Bogie's Pork Chops and Applesauce

Today would have been Denni's 48th birthday. When he gave me Alice's Cookbook in 1997, his inscription said: ' I suggest the pork chops and applesauce, p.189. Denni.' The regret I have for not having the forethought to have had a Brady Bunch dinner party while he was still living is overwhelming. The entree would surely have been pork chops and applesauce, because as any fan of the show knows, that is the most famous of Alice's meals. What fun we would have had. So, better late than never, tonight we celebrate a life well lived albeit cut too short. Boneless pork chops, sauteed and then removed from the pan, with a vermouth, lemon juice and butter reduction pan gravy. Served with applesauce, a resolution to have no more regrets, and a tear or two.

Episode Note: "The Personality Kid" When someone at a party actually tells Peter that he has no personality, he takes the dis to heart and begins searching for the new Peter Brady. The girls plot to make Peter feel better by complimenting and flattering him in an overt manner that any dummy could see through the transparent scheme. And of course once it is revealed, he feels even worse. Meanwhile, Cindy and Bobby are on a home safety kick, forcing surprise fire drills. Mike and Carol tell him to stop feeling sorry for himself and improve his personality if he thinks it's so bad. Peter takes this advice to the extreme and begins adopting the personas of famous leading men, most noticeably, Humphrey Bogart. He then proceeds to talk like Bogie, and when he sees what they are having for dinner, he repeats that like Bogart too. "Pork chops and applesauce" over and over. This too fails and he resorts to a joke book to amp up his wow factor. Everyone in the house guffaws at his jokes, giving him a false sense of humor. He asks to have a party to try out his new act. Sadly, the kids at the party have heard them all before and Peter is even more deflated, as there is no punch in his line. A few of Peter's girl friends gather round him to convince him that he's anything but dull and things are finally looking up. Peter finds solace and popularity in his dullness and the girls who feel sorry for him. Here's looking at you, kid.