Miranda in "The Gang's All Here" In any of her iconic costumes, she's immediately recognizable, even from a great distance. After all, who could miss that towering cascade of brightly colored produce balanced precariously on her head, framing her bright eyes and beaming smile? Many women look stunning in hats, but let's face it: few can wear fruit quite like Carmen Miranda could. Born one hundred years ago today in Marco de Canaveses, Portugal (but raised in Brazil), Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha had always yearned for stardom, a fact she had to hide from her devoutly Catholic parents. One of her first jobs, ironically enough, was as a hat-maker, but her cornucopia of talents proved too grand for the modest life of a milliner. She found early success as a samba singer, and won plum roles in a number of Brazilian films before being invited to the Big Apple. Once in America, Carmen was a top banana, making a splash first on Broadway, and then in Hollywood, with juicy roles in films like "Down Argentine Way," "Weekend in Havana," and "Greenwich Village." Life was peachy for Carmen: her career was filled with cherry parts and hit songs right up until her untimely death at the age of 46. While making a live appearance on "The Jimmy Durante Show" on August 4, 1955, Carmen suffered a mild heart attack and almost collapsed. She was able to pull herself together enough to finish the taping, but suffered another heart attack later that night and passed away in her home. She was flown to her adopted nation of Brazil, where a period of national mourning ensued. Today, we invite you to lift a glass in celebration of the life and legend of this hugely influential performer on this, her centennial. Anyone for a tropical smoothie? Suggested Sites... IMDb.com: Carmen Miranda - provides complete filmography, photos, biography, and more. PopcornQ Movies - Carmen Miranda: Bananas Is My Business - PlanetOut reviews the 1994 documentary directed by Helena Solberg. Carmen Miranda Glamour Gallery - features beautiful photos of Carmen wearing some of her most inspired costumes, as well as sound clips, biographical tidbits, and more. YouTube: Carmen Miranda - Adeus, Batucada! - a tribute to Carmen highlighting her final television appearance and scenes from her funeral. Associated Content: The Carmen Miranda Collection on DVD - interesting article talking about the recent release of the Carmen Miranda DVD Box Set and musing who could possibly play her in a modern biopic.

Directory categories: Carmen Miranda (1909-1955), Samba Music, Classic Hollywood Films, Brazil

Archived under: 1930s, 1940s, Actors, Biographies, Birthdays, Brazil, Broadway, Celebrities, Entertainment, Fruit, Movie History, Movies, Music, Nostalgia, Women

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(Photo by Ian Ransley) If you’re a typical American, you eat about 27 pounds of them a year. But beware! Bananas are on the road to extinction -- in ten to thirty years, that tasty banana you had for breakfast may no longer exist. How is this possible? After all, there are over 1,000 varieties of banana that grow in more than 100 countries, and the Cavendish (what you know as the generic "banana") is only one of them -- and is actually looked down upon by many connoisseurs as being bland. But, in fact, the Cavendish is a relative newcomer. From 1880 to the 1950s, the banana known to our forefathers was the "Gros Michel" (also known as "Big Mike"). In the 1950s, though, "Big Mike" succumbed to a fungus that virtually wiped out the variety (it can still be found in small quantities on remote plantations). Banana growers searched for a replacement and came up with the Cavendish, in spite of the difficulty in transporting it. After much experimentation, researchers determined that if the Cavendish were taken from the tree (where they will not ripen; only a picked banana will do that) and sealed in containers or rooms filled with ethylene gas, the ripening process could be delayed while the fruits made their two-week journey from field to your supermarket. In their time, those banana growers have shown more powers than the ability to retard spoilage; their machinations in the late nineteenth century led to the control and overthrowing of more than one Central or South American government (hence "banana republic"). In fact, that's what inspires our exegesis on bananas today; on this date in 1932, martial law was declared in Honduras to stop a revolt by banana workers fired by the United Fruit Company (known today as Chiquita). The reason Cavendish bananas are endangered is that they all are genetically identical -- clones of one another, which cannot reproduce naturally. Without the help of humans, the Cavendish could not exist -- although that point may be moot if the banana fungus that wiped out the Gros Michel and the Cavendishes of Asia and Australia makes it across the Pacific. Dedicated banana scientists are working night and day to breed different genetic traits into the Cavendish to ensure its longevity and resistance to the fungus, but if you wake up some morning in the future and are faced with putting apples or grapes on your corn flakes -- well, don’t say we didn’t warn you … Suggested Sites... Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World - official site for Dan Koeppel's book on the social, political, and gastronomic history of the banana. Popular Science: Can This Fruit Be Saved - details the scientific efforts going into saving the Cavendish. NewYork Times: Yes, We Will Have No Bananas - well, maybe -- if we play our cards right. Snopes: Banana Peal - examines the facts and rumors around banana extinction. Bananas, A Storied Fruit with an Uncertain Future - NPR's Terry Gross interviews Koeppel about his book.

Directory categories: Bananas, Fruit, Extinction, Biotechnology, Food

Archived under: Anniversaries, Bananas, Clones, Endangered Species, Extinction, Food and Drink, Fruit, History

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Cran from a can (Photo by Purple Slog) Smooth or chunky? Sweet or sour? Cooked or raw? Is it better to serve up the sugary cranberry sauce that has graced grammar school lunches, or succumb to the holiday mavens and create a tart cranberry relish with a touch of Grand Marnier? Such a simple question, but one that has divided many a Thanksgiving gathering over the years. One would think that the solution would be as simple as making (or buying) some of both. Unfortunately, for many families, that would go over about as well as Hillary showing up at the White House for dinner this year. This Thanksgiving, however, The Spark household has chosen to take a moment to recall the humble origins of the cranberry and quell the annual family feud. Consider these factoids: Cranberries are one of the only commonly eaten fruits native to North America. The Delaware Indians considered them a sign of peace. Early American sailors ate them to prevent scurvy. Some Native Americans mixed deer meat and mashed cranberries to make pemmican -- and they also used the tart berries to treat wounds and dye cloth. Given such an impressive resume, on this day of thanksgiving, we can all put aside the controversy and simply enjoy the cranberries, whether as sauce, relish, or (heaven forbid) chutney. Suggested Sites... Ocean Spray Cranberry Recipes - growing cranberries since the 1930s. Martha Stewart: Cranberry Recipes - straight from the maven's mouth. Flickr: Cranberry Bogs - a New England tradition. The Cranberries - not to be confused with the fruit.

Directory categories: Cranberry Recipes, Cranberry Sauces, Relishes, and Chutneys, Thanksgiving, Pilgrims

Archived under: Cooking, Cranberries, Fruit, Holidays, Recipes, Thanksgiving

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