Yusuf Islam, aka Cat Stevens, is NOT stuck up, fool!

He obviously talks to women who are not veiled. How else would he get Dolly Parton's endorsement?

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Yusuf Islam wins damages for "veiled women" slur

LONDON (Reuters) - British folk singer Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens, accepted libel damages and an apology on Friday from a news agency that reported he had refused to talk to women at an awards ceremony who were not wearing a veil.

The artist, who changed his name after becoming a Muslim in the late 1970s, will donate the "substantial" payout to Small Kindness, a U.N.-linked charity he chairs.

Adam Tudor, the singer's attorney, told London's High Court that the story behind the legal action was published by World Entertainment News Network and was used on Contactmusic.com, a website said to have 2.2 million page views a month.

The article appeared in March last year and suggested that the singer was "so sexist and bigoted that he refused at an awards ceremony to speak to or even acknowledge any women who were not wearing a veil," Tudor said.

"It went on to suggest that Mr. Islam's manager had stated 'Mr. Islam doesn't speak with women except his wife, least of all if they don't wear a headscarf. Things like that only happen via an intermediary.'"

Tudor said the article had embarrassed the singer, creating a false impression of his attitude to women and also casting serious aspersions on his religious faith.

World Entertainment News Network issued an apology, saying:

"We now accept that these allegations ... are entirely without foundation, and that Mr. Islam has never had any difficulties working with women, whether for religious or for any other reason."

Islam, 59, is still best known for his hits as Cat Stevens, including "Wild World," "Morning Has Broken" and "Moonshadow."

He sold an estimated 60 million albums as Stevens, but retired from showbusiness in 1978 after converting to Islam. He released his first mainstream pop album since then in 2006.

Reuters/Nielsen

Eat Your Heart Out, America's Test Kitchen

I want to share my favorite cooking site with y'all (yup, I said y'all, because I live in "the south"). It is called Simply Recipes.

I swear to you, WALLAHI, I have had the most success with this lady's recipes than I have with any cookbook or cooking website I have ever read. Here are some of my favorite recipes so far:

Mom's Chili Beans: I'm planning to have this for Suhoor during Ramadan. I call it fancy comfort food. I especially like the touch of jalapeno and the cilantro on top. I use turkey to make this and serve it over instant brown rice cooked with a pat of butter. Oh--and I use chipotle chili powder.

Classic Baked Chicken: This is SO EASY and soooo moist. It tastes like it came from a rotisserie. I added a bunch of extra spices like allspice and cajun spices. We eat it with pita bread and garlic potato sauce.

Moroccan Spiced Grilled Chicken Breasts: Wow! Talk about flavor. Don't skip the marinating step!

Suzanne's Best Brownies: These are simply the best brownies I've ever tasted, much less made. They are very fudgy and have just the right balance of chocolate and sweetness.. And a hint of almond extract!

Here are two dishes I plan to try next:

Gingered Lemon Bars

Italian Sausages with Ratatouille (with turkey Italian sausage, of course)