The cookbook for children and food enthusiasts got its start in Crespo's imaginative childhood brain when she envisioned hot dogs wrapped in biscuit dough as real little pigs, snug in blankets and, nearby on the plate, macaroni and cheese as a haystack for them to play in.

She teaches a cooking class for children at the New School of Cooking in Los Angeles and is developing a children's cooking series for television. Best are Eric Staudenmaier's photos, which place her wacky recipes in context like a Hollywood set.

— Wanda Adams, Advertiser book editor

Golden memories

Before MTV and VH-1, there was Dick Clark's "American Bandstand," a dance party that featured recording stars who sang their hit songs. It was a weekday afternoon delight in Philadelphia, with humble beginnings in 1952. Clark was host of the show from 1956, and a year later, "Bandstand" went national.

To mark its golden anniversary, ABC will present "American Bandstand's 50th: A Celebration," from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, with Clark back as host and assembling live talent that spans the decades, including Michael Jackson, Cher, Alanis Morissette, KISS and Stevie Wonder. Many stars whose careers were launched with exposure on "Bandstand" will make appearances, too.

During its run, "Bandstand" played 65,000 records, danced to by 600,000 in-studio teens, logged more than 6,000 hours of airtime and presented more than 10,000 musical guests.

Rate-a-Record became part of the American lexicon, even though the teen panel gave a mediocre rating (73) to a song that would trigger a phenomenon: The Beatles' "She Loves You."