claimed her remains and arranged a small and quiet funeral for the woman he would continued to love until his own death. Finally on August 8, 1962, she was laid to rest in Los Angeles' Westwood Memorial Park in the Corridor of Memories, in a pink marble crypt at Corridor of Memories, #24..

Marilyn Monroe was buried in what was known at that time as the Cadillac of caskets -- a hermetically sealing antique-silver-finished 48-ounce (heavy gauge) solid bronze masterpiece casket lined with champagne-colored satin-silk. Before the service, the outer lid and the upper half of the divided inner lid of her casket were opened so that the mourners could get a last glimpse of Monroe. Hollywood makeup artist Whitey Snyder had prepared her face, a promise he had made her if she were to die before him.

The service was the second one held at the newly built chapel at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in West Los Angeles, and only 25 people were given permission to attend. Monroe's acting coach, Lee Strasberg, delivered her eulogy. An organist played Over the Rainbow at the end of the service. 

DiMaggio had a half-dozen red roses delivered to her crypt three times a week for the rest of his life. He never spoke publicly about his relationship with Monroe. He never recovered from her death and he never remarried.

 

The image of a bombshell cooking her way to nirvana may seem unlikely.  But back in the 1950s, a Hollywood starlet was not expected to squander her talents chopping onions.

Marilyn Monroe's stuffing recipe recently surfaced in "Fragments", a collection of her writing snippets from 1943 to her death in 1962. Marilyn's stuffing recipe showcases not only a knowledge of cooking, but also a surprising use of European methods for making a poultry dressing. 

MARILYN MONROE’S THANKSGIVING STUFFING

6 ounces pain au levian (sourdough)

1/4 pound chicken livers

1/4 pound ground sirloin

1 cup mirepoix  (a mixture of chopped celery, onions & carrots.)

2 bay leaves

1 cup chopped, fresh parsley

1 hard-boiled egg, chopped

1/2 cup raisins (substitute any dried fruits)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2/3 cup cooked chestnuts, chopped

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon marjoram

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Soak the pain au levian in water for 15 minutes. Drain the bread in a colander for 5 minutes and squeeze it dry. Pull it apart into small pieces.

While the bread is soaking and draining, prepare the livers and ground beef. Boil the livers for 8 to 10 minutes, until they are done. Finely chop the cooked livers. Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, and transfer the meat to a bowl.

Sauté the mirepoix and bay leaves in the remaining beef fat for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and stir together the shredded bread, cooked livers, browned beef, sautéed mirepoix, parsley, eggs, raisins, cheese, chestnuts, salt, pepper, and dried herbs.  Marilyn's stuffing recipe makes approximately 10 cups 

Marilyn Monroe's Kitchen in her Brentwood Home

ONE OF THE FUNNIEST JOKES EVER:

A man walks into a bar with a small dog under his arm and sits down at the counter, placing the dog on the stool next to him.

The bartender says, "Sorry, pal. No dogs allowed."

The man says, "But this is a special dog -- he talks!"

"Yeah, right," says the bartender. "Now get out of here before I throw you out."

"No, wait," says the man. "I'll prove it." He turns to the dog and asks, "What do you normally find on top of a house?"

"Roof!" says the dog, wagging his tail.

"Listen, pal..." says the bartender.

"Wait," says the man, "I'll ask another question." He turns to the dog again and asks, "What's the opposite of soft?"

"Ruff!" exclaims the dog.

"Quit wasting my time and get out of here," says the bartender.

"One more chance," pleads the man. Turning to the dog again, he asks, "Who was the greatest baseball player that ever lived?"

"Ruth!" barked the dog.

"Okay, that's it!" says the bartender, and physically throws both man and dog out the door and onto the street.

Turning to the man, the dogs shrugs and says, "Should I have said Dimaggio?"