January 22
George Gordon, Lord Byron's Birthday 
 

			George Gordon was born in January 1788, in London. His parents, Scottish heiress Catherine Gordon, the only child of the Laird of Gight, and Captain John "Mad Jack" Byron, had been hiding in France from their creditors, but Catherine wanted their child born in England. Born with a club foot, George was kept separated from other children and his elder half-sister, Augusta, by his over-protective mother. He spent most of his early years reading and gained significant weight due to his lack of physical activity. When he was ten years old, George Gordon became a British lord on the death of his great-uncle and was thereafter known as Lord Byron. Money then became available for  medical care which corrected his clubfoot and  his education at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge.
Lord Byron

The once shy, obese, clubfooted boy developed into a strikingly handsome man,  a notorious seducer of women, and one of the great poets of the nineteenth century. His narrative poems Childe Harold's Pilgrimage and Don Juan, and is regarded as one of the greatest European poets and remains widely read.

Byron scandalized London by starting an affair with Lady Caroline Lamb who described him as  "mad, bad, and dangerous to know."  The affair was the focus of the 1972 film Lady Caroline Lamb with Richard Chamberlain as Byron. He was then ostracized from British society when he was suspected of having a sexual relationship with his half-sister, Augusta Leigh, who gave birth to an illegitimate daughter.

In 1816, Byron went to Switzerland to spend some time with Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelley and his personal physician, John William Polidorie.  On a stormy night that summer,  the four met at Villa Diodati, owned by Byron, and decided to write stories of terror worthy of that grim night. Inspired by Byron, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein. This famous interlude was dramatized in Ken's Russell's 1986 film Gothic with Gabriel Byrne as Byron; a 1988 Spanish film, Rowing with the Wind (Remando al viento), with Hugh Grant as Byron,  and the 1988 US film Haunted Summer with Philip Anglim as the poet. Jonny Lee Miller took on the role in the BBC's  Byron in 2003.

Byron also began contributing to the radical journal, the Examiner, edited by his friend, Leigh Hunt. In 1822, Byron, Leigh Hunt, and Percy  Shelley traveled to Italy where the three men published the political journal, The Liberal. By publishing in Italy they remained free from the fear of being prosecuted by the British authorities for their political activities.

Always concerned about his weight, Byron fasted continuously and lived on a relatively Spartan regimen of rice and crackers, although from time to time, he would pig out on meat and potatoes. His passion for potatoes resulted in the classic Potatoes Byron created for the poet. When Byron lived in Italy, he would prefer veal dishes and there are several Italian veal specialties, such as Piccatina di Vitello alIa Lord Byron (Spiced Veal Lord Byron), which bear his name.
 

Potatoes Byron
 

1. Preheat oven to 500º F. Bake potatoes for 30 - 45 minutes or until completely baked. Remove potatoes from oven and allow to cool enough to handle them.
2. Heat clarified butter in a large non-stick omelet pan over medium heat.
3. Fill pan with potatoes and press down evenly to form a large pancake.
4. Cook pancake for 10 - 12 minutes or until bottom begins to brown. Carefully slip pancake on a plate without breaking it. Invert plate over omelets pan and brown reverse side of pancake ( 8 - 10 minutes).
5. Carefully slip pancake on an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle tip with whipping cream and sprinkle with cheese. Place under a hot broiler for about a minute or until top of pancake is glazed. Serve immediately.

Serves 4
 

Piccatina di Vitello alIa Lord Byron
(Spiced Veal Lord Byron)
 

1. Heat olive oil with butter in a skillet over medium heat until butter is completely melted.
2. Dredge veal scallops in flour. Sauté floured scallops in skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Add tomato to skillet, reduce heat, and cook it with meat for another 10 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with salt and wine. Add chilies, oregano, and fines herbs. Cook gently for 2 - 3 minutes.