Recipes from the Stars of Silver Screen list
Pat Phoenix’s Jacket Potato
I am strangely obsessed with Pat's way of pimping a potato. It pops into my mind as something I fancy on a regular basis. I think I read in one of Sophia Loren's cookbooks that cheese with fish is a no-no in Italian cooking but I LOVE this combo on a potato. Pure...
Tessie O’Shea’s Brandy Ice Cream Coffee
It's the penultimate Tessie O'Shea recipe from the slimming cookbook! I pledged to try one a month from this excellent tome way back in January 2019 and I've almost done it. It's taken me ages to get around to making this because I didn't want to buy a huge vat of ice...
Angela Lansbury’s Mustard Vinaigrette
You know how satisfying it is when you find the right tool for the job? And how the smallest thing can give you an immense amount of pleasure in these strange lockdowned times? Here's a tiny tale of one such thing. This is a beautiful bottle of delicious vinaigrette....
William Gallo’s Vodka Pasta
Pink food is weird. This was tasty (no doubt because essentially, it was mostly cream and vodka) but it was a very odd colour. I made this on a lovely summer's evening after my daily constitution. It was a typical British summer kind of evening... The first night I...
Richard Dix’s Sardine and Egg Salad
When I heard a couple of weeks ago that we won't be going back to the film archive until January 2021 at the earliest, I had a little meltdown. Six more months of working from home. I did the maths - I would be on my own five days a week for 27 more weeks at least....
Billie Burke’s Asparagus Salad
Billie Burke sent me a secret message on a packet of cheese recently. It was pure chance I spotted it because let's face it who usually reads the back of a cheese packet? It was on the wrapping of a big chunk of Davidstow Cheddar. This is the cheddar I always buy...
QUARANTINI TIME #14 – Champagne Cocktail Gloria Swanson
The pubs are open, and I have been in TWO. Yes, I have left my eyrie and gone out into the big wide world, leaving North London for the first time in 17 weeks. I went on a train and everything! Here is me having my first pint of beer out in the real world. As I...
Top 100 Greatest Columbo Scenes of the 1970s
I have been meaning to blog about this for ages but just to let all Columbo fans know that the fabulous Columbophile is doing this mega-countdown RIGHT NOW and I heartily recommend you check it out. If you are quick, you'll catch the last two posts where he'll be...
Recipe of the Month – Angela Lansbury’s Angel Hair Pasta With Fresh Summer Tomatoes
Greetings from Cabot Covid! It’s a very special recipe of the month this month. This was tested for the Murder, She Cooked cookbook by a very special person. Drumroll please! The AWESOME Tim Benzie, creator and star of the immersive Solve-along-a-Murder-She-Wrote...
Tessie O’Shea’s Diet Scotch Eggs
Have you sorted out your social support bubble yet? I saw mine last Saturday and it was a RIOT. Mr R's sister and her husband came over and we had a boozy picnic. OK, it was an indoor picnic because the weather wasn't great, but we had lots of picnic...
QUARANTINI TIME #13 – The Rock Hudson and Liz Taylor Giant Martini
This is the penultimate Quaranatini Time! Pubs are set to re-open here in the UK TODAY so there's only one more movie star tipple demo video to go. The last time me & Mr R exchanged money for cold beverages in a pub was on our wedding day - 20th March 2020 -...
QUARANTINI TIME #12 – Marlon Brando’s Godfather @ Silver Screen Suppers Towers
Wanna see Mr R do an impression of Marlon Brando playing the Godfather? Haha! We LOVED our Godfather cocktails (although, these should probably be called a mixed drink rather than a cocktail) and had two each. OK, so I got the movie wrong when I did my 'STELLA"...
Diana Dors’ Flageolet Beans With Tuna
Mr Rathbone's sister recently told me that when her mum was pregnant with her, she craved Mivvis. I am going to ask my mum if she had any particular food cravings when she was pregnant with me. It will not surprise me at all if she says tuna. Whenever I stop plotting...
Burt Lancaster’s Beef Curry – Tufnell Park – The Great Bear Stop #10
There was a time, not too far in the past, when people could do whatever the hell they wanted, whenever the hell they wanted to. Me and Mr R would regularly spend a Sunday afternoon transporting a strange foodstuff to a tube station on the Northern Line and then...
QUARANTINI TIME #11 – The Ralph Bellamy Scotch Sour
Gosh, I've just realised that I am a week behind with the Quarantini Times! So here's a link to the demo for Ralph's Scotch Sour and hot on the heels of this will be the demo for the Marlon Brando Godfather. Where does all the time go? I have no idea!...
A MOVIE STAR LUNCHEON – 282 Ways of Making a Salad
Coo what a spread! Remember when there was a time when you could eat this amount of food on one day because you had OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR ABODE? As it has now been over 12 weeks since anyone except Mr Rathbone crossed my threshold, I find it hard to believe that this...
Mike Connors’ Lamb Chop Hot Pot
Oooh, this was GOOD! Proper old fashioned fodder with no fancy herbs and spices. Just a hearty amount of vegetables and super succulent lamb chops after two and a half hours in the oven. Perfect for a Saturday evening in lockdown. In the Cop's Cookbook the title of...
QUARANTINI TIME #10 – The Gertrude Niesen BUZZ-BOMB
This one comes with a warning, Mr R had to put me to bed for half an hour after consuming just one Buzz-Bomb (and some of the rest of the champagne of course). I lay there like a MUMMY, unable to move a muscle. This cocktail is a humdinger and no mistake. The brain is...
Tessie O’Shea’s Brussels Sprouts (Creamed Cheese Type)
Tessie does it again! On paper, her recipe looks odd, and in the saucepan, it looks even odder... But these were delicious! What an interesting and flavoursome way of cooking yer sprouts! At first, I wasn't sure whether I had understood the recipe...
QUARANTINI TIME #9 – Don Ameche’s Bourbon
Don Ameche was a man's man and didn't have any truck with mixed drinks. He liked his bourbon straight up and with no nonsense about a chaser. Here we raise a glass to him and get excited about next week's BUZZ-BOMB cocktail. https://youtu.be/1LQMf_bxtr0 Mind you,...
Grace Kelly’s Pissaladière
I hereby vow to make no more impulse buys from the "flash sales" section of my online groceries order. I really do love these fresh, herby anchovies but even though I used loads in the David Niven Jansson's Temptation recipe, the rest of the pack has been hanging...
Malik Yoba’s Rhythm and Beans and Squash Stew
I am getting a bit devil-may-care about recipes in these strange times. There are many ingredients I can't put my hands on at the moment for obvious reasons, but rather than ABANDONING recipes for lack of this or that, I am getting CRAFTY. I did not have a yam, but I...
QUARANTINI TIME #8 – The Binnie Barnes Schnorkel
Up periscope! This cocktail is a humdinger. Mr R thought it was "psychoactive" and I saw a yellow aura all around his bonce after drinking just one of these Schnorkels. It was like he'd just eaten a bowl of Ready Brek. The Schnorkel wasn't actually named in Binnie...
Living My Life Like Angela Lansbury (a second time)
Greetings from Cabot Covid (thanks to Tim from Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote for that one). Thursday was the blog's birthday. For FOURTEEN YEARS I've been blogging about movie stars and their favourite recipes. My goodness me, I can hardly believe it. I sometimes...
QUARANTINI TIME #7! The Mary Pickford
This week we propose a Mary Pickford for your cocktail hour. You will need 2oz rum, 3/4 oz pineapple juice and 3 dashes of grenadine. Shake with ice. Serve with a whistle swizzle stick if you have one! https://youtu.be/eGOwudM1ysI Cheers Mary!
David Niven’s Jansson’s Temptation
I think my lockdown quarantine feral eating period is almost over. My panic buying of store cupboard staples seems to have abated and the compulsion to eat salad cream directly from the jar on a spoon seems to be slowing down too. But here is something I made when I...
QUARANTINI TIME #6! Fairbanks #1
This week's Quarantini Time features a cocktail named after the swashbuckling Douglas Fairbanks gleaned from the amazing Savoy Club Cocktail Book. As his niece Leticia Fairbanks pointed out to me in a comment on a previous post about this cocktail, her uncle was...
Diana Dors’ Chilli Con Carne
As regular readers know, I am a massive Diana Dors fan and have written lots about the recipes in the Diana Dors X-Cel Diet book. I am so lucky to work in a film archive and have the TV-am collection at my fingertips - well, I did before lockdown! Diana regularly...
Recipe of the Month – Vincent Price’s Toad in the Hole
If ever there was a time for comfort food, the time is now. TOAD. You can't beat it really, with a lovely onion gravy made with a drop of Vincent Price Ale this is TOPS. In possibly the shortest recipe of the month blog post ever, I present to you, Vincent Price's...
QUARANTINI TIME #5! Martin Landau’s Vodka Martini Straight Up
I love Martinis! I waxed lyrical about them here when the Carole Landis Martini was the recipe of the month. So here's a little video demo of the way Martin Landau likes his Martini... https://youtu.be/RqVc_m6yiFA ...and here's the recipe - CHEERS my lovelies! 2 oz...
Virtual Vincent Price Dinner Party!
This Sunday folks! It's going to be an absolute hoot. Hosted by Vincent's daughter Victoria and my chum Peter Fuller of the Vincent Price Legacy UK website, it's only $5 to join and Vincent fans all around the world will be wining and dining together via the magic of...
Vincent Price’s Chicken Sweet and Hot
My brain has gone kind of melty when it comes to cooking during the lockdown. I am usually a stickler for making a recipe exactly to specifications, no deviations, no repetitions. But these strange times are doing something good to my brainbox and I am "subbing" as...
QUARANTINI TIME #4! Shirley Temples and Dirty Shirleys
It's Friday so you know what that means? QUARANTINI TIME! This weeks cocktail du jour is the Shirley Temple. Mind you, I realised after watching an episode of Mad Men the other day that a cocktail should have 3 ingredients and these only have two. I suppose that makes...
Benny Hill’s Nice Salad
I am as old as the hills, so when Mr R brought over his DVD of the Christmas Top of the Pops from 1971 this weekend I thought, I might know some of these songs. But it turns out, I knew the lot! And three of them have special significance too. Slade's Cuz I Luv U will...
Julie Harris’ Curried Zucchini Soup
I can't remember the last time I ventured into a shop, I think it was about 10 days ago now, but I do remember that I bought two courgettes just because I thought they looked nice. Fresh veggies! I am usually very much a forward planner but these crazy days, not so...
QUARANTINI TIME #3! Vincent Price’s Pink Tonics
When I volunteered for the Vincent Price Blogathon I had grand plans of throwing an elaborate dinner party with many dishes gleaned from Vincent's fabulous cookbooks. Remember the days when you could have chums over for food and fun? I could have kicked off...
QUARANTINI TIME #2! The Charlie Chaplin Cocktail
My second movie star lockdown cocktail was a Charlie Chaplin. A very fruity little fella composed of sloe gin, lime juice and apricot brandy. I had a few technical problems with the Mary Astor Painless Anaesthetic video so I may do that one again sometime, but a new...
Godfrey Winn’s Kedgeree
Have you seen that film La Grande Bouffe? It features a group of foodies getting together for a weekend of extreme eating. They eat and eat. and eat, and eat... So it was chez moi over Easter. If I listed what we had over our 4-day lockdown at Silver Screen Suppers...
Vincent Price’s Corn Fritters
After my initial Covid-19 lockdown panic about getting hold of certain foodstuffs, things have calmed down a bit here in North London. I managed to get a grocery delivery last Sunday and I have kind friends who have dropped off a couple of things I couldn't get hold...
Judy Holliday’s Stuffed Tomatoes
I had a nice surprise last week when I found out my lovely blogger chum and food illustrator extraordinaire Miriam Figueras has been making YouTube videos about her love of silent movies. I find her voice lovely and soothing and I love this one about life lessons she...
Suzanna Leigh’s Leeks Vinaigrette
I am very lucky to have an excellent corner shop about 5 minutes walk from my flat. During the lockdown, I am only trundling down there when absolutely necessary but the last time I went, I nabbed two leeks. I had no idea what I would do with them but Suzannah Leigh...
QUARANTINI TIME #1! Movie Star Virtual Reality Cocktail Party this Friday at 6pm
Hello chums! Get your cocktail shakers out and join me on Instagram Live this Friday for a MOVIE STAR COCKTAIL! I was planning to make a little edited video showing this cocktail under construction but I didn't get around to it. A special prize to anyone who can work...
Abby Dalton’s Lamb Stew With Parsley Dumplings
Written in the days where you could have friends and family around for lunch! Recently I read an article which asked whether people were getting tired of food blogs which featured really long rambling personal stories to wade through before getting to the recipe. It...
I Got Hitched!
Here is some good news in these troubled times. Last Friday, just hours before the UK went into lockdown I got married! Regular readers will have heard Mr R mentioned a million times on this blog, and now I am thrilled to officially be Mrs R. Here are a few photos of...
Henry Fonda’s Swedish Meatballs
Regular readers will know that I have been a food hoarder for many years. My frozen archives are legendary amongst chums, all four of the freezer drawers are packed solid. My food cupboards ditto. In the past, I have berated myself for this bad habit, but now we'll...
Recipe of the Month – The Carole Landis Martini
If I am having a cocktail, four out of five times it will be a Martini. I love 'em. AHH, the days when you could get a My Man Godfrey Martini at the 5th View Bar in London wearing red knee-high boots! My Guild of Food Writer chum Richard Ehrlich knows everything there...
Angela Lansbury’s Mustard Vinaigrette
This is a recipe that I am going to have to work on a bit for the Murder, She Cooked book as I think there must be a typo in Angela's recipe. Here's a scan of the recipe from Angela's fabulous Positive Moves book. I did make some vinaigrette to this schema but had to...
Richard Arlen’s Buttered Cabbage a la Maryland
Hello sailor! I've been thinking about cooking for one a lot lately. (Cooking for one person, not cooking for a sailor.) A while back I wrote a blog post about making Vesper Martinis and Martini Cured Salmon Blinis for one and mused on the joys to be had in treating...
Phyllis Diller’s Garbage Soup
Making this soup cures all ills. I was feeling somewhat melancholy last Wednesday evening (can't remember why now) but my fridge was FULL of random veggies and once I got going on this I felt a million times better. The glorious thing about this soup is that you can...
Greg Morris’ Ob’s Chicken
There was a great conversation in the film archive where I work recently about the phrase, "lost in the mists of time." Two of the four people in the conversation had always thought the phrase was "lost in the MIDST of time." I guess that both phrases make sense. I...
Dinner With James Garner
I have lived on my own for around 15 years but I have 3 imaginary friends who keep me constant company. My best friend is Lieutenant Columbo. My most recent bosom buddy is Jessica Fletcher. But popping in and out over the years has been the lovely...
Recipe of the Month – Herbert Marshall’s Steak and Kidney Pie
For Halloween (which seems like a lifetime ago now), I wanted to make something Vincent Price related. Over a beer a couple of days before, I ran through many potential dishes I could make and when I got to Steak and Kidney Pie, this is what happened to Mr Rathbone's...
Tessie O’Shea’s Hamburger
Tessie loved a burger! There are lots of recipes for them in her brilliant Slimming Cookbook and by rights I should have gone for the Hammy Hamburger as Hammy was one of my nicknames at school. This was partly because my surname is Hammerton but also because of a kids...
Audrey Hepburn’s Chocolate Cake With Cream
I burned the top of this cake so when I took it out of the oven, I almost put it straight in the bin. It was a birthday cake for my beloved and his family for a celebratory lunch and I thought it would taste awful. BUT, I had no more eggs, so couldn't make another,...
Ian Ogilvy’s Turnip and Onion Soup
"Well, who would have thunk it?" as my mum often says. I must admit, I decided to test this recipe for the Murder, She Cooked book myself as I didn't think anyone would volunteer for it. It doesn't sound very exciting does it? But surprise surprise, it was DELICIOUS!...
Irene Dunne’s Chocolate Vinegar Cake
I work in a film archive and all of my colleagues are just LOVELY. It's such a fab place to work and there is always fun to be had when a birthday comes around. A big pretence is made that we've all forgotten all about it and nothing is said until about 3pm when...
Yul Brynner’s Sauteed Broccoli
When it pours with rain on a dark and cold evening, commuters in London go a bit mental. One night way back in November I had to wait in the cold and wet while 3 full buses sailed past my stop while folks in the bus queue were effing and blinding and waving their...
Ruta Lee’s “Clean-Out-The-Refrigerator” Salad
How was your Christmas kittens? I had a LOVELY time. I ate too much naturally but everything was delicious! Now I am craving a salad, and as this post has been in my drafts folder for several months, here it is! I actually made this in the summer and planned to stick...
Vincent Price’s Carrot Soup
This might be my last post before Christmas so I hereby wish all my readers a fabulous festive season! It was my birthday last week and look at the haul I got - haha! Anyone would think I was writing a book about Murder, She Wrote! The day after my fabulous birthday I...
Tessie O’Shea’s Fun With Leftover Chicken or Turkey
I have a lot of cooked chicken in my freezer. This is mostly because I absolutely LOVE the chicken they serve at Mr R's local equivalent of the bar in Cheers, The Cork and Bottle in Hampstead. They serve 1/2 a chicken for Sunday lunch and it is divine but huge. Hence,...
Lisa Akey and Raphael Sbarge’s Tuscan Bean Soup
If it is beans in a soup you are after, this is it. There are a LOT of beans in this soup. In fact, there is not much soup, mainly just beans but it is TASTY. All the veggies cook down into a delicious green mulch which is really flavoursome. Sometimes it's good to...
Recipe of the Month – Jameson Parker’s Pheasant Cock-a-Leekie
When I was a singleton I had a couple of years of bliss living with two crazy women called Lucy and Gaby. We rented a house together in Walthamstow, E17 and had an absolute hoot. They are both highly entertaining and lovely women. Yes, this was a hen...
Angela Lansbury’s Cottage Pie and Susan Anton’s Apple Crisp
I have been in heaven for a week on a writing retreat in deepest, darkest Shropshire. I was here... and as A.E. Houseman put it Clunton and Clunbury,Clungunford and Clun,Are the quietest placesUnder the sun. Especially when you have a writing room all of your...
Sean Connery’s Spiced Beef With Dumplings – Archway – The Great Bear Stop #9
Memory is a funny old thing. I've been thinking about it a lot lately as I've been reading a lot of food memoirs and autobiographies - current obsession, Dirk Bogarde, what a WRITER! My self-generated food memoir evening class is going slowly, but I'm really enjoying...
Robert Quarry’s Texas Potato Salad
I am going on a week's writing retreat on Monday and I cannot wait. I'll be here... More specifically here... I'll be working on the Murder, She Wrote book and trying not to disturb the three other writers in the building with the sound of the theme song playing over,...
Dinner and a Movie – Ocean’s Eleven
I once saw a series of photographs featuring the same family on the same day every year for many, many years. It was a fabulous insight into the ageing process. I have almost the same record of me ageing over the years with prawns in hand at The Company Shed on Mersea...
Dinner With Bea Arthur
I love getting an invite out of the blue to participate in a blogathon, and Gill of Real Weegie Midget Reviews always thinks of me when she has one coming up, thanks Gill! I have participated in the Michael Caine Blogathon, the Lee Grant Blogathon, the Shelley Winters...
Una Stubbs Update
A few days after my Una Stubbs Home-made Muesli post, Mr Rathbone turned up at my place with this... Who kn-una? I had no idea Una had made a fitness record but you'd better believe I'm going to get my leotard and legwarmers on soon and have a go at this. I shall make...
Recipe of the Month – Ron Glass’s Bombay Chicken
Mr Rathbone made this chicken dish as part of the Murder, She Wrote Cookalong and it was SOOOOOO GOOD I've decided to make it Recipe of the Month. Here's Mr R's lovely thorough feedback on the cooking of the dish....
A Vincent Price Curry Party
Halloween is coming! I have a proposal for you! Why not have a Vincent Price Curry Party? First, could I encourage you to spend a few minutes listening to the dulcet tones of Vincent describing his Lifesaver Curry? This is a video that Peter Fuller of the Vincent...
Marlene Dietrich’s Sleeping Potion
Hot on the heels of Oooooona's Moooooosli, here comes Marleeeeeeeen's Sardeeeeeeen. Of course, this pleasing combination of words only works when mispronouncing MarlAYYYYYna Marleeeeeeeen, but hey ho... I made a beautiful loaf of rye bread on a fabulous day in the...
Una Stubbs’ Home-made Muesli
There are some combinations of words that are nice to say together and for me, Una's Muesli is one of those. But you have to pronounce Una OONA rather than YOONA. When I am out and about and need to grab something for breakfast from somewhere like Pret a Manger I lean...
Dinner and a Movie – From Russia With Love
I live alone, and when I was single for many years, I absolutely loved a solo Friday night in. I would come home from work, make myself a Martini and listen to the Desmond Carrington Show on Radio 4. Much missed. Who else would pair a Meatloaf track with a George...
Tessie O’Shea’s Fishcake
Corinna and Cathy are GOOD SPORTS when they come round to my house for dinner. They probably know that something weird is going to be served up. Gourmet food Tessie's fishcake was not. Fishcake singular you note, even though it serves four. Basically, you make a big...
Murder, She Wrote Cookalong – Angela Lansbury’s Kitchen Sink Salad
I wanted to make something to mark the end of the Murder, She Wrote Cookalong and a return to normal life, and this salad was always going to be it. It was fresh, healthy and delicious. Everything you would expect from a recipe Angela included in her wonderful book...
Murder, She Wrote Cookalong Day 6 – Blogger Chums
One of the best things about having a blog is connecting with folks all around the world who are game for anything! So today's testers are based in Australia, the USA, Canada, Finland and Greece as well as here in good old Blighty. Thanks so much, you wonderful...
Murder, She Wrote Cookalong Day 5 – I Ate These!
I do a LOT of cooking so if someone offers to cook for me, I am in heaven! Some lovely, lovely people invited me to partake in the Murder, She Cooked recipes they were testing. I had a blast. Just as when Jessica and Seth cook and eat together, I am happiest when...
Murder, She Wrote Cookalong Day 4 – Sterling Work
I've been thrilled by how many people have signed up for the cookalong. Some are blogger friends I only know through the ether, some are friends in real life, and some I don't know from Adam! I am having so much fun reading and compiling all the feedback. I cannot...
Living My Life Like Shelley Winters – Chicken a la Shelley
We interrupt the Murder, She Wrote Cookalong with a quick post about Shelley Winters! I had great plans to live my life like Shelley Winters for a day as part of the Shelley Winters blogathon organized by Gill from Realweegiemidget Reviews and Poppity of...
Murder, She Wrote Cookalong day 3 – more early birds!
My work chum Julie Gambling will probably be the first to admit that she doesn't cook much. She offered to try Farley Grainger's Baked Potatoes With Chives and cooked these for her folks on a visit to Norfolk. She says, "After my parents got over the shock of me...
Murder, She Wrote Cookalong Day 2 – Works of Art
Greg Swenson of the Recipes for Rebels website and book of the same name is a creative genius. He designed the cover of my Cooking With Columbo cookbook (and proofread it I might add!) He also designed all my lovely Murder, She Wrote Cookalong graphics Greg made not...
Murder, She Wrote Cookalong Day 1 – Early Birds
Hoorah! It's time for the Murder, She Wrote Cookalong! I have been overwhelmed by the amount of folks who have volunteered to test recipes for the forthcoming Murder, She Cooked book and I love you all! The next few days will be all about the...
Recipe of the Month – Kabot Kove Kookies
Tomorrow is the anniversary of the first episode of Murder, She Wrote hitting TV screens in 1984 so this is a perfect recipe to celebrate! The Murder, She Wrote Cookalong is happening in the next few days so be prepared for much madness here on the blog... The first...
Lansburied Alive in Seattle! A Murder, She Wrote Extravaganza!
You know the phrase, "Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet"? Well, one of the things I LOVE about having a blog is meeting people through the internet that I KNOW would be friends if they lived around the corner. One such person is Kelli Cline who lives...
Shirley Jones’ Pecan Pie
This recipe came to me courtesy of Yinzerella over at Dinner is Served 1972. I don't know how she could bear to part with these amazing vintage recipe cards but that's just the kinda gal she is! They came in the post one day and I absolutely treasure them. I would...
Tessie O’Shea’s Just Discovered Tinned Soup
I hate to waste food as much as the next hippie, but in the case of Tessie's soup I had to make an exception. Her way of pimping up a can of condensed soup is slightly bonkers but at its heart, sensible. Add some garlic salt, chicken stock cubes, salt and pepper and...
Dwayne Hickman’s House of Hickman Chicken
I am fascinated by condensed soup. It is one of those things that is a run of the mill everyday staple in American supermarkets, but it's not that easy to find here in the UK. There are currently 54 varieties of Campbell's Condensed Soup featured on their website but...
Groucho Marx’s German Pot Roast – Highgate – The Great Bear Stop #8
A pot roast is not an easy thing to eat on a tube platform so we changed the formula a bit for the Groucho Marx stop on The Great Bear Project. On the day before our Groucho lunch, I jumped off the bus in Tufnell Park and purchased a big lump of brisket from that...
Jessica Walter’s Caesar Salad
I have gone on, and on, and on in the past about how much I love Caesar Salad so this post will be short and sweet. This is the third movie star Caesar I have tried. See here for Grace Kelly's recipe and here for Ruth Roman's. My beloved Ruth playing Loretta was seen...
6th Annual Pieathalon – Spaghetti Pie – a precursor to Humphrey Bogart’s Spaghetti Loaf
Yay! It's that time of year again! The time when Yinzerella over at the marvellous Dinner is Served 1972 gathers together lots of mad pie recipes and dishes them out. I was THRILLED to get a recipe for Spaghetti Pie - what on EARTH?! Luckily for me, I can link this...
Jeff Goldblum’s Sandwich Life
When I heard that Realweegiemidgetreviews was running a #JeffGoldbumBlogathon I wanted IN. But a quick check on the recipe spreadsheet revealed nothing between Jeff Chandler and Jennifer Clulow, what could I do? My old friend Google came to the rescue with a brilliant...
Recipe of the Month – France Nuyen’s Spinach Pie
This is a super easy and super tasty tart, with a no-fuss, no-roll just-squidge-it-in cheesy pastry. YUM. And it's not just me that thinks it is good, the judge of the Muswell Hill and District Horticultural Society Summer Show cookery classes gave it a first! Mr...
Cowboy Day Cook-along 2019 – F. Murray Abraham’s Jalapeno and Cheddar Corn Bread
Yeehaw and giddy-up! This year's cowboy day ho-down chez Battenburgbelle was just fabulous! She decided to combine our book group meet up with a Tex-Mex feast and it was so much fun. All the ladies got into the spirit with hats... Thus confirming my...
Sugarpuss O’Shea’s Strawberry Shortcake
This photo says it all really. Can there be anything more summery and delicious than strawberries and cream? With a bit of cake thrown in? I made these a donkeys age ago but summer socialising has thrown my schedule all out of whack so they are only now floating to...
Dick Van Patten’s Lemon Wine Chicken Cutlets
I invited the lovely Battenburg Belle round for dinner on a school night this week so I needed something fairly speedy to make. I fancied chicken so I had a quick scan through the recipes in the Murder, She Wrote Cookalong list to see what was on offer...
Yul Brynner’s Almond Fudge Cake
When the boss's birthday is in the same week as Yul Brynner's NOT QUITE A BIRTHDAY CAKE, BUT ALMOST it's a no brainer where to look for a cake recipe... This was a GREAT CAKE as it is very easy to make and I loved the suggestion of bunging fresh cream and fruit on the...
Tessie O’Shea’s Chez Tuna Fish
Tessie loves language. By which I mean she likes to play around with it. Her recipe titles often include shortened words. For example, in the Butt-Chive Cheese Shrimp recipe, Butt is short for butter. Behold the Butt-Chive Cheese Shrimp! Gar-mar Mayonnaise is...
David Niven’s Julglögg (Christmas wine) – East Finchley – The Great Bear Stop # 7
It seems strange to be writing about something that happened on a cold January day when we are slap bang in the middle of a heatwave here in London. But I'm catching up on writing about The Great Bear Project. Finchley Central is the last of the Northern Line...
Paul Mercurio’s Trappist Fruit Cake
I've made this cake a few times for the Muswell Hill and District Horticultural Society Show cookery contest.... When I made this for the Spring Show this year, Mr Rathbone told me that this was his favourite of ALL the cakes I have made. Crikey! I thought I would...
Dinner and a Movie – Rebecca and Joan Fontaine’s Filet of Sole a la Bagge
When I told my desk-mate Lucy that I'd made a Joan Fontaine dish and watched Rebecca, she immediately did a "Joan Fontaine in Rebecca" face that made me laugh like a drain. I then did a "Joan Fontaine in Rebecca" face that made HER laugh like a drain. Ah, the fun we..
Ron Masak’s Taco Salad Ole, Chilies Rellenos Casserole and Layered Mexican Bean Dip
Traditionally, when it is my turn to host the book group, I make a TEN BOY CURRY and have all the little bowls of bananas, sultanas, coconut, mango chutney etc. etc. etc. laid out on my sideboard. Lindsey christened this the BUFFETERIA which I love. The Buffeteria...
Recipe of the Month – Tessie O’Shea’s Diet Scotch Eggs
What makes these DIET Scotch Eggs is anyone's guess but I can tell you this, they were DELICIOUS! Why I have never made a scotch egg before I do not know. They would definitely be in my list of top 5 foodstuffs. I love them. This recipe is from the fabulous Tessie...
Food Photography With Joan Ransley
I'm a member of the Bread Angels, a brigade of micro-bakers who love making bread and sharing it with friends, families, neighbours and even to complete strangers. Our motto is BAKE WELL. DO GOOD. Being part of this group has brought me so much happiness. ...
Dinner and a Movie – Alfred Hitchcock’s Quiche Lorraine
Ah, Mr. Hitchock. There is much debate about this quiche recipe. Hitch famously disliked eggs, but what is a quiche lorraine without eggs? Um, ham and some milk in a pastry case? Methinks perhaps it was raw eggs that gave him the heeby-jeebies but he liked them...
Peter Fonda Blender Breakfast
I made a lovely version of this recently with cherries instead of blueberries. It was DELICIOUS. I couldn't find my spirulina so it wasn't the usual green sludgy colour that puts my chum Greg of Recipes for Rebels off, but to me, the green is what makes a Peter...
Ian McShane’s Salmon Steaks With Watercress Sauce
On impulse I bought some posh wild salmon from Planet Organic this week. I looked at the price and thought, "Imagine if I was paying for this in a restaurant, it would be TWICE as much" and took the plunge. It was utterly lovely! Much firmer and tastier than many a...
Michael Learned’s Zucchini
When I was young, I absolutely LOVED The Waltons, and I cannot think of Michael Learned without thinking of her as the mother of the clan. But Michael is also in Murder, She Wrote so she's on my test cooking schedule for the next book... Recently I invited...
Liberace’s Lasagna
Liberace was born on this day one hundred years ago. Happy birthday Lee! Recently I got an email from my chum, food writer Orlando Murrin, asking me if I'd ever seen The Loved One which features Liberace playing an undertaker. Well yes, I had, but not for a donkey's...
Versatile Blogger Award
Yesterday was the blog's birthday. I've been scribbling away here for THIRTEEN YEARS - oh my goodness. When I started this thing I was utterly miserable after a relationship break-up and now I am the happiest I have ever been. I know for sure though, that making movie...
Doris Day Tribute Menu
So sad to hear the news about Doris yesterday. I love her so much! After living under a misapprehension that she was a twee, girl next door type for many years I actually WATCHED one of her films (Pillow Talk) and immediately became a big fan. She is utterly fabulous...
Recipe of the Month – Angela Lansbury’s “Jessica’s Cheesecake”
My goodness, this is a HUMDINGER of a recipe. I love cheesecake and I thought I had never made one before, but then I remembered Marion Davies' Meadow Cheesecake. Whereas Marion's was GOOD, Angela's recipe is utterly BRILLIANT. Hence, it is this month's Recipe of the...
Tessie O’Shea’s Egg Juice
It's not a very appetising recipe title is it? At the beginning of this year, I pledged to make one thing a month from the Tessie O'Shea Slimming Cookbook and I am a bit behind, so expect TWO slightly weird dishes from Tessie's 1970s kitchen this month. Hoorah!...
Dinah Shore’s Sunday Baked Eggs
This morning in bed the conversation went like this: Mr Rathbone: What are you blogging about? Me: Dinah Shore's Sunday Baked Eggs. Mr Rathbone: Whose eggs? Me: Dinah Shore's Eggs. Mr Rathbone: Dinosaurs Eggs? I think they found some of those in the Antarctic. This...
San Francisco Silent Film Festival – Silent Stars Menu Suggestions
Oh, how I wish I were in San Francisco right now! They are having a super dooper silent film festival at the wonderful Castro Theatre with a truly wonderful line up of movies. The lovely Gary Mayer of Eat Drink Films got in touch recently to ask if I might have some...
When Bloggers Collaborate – Alice Cooper’s Funky Tuna Casserole
Disclaimer: I am British. I have never made a Tuna Casserole, I have never eaten a Tuna Casserole, I have never even SEEN a Tuna Casserole. Therefore, I have no idea what one might look like, taste like or BE like. Tuna Casseroles, before this week, were a mystery to...
Dinner and a Movie – Today’s Special
When Delicious Magazine pops through my letterbox each month I almost tear it apart looking for the Kay & Fred’s Movie Night column. First excitement is always, "What is the movie gonna be?" closely followed by "What's the dish gonna be?" This month my mouth was...
Ruth Roman’s Caesar Salad
Since making Grace Kelly's Caesar Salad I've been inclined to have a couple of heads of romaine lettuce in the crisper rather than little gems. That is the first time I've ever used the word CRISPER, but you know what I mean, that drawer that is at the bottom of the...
Gloria Stuart’s Oatmeal Bread
Cakey, cakey, bread, bread! When I first looked at this recipe, I thought it was going to turn out like soda bread. It kind of did, but it was much more like a cake than bread. I liked it, but good toast it did not make. The mixture was very batter-y I'm beginning to...
Richard Anderson’s Six Million Dollar Pasta
The Six Million Dollar Man was one of the programmes I remember begging my parents to let me watch when I was a kid. Starsky & Hutch was one of those too. Richard Anderson played Oscar Goldman in The Six Million Dollar Man, and those of a certain age will remember...
Crossroads Motel Pizza
OK, so Crossroads is more cathode ray tube than the silver screen but my justification for this post is the amazing Noele Gordon. She was the star of the iconic TV soap that I remember well from my youth, Crossroads. This ran for over 20 years on British TV from...
Recipe of the Month -Grace Kelly’s Caesar Salad
I had intended on making this for the James Dean birthday dinner I made with my chum Greg of Recipes For Rebels. Time got the better of me though, so I made it instead when the lovely Battenburgbelle came over for tea a couple of weeks ago. BB is without a...
Robert Quarry’s Garlic Potatoes
I am back from my holiday where I have to admit, I ate like a piglet. There was so much amazing food including slip sole at my favourite restaurant in the whole wide world - The Sportsman in Seasalter. Top Cat! Also, a new discovery and possibly already now my SECOND...
Lone Star Double Bill
I definitely have more movie star recipes for chilli than any other dish. I've made Robert Mitchum's, Johnny Cash's, Monte Hale's, Trish Van Devere's, Anne Sheridan's, Barton MacLane's, Richard Arlen's, Tex Ritter's, Warner Baxter's and of course, my fave of them all,...
Martha Raye’s Chicken Livers en Brochette
I am on Doctor's Orders to eat liver once a week but I rarely do, so when I spotted this, I was on it like a bonnet. I totally love me a jacket potato and one with livers? Once again I couldn't find my metal skewers so I went for the disposable chopsticks option... I...
Bette Davis’ Boston Baked Beans – Mill Hill East – The Great Bear Project – Stop #6
Bette Davis' Baked Beans were the first thing I ever made for the Silver Screen Suppers project way back in May 2006. I was living on a houseboat with a tabletop oven that had to be turned on with a pair of pliers feeling very sorry for myself. Boat kitchen - cooker...
Bette Davis’ Spinach Stuffed Fillets of Sole
Oh my goodness, this is the most delicious movie star favourite dish I have made in a LOOOOONNNNNNGGGGG time. Bravo Bette! Artist's impression of Bette with a fish and a fag... This recipe is a winner. Despite having an ingredient that is not available here in the UK....
Boris Karloff’s Potted Shrimp
One of the bad habits I have as a person prone to clutter is over-buying of ingredients. I'm not as bad as the people in Marie Kondo's book who buy thousands of toilet rolls or stockpile hundreds of toothbrushes, but I am certainly guilty of it to a lesser degree when...
Peter Fonda Blender Breakfast
Summer is a'coming in and mornings in my flat no longer involve breaking through icicles to get into the kitchen. Therefore the Easy Rider Smoothie is BACK! I really love this smoothie, I love the taste of the spirulina and it really feels like a HEALTH TONIC. I...
Farley Granger’s Baked Potato With Sour Cream and Chives
I am a fan of the baked potato. I love them. Especially the Pat Phoenix way of pimping them up with sardines! But of course, sour cream and chives is a classic pairing, so testing this recipe for the Murder, She Cooked book was a breeze. It's a very simple recipe, but...
Recipe of the Month – Gene Tierney’s Tuna Salad Royal
The food I crave more than any other is TUNA so I am always looking for interesting things to do with it. This tower of loveliness absolutely fits the bill! That's Gene perched on top... I was thrilled to discover a whole heap of celebrity tuna recipes on the internet...
Living My Life Like Jean Harlow
When I think of Jean Harlow, I always think of her like this... so when I saw that my lovely internet chum Samantha of Musings of a Classic Film Addict was co-hosting a Jean Harlow Blogathon I thought to myself, I'm going to spend a whole day in bed wearing a sequined...
Jan Smithers’ Mixed Grain Brown Bread
It's Real Bread Week here in the UK and on Saturday I rustled up a loaf to Jan's recipe. This recipe marks the start of me testing for the Murder, She Cooked book and is up for grabs over at the Murder, She Wrote Cookalong page. I've been thrilled about how many...
Breakfast, Lunch and Two Movies
This month's film suggestion in the Kay & Fred's Movie Night column in Delicious magazine is a MODERN film. I rarely watch anything post-1968 - could I do it? The cut-off point Committing to following Kay and Fred's suggestions is a bit like being in a book club...
Tessie O’Shea Butt-Chive Cheese Shrimps
Yep, you read that right! Butt-chive! It's time for February's Tessie O'Shea recipe. It's from chapter 2 of her brilliant Slimming Cookbook in the Hors D'Oeuvre and Snacks section Naturally I chose it because of the recipe title. Tessie likes to shorten words so butt...
Happy Birthday Cooking With Columbo!
It's a whole year since I published the Cooking With Columbo cookbook, I can hardly believe it. Ages ago I wrote a blog post all about the exciting day I had when the book came out, but I haven't published it until now. I think this will be a fun read for...
Living My Life Like Angela Lansbury
In her brilliant book Postitive Moves Angela Lansbury gives women of a certain age lots of excellent advice on living a healthy, vibrant life. As I AM a woman of a certain age, I decided to follow her life plan for a day. I lived my life like Angela Lansbury and loved...
Vincent Price’s Oatmeal Lace Cookies
It's been a while since there was a FAIL in the Silver Screen Suppers kitchen, but these cookies were most definitely a fail. I'd never made them before and I was making them in advance of my "Living My Life Like Angela Lansbury Day" (blog post coming very soon about...
William Shatner’s Deluxe Burgers
Sometimes I cook a movie star recipe and for some unknown reason, I don't blog about it immediately after I cook it. Then of course, tempus fugit and I forget the dish even existed. Such is the case with these burgers. This recipe was included in my Cooking With...
Angela Lansbury’s Angie’s Famous Power Loaf
I've been wanting to try this recipe for ages as I am pretty obsessed with making bread. Me at the nephew's brewery with a few loaves Angela is the same, in her brilliant book Positive Moves there's a great photo of her making bread with the caption, "I don't ever...
Happy Birthday James Dean – a Recipes4Rebels Birthday Dinner Collaboration!
https://gph.is/2RKcXgr I love Greg Swenson, author of the fabulous Recipes For Rebels: In The Kitchen With James Dean cookbook. We have never met in person (I am in England, Greg is in Greece) but we are KINDRED SPIRITS and occasionally have a day where we cook the...
Martin Landau’s Vodka Martini Straight Up
Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours.... Yes! I am so lucky that I have good neighbours. Here's a little tale about a lovely encounter I had with a neighbour on the bus home on a Friday evening recently. I do not know her name, but she is fab. Planning to go to...
Lauren Bacall’s Potage Cressionnière – Finchley Central – The Great Bear Project – Stop #5
On a chilly October Sunday morning I sprung out of bed, super excited about the next stop on The Great Bear Project. I love having these firmly in the diary, getting all the wherewithal together, cooking whatever the relevant dish is in the morning then heading...
Carol Channing’s Hello Dolly Cookies
I was really sad to hear that Carol Channing had gone to the Hollywood in the sky recently. I was lucky enough to meet her once and she was a STITCH. In this photo, she has just told me and my chum Caroline a very rude joke about Tallulah Bankhead. Yes, we are holding...
Dinner and a Movie – The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)
I was beside myself with excitement when I saw that my fave food mag Delicious Magazine has a new column called Kay & Fred's Movie Night. Kay Plunkett-Hogge and her partner Fred will be selecting a movie and suggesting a meal to have alongside it each month....
Angela Lansbury’s Garden Vegetable Soup
On Sunday I am planning to live a whole day like Angela Lansbury. I am going to follow her guide to healthy eating... and I am going to do the Positive Moves workout... Then in the evening I am going to watch Who Threw the Barbitals in Mrs. Fletcher's Chowder? because...
Phyllis Calvert’s Kidneys and Bacon with Wine Sauce
If you are squeamish, you might not want to read this post. I know lots of people don't like offal, they think it's awful. That was my attempt at a joke by the way, but for health reasons, I eat it. It's not just for health reasons that I eat liver actually, I do...
David Niven’s Fish Cakes
I am a person who likes to follow a recipe. I am not a freestyler. But I make an exception for David Niven. I love his fish cakes recipe, because he basically issues a carte blanche for making them however the hell you like. So here's his recipe, just as he wrote...
Tessie O’Shea’s Slimming Breakfast
Some foodie chums over on Twitter issued a cooking challenge at the end of last year. Select a mad cookbook and make stuff from it throughout 2019. My choice is the Tessie O'Shea's Slimming Cookbook. There are several reasons behind my selection... 1 - I need to slim...
Glen Campbell’s Chorizo with Garbanzos and Rice
My motto for 2019 is USE IT UP AND WEAR IT OUT. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTMbFvkSpSs THEME TUNE FOR 2019 I am going to try and have a "make do and mend" attitude about everything in my flat. Stop buying more stuff and start appreciating the stuff I already...
Columbo Podcast and Book Giveaway
There's a chance to win a copy of the Cooking With Columbo cookbook on the airwaves at the moment - closing date for entries is 20th January 2019. If you skip over to this link you'll be able to listen to the most excellent Just One More Thing podcast....
Recipe of the Month – Roland Young Rissoles
Do you still have leftover turkey and ham and stuffing and pigs in blankets knocking around in your fridge or freezer? This is my FAVOURITE way of using up Xmas bits and bobs. You can, of course, make this from scratch, I'm sure that would be delicious too. But what I...
Corinne Griffith’s Edna’s Christmas Pudding
I had a lovely, lovely Christmas with my folks. Hope yours was good too dear reader. Here's a glimpse of the kind of delicious fare that was on offer chez Ma and Pa Hammerton in Suffolk... This was the Boxing Day feast. There was of course, my mum's legendary trifle!...
David Niven’s Julgrot (Christmas Rice Pudding)
In the heatwave we had here this summer in the UK, I was reading Nigel Slater's Eating for England on my commute to and from work and it gave me a powerful urge to eat some rice pudding. I’m sure it was partly to do with the sudden changes of season we get here...
Elizabeth Taylor’s Diet Breakfast
I went back to basics recently as I know there is an awful lot of eating and drinking ahead over the next couple of weeks. I had an Elizabeth Taylor breakfast of one piece of unadorned toast, a cup of coffee and an apple. It was so simple and actually pretty...
Vincent Price’s Chicken Livers en Brochette
It was the idea of TOAST POINTS that made me want to try this recipe. I had never heard of such a thing before and now I am obsessed with the idea of serving TOAST POINTS with everything. Not least because in a recently watched Murder, She Wrote, a waiter noted that...
Jennifer Jones’ Sour Cream Molasses Cake
Oooh, I do NOT like making cakes. I find it toooooo stressful! BUT, there is always an upside. People love homemade cake, even if you think it is a disaster. Not actually my cake. Someone else's cake wreck. So it was with Jennifer's cake....
Merle Oberon’s Goodwood Herrings
In my massive decluttering purge I came across this recently... It was in a box of paperwork from a house I lived in about 15 years ago and I have no recollection of buying it, but it has brought me a lot of fun just recently. I put a photo of it on Instagram and my...
Recipe of the Month – David Niven’s Julglögg (Christmas wine)
“Traditionally we have Swedish food on Christmas Eve and toast each other with mugs of glögg, After doing the whole Swedish bit, we celebrate Christmas Day with a typical English dinner of turkey and plum pudding. We wind up tons heavier, not speaking to anyone.” I...
Christmas Cooking With Columbo Cookbook Giveaway!
The authority on all things Columbo, the wonderful LC who runs the genius Columbophile website... is running a competition to win a copy of my Cooking With Columbo book - well 3 copies actually! Competition is open until 16th December - get amongst it! The Cooking...
John Wayne’s Casserole – West Finchley – The Great Bear Project – Stop #4
On the Sunday of the John Wayne Great Bear Expedition I was lying in bed and suddenly bust out with, "Ooh, I'm excited! I can see my poncho from here!" Which made Mr R laugh. I explained that a poncho was a strange beast. Most of the time it is too hot to wear...
Vincent Price’s Broiled Trout With Cucumber Salad
My boss Alwyn goes fishing to relax. When he talks about the pleasures to be had in the middle of the night standing in a river in the pitch black watching shooting stars it almost makes me want to do it myself. However, these days I am usually tucked up in bed by...
Elisha Cook Jr’s Beef Stroganoff “Black Bird” vs Harry Morgan’s Stroganoff with Vincent Price’s Pimento Rice
I am a big fan of stroganoff as it is quick and easy to make on a weeknight and feels like a BIG TREAT. I have made two movie star versions recently - both destined for the Vincent Price Co*Star cookbook. They were both delicious (although not very photogenic) but I...
Pat Phoenix’s Jacket Potato
It was double days at my nephew's brewery recently and I had an absolutely fab time. On Saturday I had my little pop-up bread and mustard shop, I made some pumpkin fougasse to get in the Halloween mood. Then on Monday myself, Ma Baker and Battenburgbelle got amongst...
Recipe of the Month – Diana Dors’ Breakfast Bean Omelette
I was planning to propose Jane Asher's Chicken in Pumpkin as the Recipe of the Month for November as it seemed super autumnal. But, if you have read the post about it, you'll know why I've switched. It was Mr R who suggested I make Diana's recipe the R.O.M. and he...
Jane Asher’s Chicken in a Pumpkin
Have you heard of turducken? It's a "dish consisting of a deboned chicken stuffed into a deboned duck, further stuffed into a deboned turkey." Blog reader Melanie asked if Jane Asher's Chicken in a Pumpkin should be called a pumpricken - hahahahahahahah! When I saw...
Happy Halloween – Vincent Price’s Steak Au Poivre
The lovely folks at my local emporium of meat, Morley's Butcher in Crouch End, have a great piece on their website about this fabulous recipe. Skip over to their blog for all the details and cook yourself up a delicious steak for your Halloween din dins! There will...
Elizabeth Taylor’s Protein Drink
Well, this was weird. I think if I had made this before my experiments with the Peter Fonda's "Easy Rider Smoothie" and his sister Jane Fonda's Smoothie I might have thought this was groovy. BUT, I am now used to protein drinks that effectively are the texture and...
Michael Caine’s Chicken and Bacon Pie – Woodside Park – The Great Bear Project – Stop #3
You know when you spend about five hours making something, and when you come to eat it, it's a massive disappointment? Well, this was 100% NOT the case with Michael's pie. It was absolutely DIVINE! I'd been wanting to make this pie ever since the Michael Caine...
Diana Dors’ Black Magic
Happy birthday Diana! I am celebrating today by eating a WHOLE BOX of Black Magic. Well, actually I have eaten ONE chocolate and am sharing the rest with work colleagues. Why? Because when Diana was on Desert Island Discs she said that a box of Black Magic would be...
Ava Gardner’s Southern Coleslaw
I am a big fan of coleslaw in any shape or form. I don't mind if it is hoity-toity coleslaw or bog standard supermarket coleslaw, I love it all. Although I haven't seen it on the shelves recently I am particularly fond of "Mexican coleslaw" which I am sure is a...
Diana Dors’ Breakfast Crunch
Diana's breakfast mash-up has got lots of things in it that I like, and as I've reported here before, I do love me a recipe that serves one. Living alone as I do, it pleases me when recipe writers tip their hats to those of us who aren't part of a nuclear family. I...
Vincent Price’s Steak Au Poivre (Black Pepper Steak)
I have been craving Steak Au Poivre ever since I had a conversation with my personal trainer Nige about it. Yes! I have a personal trainer, and it is bloody brilliant. The best thing about it is that after seeing Nige for a couple of months, I can actually do all...
Pat Phoenix’s Jacket Potatoes
100% comfort food! What a great thing to do with a jacket potato! This takes me back to my childhood for many reasons. Neither of these girls is me, I will return later and replace with a very similar photograph that IS me. All British photos from the 1970s looked...
Recipe of the Month – Dolores Del Rio’s Enchiladas
Oh my. These were divine. I couldn't really believe how good they were, as there were only a few simple ingredients. Make these as soon as you can. Yum. It's possible that the deliciousness of these was mostly to do with the cheese I used. Not having access to...
When Bloggers Collaborate – Julie Christie’s Holiday Salad
My mum is brilliant at making trifle and when I was home at the weekend there was a lovely individual serving of it waiting just for me. I said, "This is a really big helping, I'm not sure I can eat it all." Her response really made me laugh, "It's only jelly...
Mae West’s Salada de Tuna
"I never worry about diets, the only carrots that interest me are the number you get in a diamond." Wise words Mae, wise words. I often get a craving for Mae's salad on a Saturday, I have no idea why. I love all of the ingredients in this salad (I'm a big fan of...
Johnny Cash Chilli for Peter Falk’s Birthday in Birmingham
We had such an amazing afternoon at Staying Cool's apartment hotel atop the Rotunda in Birmingham on Sunday. To celebrate Peter Falk's birthday a group of Columbo superfans gathered together in a beautiful Staying Cool penthouse suite. We raised our glasses to toast...
Vincent Price’s Buckingham Eggs
This is one of those things that I get a mad craving for every now and then. Usually when I have a hangover on a Saturday. Which I did, last Saturday. Therefore, as I was home alone and I had all the wherewithal, I rustled some up. SOOOOOOOOO GOOD! Vincent's recipe...
Peter Fonda’s Blender Breakfast
I've had a colourful week breakfast-wise. Peter's smoothie is now a firm favourite here at Silver Screen Suppers Towers and it always looks pretty much the same slightly-odd-but-worthy colour green whenever I make it... But this week, I went a little bit off-piste on...
Oliver Hardy’s Baked Apples with Honey and Almonds – Totteridge and Whetstone – The Great Bear Project – Stop #2
Oh, what a lovely Sunday it was in Totteridge and Whetstone (or as Mr R likes to call it, "Totts and Whets"). Sunny, sunny, sunny and glorious. We got some funny looks from other tube passengers as we sat on a bench on the platform and ate baked apples in the...
Robert Quarry’s Texas Potato Salad
This recipe is a winner. When you have folks round for lunch you can present them with a great big bowl of pleasing looking and super tasty potatoes. This dish is easy to prepare and lip-smackingly good. Totally recommended. I made this for my Pieathalon guests....
Johnny Cash Chilli in Birmingham!
Hello, all you lovely folks in and around the Birmingham, UK area. There's a special event happening this Sunday to celebrate Peter Falk's birthday. I'm giving an illustrated talk about Columbo and there will be JOHNNY CASH CHILLI made by a top chef. Oh yes! This...
Vincent Price’s Pineapple Nut Bread
Whenever the Muswell Hill and District Horticultural Show rolls around (3 x per year) I always panic slightly about what cake to make to donate to the cake stall. Unlike Battenburgbelle, I am not a natural born cake maker. I like making bread, I like making soup, I...
Raquel Welch’s Wonder Soup
I’ve been on a Raquel Welch binge recently after accidentally buying a box set. I say accidentally because for some reason I thought Myra Breckenridge was in the set, and when it arrived it wasn’t. I am dying to see Myra Breckenridge... not least becaue the...
Recipe of the Month – Sophia Loren’s Tagliatelle con Zucchini
I am not quite sure how it can suddenly be September, what happened to August? I've been wondering what to propose for the recipe of the month and I made this zucchini dish last night and it was absolutely lovely, so this will be it! This might be a godsend for all...
Dinner and a TV Show – Columbo – Ransom For a Dead Man
When I started 6th form college at the tender age of 17 I met some very cosmopolitan people. I lived in a tiny village in the Essex countryside and the college was in Colchester - a BIG town. I felt very grown up and started hanging out with some very rock and roll...
5th Annual Pieathalon – Sweet Onion Pie
Yay! It's Pieathalon day - whoop whoop! One of my favourite things about having a blog is getting invited to participate in some really bonkers challenges. Once a year ACE food blogger Yinzerella over at Dinner Is Served 1972 organizes a Pieathalon - lots...
Elizabeth Taylor’s Chicken Steamed in Wine
Battenburgbelle is writing a cookbook. It's mostly for her daughter (my Goddaughter) who will be flying the nest soon and BB wants her to have a collection of recipes that are do-able for a beginner. She asked if I would contribute something and I can't...
Mary Carlisle’s Bacon and Cheese Omelet
I'm very glad that my work colleague James tipped me off to an obituary in yesterday's Guardian because that led me to check on my recipe spreadsheet to see what I had for Mary Carlisle. I'd fully intended making Lee Grant's Mozzarella Marinara for my dinner tonight...
Dinner and a Movie – Yield to the Night (1956)
I was wondering what to do with all the Edam I had left over from the Diana Dors Cheese and Sweetcorn Pasta Salad I made the other day, and Diana herself had a suggestion in the X-Cel Diet cookbook. Caesar Salad. It’s salads all round at the moment because...
Pearl Bailey’s Jean’s Broccoli
Whose broccoli would win in a fight? Pearl Bailey's or Yul Brynner's? There's only one way to find out! Well, looking back on my previous entry for Pearl's broccoli I see that I'd decided Pearl's was the best, but now I announce, I have changed my mind. They are...
Pola Negri’s Banana Trifle – High Barnet – The Great Bear Project – Stop #1
Is taking a Pola Negri Banana Trifle to High Barnet like taking coals to Newcastle? I’m not sure, but I do know this much, it was absolutely brilliant fun to do. I’ve been planning to embark on a project relating to the superb artwork The Great Bear by Simon...
Yul Brynner’s Sautéed Broccoli
I've been on a virtual reality writing retreat this month at Camp NaNoWriMo - it's the 8th time I've participated and the 1st time I've hit my target early. 2 days early in fact! Yeah! I am a WINNER. I decided to pat myself on the back with some broccoli. But not...
Diana Dors’ Cheese and Sweetcorn Pasta Salad
When did you last have some Edam? For me, it was probably the 1970s. It's a funny old cheese. Who eats it these days? Kids? It's like a big old Babybel... Mind you, I'm not knocking it. I do like a diet recipe that allows a person to eat 40g of...
Elizabeth Taylor’s Taylor-Made Diet Day One
Ooh, I do love a diet plan. Where it is all laid out in black and white what you should have for your breakfast, lunch and tea. But it's not easy to follow many days in a row when you are a girl about town and have a job to go to that takes you far away from your...
Test Cook Report – William Shatner’s Lime-Garlic Broiled Chicken
I do not have a robot device like an Alexa or Amazon Echo in my house, but Caroline Frick's "gentleman caller"is a very modern man who "likes his toys" and he has one. An important question was asked of it... Is William Shatner a good cook?...
Robert Mitchum’s Chili Wonder for the Cowboy Day Cook-along #3
Meatfeast! This is an absolutely DELICIOUS chili but man, oh man, it is meaty, meaty, meaty! I made this as my dish for this year's Cowboy Day Cookalong, organized by the wonderful inspiration that is Greg Swenson over at Recipe For Rebels. This is the MOST FUN EVENT...
Diana Dors’ Artichoke Bean Bowl
Remember I announced to the world via the blog that I was on a diet about 3 weeks ago? Well, I'm happy to report that the pounds are actually leaving the body. Thanks to Jane Fonda, Elizabeth Taylor, and Diana, I am reducing to suit fashion. Extra exercise is...
Anne Baxter’s Genuine Swiss Quiche
I think that one of the secrets of adulthood is that once you have found a good recipe for something, you just stick with it. If I want to make a potato salad, I always make the one in my chum Alastair Hendy's Home Cook cookbook. If I have a yearning for cauliflower...
Test Cook Report – George Hamilton’s Smoky Chicken
Hot on the heels of Bethany B.'s report on Brenda Vaccaro's T-E-R-R-I-F-I-C Italian Sausages, here's what she thought of the George Hamilton's Smoky Chicken recipe. As we Brit's can't get hold of frozen juice for love nor money, I replace it with Cointreau which.
Peter Fonda’s Blender Breakfast
In the modern world, a "blender breakfast" might be better known as a smoothie. Mmmmmm - this is so good. I love it and I always feel very virtuous and slightly smug when I have one. Here's Peter's original recipe and here's my version. I use spirulina...
Vincent Price’s House Bread
I have great affection for Vincent's House Bread. Not because it is the greatest loaf I ever made but because it is the FIRST loaf I ever made. Way back in 2011 during the Vincentennial year - click here for my blog post about it. I was SO pleased with myself, haha!...
Jane Fonda’s Vegetable Lasagne
Fluorescent green is not a colour you see very often when cooking, but the unusual spinach sauce in this dish is positively radio-active! I loved the easy method of making the saucy part of this lasagne (bunging everything into a blender and zapping it until it...
Diana Dors’ Flageolet Beans With Tuna
I have purchased some fancy new scales that measure body fat and all sorts. It is official. My BMI chart declares I am CHUBBY. Therefore, I diet. I wanted the postcard where the weighing machine says, "One at a time please!" but couldn't find it... I have some chums...
Test Cook Reports – Brenda Vaccaro’s T-E-R-R-I-F-I-C Italian Sausages
Here are 2 test cook reports on Brenda's T-E-R-R-I-F-I-C Italian Sausages - were they terrific? Read on to find out! Brenda appeared in the Columbo episode Murder in Malibu and it's this recipe that appears in the Cooking With Columbo...
Test Cook’s Report – Anthony Andrews’ Spicy Yogurt Chicken Cooked in a Brick
I always love an excuse to buy a new ingredient (currently looking for a UK supplier of mahlab for a Claudia Roden recipe) or even better, a new bit of kitchen equipment, so I loved Anthony's recipe which involved buying a chicken brick way back in August 2016. I...
Rue McLanahan’s Wonder Women
Being a guest on the Jonny Trunk OST show on Resonance FM was an absolute HOOT. Do have a listen sometime - here is the link. Ooh, and I've worked out how to embed it too. https://www.mixcloud.com/Resonance/the-ost-show-17th-march-2018/ I had...
Sophia Loren’s Fish Baked in Beef Stock
I am on holiday - yippee! But, if you are a burglar reading this, I have a big dog with sharp teeth looking after my flat. Here on Mersea Island every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon you can buy fish directly from the fishermen on the jetty. I love it!...
Dinner and a Movie – Scream and Scream Again (1970)
From June 1-3, 2018, Vincent Price Legacy UK and Silver Screen Suppers are taking part in a fantastic blogathon celebrating all things Amicus and Hammer, hosted by Cinematic Carthasis and Realweegiemidget Reviews, and we’ve picked Scream and Scream Again and Madhouse...
Dinner and a Movie – Madhouse (1974)
From June 1-3, 2018, Vincent Price Legacy UK and Silver Screen Suppers are taking part in a fantastic blogathon celebrating all things Amicus and Hammer, hosted by Cinematic Carthasis and Realweegiemidget Reviews, and we’ve picked Scream and Scream Again and Madhouse...
Recipe of the Month – June – Frankie Avalon’s Chicken Thighs with Peas, Sweet Vermouth, and Sherry
My chum Peter Fuller, curator of the Vincent Price Legacy UK site tipped me off to the fact that Frankie Avalon had written a cookbook, and what an excellent cookbook it is! I really like it. Packed with lots of super appealing recipes, this is the one that...
Frankie Avalon’s Tomato, Cucumber and Basil Salad
It's pouring with rain here in London as I write this, but in theory, it is SPRING. Out with the soups, in with the salads. I rustled up Frankie's salad on Wednesday night because I had all the fixings for it knocking around my fridge and countertop....
Test Cook’s Report – Juliet Mills’ Hoppin’ John
Recently I had a lovely day trip to Nottinghamshire. I was up for an award for my mustard. The first ever Small Food Award for savoury fermented food. I made two fermented mustards but one of them was a weird colour so in the end I only entered...
Video Demo – Peter Falk’s Pumpkin Lasagne
My chum film-maker Sarah Akrobettoe challenged me to make a cooking demo video over Easter and I did it! It was so much fun to make and edit. I did it all in one day, as my mum would say "all by my own self" on Easter Monday - and I am stupidly proud of...
Happy 12th Birthday Silver Screen Suppers – my favourite dozen movie star recipes!
I can't believe that I've been writing this blog for 12 years - goodness me. So much has changed in that time. When I began I was a broken-hearted singleton living on a houseboat on the Thames. My tabletop cooker had to be turned on with a pair of...
Boris Karloff’s Potted Shrimp
You need teeny tiny brown shrimp for this dish. I think that potted shrimp is a very, very British thing, and I'm not sure where else in the world you can get these little fellas. I've been doing some trawling around the net for info but I can't work it out. It...
Matchmaker’s Mexican Meal – James Garner’s Oklahoma Chilli, Eddie Albert’s Guacamole and Vincent Price’s Mexican Creamed Corn
Just over five years ago my neighbour Chloë sent a text asking if I was single. She knew someone she thought I would hit it off with. She set us up on a blind date and we are still together. She's a genius matchmaker! My blind date, now my soul...
Recipe of the Month – Rudolph Valentino’s Secret Spaghetti Sauce
"He loved to make spaghetti and meatballs. He had his own special sauce. I never tired of it, and I will never share with anyone else the secret of his meat sauce." So said Pola Negri! Pola definitely looks like a woman who can keep a secret... But...
Hal Linden’s Mustard Cheese Loaf (Courtesy of Fran Linden)
Mr. R recently bought a Mel Brooks box set and we watched Silent Movie on Sunday night after drinking a vast amount of beer. I laughed like a drain throughout and kept saying, "This is the funniest film I've ever seen!" over and over and over again. Next morning...
Olympia Dukakis’ Greek Meatballs
Every couple of weeks I look at all the bits and pieces of vegetable and salad stuff knocking around in my fridge and decide to make a Phyllis Diller Garbage Soup. I feel very virtuous using up all my odds and ends, chucking in a tin of beans and some kind of...
Elizabeth Taylor’s Chicken Steamed in White Wine
This is what you should absolutely cook if you have friends coming round for dinner on a work night and you don't want to be huffing and puffing in the kitchen while they are enjoying themselves in the lounge. You can get this prepared and cooking in an hour, so...
When Bloggers Collaborate – David Bowie’s Shabu-Shabu
I cannot remember when I have had more fun cooking and eating my dinner. This was quite the loveliest thing I have made in a donkey's age. Greg of Recipes for Rebels and I had a lot of fun way back in February when we both made Anne Jackson's English Muffins on...
Yul Brynner’s Asparagus Salad
Another winner from Yul Brynner! I had some asparagus going rubbery in my fridge and, determined to use it up, I had it for my tea last night with not much else apart from a little salad. It was lovely. I was going to put a fried egg on top but forgot....
Nanette Newman’s Goulash
I am in a book group and it is the only time I ever read fiction. I've usually got about 35 books on the go, mostly food related. When I saw the size of Bonfire of the Vanities, the pick for our next meet-up, I was a bit daunted. It's a big'un....
Dinner and a Movie – Watch on the Rhine
I promised myself that one of the things I would do once the Columbo book was finished was this. Treat myself to two celebrity related dishes from my chum's Tonight at 7.30 cookbook and watch an appropriate movie while I ate them. I know Kristen Frederickson through...
Recipe of the Month – Pearl Bailey’s Corn Fritters
I really love it when blog readers email out of the blue for a chit-chat so was thrilled to get a LONG email from Ellie from Devon about Pearl Bailey a couple of days ago. It was Ellie who reminded me way back in 2016 that I had the Pearl Bailey cookbook, but...
Sophia Loren’s Sardines a Beccafico
Just back from a wonderful four day holiday in Whitstable. In a huge break with tradition, I left my laptop at home. I am having a month without writing to rest my brain after all the Cooking With Columbo excitement. Writing a blog post is writing of...
Prize Draw! Who won the Columbo finger puppet?!
Michael Caine’s Chicken and Bacon Pie
When I heard that Gill of the Realweegiemidget Reviews blog was organizing a Michael Caine blogathon I really wanted to participate. I was dying to make his Chicken and Bacon Pie but I couldn't work out WHEN. Life is so busy at the moment, I...
Recipe of the Month – Anthony Andrews’ Spicy Yogurt Chicken Cooked in a Brick
When my mum opened my Cooking With Columbo cookbook on Saturday, the first thing she said was, "Ooh, there's a lot in it!" and I've had similar reactions from other friends and family. I thought I would publish an extract from the book to give folks an idea...
Johnny Cash Chili Columbo Bowl Roundup!
To celebrate Columbo's 50th birthday and the launch of my new Cooking With Columbo book I organized a Columbo Bowl Chili Cook-Along and it was so much fun. Here's a map showing where in the world Johnny's chili was rustled up! Over 20 participants!...
Cooking With Columbo Book Launch
It was so lovely to have a get together with my friends and test cooks and have a little party to celebrate the launch of my Columbo book. Yes! It really exists! I can't quite believe the book is out in the world, but it is! It's available on Amazon, via...
When Bloggers Collaborate – Anne Jackson’s English Muffins
I had a rotten hangover on Saturday, so making muffins was a bit of a therapeutic affair. This recipe is from my chum Greg's book Recipes for Rebels - In the Kitchen With James Dean. I just loved the fact that he was making these on Saturday too, and we...
Vincent Price’s Cioppino
If you have seen or read Julie and Julia you may remember that the Julia Child task that filled Julie Powell with the most fear was BONING A DUCK. For me, the dish in the Cooking With Columbo book that most gave me the heebie-jeebies was this one, Cioppino....
Test Cook Report – Ed Begley’s Citrus Dressed Asparagus
Test cook KSB in Michigan rustled up some asparagus Ed Begley Jr. style and sent me some great feedback. She said, "I shared it with my daughter and we both agreed that it was a little tart but had a great flavor. We even wondered how it would be as a...
New York Steak Dabney Coleman
There's always fun to be had when Columbo gets invited to a posh restaurant. Sometimes he offends the suited and booted waiters by asking for a bowl of chili, but sometimes he enters into the spirit of the thing by ordering vast amounts of fancy food. Such is...
Natalie Woods’ Huevos Rancheros
Natalie is in the news at the moment. Will we ever know what really happened on that boat? I doubt it. It's making me very sad reading about it. I've written here before about how much I love Natalie, and I always think about her when I have...
Test Cook Report – Rod Steiger’s Baked Chicken Grand Marnier
I am pleased to announce that I THINK I have finished the Cooking With Columbo book. I just have one tiny thing I want to fiddle with, that's the page margins. I am so scared that I'll change the margins and set off some kind of domino meltdown where my...
Gloria Swanson’s Champagne Cocktail
I love Haggis with a passion, so I adore Burns Night. This year, I didn't make my traditional Haggis pizza, I went to Battenburgbelle's place where we had an amazing Scottish feast. Cathy cooked a delicious chicken stuffed with Haggis a la Nigel Slater, it turned out...
The Columbo Bowl Chili Cook-along Has Begun!
Greg of Recipes for Rebels has created ANOTHER wonderful graphic for the cook-along, feel free to include it in your blog posts, print it out and frame it (which is what I'm going to do) or just appreciate the splendor of it! Just wanted to remind y'all that it's...
Shirley Jones’ City Chicken
I am very lucky to have Mr Rathbone in my life. He's really good at proofreading. On Sunday, he was in bed with the Cooking With Columbo proof copy, and I was in the kitchen making City Chicken. Living the dream! I really love this "Meat on a Stick"...
Recipe of the Month – February 2018 – Johnny Cash’s Chilli
Ooh, much excitement coming soon in February! I do hope that lots of you will join in with the Columbo Bowl chilli cook-along... I'm organising this to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first episode of Columbo going out on TV - whoop! Columbo fan and...
Test Cook Report – William Shatner’s Lime-Garlic Broiled Chicken
Do those photos make your mouth water? They do mine - if that's the grammatically correct way of putting it. After much agonising over the differences between American and English grammar and much wordplay, I have FINISHED the Columbo cookbook. Eek. Waiting for my...
Test Cook’s Report – Peter Falk Pork Chops With Vinegar Peppers
I love it when test cooks send photos of their dishes and ingredients they used, especially when they are not based in the UK. I am always intrigued by how different things look in different places. Plus, there are certain things that are nigh on impossible to get...
Test Cook’s Report – Tyne Daly’s Key Lime Pie
Here's a test cook report from my lovely writer chum Sarah Broughton in Cardiff. I don't see Sarah as often as I would like, but I'll never forget when we spent a long weekend working on our short novels during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) many moons...
Test Cook’s Report – Robert Vaughn’s Special Fettuccini Alfredo
Here's a report from my lovely fellow film archivist, and neighbour across the back lawn, Corinna. She made Fettuccini Alfredo à la Robert Vaughn for myself and my ex Vic and it was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DELICIOUS. The test cook report she sent over...
Audrey Hepburn’s Penne Alla Vodka
I've got my head down making last minute tweaks to the Columbo cookbook - my goodness what a lot of work! It's fun though, and I haven't quite started panicking yet. I'm putting cooking on hold a bit and trying not to be tempted by fabulous new recipes...
Test Cook’s Report – Columbo’s Veal Scallopini
I had SUCH a lovely surprise in the post this week. Lovely food illustrator Miriam Figueras sent me this AMAZING illustration of Columbo in his chef's hat! Isn't it wonderful? He will forever be in my kitchen, keeping an eye on my...
The Columbo Bowl Chili Cook-along
I’m throwing a party and everyone is invited! It’s a Virtual Reality Book Launch Columbo Chili Cook-along Party! The Columbo Bowl for short... Cook up a chili wherever you are in the world and join in the fun. It’s to celebrate the 50th anniversary...
Test Cook’s Report – Rue McClanahan’s Wonder Women
I had problems when I made these cookies. Not problems in my life, problems with the cookies. They were really tasty, but very floppy. I blamed my oven, haha! Two things made me laugh reading that post from August 2016. Firstly I'd just..
Diana Rigg’s Goulash
I've got my head down finishing work on the Columbo cookbook - publication date is 20th February - eek! I'm going to continue working my way through all the wonderful feedback I've had from those of you who have kindly tested recipes for me and create posts for each...
Video Demo! – Patti LaBelle’s Sweet Potato Pie – Happy New Year!
Happy New Year one and all. I am kicking off 2018 with something new - I made a cookery demonstration video! Yes I did! Zip right to the bottom of the post if you can't wait to see it - haha. But first, an explanation as to why I made a Patti LaBelle Sweet...
Test Cook’s Report – Billy Connolly’s Stuffed Trout
I love the fact that my work colleague Neil Owens tested this recipe for the Cooking With Columbo book with a couple of fish he'd caught himself, how cool is that?! Here's his report. Mmm. I want one of these right now! Having caught two reasonable...
Test Cook’s Report – Ian McShane’s Salmon Steaks with Watercress Sauce
Film historian and writer Vic Pratt comments: ‘I’m by no means a natural in the kitchen. However, Ian’s tasty recipe was straightforward enough that even a saucepan simpleton like me managed to knock this up for a party of four, and nobody complained. I did discover,...
Test Cook’s Report – Jack Cassidy’s City Chicken
Rebecca and Jim emailed out of the blue and offered to test cook something for me. They both work at the awesomely named Choccywoccydoodah in Brighton and found the Silver Screen Suppers blog as they are Columbo fans and were looking for recipes....
Merry Christmas From Silver Screen Suppers
Wishing all my lovely readers a super-dooper festive season full of fun, laughter, good food, and plentiful booze. Thanks so much to all of you who have been in email contact over the past year, it makes me so happy to hear from you. Special thanks to all those who...
Test Cook’s Report – William Shatner’s Steak Picado
Report just in from my desk-mate Lucy Smee who tested William's steak recipe for the Columbo Cookbook... Small review: I chose this recipe to test as I'm a big Star Trek fan, and hardly ever cook steak at home so thought it would be a nice treat. It was very simple...
Test Cook report – Janet Leigh’s Cheese Soufflé
Here's a lovely test report from my Shellac Sister Lady Jane. She rarely sets foot in the kitchen so this is quite an honour. Thank you, Lady Jane! ****** So, Trix went to London again today and I decided to test Janet Leigh's recipe for my lunch....
Joan Crawford’s Danti-Chips
To celebrate the fact that Feud: Bette and Joan has its UK premiere TONIGHT I thought I'd suggest her recipe for Danti-Chips as a fun snack for you to rustle up. When I launched the Joan Crawford cookbook in 2014 I organised a virtual reality...
Test Cook Report – Patrick O’Neal’s Ragout de Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Stew in Red Wine)
As I have mentioned several times on this blog, I am not really well versed in different cuts of meat, so I was really interested in a test cook report from the lovely Gaye Fisher who is a fellow Bread Angel. Gaye is the proprietor of Sticky Mitts in Surrey and...
George Hamilton’s Smoky Chicken
This is a tricky recipe for those based in the UK as it calls for a lot of things we can't easily get here, notably frozen orange juice. I wanted to give this another run through for the book as I'd read somewhere that BOOZE could be used in place of frozen...
The Faye Dunaway Cocktail
Had these last night to kick off my birthday celebrations. Why am I writing a blog post on my BIRTHDAY? Because Mr R is still asleep and I am over excited, so I am up and sitting by the gas fire waiting for festivities to begin. We have SNOW in London today for...
Test Cook Report – Valerie Harper’s Summer Squash
I am a Bread Angel! It's a network of wonderful home bakers who teach, make bread to sell in their local communities, run micro-bakeries, and often do wonderfully altruistic things involving bread. Our motto is "Bake Well. Do Good". Isn't that...
Jeanette Nolan’s Sizzling Liver and Walnuts
I'm hoping that my friend Michelle is going to test this one for me here in the UK because I have had to make a couple of major substitutions in this recipe for non-America based cooks. Firstly, we can't get condensed beef consommé for love nor money here... and...
Test Cook Report – Ross Martin’s Beef in Anchovy Cream
I love it when my test cooks follow the film star recipe EXACTLY, as I personally tend to rigidly stick to doing what I am told... But I also love it when they put their own take on a recipe. Work colleague and cake-baker-extraordinaire Neil Owens sent me a report on...
Test Cook Report – Ed Begley Jr’s Citrus Dressed Asparagus
The wonderful and lovely Pamela Hutchinson from the most excellent Silent London website sent a really fun account of her testing of the Ed Begley recipe that will feature in the Columbo cookbook. The mention of Beyonce's lemonade master cleanse really made me...
Olympia Dukakis’ Greek Meatballs
I am a huge fan of Olympia Dukakis. I love her in Moonstruck (my guilty pleasure) and I love her as Anna Madrigal in Tales of the City. She's just ace. Plus, I know now, she really can cook. Because these meatballs are divine. Oooh they were...
Natalie Wood’s Huevos Rancheros
Been thinking about my friend Greg today over at Recipes for Rebels and sent him good, good vibes from halfway across the world as I cooked this dish. I am loving my new cast iron frying pan... This is the first dish I ever cooked from his fabulous cookbook,...
Diana’s Dors’ Breakfast Bean Omelette
I have a lovely Diana Dors story to tell, and I have saved it until December because BEHOLD THE SPLENDOUR OF THE DIANA DORS ADVENT CALENDAR! Blog reader Sam Dwyer tipped me off to the existence of this bit of superbness, and I immediately bought two. One...
Cooking With Joan Crawford
Date for your diaries UK based chums! Feud: Bette and Joan starts on BBC2 on Saturday, December 16th with a double episode - whoop whoop! I got a sneaky peak of the series when it aired in the USA and I absolutely loved it. It's event TV folks! I...
Test Cook Report – Ray Milland’s Chicken Chow Mein
When my chum Orlando Murrin heard that there were a couple of Ray Milland recipes in the Columbo cookbook he let his friend Rosie Jones know. Rosie is Ray Milland's second cousin and she offered to test his Chow Mein recipe. How fab is that? I love...
Test Cook Report – Peter Falk’s Barbecued Spare Ribs, Chinatown Style
This report comes from a blog reader based in Berlin. Thank you so much Vera Roth! First, here's Peter's recipe, then Vera's notes on how she made the dish, then her fabulous photos. All of this makes me want to cook these ribs again RIGHT NOW, they look so...
Vincent Price’s Buckingham Eggs
I woke up craving these today, and luckily I had the wherewithal about the place to make them. I'm on a writing retreat this weekend. But a writing retreat in my own bed. Lovely. Not - actually - me. I consider Buckingham Eggs to be my ultimate Spinster Saturday...
Columbo’s Black and White Ice Cream Soda
It's that time again... It's the #ColumboTV tweetalong tomorrow night and the episode is... In this episode, the Lieutenant rustles himself up a Black and White Soda. I had no idea what this was, but the power of the internet has revealed it contains...
Jack Cassidy’s Quickie Green Bean Casserole for Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends. Love and miss you all, but especially my sister of the skillet Dr Caroline Frick! Something that rang true to me as a childless spinster, was something I read many years ago. When you don't have children, you have to make...
Test Cook Report – Ruth Gordon’s Zucchini Omelet
Today we have a test cook report from the lovely Clive Smith. This did make me laugh! Clive liked Ruth's Omelet so much that he had it two days in a row. I don't blame him! For those who may not know. Brits call zucchinis courgettes. It...
Test Cook Report – Roddy McDowall’s Poached Pears
My lovely chum Peter Fuller, curator of Vincent Price Legacy UK sent a very detailed report on his testing of the Roddy McDowall recipe so I'm going to post it here in full. I was having a conversation with Battenburg Belle over lunch about poached pears on...
Test Cook Reports x 2 – Jack Cassidy’s Rainbow Trout in a Pouch
Fishy fishy! Two households recently enjoyed testing Jack's excellent trout recipe. One in London, one in Hastings. Both sets of diners sent me excellent feedback for the Columbo Cookbook and some photos that made me exceedingly happy. First...
Juliet Mills’ Hoppin’ John
I've had to do a last minute recipe switch for the Columbo cookbook. I realised that I'd included a recipe for Hayley Mills, but it is, in fact, Juliet Mills who appears in the No Time to Die episode. It's a good thing I realised, not least because that would have...
Vincent Price’s Fegato Alla Veneziana (Calf’s Liver with Onions and White Wine)
Under Doctor's orders, I am trying to eat liver once a week. This is no real hardship as I love liver, however, I am not confident about cooking it. Luckily my ex Vic, who lives downstairs from me is an expert in this field so he supervised the...
Lieutenant Columbo’s Omelet / Omelette
If I met someone who had never seen an episode of Columbo, I think I would recommend Murder By The Book as the one to start with. It's superb in so many ways... Not least... but also... Credit is due for the screengrabs to the amazing Colombophile But...
Ian McShane’s Salmon With Watercress Sauce
Ooh, this was GOOD. I followed the recipe in this Sainsbury's advert... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7sTlcuPhyU But you know what? From the minute that advert starts, you realise that times have changed since 1992. I totally remember the days when you...
Recipe of the Month: Groucho Marx’s Mushrooms Under Glass
I got a tip-off that the Museum of Soho radio show this month will be all about THE MARX BROTHERS so I thought I would share a Groucho recipe in tribute. This is a bit of a mad recipe, but what more would you expect? Groucho is very specific about the vessel in...
Call for Test Cooks for the “Cooking With Columbo” Cookbook
I'm on the home stretch with the cookbook and I'm beginning to get those long nights of the soul - waking up and panicking about how much there is still to do - eek! I have about 3 months before publication date. Can I do it? I hope so... This is...
Test Cook’s Report – Peter Falk’s Avocado
My fellow Shellac Sister Lady Jane is well known for being averse to cooking. But she stepped right up to the plate to test this recipe for the Columbo cookbook. Admittedly, there isn't really any cooking involved, but when you are a LADY, this is...
The Faye Dunaway Cocktail
My new favourite cocktail? Yes. This was utterly divine. The jalapeño flavour got more pronounced the more I drank, and the closer my schnozzle was to the wheel on the glass - ha ha! Here's an article about the creation of this cocktail - respect is due...
Test Cook’s Report – Gene Barry’s Kibbee
Ooh, reading the report by Sarah Bailey of Sarah's Cooker-ebook made me want to make some of these again, they are such tasty little meatballs. I love Sarah's photos (all at the bottom of the post), and having them with roasted cauliflower and a tomato sauce is...
Dinner and a Movie – The Odd Couple (1968)
Sometimes I fantasize about having chums round for a poker game and serving food like Oscar "Divorced, Broke and Sloppy" Madison does in this movie. He's a filthy bachelor living in squalor and one of his card-shark chums observes of his disgusting, out of...
Vincent Price’s Goulash
I think we'll be talking about Vincent's Goulash recipe on the Museum of Soho radio show tomorrow from 10am, so I thought I'd put the recipe up. It is such a great thing to cook for Halloween - you can call it GHOULISH GOULASH. At the end of the post, there's a fun...
Vincent Price’s Savory Stuffed Chicken
I'm going to be on the radio on Sunday talking about Vincent Price, I'm very excited. It's the Museum of Soho show on Soho Radio and you can listen to me make a fool of myself live between 10-11am. I'll put the link to the show in this post after it has gone...
Ian Buchcanan’s Pheasant Stewed in Champagne with Dumplings
Whenever I see or hear the word pheasant, a Pavlov's Dog type reaction occurs in my brain, and this exchange goes through my mind: Actor 1: "My father hath a pheasant." Actor 2: "Hath he?" Actor 1: "Pheasant he hath." Actor 2: "Hath he feathers?" Actor 1: "Yeth." This...
Johnny Cash’s Chilli – Veggie Version!
Oooh, this was fabulous! I have blog reader and friend Zelda from Dinner With Zelda Manners to thank for this wonderful recipe. She generously spent time creating a vegetarian version of the Johnny Cash chilli for the Columbo cookbook, and it's absolutely delicious. I...
Test Cook’s Report: Vera Miles’ Mexican Casserole
My lovely chum Peter tested this recipe for the Columbo Cookbook for me and I'm going to include his whole verdict on the recipe as a post. As a little update on how the book is going, I'm hoping to have the text finished by the end of this week. I'm...
Phyllis Kirk’s Tomato Salad With A Flair
Who could resist a salad with a title like that? Not me! It's not "Tomato Salad With Flair" you note, it is Tomato Salad With A Flair. Phyllis Kirk sounds like she could be a character in The Archers. Are you listening to The Archers at the moment?...
Recipe of the Month – John Carradine’s Washington Apple Pie
One day after living in my rented fourth floor flat in a 1930s block for about 3 years, I thought to myself, "I wonder if I can get to the recycling bins through the back door of the fire escape?" I opened the back door and it was like this... there was a beautiful...
Jane Fonda’s Smoothie
Like a small fussy child, there is absolutely NO WAY I would eat this bowlful of fruit if it was put in front of me. But mushed up into a smoothie I can handle it. Why is this? I have no idea. Maybe because it feels a bit like having a...
Jane Fonda’s Very Berry Waffles
Hot on the heels of Vincent Price's Waffles are Jane's. Now, I have never heard of putting fruit IN waffles, but that's the way Jane has them, so why not? I've been looking after Ringo, the dog from number 14, while Chloë and D-Fran have been in Paris and I have...
Vincent Price Buttermilk Waffles
I can't believe I'm only just now getting around to writing about these waffles as these were made YONKS AGO when my darling Caroline Frick was in the house, way back in April. Over from Texas for a short visit, I set Dr Frick on waffle duty as she is American...
Martin Landau Straight Up Martini
Remember when I said a few blog posts back that everyone looks good in a cowboy hat? Well here's another bit of evidence if you need it... and plus... my word! I absolutely love it when a reader of my blog or a recipient of my newsletter gets in touch. So...
Jane Fonda’s Spring Vegetable Sauté
It was almost dark when I got home from work this evening, so Spring, it definitely is not. Autumn seems to have descended upon London this week, and along with it a teenager-style attitude to cooking which effectively is this: "I can't be bothered to cook when I get...
Jane Fonda’s Vegit With Cottage Cheese
Have you ever left something important on a bus? I once got all the way up to my fourth floor flat late on a very rainy evening, and realised the moment I closed the door that I'd left a 6 pack of cold beer on the bus. Oof. Tonight I realised the...
Peter Fonda’s Breakfast Smoothie
I've had a couple of these for breakfasts during Jane Fonda month so far... I know that Jane loves a smoothie, and her brother's version has had to stand in for the one she demonstrates in her video about breakfasts, as I did not have any PROTEIN POWDER around the...
Jane Fonda’s Spaghetti in Spicy Peanut Sauce
I love Mondays. I never go out on a Monday evening. For me, it's a night when I cook something nice to eat, and go to bed really, really early. Tonight was no exception. I made some of Jane's spaghetti and I'm about to turn in - it's 9.30pm....
Jane Fonda’s Salmon With Corn Sauce
I've done it my friends! I have done the Jane Fonda Workout! It was excellent fun. I loved it! Mind you, I was quite amazed at how flexible La Fonda was, and by contrast how feeble I was. She is AMAZEBALLS in the workout video and can get her leg...
Ralph Hertz’s Thousand Island Dressing
If anything can scupper my month of living like Jane Fonda by trying to eat healthily and exercise, it is THIS. If I was a chocoholic, I wouldn't have a chocolate fountain in my house would I? So why, oh why, as a...
Jane Fonda’s Apple-Raisin Oatmeal
I have a day off work today to do some editing on the Columbo book. As I’d heard Jane mention in her YouTube video about breakfasts that oats were good for the brain I decided to make myself some of her Apple-Raisin Oatmeal for breakfast. In fact, Jane’s...
Recipe of the Month – Jane Fonda’s Trout With Hazelnut Shallot Sauce
It is official. This month I am living my life like Jane Fonda. When my friend Sanja gave me this book, I vowed to spend a month eating and exercising like Jane. That month is now here. I am fully prepared and have pledged on social media to...
Jane Fonda’s Granola
I made a batch of this to kick off my month of living like Jane Fonda - more about this coming soon.... It produced 2 x 1 litre Kilner jars of granola so lucky Mr Rathbone got one for scoffing on his holiday, and I kept one for myself. Now, this is not a CRUNCHY...
Test Cook’s Report: Jackie Cooper’s Curried Eggs and Macaroni
As some readers will know, I am a big fan of the #ColumboTV tweetalong that happens once a month on the big old Twitter machine. Folks all around the world press PLAY on their DVD machines at the same time and much fun is had tweeting away as we all watch the...
Frankie Avalon’s Spaghetti Sauce
Imagine my surprise to open the work fridge last week and find this in a door shelf. YES! It is back! I wrote a post back in May about Frankie Avalon's Salad Dressing and my disappearing salad dressing bottle. Pinched from the work fridge for a second time!...
Jane Fonda’s Tangy Tomato Drink
I have been wanting to make a Jane Fonda recipe ever since I saw this photo, which to my mind is the best movie star cooking photo EVER. and on Sunday, my friend Sanja gave me a gift. This... which I didn't even know existed. Imagine my excitement!...
Test Cook’s Report – Ross Martin’s Beef in Anchovy Cream
This is my absolute FAVOURITE Silver Screen Suppers dish. Out of the many hundreds I have made, this is the best. Sanja and Sasa loved it too. Sanja is my friend from Belgrade. She cracks me up, as does her brother Sasa. Nights at their...
Liz Taylor and Rock Hudson’s “Giant” Martini
Today I've been recovering from the #cowboydaycookalong at Battenburg Belle's - it was a humdinger of a hoedown and I am feeling a little worse for wear... Mr R has gone off to record his radio show, so I am home alone, and the brilliant thing is, I have just found my...
Cowboy Day Cook-Along – Hoyt Axton’s Jalapeño Cornbread
Yee-haw and giddy-up! It was National Day of the Cowboy yesterday and those who know me well, know that cowboys are my weakness.. Also, I will grab ANY opportunity to wear a cowboy hat. I absolutely love hats and I do not know of a single person who doesn't look...
When Bloggers Meet – Retro Food For Modern Times
Everyone agreed. If you are going to make Vincent Price's Tropical Chicken, you'd better get yourself to a funfair that has a coconut shy. Because the coconuts you get from Waitrose are TOO SMALL to contain a whole chicken breast when chopped in half and...
Martin Landau’s Straight Up Martini
Very sad to hear about Martin Landau going to that Hollywood in the sky yesterday. Had to cheer myself up a bit with a big helping of his very own Martini recipe. Martin is one of my favourite Columbo villains and I've written about the episode he is in...
Peter Lorre’s Pork Chops and Scalloped Potatoes
You know when you walk from your kitchen to your bedroom to go and get something, and when you get to your bedroom you've forgotten what you went there for? I felt a bit like this about Peter's Pork Chops. I made them ages ago, and forgot to write about them. Then...
Fourth Annual Piathalon – Rum Pie
I absolutely LOVE internet cookalongs, and the first one I ever got wind of was over at Dinner is Served 1972. At that point I wondered if I'd ever be invited to participate in one, like a schoolchild desperately hoping for an invite to the cool kid's...
Recipe of the Month – Red Buttons’ Fettuccine Buttons
We've been having a heatwave here in the UK on and off, and it's been too hot to cook some nights. All I want to do when I get home from work is switch the fan on, and eat a bit of watermelon. It's most irregular! It's a British tradition to...
Susan Strasberg’s Cheese Blintzes
Ooh, these were a revelation! Really, really good! I've never had blintzes before but I liked these very much. When I told Mr R what I was planning for breakfast he did his best John Lennon impression saying: "put them over there, not near the...
The Hedda Hopper Cocktail – Malice in Hollywood No 1
Until recently, these were the house cocktail here at Silver Screen Suppers Towers. I had quite a few of these over the festive season before the Bourbon ran out. They are so good, they make you go a bit berserk. Two maximum I would suggest. I’ve...
Peter Fonda’s Blender Breakfast
When did you first hear about chia seeds? For me it was only a few months ago. On the health food front I am definitely not what you would call an "early adopter". Also, I made my first ever smoothie only this year. Deliciously Ella I am not. What a tortoise......
Vincent Price’s Le Gratin Savoyard
I made this dish recently because the caretaker of my building threw away my cauliflower. Yes, a perfectly good cauliflower. But I guess it was my fault. I’d put it out on the fire escape because my old dinky fridge was too full, and it was cold out there. When I...
Kim Novak’s Chiles Rellenos
This has been the week of the frozen archives. My new fridge arrived on Friday and I am stupidly excited about it. It's a FRIDGEMASTER. Have you ever heard Ken Bruce's music quiz POPMASTER on Radio 2? If you have, you will know that I will...
Natalie Wood’s Huevos Rancheros
This is a photo of me, many moons ago, pretending to play a Wurlitzer dressed as Natalie Wood. Why? It's a long story. I am almost at the stage where I know how to rustle up Natalie's Huevos Rancheros without looking at the recipe. It has...
Sophia Loren’s Fish Baked in Beef Stock
Divine! As is tradition, while we are on our holidays on beautiful Mersea Island, staying in this fab fisherman's cottage... we always buy freshly caught fish from the jetty, and make something film star related. This recipe was a BIG HIT. I know nothing...
Test Cook’s Report – Rip Torn’s Omelet Mexicali
I've been receiving brilliant feedback from the lovely folks who have volunteered to test cook recipes for the Cooking with Columbo book. There is still lots of time to join in - just check out the Columbo Cookbook page and choose something that takes your...
Nan Grey’s Shoestring Sweet Potatoes
I had a boyfriend once who could make chips. Proper chips. Like you would have here in the UK from a fish and chip shop. I was always VERY impressed by this. I have never, ever made chips. Not even oven chips. Until now. Who knew it was so easy to do? I'm...
Robert Quarry’s Texas Potato Salad
Quick as a flash, after the horrorfest that was Robert Quarry's Beer and Cheese Soup, he has redeemed himself. Mmmm - this is GOOD potato salad. I don't know about you, but I LOVE potato salad. I always make it the same way though. To my friend...
Robert Quarry’s Beer and Cheese Soup
I should have loved this. Beer. Cheese. Soup. Three things I love. Also bacon. Alas, it was not the beer and cheese soup that was in my mind's eye. It was very weird. I think I made it look pretty good for the photo though.......
Recipe of the Month – Constance Bennett’s Spanish Chicken
Spring has finally sprung here in London - I think - and now we are on the way to summer. We've had a few false starts. Here's a way of cooking chicken that feels summery to me somehow. Constance provided this recipe to several cookbooks with...
Henry Fonda’s Spare Ribs With Sauerkraut
I have made a grown-up decision. I am going to buy a new fridge. The fridge I have in my rented flat is small and CRAMMED with jars and bottles. It has a tiny freezer on top, also crammed with foodstuffs. The main reason for getting a new...
Mary Astor’s Astor Painless Anaesthetic
It has been the week of the bad back. Painkillers haven't touched it. Alternation of the application of a frozen slab of parsnip soup with a hot water bottle has had no impact. The only thing that helps with the constant pain is BOOZE. Luckily...
Sam Wanamaker’s Pear Preserve
Mmmm - I like! This is, I think, the final of the core 69 recipes I've settled on for the episode specific dishes in the Cooking With Columbo book. Sam Wanamaker directed the Grand Deceptions episode, and this is the recipe I'll be recommending....
Frankie Avalon’s The Avalon House Salad Dressing
There is a tale to be told about this salad dressing bottle. It's one of life's great mysteries... I bought this bottle when I was first really getting into cooking, I lived in Crouch End then, it was about 10 or so years ago, and I lived with someone who...
Vincent Price Curry Demonstration Film
I learned something fundamental last week. You cannot stir a curry with one hand and try and film it on your iPhone with the other. The saucepan spins and spins and spins! Just like the little coloured spinning wheel of death I get on my computer screen all the...
Rhonda Fleming’s Hollywood Ham Loaf vs Theodore Bikel’s Glorified Meat Loaf
Who would win in a fight? Rhonda Fleming or Theodore Bikel? Well, me and Mr R considered the benefits of each of their meatloaves on Saturday as I took two big chunks of each out of the frozen archives. Rhonda on the left, Theodore on the right. At first Mr R said: "I...
Hector Elizondo’s Baked Tomato Pasta
Ooh, this was DELICIOUS. Soooooo good. So easy too. Rustled up, scoffed up and washed up before sundown. Fab for a week-night dinner. It's a bit of a variation on another recipe I have from Hector, his Famous Pasta Pomodoro - similar ingredients,...
Sharon Gless’ The Blonde’s Baked Beans
When I wrote about Tyne Daly's favourite cocktail - The Greyhound my chum Lindy asked on Facebook if I had any recipes for Sharon Gless: and indeed I do. Tyne and Sharon appeared together in groundbreaking kick-ass cop show Cagney and Lacey: If you are of a...
Recipe of the Month – Vincent Price Baked Ham or Gammon in a Common Crust
I’ve made a couple of these lately. Once for the brilliant cheese & wine party we had at my place, organised in order to drink all of the 24 bottles of lovely wine my ma and pa bought me and Mr R for our big birthdays. That, as you can probably...
Kim Novak’s Chili Rellenos
Peel me a grape! Well, actually, peel me 24 of them, as Kim’s recipe calls for 2 dozen peeled grapes. On Friday I spent the day in my kitchen tending 4 batches of dough to make 20 loaves of bread to sell at my nephew’s brewery. I decided to make some of Kim’s Chili...
Joan Crawford Cookbook Giveaway!
I cannot believe that Feud: Bette and Joan is over already! That just flew past. I am a few episodes behind though. I don't have a TV, a friend at work grabs the episodes for me and puts them on a memory stick so that I can watch on my laptop in bed. DON'T TELL...
Vincent Price’s Potato and Fish Chowder
I’ve been on a little holiday to Whitstable and very lovely it was too. Four days in a fabulous and oh-so-peaceful little home from home, that was full of books and a beautiful orchid: It was a perfect place to write - and cook - and eat - and drink - and try to...
Nicol Williamson’s Steak Mince and Stovie Potatoes for the #ColumboTV tweet-a-long
I am over-excited about next Saturday as I'm hosting the monthly #ColumboTV tweet-a-long. Anyone can join in, just line up the DVD of How to Dial a Murder (Season 7, episode 4) and press play at the appointed time, then enjoy the madness of the tweeting....
Peter Cushing’s Beetroot and Onion Supper Special
Those of you familiar with how Yotam Ottolenghi treats a beetroot might not be too impressed with the simplicity of Peter’s supper dish. But this is how Peter liked his beetroot and who are we to diss it? It’s a very simple, homely vegetarian dish and I...
Party Like You Are Vincent Price!
I'm excited to let y'all know that my chum Peter Fuller is organising what promises to be a fabulous party on Tuesday 30th May in Islington, London. All the details are on the Vincent Price London Legacy website here.... but for now just let me tell you...
Recipe of the Month – A Bette Davis and Joan Crawford Din Dins
I am loving Feud: Bette and Joan and decided this month to offer TWO recipes for you to try out, one by Bette and one by Joan. More pix on the Recipe of the Month page if you are looking in April 2017 including a cute dog chewing on a ham bone, and Mr Rathbone playing...
Vincent Price’s Beef and Cauliflower on Rice
Vincent usually gets things absolutely perfect in his recipes, but this one was a bit screwy. Serves 6? Me and Vic ate the lot between the two of us! Perhaps we are just greedy... Vic said: "Serves 6? 6 leprechauns maybe." My ex is a different man since he...
Joan Crawford Cookbook Giveaway!
I finally got to see episode one of Feud: Bette and Joan and I LOVED IT. So utterly brilliant! It's got me wanting to cook like Joan again, so I've pulled out my copy of the Joan Crawford Cookbook (a book what I wrote) and am getting inspired... The book is available...
Recipe of the Month – Fred MacMurray’s Sweet Potato Waffles
I had a LOT of sweet potatoes hanging around the flat after filming the making of a Sweet Potato Pie a couple of weeks ago. Whose Sweet Potato Pie? Patti LaBelle's Sweet Potato Pie of course... Some of you may know all about the craze for Patti...
Vincent Price’s Brunswick Chicken
More exciting news for Vincent Price fans! Some of you may know that Vincent and Mary's Treasury of Great Recipes was reprinted and released in 2015 in a 50th anniversary edition. We had an amazing day here in London at Harrods for the book launch... Me...
Robert Quarry’s Baked Chicken Vera
I wonder if Vera was a glamorous name in the 1980s in America when this recipe was published? For me, the name Vera always brings to mind Vera Duckworth from Coronation Street, so the name of this recipe is kinda humorous for me… In a way, it is probably...
Laurence Harvey’s Chicken Pie
This is it! The last of the Columbo cookbook recipes is tested! Whoopee! Well, the last of the core batch of recipes anyhow. It's a chicken pie landmark... I'd been putting this one off as Laurence's recipe is a bit odd. But it turned out to be really good. Several...
Jane Wyatt’s Beer Bread and a trip to Panary
Wowee! I had an amazing day on Saturday with Master Baker Paul Merry and a baker's dozen of Bread Angels! In the idyllic setting of a beautiful watermill in Dorset, we kneaded, we folded, we baked, and more than anything, we laughed like drains......
Diana Dors’ Breakfast Prunes
No sniggering at the back please! Prunes have all kinds of negative connotations here in the UK, I wonder if it is the same in other parts of the world? Ah, I see from a quick Google around the block, that it is the same everywhere! I am doing that thing...
Cher’s Minestrone Soup
Yesterday was James Dean's birthday so I thought I'd make a little something from my chum Greg's fabulous "In the kitchen with James Dean" cookbook Recipes for Rebels. There are so many fab recipes in this book (I'm looking at you Eartha Kitt's Crocked Rabbit with...
Ed Begley’s Citrus Dressed Asparagus
Ooh, another veggie one for the Columbo cookbook. This is a super easy, but very nice way of perking up asparagus. Seen here beside the very last recipe I needed to test for the book, Laurence Harvey's Chicken Pie. I've done it! It was a...
George Hamilton’s Smoky Chicken
George's recipe sounded very tasty on paper, and indeed, the result was really good. But it is a tricky thing for a Brit to make due to amount of things our supermarkets don't have in common with American ones... I have moaned away on this blog before,...
Jose Ferrer’s Eggs Ferrer with Fried Potatoes
The key to this recipe is seasoning I think. Plus giving your potatoes plenty of time to fry to get them all crispy and tasty. I think I could have given these a bit longer... This is a very simple, but a fun way of using up leftover potatoes for...
Oskar Werner’s Wiener Schnitzel
I had a nice piece of veal left over from Lieutenant Columbo’s Veal Scallopini so I decided to rustle up a Weiner Schnitzel. I love Oskar's serving suggestion for this dish: lemon, beetroot, anchovies and capers. I love these fat, tasty anchovies from The Fickle...
Robert Vaughn’s Mushroom Stuffed Zucchini
I think 2017 might be the year that I conquer my fear of the mushroom. If I'm ever invited out to dinner at someone's house and they ask if there is anything I don't eat, mushrooms are top of the list. Followed by aubergines and shellfish. It's a...
Tyne Daly’s Lacey’s Key Lime Pie
Another first for January, Key Lime Pie. Much discussion about the name of this pie with Mr R, the Key relates to the Florida keys right? Aha, I see from Wikipedia that I am indeed right! But more than that, Key limes are a particular type of lime...
Rip Torn’s Omelet Mexicali
On Friday I took the day off work and spent the whole day in the kitchen baking bread for my nephew's brewery. All of these loaves have BEER in them. On the day before a bread sale, there is frantic activity early morning making all the dough and...
Cliff Richard’s Shepherd’s Pie
When I have folks around for dinner, I try and remember to ask them if there is anything they don't eat. Well for Battenburg Belle's birthday dinner I had quite a few things to juggle with. 2 vegetarian guests, one guest who is dairy free, and one who is...
Martin Landau’s Jerk Beef Steak
This recipe found its way into the Cooking With Columbo cookbook. My word, I think this was the best steak I have ever eaten, no kidding. Martin’s marinade was divine. Also, I had learned some stuff from Harry Eastwood’s steak masterclass in January’s Delicious...
Lieutenant Columbo’s Scallopini
Murder Under Glass is the BEST Columbo episode for foodies. There is so much brilliant stuff going on with Cioppino, "Bon Snacks" biscuits and Japanese blowfish I cannot even begin to explain... If you have never seen it, seek it out on DVD and get...
Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy’s City Chicken
When my chum Corinna was studying for her Masters degree, Vic promised her that when she finished, he would buy the three of us a KFC Bucket. Well, Corinna finished in 2011 and we are still waiting for our Bucket. In the 6 years that have passed, the KFC in Muswell...
Pearl Bailey’s “Jean’s Broccoli”
Broccoli is my default vegetable. It always seems like the healthy option. I eat it a lot. I do love Yul Brynner’s method of jazzing up the green stuff, but my word, Pearl’s way of doing things, is even better. Oh yum. Very, very tasty...
Martin Landau’s Vodka Martini Straight Up
I am excited about tonight's #ColumboTV tweetalong, as the episode we'll all be tweeting along with, is one of my absolute favourites: Double Shock. Martin Landau plays Dexter Paris, host of a television cooking show, and he gets the Lieutenant up out of the...
Roddy McDowall’s Poached Pears
It's a month of firsts. I've never poached a pear before... But I have now... Vanilla pudding mix is not something we have here in the UK, so many moons ago I asked my friend Heather to bring me back some from a trip to the USA. After I'd got it, it sat in a...
Dinner and a Movie – Ramen and Tampopo
I have never cooked Ramen before, in fact, I have never eaten Ramen before, so this dish was quite an adventure for me. The lovely folks at www.souschef.co.uk emailed me out of the blue to ask if I'd like to try out their Ramen kit and I said HELL YEAH! ...
Lieutenant Columbo’s Omelet
In the first non-pilot episode of Columbo, Murder By The Book, our favourite TV detective makes an omelet. Well, he starts to make an omelet but we don't get to see anyone eat it, as events interrupt his cooking session... Work continues apace on the Columbo...
Richard Basehart’s Frankfurters and Beans
I love the monthly #ColumboTV tweetalong, and it was a no brainer to decide what to cook for the December one. The episode was Dagger of the Mind, starring Honor Blackman and Richard Basehart. Columbo in London?? What larks! These were SO GOOD when I...
Recipe of the Month – Debbie Reynolds’ Chicken a la Honolulu
I was so sad to hear the news about Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher. Two great talents gone. So, in a tiny tribute, I have decided to make Debbie's Chicken a la Honolulu the first recipe of the month for 2017. For me, it's a dish that reminds me of...
Donald Pleasence’s No-Name Curry
I can think of lots of names for Donald’s curry. Donald Pleasence’s Weird Curry. Donald Pleasence’s Bizarre Curry. Donald Pleasence’s No Chop Curry. Last but not least, Donald Pleasence’s Troublesome Curry. But he calls it No-Name Curry,...
Ruth Gordon’s Zucchini Omelet
What a weird one 2016 was eh? Goodness me. So here's hoping that 2017 will be a better year in many, many ways. Like many folks at this time of year, I'm plotting and planning about what next year will have in store. My main project in 2017 will be...
Rhonda Fleming’s Hollywood Ham Loaf
I returned from my folks' place laden down with a huge bagful of leftovers - oh goodie! My dad hates leftovers, but I love 'em! Usually I would make some Roland Young Rissoles with all the leftover turkey and ham and pigs in blankets, but this year, I...
Tyne Daly’s Greyhound
Greetings kittens! Did you have a lovely festive season? It's still going on around here, as I'm off to Mr R's this afternoon for our pretend Christmas day. We went to our respective parentals for the real one. I cooked the Christmas dinner...
Zsa Zsa Gabor’s Paprika Chicken
In haste... Holidays are coming... Life is getting a little crazy... In this busy pre-Christmas period I was determined to catch up with Battenburg Belle and suggested that I cook a tribute dish for Zsa Zsa, who went to the Hollywood in the sky this week. I've...
Natalie Wood’s Huevos Rancheros
Classic Hollywood movies, I've missed you! Over the last couple of years, I've had the entire Columbo series on rotation in my kitchen. I plonked my old laptop on top of the kitchen record player, and had an episode of Columbo on DVD keeping me company every...
Pearl Bailey’s Jean’s Beans
When I was single for 8 years, I spent a lot of time hanging out with other singletons. It made me feel less like I was the last single person on earth. One of the chums I spent lots of time with, was my friend Ben, and around this time of year in 2012 we...
Nancy Walker’s Chicken a la Nancy
When my friend Heather and I were both single, we got fed up with all our friends going on "romantic mini-breaks" with their other halves and decided we'd go off on a romantic mini-break of our own. This is now an annual tradition. We've been to France,...
William Shatner’s Steak Picado
One of the things I have learned in over 10 years of cooking like the stars, is this. Sirloin is the best. When I first started this project I had no idea about meat. I didn’t know the difference between rump, sirloin and silverside. ...
Recipe of the Month – Eva Marie Saint’s Christmas Adelaide Pecan Pie
Here is something festive for your holiday eat-athon. Mine has already started... I was taken for a very posh lunch today at Hakkasan which is a Michelin starred restaurant in London. I feel thoroughly spoiled, and thoroughly smashed on Espresso...
Pearl Bailey’s Corn on the Cob, Mama Style
I love it so much when blog readers get in touch and we start up a little correspondence. It’s one of the very best things about blogging. Ellie emailed me from Exeter to chat about Rita Hayworth and Diana Dors. She told me that she had once staged a...
Columbo’s Hard Boiled Eggs
I have been celebrating the completion of the second draft of the Columbo cookbook with the Lieutenant’s favourite snack. Hard boiled eggs. Behold my new guilty pleasure. Yes, I realise it’s the laziest thing in the world to buy pre-boiled, hard boiled...
James Mason’s Mason’s Mogen David Pudding
After looking at the recipe for this, Mr Rathbone said: “I’ve got a bad feeling about James Mason’s Pudding.” I will admit, it’s very odd. No baking temperature was specified by Mr Mason, so I did a bit of guesswork and figured I should cook...
Xavier Cugat’s Samba Sauce
2nd recipe for Mogen David week was Xavier’s Samba Sauce. Surprise, surprise, this was good too! I used button chestnut mushrooms and the sauce looked cute, and tasted lovely. I think the Worcestershire sauce was the key ingredient in smoothing out...
Lon Chaney Jr.’s Lamb Chops, Broiled Pineapple and Mogen David
Vic is King of Lamb Chops. He loves them. He also likes Lon Chaney. So it was a no brainer when I decided it was Mogen David Week, to invite him to partake of some Lon Chaney Jr.'s Lamb Chops. Apologies that I've chopped Lon's head off here, when I can lay my...
Beer Bread and Mustard – November sale at the Hammerton Brewery
Just a quick post for those of you in London. I'll be at my nephew's brewery tomorrow afternoon selling home baked beer bread and small batch mustard. I am well chuffed with my new labels: Loaves on offer will be: Pentonville Rye, Pain au Islington, Loaf...
Marlene Dietrich’s Scrambled Eggs
At the weekend I was on writing retreat, and I had a lovely time. Two whole days of nothing but tip tapping away on my laptop in bed, with the heated blanket on. No housework, no admin, no de-cluttering, no shopping, nothing except writing and a...
Theodore Bikel’s Glorified Meatloaf
Once a month I participate in a Columbo tweet-along, it is a blast. Folks all around the world press “play” at the same time, for the same episode, and the tweeting madness begins, all viewable via the #ColumboTV hashtaggery. This Saturday we all watched...
Celeste Holm’s Celestial Chicken
Oooh, I liked this! I think it had a lot to do with the convivial atmosphere that was in the air when I was making it. I was cooking at Battenburg Belle's house. And she has a super dooper new Le Creuset pan which I am coveting... Celeste was a bit...
Recipe of the Month – Vincent Price’s Moroccan Tajine
Did you have a lovely Halloween? I sure did! Mr Rathbone came as Vincent Price (naturally), and we took a specially posed picture of him adding the finishing touches to this dish, just as Vincent did... I must admit, I thought that this was a slightly odd...
Eat Like the Stars – Elizabeth Taylor
Regular readers may remember that I used to have a monthly column over at the wonderful Eat Drink Films website. Well, this lovely intenet magazine is now an intermittant arrival in my inbox, rather than a weekly one, and I'm happy to say that the last piece I...
Vincent Price’s Goulish Goulash
It's HALLOWEEEEEEEN! We'll it's the day before Halloween but here in the UK it seems everyone is dressing up and going bonkers all weekend... I got a nice message from a reader of the blog, Mark Brisenden to say that he's mentioning me on his radio show today -...
BREAD and MUSTARD!
Just a very quick post for any North Londoners amongst you... It's been a bit quiet over at Silver Screen Suppers Towers lately due to my new found obsession with making bread and mustard with my nephew's beer. He has resurrected the dormant family business The...
Dick Emery’s Potato Crusted Meatloaf
Oh what a glorious thing it was to see! I made this for Vic (who had gifted me the most excellent Dick Emery Cookbook) and Corinna, one school night the other week. We drunk much Mateus Rose (Vic's new drink of choice) and much beer, and recited many of Dick's...
Natalie Wood’s Huevos Rancheros
Ahh, the splendour of Natalie's Huevos Rancheros, now probably my default Saturday breakfast. Even when engaged in baking 14 loaves of beer bread, a couple of Saturdays ago: I managed to rustle some up, to give me sustenance. I added some red peppers to...
Recipe of the Month – Totie Fields’ Zucchini and Walnut Bread / Cake
Courgette season is nearly over here in the UK - boo hoo! But there is just about a month left to enjoy seasonal zucchini / courgette and if it's not courgette season where you are, cut out and keep this recipe for when it is, because it ROCKS. Everyone I...
Brenda Vaccaro’s T-E-R-R-I-F-I-C Italian Sausages
I made these for Vic AGES ago, and wrote down a comment he made about them on an index card to include in my blog post report. Then I lost the index card. I am an inveterate note taker. I write things down on the backs of envelopes, in a million...
Billy Connolly’s Stuffed Trout
Billy’s a bit modern for the Silver Screen Suppers blog, and he's mostly remembered as a comedian rather than an actor here in the UK. He is known as the BIG YIN... But he’s in Columbo, yes he is! Hence I tried out his trout recipe for the forthcoming...
David Niven’s Jansson’s Temptation
I've been wanting to try this recipe ever since I had an email conversation with my beloved Michael MacMahon about Jansson's Temptation. I think it was after I had cooked the best film star recipe ever, Jocko Marx's Herring Potatoes. (the first time...
Recipe of the Month – Anthony Perkins’ Tuna Salad
A blog reader "Jenny E" left a comment this week asking for this recipe, so I thought I would make it recipe of the month. It is easy and it is delicious. It's still pretty hot here in London so salads are on the menu for a few more days I reckon......
Vincent Price’s Beef Ragout
Ooh, I've got a little article over at the Vincent Price Legacy site about cooking with the BRAND NEW and JUST RELEASED Vincent Price Ale. Can you imagine how amazing it will be to sip a beer with Vincent on the label? I have some on order and will be...
Robert Vaughn’s Fettuccine Alfredo
Lipsmacking-thirstquenching-acetasting-motivating-hightalking-coolliving-evergiving PEPSI! I tried to learn this once but I didn’t quite get there. I know I’ve missed something. For the full monty, see here… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNMDQ3f6Y94 Ha...
Jocko Marx’s Herring Potatoes
Who is Jocko Marx, I hear you ask. Well, it's a good question. According to a 1933 movie star cookbook he's one of the 4 Marx Brothers. For a debunking of this myth, see a previous blog post... Whoever he was, his signature dish is PHENOMENAL....
Natalie Wood’s Huevos Rancheros
I had a raging hangover on Saturday morning. On Friday night I stayed up late at Mr R's place, drinking beer and watching Madness videos. I'd forgotten how good they were. I think we watched this about 13 times......
Rue McClanahan’s Wonder Women Cookies
I love Rue. Well, I love her character Blanche in The Golden Girls. She’s in Columbo too: ...hence her cookie recipe floated to the top of the test cooking pile. These cookies are packed with good stuff - nuts, raisins, apricots etc., and they were...
Yul Brynner’s Sautéed Broccoli
This recipe is now a bit of a default way for me to cook up broccoli. It's easy and it's tasty, and it always makes me laugh because... whenever Yul Brynner comes up in conversation I have a "Pavlov's dog" type reaction to his name: and cannot stop myself from...
Anthony Andrews’ Spiced Yoghurt Chicken Cooked in a Brick
I have been looking for an Anthony Andrews recipe for ages. He's in Columbo: so I was desperate for a recipe to use in the Cooking With Columbo book. When I found this recipe I was very excited. But I didn't have a "chicken brick". In...
Hector Elizondo’s Tuna Pomodoro Bake
I don't often get invited round to friends' houses for dinner, except by the lovely Battenberg Belle. I tell myself it's not because people don't like me, but more that they think because I have a food blog, I am a really good cook. I'm not you know. And I will...
Ricardo Montalban’s Asparagus Soup
This has been on the test cooking schedule FOR EVER. Mostly because I didn't really like the sound of Asparagus Soup, but whaddya know? It was good! Quite subtle and sophisticated really, and sort of fluffy. Bubbly. Mostly because I blended it up in my soup machine, I...
Recipe of the Month – Bill Holden’s Hong Kong Burgers
You know what it’s like when you have been lazing around the house all day on a Saturday and you are supposed to be going out in the evening but can’t be bothered? Such it was the other day when I was due to go to Gary’s barbecue at the allotments. I was...
Vincent Price’s Chicken Curry
For the Hedda Hopper night's dinner, I was planning a whole feast of curries made with the lovely spice mixtures prepared before your very eyes at Rafi's Spice Box in Sudbury. But on the morning of the day, an email popped into my inbox from one of my...
Cowboy Day Cook-along 2016
On the morning before Cowboy Day #1, half asleep I said to Mr Rathbone: "What mode of transport are you using to get to my place tomorrow?" after a tiny pause he said: "Horse, of course!" After we stopped laughing he said, "Or I might take the stage". I...
Hedda Hopper Cocktails
Last time Angus and Clive came round to dinner they brought LOADS of booze, including a bottle of bourbon, from which only a sip was taken. They refused to take it home with them at the end of the night, so I promised to make them some Hedda Hopper cocktails aka...
Irene Dunne’s Vinegar Chocolate Cake
This was perfect. Am I allowed to say that about a cake I made myself? I have Irene to thank for it of course, as her recipe is ace. But I have made this quite a few times now and this time was the best. I'm going to be a proper person, and...
Vincent Price’s Honey Buns
There is something very appealing about the recipe title "Honey Buns", so it was destined that I make them at some point, and make them I did, for the Muswell Hill and District Horticultural Society Spring Show. Now then, the Spring Show was a LONG time ago, and...
Recipe of the Month – Monte Hale’s Hale and Hearty Chili
Yee haw partners, wanna come to a virtual reality party? I'm joining in with this opportunity to don a cowboy hat and eat masses of chili, and you should too! You don't have to have a blog to participate in this, it's just for fun! All the details about it...
Columbo’s Favourite Sandwich
I have been celebrating the completion of the first draft of the Cooking with Columbo cookbook, with champagne and a special Columbo sandwich. YES! I am soooo excited. Myrna Loy, Janet Leigh, Celeste Holm, Vincent Price, William Shatner and many...
Cary Grant Mushroom Canapés for the Cary Grant Festival
Oooh, how I wish I could be in Bristol this weekend. They are having a Cary Grant Festival - it looks amazing. One of the organisers Charlotte Croft emailed last year to ask if I would send Cary's Mushroom Canapés recipe which I duly did....
Katherine Hepburn Brownies
Do you ever enter competitions? My mum went through a phase of entering every competition going, often asking us kids to help with the tie-breakers. Usually something along the lines of "Mr Kipling's Cakes are....." fill in the blanks... I have a...
Marilyn Monroe’s Stuffing Waffles
Time to say goodbye to Wookey Hole - Mr Rathbone is getting a new fridge freezer... I shall miss this guideline about how long things should be frozen for: I don't have this on my freezer door. Hence of course, I feel that I am at liberty to have bits of...
Vincent Price’s Hollandaise Sauce
I've been trying to perfect poached eggs, Vincent Price style, throughout my holiday week. We always treat ourselves to stonking great big brunches when we are in Mersea, like this: So every day I've been experimenting with Vincent's method of boiling eggs for...
Mia Farrow’s Fried Fish with Ginger Sauce
Surprise hit recipe! Ohhh, this was so good! It's so nice when a recipe comes along, that doesn't look much on paper but turns out to be a winner. So it was with this one. The fish was superb, bought fresh from the sea from the fishermen that caught it,...
John Cassavetes’ Minted Beef
You know that you aren't in London any more, when you are sitting in a pub garden and you hear someone say: "My horse loves Quavers." Then you turn around, and there are two Shetland Ponies having an afternoon out at the boozer. I'd totally forgotten I was wearing a...
3rd Annual Pieathalon! Crème de Cacao Pie
It's my fave cooking experiment of the year. It's the PIEATHALON! The genius that is Yinzerella, who is maitre d' of Dinner Is Served 1972, hosts this brilliant cookalong where weird pie recipes are swapped amongst a group of bloggers...
Phyllis Diller’s Garbage Soup
My two best friends are Cathy - an excellent cook and proprietress of the Battenburg Belle cooking blog - and Heather, who has no interest in cooking whatsoever. At least, she professes to have no interest in cooking, I don't quite believe it. Last Saturday...
Vincent (and Mary) Price’s Dark Mocha Cake
This is probably the BEST movie star chocolate cake recipe ever, BUT, a word of warning, do not think you can get up early to make this, and still get into work on time. That is not going to happen. Our much beloved work colleague Luke resigned recently, much to...
Another Birthday Milestone and Johnny Cash’s Chilli
Although I started this blog 10 years ago on 14th May 2006, I didn't actually COOK anything until the 22nd May. The first film star recipe I ever made? Drum roll please... Bette Davis' Baked Beans. These will be on my wish-list next time Caroline Frick pops over from...
Happy 10th Birthday Silver Screen Suppers! My Top 50 Movie Star Dishes
Silver Screen Suppers is TEN YEARS OLD. Jeepers! To celebrate, I've selected my favourite 50 film star recipes. Ooh, this was tough, but FUN. When I started this project I was living on a houseboat on the Thames with a tabletop oven that had to be turned...
Audrey Hepburn’s Penne a la Vodka
Mmm. This was really tasty. Sometimes you can look at the ingredients in a recipe and be fairly sure it's going to be a hit. Such it is with Audrey's pasta sauce. Butter, onion, tomato puree, vodka, Parmesan... It's going to be good isn't it? And it is. I love the...
Shera Danese’s Italian Stuffed Peppers
Turns out that Mr R has never eaten lobster either. What are we like? Such ingenues. I had some fresh lobster left over from Ray Milland's Lobster Salad so I thought, oooohhhhh! Shera's Stuffed Peppers. I've been meaning to try this recipe for ages. We had these on...
Recipe of the Month – Anne Baxter’s Genuine Swiss Quiche
This won me second prize at the recent Muswell Hill and District Horticultural Society Spring Show in the quiche category, so it's not just Mr R and myself who think it is delicious! It's Anne's seasonings that makes it so good... Guaranteed to please. 1 pie crust for...
Ray Milland’s Lobster Salad
I have never eaten lobster before. I've always thought of it as being a big prawn. And I'm not mad on prawns so why would I like lobster? But anyhow, Ray Milland's Lobster Salad is on the test cooking schedule for the Columbo Cookbook so I had to try it! ...
Johnny Cash Chilli
I wanted to make a batch of Johnny’s Chilli as close as I could to his recipe, using spices readily available here in the UK. My chums Heather and Nathan were kind enough to bring me back some McCormick’s Chilli seasoning the last time they were in the...
Elizabeth Taylor’s Diet – 6 Breakfasts
My 6 day writing retreat has come to an end. Oh, it was so lovely! I've got Columbo coming out of my ears... I decided that as I was out of my own environment, it was a good chance for me to take a break from some bad habits. So I didn't have any booze for 6 days and...
Janet Leigh’s Cheese Soufflé
What a perfect spinster’s supper! Janet is now one of my favourite stars, as her recipe is FOR ONE! I just love it when I stumble upon a recipe that stipulates “Serves 1”, the most notable being Vincent Price’s Chicken in Pineapple. This usually...
Vincent Price’s Fish Fillets Noord Zee
The lovely Peter Fuller has a fabulous new Vincent Price website and he asked me to write something about the glorious TV show that is Cooking Price-Wise, the series that my food hero presented on British TV in the 1970s. It was a really fun article to write, and for...
Elizabeth Taylor’s Diet – Day Seven
It's day one of my writing retreat. I will be totally on my own with nobody to speak to except this cat for 6 days. Luckily, Milky is a Columbo fan, as it's all about Columbo this week. Today, I had to extend my arms as long as I possibly could in order...
Marilyn Monroe Stuffing – as a WAFFLE!
Oh this was so good! Almost as good as a Bird's Eye Potato Waffle - ha ha! I had some leftover stuffing in the freezer so I mixed it up with a beaten egg and bunged it in the waffle maker. It was utterly delicious. I am sad that that's the last...
Priscilla Lane’s Popcorn Balls
I hope that you all had a fabulous Easter. I sure did. Lots and lots and lots of food. Plus lots and lots and lots of drinking. A diet therefore ensues... Until then, here's a link to the loveliness that is the Bibelot Magazine. I've done...
Oskar Werner’s Wiener Schnitzel
Good fodder! You can't go wrong with a Wiener Schnitzel can you?! This was GOOD! I liked the garnish of beetroot, capers, lemon and anchovies very much indeed. I found an index card knocking around my flat the other day. Written on it in...
Ben Gazzara’s Leg of Lamb, Sicilian Style
Yum! Garlic-y and herby-y and love-ly. Easy too. Forgot to take a photo of it when cooked, here it is marinating: Recipe at the bottom of this post... Taryn of Retro Food for Modern Times asked me how my haggis pizza turned out on Burns...
Marlene Dietrich’s Banana Nut Bread
Ah, lovely! I had two bananas left over from the Vincent Price Bounty of Paradise dinner party because I forgot to add them to the pork chops main course. So you know what happens when you have two bananas lying around the place over-ripening by the...
Vincent Price’s Bounty of Paradise Party
When Vincent Price expert Peter Fuller comes round for lunch, it has GOT to be a menu from the Master of Menace himself. We had a brilliant afternoon sampling delights from Vincent's International Cooking Course LP... Bounty of Paradise - Polynesian food! ...
Recipe of the Month – Elizabeth Taylor’s Curried Chicken Salad
Have you ever made mayonnaise, your very own self? I never had, until I tried making the mayonnaise to the recipe that Elizabeth Taylor champions in her marvelous book, Elizabeth Takes Off. I was very pleased with myself... There will be more, much, much...
Diana Dors’ Breakfast Bean Omelette
All is chaos at Silver Screen Suppers Towers as the landlord asked if I would like my lounge painted. Although the idea of having to move everything out of there, before applying the KonMari decluttering method, filled me with the fear, with the help of Mr R, it...
Vincent Price’s Fegato Alla Veneziana (Calf’s Liver with Onions and White Wine)
I've done an inventory of what's in the bottom drawer of my frozen archives #2 and there is a LOT of liver in there. I love liver, and don't eat it often enough. It is so GOOD for a body. So I now have a mission to eat all the liver. This was a...
Vincent Price’s East India Fish Curry
One of my cyber-chums, Taryn over at the fabulous Retro Food For Modern Times has inspired me to set myself a six week challenge. It is this. I shall eat as much as I can from the frozen archives in an attempt to have ONE EMPTY DRAWER in my freezer by...
Eat Like the Stars – Diana Dors
I just love Diana. I loved her when she was a glamour-puss in the 1950s: and I loved her later in life, when she got a little chubby: Then in the 1980s, Diana set herself a dieting goal of losing 52 lbs. (25.5 kg) by her 52nd birthday,...
Jackie Cooper’s Tenderloin Steak Sandwich
My friend Chris has an ulcer. He calls it Mr Wrigglesworth. I thought I had an ulcer, so I called it Mrs Wrigglesworth. I've been for tests, no ulcer. But Mrs Wrigglesworth is still lurking around, and every now and then she makes herself...
Peter Falk’s Pumpkin Lasagna
I thought I would have a problem finding jumbo pasta shells here in Londinium (remember the lack of macaroni?), but a little bit of google action helped me out. Tesco’s Finest Conchiglioni Rigati. I blame Yinzerella at Dinner is Served 1972 for the wine... You know...
Cher’s Hawaiian Meatballs American Style
Mmm - these were super tasty. We weren't sure about them at first, but Battenburg Belle eventually declared that they grew on her... I made the meatball mixture WEEKS ago when we decided to introduce my god-daughter (aged 15 when we made these, just turned 16) to the...
Hector Elizondo’s Famous Pasta Pomodoro
Ooh! This was very tasty. Quite spicy with the chilli flakes. I liked it. Easy too. I made it for just me myself and I, halving the recipe, eating half and popping the other half in the frozen archives. This recipe was featured in a...
Vincent Price’s Croque Monsieur
How was your Valentine's Day? I was single for 8 years, so know full well, that it is perfectly lovely to spend it all by yourself. Now that I have the fabulous Mr Rathbone by my side though, I do like to pull out all the stops. For breakfast I...
Peter Falk’s Spare Ribs
Ooh, Spare Ribs - yes! I didn't have hooks from which to suspend the ribs in my oven, as the legendary Mr Falk suggested. I simply plonked them on the oven rack with the grill pan lower down in the oven underneath them to catch any drips. Result...
Ray Milland’s Chicken Chow Mein
This was a hit with the King of Chow Mein. With me too. I was pleasantly surprised at how good this was. Tonight was a momentous night. The grand finale of series two of The Rockford Files. So I cooked Chow Mein for my ex who first of all...
Rod Steiger’s Baked Chicken Grand Marnier
It's James Dean's birthday today, so I wanted to cook something in his honour, from the brilliant Recipes For Rebels cookbook by Greg Swenson. Sooooooo many recipes from Jimmy's family, co-stars and favourite eateries to choose from though.... Until Greg's book...
Recipe of the Month – Patrick O’Neal’s Coeurs a la Creme
It's February and so romance is in the air. If you are planning a romantic dinner a deux for Valentine's Day, I heartily recommend making some of these. You could divide the mixture in two and have one each and keep two in the fridge for another day. ...
Gene Barry’s Kibbee
I admit, I was worried about food poisoning when we had these on Friday. I am a massive hoarder. This includes being a hoarder of foodstuffs. These Kibbee had been in my freezer since June 2014 (19 months) so by rights they should have gone in the bin....
Reader’s Report – Marilyn Monroe’s Stuffing
The lovely Viv in Cardiff had a go at Marilyn's Stuffing (recipe of the Month for December) for her Christmas extravaganza and reported back. Ah, doesn't this photo take you back to Christmas? Is that a Christmas jumper I see before me? That turkey...
Nicol Williamson’s Steak Mince and Stovie Potatoes
This is lovely old fashioned fodder. A one-pot dinner with no frills. Delicious! Nicol Williamson appears in the first ever Columbo I remember seeing. The one about the attack dogs, "How to Dial a Murder", do you know it? Brilliant! ...
Leonard Nimoy’s Potatoes La Jolla Chez Jay
Nice name for a recipe! What does it mean? I had no idea, until the wonders of the internet revealed that this was a dish invented by Leonard Nimoy, and the founder of Chez Jay in Santa Monica, Jay Fiondella. They had been flat-mates at some...
1,000th Blog Post – I am celebrating!
Was so touched that Greg of Recipes4Rebels made me a celebratory gif - I had to post it up. I can't work out how to get it moving, but I'm working on it! As I have said recently, the BEST thing about having a blog is connecting with people all around the...
1,000th Blog Post – Corinne Griffith’s Turnip Souffle
Goodness me, it's my 1,000th blog post! There are currently 6,281 recipes in my film star recipe spreadsheet, and it's constantly growing. How on earth to choose what to make for this momentous post? I decided to sort them alphabetically and see what came out at...
Peter Falk’s Just Plain Avocado
Folks, this is my 999th blog post. I am not kidding. The next post you will see from me is my 1,000th so expect something special! I'll be cooking something very, very strange indeed. Until then, here's something simple. The way Peter liked his avocados. Sprinkled...
Jackie Cooper’s Curried Eggs and Macaroni
My ex-boyfriend Vic used to live in the same building as me, but in a different section. A walk across the front lawn, the ring of a bell and a walk up stairs via a different entrance used to be required when visiting. He's moved now. He now lives three floors...
A Vincent Price Themed Party for Battenburg Belle
Do you have a freezer full of Christmas leftovers? For our work Xmas lunch, we went to The Queen's Pub and Dining Room in Primrose Hill. The turkey was really flavoursome, but the portion was massive, and there was no way I could eat it all, so I asked for a...
Jeanette Nolan’s Sizzling Livers and Walnuts
As a former cataloguer, I'm always intrigued when machines have been put to work, doing things that only human beings can really do properly. I'm not a Luddite, honestly, it just makes me laugh! So I found Jeanette's recipe in two newspapers which have been...
Joan Crawford’s Poached Salmon with Mayonnaise-Mustard Dressing
I was aiming for this to be my last blog post of 2015, to neatly tie up all my Joan Crawford business, but there's been so much FUN going on, I missed my self-imposed deadline. No matter. I was prouder of this dish, than anything else I've ever made...
Vincent Price Dinner at Abertoir
Do you have a blog? Are you thinking about it? If you are, I would say DO IT, because magical things will start to happen. During the Vincentennial year, when celebrations were going on to mark what would have been Vincent Price's 100th year, I...
Bette Davis’ Marmalade Mallard
Yesterday, after lovely separate family Christmases, Mr R and I had our own festive dinner, with a mallard from Pipers Farm. Wrapped in swaddling clothes My motto for 2016 will be: "use it up and wear it out", so in that spirit, I used some of my...
Marilyn Monroe’s Stuffing
I made it, and it was GOOD! Very good in fact and well worth all the chopping. Marilyn's original recipe, and the adaptation by the New York Times are in this blog post Here it a small portion of it about to go into the oven... and here it is after cooking...
Eat Like the Stars: James Dean
In my December column for the lovely Eat Drink Films, I get to find out from the lovely Greg Swenson how he went about writing the brilliant Recipe for Rebels cookbook. Greg is now a bosom cyberchum of mine. We regularly correspond about film star recipes since he...
When Bloggers Collaborate – Gregory Peck’s Happy Pappy Eggs and Ratatouille
Ooh, the Happy Pappy Eggs were good. Why? Bacon fat! Tonight I'm participating in a worldwide cookalong for two. If you drilled a hole through the centre of the earth from London, you probably wouldn't end up too far from Melbourne, which is where...
Corinne Griffith’s Plumslard Porkkare (Flemish Pork Pot Roast)
I wish I'd thought of asking Mr R if he'd like some Plumslard Porkkare for his dinner on Saturday. What a brilliant name for a big joint of pork! I've just googled Plumslard Porkkare and nothing comes up at all. Maybe Corinne made it up? I've been...
Sophia Loren’s Pesto
I live on the fourth floor of a block of flats so have no garden full of fresh herbs, however much I would like one. It drives me bananas when I've bought a big bunch of coriander, used a few sprigs and the rest has gone mulchy in the fridge. So lately...
Mary & Vincent Price’s Treasury of Great Recipes UK Book Launch at Harrods
It's taken me so long to write about this, because to be honest, it was such a brilliant day, I don't think I can do it justice. Shall I give it a go? Many moons ago, I was at a Guild of Food Writers event and Bruce Langlands, Director of Food and Restaurants at...
Recipe of the Month – December 2015 – Marilyn Monroe’s Stuffing
When "Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters by Marilyn Monroe" was published in 2010, there was much excitement at Silver Screen Suppers Towers, as it contained a RECIPE! Scribbled out by Marilyn in pencil, it's a very detailed recipe for stuffing....
Vincent Price’s Cheese Knots, Toad in the Holes and Cucumber Crocodiles
Have you ever been to Bart's Pathology Museum? It's insane! Very hard to find, it's a hidden treasure of London. If you ever get to go, make sure you have a look at the cabinet that contains many strange things that folks, since the dawn of time, have been...
Vincent Price’s East India Fish Curry
My lovely chums David and Katy can get to my place "door to door on the 134" but we don't see each other often enough. Something to rectify in 2016 because I LOVE THEM. They came round for dinner the other Friday and I vaguely remembered that some time ago...
Johnny Cash’s Chili
And it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire, the ring of fire! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It7107ELQvY I’ve been wanting to make Johnny’s chili for ages. I have two versions in different cookbooks, but they both use brands of chili powder...
Jack Cassidy’s Quickie Green Bean Casserole
Battenburg Belle cooked a tremendous Thanksgiving dinner last night, ooh, it was marvellous. I've a feeling that might become an annual tradition, and why not? We don't really do Thanksgiving here in the UK, but when everyone in the USA is having a party,...
James Cagney’s Apple Cheese Pie
An apple pie without the cheese, is like a kiss, without the squeeze. So the saying goes. But I'd never had an apple pie with cheese in it before. Until Sunday! I made this for Mr R, his lovely sister Julia and her lovely hubby Nick. It was bloody...
Cloris Leachman’s Ham and Egg Omelet With Mushrooms
On Saturday morning I needed to fortify myself. The time had finally come, in my Marie Kondo Festival of Tidying, to tackle the clothes. Arg. Marie recommends doing the clothes first and leaving sentimental items until last. But for me, clothes ARE...
Rise Stevens’ Chicken Paprika
Vic came round for his tea the other day, and is our tradition, after eating, we watched an episode of The Rockford Files. Well, I use the term "watched" loosely, as I fell asleep on the sofa almost immediately after Jim's answerphone message... We'd had Risë's...
Basil Rathbone’s India Curry
I'm a bit out of sync due to the amazing couple of weeks on the Vincent Price Legacy Tour, reports on events coming soon. It was all utterly brilliant, and I'm still getting over it! I made Basil's curry for Halloweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen, which seems like eons...
Richard Arlen’s Buttered Cabbage a la Maryland (with sausages this time)
Do you live on your lonesome? Do you cook yourself something delicious every night? I'll admit it, sometimes I can't be bothered, and peanut butter is my closest friend on these occasions. But sometimes, it really is worth the effort and I hereby announce that my new...
Vincent Price #TreasuryCookalong
Joy, joy, joy! Blog posts have popped up all around the world from the folks who joined in with the Treasury Cookalong. It brought many a tear to my glass eye! So much wondrousness! The cookalong was organised to celebrate the launch of the 50th...
Marguerite Patten Cookalong – #Marguerite100
Marguerite was not a silver screen star but she could have been! Look! Instead, Marguerite became one of Britain's most loved home economists. She wrote more than 170 cookery books, was the first ever TV chef and wanted everyone to be able to eat well, whatever...
Richard Arlen’s Buttered Cabbage a la Maryland
I don't get out much - to eat - but I am an avid reader of Marina O'Loughlin's restaurant reviews. Last week in Saturday's Guardian there was a supplement which listed her favourite 50 UK restaurants. Nobody knows what Marina O'Loughlin really looks like... I...
Happy Halloweeeeeeeeeeeen – Vincent Price’s Shortbread
It's a bumper day for Vincent Price today! Not only has my EatDrinkFilms column gone live but a Bibelot Magazine article too! Nip over to the delightful Bibelot for Mary and Vincent's recipe for Scotch Shortbread - this is a fail-safe recipe chums! ...
Happy Halloweeeeeeeeeeeen – Vincent Price’s Soufflé Au Grand Marnier
and for dessert? This month's EatDrinkFilms column is all about Mary and Vincent Price's A Treasury of Great Recipes and includes their recipe for Soufflé Au Grand Marnier. Mmmmmmmmmm! Nip over there by clicking on this link.... Photo © Tosh...
Happy Halloweeeeeeeeeeeen – Vincent Price’s Goulash
Getting ready to party? I am! Here's a glimpse of what is going on here... What are you having for your din dins tonght? May I propose something Vincent Price related? If you are a regular reader of the blog you will know that Vincent is my...
Vincent Price London Legacy Tour Update
Oooh, I am SO EXCITED about next week and all the wonderful things that are going on when Victoria Price is here to give talks about her father's life and legacy, to sign 50th Anniversary Editions of A Treasury of Great Recipes and generally HAVE FUN in London with...
Corrine Griffith’s Lamb Maryland – Old Bay October
Do you know what Old Bay is? If you are here from Maryland, USA I'm guessing that this is the dumbest question you ever heard. From dear old blighty? The answer is probably "no". Well my friends, via the wonders of international friendship...
Vincent Price’s Flan
An underwhelming name, for a seriously delicious pudding... This was the final course of my Mexican Extravaganza last Sunday and a huge hit. Everyone had a second slice. I mangled it a bit, getting it out of the flan pan. The term "flan pan" makes me think...
Vincent Price’s Mexican Creamed Corn
This may well be my number one favourite of ALL Silver Screen Suppers dishes. I absolutely ADORE this stuff and can eat it by the ladle-ful. Recipe is at the end of this post. I cannot recommend anything else you will find here as highly....
Vincent Price’s Guacamole
Last Sunday I gave what I have decided was my BEST EVER DINNER PARTY. Heather and Nathan, Ptolemy and Keith came over for a Mexican extravaganza. Oh my. What a delicious combination of Mexican inspired loveliness. Ptolemy wore a suitably...
Audrey Hepburn’s Chocolate Cake with Whipped Cream, Penne alla Vodka and Spaghetti al Pomodoro
My October EatDrinkFilms article is UP! And it's all about the delightful Audrey Hepburn and the wonderful book written by her son Luca Dotti. I love this book. Full of great recipes and family tales of fabulous food. Gorgeous. For more...
Guild of Food Writers’ Better Chicken Workshop and Vincent Price’s Chicken Curry
When did you last see giblets? This is going to be a LONG post about chickens, so if you are here for Vincent's curry recipe, and you don't wish to wade through my blatherings about chicken, please proceed to the end of the post. At a recent Guild of...
Joan Collins’ Red Bean Salad
I nearly met Joan Collins last week! I was at the most glamorous party I have ever been to, the British Film Institute's LUMINOUS gala dinner at the Guildhall. I spotted Geena Davis, Guy Richie, Steve Coogan, Terry Gilliam and Jonathan Ross....
Vincent Price’s Devilled Crab for the #RNLIfishsupper
You are joining in with the Vincent Price Treasury Cookalong right? I DO hope so! Having an excuse to cook something you might not do otherwise, is GREAT. I looooooove cookalongs. The RNLI Fish Supper was a sort of countrywide cookalong, organised...
Eli Wallach’s Eggs Birmingham
Spinster's Saturday! Hooray! This means EGGS for breakfast. Although I was craving Natalie Wood's Huevos Rancheros, I decided to try a different recipe from the Recipes for Rebels cookbook instead. So I went for Eli's Eggs Birmingham. Greg...
Vincent Price Treasury Cookalong with PRIZES! All invited!
To celebrate the launch of Mary and Vincent Price's 50th Anniversary Edition of A Treasury of Great Recipes, you are hereby invited to a cookalong - wherever you are in the world - whenever you have a moment to cook! Simply select one or more of the recipes...
Natalie Wood’s Huevos Rancheros
The best thing about having a blog, is that you get to meet chums through the internet that you would never ever meet otherwise. Such a chum is Greg Swenson who has just published this brilliant cookbook: Greg lives in Greece, and he and I have been pen pals for...
Irene Dunne’s Vinegar Chocolate Cake
This cake is a huge favourite of my work colleagues so when the lovely Flore left us for pastures new this week, I cooked one up in the wee small hours and took it in. This cake looms large in Flore's legacy as she made one of these once and it was a big FAIL...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Worskshop This Friday!
Excitement is mounting for my forthcoming trip to Chagford, Dartmoor, Devon. I'll be presenting a hands-on "make your own Hollywood cocktails and canapes" workshop at 2pm - come along if you are in the vacinity! Here's the kind of thing that's in store... There's...
Trish Van Devere’s All Day Chili in a Pot
I had a whole day to myself last Saturday so I decided to cook up Trish's all day chili. I used my slow cooker to use for the first time in ages. If the slow cooker is out, it must be Autumn. This is not my slow cooker, but I wish it was......
Trish Van Devere’s Guacamole
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice. Guacamole, Guacamole, Guacamole. I love it And I love the fact that there are so many variations on the recipe for Guacamole. I like the addition of sour cream in Trish's version, it makes for a lovely...
Vincent Price’s Chicken Sweet and Hot
Aaarg! I think this has immediately become my favourite of all movie star chicken recipes. Apologies to Elizabeth Taylor who was previously the holder of the title for * best movie star chicken recipe ever * (as her Chicken Steamed in White Wine is...
Eddie Albert’s Butterfly Lamb
Me and Mr R hosted a Sunday lunch for 6 a couple of weeks ago and we made Eddie's lamb, it was absolutely delicious. It's on the cards for the Columbo Cookbook as Eddie Albert is the brilliant co-star in one of the earliest Columbo episodes: Dead Weight....
Suzanne Pleshette’s Zucchini Omelet
I had some courgettes left over from Totie's cake and I used one of them for this. Delicious. I do love an omelet / omelette and courgettes do seem destined for eggs round at my place if they are not in a cake. Suzanne's recipe is vague, but the...
Totie Fields’ Zucchini Walnut Bread / Cake
If you are here for Totie's Zucchinni Walnut Bread / Cake recipe please proceed to the end of this post. If you are here for a glimpse into the deranged world of someone who has a serious clutter problem, please read on. Bishop Brennan (aka Heather) staged...
Recipe of the Month – Yul Brynner’s Apple Walnut Cake
I am pleased to announce, that I am the very proud recipient of the Marion Wilton Cookery Cup! This is awarded for the most total points in the cookery classes of the Spring, Summer and Autumn Muswell Hill and District Horticultural Society Shows. Behold the...
Vincent Price’s Barbecued Double Hamburgers
I had a lovely day off yesterday, spending it baking like a lunatic for today's Muswell Hill and District Horticultural Society Autumn Show cookery contest. I made 8 cakes! Admittedly, 2 are for the cake stall, but I'll have 6 in competition. ...
Frank Sinatra Special at Eat Drink Films
My August column for Eat Drink Films features 3 Frank Sinatra favourites: Sinatra Marinara Sauce, Sausage and Peppers and Fettucine a la Sinatra. Two of the recipes are from The Sinatra Celebrity Cookbook and I'd like to thank Barbara Sinatra...
Vincent Price’s Buckingham Eggs and party invite!
I'm having a day off work to fiddle around with plans for the Vincent Price Treasury Cookalong, and work on other bits and pieces of writing. As is tradition for a spinster's day off, I made Buckingham Eggs for my brekkie. Mmmm. I've just signed up...
Vincent Price’s Champignons Grilles Marie Victoire (Broiled Mushrooms Mary Victoria)
Now then. If you ever invite me round to dinner (and I wish you would), if you ask me if there is anything I prefer not to eat, I will say mushrooms, aubergines and seafood. With a caveat. I don't mind mushrooms and aubergines if they are cut up...
Vincent Price’s Pineapple Nut Bread
Ooh, I think I have perfected the non-cup measurements, for this best of all cakes. I misread my scribbled post it note, stuck on the page of The Treasury of Great Recipes, from when I made it last time. I used a lot more flour than in theory I should...
Vincent Price’s Poularde Pavillon (Chicken in Champagne Sauce)
I am drinking champagne alone, on a Monday night, in bed. How decadent. I have good reason though, honest. Tonight I cooked dinner for someone very dear to me, who almost snuffed it a couple of weeks ago. So champagne seemed to be appropriate....
Ross Martin’s Chocolate Mousse
Something weird has happened to my emails and I've lost the request for the recipe for Ross Martin's Chocolate Mousse that came via the contact page. So I do hope that the person who requested it, will read this and forgive me for not responding directly....
Vincent Price’s Sopa Poblano (Chili Poblano Soup)
I've been craving this for ages and as I'm testing recipes for the forthcoming Vincent & Mary Price's Treasury of Great Recipes Virtual Reality Book Launch Party Cookalong, I made it tonight for my din dins. If anyone can think of a catchier title for my...
Joan Crawford’s Almond Soup
This soup has been a long time coming. Like a bit of homework I've been putting off for months and months and months, it's the penultimate Joan dish from the book to be photographed. So here it is, in all its splendour, Joan Crawford's Almond Soup: I did...
Allen Jenkins’ Rhubarb Strudel
Had a wonderful time in Stroud last weekend, staying with my gorgeous chums Gary and Colin. Gary is the BEST COOK and he cooked three incredible meals for us, such a treat to be cooked for... On Saturday night I was sous-chef as the King of Canapés...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapés Party 4, part 2
Cripes. This party took place in September 2014, so my memories are now pretty dim, but this has just got to come off my "to do" list... The first part of my report was written soon after the party (sensible) and is here... My notes don't help much...
Recipe of the Month – Deanna Durbin’s Santa Monica Dressing
It's salad time here in the UK. It's like a bakehouse in my flat as there is scaffolding all over my building which means I have to keep the windows closed. I cannot think of cooking a thing, so Deanna's dressing is adorning a vast amount of saladings this...
Steve Allen’s Cheeseburger
I had an absolutely wonderful day yesterday at The School of Artisan Food, learning all about food photography with the fabulous Joan Ransley. I learned LOADS. If anyone can convince me that I have it in me to take half decent food photographs, it's Joan....
Ian MacDonald’s Sweet and Sour Pork Chops
This has been the biggest week *ever* in my career as a film archivist. It's been fab! Here I am on TV with the big news from AP and Movietone... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYq2wDJ7wbE&feature=youtu.be&app=desktop Oooh, soooo exciting! ...
Vincent Price’s Crostata Di Mele (Apple Tart)
The Muswell Hill and District Horticultural Society Summer Show was loads of fun. It's not as mad as the Spring show, as there are less cooking categories, nevertheless there was some bonkers last minute rushing around yesterday morning to get everything...
Corinne Griffith’s Beans Baked in Red Wine
My July column for Eat Drink Films is up and it is all about the glorious baked bean. There are three recipes there, one from the gorgeous Corinne Griffith: one from Elsie Janis and one from Josh White: So if you like beans, and fancy checking out...
Barry Norman’s Pickled Onions
Joy of joys! A new pickled onion on the loose. Legendary film critic Barry Norman is producing some delicious spicy numbers, from a handed down family recipe and you can get them in most of the big supermarkets here in the UK. I say new, but according to...
ZaSu Pitts’ Pralines
Ooh, I meant to pop this one up on June 24th which was National Pralines Day in the US, but forgot! So here's a link to my June column for the lovely Eat Drink Films... It's all about the fabulous ZaSu Pitts and her brilliant book Candy Hits. I first heard...
James Garner’s Sooner Chili
The last time I made James Garner's Oklahoma Chili I was thrilled that James' daughter Gigi got in touch via Twitter about it. However, Gigi wondered if the recipe might have been her grandfather's recipe rather than the personal recipe of the James we know from...
Diana Dors’ Asterley Spritz Cocktail
Before we start, I'd better admit that I am squiffy. I've drunk a whole bottle of Prosecco, plus some Amaro, brewed by the mysterious Asterley Bros... So here's the scoop. I was sent in the post a lovely dinky bottle of Amaro, hand crafted by the Asterley...
Strolling Supper Club – Vincent Price’s Cheese Knots
The Strolling Supper Club was a resounding success and made a whopping £850 for Alice's Youth Music Memorial Fund. We were so pleased with how it all went. Davie took a nice pic of me preparing everything in my kitchen, he's managed to make it look MASSIVE!...
Vincent Price’s Toad in the Hole
Tonight I've been practising my mini toad in the holes for Saturday's Strolling Supper Club. I'm joining forces with Battenberg Belle and Davie from Seven Songs to raise money for the Alice Youth Music Memorial Fund. We'll be having...
Yul Brynner’s Sautéed Broccoli
Ooh! I was at the Guild of Food Writers Awards on Tuesday, and not only did I score some free Tenderstem Broccoli, but my food idol Yotam Ottolenghi SQUEEZED MY SHOULDER. Yes, I am not joking. I was chatting to Sarit Packer & Itamar...
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy’s Peanut Butter Cookies
Chums. It is Peanut Butter Cookie Day tomorrow. So here's something I wrote for the gorgeous Bibelot Magazine including a recipe for some. The Peanut Butter Conspiracy were never in a movie as far as I know, so they don't really belong here at Silver...
Pieathalon 2
Greetings if you are stopping by on a tour of the Pieathalon #2 posts. I am an awful eejit and I posted mine too early, so please click here for a link to my Pieathalon post. My pie was a Magic Cream Pie and it was a doozy!
Valerie Harper’s Summer Squash
Sunday marked the fifth anniversary of my move to spinster bliss at Silver Screen Suppers Towers. I count the decision to move into my own place as the best thing I ever did. If you are living in a shared house and getting fed up with it, I say take the...
Diana Dors’ Flageolet Beans with Tuna
The Diana Dors diet continues. I love tuna, and I love beans, so therefore this was a hit with me. The dressing was surprisingly lemony and it's a nice sturdy portion for one. Very satisfactory indeed thanks Diana! Finely grated rind of 1/4 lemon 3 tablespoons...
Recipe of the Month – Diana Dors’ Breakfast Crunch
I am back from my divine holiday and about half a stone heavier than when I left. Therefore, I am on a diet. But not just any diet, the Diana Dors Diet. I've been eating everything under the sun, including delicious seafood from the legendary Company Shed:...
Vincent Price’s Baked Whole Sea Bass
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Mersea Island fishermen sell some of their catch directly from the quayside between 2.45 and 4.30pm. So we bundled down there to get ourselves some fresh fish. There were some lovely looking flat fish such as lemon sole, dabs, an...
Greta Garbo’s Swedish-Irish Potatoes and John Gilbert’s Breast of Chicken
I was dreaming of being in San Francisco this weekend as there was a screening of Flesh and the Devil with the great screen lovers Garbo and Gilbert at the Castro cinema yesterday... Gad, how I would have loved to be there! Instead, I wrote a column for the...
George Hamilton’s Ginger Snap Dandy
I am on holiday! Spending my days sitting in the garden of a little bolt hole on the edge of Mersea Island watching the boats go by... We have an adopted pet for the week: Gunwale (pronounced Gunnell): Mr R is having a lie-in after being kept awake for hours by...
Vincent Price’s French Bread
Exciting plans are falling into place for Victoria Price's visit to London in November, to launch the 50th anniversary edition of her parents' wonderful book; A Treasury of Great Recipes. I've been helping to organize a couple of events for Victoria and her VIP...
Pieathalon 2 – (George Burns and Gracie Allen’s) Magic Cream Pie
Until I received my Pieathalon challenge, I'd never seen a Burns and Allen Show. I totally understand now though, why it's an institution, for those who are into their retro classics. I made my acquaintance with George and Gracie last weekend because of this: a.
Diana Dors’ Breakfast Bean Omelette
On a Spinster's Sunday there must be eggs too... So here is what I had for my breakfast today. Mmmmm - beans, eggs, bacon (well ham this time...) all in a fluffy package. I've written about the Diana Dors diet here before, it's such a genius multi-media...
Corinne Griffith’s Anchovy Eggs
On a Spinster's Saturday there must be eggs. And here's what I had yesterday for my breakfast. Oh yummy! These are so easy, and the recipe can be adapted for one, by making these in ramekins (I just had one, but wish I'd made two). This is a bit like...
Sophia Loren’s Pizza Alla Napoletana
I am at Brixiefest - Mr R's new term for my self-imposed weekend of solitary writing and cooking. I have a lot to do, not least make a PIE for Yinzerella's annual Pieathalon challenge. For the first of these last year I made Mile High Lemon Chiffon Pie and...
Silver Screen Stars at the Horticultural Show – Vincent Price, Anne Baxter and Diana Dors
Oh, I forgot to say, I won the Guy Chester cookery cup! I don't want to rub it in too much with Battenburg Belle, as by rights, she should have scooped it. We do not understand the scoring system and she got more firsts than I did. But I guess the...
Angie Dickinson’s Honeymoon Sandwich
Mmmmm - delicious! My latest column for Eatdrinkfilms is all about grilled cheese sandwiches. A staple in the States, but a mystery to me until recently. Frying a sandwich in butter? Outrageous! But the first one I tried, Anne Baxter's...
Vincent Price’s Coq Au Vin Rouge a L’Avergnate
"That is chicken supreme", said Mr R about this dish, and he also pointed out that there's no need to panic about it, if you have left it overnight in your fire escape. I shall explain. I made this on a Saturday as I had 5 guests coming for dinner on Sunday and I...
Steve Allen’s Cheeseburger
I loved Steve's burger, and I really love this picture of him with a chafing dish. A chafing dish is the "most-wanted-but-not-in-the-least-bit-needed" thing on my wishlist. Joan Crawford loved hers... and I would love mine. If I had one. Where...
Joe E Lewis’ Grilled Hamburger Patties Supreme with Savory Sauce
I'm a sucker for any recipe that includes the word "supreme" in the title - it's got to be good, right? This one was. The Savory Sauce was the kind of thing that has you smacking your lips for a good half an hour after dinner is done. Vinegar,...
Recipe of the Month – Peter Falk’s Veal Scallopini and White Wine
I've been a bit quiet in April because of Camp NaNoWriMo. I've been doing less cooking, less boozing and more writing.... This time around, I've been working on my new project, the Cooking With Columbo cookbook. Yep, you heard it here first! ...
Peter Falk’s Pork Chops with Vinegar Peppers
When you buy meat from the butcher, it’s only when you get it home that you see how HUGE it is compared to what’s on offer at the supermarkets. My tenderloin pork chops from Midhurst Butchers in Muswell Hill were mahoooooooooooooooosive! Hence, I only did half of...
Robert Conrad’s Infamous Hangover Eggs
Ooh, it's been quite a week with two hangovers involved, both due to nights out with Battenburg Belle. On Wednesday night we had an amazing time at the Silver Screen Cuisine event at the Everyman Cinema in Islington. Others have written about it more eloquently...
Vincent Price’s Pineapple Nut Bread
The name of this cake doesn't do it justice. If I had the power to go back in time, I might suggest to Mary and Vincent that it should be known as "The Price's Divine Pineapple and Macadamia Nut Cake". It's my favourite film star cake. I love it. It...
Sophia Loren’s Roquefort Cream
Just before Easter, the lovely Matthew Coniam tipped me off to the fact that there was a copy of Sophia Loren's Eat With Me cookbook on ebay for a reasonable price. I was on it like a car bonnet. I scored it for £6.99 - the only other copy on there at the moment...
Vera Miles’ Mexican Cheese Casserole
Cheesetastic! I didn't want the chillis that were left over from Anne Baxter's Mexican Cheese Supper Sandwich to go to waste, so during my weekend writing marathon, I took a break and had a go at Vera's Cheese Casserole. When I saw the recipe, it put me...
James Garner’s Oklahoma Chili
Stop press! James Garner's daughter Gigi got in touch via Twitter about this recipe. She thinks it may be her grandfather's recipe rather than her father's. I am devastated! I knew JG was a judge for the National Chili Championships so assumed...
Anne Baxter’s Mexican Cheese Supper Sandwich
I hear that it's Grilled Cheese Sandwich Month so I made my first one EVER last night to celebrate... I guess in the UK we'd call this a Cheese Toastie, although I've never cooked one in a frying pan before. Only in my mum's Breville sandwich toaster, back...
William Shatners Lime-Garlic Broiled Chicken
Ooh, I forgot to put a link up to the William Shatner recipe after a flurry of excitement, when the great man himself gave a name check on Twitter to my local butchers! We all got a bit star-struck. Anyhow, the recipe is here.... (click on link) and the photo is...
Vincent Price’s Butterfly Steak Hong Kong – #partylikeamadman
In my dreamworld it is the early 1960s, and I'm partaking of an ice cold Mai Tai at Trader Vic's... with Roger Stirling to my right... and Mary and Vincent Price to my left... For not only was Trader Vic's a favourite haunt of the lovely boys and girls of Madison...
A Marx Brothers Menu
Those lovely folks at www.eatdrinkfilms.com have again made my column look super dooper with great photos of various Marx Brothers with various foodstuffs. This was my favourite: If you fancy having a Marx Brothers dinner party, skip over to Eat Drink Films for the...
A Taste of the Silver Screen at Hippfest
In the queue for the closing screening at the Silent Cinema Festival in Bo'ness, Mr Rathbone said: "Hippfest is everything I like about the world." I knew exactly what he meant and heartily agree. We had an absolutely wonderful time at the festival. The...
Mary Astor’s Celery Crisps
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice. I mean Bibelot, Bibelot, Bibelot... My new guest post is up on the lovely Bibelot blog this week.... These little crispy celery sticks are really, really tasty. Surprisingly so... So if you'd like to know how to...
Bette Davis’ Marmalade Cake for Hippfest
It was lovely to get a mention in The Scotsman last week... it put the wind up me a bit though... I have no idea where they got the notion that I'd be making a Bette Davis Marmalade cake! It's not exactly going to be a "retro afternoon dinner party" either...
Shirley Temple Cocktails
I'm getting very excited about my Taste of the Silver Screen workshop at the Hippfest Silent Cinema Festival in Bo'ness in Scotland on Sunday. I've been doing lots of maths to work out how many slices of bread I need for 250 canapes, and roughly estimating how many...
Theodore Bikel’s Glorified Meat Loaf
My penpal and fellow film star recipes fan, Greg of Recipes4Rebels, sent me a meat loaf recipe recently that had raisins in it. I was a bit alarmed. Still, as I have discussed here at length previously, we Brits don't know anything about meat loaf, apart...
Elizabeth Taylor’s Chicken Steamed in Wine
I'm often asked what my favourite film star recipe is. This one would be in the top ten for sure. It's so easy, and so delicious. It's absolutely fail-safe, so I chose it for the book group when I couldn't find my Cooking Price-Wise book... Becky had...
Jocko Marx’s Herring Potatoes
Straight in with a bullet to NUMBER ONE in the Silver Screen Suppers Hit Parade, is Jocko Marx with his Herring Potatoes. I really think that is the most delicious dinner I have made in over 9 years of cooking film star recipes. It's one of those recipes you...
Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies
My lovely chum Nathalie Morris has written a fab piece on the bfi website about Katharine's Brownies. Check it out here... Katharine Hepburn's Brownies I've had variable results with Katharine's recipe (good batch - bad batch) but this might be due to the fact I...
Recipe of the Month – Sophia Loren’s Sophia Sauce
March already tomorrow? Crikey! Sophia was pulled out of the pack for this month's recipe: and there were plenty to choose from. Sophia is definitely an expert cook, she's written several cookbooks... The one below I really want to get hold of, the...
William Shatner’s Lime-Garlic Broiled Chicken
I can't tell you too much about this chicken apart from that it was GOOD. The moral of the story is, if you don't write about it soon after you have cooked it, you won't remember a blinking thing about it. I made it for "me, myself and I" one weekday night after...
Mariposa’s Canapes D’Amour
Bibelot, bibelot, bibelot. What a lovely word. And what a lovely magazine my fabulous matchmaking neighbour Chloe Owens has created... It is absolutely gorgeous - check it out - Bibelot - mmmmmmm. I've written a little something for the magazine, it...
Dorothy Sebastian’s Anchovy Canapes for Hippfest
I had my stopwatch out last night, timing Mr Rathbone making some of these as I'm going to be showing folks how to make them at a Hippodrome Festival of Silent Cinema event on Sunday 22nd March - can you come?! It's in Bo'ness in Scotland. I cannot WAIT!...
Dick Van Dyke’s Breast of Chicken Florentine
What springs to mind when you think of Dick Van Dyke? Is it this? Me too. Until recently. Now it will be this: Dick's chicken recipe was tops. It led to a rousing rendition of "Chick-Chick-eree, Chick-Chick-eree Chick-Chick Che-roo" from Mr...
Oscars Night – Joan Crawford Meatloaf
Are you having an Oscars party? Here in the UK it starts around midnight but I know quite a few people who will be pulling an all-nighter to watch the antics. I might get someone to record it for me, then I will walk around all day on Tuesday with my fingers in my...
Oskar Werner’s Cucumber Salad
This was fab. Really refreshing and zingy. Mmm. Cucumbers are a fruit! (said in a Vincent Price voice...) This recipe came to me via a reader of the Silver Screen Suppers blog who is now a penpal - Greg Swenson. Greg is as obsessed with...
John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands’ Cherry Torte
Oh the folks over at www.eatdrinkfilms.com have made my column this month look utterly terrific! Nip over there and have a look - Eat Like the Stars. The recipe for this delicious cherried brownie-type cake is there in all its glory, and here's how mine...
Vincent Price’s Scotch Shortbread
I was single for 8 years (with some little hiccups along the way) so I do know what it's like when Valentine's Day is on the horizon and you haven't got a significant other. But this year, as last, I do have a lovely Valentine and I'm very happy about...
Vincent Price’s Buckingham Eggs
It's my annual spinster's day! I do so love to have a day to myself now and then, doing exactly whatever the hell I like. Today is such a day. I am on annual leave, and still in my pyjamas at 1pm with no intention of getting out of them. I've done my...
Stop Press – for Vincent Price Fans!
If only I had the plane fare to Los Angeles I would be there... For more details about the 50th Anniversary Edition of the Treasury of Great Recipes, register with the Cooking With Vincent website... Soooooooooooooooooooooo excited!
Lee Grant’s Chicken Malibu
Here is a really good chicken recipe from Lee, who I love. Soon after I'd cooked this I did some rummaging around on the internet and I discovered that she had recently published her autobiography. I snapped it up, raced through it and heartily enjoyed...
Sophia Loren’s Pizza Alla Napoletana
My dad once told me that when he was younger, Sophia was his favourite pin-up. Is it any wonder? There are probably more photos of Sophia Loren with food knocking around the internet than any other actress. This is partly of course because she loves to...
Guild of Food Writers Butter Workshop
Have you ever gorged on fondue and woken up the next day feeling as though your whole body is composed of cheese? I have, a couple of times. Tonight I went to a fantastic "Butter Workshop" organised by the Guild of Food Writers and have eaten my body...
Vincent Price’s Genoa Pizza
Have you ever had haggis on a pizza? I did on Burns Night and it was DELICIOUS! It was my chum Nathan who came up with this idea and he guided me through the process at a pizza extravaganza for 6 at Silver Screen Suppers Towers on Burns's birthday. Whisky...
Recipe of the Month – Jayne Mansfield’s Meat-Sausage Loaf
Here in the UK, when we think of meatloaf we think of this fella rather than the foodstuff. As Mr Rathbone put it last night “In the 60s and 70s, with our kind of background, there is no way you would ever encounter meatloaf”. I don’t think I ate any until 2006 when I...
Patrick O’Neal’s Ragout de Boeuf de Bourguignon
Mmm. Boeuf de Bourguignon... This was delicious but more mushy than Burt Lancaster's version, I guess that's what makes it a ragout? Patrick O' Neal obviously knew what he was doing food-wise, not only was his recipe really good, he actually had his own...
Vincent Price’s Chicken Curry
Things are hotting up here in advance of Victoria Price's visit to London to launch the 50th Anniversary edition of The Treasury of Great Recipes. I'm involved in planning an event that will combine a film screening with a feast of food based on recipes in the...
Ross Martin’s Beef in Anchovy Cream
You know that feeling when you have the very first mouthful of something, and you can't help but close your eyes at the sheer deliciousness of it? So it was with Ross Martin's Beef in Anchovy Cream, made for our New Year's Eve din dins. I'm going to make...
Hollywood Burns Night Special!
Are you revving up for Sunday? I've got tartan serviettes and the most awesome Scottish themed shot glasses at the ready for our wee drams. Photos will follow! For now though, here's a link to my January column over at Eat Drink Films where you'll...
Anne Baxter’s Malibu Tuna Fish Supreme
Supreme? In what way is this supreme Anne? I'm disappointed in you! Mind you, I should have known just by reading the ingredients, but I liked the SOUND of it, so I decided to make it. A good recipe name can do a lot of convincing...
Roddy McDowall’s Red Cabbage
I love red cabbage and I made some of this to accompany the Corinne Griffith’s duck that we had at Mr R’s place over the festive season (recipe of the month January 2015 if you fancy trying it...) The day I decided to make it I saw a post over at My Custard Pie about...
Vincent Price’s Pineapple Nut Bread
My life has been changed forever by this book, I hope... A fair bit of toot and 30 books have left the building already, and there will be more sliding out the door over the next 6 months. For that's how long the process is going to take methinks, but I am ON...
Richard Basehart’s Frankfurters and Beans
Mental! Ha ha, these were bonkers but utterly delicious. I loved the recipe. Basically, fill your grill pan (brolier pan) with baked beans then sprinkle some parsley and brown sugar on top. Then split some frankfurters, bung on some mustard and dill...
Ross Martin’s Chocolate Mousse
For New Year's Eve I made the MOST DELICIOUS FILM STAR DISH EVER, Ross Martin's Beef in Anchovy Cream - oh my days, as the kids say. More on that soon... For pudding I made chocolate mousse to Ross' recipe but only half quantities as it was just me and Mr...
A Corinne Griffith Christmas
Mr Rathbone cooked a duck for our very own Christmas luncheon and I was chuffed when he said he wanted to use Corinne's recipe. It was again utterly delicious, and I've decided to leave the recipe up as recipe of the month for January so do try it if you like...
Susan Clark’s Shrimp Curry
I think it was Heather that said of this project that it was a folly of my own making, and it is absolutely true. I am COMPELLED to make these crazy film star recipes, even when I sometimes look at them askance and think: that sounds weird. So it was...
Edmund Gwenn’s Christmas Cup
On the Sunday before Christmas I had a "local drinks for local people" party and served the traditional EG Christmas Cup. This time, I put all the spices in a little muslin bag and this was a very good idea. Here's the recipe in case you are celebrating...
Jimmy Stewart’s American Apple Pie
I absolutely love it when readers of the blog get in touch with me. I've made chums that I will probably never meet in person this way, have swapped celebrity recipes with folks all around the world and have received some delightful photographs of people making...
Corinne Griffith’s Edna’s Christmas Pudding
Aw, the lovely folks over at EatDrinkFilms have made a beautiful job of illustrating my column this month which is all about Corinne's Christmas Pudding recipe. I particularly like this picture they chose, and I'll be putting this headdress on next year's list for...
Recipe of the Month – Corinne Griffith’s Wild Mexican Duck
When my mum offered me a frozen duck to take home when I visited recently she didn't have to ask twice. It was a wild duck, shot by my brother on one of his expeditions. Now, I am not The Pioneer Woman (although obviously, secretly, I often wish I was) and I have...
Joan Crawford Cookbook Prize Draw Winner
All the lovely people who hosted Joan Crawford dinner parties in November made me so, so happy. Seeing their photos and write-ups just made my year. Love the lovely internet! Everyone who participated went into a prize draw and one lucky person won a...
Joan Crawford’s Virtual Reality Dinner Party – Crepes Suzette
Ah, I am quite sad that this will be the last post about the lovely Joan party, it was so much FUN! But all good things must come to an end and I have to send special BRAVOS to Dottie and Stan (my mum and dad) and Greg of Greece for attempting the Crepes...
Joan Crawford Virtual Reality Dinner Party – Charcoal Broiled Steak
I love, love, love this photo of "Alfonse" at my folks place in Suffolk announcing the menu for their Joan Crawford Dinner Party. My mum's verdict on the steak: "Delish" seemed to be the universal reaction from around the world. If you like blue cheese,...
Joan Crawford Virtual Reality Dinner Party – Danti-Chips
Next on the menu for the worldwide Joan-fest were Danti-Chips. One of the proofreaders for my JC cookbook said that he'd searched high and low on the internet for a reference to Danti-Chips, so that he could check the spelling. The only references brought...
Joan Crawford Virtual Reality Dinner Party – Joan Crawford Cosmo Coctails
Kicking off my reports on the wild parties that went on all around the world to launch my Cooking With Joan Crawford cookbook, here are some lovely pix featuring the Joan Crawford Cosmo - a cocktail invented by yours truly to get the parties going with a swing. Before...
Joan Crawford’s Prosciutto Canapes
If you like melon and you like proscuitto you'll like these! Joan also suggests slices of fresh figs or wedges of fresh pears for your present wrapping skills... As the mention of going to see The Specials seemed to spark a lot of interest on the Social Media...
Bette Davis’ Split Pea Soup and Boston Baked Beans
This month's column is up over at www.eatdrinkfilms.com and it looks lovely. My neighbour's dog Ringo gets fame at last! Chewing on the Bette Davis Ham Bone! Both recipes are there and both are delicious. I am especially fond of Bette's Boston Baked Beans...
Jack Cassidy’s Rainbow Trout in a Pouch
Ooh, move over Gordon MacRae's Trout Almondine, this was great! Very flavoursome and weirdly, the trout was pinker than last night and the trout were definitely twins (bought side by side) so it must have been to do with the liquid I popped in the pouch, or the...
Joan Crawford’s Veal Mousse
If I am ever asked if there is anything I don't eat, I usually say, "I'm a bit weird about mushrooms, aubergines and shellfish but everything else is fine". If I'd been around in the 1930s and 1940s I would have defintely added "and vegetables set in aspic"....
Gordon MacRae’s Trout Almondine
I had fully intended making Jack Cassidy's "Trout in a Pouch" tonight but completely forgot to buy Chablis. I didn't think some old bit of undrunk, unidentified white wine hanging around the place would quite do, so that will be for tomorrow's tea instead. ...
Vincent Price’s Pineapple Nut Bread
It's the One Reeler Film Club at the Cinema Museum tonight so I have made a cake. It smells and looks delicious but I've never made it before so I'll have to wait until tonight to find out how it tastes. If it is good, I will return and type up the recipe...
Dean Martin’s Martin Burger
This sounds a bit like a Caker Cooking recipe. Ingredients - beef, salt, bourbon, TV tray. That's it! After last night's excitement I was shattered and didn't have the energy to leave the house, so missed the lovely Sara & Russell's party, and the...
Joan Crawford Virtual Reality Dinner Party at Silver Screen Suppers Towers
Photos are coming in thick and fast from all around the world of Joan themed dinner parties and I am just so thrilled! I've had pix from Greece, Australia, the US of A, the UAE, Devon, Cornwall, Walthamstow, round the corner in Muswell Hill and beyond! A preview...
Joan Crawford’s Coleslaw
Joan's recipe for Coleslaw appeared in the genius book "My Way of Life" and is a little bit vague. This to my mind is always a sign that the person writing the recipe really knows what they are doing. I am someone who likes to have every little detail...
Joan Crawford’s Hot Buttered Bread
Cutting the crusts off a loaf of bread then covering it with half a pound of butter sounds like a crazy thing to do right? Yes, I thought so too. When I told Mr R how much butter was involved in making this he made an exclamation that's not fit for a...
Joan Crawford Cookbook Launch Day!
It's out! My book is unleashed upon the world and naturally I am over-excited. You can check it out here, and if you click on the big picture when you get there, preview the first few pages. Aint it cute?! I am inordinately proud of it. I hope...
Joan Crawford Book Trailer
See my cookbooks! See my kitchen! See my kitchen record player with glasses of champagne on it! Watch out, this starts off without sound then "Let There Be Drums" kicks in loud.
Joan Crawford Cookalong 8th November 2014 Recipes and Cocktail
Every single man jack of you is invited to my Cooking With Joan Crawford book launch on Saturday. As I can't fit you all into my flat I've organised a virtual reality dinner party that everyone can participate in, wherever you are in the world. I've been...
Joan Crawford’s Chicken Livers Wrapped in Bacon
These were unanimously enjoyed at my Halloween party (although approached somewhat gingerly by a couple of guests). Liver is a funny thing. Here in the UK a lot of us associate it with school dinners. A tough lump of stuff dipped in flour and...
Vincent Price’s Ghoulish Goulash
Just a quick link to a lovely piece on the website of my lovely local butchers - Morley Butchers in Crouch End. I only popped in for a ham bone yesterday and it set in motion a wonderful chain of events.... Vincent Price's Goulish Goulash..... I am so...
Joan Crawford’s Smoked Salmon on Pumpernickel
Simple and classic. Rye bread, smoked salmon, capers and lemon wedges. I can't remember where I got these lovely round rye bread slices but I think it might have been the beloved Scandikitchen. Or it might have been Budgens in Crouch End as they often have...
Jean Arthur’s Chocolate Fudge
This post is in response to a sort of "request" from my twitterchums @getTV (www.get.tv), who linked to one of my posts about Jean Arthur's Chocolate Fudge yesterday for National Chocolate Day. Way back when I made it in 2009 I just couldn't get it to set, but...
The Joan Crawford Cosmo Cocktail
I pressed the "publish" button for my book on Friday - eek! I've been celebrating all weekend. Here I am, cocktail in one hand, proof copy in the other. Don't I look pleased with myself?! Well I AM pleased with myself. It was a lot of...
Joan Crawford’s Fruit Appetizer
Joan's directions for this recipe were to put a tablespoon of mint ice in the bottom of a tall stemmed glass before adding strawberries and pineapple and dusting with powdered / icing sugar. I wasn't sure what she meant by mint ice so I froze some mint tea in an...
Joan Crawford’s Roquefort Salad
This is probably the weirdest thing I have made in over 8 years of trying the favourite recipes of movie stars. Very weird indeed. Did I eat it? Well, I tried it. I ate about half of one of these delightfully shaped cheese balls... It...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapés Party 4, part 1
This is the first part of a whistle stop tour of the dishes served at the fourth testing party for the Hollywood Cocktails and Canapés book Nathalie and I are planning to cobble together. Phew. Most of these dishes will probably make it into the book,...
Joan Crawford’s Cheese and Bean Casserole
It must be wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy past my bedtime because Janice Long is on the radio. For young folks, or my chums who are not UK based, this is basically the equivalent of going to a really fabulous party, leaving, and then finding out that it's light outside...
Joan Crawford’s Charcoal Broiled Steak with Roquefort Sauce
I've just spent a glorious weekend at the seaside with 4 very old and very dear friends. This month marks a major anniversary of the year that we as fresh faced young idiots left our family homes and went to the esteemed University of Kent at Canterbury to muck...
Joan Crawford’s Squab with Wild Rice and Green Peas
There was much sniggering in my open plan office when I made a phone call and said, "can I order three pigeons please?" James who sits behind me said, "can't you just get them from outside the railway station?" Followed by, "will they each have one mangled...
Clark Gable’s Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
I knew I had made one of these before, because of the post-it notes on my recipe book. But there was no blog entry for it. Mysterious... Mr Gable might have enjoyed this... But for me it was a terrible failure... Even Betty Crocker's Chocolate Fudge Icing...
Joan Crawford’s Salad (Joan served with chicken or ham)
I had a day off work yesterday to finish the Cooking With Joan Crawford book. Is it finished? Sort of. MAN it's been a lot of work. I have a renewed admiration for all cookbook writers and Frank DeCaro in particular. Lord only knows how...
Joan Crawford’s Lemon Pie
In my fading memory, Lemon Meringue Pie was something my mum made for us all when we were kids (I have four siblings) and in my mind’s eye I see massive peaks of meringue all browned on the edges like this one by James Martin... BUT, my mum used to work all the hours...
Joan Crawford’s French Banana Salad
Does anyone remember Ask The Family with Robert Robertson? My favourite thing about that show was the section where they showed an extreme close up photograph of an everyday object like a can opener, and the family had to guess what it was. They could have used...
Irene Dunne’s Vinegar Chocolate Cake
I got up early on Saturday to make a birthday cake for Mr R's sis. I'd never made a cake in a gas oven before and I was a bit perturbed by the seemingly feeble temperature but it turned out fine in the end. I'm making another one of these tomorrow morning for...
Ralph Bellamy’s El 2-Alarm de Fowler – en el estilo de Bellamy
I am always attracted to recipes with weird names, so this chili was a must: - El 2-Alarm de Fowler – en el estilo de Bellamy. I’m guessing that this basically means 2-Alarm chili in the style of Ralph Bellamy? The phrase 2-Alarm chili meant nothing to me...
Robert Mitchum’s Chili Wonder
This month's column over at the fabulous Eat Drink Films is about Robert's Chili. To say Mitchum was a chili head is an understatement. Read all about it and get his recipe here I'm not sure who I fancy more at the moment. Mitchum: or Gable?...
Joan Crawford’s Creamed White Onions in a Red Pepper Cup
These are weird but I like them. Alex James from Blur wasn't keen though as you'll see from my appearance on Market Kitchen a couple of years ago... Here's one just about to go in the oven. I couldn't find any small white onions so I used little round...
Cary Grant Mushroom Canapés for the Cary Grant Festival
Oooh, how I wish I could be in Bristol this weekend. They are having a Cary Grant Festival - it looks amazing. One of the organisers Charlotte Croft emailed to ask if I would send Cary's Mushroom Canapés recipe which I duly did. So if you hot foot it...
Joan Crawford’s Crepes Suzette
When I told Mr R that Crepes Suzette were on the menu his response was: “I’m not sure if I eat that” but when asked if he knew what it was, he admitted that he wasn’t sure. I said, “you make pancakes, then pour brandy over them, then set fire to them.” I am getting...
From the Frozen Archives – Vincent Price’s New Year Vol au Vent and Vincent Price’s Coq Au Vin
I always feel weird serving guests things from my freezer, it feels like cheating. But I'm so flat out with Joan Crawford at the moment, it's a Godsend to find so many weird and wonderful things in the frozen archives when I am pressed for time. Thus a...
Recipe of the Month – Deborah Kerr’s Coconut Scones
Not sure why Deborah calls these scones, they would be cookies to Americans or to us Brits, biscuits. Deborah was English, so she should have known a scone when she saw one. What do Americans call scones, biscuits? All very confusing. Scones,...
Joan Crawford’s Cheese Straws
These are stupendous. I defy anyone to make them and then resist eating at least 6 or 7 before guests arrive. This is a photo reference for the Joan Crawford Cookbook when it comes out in November... I'm working on it like a mad thing to get it
Joan Crawford’s Danti-Chips
It was the 10th anniversary of my book group last night. 10 years of about 6 or 7 books a year multiplied by about 7 or 8 bottles of wine consumed at each book group dinner = probably around 500 bottles of wine. Ha ha. Last night was no exception,...
Reader’s Pictures – Burt Lancaster’s Boeuf Bourguignon
I was unusually organised for Sunday’s Silent Stars Cocktails and Canapes party. I had spent hours poring over recipes, coming up with proposed menus, sending recipes over to Nathalie for consideration, making endless lists and spending HOURS on my Ocado home delivery...
Fred MacMurray’s Chocolate Fudge Upside Down Cake
When there is a birthday at work I usually make a cake. As my life is pretty chaotic (which actually, I imagine anyone’s life is, in this day and age) I always rack my brains for something I can get up at 6 for, to make on the day, and not be too late for my 9.30am...
Film Star Guacamoles
My September feature for Eat Drink Films is up, and it is all about guacamole this month. I have tested more movie star guacamole than you could shake a chili at over the last few weeks. I am carrying around a guacamole baby alongside the noodle baby at the...
Joan Crawford’s Turkey and Noodles Alfredo
You know when you see recipes in a magazine and they specifically say that it’s something that is perfect for a weeknight dinner? Well this one definitely is. I got home at 7, rustled it up for me and my chum Heather, we ate it and washed up, and were both in our own...
Joan Crawford’s Pork Chops With Fried Apple Rings
I’m writing this in the “Joan Zone” – Mr R’s name for the writing desk in my bedroom. I wanted to create a space that would help me to concentrate on all the many things I need to do before the book launch. I’ve moved away from “Columbo Corner” (the comfy sofa in the...
Joan Crawford’s Wilted Spinach Salad
I love this spinach salad. It's easy peasy, tasty and fairly healthy... Reminds me of the Vincent Price Wilted Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing I have made a few times. Both lovely, although Vincent's version includes eggs... My recipe for...
Joan Crawford’s Salad Number One
Mmmmm - avocado, pineapple, cottage cheese... Delicious! I'm gathering together all photos of Joan Crawford dishes already made and posting them here in the next few weeks. The Joan Crawford Cookbook will be published on Saturday 8th November (see here for a...
Ralph Bellamy’s No 2: El 2-Alarm de Fowler En el Estilo de Bellamy
Well that's a mouthful and no mistake! I always like a recipe with a slightly weird title so I decided to try this one out for a forthcoming Eat Drink Films article about film star chili recipes. It was GOOD. Ralph recommends accompanying the chili...
Joan Crawford’s Salad Number Two
This is the second in my flurry of Joan Crawford recipe pics. This salad isn't as photogenic as the Nice Salad for a Squab Dinner but it was almost as tasty. I'm a bit obsessed with mandarin segments after making the previous salad. The tinned fruit...
Joan Crawford’s Nice Salad for a Squab Dinner
This is the first in a flurry of posts about Joan Crawford recipes ahead of the book launch - eek! There are no food photos in the book, just pictures of the lovely Joan, so this is the place for them. First here's an easy fresh salad - just lettuce and mandarin...
Recipe of the Month – Jimmy Stewart’s Fried Chicken Imperial
I have a new friend in the kitchen. My chums Michelle and Tony are moving to Hastings soon and I won't half miss them. Luckily I have inherited a whopping great cactus from them to look after. It now resides by the kitchen window and will no doubt...
The Joan Crawford Cookbook Prototype!
Oh my days (as the kids say)! The prototype for my Joan Crawford Cookbook arrived on Wednesday and I am so thrilled with it. Would you like a sneaky peak? Here's the cover: and here is one of the recipe pages: Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! I am...
Vincent Price’s Pepitas a la Curry
These are BRILLIANT! I’ve been meaning to have a go at these for years, and I finally got around to it. Partly because a little jar of these have been earmarked as one of my competition prizes. They will be heading to the States sometime soon. I gave a little jar to...
Viveca Lindfors’ Coconut Cake
Did you ever want to change your Christian name? I did, and I have. The name most people know me by (Jenny) is not the name on my birth certificate. But I’m not telling you what my real name is, because that way ridicule lies. When people find out, there is generally...
Warner Baxter’s Chilli
Vic came over for a Rockford Files last night and I had planned to serve up a chilli. I foolishly strayed from the preferred path of matching the recipe to the event. Instead of making a James Garner chilli (which I know from experience is the BEST chilli...
Jane Wyatt’s Beer Bread Version 2
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm - this was even nicer than the first time. For this version I used Hammerton's Oyster Stout aka Pentonville which made for a darker, and for some reason moister, (is moister a word?) bread. I thought it was delicious! Isn't this a wonderful...
The Louella Parsons Cocktail
All of the film star recipes I make and write about here have some kind of provenance. They are either something the star claimed to make themselves, or something they stated was their fave thing to eat in a particular Hollywood eating establishment, OR...
Shelley Winters’ Chicken a la Shelley
Ooh, this is a nice easy one to have up your sleeve (so to speak). I’m a big fan of Shelley. I love her hanky-wringing character in A Place in the Sun. Let's face it, when your hangdog boyfriend claps eyes on Elizabeth Taylor at her glorious best, you are not going to...
Yul Brynner’s Potatoes in Sour Cream
My second article for Eat Drink Films is live today and you can nip over there for Yul’s recipe. It’s very good - here's the link to the recipe: Yul Brynner's Potatoes in Sour Cream and here are a few photos of some I made earlier… I used Maris Piper potatoes. I used...
Recipe of the Month – Yul Brynner’s Beef With Basil
The August recipe is up and it's absolutely delicious. One of those dishes that whenever I think about it I start licking my lips and thinking, I must make that again. I loved it. It is here if you are checking in August 2014 - if at any other time...
Vincent Price’s Saffron Rice
I like a rice you bake in the oven, especially when it is baking hot in the kitchen. Mine gets very hot and steamy if there are lots of things on the hob and at the moment in the UK we are having a HEATWAVE. It’s lovely. For the book group I had made the...
Vincent Price’s Chicken Curry
It was my turn to host the book group last week and it is now tradition that I make a 10 boy curry. We didn’t have the 10 boys parading around with the condiments, they were on the sideboard, or the “buffeteria” as Lindsey christened it the last time we had a 10...
Jane Wyatt’s Beer Bread
It’s been all about the beer this week as the big news is: Hammerton beer has arrived in Muswell Hill! The delightful Prohibition Wines on Fortis Green Road is stocking the family brew. I am DONE FOR! I stocked up a bit and did my first experimental batch...
Yul Brynner’s Sauteed Broccoli
My lovely penpal Margie in Atlanta mentioned ages ago that she’d spotted a Yul Brynner cookbook and I’m not sure why I didn’t get on the ebay machine immediately and buy one. No matter, his card was picked from the pack for recipe of the month for August so I...
Book Test Cook 23a – Clark Gable’s Venison Caledonian Style
Hereby follows a salutary tale. Battenburg Belle has told me that we must admit to our failures as well as our successes so here goes. So I bought all the gubbins for Clark’s dish including a LOT of expensive venison. Made the marinade including some red...
Madeleine Carroll’s Sauterne Punch
I made a lovely boozy batch of this for the Naughty Habits Strolling Supper Club that Battenburg Belle and I collaborated on a few weeks ago. It was wonderful evening and BB has written about it more eloquently than I can over here. The punch was a big...
Ina Claire’s Salad Dressing Claire
Salad season is upon us. I’m trying to be healthy this week as I’ve been boozing it up and not eating particularly well. So today I bought loads of saladings (as they call them at the Muswell Hill Horticultural Society) and made a lovely fresh salad for my...
Vincent Price’s Tarte Aux Framboises – First Prize!
I was thrilled to get a first prize for my Vincent Price Raspberry Tart. I made it exactly to Vincent’s instructions in the “Treasury”. The only thing I did differently was to use cherry brandy rather than raspberry liqueur as I’d bunged all of that in my...
Alice Gordon’s Gooseberry Jam – 2nd Prize!
I love goosegogs so when I spotted this recipe for jam I decided it could be a contender for the Muswell Hill Horticultural Society Summer Show. There are only 5 categories in the cookery section in the Summer show, unlike the Spring show which has approximately...
Vincent Price’s Blueberry Muffins – 3rd Prize!
The results of the Muswell Hill Horticultural Society Summer Show Cookery Classes are IN. I was awarded one FIRST, one SECOND and one THIRD. Third was for my Vincent Price Blueberry Muffins. Read all about them and get the recipe here…...
James Garner’s Chilli / Chili / Chile
Stop press! James Garner's daughter Gigi got in touch via Twitter about this recipe. She thinks it may be her grandfather's recipe rather than her father's. I am devastated! I knew JG was a judge for the National Chili Championships so assumed...
Book Test Cook 27 – Diana Dors’ Easy Fruit Cake
Oh the shame of it, like a stake through the heart. The judges at the Muswell Hill Horticultural Society Spring Show thought my fruit cake was “very tasty but just a little dry”. Oof! This post is therefore a note to self about what might have caused...
Vincent Price’s Blueberry Muffins
Happy National Blueberry Muffin Day! The first of my monthly columns on the lovely Eat Drink Films website is up! Isn't it lovely? Vincent Price Blueberry Muffins Here's some I made earlier... Thanks Vincent!
Recipe of the Month – James Mason’s Plum Jam
Do you have a "to-do" list? Is it massive? Is there something on there that doesn't get done, for months and months and months? I'm going to try and make my to-do list more like Johnny Cash's... For me, the thing that's been hanging around on the to-do...
Vincent Price’s Quiche Lorraine
Want to hear the most exciting news EVER? There is going to be a 50th Anniversary Edition of Mary and Vincent Price's "A Treasury of Great Recipes". Pass me the smelling salts! Yinzerella over at Dinner is Served alerted me to this, and sent me over me to...
First Annual Pieathalon – Mile High Lemon Chiffon Pie
Call the exaggeration police! This Mile High Lemon Chiffon Pie should be renamed the One Inch High Lemon Chiffon Pie. I was sooooooo excited to get my recipe for the first annual Pieathalon, organised by my cyberchum Yinzerella over at Dinner Is Served...
The Shellac Sisters at Glastonbury
It's official! The Shellac Sisters smashed it at Glastonbury! Armed with four gramophones and six boxes of 78rpms we trotted down to the Glade each day for 3pm to charm festival-goers with our old-skool tunes. They loved us! Highlights for me...
With My Shellac Sisters Hat On – Glastonbury Festival Alert!
I'm going to be DJing with The Shellac Sisters at Glastonbury Festival. No kidding. Come on down and see us if you are so inclined! We'll be taking four 1920s wind up gramophones and four hundred weight of 78rpm records.... Normal service will be...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 3 – Jackie Cooper’s Gingerbread Men
It's the last of my posts about the cocktails and canapes party - phew! I feel a bit sad and have the song "The Party's Over" going around in my head... No need to be sad, it was FAB and there will be another... Nathalie made some Gingerbread Men to Jackie...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 3 – Bob Hope’s Favourite Lemon Pie
This really must be Bob's favourite lemon pie, I have a recipe for this in 13 different sources. I bet that after a while, every time anyone ever asked him for a recipe he told his secretary to "send them the old lemon pie recipe". I may, at some point,...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 3 – Dorothy Wilson’s New Chicken Salad
This was really lovely. Chunks of chicken in a creamy sauce, cooked up in a double boiler. The kind of “cooked dressing” that seemed to be very popular in the 1930s. It reminded me a bit of a posh Heinz Toast Topper type mixture, but it was super tasty....
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 3 – Juliette Compton’s Green Olive Mustard Butter Sandwiches
I liked the idea of serving a couple of different finger sandwiches at our party and this loony looking recipe caught my eye. It’s got olives, mustard, butter, hard boiled eggs and some other stuff I can’t remember, in. I’m not at home near my recipes so...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 3 – Ginger Rogers’ Peanut Parsley Sandwiches
There is no denying that these were a big hit. One minute the plate looked like this: The next minute it looked like this: I didn't even get one! These were the first thing to get completely scoffed. I'm going to make this again because it is a combination...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 3 – Bill Boyd’s Peanut Butter Croquettes
These were the last things I made for the party. The guests were already arriving, and I was already drinking Vincent Price Tonics and New Fashioneds, so I missed part of the recipe. After mixing the peanut butter into the cooked rice and making them into little...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 3 – Margaret Sullavan’s Manhattan Salad
Note to self and everyone else who might attempt this, jelly/jello takes a lot longer to set than you would expect. You have to make this the day before your party and keep shaking it at regular intervals to see if it is ready to bung all the walnuts, apple and...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 3 – Annette Funicello – Baby Kebobs
At the last cocktails and canapés party there was much talk about the word Kebob as opposed to Kebab (which is what we call them here in the UK). At this cocktails and canapés party there was much talk about haircuts. I was saying how well I remember the...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 3 – Gene Barry’s Kibbee
I knew these were good as I’d made them before. I love it when you find all the cinammony pine nuts inside. Julie suggested making them a bit smaller as she found chomping on a whole one a bit difficult. I think she is absolutely right. Bite...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes party 3 – Spring Byington’s Tangy Cheese Dip
First ingredient in Spring’s ingredient list was “1 pint cottage cheese”. A PINT of cottage cheese? I was puzzling over this measurement and looking at the 600g pot I had bought when Mr R had a bright idea. He got a can of San Miguel out of the...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes party 3 – Ginger Rogers’ Grape Mint Punch
Nathalie made some of this at home and brought it over in lovely bottles with hand made labels. Tres chic and very tasty. Directions were to add water, but as the party progressed, guests diverted from this and topped it up with Prosecco – booze...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes party 3 – Vincent Price’s New Fashioneds
Some folks opted to have another pink tonic rather than the booze fuelled New Fashioneds but I preferred these of the two. They sure packed a punch. Too busy drinking them to get a good photo... Recipe for these is as follows: A lump of sugar dissolved with 3...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 3 – Vincent Price’s Pink Tonics
The world cup has just started and hence normal service at Silver Screen Suppers Towers will be interrupted. I’ll be drip-feeding some findings on the third of the recipe testing parties Nathalie and I have thrown whenever I get a few moments away from the...
Guild of Food Writers Awards and a Book Update of sorts…
Ooh, ooh! I met my hero on Thursday - YOTAM OTTOLENGHI. Oh it was so exciting! It never would have happened if I hadn't have been so merry on red wine, and chatting to Heather from Cook Up a Party at the Guild Awards after-party. I said, "ooh,...
Celia Johnson’s Chocolate Sponge Cake
A long time ago I changed the "Sent from my iPhone" sign off to: "Sent from the land of the Celia Johnson Chocolate Sponge Cake" and never got around to changing it. When I booked a fishing trip with Stacey aboard the Lady Grace she sent a response confirming...
Book Test Cook 26 – Stan Laurel’s Stuffed Baked Fish
You know a true friend when they give you a part baked home made baguette the day before you go on your holidays and say: "you can take that for the Company Shed". Battenburg Belle, Queen of Baking, knows me so well. Here's some she made earlier. The...
Debbie Reynolds’ Chicken a la Honolulu
When Mr R told an Italian work colleague where he was going for his holiday (Mersea Island off the coast of Essex) he was told, “Meh, it isn’t very exotica” (in an Italian accent). But you know what? I think it is VERY exotic. Especially when you can...
Liberace’s Special 15-Minute Eggs
Eggs, butter, cheese, cream… How could it be anything else but delicious? And delicious it was! Yinzerella over at Dinner is Served 1972 was celebrating Liberace’s birthday all week, and I decided to join her from across the Atlantic. Does Liberace...
Bette Davis’ Boston Baked Beans
I'm thrilled to be featured on Emerald Street today. So if you are visiting from there, welcome to the wonderful world of film star dining and drinking! Check out your favourite stars from the side-bar or just have a roam around... As the article mentioned...
Yvonne Mitchell’s Salad Nicoise
Ooooh Tooona. Chicken of the sea… Sometimes I get a powerful craving for it and when I saw some French beans in my fridge that needed using up, my immediate thought was SALAD NICOISE. I checked out the spreadsheet and I have 3 film star recipes for Salad...
Doris Day Day 3 – Peach Angel Food Cake
This was mighty fine. Although Doris’s recipe calls for an Angel Food Cake mix: you can’t get one of those for love nor money in the UK, so in a reversal of all that I have learned via Caker Cooking, I made one from scratch. To Rita Hayworth’s recipe which...
Doris Day Day 2 – Stuffed Potatoes
Do you know that Della Reese song, “It’s So Nice To Have a Man Around the House”? I love it. Especially the bit that goes: "...Just a guy in pipe and slippers Who will share your breakfast kippers And will help you zip your zippers, it’s so nice..."...
Doris Day Day – Paprika Steak
YUM. Mmmm. This recipe was good. Made for Easter Monday when I organised a little celebration of the glorious entity that is Doris Day. She was ninety recently and hearing her on the transistor radio chatting to Michael Ball the other day, she...
Diana Dors’ Breakfast Bean Omelette
I am on a diet. Boring but true. As I was home alone on Bank Holiday Monday I thought I’d check out what Diana recommended for breakfast on the X-cel Diet. I have much to say about Diana and her diet. In fact, am slightly obsessed with...
Gene Barry’s Kibbee
Do you talk in your sleep? I sure do. Mr Rathbone wrote down some things I said last night. The first bit went as follows: Me: I don’t know where to start baby, shall we start with the big first Columbo? Does that have the snow toast people in...
Vincent Price’s Quince Marmalade
I won an Oscar last week! Well, the film archiving world's equivalent of an Oscar. I am the proud recipient of the Focal International Footage Employee of the Year Award. Look how happy I am about it. It's a bit like winning the Best Actress at...
Benny Hill’s Tomato and Courgette Salad
I am a Hammerton (it’s my surname) and I love beer. Can you imagine how happy I was last Wednesday to be at the soft launch of the HAMMERTON BREWERY?! My genius nephew Lee has resurrected a Hammerton business dormant since the late 1950s, and his first brews...
Recipe of the Month – David Niven’s Fish Cakes
David Niven was plucked from the pack for this month’s recipe of the month and it’s a goodie. I love fish cakes. I like the way David writes a recipe too… I’m going to transcribe his recipe exactly as he wrote it, then let you know how I actually...
Tippi Hedren’s Golden Potato Salad
My neighbour (and matchmaker extraordinaire) Chloë has asked me to write something for a pitch she is doing for a publisher. She’s creating a brand new magazine and it sounds like it will rock. I might have a regular column about film star recipes. ...
Book Test Cook 25 – Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies
It was annual Duckie Day chez Mr R yesterday and he cooked up a divine combination of perfectly roasted duck, corn on the cob, brussels sprouts, roast potatoes and roast parsnips. Bloody gorgeous. I wanted to make a cake but was somewhat restricted by Mr...
Vincent Price’s Buckingham Eggs
When I was single Buckingham Eggs was my regular “Spinster Saturday” treat. I love this stuff. Anchovies. Mmmm. Eggs. Mmmmm. Cheese. Mmmmm. I was on my lonesome most of the weekend before Easter, and I had a bit of a trip down...
Happy Easter – Lamb Cake
I am so proud of my lamb cake I had to share it, even though it is not a film star recipe. What do you think? When I first put his googly eyes on he looked a bit worried... But not as worried as when we sliced his bum off... I have to say a big thank-you to my...
James Mason’s Plum Jam
I have decided. I am no good at making jam. This was my third attempt at this jam and although I thought it was pretty much a fail, the judges at the Muswell Hill Horticultural Show thought differently and awarded it second prize. I’m not going to...
Vincent Price’s Scotch Shortbread
After the disaster that was Myrna Loy's Shortbread I wasn't sure about entering this category for the MHHSSS (see previous post) but I spotted this recipe in The Treasury of Great Recipes and it sounded good. And good it certainly was. I did everything...
Silver Screen Stars at the Muswell Hill Horticultural Society Spring Show
Helped by the stars of the silver screen, I won a TROPHY on Saturday. I won the Cookery Cup at the Muswell Hill Horticultural Society Spring Show. GET ME! Quite frankly I am exhausted, so I'll be having an early night tonight rather than ranting and raving...
James Mason’s Plum Jam
I have had one huge success and one huge failure in the kitchen this week… You know how it is when the hardest person to please can make you the very happiest by damning with faint praise? I spent last week in charge of making sure my god-daughter did her...
Vincent Price’s Racquet Club Spiced Vinegar
I am shocked to the core. Today when I got home from work, the Muswell Hill & District Horticultural Society Handbook and Schedule of Spring, Summer and Autumn Shows 2014 was on my doormat. Despite assurances from the committee that the cookery...
Vincent Price’s Pots De Creme Chocolat
Chocolate mousse was obviously a big favourite in the world of puds for movie stars. I have recipes by Deborah Kerr, Jack Hobbs, Moira Lister, Raymond Burr, Rose Martin, Wendy Toye, Agnes Ayres, and Carol Burnett. There are possibly more tucked away under...
Reader’s Report – Burt Lancaster’s Boeuf Bourguignon
Today I have a fabulous report from my old mucker Gus. When I lived on a houseboat Gus lived on the boat next door and much fun was had by us shouting at each other through our respective kitchen windows, feeding the swans that swum up and down between our two...
Book Test Cook 24 – Elizabeth Taylor’s Chicken Steamed in White Wine
A couple of people recently have asked me what my favourite film star recipe is. For a long time I have said Marlene Dietrich's Lamb Chops En Casserole but I have switched recently to Liz's chicken. It is simple and utterly delicious, and the use of a posh...
Recipe of the Month – Lana Turner’s Scampi
What is scampi? It’s complicated. For me, the word scampi puts me in mind of something I loved when I was a little kid and my parents took me out to dinner. Scampi in a basket seemed like a VERY sophisticated dish for a pre-teen at the Berni Inn....
Guild of Food Writers Nordic Cuisine Workshop
Last night I had the best meal of my life. After it was all over, I was in a kind of dumbstruck food shock state. Everything had been so wonderful, I eventually announced: "That's the best meal I have ever eaten that I paid for myself!" but after obsessing...
Mary Martin’s Colonial Chicken
Mr Rathbone loves toad in the hole so for Valentine’s night I decided to do chicken in-a-toad-in-the-hole-style. Hen in the hole if you will… For me the chicken was not finger licking… I was in one of those fearful cooking moods. The chicken was top...
Rochelle Hudson’s Coffee Cake
The date of the Muswell Hill Horticultural Society Spring Show has been set and the cookery categories have been announced – exactly the same as last year. Hence much good-natured rivalry between myself and Battenburg Belle has commenced. Coffee Cake is...
Vincent Price’s Chicken Livers Sauteed with Apples and Onion Rings
Hereby follows a fabulous guest post by Uncle Vic, my ex boyfriend, current neighbour and lover of all things Vincent Price related.... This was Vic's challenge for the Vincent Price Halloween Cookalong, but he was poleaxed by lack of cooking pans in his own...
Book Test Cook 23 – Clark Gable’s Venison Caledonian Style
Ooh, I do love venison. It is so rich and delicious and flavoursome and lean and it always seems extravagant. Clark’s method is a really nice way of cooking it – marinating it for aaaaages in red wine, oil, vinegar and herbs then cooking it up in an...
Silver Screen Suppers – The Book – February Update
I promised a little monthly update on book writing progress so here goes... Like Elvis, my book has left the building. It's gone over to Lisa at Write the Freakin' Book for a big picture edit. Gulp. Lisa will be the first person to read the...
James Garner’s Oklahoma Chili
Stop press! James Garner's daughter Gigi got in touch via Twitter about this recipe. She thinks it may be her grandfather's recipe rather than her father's. I am devastated! I knew JG was a judge for the National Chili Championships so assumed that this recipe...
Vincent Price’s “New Fashioned” Cocktail
When I made the Vincent Price Chinese Chicken on Saturday afternoon I followed his instructions to sip on a "New Fashioned" as I basted my chicken every now and then. I always do as Vincent suggests, because he KNOWS so much stuff about eating and drinking. His...
Vincent Price’s Chinese Chicken
On Saturday night I had to take a buffet style dish to "Strictly Fortismere" a Strictly Come Dancing type affair at my god-daughter's school. Her mum (Battenburg Belle) in a moment of madness had volunteered to do a tango. It was brilliant. And VP's...
Book Test Cook 22 – Hattie McDaniel’s Sweetcorn Pudding
This is one of the easiest recipes destined for the book and one of the nicest too. I really love it. But then, sweetcorn is one of my ultimate top three super-foods. 1 = Peanut Butter. 2 = Sweetcorn. 3 = and nothing really comes close to...
Book Test Cook 21 – Claudette Colbert’s Claudette Colbert Cake plus Rita Hayworth’s Angel Cake
I wanted to make a special cake for Battenburg Belle’s birthday and this is the most special one that I know of. Claudette says to get hold of an angel cake and then give it the lemony treatment by making a lemon curd filling and a lemon icing dribbled over the...
Virginia Verrill’s Tipsy Parson Pudding
First the recipe, then lots of stuff about tidying food cupboards and a genius Burns Night... 1 pint milk 4 egg yolks 4 tablespoons sugar Pinch of salt Lady fingers or sponge cake Sherry wine Scald milk in a double boiler. Beat the egg yolks, add a little of the...
Vincent Price’s Poached Eggs Harlequin
Mmmm. Yes. I do like these. Mr R however, has something against stuff that "moves around on the plate" so I made him a naked version with the sauce on the side. He took dainty tastes of it from the tip of his knife. He's a very graceful...
Paul Newman’s Marinated Steak
Some nights you just need a steak and tonight was one of those nights. Luckily due to the 3 yearly freezer amnesty, I happened to extract one yesterday and marinated it as per Paul’s instructions ready to grill when I got home from work – sooooo easy. It...
Vincent Price Quince Marmalade
Mmmmmmmmarmalade… This marmalade is darn good. Reminds me a bit of Rose’s Lime Marmalade for some reason. (thanks to fab new website discovery The Middle Class Handbook for the pic) Do quinces taste like limes in some circumstances? I do not...
Burt Lancaster’s Beef Bourguingnon
It was a miserable rainy day here in London on Saturday and perfect for spending all afternoon in the kitchen. Burt’s beef bubbled away on the stove and I made a fancy shepherd’s pie too. When I went to Suffolk to my folks for Christmas I was in dire need...
Charlie Chaplin’s Apple Roll – Reader’s Report
I attempted this once and ended up with an inedible block of chewy pastry surrounding a pile of undercooked apples - mmm - doesn't this look nice? but Battenburg Belle offered to have a go, and of course created something divine. Fork holes! I think my first...
Gracie Fields’ Toad in the Hole
Ee by gum! Mr Rathbone had the choice of anything he wanted for his pre birthday dinner and he selected Toad in the Hole. Last time I made this for him I did Vincent Price's recipe but this time I chose our Gracie's - seen below in all its splendour. In...
Review of the Silver Screen Suppers Year and Culinary Bucket List
It's been a fabulous year at Silver Screen Suppers Towers and I've had fun looking through the year's posts to pick out the highlights. The BEST thing I did, without a doubt, was the Vincent Price Halloween Cookalong. That created so much fun and hilarity not...
Vincent Price Treasury Pilgrimage – Visit 7 – The Hole in the Wall, Bath
Every year since 2006 my chum Heather and I go on a romantic mini break. It stems from the days we were both single and we got fed up with all our friends going away with their boyfriends for city breaks so we decided to go on one ourselves. We take it in...
Merry Christmas from Silver Screen Suppers
Wishing all my readers wonderful times with their friends and families over the festive season. More fabulous food and drink suggestions from Joan, Bette, Clark, Carole, Clara, Mae, Vincent and all my other favourites coming in 2014. I raise a turkey leg and a...
Peter Finch’s Curried Lamb Sumatra
I’m a big fan of Johna Blinn who wrote the Celebrity Cookbook. It’s a fab, fab, fab weighty tome published in 1981. But despite my 8 years of trawling around the internet for film star recipes I have only just found out that she wrote another film star related...
Corinne Griffith’s Edna’s Christmas Pudding
As Chief Executive of Silver Screen Suppers I have made an executive decision. No newsletter this month and therefore no new recipe of the month. So Basil's curry is up for another month - yipee! Life is just too crazy in December with birthdays,...
Madeleine Carroll’s Sauterne Punch
Hmm. This looked cute in my new punchbowl but would probably be more of a summer picnic drink than a fully fueled alcoholic party drink. Guests kept asking if there was any alcohol in it - yes! Two bottles of dessert wine and half a bottle of...
Edmund Gwenn’s Christmas Cup
Oh this is GOOD. And what is more CHEAP. I wanted to do two types of punch for my Christmas drinks party and Edmund's sounded easy and good. It cost me about £4 for two litres compared to about £25 for the Madeleine Carroll's Sauterne Punch - and I...
Basil Rathbone’s India Curry
Ptolemy and Keith came to dinner recently and I decided to do a Vincent Price and Basil Rathbone curry combination. I told Ptolemy we’d be having a “Ten Boy Curry” via email and she admitted a sense of disappointment, expecting a takeaway from our local Indian...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party Overview
The second of the cocktails and canapés tasting parties happened last Sunday at Nathalie’s place and was a great success. We are planning a little book of these so are trying out a selection with our chums and gleaning comments and opinions about which ones work...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 2 – Errol Flynn’s Deviled Tomatoes
When I made these a while back they looked like a right dog's dinner so I loved the way Nathalie served these up – on individual spoons. Very sophisticated. These were very popular and Nathalie and I discussed possibly doing these with cherry tomatoes next...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 2 – Cary Grant’s Mushroom Canapes
These probably caused the most consternation amongst our guests. I think everyone wanted to like them, because everyone likes Cary. But they are indeed a bit weird. Most folks aren’t used to tinned mushrooms these days, but we wanted to do the...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 2 – Gracie Fields’ Potted Shrimp
Loved the way Nathalie plated these up – on a big plate! We’d thought about doing them in little shot glasses but there were a lot of guests and not a lot of shot glasses. I’m going to start haunting all the charity shops in the new year… My favourite...
Hollywood Coctktails and Canapes Party 2 – Robert Taylor’s Kabobs
Nathalie’s beau made these and they were really delicious. The beef was marinated in soya sauce and was juicy and tasty. We might do these again on little metal toothpicks with just one piece of meat and a tomato (as opposed to Mr R’s favourite sausage...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 2 – Barbara Britton’s Party Gingerbread
Nathalie is a much better baker than I am. Barbara’s Gingerbread was very light and fluffy. I seem to remember when I made gingerbread (Bonita Granville’s) it was not much cop, but Nathalie’s was LOVELY. Mmmm. I have a bit of that in my takeaway...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 2 – Bill Bixby’s Zucchini Bread
Nathalie thought this would be a savoury bread but it turned out to be a cake. No matter, it was really delicious. I think this could be the way forward for me and cakes. Cakes made with vegetables in. Yes. I really, really liked this. I...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 2 – Ramon Navarro’s Guacamole
The guacamole and the potted shrimp probably got the most comments on our little comments card. Lots of people loved the fact that it had grapes in. Lawrence said that they made it lighter somehow. I’m going to do that in future now, or pomegranate seeds which...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 2 – Vic Damone’s Muffin Pizzas
These were good. Very good. Very, very good in fact. Of the four things I made, these were the best. Yummy. Condensed tomato soup, olives, spring onions, anchovies, cheese – delicious. I cut each muffin half into four little tidbits and...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 2 – Myrna Loy’s Shortbread
It’s a long time since there has been a FAIL here at Silver Screen Suppers Towers but Myrna’s shortbread was close to a fail. It was OK, but that is all. Texture was fine but main problem was, not enough sugar for the modern taste. Therefore, this won’t be...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party 2 – Lionel Barrymore’s Horseradish Eggs
I thought these were very pretty. I was hoping that I’d be able to pipe the filling into a little rosette shape like I imagined folks would have done in the 1970s but it was runnier and so I spooned it in. Delicious. I loved these little eggs. ...
Barbra Streisand’s Instant Coffee Ice Cream
I do so love Barbra. It’s just one of those things I cannot get away from. I loved her as a pre-teen when I was so self-conscious about my nose that I absolutely marvelled at the fact that someone could be a movie star with a massive conk that was actually...
Vincent Price Halloween Cookalong Guest Post 2 – Liver and Bacon Pate
This was going to be easy! The plan was to get it all prepared and tucked away into the oven early on in proceedings. I would then be able to assist our lovely host with her main course, before getting on with the more serious business of carving our pumpkin, dressing...
Vincent Price Halloween Cookalong – Guest Post 1 – Pumpkin Pie
I have a few lovely pics and posts to put up for chums who made things for the Halloween Cookalong. First up is from the lovely Gaz Bailey who organises the phenomenal Abertoir Film Festival in Aberystwyth. I went to this in 2011 and it was FANTASTIC! As...
Bette Davis’ Marmalade Cake
My lovely friend and colleague Julie celebrated 10 years with the AP last week so I thought it was high time I made her a cake. For various reasons I had to make it a few days in advance so decided to make an Ottolenghi cake that I know would keep. So from...
Andy Clyde’s Baked Ham Casserole
It’s been a while since I cooked something a bit weird. So I thought it was about time. I had 600g of my beautiful ham left over and as it has been in the fridge for a few days I wanted to do something with it. When I spotted a recipe combining ham...
Vincent Price’s Baked Ham or Gammon in Common Crust
It was the second annual Piccalilli Saturday a couple of days ago and my house still reeks of vinegar. Delicious. Heather came over the night before and we sat at the dining table like two old ladies chopping marrows and drinking vodka and having a good old...
Reader’s Report – Diana Dors Easy Fruit Cake
My ex Vic has never made a cake before. He recently got it into his head to have a go at Diana’s which was a recipe of the month a while back so I loaned him one of my cake tins and a cooling tray. As you will see from this photo, it was a great success...
Irene Dunne’s Chocolate Vinegar Cake
By request (by the birthday boy himself) I made Obi an Irene Dunne’s Vinegar Chocolate Cake for his big day at work. As usual, it wasn’t as good as the first time I made it. I wish, I wish, I wish, that I made real, proper, testing, testing, testing notes each...
Wendy Hiller’s Parkin
My lovely chum Michelle had a bonfire party in her garden a couple of weeks ago and it was so much fun. She has commandeered the communal garden behind her flat and made it like a little grotto. It was festooned with tea lights, had a cosy little shed and even a...
Recipe Of The Month – Basil Rathbone’s India Curry
Hot on the heels of the Vincent Price Cookalong where we all enjoyed some classic dishes from the 1960s and 70s I'm proposing a 1970s style curry for November. Mmmm. I remember 1970s curries well. There has been a bit of debate around these parts lately...
Vincent Price Halloween Cookalong
Pheweeeeeee! What a night! It was Vincent all the way with the following of his recipes being rustled up at Silver Screen Suppers Towers for a Haloweeeeeen party: Bloody Mary, Liver and Bacon Pâté, Oxtail Creole and Pumpkin Pie. It was the inaugural...
I am in a movie! Vincent Price’s Goulash
The lovely people at the British Film Institute invited me to be in a cooking demonstration film with the fabulous Nathalie Morris making a Vincent Price dish. As it was linked in to the Gothic season it HAD to be Ghoulish Goulash! It was so much fun to do...
Vincent Price’s Brown and White Cookies
Hatty’s Silly Radio Show was so much fun to do. Hatty cracks me up. You can have a listen here – we talked a LOT about Vincent Price and his cooking prowess. I took in some Vincent Price Brown and White Cookies as well as the aforementioned Pink Tonics. I...
Vincent Price’s Pink Tonics
I smuggled some cocktail supplies into the radio station but of course, we didn’t have any drinks anywhere near the equipment. Oh no, I promise, we didn’t. Of course not. These are very good little tipples. Basically a gin & tonic (or vodka &...
Vincent Price Halloween Cookalong – Quick Update
Just a quick note to say that I am thrilled to get a mention on the Turner Classic Movies blog - here's the link - it's an excellent piece about Vincent and his cooking prowess: In the Kitchen With Vincent Price So a big thankyou to Kimberly Lindbergs who has a...
Book Test Cook 20 – Dolores Del Rio’s Arroz Con Pollo
As townies on holiday by the seaside recently I expect that we did all the clichés. We took about a million photos of the sunset from the garden: we looked at birds and boats through binoculars for hours, went on a fabulous 20 minute boat trip that cost £2, and...
Book Test Cook 19 – Errol Flynn’s Baked Fish Havanaise
Fish are BIG when they are fresh out of the sea. We bought a grey mullet from the Company Store and the nice man there filleted it for us so I could fashion it into Errol’s unusual fish dish. Look at the SIZE of it! It was absolutely delicious but we...
Recipe of the Month – Vincent Price’s Pumpkin Pie
Excitement is mounting at Silver Screen Suppers Towers about the forthcoming Vincent Price Halloween Cookalong. Food blogger chums around the world have been sent a cherry picked Vincent Price recipe to make for Halloween and even if you are not a blogger, join...
Book Test Cook 18 – Rudolph Valentino’s Secret Spaghetti Sauce
Ooh, there is some controversy over this recipe! I can give provenance for all the recipes I have except this one. I can cite the newspaper, magazine, book or promotional pamphlet the recipes appeared in for the whole 5000ish of them. For Rudy’s recipe however, the...
Vincent Price’s “Exotic Delights From The Far East” Party
My ten-boy curry was a huge success. Lindsey said: “This is practically the best meal I have ever had” and she christened the sideboard that was heaving with condiments The Buffeteria. Genius. I made most of this dinner for the ladies of the book group the...
Book Test Cook 17 – Bette Davis’ Brown Bette
I barely lifted a finger last weekend as I was riddled with a cold and milking it. But on Sunday I did rustle up a Brown Bette to follow the slow cooked pork that we had for Sunday lunch. I figured that pork and apples are a classic combination and so it was....
Book Test Cook 16 – Tallulah Bankhead’s Italian Veal Cutlet With Sauce
Ah, I do love Tallulah but I may have to take another look at her recipe for Coconut Jumbles… Her veal recipe was very vague and of course it was delicious but that’s because the only other ingredients are butter and sour cream. Hmm. I want to keep...
Vincent Price Halloween Cookalong – all invited…
I was involved in a top secret mission last night - details will follow when the embargo is lifted but for now all I can say is this: Vincent Price - Goulish Goulash - British Film Insitute. Wanna see me weilding an axe? Wanna see me washing up with something scary...
Book Test Cook 15 – Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies
I made a batch of these to take on a camping trip but they were rubbish. It was my fault entirely as being someone who hates to waste food, I deviated from the recipe and recycled some melted chocolate truffles instead of using plain dark chocolate. Cathy...
Anne Shirley’s Candle Salad
Oh my. If you are 18 or over please do pay a visit to Caker Cooking where my food blogging hero Brian has made a film star recipe I sent him. WARNING - not for the faint hearted and please do not shoot the messenger. I only thought he would be better...
Clark Gable’s Corned Beef Sandwich
When I was of no fixed abode for a couple of years I did a lot of sofa hopping. I also did a lot of cat sitting. Installing myself in a friend’s pad for a couple of weeks always felt like a little holiday, and it still does. So whenever I am asked, I cat...
Recipe of the Month – Janet Gaynor’s Ice Box Cookies
If I were a more organised person I would ALWAYS have a batch of Janet’s cookie dough lying resplendent in my freezer for when unexpected guests pop round for a cup of tea. The thing I love about this recipe is that you make it a day before you need it, pop it...
Hedder Hopper Cocktails
My frozen archives have got out of control. For a woman who lives alone, I have a ridiculous amount of stuff in my freezers. Yes, I have two, and they are both CRAMMED with leftover Silver Screen Suppers fodder and a vast amount of milk products and...
Bette Davis’ Mustard Gelatin Ring
Does that sound appealing to you? Me neither! I’ve been looking sideways at this recipe for many years thinking about attempting it and then running away. Luckily for me, I was invited to participate in the Knoxapocalypse II challenge along with 6...
Reader’s Report – Vincent Price’s Chicken in Pineapple
My darling Shellac Sister Jane sent me an email back in February which said: "I'm just about to attempt this ... have all ingredients including two pineapples looking like they need rum and umbrellas ... and one hopeful dog sitting on her mat drooling and wondering...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes – Mary Pickford Cocktails
Oops - I missed one. Vic said: "Sponge based trifle cake in a drink form.” There are various versions of this cocktail online but we followed the recipe in the Stork Club Book: 2oz.rum 3/4 oz. pineapple juice 3 dashes grenadine Shake and serve in a 3 oz....
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party – Lana Turners Super and Easy Salsa
In bed with Mr R, I bemoaned the fact that for Lana Turner’s Salsa I’d forgotten to get a comment. He said: “no comment” (he doesn’t like tomatoes). I’m super rich in leftovers and very happy with the whole spread Nathalie and I prepared with the excellent...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party – Helen Twelvetrees’ Sherry Gorgonzola
At the end of the night my ex boyfriend and my current boyfriend were the only people left. They had a discussion in the kitchen about whether I should keep the left over Sherry Gorgonzola or throw it away. The conversation sort of went like this. "I...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party – Zasu Pitts’ Chocolate Cherry Creams
When Nathalie distributed the Chocolate Cherry Creams she had made all you could hear around the place were variations on the word “mmmmmmmmmmmmmm”. We all had one of these divine treats each, and there was just one left to take home to the boyfriend. These are...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party – Annette Funicello’s Wee Pigs in Blankets
Made with Yinzerella in mind... These were really tasty - there are little sausages in there! Wrapped in a kind of scone dough - or as the American's would call it (I think) biscuit dough. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party – Sal Mineo’s Quick Pizza Snacks
Mr R observed that these were the “room splitters”. Some loved them, some weren’t so keen. Mr Wiskey insisted on calling them Salmonella Quick Pizza Snacks. I thought they were super tasty. I used Tesco Finest tomato pesto instead of Sal’s more...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party – Ray Bolger’s Mashed Potato Balls
I didn’t know that Ray Bolger played the scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. Lawrence said, “All the rest of him was made of straw, apart from his balls which were made of potato.”
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party – Boris Karloff’s Guacamole
I had two avocados knocking around the place so figured some guacamole wouldn’t go amiss. Much to the amazement of all of Lawrence’s 1,579 Facebook friends he’s off the booze for a month. He arrived proudly brandishing 4 cans of Kaliber - an alcohol-free lager....
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party – Ida Lupino’s Cocktail Meat Balls
Favourite dish of the night (zero leftovers). Mr R: “They were bloody good. Not up to Ottolenghi’s meat ball standards of course.” Me: “Do you want to say that to Ida’s face?”
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party – Joan Crawford’s Danti-Chips
Surprise hit of the evening. Tortilla chips with potted ham and cheese and gherkins. Here they are just about to go in the oven: There was much fun in the kitchen making these as we imagined Joan INSISTING on perfectly shaped chips and going nuts if one of...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party – Bette Davis’ Hollywood Salad
Hollywood Salad contains cream cheese and dried fruit. Lawrence proclaimed it to be: “A cheeseboard on a biscuit”.
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party – Douglas Fairbanks Cocktail (No 1)
I think it was Nathalie that said this: “tastes like a lollipop”. I loved the fact Mr R popped a blue mermaid into her glass so that the cocktail colour co-ordinated with her outfit. Joshua sent a text to the daughter of Douglas Fairbanks Junior (she’s a chum)...
Hollywood Cocktails and Canapes Party – Shirley Temple Cocktail
On Sunday night Nathalie and I hosted a Hollywood and Canapes Party at my place – the first of many we hope. Our lovely guests were Becky, Joshua, Mr R, Amy, Vic and Caroline. As we made such an enormous spread I am just going to do short blog entries for...
Mary Pickford Cocktails
Mr Rathbone liked these. He thought they tasted like "candied rum" - how poetic! He liked the photo too - saying that the parrot added a "touch of the tropical". I think that I got the recipe from the Stork Club Bar Book but for speed here it is on...
Recipe of the Month – Guacamole Boris Karloff
Boris went viral this week! A big thank-you to all the readers who emailed me a link to his guacamole recipe - it's all over the place on t'interweb. I took it as a sign that it should be the recipe of the month - and so it is - you can see it here for...
Vincent Price’s Steak Teriyaki
Oh YEAH. This was just as delicious second time around, and this time cooked on the BBQ rather than in the oven. For yes, it is summer and I've been to my first BBQ for about 3 years. It was lovely! Here's me pretending to be in charge of the...
Silver Screen Sunday – Cleopatra
In honour of the 50th anniversary of the UK release of Cleopatra Mr Rathbone and I had a screening and lunch courtesy of Elizabeth Taylor. I attempted the make up, straightened my hair and wore the most suitable frock I could find: And we put Cleo on the DVD projector...
The Hedda Hopper Cocktail
Camp Nanowrimo is over – boo. I am ridiculously fond of the whole Nanowrimo experience and it really feels like a holiday came to an end on the 1st August. Yeah, I WON. Well, effectively I met the target I set for myself so hell yeah, I am a winner. ...
Vincent Price’s Cucumber Crocodile
Woah! Television! I have been on a three day writing retreat and as usual when I spend some time at somebody else's house I get obsessed by television because I don't have one of my own. I allowed myself a 2 hour TV break each day. My programme...
Silver Screen Sunday 78rpm Special
Had a wonderful evening last night with two of my Shellac Sisters, our beaus and two lovely visitors from New York. Film-maker Joel Schlemowitz and DJ MAC from the Vintage Phonograph Show on WFMU. It's been quite a month for the Shellac Sisters. We DJd at...
Irene Dunne’s Vinegar Chocolate Cake
Is this possibly the best Silver Screen Suppers chocolate cake EVER? It has pipped Gloria Swanson's, Shirley Temple's, Fred MacMurray's and even Celia Johnson's I think... This cake provoked more debate at work than any other I have ever made for my...
Book Test Cook 14 – Lillian Gish’s Lemon Pie
I am having lots of fun at Camp Nanowrimo and have done a big picture edit on all 52 of my film star entries for the Silver Screen Suppers book already. It really feels like the book is taking shape. Next step is recipe wrangling. I have the Bible...
Recipe of the Month – Robert Mitchum’s Fettuccine Alla Alfredo
The recipe of the month is UP and if you are reading this in July 2013 you can find it here - it's an easy peasy one but there is a very SPECIAL reason I am featuring it this month. This month I have commited to attending Camp Nanowrimo - I'm packing my hiking pencil,...
The Liberace Cocktail
I got a tip-off from my favourite food blog Dinner is Served 1972 that the Liberace biopic starring Michael Douglas was a humdinger. Yinzerella and her mom watched it on HBO celebrating the event with kaftans and a Liberace cocktail. Here in the UK we are VERY...
Omar Sharif’s Southern Fried Chicken
Suprise Sunday session with my squeeze yesterday as his prior engagement was canceled. What a TREAT! Firstly he disappeared into the kitchen to make me breakfast (he'd brought all the ingredients with him) and to my surprise emerged with this: Croque Monsieur a la...
Recipe of the Month: Errol Flynn’s Leg of Lamb
The recipe of the month is UP and here... I heartily recommend it - delicious! If you make it I would LOVE to see photos and have a little report on how it turned out. I've got two reader's reports to blog - one for the Diana Dors Easy Fruit Cake and one...
Shirley Temple’s Mom’s Chocolate Cake
Ooh, this was a bit of a triumph. Made for my work colleague Anne's birthday and wolfed down by the rest of the team with gusto. I made twice the amount of mixture because my cake tins are BIG and I know from experience that folks in the olden days weren't...
Vincent Price’s Crostata di Mele (Apple Tart)
I offered to teach Mr R to make pastry so that he could make the apple pie. This is beginning to sound like some kind of Rom-Com isn’t it? I do apologise for all the mentionitis over the last few posts but I am frankly still surprised that this geezer is...
Vincent Price’s Poulet Pavillon (Chicken in Champagne Sauce)
Oh how decadent. The central dish for Vincent’s birthday celebrations was a whole chicken poached in ¾ of a bottle of champagne. The recipe for this dish is at the end of this post... Utterly divine. Once the chook was cooked I made a sauce with...
Douglas Fairbanks Cocktail (No. 1)
ooh , I am getting everything out of order today... We had one of these after the muffins and before the chicken in champagne. You get the idea... If you'd like the recipe for these -and you should as they are damn fine cocktails - you might be able to see...
Vincent Price’s Toad in the Hole
You know when you make a perfect dinner? Everything works like a dream and tastes delicious and is ready right on time? Such was Vincent’s Toad in the Hole with onion gravy (made to Alastair Hendy’s recipe in Home Cook) with a bit of broccoli chucked on...
Vincent Price’s Blueberry Muffins a la Posada
Birthday celebrations for Vincent on Bank Holiday Monday kicked off with a batch of these. The blueberries I got from Sainsbury’s were particularly FAT and some of them burst during cooking and that only added to the deliciousness. Eaten in bed.
The Charlie Chaplin Cocktail
On Sunday a fabulous new cocktail recipe arrived from my lovely chum in Athens, Georgia - fellow film archivist Margie Clark. It was superb timing as Mr R was hot footing it over for Vincent Price Toad in the Hole after doing his radio show so I rustled up a...
Errol Flynn’s Roast Leg of Lamb
Oooh, Errol’s leg was fabulous. His recipe was for a 6lb leg but I only bought half a leg (2lb) as it was dinner for two at Silver Screen Suppers Towers yesterday. I had ascertained that Mr R is very partial to lamb so I tempted him over with the promise...
Celia Johnson’s Chocolate Sponge Cake
I don't know where to start with this post really. There is romance in the air at Silver Screen Suppers Towers and it is befuddling my brain a bit. I will just say this. On Sunday Mr R cooked me a duck and it was divine. I made a Celia Johnson's...
Book Test Cook 13 – Jimmy Stewart’s Chicken Pie
Another pie! This time made for Shane and Ewan who battled their way around the British transport system to get to me – Northern Line madness. The pie was made exactly to Jimmy’s recipe – including the pastry and I was quite proud of it BUT I don’t think it was...
Diana Dors’ Easy Fruit Cake
At the risk of showing off, I am going to mention again that my Diana Dors Easy Fruit Cake won second prize at the Muswell Hill Horticultural Show on Saturday. My feathers were all puffed up with pride. The morning of the show was always going to be hectic as I...
James Mason’s Plum Jam
I do very much like a man who comes round to dinner with a James Mason film in his pocket that he thinks I might like to see. I had never heard of “The London Nobody Knows” but it is a truly fabulous film. It’s a vivid snapshot of life in London in 1968 –...
Dirk Bogarde’s Chicken Clermont
Neighbours, everybody loves good neiiiiiiiiiiigbours. And I am very pleased with the neighbourly gesture Chloe made in matchmaking me with her chum the very lovely Mr R. We had a top evening on Saturday, staying up until 4am discussing our musical star...
Douglas Fairbanks’ Fairbanks Cocktail (No. 1)
Just a quick post as I have a DATE tonight coming to my house for dinner so I have an immense amount of cleaning to do… I don’t want to ruin my chances with someone who appears to be quite a stitch by revealing my slovenly side too soon. So just to mention that the...
Elizabeth Taylor’s Chicken Steamed in Wine
Being a family of one and following recipes written for 6-8 results in a freezer bursting at the seams with spare portions of delicious but mostly unidentifiable things. I wouldn’t usually serve something from the freezer to company but needs must. I...
Vincent Price’s Sopa Poblano (Chili Poblano Soup)
I LOVE it when other people cook! My darling friend Sanja recently cooked a Serbian feast which involved the most delicious thing anyone has ever made for me. SAUERKRAUT with bacon and Romanian sausage. Oh my word it was delicious. And what’s more,...
Book Test Cook 12 – Boris Karloff’s Steak and Kidney Pie
Sometimes what you need is a big old steak and kidney pie and here is one made exactly to a recipe by Boris. It’s only appropriate that Vic should be a guest for a pie like this, as the Universal Monsters song he co-wrote includes a few lines about Boris Karloff...
Claudette Colbert’s Rice Bubbles Cream Meringues
Just a quick recipe tweak. Made another batch of these last night and realised that I'd only put the American oven temperature on this month's Recipe of the Month page and newsletter. Had a sleepless night worrying about Brits burning their meringues to a...
When Bloggers Meet – The Past on a Plate
Oh what a joy to meet in person the lovely Lauren Hairston Collado of the glorious food blog The Past on a Plate. Lauren was in London from Wichita and I was so thrilled to meet her in person. I've been following Lauren's blog since the day I discovered that she...
Alexis Smith’s Scrambled Eggs and Fresh Tomatoes
Blime – it’s like looking in a mirror – if my nose wasn’t so big. Jane and I had our photo taken tonight and when we looked at it together I said, “I think my nose is getting bigger as I get older” and she said, “I think my head’s going out of shape”. But what the...
Recipe of the Month – Claudette Colbert’s Rice Bubbles Cream Meringues
Ahh, it's rolled around very quickly this month. Only 28 days in February so no wonder. I've chosen something cute as I am just in that kind of mood. This was a recent discovery on the world wide interweb that made my heart glad. I've sent it over...
The Vincent Price Treasury Pilgrimage – Visit 6 – Harrods Food Hall
In The Treasury of Great Recipes Vincent announced: "Probably the most glamorous markets in the world are the Food Halls at Harrods in London" and I say hell yeah! He declared the whole Harrods emporium to be akin to "The British Museum crossed with Les...
Book Test Cook 11 – Barbara Stanwyck’s Spanish Style Steak
Barbara’s steak was good. Food writer guru Richard Ehrlich agrees with me that her recipe for Leg of Lamb is utterly bonkers. So I’m dropping the lamb and giving the steak a double thumbs up. I might give her Chicken Mousse recipe a go too, just in...
Foodie Penpal February
My foodie penpal package this month came to me from Bonnie Scotland. The lovely Isobel put together a perfectly packed box with these wonderful things inside. Everyone at work oohed and ahhed when the cheese came out – it survived the journey but had ripened...
Richard O’Sullivan’s Horse Noodles
THRILLED to be mentioned on my favourite blog of all time Caker Cooking this week. Such an honour that Brian chose to throw caution to the wind and have a go one of the Richard O'Sullivan recipes I left out when I attempted his 7 Day Survival Course. I...
Recipe of the Month – Vincent Price’s Chicken in Pineapple
My recommendation for Valentine's Night - whether you will be alone - like me - or cosied up with your significant other is this. It's a GENIUS recipe and is designed to impress your guest OR make you laugh out loud if you are eating alone. This is...
Silver Screen Sunday – Vincent Price’s Dinner at the Casbah
I have three friends who have birthdays really close to Christmas and they don’t tend to celebrate. So I decided, as they are three of my very favourite people, to make them a birthday lunch. I love my Vincent Price “Beverly Hills Cookbook” and I am working my..
January Foodie Penpal
When I was a pre-teen I joined an organisation that fixed you up with penpals. I really wish I could remember what it was called but you had to fill out a complicated form with tick boxes to tell them all about yourself so they could match you up. What your hobbies...
Book Test Cook 10 – Constance Bennett’s Spanish Chicken
I'm in bed with the heated blanket on listening to Friday Night is Music Night on R2 and it is FANTASTIC because it the theme is "Bond and Beyond" so there is tonnes of John Barry stuff and now they are talking about Hitchcock. The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra is...
Book Test Cook 9 – Carole Lombard’s Cherry Pie
Made with one hand only! My other was in a sling after a spectacular tumble on the cobblestones of Camden Market. It was quite a drama with lots of lovely stallholders coming to the rescue and work chums fussing and looking after me as I sat in reception...
The Ann Sheridan Cocktail
Oh auspicious day! Firstly I went to the bfi to be filmed talking about NEWTS for a television programme. Then I got my tax return filed a week early. Then I finally took the plunge and sent my book proposal to Unbound. Ooh, I am so...
Book Test Cook 8 – Dick Powell’s Corn Chowder
Corn. Mmmm. Bacon. Mmmm. Potatoes. Mmmm. This is real comfort food. I love it. Perfect for the book with no tweaking. One of my foodie bucket list items has already been accomplished - well half accomplished. My wonderful...
Book Test Cook 7 – Joan Crawford’s Charcoal Broiled Steak
My photo of Joan's steak was rotten so here's a picture of one of the things that made it so gorgeous. Joan sure knows what she is doing on the steak front. Roquefort, mustard and butter on top. Oh yes, yes, yes. I didn't have Roquefort but I had...
Book Test Cook 6 – Bing Crosby’s Turkey and Eggs a la Crosby
Mmm. This was a perfect Sunday brunch to have in bed with The Archers. After a long discussion with Gordon about the fact that even though I've been listening to it for years I didn't know what any of the characters actually looked like, I stumbled upon...
Book Test Cook 5 – Cary Grant’s Tuna Fish Pie
An update on yesterday's post. On a little trawl around the internet I found this: The Clark Gable Salad, on the MGM commissary menu, consists of green chicory chopped with romaine, a deep covering of hard-boiled eggs and a circle of slivered beets. French...
Corned Beef Hash Betty Grable and Malted Milk Bette Davis
I absolutely love getting things in the post. One day recently totally unexpectedly I got this from my old mucker Amy Sargeant. She’d mentioned ages ago that there were some film star foods mentioned in this book and I was intrigued. Buying a copy has been...
Book Test Cook 4 – Anna May Wong’s Chinese Almond Duck – also a Reader’s Report…
Ducke wuckie! Mmm. This was good but strangely not as good as the time I made it for me and Lolly. Why? Not sure. Maybe because I was using Japanese rice wine rather than Chinese? I'll have to fiddle around with it a bit to...
Recipe of the Month – Gloria Swanson’s Potassium Broth
It's taken me a while to put away the sequined jumpsuit and get back to normal life. The festive season rolled over into the first week of January with an old skool rock and roll night out to Rock of Ages with James, a fabulous birthday dinner at Bonnie Gull...
Book Test Cook 3 – Vincent Price’s Goulash
A lovely new year celebration with Corinna last night. We ate pretzels, cashew nuts, mini sausage rolls, Vincent's Goulash and a divine Sachertorte made by Corinna. We watched Dinner For One as is tradition (Corinna reckons she as probably seen this every...
Book Test Cook 2 – Ann Sheridan’s Chili Casserole
I had a very vivid dream last night. It was like a fully formed documentary television programme about people who had record players in their kitchens. I saw it as a sign that I should move one of my many record playing devices into the room where I spend...
Book Test Cook 1 – Alan Ladd’s Potato Pancakes
I'm off! Serious test cooking begins. These were delicious. I made them exactly to the recipe apart from being slightly generous with the salt. Served with a big slice of gammon and a mighty dollop of the Temple Big Pan Piccalilli. ...
Joan Crawford’s Salami Sandwiches
It's been a fabulous Christmas. I was VERY pleased with my turkey. Vic and Corinna and Isaac came over and we had the traditional Xmas dinner with all the trimmings, fiery Christmas pudding, mince pies and a huge pile of cheese and biscuits. Yum yum. We...
Vincent Price’s East Indian Fish Curry
Mmm - this was lovely but I'm afraid there is no photographic evidence as I was too busy getting drunk with David & Katy. I was a bit worried that Vincent's curry powder would be clove-heavy but in fact once it was all cooked up it was lovely. There is...
Vincent Price’s Curry Powder
I absolutely love my Vincent Price "push button cookery" lessons. The Beverly Hills Cookbook tapes were recorded sometime in the 70s and are just bursting with Vincent's humour, knowledge and joy of cooking. They are difficult to get hold of but Mike Vines has...
Vincent Price’s Baked Ham in a Common Crust
For the pre-birthday dinner I also made a baked ham to Vincent's specifications. Here's a picture of it when it surfaced from the oven. Heather kept eating bits of the crust as I broke it all off. She does love her proper pastry. I didn't have time...
Claudette Colbert’s Blueberry Pie
I made this for my pre-birthday dinner and it was pastry-heavy but good. Really easy, just bung in the blackberries with some sugar, cornflour and salt then dot with butter. Sainsbury's had run out of shortcrust pastry so I used puff - which looked pretty...
Vincent Price Pilgrimage Visit 5 – Boulestin – London
It was my birthday on Monday and I decided that I'd invite some friends for a Vincent Price related experience. As part of my self-made-challenge to visit every single one of the restaurants Vincent mentions in his awesome Treasury of Great Recipes I decided...
Recipe of the Month – Gina Lollobrigida’s Wreath Cookies
These little cuties are recipe of the month. They would probably have looked more festive if I had used strawberry jam rather than blackberry but I'm going to make some more next week with red jam and green dyed walnuts rather than pistaschios so they may be...
Bette Davis’ Red Flannel Hash
Last night I was eating grade 11 wagyu beef and tonight it was corned beef hash. That is just the way I roll! there has been no jiggery pokery Instagram style with this picture - that is exactly the colour it was - it's got BEETROOT in it. Was it...
Elizabeth Taylor’s Chicken Steamed in Wine
I do so wish I lived in America and/or Canada. Tonight on TV is the premiere of "Liz and Dick" starring Lindsay Lohan as Liz. Through my day job I know a lot more about La Lohan than is really necessary and I'd love to see how she gets on attempting to...
Vincent Price’s Crostata Di Mele (Apple Tart)
Because I got smashed on cocktails on Thursday at the Kinolibrary launch I was a bit under-prepared for my dinner party on Friday but Cathy came to the rescue with a pastry case for my apple tart. There wasn't enough pastry for a lattice but I think it looked...
Richard O’Sullivan’s Seven Day Survival Course
If I remember rightly, Richard O'Sullivan gets to live with two hot single chicks in "Man About the House" because he sleeps overnight in their bath after a raucous party and in the morning cooks them a rather fabulous hangover curing breakfast. He did quite a bit of...
The Vincent Price Treasury Pilgrimage – Visit 4 – Lasserre – Paris
This is what the Lasserre looked like in 1965 when Vincent and Mary's Treasury of Great Recipes was published. It looked exactly the same last week in 2012. Except the hydrangeas have been replaced with orchids and there is a new - but very similar...
The Vincent Price Treasury Pilgrimage – Visit 3 – Les Halles – Paris
In the best cookbook ever written (IMHO) Vincent writes eloquently about the wonderful food available in Paris. As the lovely people at Eurostar offered me a cheap ticket to Paree recently I decided I would go on the second of my pilgrimages to walk in the...
Vincent Price’s Friday Night Chicken
Any guest who arrives with a Fanny Cradock cookbook as a gift is tops in my book and if my weekend house-guest visits again I will definitely cook him something from "Fanny Cradock Invites..." Maybe "Winged Victory" as I have always wanted to make something that...
Recipe of the Month – Fred MacMurray’s Chocolate Fudge Upside Down Cake
Ooh what a rotten photo! The Recipe of the Month is UP - and it is easy, peasy, goooooooeeeeey and yummy. You make the cake mixture and then pour boiling water over the top and when you take it out of the oven and turn it upside down there is a ready made...
Vincent Price’s Goulash
It’s Halloween, one of my favourite nights of the year, and there is a vast amount of Vincent Price Goulish Goulash in the slow cooker. My CHARGE is coming for dinner tomorrow evening, and like some Aunt in a PG Wodehouse novel I want to make sure he is fully...
Godfrey Winn’s Kedgeree
Dr Lawrence Napper has been obsessed with Godfrey Winn ever since Charles Barr bought his Godfrey Winn Tea Towel into a seminar at UEA and proudly presented it to us. I've been promising him Godfrey's Kedgeree for a long time and so it came to pass yesterday for...
Vincent Price’s Blueberry Muffins La Posada
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmuffins! Muffinsmmmm. That's all I have to say about them really. Vincent's recipe was perfect - natch. So there is not much more to say about it. They were gorgeous - me and Lawrence and Nathalie just about ate them...
Cary Grant’s Mushroom Canapes and Tuna Fish Pie
I had a gentleman caller last night. It was date 3 with a fellow from OK Cupid known around these parts as "Mr Shoulder" and I did enjoy seeing him smoking a fag whilst hula hooping at about 1 in the morning. Reminded me a bit of Johnny Marr strumming away with...
William Powell’s Vatrouskis
Being a guest on Hatty and Marc's Silly Radio Show was SO MUCH FUN. I really enjoyed our chinwag about all the stars and the food they liked to eat. My favourite bit was when listeners could challenge me to see if I had a recipe for a particular...
Richard Dix’s Egg Nog Pie De Luxe
When I am faced with shop full of 78rpms I always buy ones with funny titles like, "My Wife is on a Diet" or "Washing Dishes With My Sweetie" both of which turned out to be winners. So it is with recipes. Sometimes I just pick them because they sound...
Janet Gaynor’s Ice Box Cookies
I will be on the radio on Saturday talking about Silver Screen Suppers. Tune in to www.croydronradio.com 1-3pm and tweet in on hattyashdown or on the shout box ! (I don't know what a shout box is - Hatty told me to say that!) I have just made some Janet Gaynor Ice Box...
@FBC12 – three days of bliss
Look out for my lounge on Saturday night on BBC's Arena about the Beatles' film Magical Mystery Tour - it was used as a location to represent a 1967 front room on Boxing Day. Now to business! This will probably be my longest post ever. Any conference where you get...
Food Blogger Connect – Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Eek - I'm featured on Food Blogger Connect today. I'm going to be attending this three day event in London and am beyond excited. Can't wait to meet food bloggers from around the world, exchange ideas, eat loads of delicious food and listen to some great speakers. ...
Cesare Danova’s Cream of Broccoli Soup
For the first time in my entire life Cup-O-Soup was on my shopping list. I slightly blame Brian over at my new blog-stalker-obsession-spot Caker Cooking who I virtually met (if you know what I mean) yesterday morning in bed on a blog tour. If you don't...
Phil Baker’s Scrambled Eggs with Roquefort Cheese
My fridge is almost entirely stocked with salad dressings and cheese after last Sunday. I overdid it. So I was very pleased to find this recipe to use up what's left of the Roquefort. Nice and easy and very, very tasty. Phil says: Mash the cheese in...
Ralph Herz’s Thousand Island Salad Dressing
I always imagined Thousand Island Dressing to be seventies thing. But who would have thought that in 1916 Ralph would offer us his recipe in, " Celebrated Actor Folks’ Cookeries: A Collection of the Favorite Foods of Famous Players". I've never made Thousand Island...
Edna May Oliver’s Roquefort Cheese Salad Dressing
I made half the quantity Edna May suggested for the Lucille Ball Sunday Supper as her recipe would have been enough for an army of salad eaters. We were a party of 5 and I’m going to be having this on salad until Christmas I think… - seen on the left with...
Lucille Ball’s Sunday Night Supper
Had a lovely Sunday with Heather, Glen, Nick and Brad watching The Long Long Trailer and having a whole menu suggested by Lucille Ball. Lucy's Sunday Night Supper for Two or Twenty - Salad - Goulash - Dessert I made Lucille's goulash almost exactly to her recipe...
Hitchcock Competition Winner
The winner of the Hitchcock competition is Jane Tracy. Congratulations Jane! Usually my prizes are won by chums as lots of them enter, but this time the prizes go to someone I do not know, an unknown reader of the blog, and that is just lovely! I got lots of...
Vincent Price Quiche Lorraine
I've gone Quiche crazy. Preparing for the Highgate Horticultural Society competition on Saturday. I couln't decide between Alfred Hitchcock's and Vincent's but my work colleague Obi just clinched it. He said of today's quiche, "I'd rather buy your...
Vincent Price’s Coleslaw
What a few days! I cannot begin to express what an amazing day I had at the Paralympics on Thrilling Thursday. I thought my eardrums would burst when David Weir won his race the sound in that stadium was unbelievable. It was a day full of love and...
Janet Gaynor’s Ice Box Cookies
I am sun-kissed and happy after a day at the seaside with the Ladies of the 43 – my ex-flatmates Gaby and Lucy. Oh it was glorious! I love those women. I gave a talk to the lovely ladies of the Southend Women’s Institute last night and I was super nervous...
Alfred Hitchcock Competition
I am celebrating all things Hitchcockian this month with a BIG COMPETITION. Super-dooper prizes on offer and everyone can enter. Here’s the scoop on Hitchcockian action a go-go. 1 – recipe of the month this month is Alfred Hitchcock’s Quiche Lorraine –...
Gene Kelly’s Greatest Man Sandwich in the World
Life is full of surprises and my American pen-pal Margie was right, Gene’s crazy sandwich is GOOD. It is made from mashed potato and French bread and onions and mayonnaise and it tastes mighty fine. Mmmm. Surprise number 2 tonight was The Way We...
Tessie O’Shea’s Creamed Almond Chick
It was a special night at the Palace of Solitude tonight – I had two lovely dinner guests. Two of my very favourite people and what is more, two people who live within spitting distance of my flat. How lovely to have such friends on my doorstep who can..Lana Turner’s Simple and Easy Salsa
Whenever I make salsa I can’t help reminiscing about a gorgeous hunk of a man who made some for me one night wearing a very sexy blue and white striped T-shirt. Ooh, he was a sight to see chopping those tomatoes. Yum yum. When I am on my deathbed I...
Sheila Sim’s Chicken a la King
Vic came round for his tea last night. There was a great article in one of the Sunday supplements last week about the different nuances of the words tea, dinner and supper. Last night was a tea verging on a supper. To me supper always seems a slightly more elaborate...
Ivor Novello’s Artichokes Au Gratin
The esteemed Dr Lawrence Napper has given me a tip off that on Saturday night there will be a tribute to Novello at the Proms and it will be shown on tele. He suggests that fans of the divine Ivor might like to rustle up his dish to accompany events. I haven't tried...
Celia Johnson’s Chocolate Sponge Cake
I have just had a long night of the soul where all my worries gathered at the foot of my bed to torment me. Instead of tossing and turning and hurrumphing I decided to get up. So I started making a birthday cake for my desk buddy Lucy at 4.30am. It...
Vincent Price’s Poached Eggs Harlequin
Wow, what a week! On Thursday I got up at 5am to go and see the Olympic Torch in Camden. I love the fact that my local tube station in Highgate was all flagged up for the Olympics when I got there at 5.30: The torch relay was coooooooooool. Then on...
The Vincent Price Treasury Pilgrimage – Visit 2 – Amstel Hotel – Amsterdam
I passed the Amstel Hotel a couple of times on my way to and from business meetings in Amsterdam but I saved up my visit for Saturday morning when I could appreciate it to the full. I was strangely nervous as I walked across the bridge. It's such an...
Rhonda Fleming’s Cowboy Caviar
Summer has arrived at last in London and I had a really lovely cocktail hour in the garden on Sunday with Vic and Corinna drinking beer and talking nonsense. Vic said he had vowed never to sit on a rug in a garden but we made him do it. It’s a rare sight...
Joan Crawford’s Salad Number One
I ate quite a lot of rich food in Amsterdam including this: in honour of Vincent Price's Hotchpotch of Curly Kale... so on Saturday I was craving a Joanie salad. There has been a tin of pineapple slices in my cupboard for ages so I made this and it was...
The Vincent Price Treasury Pilgrimage – Visit 1 – Dikker and Thijs – Amsterdam
When I first clapped eyes on the best cookbook in the world – Vincent and Mary Price’s Treasury of Great Recipes - I knew many great culinary experiences lay ahead. The mighty tome arrived in a box in a huge postal sack from the USA, delivered to work as I knew...
Tony Curtis’ Toltot Kaposzta
Tony says: “When I was a kid in New York, my closest friends were Irish and Italian and we shared everything, even holidays. So I figured I might as well get into the act and always asked Mom to whip up her stuffed cabbage, my favourite then, and my favourite...
Gracie Fields’ Potted Shrimp
I found the little brown shrimp I’d been looking for. Even though I have never had potted shrimp I knew the big pink ones that are more available wouldn’t be right and these teeny brown ones were perfect. This was recipe of the month last month and I’ve...
Corinne Griffiths’ Anchovy Eggs
Quote from Black Narcissus: Q: What do nuns eat? A: Sausages. Quote from Silver Screen Suppers Towers: Q: What do spinsters eat? A: Eggs It did make me laugh when a gentleman caller asked me recently what I was reading and picked up my bedside book, “Eggs I Have...
Vincent Price’s Coq au Vin Rouge a L’Averngate
It is day one in my new academic diary and it is time for this old kazoo to go back to school. My intensive 6 month writing boot camp with Lisa Clark begins today. I took the day off work and have been writing like a machine. My new project Movie...
Hattie McDaniel’s Sweetcorn Pudding
Ah, the soothing power of Gone With the Wind. Always a tonic. I made Hattie’s Sweetcorn Pudding from Modern Screen magazine and as always it was darn good. Usually I make it in a shallow dish but this time I baked it in a soufflé dish and it turned...
Viola Dana’s Kansas Toast
I was a bit worried that this would turn out like Harold Lloyd’s Eggs Dolores which were, quite frankly, disgusting. But happily Viola’s tomatoey eggs were delicious. The esteemed Dr Lawrence Napper sent me this recipe, transcribed from Picture Show...
Anna May Wong Tea Cakes
Ah, these turned out perfectly! I decided to make some of these as well as the Ice Box Cookies for the "Women in Early Hollywood" event and good job I did - they were all scoffed! This one is definitely going in the Silver Screen Suppers book and I have...
Janet Gaynor’s Ice Box Cookies
The JG Ice Box Cookies are wrapped in foil and in the fridge. I am going to bake them tomorrow and give them out at the event I am speaking at in a desperate attempt to get everyone to like me so much they won't ask me difficult questions. It's a panel...
Vincent Price Burgers
And then the mice came… I think my romance is well and truly over. What a shame. I was having a conversation with my 12 year old chum Jessie about it on the bus the other day and when I said it wasn’t going well she said, "Oh dear. And you had...
Barton MacLane’s Baked Chili
Ooh, this was a weird one. Mixing an egg in with the mince then baking it before covering it with the chilli mixture and baking it again. This resulted in a kind of thin brick of meat with tomatoey stuff on top. Not a great success. Ben was very...
Jack La Rue’s Spaghetti a la Jack La Rue
I am trying to introduce a shuffle system for my two freezers. This makes it sound like I am living in some kind of enormous farmhouse with two chest freezers and an Aga. This could not be further from the truth. But as I cook so much and my landlord...
Dorothy Dandridge’s Emotional Omelet
This week has been one hell of a roller-coaster ride so I’ve been planning an emotional omelet for five days. And you know what they say, “you can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs”. I have no idea why Dorothy christened her omelet so, but it’s a good...
Bette Davis’ Marmalade – Roast Chicken With Marmalade
I’ve been thinking about having another go at the Bette Davis Orange Marmalade recipe. This is mostly because my kitchen cupboards are overflowing with washed-up empty jam/gherkin/pickled onion/caper/whatever jars and I’ve heard a rumour that Corinna has more...
The Women of Old Hollywood and Sunset Boulevard
Oh goodness, I am on a panel - I am bricking it. 3 July 2012 - 6.30pm - tickets are £10 Looking In, Looking Out Festival, Conway Hall London Bidisha leads a high-kicking whirl through Hollywood history and a celebration of the brilliant women who co-founded Hollywood,...
Vincent Price’s Tortellini Palermitana
It's time to start eating things from the freezer. First up, some of Vincent's Tortellini. It was good. Real comfort food as yet again, someone has bust my balloons... I'm Tired I'm not exactly sure what happened but I have a pretty good idea. ...
Hal K Dawson’s Zucchini Soup
Just back from an enormous creative boost at the Sheffield Documentary Festival. Met some amazing new people and some much cherished old friends – the wonderful Sarah and Suzanne. I was also thrilled to see my much-adored mentor Hugh. I just bumped into...
Vincent Price’s “Delights From the Sultan’s Pantry” Party
Coo what a feast! Heather, Ben, Sanja, James and my imaginary boyfriend came to help me scoff everything. It was a lot of work but I really enjoyed myself so it was worth it. I am definitely getting less stressed out when I do complicated...
Silver Screen Sunday – Vincent Price’s “Delights from the Sultan’s Pantry” Party
I am getting anxious about tomorrow's party. It's a big deal for me, a celebration of the end of the Vincentennial Cookblog and a gathering of most of the people who were at the party to launch it. I am worried about whether I'll get everything done in time, whether...
Joan Crawford’s Wilted Spinach Salad
Hmm. This was tasty. I had it with a Vincent Price burger that I retrieved from the back of the freezer. It had Roquefort cheese inside. Mmmm... Here's Joan's simple but effective recipe: "Wilted Spinach Salad: I pour hot bacon grease and...
Recipe of the Month – Gracie Fields’ Potted Shrimps
As Britain is so very, very British at the moment at this time of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee I thought we should have a very British dish as the recipe of the month. How more British can you get than Gracie and Potted Shrimps? I found this scanned cook...
Vincent Price’s Calf’s Liver and Avocado
Yes, it was as weird as it sounds and looks. I'd been wanting to try it since I saw the recipe because I love avocado and I love liver. I knew it would be weird though, fried avocado? Hot avocado? And yes, it was strange But kinda good...
Vincent Price’s Herb Bread
Behold His Majesty The Loaf. I love making bread. You have to be having a spinster's day in really, for all the sticking it in a warm place to rise and then kneading it and letting it rise again, but really it's a lovely thing to do. Vincent's recipe actually makes...
Guild of Food Writers Awards
I rocked up at The Guild of Food Writers annual awards ceremony on Wednesday and it was just wonderful. I was thrilled that one of my heroes Yotam Ottolenghi was only a few feet away from me accepting his award for "Jerusalem on a Plate" and that Claudia Roden won...
Vincent Price’s Pollo Alla Cacciatora (Chicken Hunter’s Style With Noodles)
OK, so there were no noodles. I am English and the idea of having a chicken leg with noodles just seems odd, so I had it with Savoy cabbage instead. Yum yum. As Vincent observed, "The real secret of this recipe's excellence is the red wine added for the last bit of...
William Powell’s Vatrouskis
Hmmm - I overcooked some of these... I made them for Ben and Polly's wedding which was one of the loveliest weddings I've ever been too. Ooooooooo there was a lot of love there! I had some of the mixture and pastry left over so I made a few for me...
Jackie Cooper’s Gingerbread Men (and one Woman)
Ha ha - these were fun to make. I think I over cooked them but they were amusing little fellows while they lasted.
Silver Screen Sandwiches
What a lovely surprise. Queens of Vintage magazine are running my piece about Silver Screen Sandwiches again. You can read it here: Silver Screen Sandwiches If any readers of the article drop by - hello and welcome! I blog about all my adventures in cooking the...
Competition Time – Jackie Cooper’s Gingerbread Men
Just sent out the monthly newsletter, a bit late this month as it's been busy, busy, busy. I'm running a competition for the best Gingerbread Man - should be fun. Recipe is here if you are not a newsletter subscriber, I'm excited about the prospect of getting some...
John Boles’ Picnic Marble Cakes
Aw these were cute! I made them before work as I knew making dinner would be a scramble. I had the ladies of the book group to dinner and it was lovely. We drank lots of wine and talked about the book a little bit, but seemed to talk mostly about my...
Cary Grant’s Mushroom Canapes
My fungi phobia is abating and I was quite surprised about how much I liked these. Even though the little critters looked WEIRD, they tasted good. I made them with something quite funky I found in Morrison's. A jar of "mixed mushrooms" in oil. ...
Richard Brook’s Brooks-Barthelmess Special
I don't know what the link was between Clive Brook and Richard Barthelmess but I guess at some point they rustled this up together. Maybe they were flat-mates in some seedy boarding house before they hit the big time? If anyone has the insider knowledge,...
Mae West’s Salada de Tuna
I was craving Mae's salad for lunch when I was at the supermarket today so I tried to remember what was in it on the hoof. So this is basically Mae's recipe with the addition of a few things I had knocking around the fridge - lettuce, rocket, some beetroot and a...
Claire Windsor’s Snow Drops – a reader’s version
A lovely surprise via Facebook this week. Rebecca in Wisconsin posted two pictures of her version of the recipe of the month - don't they look cute? Rebecca added some cocoa powder to the icing sugar which I thought was a genius touch. The Silver Screen...
Silver Screen Sunday – Vincent Price “Bounty of Paradise” Polynesian Party
Pineapples! I've been wanting to throw a whole Vincent Price dinner party for a long time and Easter Sunday seemed like a good time to do it. It was SPECTACULAR. First up were Rumakis (above), water chestnuts cloaked in chicken liver with a bacon...
Dorothy Wilson’s Chutney
Whose idea was it to start making a chutney at 9pm in the evening? I blame the bottle of sherry I bought today for my Vincent Price Teriyaki sauce. I used 1 tablespoon of it for that, and seem to have drunk just about the rest of the bottle this evening preparing...
Recipe of the Month – Claire Windsor’s Snow Drops
Just sent out my monthly newsletter with this month's recipe - they are SO CUTE. If you fancy a little baking over Easter or any time in April these are very much recommended... I have 4 days off work for the Easter holiday. Yippee. I do love work, but it is nice...
Barbara Stanwyck’s Kipfels
These were very cute, but next time I make them I will try to roll the dough much thinner. I think a trip to the cookshop is required, I think I need one of those mats for rolling stuff out on, you should see my kitchen worktop. Cooee. Both of my blind...
Bette Davis’ Scallops
Most contemporary chefs would be alarmed at the amount of time Bette cooked her scallops for (30 minutes parboiled then 10-15 minutes under the grill) and I was a bit concerned they would be chewy, but they turned out fine. Here are before and after shots of the...
Errol Flynn’s French Deviled Tomatoes
I decided that if my date for tonight cancelled again I would give up on him - even though he's the first single man I've met that I fancy for what seems like forever. And he has done, so I've put myself back on the internet dating scene. Having enormous fun already...
Joan Crawford’s Charcoal Broiled Steak
A mustard mystery of Miss Marple magnitude in Melton Mobray this weekend! Oh my goodness the intrigue! Trix, Jane and myself made a pilgrimage to the Great British Mustard Bash: a six hour round trip to see if my Colonel Mustard's Mustard's Chocolate Beer...
Rudolph Valentino’s Chicken From Parma
The ex who cannot be named came round for dinner and a movie last night and it was a funny experience for me to have him fall asleep during the movie holding my hand. Hand holding is something I never remember him doing when we were together. It felt...
John Wayne’s Cheese Casserole
I have versions of The Duke's favourite cheese casserole recipe in FIVE different celebrity cookbooks so can only assume it was something he really, really liked to eat. But only this week I found out that the recipe was also featured on that most lovable of all...
Claire Windsor’s Snowdrops
Oh these are so cute. And easy to make. A winner. It has been so much fun and so lovely to have Caroline in my clutches for a couple of days. How I wished she lived just around the corner rather than a million miles away in Texas. I do miss her...
Dick Powell’s Truck Drivers Welsh Rarebit
Happy St David's Day. In tribute to my spiritual homeland of Wales I decided to cook something with a Welsh flavour. What better than Truck Drivers Welsh Rarebit? Caws Pobi - now there's lovely! I have no idea why Dick's recipe specifies that this is the kind of...
Marion Davies’ Cheese Patties
I have lovely new neighbours and they had a party on Saturday night. My philosophy is, rather than staying home and getting annoyed at the comings and goings, GO to the party, get really drunk, fall over and ladder your tights. Talk nonsense to everyone. ...
Clara Bow’s Chicken Chartreuse
I had to buy a pudding basin to make Clara's mountain of rice with chicken inside. Luckily for me the fancy cookshop in Muswell Hill is open on a Sunday and despite being on a budget I blew £7 on a nice red Mason & Cole one. Now I am already dreaming...
Joan Crawford’s Steak with Roquefort Sauce
"Bedroom problems? There is absolutely nothing in my bedroom that bothers me!" Me neither Doris, me neither! Although I WOULD like to have a white telephone beside the bed. Ignoring the fact that I don't actually have a land line... I am indulging myself...
Silver Screen Saturday – Vincent Price Mexican Breakfast
After weeks of my planning and plotting and inventing clues, Heather & Nathan’s treasure hunt was BRILLIANT. When they arrived at the Palace of Solitude I greeted them at the door in a Sombrero with frozen margaritas in hand and so the fun began. I’ve written more...
Silver Screen Sunday – A Hitchcockian Luncheon
I've been reading Pat Hitchcock's biography of her mother and it is GREAT! There are some of Alma's recipes at the back and I based a meal around these. But first we had some Joan Crawford canapes, her legendary salami sandwiches and some peanut butter and...
Silver Screen Canapes – Guild of Food Writers’ Recipe Treasury
I was thrilled to be invited to contribute a recipe to the Guild of Food Writers' Treasury, and it's gone live today on their website - GFW Recipe of the Month - I snuck in two as they are for little film star nibbles. Gloria Swanson's Caviar Canapes - seen below -...
Recipe of the Month – Joan Crawford’s Steak with Roquefort Sauce
The recipe of the month is up. I was thinking about what I would like to eat on Valentine's Night. I will treat myself to a nice juicy steak prepared Joanie style with a good bottle of wine. I might watch Pillow Talk. I love the scene...
Bette Davis’ Marmalade
Ah, the website has returned from its holiday at the seaside. I was getting worried there. 5 years of blogging, over 500 posts about hundreds of film star recipe experiments - I thought it had all gone for ever. I shall be lavishing care and...
Vincent Price’s New Year Vol-au-Vent
Happy New Year to all my readers. 2012 is going to be a humdinger I can just feel it! Last night I saw off the old year in style with Corinna and Kate. We had Vincent's New Year Vol-au-Vent which was a splendid looking mega pastry full of turkey, bacon, peanuts,...
Merry Christmas from Silver Screen Suppers
I'll be on the telebox on Christmas Day with the Shellac Sisters! I think it will just be a fleeting moment but the programme will be gorgeous anyhow. We did love Darcey...
Roland Young’s Rissoles
I should have gone to bed early tonight, instead I have made Roland Young's Rissoles from my leftover turkey as is TRADITION. I laughed out loud when I searched my computer for Roland's recipe and one of the things that popped up was a document called "Gaby-isms". I...
Joan Crawford’s Salami Canapes
Christmas came early this year to The Palace of Solitude as yesterday I cooked Christmas dinner for three. Wow, what a lot of work! But it was worth it and I was very pleased with my Vincent Price "Roast Turkey Wayside Inn" which I'll write about later on the...
Guild of Food Writers – Silver Screen Suppers Presentation
I was so thrilled to be invited to give a presentation to the Guild of Food Writers about my Silver Screen Suppers project. I was very nervous to be speaking to such an esteemed crowd but they made me very welcome and I had lots of lovely compliments afterwards. We...
Diana Dors Competition
The Diana Dors double bill is out on DVD! The booklet contains an article by yours truly about Diana's fashion style and there are lots of pix of her frocks to drool over. I've got a copy to give away to one lucky winner. Diana is GREAT in both of these films and I...
Vincent Price’s Crostata Di Mele (Apple Tart)
My heart nearly burst with pride this morning when I got an email from my mum praising my pastry! I'd taken up some mini apple pies I made to a Vincent Price recipe last time I visited and she said, "We had your tartlets yesterday, they were really nice, were...
Jimmy Cagney’s Apple (Cheese) Pie
I made a lovely pie to Jimmy's recipe last night - but I forgot to put the cheese in! What an airhead. I think my brain is so full of plot twists, character traits and tricky dialogue at the moment as I grapple with NaNoWriMo - it's affecting my cooking! I've...
Recipe of the Month – Jimmy Cagney’s Apple Cheese Pie
I'll have to ask Rosalind what guns Jimmy is packing, she'll know for sure. The new recipe of the month is up and I'm going to try it on Friday. The lovely Corinna is cooking me dinner as I'm embroiled in NaNoWriMo. Corinna is the first of my volunteer Vincent...
Vincent Price’s Cucumber Crocodiles
There has been much Cucumber Crocodile action this week over at the Vincentennial Cookblog and I’m very excited to tell y'all that I've got an article about Vincent Price on lovefilm.com today – Happy Halloween On the contributors page I am next to Jean Christophe...
Bette Davis’ Marmalade
Still time to enter my competition. Prize? A jar of Bette Davis Marmalade made by yours truly. All you have to do is answer this multiple choice question. You can email me or put your choice in a comment. Closing date Monday 31st October at midnight. Overseas...
Betty Driver’s Salmon Kedgeree
Aw, sad news this week about the passing away of lovely Betty, much beloved maker of Hot Pot at the Rovers Return. I didn't have a hot pot recipe from her but I did have a lovely kedgeree one so I made it tonight in her honour. I would have a had a...
Gloria Swanson’s Bar-Le-Duc
I am thrilled to announce that our Gloria Swanson Bar-Le-Duc won SECOND PRIZE in its class at the Women's Institute Real Jam Festival this weekend. And as my mum put it, "those WI Judges are VERY picky!" Indeed they are, and as you know, we were very...
Stan Laurel’s Stuffed Baked Fish
I felt a bit like this about Stan's fish really. I had purchased two nice shiny sea bass (from the fishmonger who didn't know what a halibut was) and I stuffed them to Stan's specifications and tied them up with string. I baked them in the oven and they looked nice,...
Recipe of the Month – Bette Davis’ Creamed Halibut with Boiled Onions
Recipe of the month is up. I'm already worrying about when I might find the time and the company to make this. Got a crazy month with two holiday weekends. This weekend is the WI JAM FESTIVAL in Oxfordshire. We have submitted one of the jars of Gloria Swanson's...
Silver Screen Sunday – Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
Oh yum yum Joan Crawford did us proud today. We had JC Cheese Straws, JC Salami Sandwiches and JC Peanut Butter and Bacon Canapes. Main course was her legendary Meatloaf (delicious) with her own recipe for Green Peas (cooked with lettuce and spring onions)...
Jack Hulbert’s Salmon Salad (Tinned)
I can't remember if I have ever bought a tin of salmon before. Tins of tuna yes, but buying salmon in a tin seems a bit strange, I don't know why. But I fancied Jack's salad which is in one of my favourite cook books "282 Ways of Making a Salad". This was published...
Nils Asther’s Bachelor Omelet
On the day after my Annual Spinster's Day I thought it would be appropriate to have a Bachelor Omelet. It was delicious! Mind you, for a spinster, half the recipe would have done, the omelet was massive. This is the first of the recipes I'm testing for the app. ...
Rita Hayworth’s Angel Food Cake
Behold the splendor of this Angel Cake made to Rita's recipe by Evanio Alves in Rio de Janeiro! I'm so thrilled to have a reader in Ipanema, and he test cooks for me too! I'm so jealous of his cake, mine never looks like this.... I'm thinking I...
Recipe of the Month – Gloria Swanson’s Caviar Canapes
September's recipe is for Gloria's gorgeous canapes. Really easy, really cute and will make you feel like the most generous hostess ever. CAVIAR. It's not as crazy expensive as you might think. I got a cute little pot for £4 and I can get two dinner parties worth...
Silver Screen Sunday – Sunset Boulevard Luncheon
Oh what a fabulous lunch! Jane, Trix, Sophie and Joshua came all dolled up in their Sunset Boulevard finery and I wore the leopard print housecoat I bought in Miami. On the menu: Gloria Swanson's Champagne Cocktail Gloria Swanson's Caviar Canapes William Holden's...
Loretta Young’s Walnut Loaf
Well, it's the recipe of the month and very lovely it is too. Really reminds me of nut roasts I used to make when I was a vegetarian - way, way, way back in my student days. I made a kind of Puttanesca sauce to go with it, as it definitely needs a sauce of some...
Myrna Loy’s Quick Chicken Pimento Soup
Oh Myrna, that was definitely quick and it was also surprisingly good! I wanted to cook something fairly healthy and fairly speedy tonight as I had the dreaded rigmarole that is dying my hair planned for later. Gad, it is one of my least favourite things to do. ...
Alfred Hitchcock’s Quiche Lorraine
Ah, Alfred Hitchcock, King of Suspense and King of Quiche. This was obviously a favourite as he supplied a quiche recipe to two different recipe books. I must compare both recipes. Had a wonderful day on Saturday with lots of my old chums from the Walthamstow days. ...
Dorothy Lamour’s Strawberry Ice Cream
Here is some inspiration if you are thinking of trying this month's recipe of the month. The lovely Lauren Hairston has made Dorothy's ice-cream and blogged about it here. My favourite thing about this whole project is receiving photos and emails about the...
Recipe of the Month: Dorothy Lamour’s Strawberry Ice Cream
Does anyone know what happened to June? Good grief it's July already! The new recipe of the month is up, the newsletter has just gone out and the demonstration video is up on YouTube. There is (as is tradition) a guest star sampling the ice cream at the end. ...
Gloria Swanson’s Bar-Le-Duc
Today I spent about 5 hours picking the seeds out of redcurrants with a goose quill. I kid you not. This is the traditional way of preparing the fruit for the most expensive jam in the world. No wonder! My Shellac Sister Veronica's dad had a wonderful crop of...
Joan Crawford Wilted Spinach Salad
I have a Vincent Price Quiche Lorraine in the oven and as this involves a large amount of bacon which provides a large amount of bacon fat I thought I'd have Joan's spinach salad alongside. It's hot bacon fat mixed with vinegar that makes her salad wilted. ...
Dorothy Lamour’s Strawberry Ice Cream
I feel a bit like this today after a lovely evening with Mr HiFi last night. A bit languid and sleepy and sultry... It it hot, hot, hot in London and so, time for ice-cream. I made a batch of Dorothy's on Sunday and it has been quite a hit. I had to resist eating...
Daring Cooks Challenge – Vincent Price’s Creole Potato Salad
For the Daring Cook's Challenge this month I killed two birds with one potato. The task set was to make a "healthy potato salad" and I'm not sure how healthy it was but my guests sure liked it. I made it almost exactly to the recipe in "Cooking Price-Wise" except...
Katharine Hepburn Brownies
I'm really trying to stick to my testing schedule so this morning I got up at 6 to make some of Katharine's legendary Brownies. There is much discussion about this recipe on the internet but as far as I can ascertain it was first published in an article written by...
Humphrey Bogart’s Coconut Spanish Cream
I've been putting this one off for too long now and I pledge to make it today, after I have watched The African Queen. There has been serendipity this weekend. Basically I've been in a terrible funk this week, but have been gradually shaken out of it by the many...
The Diana Dors Diet
When you are in the same room as Jay Rayner, Mary Berry, Nigella Lawson and Ottolenghi, you know something magical will happen. So it was tonight. I went to the Guild of Food Writers Awards and oh my goodness me, something amazing happened. My Diana Dors obsession...
Lana Turner’s Super and Easy Salsa
My blues have disappeared. I've spent my lunchhour laughing out loud at some of the comments I've received about my Vincent Price Crocodile demonstration film. The Silver Screen Supperers sure aint daunted by the Spanish cucumber e-coli scare! They are all getting...
Jack La Rue’s Spaghetti A La Jack La Rue
Ooh, I do love an eponymous recipe! Especially when it comes out of the blue from a new reader of the blog who sent it over to me from France. This is one of the things I ADORE about working on this project, getting emails from people all over the world who like the...
Vincentennial Party
Happy Birthday Palace of Solitude and Happy Birthday Vincent Price! This weekend marks the first anniversary of my move to Silver Screen Suppers Towers and the start of the Vincentennial. The 100th anniversary of Vincent Price's birth was on Friday and last night I...
Bette Davis’ Brown Bette
There is a vegan version of the Brown Bette in the oven making my whole flat smell delicious. It is my offering for dinner tomorrow at Paulette's with Angus & Clive (we must select Hollywood monikers for them) and I'm really looking forward to scoffing it. Had a...
Veronica Lake’s Spiced Beef With Peas
Miss Peekaboo let me down with her crazy recipe. Bleah. Hmm, it's the only one we have for her in the collection and the question is, would this recipe be good enough for the book? Answer no. Veronica may be dropped. Eek! The call is out - does anyone have any...
Alan Ladd’s German Potato Pancakes
I am recovering from a fantastic night at Fluffy Logic. What a crazy lovely fluffy bouncy night it was. Mr H couldn't make it after all and I briefly wondered if I should go on my own as I wouldn't really know anyone but it's the kind of place where that really...
Diana Dors’ Cheese Moussaka
Only the prospect of a man I really fancy coming round with a copy of the Diana Dors LP under his arm would ever make me cook an aubergine. But it's happening tomorrow so I have done it. Mr H has found a copy of "Swingin Dors" and is personally delivering it. I am...
Bing Crosby’s Turkey & Eggs a la Crosby
Sunday morning and I have Bing's Turkey and Eggs in the oven for my breakfast. I've gone all fancy and am attempting to cook them in an edible container - ie a piece of bread that I'm hoping will go all toasty. We shall see... Today I am planning a big spring clean...
Daring Cooks Challenge – Vincent Price’s Gumbo
This month's challenge over at the Daring Cooks was gumbo. I've only ever cooked gumbo once before - for Rosalind and Montgomery many moons ago when I was cat sitting at the Tessa Cohen mansion. The challenge for us UK based cooks was not really making the gumbo,...
Happy Birthday Silver Screen Suppers
I can hardly believe it but today marks five years of blogging about the recipes of the stars. My goodness me how much has changed! When I began I was nursing a broken heart and living on a houseboat using a tabletop cooker that had to be turned on with a pair of...
Diana Dors’ Bhuma Ghosht
I have a Diana Dors curry in the slow cooker and will be channeling her bombshell energy on Wednesday as I'm off to an awards ceremony in a dress that I think is the kind of va-va-voom item that Diana herself would have worn. I will feel UPHOLSTERED and whether I win...
78 Revolutions on Radio 4 – 11.30am 5th May
Stop Press! Programme is available on the BBC Listen again service - 78 Revolutions - until the year 2099 according to their website so no rush! In a very rare non recipe related post, I just thought I would let you all know that I'm on the radio tomorrow. I'll be...
Boris Karloff’s Steak and Kidney Pie
My number one passion is Roller Derby. I absolutely love it. So Rosalind and Jimmy didn't bat an eyelid when I suggested we watch "Kansas City Bomber" with Racquel Welch playing a red hot rollergirl while we waited for Boris's pie to cook. It is probably...
Recipe of the Month – Rhonda Fleming’s English Trifle
Aw, the Royal Wedding was LOVELY! Such a treat to have an extra day off work and I made the most of it by taking a Rhonda Fleming English Trifle out to Leigh-on-Sea. My mum always makes trifle for big family get-togethers so it felt like the right thing to do. Had...
Rhonda Fleming’s English Trifle
Rosalind always likes it when I say I am "planning a trifle" - I think it is a quote from "A Private Function". Well I AM planning a trifle, for the Royal Wedding party I am going to tomorrow. I'm just about to nip to Morrison to see if they have any blue sprinkles...
Groucho Marx Matzo Balls
I did it! Finally. And they were GOOD. Being roughly speaking Church of England I have no idea if they tasted like Matzo Balls should (never seen one before, let alone cooked and eaten one) but I thought they were quite yummy. Charley agreed saying, "I'll give 'em...
Claudette Colbert Cake
Stripes! Claudette's cake is not for the faint hearted. It has taken me about 2 and a half hours to make but I have to say, it is BEAUTIFUL! It's a perfect cake to make at Easter as it is all yellow and lemony. I have decorated it with mini chocolate eggs. There...
Maurice Chevalier’s French Onion Soup
I am STARVING this morning. I was DJing last night at the Rushes Soho "Best of British Tea Dance" which was so brilliant. The food was all spread out like at a Women's Institute cake sale and everything was home made and looked beautiful. Home made battenburg cake...
Mae West’s Salada de Tuna
Ooh Mae, I think it was having some of your Salada for lunch that made me break all the rules and go out with a fella last night. What happened to my giving up men for Lent pledge?! Ha ha! Mae would have been proud of me. I sat in an enormous fibre glass throne...
Gary Cooper’s Buttermilk Griddle Cakes
Grr! As some of you know, cowboys are my weakness... I had to wear my cowgirl boots to work on Friday in an attempt to lasso some Texas Cowgirl Spirit. I had an "emotional gust" on Thursday, some might call it a TANTRUM. Where did all that fury come from? Haven't...
Daring Cooks Challenge – Edible Containers – Rhonda Fleming’s Cowboy Caviar in Tortilla Cups
This month's challenge over at the Daring Kitchen was edible containers. Oh those clever people really did make some amazing things. My favourite was onion soup served in a carved out onion - genius! I did something quite easy but absolutely brilliant (even if I do...
Thelma Todd’s Scripture Cake
I feel a bit like this myself today Thelma. I am in bed in my bright red Elizabeth Tayloresque slip typing this on my brand new Macbook. My cup of coffee is just about on the other side of the room. No more coffee keyboard incidents for me. Not sure yet what data...
Anna May Wong’s Tea Cakes
Oh friends and fellow laptop owners. Do not do what I did and tip a whole cup of coffee into your keyboard. Woe is me. It was like slow motion... I saw it topple, I lunged towards it like Gordon Banks, I was too late. Result? "Everything below the waist is...
Silver Screen Sunday – Rhonda Fleming Tribute
Every month I offer a prize to my newsletter subscribers and test cooks. Recently the prize was to come to lunch at Silver Screen Towers and the lucky winner Lucy (aka Jennifer Jones) came to my place yesterday along with Lisa (aka Dorothy Lamour) and Lawrence (aka...
Boris Karloff’s Steak & Kidney Pie
Oh yum, yum. Boris's pie was GOOD. Charley C. came over for dinner and we ate half of it between us. It was quite a faff to make but I think it was worth it. Best part of the evening was watching Charley try to hula hoop. He just flung it...
William Powell’s Vatrouskis
The new recipe of the month is up and it's a house favourite. Vatrouskis. I realise to my horror that I've been calling these VaStrouskis for about a year and the blog is littered with spelling mistakes to correct (ditto my crazy spelling of Anna May Wong...
Joan Crawford’s Charcoal Broiled Steak
I got Tiger Blood man! Today I was feeling a bit sorry for myself. Then I thought, "What would Joan Crawford do?" and decided she'd cook herself a steak, have a glass of wine and get over it, which is exactly what I have done. To hell with it, Joan would put it all...
Cary Grant’s Tuna Fish Pie
It's been an EPIC week. I've had two more responses from film star copyright holders in the affirmative and have been nominated for a blog award. How FABULOUS - click on the VOTE button if you'd like to - Little Blog Awards (Silver Screen Suppers should be...
Rhonda Fleming’s Cowboy Caviar
I thought my heart would burst this week when I got a personal email from Rhonda Fleming! I wrote to ask if she would be happy for me to include her recipe for Hollywood Ham Loaf in the book. She not only sent me her current favourite recipe (for Cowboy Caviar) but...
Rudolph Valentino’s Secret Spaghetti Sauce
My friend Yadrian came to dinner last night. I wanted to thank him for helping me select a DVD projector and we decided on La Dolce Vita to show it off. I've never seen this film but Yadrian loves it. I didn't realise that he had studied film and philosophy at...
Bing Crosby’s Ceviche (Daring Cooks Challenge)
When I saw that this month's Daring Cooks Challenge was Ceviche I was a bit daunted but I had a go anyhow. As Mae West said, "I'll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure." Luckily Bing provided a recipe and I rustled it up last night. Hmm. ...
Joan Crawford’s Salami Canapes
Bee Boy came round last night with a lovely cardboard box full of 78s. He'd grabbed a batch from his local charity shop and there were some real gems. Favourite was a brilliant tango by Xavier Cugat and second fave an Ethel Smith rendition of "Perhaps, Perhaps,...
William Powell’s Vatrouskis
Silver Screen Suppers Towers is as clean as a new pin. My parents are coming to visit for the very first time tomorrow and I want to make a very good impression. It's a big deal for me have taken the step to find somewhere to live on my lonesome and I really hope...
John Wayne’s Cheese Casserole
While we are on the subject of THE DUKE, here's a report from Jeanne over there in the USof A on John's Cheese Casserole. Jeanne really liked this cheesy dish and proclaimed it to be not only delicious but FABULOUS. Her version turned out really light and much more...
John Wayne’s Mustard Steak
Back to business. I have come out of my funk, partly because Ruthie sent me some photos of us in matching aprons that were taken in Texas. I was laughing so hard at them that when the phone rang at work I could barely speak. You can see one on the About page. This...
Gary Cooper’s Buttermilk Griddlecakes
It is pancake day and that means tomorrow is the beginning of Lent. This year I have decided to give up MEN for Lent. 40 days and 40 nights without men. Do you think I can do it? I think I can. To be honest, although it may seem from this blog as though I spend a...
Greta Garbo’s Swedish Meatballs
Unlike Garbo I do not want to be left alone. I'd rather have a playmate at the moment. There was nobody to share the meatballs last night. I agree with another of our test cooks who thinks that dividing her meatballs mixture into 12 makes very LARGE meatballs. I...
Joan Crawford Canapes
I'm holding my head a bit today Joan. Terrifically hungover. Last night was the annual and totally fabulous OSCARS party at Olivier and Nick's house. This year we were 12 and everyone looked very festive and posh in their bow ties, fancy frocks, top hats and face...
Joan Crawford’s Salami Hors D’Oeuvres
I wish they still made stockings like this. My knees could do with some big old hearts to cover up the bruises got from falling over in the street last week. It was quite a spectacular one as I was holding a large open umbrella above my head. Mary Poppins I...
March Cookalong – Anna May Wong’s Tea Cakes
Join us in making some AMW Tea Cakes sometime in March. I have been VERY industrious this evening. I have finished editing the demonstration movie, worked out how to put music on it, bunged it up on the YouTube and sent out this month's newsletter. Only...
Anna May Wong Tea Cakes
I feel a bit like that myself today Anna May. I am pleased to report that when I left for work this morning there was a MAN asleep in my bed. Ha ha! I wonder if he'll still be there when I get home? I'm not saying who it was but here's a clue. As I left I said,...
Groucho Marx Matzo Balls
I have had to establish a Silver Screen Suppers Witness Protection Programme for Mr and Mrs X in North London who have tested the Matzo Balls recipe for me. Before explaining why, I must say that the Matzo Balls are my nemesis. Can a Matzo Ball be a nemesis? Or...
Mae West’s Salada de Tuna
Fortified by some of Mae West's salad I made a big dent in the copyright clearance task last night. I'm having to approach all the copyright holders for these recipes (where known) and possibly the stars' estates too. I am quite looking forward to corresponding with...
Agnes Ayres’ Chocolate Mousse
I've been on holiday! Just back from a phenomenal trip to Blackpool for the Showzam Festival. Spent most of my time in the superlative Tower Ballroom and for the first time DANCED on the perfectly sprung floor. Saw three different hula hoop acts, some very...
Red Button’s Shrimp Tempura – Daring Cooks Challenge
Happy Valentine's Day my lovelies. I thought I was going to be like Charlie Brown all day, checking my mail box for Valentines and finding NOTHING however, I was THRILLED that I received one. Who from I wonder?! Also my diagonal desk mate told me that I was...
Jimmy Stewart’s Chicken Breast Italiano and Apple Pie
The lovely Arthur came for his birthday dinner and we had a Jimmy Stewart extravaganza. Although the provenance of the chicken recipe is dubious the apple pie is definitely Jimmy's own. Shame I forgot the cheese in the pastry but it was still delicious (and I didn't...
Gracie Fields’ Lancashire Hot Pot
Eee by gum. Charley proclaimed this to be probably the best Silver Screen Suppers dinner so far, and as he has been the recipient of so many, that is saying something. But even though I do say so myself, it was indeed delicious. What I love about so many of these...
Dolores Del Rio’s Arroz Con Pollo
Unexpected house guest this evening which was LOVELY. James was hoping someone would be up for a Friday night drink after work and because everyone was in hibernation except me, he came over for some chicken with rice and the first ever screening of a full length...
February Cookalong – Agnes Ayres’ Chocolate Mousse
Just a quick post to say that we have a new recipe of the month. I've just sent the newsletter out, subscribers get an extra treat - a link to a little demonstration film I made. I haven't made this available to the whole world because I'm constantly appalled at the...
William Powell’s Vastroukis
Oh what a weekend! A fantastic night out with Nazimova, Marijana, Sasha, Jasminka and many folk I haven't seen for a long while jumping up and down to the Penny Black Remedy - man they ROCKED! And to the other extreme, a photo shoot with three clasically trained...
Anna May Wong’s Chinese Almond Duck
Charley and Corinna came round for din dins last night and it was just lovely. I'd been so looking forward to catching up with them both. Anna's dish was good, but not as good as the time I made it for Edmund. I think I should have used more garlic so I'll put that...
Flora Robson’s Nutties
It's Burns Night tomorrow and I've just discovered a whole section on Scottish delicacies in one of my film star cook books. Am making Flora's Nutties to take to Paulette's where we will introduce 10 year old Shirley to the delights of Robbie and try and make her...
Mae West’s Salada de Tuna
Oh how I LOVE those Audio Gold boys. They are so kind to me. They found me some speakers and a GORGEOUS Ferrograph amp (who knew I'd need one of those too?) They fiddled around with the amp, cleaning all the connections, showing me the splendour of the inside with...
Anna May Wong’s Tea Cakes
There is a batch of Anna May Wong Tea Cakes in the oven as I am planning a little trip to Audio Gold this afternoon. Not just because I'd like to see the lovely men that work there and one of them has already confirmed that he has my stylus in my pocket but also...
Rita Hayworth’s Angel’s Food Cake
The plan tonight was to make a Claudette Colbert Cake for James Rumsey's homecoming. But I suddenly remembered James saying he didn't like lemony things so a Rita Hayworth Cake it is instead. It is smelling GOOD. Am very pleased to report a lovely date number 2...
Agnes Ayres’ Chocolate Mousse
I am halfway through a batch of chocolate mousse and am trying to make a little film demonstration showing how it is done to include in the next newsletter. LORD my face is lopsided, I never realised! It's something to do with seeing yourself on video rather than in...
Constance Bennett’s Spanish Chicken
Here's Constance "donning the silks" as I believe the Panther once put it and posing with a curtain. It's a good look isn't it? I might try it next time someone tries to take a photo of me. I've been putting off re-testing this recipe for ages and I don't know why...
Simone Signoret Cassoulet Day 3
This will be an extraordinary post almost entirely about cassoulet and not really about film stars (or my love life) as I'm reporting on my first Daring Cooks challenge. This is a monthly challenge where all over the world food bloggers make the same recipe and all...
2011 Testing Schedule
I've set myself a rigorous testing schedule for 2011 and can already see it's going to be hard to stick to it. I'm back in the wonderful world of internet dating and it is a right bun fight already! Paid my subscription on Monday and have been on two...
Simone Signoret’s Cassoulet Day 2
My flat is full of the delicious smell of beef dripping rendering! What a bizzare endeavour this cassoulet is proving to be. Today I went in search of "salt pork" with little hope of finding it but EUREKA the crazy butcher on Camden High Street (so out of place...
Simone Signoret’s Cassoulet
It's day one of a three day recipe. Tonight I salted the duck legs for Simone's Cassoulet which I'll be throwing together for Charley on Sunday night. I am making duck confit don't you know?! This is going to be quite a challenge. There are a lot of strange MEATS...
Cary Grant’s Tuna Fish Pie
Graham Crackers are in the house WHOOP WHOOP! The lovely Moya is here from NYC and brought me some in her handbag. I am very excited and have all kinds of plans for them. It was so great to see her, probably about 15 years since we'd caught up and...
Vincent Price Goulash
Ooooh Roland's Rissoles were GOOD! I have so much mixure left though. I may attempt to make little canape rissoles for tomorrow night's New Year's Eve extravaganza chez Charley and Corinna. I am so proud of myself. It's been a busy night. Fed Paulette's cats on...
Roland Young’s Rissoles
It's Rissoles Night, it's Rissoles Night, it's Rissoles Night! Well, it will be in about 15 hours time. I woke up at 4.15am and got so excited about the prospect of Roland's Rissoles I couldn't get back to sleep so have decided to rise and shine and just get on with...
Merry Christmas from Silver Screen Suppers
Oh what a week it has been! DJing at The Savoy AND Claridges in the same week. How very glam! Masses of free cocktails at the former and one each paid for at Claridges - four cocktails and a bowl of peanuts was £80. Not joking. We got some good photos though. All...
Charlie Chaplin’s Apple Roll
I'm going to have a big bruise on my bum after falling over at my humdinger of a birthday party last night. AGAIN I didn't get to bed until 4am. What a shocker. I'm going to make a list of who rocked up with their 45rpm singles last night but I think there must have...
Joan Crawford’s Charcoal Broiled Steak
OOh I am TIRED. I was out last night until 4 in the morning! Anyone who is aware of my sleeping habits will know this is incredibly late for me - usually asleep by 10pm. It's my birthday week and I've been celebrating every single night. On Tuesday I saw Mr...
William Powell’s Vastroukis, Rudolph Valentino’s Secret Spaghetti Sauce and Agnes Ayres’ Chocolate Mousse
What a lovely lunch on Sunday. Jeanne was here from Atlanta - we had never met before but have corresponded about many Silver Screen Suppers recipes. She makes me laugh like a drain with her emails and pictures of things like Gene Kelly's Greatest Man Sandwich in...
Mae West’s Pumpkin Pie
Happy Thanksgiving to all our American readers (and everyone in fact). Today I am giving thanks for the fact that tonight I have my first proper date in approximately three years. And I'm also giving thanks for all the wonderful people who are test cooking these...
Loretta Young’s Walnut Loaf
Oh those LIPS Loretta. Lovely. The wonderful Will in Warrington has made Loretta's Walnut Loaf and it came as some surprise to me when I saw his pics with accompanying vegetables that it was a savoury dish. Even though I typed the recipe out for him at some point I...
Joan Crawford’s Cheese Straws, William Powell’s Vastroukis and Vincent Price Goulash
The Goulash has been in the slow cooker overnight and I'm about to construct a big batch of BISQUICK so that I can make some JC Cheese Straws as I have a BIG lunch party today. It's a bit of a welcome-back-the-newlyweds party for Grace and Douglas. Wedding guests...
Marilyn Monroe’s Stuffing Recipe
I knew it was coming, but I took my eye off the ball and here it is! (thanks for the tip off Jeanne!) The Holy Grail of Silver Screen Suppers recipes - a real Marilyn recipe. Until now the best we had was the fact that she liked to serve carrots and peas together as...
Vincent Price / Vilma Banky Goulash
Had a long conversation about how cold it gets on a houseboat with Jan at work. He has just bought one and I told him he would soon become obsessed with trying to keep the fire alight when he wasn't there. When I lived on the little floating caravan beside Swan...
Ginger Rogers Coffee Parfait and Joan Crawford’s Bisquick Cheese Straws
I'm off to Charley's for dinner tonight so have made some of his favourite pudding - Ginger's Coffee Parfait - and used up the last of my home made Bisquick making some of Joan's cheese straws. I've eaten about 18 of those already, I think they are GORGEOUS. Hope I...
Gracie Fields’ Toad in the Hole
Ee by gum! It's Our Gracie's turn to host the recipe of the month cookalong. I made her Toad in the Hole when I lived on the houseboat and remember it being rather tasty. I'll have another go at it this week I think. It's that sausagey kind of time of the year......
Mae West’s Pumpkin Pie
Just about to jump on a plane with Rosalind for our annual "romantic mini-break". Boys never take us on one so we take ourselves once a year. We have done Wareham, France, Stroud, Berlin, Copenhagen and this year it is BUDAPEST. So I am handing over the blog todat...
Gary Cooper’s Buttermilk Griddle Cakes
Exhuasted but very happy after a trip to Bath for the wedding of the century 2. At the risk of breaking the hearts of classic Hollywood fans all around the world I have to announce that I was at the marriage of the lovely Matthew of Movietone News and the absolutely...
Mae West’s Pumpkin Pie a la Robert
Much good humoured hilarity this week when Nazimova brought in the "Pumpkin Pie a la Robert" she had made from this month's special recipe. Naz is from Belgrade and had sent me an email saying that she'd never had Pumpkin Pie so had no idea what it should look...
Joan Crawford’s Pork Chops With Apple Rings
Home Movie Day at the Cinema Museum in Kennington was fabulous. I spun the shellac for 3 hours in the afternoon as an accompaniment to some fantastic home movies. There were some 1960s chicks with some REMARKABLE hairdos up on the big screen for all to see! There's...
Bette Davis’ Brown Bette
A gloriously silly evening at Paulette and Ivor's house last night which involved Angus acting as sous-chef for the Brown Bette. It turned out surpisingly yummy, especially considering that I was so drunk by the time I got around to making it I kept having to weigh...
Vincent Price’s Sweetcorn Fritters
Oh how I am loving the spinster life! Had a fabulous day today. Wallowed in bed with coffee and The Archers until 11.15 then made myself some Fritters for brunch. Yum yum yum. Mooched up to Alexander Palace to go and see my friend Shane's art installation. Fully...
Dorothy Lamour’s Strawberry Ice Cream
'Ave a banana! I am still singing "A Sweater, A Sarong and a Peekaboo Bang" after a lovely evening at Matthew and Angela's house for dinner on Friday. We watched this classic ditty performed by Paulette Goddard, Dorothy Lamour and Veronica Lake as we scoffed some of...
Gloria Swanson’s Butterless Devil’s Food Cake
Just back from the wedding of the century, Grace and Douglas are now HITCHED and what a wonderful day it was! Great to spend time with lots of the Walthamstow posse, there was much crazy dancing - especially from Cary who was doing his "Rock Lobster" moves and making...
An Invite To Silver Screen Suppers Towers
I trust you are signed up to our mailing list? If so you'll have received Mae's Pumpkin Pie recipe today. There is a very special prize on the table for all of our test cooks this month - a chance to come to my house for dinner! I will be making the legendary Joan...
Carole Lombard’s Spinach Soup
Some might say it is a rotten rainy night in London but I rather like it - especially as I've been in all evening rather than scouting for boys at the Circulus gig. I rather fancied seeing if I could bag myself a bearded boy but the lure of an almost full bag of...
Joan Crawford’s Wilted Spinach Salad
Tonight I went on the first blind date I have been on in approximately 4 years I reckon (I'm not counting the George Clooney lookalike as he was a friend of Ava's and therefore had a personal recommendation). Surprisingly, it was a highly enjoyable experience. I...
Silver Screen Sunday – The Sheik
My lovely new table and chairs were put to good use on Sunday as I had four fabulous chums over for a Sheik related dinner. The menu was supposed to be: Adolph Menjou's Venetian Spiced Cheese, Rudolph Valentino's Secret Spaghetti Sauce and Agnes Ayres' Chocolate...
Carole Lombard’s Lettuce Soup
I really intended making Carole's soup tonight but I admit it, I got too drunk. Since moving into the Palace of Solitude, Fridays have become the most significant night in my (un)social calendar. I wriggle out of all and any invitations and scurry home so that I can...
Joan Crawford’s Bisquick Cheese Straws
What would you say if I told you that I have made my OWN Bisquick? I found a recipe on the internet and decided that as we can't get it in the UK (and our supermarkets don't seem to have anything approaching its genius) I decided to rustle up my very own stash...
Claudette Colbert Cake
Ooh, I had an outfit a bit like that on Second Life. Been so long since I went there though I'll have forgotten how to do everything I'm sure. I did enjoy meditating by the fountains with doves flying around though. Oh and I did like my little...
Sonja Henie’s Scandinavian Cookies
I'm feeling a bit like that today Sonja! Not sure if it is the weather (beautiful hot sunny day here in London), my new "Friends of the Zoo" membership (Tuesday is Zooday from now on) or just general joyfulness for no apparent reason. I'm not going to...
Joan Crawford’s Creamed White Onions in a Red Pepper Cup
Slightly chaotic at Silver Screen Suppers Towers tonight as I attempt a singleton's version of Joan's recipe designed to serve eight people. She sure did love to entertain. I am left with the sneaking suspicion that because I had to divide 2 tablespoons of...
Anna May Wong’s Tea Cakes
A momentous day today for Renee who after 7 years working for the Archive is now off to another job, still within the company but not where I can hear her cracking up with laughter about something almost every day. She's been behind my right shoulder for about a...
Joan Crawford’s Pork Chops with Apple Rings
Today I am featuring my first ever guest post. C. Aubrey’s review of his attempt at Joan’s Pork Chops made me laugh out loud so I thought I would feature it here in full. Through consultation with Matthew Coniam over at www.movietone-news.com we have...
Joan Crawford’s Welsh Rarebit with Kidney Beans
Well I wasn't expecting to enjoy that but I did! A weird combination on paper, but on toast, not bad! Picture here... Mind you, my enjoyment may have been partly to do with a raging hangover caused by much beer, wine and whiskey consumed yesterday during...
Marion Davies’ Meadow Cheese Cake
Had a fantastic time last night at the Wind-Up. It's Walthamstow Arts Trail week and Mo had made an incredible outfit from 78rpm record covers - cardboard ones making the body of the dress and train and folded paper one making frilly decorations and a fabulous...
Joan Crawford’s Charcoal Broiled Steak
This is my favourite Joan Crawford "look" and if I had the guts I'd have my hair like this. I'd wear the same kind of trashy outfits she wears in "Rain" too, she looked superb even though she was playing a woman of ill repute. Her full-on lips caused quite...
Dorothy Dwan’s French Dressing, Joan Crawford’s Salad Number Two and French Banana Salad
Rosalind and Jimmy are true friends. Even though they didn't like the sound of Joan's Banana Salad (bananas / mayonnaise / peanuts / lettuce) they both tried some. Jimmy's initial one word comment upon tasting it of: "NO!" was pretty succinct. ...
Joan Crawford’s Charcoal Broiled Steak
Joan's steak was a big success with Charley. He said something along the lines of "enormo-cheese!" when it came out of the oven which in Charley speak is a compliment to the chef. It really was a delicious hunk of cheesy mustardy meat, I could eat another...
Errol Flynn’s Baked Fish Havannaise
Aw Errol - you were such a softy really. Are you on a BOAT with that cat?! I'm recovering from a late night DJing job at probably the nicest wedding we have ever played at. The bride was so HAPPY. I've been to so many weddings lately where the bride...
Joan Crawford’s Almond Soup
I am only going to forgive Joan for her Almond Soup because she is wearing such a nice hat. What can I say about it without being rude? It was not to my taste is probably the best way of putting it. Still, Gary C is in town tonight and I'll be serving this...
William Powell’s Vatrouskis version 2
I made a second batch of the Vatrouskis this morning and took them into work. A big hit. I may have to make another lot tomorrow as they went on the special "treats" spot around 9.40 and were gone by 9.45! Might try a variation with filo pastry...
Joan Crawford’s Salad Number One
Welcome to Joan Crawford month. I've set myself the probably impossible task of testing all of her recipes except the Meat Loaf this month. Still saving up for the legendary Meat Loaf - ingredients cost about £60! Am planning to make it on my...
Oliver Hardy’s Spaghetti
I've had an excellent response to this month's newsletter from the Artist Formerly Known as Gene. If any lady out there is thinking of having a Joan Crawford style dinner party, he has offered his services as the "bearded artist" she suggests inviting as the...
William Powell’s Vatrouskis and Joan Crawford’s Peanut Butter and Bacon Canapes
I'm in a drunken stupour at 8pm listening to Blur's "Girls and Boys" on the radio and feeling a special relationship to the bassline just because I sat next to Alex James on Market Kitchen and absorbed some of his aura. Oh how lovely. Maybe this is what...
Joan Crawford’s Pork Chops With Fried Apple Rings
Charley was like a monkey at the zoo when he saw Joan's Pork Chops come out of the oven! I must admit they did look delicious all smothered with red onions and doused in 1/4 pound of butter. They were really very good, top marks Joan. Glad they were...
Carole Lombard’s Barbecued Spare Ribs
I am not normally a jealous person but when a new test cook in the USA sent me a photo of the stove on which she cooks I went BRIGHT GREEN with envy. A 1936 “Magic Chef” cooker that is a joy to behold. Check out the picture on the Flickr page – Magic Chef. Rebecca...
Shirley Temple’s Pecan Squares
Anyone who has read The Celestine Prophecy knows that coincidences can be meaningful. Well, I've had a whole heap of them this evening. Yesterday I felt that, almost a year after splitting with Sidney. I was ready to get back in the fray. So I took the plunge and...
Jimmy Stewart’s Chicken Pie
Well it took me almost all day to make Jimmy's pie but it was worth it. Utterly delicious. I managed to break one of my favourite plates, cover the kitchen in home made chicken stock and smash a pyrex dish (which I thought was impossible) in the process but the...
Dorothy Lamour’s Strawberry Ice Cream
I am returned from the wilds of Essex where my niece Lucy got hitched to the lovely Helen. There was no "best man" for me to get myself into trouble with which was just as well. I seem to remember giving a rendition of "I Love Rock and Roll" on the karaoke at some...
Lupe Velez’s Tamale Pie
Did anyone get today's Independent or Daily Telegraph? FABULOUS picture of the Shellac Sisters at the Vintage at Goodwood Festival - but would you believe it, I was in the LOO so am not in the picture! I don't mind at all, I always look too goofy in photos and it...
Margaret Sullavan’s Peanut Butter Hermits
Nice hairdo Margaret. Hair very much on my mind at the moment as I prepare for Vintage at Goodwood. Shall I go and have a radical haircut so that I can do some proper Victory Rolls? As I got a surprise bonus at work today perhaps I should? EVERYONE is going to be...
Rudolph Valentino’s Secret Spaghetti Sauce and Ginger Rogers’ Coffee Parfait
My heart nearly burst with pride when I saw the photos of three test cooks I have never met cooking up a storm one Sunday for the Silver Screen Suppers project. Nathalie, Zsa Zsa and Esther obviously had a whole heap of fun making Rudoph's Spaghetti and Ginger's...
Irene Dunne’s Shrimps and Rice
It's a shame that the top of Irene's head has been chopped off by my computer, her hairdo is ace. If I had the guts, I'd have mine cut like this so I could rock Irene's look at the Vintage at Goodwood Festival next weekend. I've just been out and about in Camden...
Anna May Wong’s Chinese Almond Duck
Had another bash at Anna's duck dish last night as Daryl (we must get him a film star name) came round for dinner. The duck was definitely not as nice as when I made it for Edmund and I tried to work out why. Was it because I'd used a different type of mushroom? ...
Louise Brooks’ Knickerbocker Chicken Supreme
Oh what a beauty! Louise is definitely in my top three most beautiful screen icons. I just love her on screen, and love all her studio shots and publicity photos too. What a babe. I made her favourite recipe tonight for two lovely men that I have no doubt if she...
Anna May Wong’s Tea Cakes
I've got a day off work today and it is bliss. I've got a batch of tea cakes in the oven and I'm still not dressed at 11am. I'm sure that Anna May would have worn something a little more slinky than a muu muu in the kitchen but there is a certain pleasure in cooking...
Marion Davies’ Meadow Cheesecake
Well, Marion's cheesecake was the biggest hit yet with my work colleagues. Marie pronounced it to be "Possibly the BEST CAKE IN THE WORLD!" and Edward G said, "great, really great, REALLY great" between mouthfuls. It was still warm from the oven as I had...
Marion Davies’ Cheesecake
It is taking me a long time to get used to the idea that I can live exactly as I please now I have my own place. Tonight I am experimenting with doing exactly what I want... I've been DJing with my Sisters all day at a crazy corporate event in...
Anna May Wong’s Chinese Almond Duck version 2
Edmund read Tuesday's post and decided that he would like Anna May's Duck for his dinner last night. He missed the party and wanted to peruse my new flat. As a man with a penchant for the 1930s I knew he'd like it. As nosey as I am, he particularly enjoyed...
Anna May Wong’s Chinese Almond Duck
Oh my goodness, it feels like being in an industrial kitchen this evening as I try and cook TWO main courses. AMWs duck - for the first time ever - plus my all time favourite non-silver-screen-suppers dish - Leon's Sausage, Kale and Flageolets Casserole. It doesn't...
Vincent Price’s Hungarian Goulash
To say that my housewarming was a humdinger would, I think, be an understatement. What a wonderful and crazy night it was. I tried to make a list of everyone who rocked up, I got to 61 people and then realised I was still drunk so had to stop... It was...
Josephine Baker’s Spaghetti Bolognaise
Apologies, apologies. I am very behind with sending out recipes to test cooks. I have been running around getting ready for my housewarming and hereby PROMISE to get back on track when I am surrounded by empty beer cans and overflowing ashtrays on Saturday. Or if...
Charlie Chaplin’s Apple Roll
Today I am very excited to report that at last we have a Charlie Chaplin recipe to test. This is almost the Holy Grail for us (when Marilyn Monroe’s diaries are published in October we will have it!) and this is such a ridiculously exciting moment. Is this sad? That...
Carole Lombard’s Cherry Tart
Well I learned several lessons making Ronald's pie last night. First one was that a small mistake in a recipe can cause absolute chaos! This is why I am so grateful to all my test cook volunteers, because if I make a howler like there was in Ronald's, hopefully...
Ronald Coleman’s English Pot Pie
"They talk of the artist finding liberation in work, it is true. One can be someone else in another, more dramatic, more beautiful world." Oh how true Ronald! That's what it is like in Silver Screen Suppers world. Liberated! More dramatic and more beautiful. ...
Ginger Rogers’ Coffee Parfait
Hello sailor!!! I am loving Ginger tonight because unlike her Butterscotch Date Pudding, the Coffee Parfait is a resounding success. Ginger has gone from having the worst ever Silver Screen Suppers recipe to having one of the best. SCRUMPTIOUS! Oh yum, yum, yum....
Fred MacMurray’s Chocolate Fudge Upside Down Cake
Love the quizzical look Fred! Also love your cake, which is baking as I write, filling my kitchen with a delicious chocolate aroma good enough to eat. YUM. It's for my boss's birthday tomorrow - this has got to be better than taking him an apple right? I'm on a new...
July Cookalong – Carole Lombard’s Barbecued Spare Ribs
I feel a bit like that today Carole - yipee! The first ever Silver Screen Suppers newsletter has gone out today and our first cookalong begins. I wonder how many folk around the world will try out Carole's Barbecued Spare Ribs in July - if you do please email us, we...
Gloria Swanson Frock Contest Part 2!
The wonderful portrait painter Brian Dennis won this dress - designed by Gloria Swanson - in our recent competition. He is now spreading the love and running his own contest for one lucky lady (or indeed a slender man) to have their portrait painted in the legendary...
Carole Lombard’s Barbecued Spare Ribs
Shoulders! They are playing the National Anthem and I am feeling all tearful and worried for our boys. COME ON ENGLAND! It's such a momentous match, so very exciting. I'm watching it at home as I am hosting a post match barbecue so have to tend to cooking stuff at...
Marlene Dietrich’s Lamb Chops en Casserole
Our Pittsburgh turned Dallas based test cook Josef VS sent in a report on Marlene's Lamb Chops a while back and it's popped to the top of the "to-blog" list. I'm working my way through them all because round 3 of testing starts in July! It's always fascinating to...
Gary Cooper’s Buttermilk Griddle Cakes
Well howdy doody there Coop! Nice cowboy stance you great big hunk you! The lovely Will up there in Doncaster made Coop's Griddle Cakes the day after he tried out Veronica's Spiced Beef and Peas. The result being that he felt that he was, "as big as a house"! It...
Veronica Lake’s Spiced Beef and Peas
It's time for me to get back on track writing up test cook reports on recipes. My mind has been scattered to the four winds with all this moving business but it feels like heaven to be in my new place and all kinds of new resolutions are being made. So, as I am about...
Johnny Weissmuller’s Apricot Meringue Pie
Johnny’s pie was a flop. I think that I overcooked the custard and under whisked the meringue. It tasted good but it was such a floppy consistency it would have made a perfect custard pie in a Mack Sennett movie. A lesson learned – do not attempt to make an apricot...
Maurice Chevalier’s French Onion Soup
My first proper dinner for friends in my new flat was TERRIFIC! Progress on the jigsaw was made and Rosalind found a bag of coins that had emerged from the lock up and decided to see how much money I had forgotten about. She made neat piles of 1ps, 2ps,...
Carole Lombard’s Barbecued Spare Ribs
Oh Carole! Lounging poolside on a fur rug, only YOU could get away with that! Well on Saturday the entire contents of my lock-up were transported in a van and carried up four flights of stairs by two beefcakes for hire and 5 true and trusted friends. Everything is...
William Powell’s Beets Piquants
Oh the lovely William. His moustache puts me in mind of Charley’s. I am so, so, so loving my new home. Boxes everywhere and lots of scrabbling going on every time I need to find anything but I’m loving it. 10 year old Shirley popped in for a snoop...
Stan Laurel’s Yorkshire Pudding
Stan looks how I feel, somewhat frazzled! I am moving house tonight. Yes tonight! Everything I own is going to be in one place. I can hardly believe it. I will be installed in my 1930s Palace of Solitude behaving like I am in an episode...
Rudolph Valentino’s Secret Spaghetti Sauce
Is Rudi on board a boat here? I think he might be, in which case I am happy. For I am off on a boat trip later myself. A blind date with someone called Oliver. I am breaking all dating rules by not meeting on neutral ground. What if he is...
Rita Hayworth’s Angel Food Cake
Oh my goodness Rita was so gorgeous. Here's a picture for fans of "opera gloves" - there is a whole site dedicated to film stars wearing opera gloves somewhere in this crazy world that is the internet. There's an Angel (Dust) Food Cake in the oven. I'm...
Joan Crawford’s Turkey and Noodles Alfredo and Bette Davis’ Brown Bette
"I only want to talk about the nice things." A superb afternoon and evening incorporating much Joan and Bette madness was had today. The noodles were very strange but tasty. Incorporating half a pound of cheese (a whole standard supermarket portion plus a bit...
Bette Davis’ Boston Baked Beans
"I didn't bring your breakfast, because you didn't eat your din-din!" Happy Birthday Blog! It is 4 years since this blog was stared and my goodness, what a lot has happened. A commemorative batch of Bette's Baked Beans are in the slow cooker - it was the very...
Rudolph Valentino’s Chicken From Parma (Pie)
Rosalind has always been an inventive cook. Once she invited me over for dinner and we drank so much wine that all she could manage in the end was a square of chocolate melted into a bowl of creamed rice. Last night she excelled herself though. She had...
John Wayne’s Cheese Casserole
“Women have the right to work wherever they want, as long as they have the dinner ready when you get home” Hmm. Thanks for that Duke! Well the clue should have been in the title of the dish – but that was VERY, VERY cheesy. As someone who hasn’t...
Clark Gable’s Stuffed Pork Tenderloins
Did anyone see me on the tele last night? Market Kitchen was on twice and I watched it with two different bunches of chums. The first screening (with champagne and crisps) was at Paulette’s place and it was so weird seeing myself on the box. The food...
Jean Harlow’s Stuffed Celery a la Shrimp
Just back from a wonderful weekend in Stroud with Gary C and chums. Two days of belly dancing, eating a vast amount of delicious food and consuming a vast amounts of red wine and fruity cocktails. Fabulous! Just wanted to write a quick blog entry before the site goes...
Janet Gaynor’s Ice Box Cookies
Oh what FUN it was to be on Market Kitchen! They had cooked up 4 dishes to be sampled but I was so nervous I didn't take a bite of any of them! Alex James from Blur was on the show too and my favourite moment was seeing the look of horror on his face when he cut into...
Cary Grant’s Tuna Fish Pie
My lovely work colleague Kim came over last night for a trying on session and Cary's Pie. We are going to an awards ceremony next week and Kim wanted something vintage to wear. My wardrobe was raided, many frocks were paraded up and down the landing and a decision was...
Jimmy Stewart’s American Apple Pie
Tonight's post is a slow process because to be frank, I am absolutely sloshed. Usually a fast touch typist, tonight this is like typing underwater... My lovely Walthamstow chums have been over for lunch and it was supposed to be a dinner and a movie affair - Barbara...
Rudolph Valentino’s Secret Spaghetti Sauce
My lovely friend Gary C is coming to stay for a couple of nights next week so I have made a batch of Rudi's spaghetti sauce for us to have one night for dinner. I couldn't get the Italian sausage I usually get for this dish so bought Sicilian sausage instead. I hope...
Dolores Del Rio’s Arroz Con Pollo
"Beauty does not come with creams and lotions. God can give us beauty, but whether that beauty remains or changes is determined by our thoughts and deeds." Wow, Dolores you are a wise, wise woman. I shall only think beautiful thoughts and do beautiful deeds from now...
Gloria Swanson’s Butterless Devil’s Food Cake
Oh my goodness! It is with much excitement that I report that the first edition of Vintage Life magazine is out and it has my article on GLORIA in it. Oh how very lovely! I am going to try and link to it here......
Bette Davis’ Marmalade
Bette looks how I feel. Mildly pissed off that her marmalade yet again hasn't set. I am beginning to come to the conclusion that it must be the ratio of fruit to sugar that's to blame rather than my technique. I'm going to have to do some research on preserves. It was...
Gloria Swanson Frock Competition – RESULT!
Well, the competition has closed and the winner has been announced. The answer to the question, "Which fruit did Gloria Swanson regularly keep in her handbag?" was AVOCADO. Quite a few of you guessed correctly, and everyone amused me greatly with their reasoning for...
Claudette Colbert’s Claudette Colbert Cake
I've been putting off testing this as it looked like a bit of a challenge. It was, but it was worth it! Basically I made a Rita Hayworth's Angel Cake then followed Claudette's instructions for fancifying it with home made lemon curd filling and lemony frosting. Oh...
Cary Grant’s Tuna Fish Pie
Mmmm. The Tuna Pie was good. Little pastry biscuits on top. Yum, yum. I'm looking for an alternative Cary recipe for the book to replace the apple pie. He's got some good ones too. He's a man who loved his fish. This could be the one. Chicken of the Sea in a pie. It's...
Thelma Todd’s Scripture Cake
Lolita over at Lolita's Classics has done some lovely work colourizing some pictures of Thelma Todd. Wish I knew how to do that, I'm sure I could spend many a happy hour colouring in! One of her readers left a link to a brilliant song and dance routine featuring Hot...
Irene Dunne’s Shrimps and Rice
"Years ago the public used to hound me but now I can go shopping in peace." Brand new test cook Kim sent over a report on her cooking of the shrimp dish. She also, much to my delight, sent a photo of the finished result which I shall load up to the Flickr site (you...
Boris Karloff’s Steak and Kidney Pie
"The monster was the best friend I ever had." Aw Boris, that's so SAD! I am so lucky that I have such wonderful friends. And some who REALLY love the Silver Screen Suppers project too. King loves it so much that he made a great big gorgeous pie for us last night...
Silver Screen Sunday – Now Voyager
"...don't let's ask for the moon. We have the stars." It's a good point Bette, we just CAN'T have it all... As someone once said, you can't expect to have a great job, a great relationship and a great place to live all at the same time. You can only have maximum two...
Bonita Granville’s Gingerbread
Bonita, Bonita, Peanut Eater. OK, I am going to try and channel the spirit of Bonita this evening if I ever get it together to get out of the house and go to the Rock 'n' Roll night at the Music Palace. I will be going on my own and won't know a single person there...
Jean Arthur’s Chocolate Fudge
"It's a strenuous job every day of your life to live up to the way you look on the screen." I admit that this week I've let it all go a bit! It's been sooooooo busy and stayed at Paulette's last night and the night before. This resulted in my wearing the same...
Katharine Hepburn’s Eggplant in Casserole
"If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased." Cheer up then Katharine, you look like you are in a right old strop! Oh alright then, please yourself.... Gadzooks, just when I think I can drop Katharine's recipe from the book I get a report from...
Janet Gaynor’s Ice Box Cookies
Oh what joy, home in time for Desmond Carrington on R2 with nothing to do but listen in. Got up early to get Janet's cookies in the oven. I broke my own rule and made them with spreadable butter. Mistake. They weren't all firm and crisp like they should be, but soft...
Oliver Hardy’s Spaghetti Sauce
Ah, Sunday afternoon and Columbo on the tele. Heavenly. Again, I have a humdinger of a hangover and red wine lips. Temperance month is not really happening is it? I'm cooking some of Ollie's Spaghetti Sauce in an attempt to feel better. It was a wonderful evening last...
Janet Gaynor’s Ice Box Cookies
I'm very excited about Olivier's Oscars party tomorrow. He has the whole thing on tape and a bunch of us are going to pretend we are watching it "as live" whilst chowing down on a few Silver Screen Supper specialities. I'm doing the canapes and cake and will report...
Gena Rowland’s Spinach and Rice
Gorgeous! What a babe! This week I have had a bit of an "emotional gust". Luckily for me, on the night it happened Paulette was still up when I walked past her house and so I went in and had a cry. She gave me a big hug, some sound advice and a bag of spinach. THAT is...
Anna May Wong’s Tea Cakes
I missed the Movie Memorabilia Bazaar at the Cinema Museum the other weekend because I was too hungover to leave the house. But lovely Dorothy was there, not in her usherette uniform this time, but still working the Silver Screen Suppers magic nonetheless. She made...
Greer Garson’s Guacamole
"Do what you feel you have a flair for doing, and if you are good enough at it, the money will come.” I do hope so Greer, because I am stony broke! I think about my Glasgow chums every time I try and preserve my curls by wearing the spotty shower cap they gave me for...
Rita Hayworth’s Angel Food Cake
Hello Sailor! Definitely feeling full of the joys of spring now that I have successfully made an Angel Food Cake. There is a picture of it on the flickr site - I personally have never seen anything like it! http://www.flickr.com/photos/fritzyritz/4414358525/ The...
Bette Davis’ Finnan Haddie a la Davis
Oh I am having such fun this weekend. Doing a LOT of writing work and a LOT of cooking. Fab. It’s Sunday and so I decided to treat myself to Bette’s favourite Sunday morning breakfast dish. And delicious it was too. It’s the first time I have tried it but wanted to...
Dick Powell’s Corn Chowder
Ah bliss. A night in with some of Dick's Chowder, a bottle of expensive wine and "Stella Dallas" on DVD. The expensive wine is my new plan. I am going to see if I spend less money on booze if I buy GOOD wine and only drink a glass of it each night rather than downing...
William Powell’s Baked Artichokes With Cheese
“Cultivate solitude and quiet and a few sincere friends..." I wholeheartedly agree William as I pursue my weekend of self-imposed solitude. There has been much cooking and much writing already and tomorrow I will speak to no-one. I've done enough talking this week,...
Shirley Temple’s Mammy’s Pecan Squares
Apologies for my ranting and raving yesterday. I felt so bad about leaving the blog open on a downer like that I got up early to make some of Shirley's Pecan Squares before work. I believe that my sister of the skillet refers to these as "Shirley Temple's Goddamn...
Sonja Henie’s Scandanavian Cookies
Oh what a night! As is my custom I rushed home tonight in order to be stationed by the stove in time to listen to Desmond Carrington's amazing Tuesday night radio show on R2. It's a weird and wonderful thing that this show links me to my ex flatmates Ginger and Grace...
Gloria Swanson Frock Competition
This month I have decided to run a competition. This dress - designed by Gloria Swanson for her "Forever Young" label is the prize. It still has the original tag and so presumably has never been worn. Very stylish with a lovely bow detail on the shoulder. I think it...
Clark Gable’s Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
My lovely ex Charley is on his way over for a birthday dinner so I gotta be quick. I've made Clark's Stuffed Tenderloins which look pretty darn impressive I have to say - and a Carole Lombard Cherry Pie to follow - a nice little combo to reflect their great and...
Gloria Swanson’s Caviar Canapes
"They took the idols and smashed them, the Fairbankses, the Gilberts, the Valentinos! And who've we got now? Some nobodies!" Oh Lord, I have an almighty hangover. The ladies of the book group came round last night and I think I drank 5 times as much as the rest put...
Rudolph Valentino’s Secret Spaghetti Sauce
Last night I took some of Rudy's Spaghetti Sauce over to Hackney where Ava is convalescing after a double foot operation. YIKES. Her account of the ordeal they put her through has almost put me off wearing high heels, absolutely horrific! We had two bowls of Rudy's...
Ida Lupino’s Lemon Mousse
FROCK! And big powder puffs to lean on. And a gasper on the go... Loverleeeeeeeeee. Ida's Mousse is setting in the freezer for Friday - the ladies are coming over for dinner and I've been slaving away to get things pre-prepared. That Lemon Mousse is every dieter's...
Rudolph Valentino’s Chicken from Parma
Early morning in the Russell-Stewart household after a late night watching the Grey Gardens double bill. Rosalind and I amused ourselves by sitting on the sofa in headscarves enjoying the antics of Big Edie and Little Edie. My favourite quote was, "I'm pulverised by...
Greta Garbo’s Swedish Meatballs
"Let's have a martini... I'm going to feel terribly guilty if you have tea." Very pleased to hear that like me, Garbo was partial to a vodka martini. I've been doing lots of research on her this week as my goal was to do her mini-biography this weekend and it is DONE....
Sonja Henie’s Scandinavian Cookies
"Jewelry takes people's minds off your wrinkles." Top tip thanks Sonja. I've been a bit tearful this week - and not just because we won a Gold in the Winter Olympics. Although that DID make me cry - what a sap I am. I've not been enjoying the dating business at all...
Bing Crosby’s Turkey and Eggs a la Crosby
"My golf is woeful but I will never surrender." Golf was on my mind yesterday as Tiger Woods' apology was beamed around the world via the satellite dishes outside my office. Loved the bit where he said he had felt like normal rules did not apply to him, especially as...
Clark Gable’s Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
“The only reason they come to see me is that I know that life is great and they know I know it.” It IS a great life Clark, I know that too... Although I am NOT going to the Brits, it seems as though I AM going to two of the after parties. Which, I am told are the best...
Joan Crawford’s Charcoal Broiled Steak
"I never go outside unless I look like Joan Crawford the movie star." I know EXACTLY what you mean Joan and I am not enjoying waiting for the phone to ring so I can find out if I am going to the Brit Awards tomorrow night or not! I need to look like Joan Crawford the...
Bing Crosby’s Turkey and Eggs a la Crosby
“Come on in. It's a bit fresh out there. We may be getting ourselves a bit of a soak.” Fresh? It's freezing Bing! I'm going to rustle up some turkey and eggs soon to try and warm myself up in a minute. I'm just back from a fantastic night at Azimova's place where we...
Jean Harlow’s Celery a la Shrimp
Jean looks a bit like how I feel at the moment - a bit haggared... I've had a shocking cold all week and will be going on date 4 with the New Yorker sporting a cold sore as big as Texas. Shame. I will try and orchestrate it so that he sits on my left for the whole...
Buster Keaton’s Chop Suey
No wonder Buster looks so sad, he's probably just heard that he's been dropped from the book! One of my very favourite test cooks has reported back that Buster's chop suey recipe was DREADFUL. Her overall assessment in one word? "Blah." Cooking this was a whole lot of...
Cecil B DeMille’s Cajun Chicken
"Creation is a drug I can't do without." I am feeling the same myself this week Cecil - I am ON FIRE! Had a fabulous, fabulous day today pottering around in the kitchen making the Sunset Boulevard Luncheon. There is definitely a new calm descending on these kind of...
Gloria Swanson’s Butterless Devils Food Cake
The cake is made but there is much more to do before everyone arrives at 1 o'clock for the Sunset Boulevard extravaganza. I should be getting on with it but I MUST report on my date last night with the New Yorker. He took me to dinner at Nobu. A place I didn't think...
Cecil B DeMille’s Cajun Chicken
Excitement is mounting about Sunday's Sunset Boulevard Luncheon Party. The menu will be as follows: SPOILER ALERT - if you are an invited guest, look away now! Gloria Swanson's Cocktail Canapes Gloria Swanson's Champagne Cocktails William Holden's Lime Gelatine with...
Anna May Wong’s Tea Cakes
It was "cherry roulette" in the office today as I experimented with glace cherries on the top of my AMW tea cakes last night. They sank to the bottom so I didn't put any on the second batch. The cakes all disappeared in double quick time so they were definitely a hit....
William Holden’s Lime Gelatine with Carrots, Olives and Nuts
"The older you become, the more you know; your bank account of knowledge is much richer.” I agree William. And for once in my working life my bank account of DOUGH is richer after filing my tax return rather than much, much poorer as it usually is... Yippee. I've had...
Alan Ladd’s German-Style Potato Pancakes
"As long as my pictures go into theaters and we ask people to pay to see what I do on the screen, I should not object if customers want to know what kind of man I am." You seem like a nice guy Alan, but how can a girl be sure? It's been quite a week! A guy that I met...
Gary Cooper’s Buttermilk Griddle Cakes
"To get folks to like you, as a screen player I mean, I figured you had to sort of be their ideal. I don't mean a handsome knight riding a white horse, but a fella who answered the description of a right guy." Fortified by the last of Constance's Spanish Chicken I...
Marion Davies’ Rarebit a la Marion
"Gandhi had eaten the whole welsh rarebit." I wonder if this is the very same doggie that ate the Welsh Rarebit Marion was so looking forward to at San Simeon. I laughed so much when I read her story about it in "The Times We Had" and it's a perfect anecdote to...
Myrna Loy’s Senegalaise Soup
“I think that carrying on a life that is meant to be private in public is a breach of taste, common sense, and mental hygiene.” You could be right there Myrna. I had to take a post down this week as it upset someone dear to me so I guess I have to be a little more...
Constance Bennett’s Spanish Chicken
I was very down in the dumps yesterday. Uncharacteristically well and truly fed up and when I got home I was feeling very sorry for myself indeed. But there on my doormat was a small parcel, addressed to me. This was a surprise as only my mother and my sister know my...
Rudolph Valentino’s "Secret" Spaghetti Sauce
“To generalize on women is dangerous. To specialize on them is infinitely worse.” I have given up trying to fathom it out myself Rudolph. It's just a ZOO PARK! I'm back from the wedding of the century. My sister of the skillet is hitched. It was such a lovely affair...
Silver Screen Saturday – Gone With the Wind
"As for those grapefruit and buttermilk diets, I'll take roast chicken and dumplings." Hell yeah Hattie! In the first of my monthly Silver Screen Suppers extravaganzas today we had a FEAST proposed by Hattie McDaniel in a 1941 edition of Modern Screen Magazine....
Jean Harlow’s Celery A La Shrimp
“I like to wake up each morning feeling a new man.” Ha ha, me too Jean, me too! For the first time in living memory however, I have woken up on the first day of a New Year totally on my lonesome. Not too hungover to make myself laugh by saying out loud immediately...
Myrna Loy’s Senegalaise Soup
“Life, is not a having and a getting, but a being and a becoming.” I'm going to ponder that over the next few days Myrna, what with the end of the decade fast approaching and resolutions to be made... I had a go at Myrna's soup for the first time, simplicity itself...
Roland Young’s Rissoles
I'm as surprised as Roland is that the rissoles are not an annual tradition as I first thought. The last time I made them was the year before last and they didn't make an appearance in 2008. I am shocked! I hereby pronounce them an annual tradition. The best, best,...
Betty Grable’s Watermelon Pickles
“It's loud, it's cheap, it's gaudy. It's like everything I've ever done - I LOVE IT!” Well, Betty's pickles were sampled on Boxing Day with a large amount of cheese and cold meats. My mum, as always, was very polite and said, "I would class these
Rita Hayworth’s Angel Food Cake
I am seeing my Shellac Sister Jean this evening and I'd forgotten that she had quite a success with the Rita Hayworth cake. We are DJing at Kokos in Camden (formerly the Camden Palace) and I'm going to ask her about her egg white whisking between discs. It's the first...
Clara Bow’s Vanilla Marlow
"A sex symbol is a heavy load to carry when one is tired, hurt and bewildered" I've been feeling a bit like that myself lately Clara but it's getting better... London is FROZEN. It took me two hours to get home from work as trains were on go-slow, buses were cancelled...
Gloria Swanson’s Butterless Devil’s Food Cake
"I feel sure that unborn babies pick their parents." Well if that is true Gloria, I have very good taste! Today I went up to Suffolk for a surprise 80th birthday party for my lovely mum. Miraculously all 5 of us kids made it - despite the snow, plus assorted partners...
Rita Hayworth’s Angel Food Cake
"We are all tied to our destiny and there is no way we can liberate ourselves." Hmm, but what does destiny have in store for me Rita, Rita Peanut Eater? I have a Rita Hayworth's Angel's Food Cake in the oven, to be followed by a Gloria Swanson's Devil's Food Cake....
Ann Sheridan’s Chili Casserole
"They nicknamed me "The Oomph Girl", and I loathe that nickname!" Ann's casserole is in the oven. The first in my new batch of test cooking. I'm really doing it properly, making copious notes and working my way through the whole list of sixty something - even...
Dorothy Lamour’s Strawberry Ice Cream
"I felt like a wonderful sandwich, a slice of white bread between two slices of ham." So said Dorothy of working with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby - ha ha!It's been my birthday week and chock full of fabulousness. My feet have barely touched the ground and it isn't over...
Rita Hayworth’s Angel Food Cake
"After all, a girl is - well, a girl.It's nice to be told you're successful at it." I should say you were Rita! Extremely successful at it! I'm going to be channeling Rita's spirit during my birthday week. I have bought myself a birthday gift - heated rollers -...
Gloria Swanson’s Butterless Devil’s Food Cake
"Because I take care of my body, it doesn't look like the body of a woman of my years." Same here Gloria, honestly! Wow, I have had such a great reaction from work colleagues to Gloria's cake. Admittedly it did contain over a bar of Green & Black's Expresso...
William Powell’s Beets Piquants
"Cultivate solitude and quiet and a few sincere friends, rather than mob merriment, noise and thousands of nodding acquaintances." I am trying to William, but it is DECEMBER and therefore I have the double whammy of Christmas and my birthday which, I'm afraid, always...
Colleen Moore’s Shamrock Salad
It's taken me ages to find out if Colleen actually was Irish - as her Shamrock Salad would have us believe. An excellent source on the internet - The Colleen Moore Project - says she was half Irish, half Scottish but born in the US. After my visit to Cardiff and...
Silver Screen Sunday Extravaganza
What a FANTASTIC afternoon we had in Cardiff at the Silver Screen Suppers event. There was a lot of love in the house and a LOT of cream cheese too! Chefs Ruth C, Katharine and Anita rustled up tonnes of Silver Screen Supper foodstuffs and the guests wolfed the lot...
Marilyn Monroe’s ???
"I don't want to make money. I just want to be wonderful." Same here Marilyn. It's rare that I write a post without it relating to a star's actual recipe but this week has been Marilyn week and there is still NO RECIPE. I guess Marilyn was outside the key era for film...
Myrna Loy’s Senegalaise Soup
"Some perfect wife I am. I`ve been married four times, divorced four times, have no children, and can`t boil an egg." Well I'm not sure that Myrna was being totally honest about the egg boiling, because her recipe for Senegalaise Soup was absolutely scrumptious. A...
Joan Bennett’s Baked Salmon
"With all of Constance's juggling of dates over the years, I started out as the youngest, then became her twin and finally wound up as the oldest sister." It's a Bennett sisters bonanza this weekend. My very own Sister of the Shellac Veronica is coming over...
Tallulah Bankhead’s Coconut Jumbles
“Nobody can be exactly me. Sometimes even I have trouble doing it.” Got a fab freelance commission this week - selecting fashion films of the 1940s and writing about them. Film archiving doesn't get much better than that! In discussion over a burger and fries my...
Deanna Durbin’s Santa Monica Dressing
Yes, I know it's too early to start thinking about Christmas but I just couldn't resist! I can only imagine the shenanigans going on Stateside regarding the wedding of the century. I think it is all out in the open so I hope I'm not giving the game away by saying I'll...
Lupe Velez’s Orange Flower Appetizer
All is right with the world. I have an afternoon of writing ahead, there is a casserole in the slow cooker and an episode of Columbo has just started on ITV. A perfect Sunday. My most excellent weekend began on Friday with me being hostess for the book group. As we'd...
Lilian Gish’s Lemon Pie
"The older I get, the more I believe in what I can't explain or understand, even more than the things that are explainable and understandable." Yes Lilian, I understand. Or at least I think I do. Please explain. I can't really understand or explain how I managed to...
Janet Gaynor’s Ice Box Cookies
I have had a terrible few days. Disappointed in love (amazed at how low some people will go), disappointed in my handwashing skills (shrank a gorgeous vintage frock) and disappointed with Amy Winehouse's Beloved Camden Cobbles (ripped the heel off a favourite pair of...
Vincent Price’s Sweetcorn Fritters
"I sometimes feel that I'm impersonating the dark unconscious of the whole human race. I know this sounds sick, but I love it." I am learning a lot about the dark unconscious of the human race this week Vincent, but luckily I am also doing things to balance it out....
Vincent Price’s Peppered Steak
“It's as much fun to scare as to be scared.” It's Halloweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen. How exciting. The pumpkin is carved and on the doorstep, there are treats to be dished out to any children of the night that come round to call and I have a very, very, very large spider in...
Marlene Dietrich’s Lamb Chops En Casserole
"Without tenderness, a man is uninteresting." That is so true Marlene - but the question is, how to tell the real tenderness from the fake... Well, sometimes you know for sure and tonight I shall be having Charley to dinner, a man for whom I have always felt great...
Margaret Sullavan’s Peanut Butter Hermits
"This little box makes you candy conscious!" So said Margaret (in The Shop Around the Corner) to a rather hefty customer who didn't like the song a particular music box played when the lid was open. Margaret's sales patter was to suggest that every time the lady...
Jimmy Stewart’s Chicken Pie
"I lasted one night. They said my playing spoiled people's appetites.” Well Gene's appetite certainly wasn't affected last night. He ate TWO pieces of the pie and took one home with him this morning. We christened the splendid beast the "Piewacket" after Kim Novak's...
Bing Crosby’s Turkey & Eggs A La Crosby
“Where the blue of the night Meets the gold of the day, Someone waits for me.” Bing’s Turkey and Eggs sure pokes a snook at Harold Lloyd’s Eggs Dolores for a Saturday brunch. Delicious! I’ve just scoffed an enormous helping of it in front of the TV and I am so full I...
Anna May Wong’s Tea Cakes
"It's a pretty sad situation, to be rejected by the Chinese because I am too American." Jennifer has not only posted some fabulous pictures of home movie day here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/onedollyshoe/sets/72157622488364579/ but she has also made some Anna May...
Lupe Velez Tamale Pie
“I have flirt with the whole film colony. Why not? I am not serious. What harm is a little flirting? No I do not kiss many mens. But when I kiss them, they stay kissed!” Ha ha, Lupe is my inspiration today. Partly the quote, but also the coat. I wish I had one of...
Claudette Colbert’s Claudette Colbert Cake
"I know what's best for me, after all I have been in the Claudette Colbert business longer than anybody.” Oh what a lovely day it was yesterday! I was DJing with my wind-up gramophone at the Home Movie Day at the Cinema Museum and it was so gorgeous to see everyone...
Anna May Wong’s Tea Cakes
"I've come to the conclusion that everybody should marry, including me." Well, I'll see if anyone ever asks me Anna...I love this picture, and I am going to measure my own hair when I get home to see if it is as long as Anna's. Could be... Had a lovely time with...
Vincent Price’s Pepper Steak
“A man who limits his interests, limits his life.” It warms the cockles of my heart (and believe me at the moment they need warming) to hear from test cooks who don't know myself or Ruth, but just like the idea of being involved in our cooking project. I've been...
Lupe Velez’s Tamale Pie
“The first time you buy a house you think how pretty it is and sign the check. The second time you look to see if the basement has termites. It's the same with men.” I am loving that hat Lupe! Well, I failed in my attempt to make the Velez Pie last night, the filling...
Bette Davis’ Hollywood Salad
"That's me: an old kazoo with some sparklers." Ooh! A lucky shamrock charm bracelet. I want one! I'm feeling a bit like an old kazoo myself today so have cheered myself up by re-reading Rita's verdict on the Bette salad recipe. I haven't seen Rita in a LONG time which...
Maurice Chevalier’s French Onion Soup
"Many a man has fallen in love with a girl in a light so dim he would not have chosen a suit by it." Ha ha, how true. It's true for women too, I'm only going to brightly lit nightspots from now on. And I shall get my failing eyesight checked. I didn't get around the...
Harold Lloyd’s Eggs Dolores
"The pain was considerable, but trivial compared with my mental state." Hmm, yes, well my mental state has been somewhat rocked by your Eggs Mr Lloyd! Revolting they were, almost inedible! It's a long time since we had a failure in the Silver Screen Suppers kitchen...
Ida Lupino’s Lemon Mousse
"Keeping a feminine approach is vital - men hate bossy females." I'm taking a break from the unpackathon to watch Strictly and report on the gorgeous Jessica's experience of Ida's mousse. I've spent more or less all day doing the lock-up rock-up and scrabbling around...
Diana Dors Bhuma Ghosht
"I was the first home-grown sex symbol, rather like Britain`s naughty seaside postcards." Oh my stars, Diana was so LUSCIOUS. Just gorgeous. And our viewing of "Yield to the Night" proved that she could act too, given half the chance. What a humdinger of a movie. It...
Ann Harding’s Hollywood Salad Dressing
Just a quick post today as I'm off to get my fringe cut - I'll not be taking this picture of Ann to the hairdresser though. Another feedback report from Dale's Star Spangled Rhythm party. As she is off this weekend to turkey wrangle at the annual Turkeyfest in Cuero,...
Maurice Chevalier’s French Onion Soup
"It is always the same: women bedeck themselves with jewels and furs, and men with wit and quotations." Rosalind came to dinner last night, my first supper guest in my new home and Maurice's crouton bedecked soup went down a storm. I had forgotten to ask Rosalind if...
Ronald Reagan’s Corned Beef Hash in Bell Peppers
"All great change in America begins at the dinner table." And possibly all over the world too. I suggest that we all work towards world peace by eating like the stars! I'm always intrigued when test cooks choose a persona of a different gender. So it is with Oliver....
Joan Bennett’s Beetroot Salad
I have found the cigarette pen that Ruthie and I had so much fun posing with in her jeep, pretending to be smokers, and also the fabulous cowboy hat ashtray she gave me. So now I really feel my dressing table is complete. When I was walking through the park that is a...
Ann Sheridan’s Chilli Casserole
Work colleagues were joking about my potential author's photo for the book on Friday so it is an ideal opportunity to post this fab pic of Ann again. I really think Ruthie and I should have twin pics like this side by side. Who wouldn't given half the chance? We'll...
Ingrid Bergman’s Trout in Cream Sauce
"Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get." On a day when the subject of cosmic ordering is foremost in my mind, Ingrid's quote is rather apt. As the first cosmic order I placed (a lovely flat - nice and cheap) came in a month before...
Alan Ladd’s German Potato Pancakes
"I just want to make pictures that are entertaining. I'll leave the scenery chewing to someone else." I wonder if Alan was thinking of someone in particular... Further to yesterday's post I'm wondering if some of Alan's Potato Pancakes would be a suitable...
Veronica Lake’s Spiced Beef & Peas
"You could put all the talent I had into your left eye and still not suffer from impaired vision." Said by the woman with the best assymetrical fringe since Phil Oakey of the Human League! Well, she was first of course but you know what I mean... The Daricraft booklet...
Paulette Goddard’s Creamed Sprouts
"You don't have to be a Freud to know that the most fascinating person in the world- actors or anybody - is yourself." 'ave a banana! Paulette is one of those stars that we REALLY want to feature in the book but hasn't furnished us with a very inspiring recipe. In...
Groucho Marx’s Matzo Balls
"From the moment I picked your book up until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Someday I intend reading it." My meeting on Thursday was fabulous. I am inspired, enthused and excited about the nebulous entity that will be the book AFTER Silver Screen...
Janet Gaynor’s Ice Box Cookies
I love this picture of Janet - she is looking so perky! Very much not how I am feeling but I may try and channel this kind of attitude tomorrow. It's going to be a big day. The cookie dough is in the fridge doing whatever it does overnight in readiness for my...
Carole Lombard’s Cherry Tart
“Don’t kiss and talk about it - men don’t.” OK then Carole, I will keep schtumm. Carole looks so MODERN in this photo, so much so I am going to double check with the lovely Carla over at www.carolelombard.org just to make sure it is really her... Back from a wonderful...
Alan Ladd’s German Style Potato Pancakes
"Time scoots along pretty fast when you grow up." Another suitcase in another hall... I am back in the Crouch and hopefully for a while this time around. This moving around business is getting a little tiresome. At least nobody here minds me wearing a tiara while I am...
Katharine Hepburn’s Eggplant in Casserole
"I'll be a boy... and rough and hard!" I'd forgotten all about Katharine posing as a boy in "Sylvia Scarlett". Maybe it would be a good double bill with Louise Brooks in "Beggars of Life" or even better, Jessie Matthews in "First a Girl" my favourite of all her...
Greer Garson’s Guacamole
“I do wish I could tell you my age but it's impossible. It keeps changing all the time.” Dorothy's feedback on Greer's Guac did make me laugh. Several times. Firstly there was the response to "Was the recipe easy to follow?" which was, "Yes, but avocados are difficult...
Merle Oberon’s Chicken Creole
“Without security it is difficult for a woman to look or feel beautiful.” There has been a rather subdued atmosphere this Sunday in the shadow of the power station. Partly due to a late night and partly due to a big blue over some slippery gramophones. The dinner will...
Gary Cooper’s Buttermilk Griddle Cakes
"Dad was a true Westerner, and I take after him." Dang the Montana Mule sure looks good in a cowboy hat! I am craving some of Coop's Buttermilk Griddle Cakes this Sunday morning. I was DJing last night wearing long silk gloves and every time the canape waitress came...
Gene Kelly’s Greatest Man Sandwich in the World
“I got started dancing because I knew it was one way to meet girls” It's a double whammy today with a tester Stateside (Jeanne) and a tester Thameside (Hedy) both trying out the "Greatest Man Sandwich in the World". It's quite a claim isn't it? And particularly...
Ann Sheridan’s Chili Casserole
"I used to go to Grauman`s Chinese or Pantages and sit there waiting to see my faceless body on the screen. Texas began to look awfully near and awfully good, and "Clara Lou" had a sweet sound to my ears." I am thinking a lot about Texas today and sending many...
Claudette Colbert’s Claudette Colbert Cake
“It took me years to figure out that you don't fall into a tub of butter, you jump for it.” I'm going to the hairdresser tomorrow - I may well take this picture in and get my fringe done like Claudette's. She is the star I am supposed to look most like - according to...
Katharine Hepburn’s Eggplant in Casserole
"Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then." I'm hoping that LOTS of people test Katharine's Eggplant recipe so I can populate the blog with her wonderful quotes. As I am not a fan of the...
Judy Garland’s Vegetable Salad
"It's lonely and cold on the top... lonely and cold." It's a real family affair this week as fresh in from my sister is a report on Judy's Vegetable Salad. I absolutely LOVE the fact that my sis made this for the Sudbury Town Twinning BBQ! Ida said it "went down a...
Josephine Baker’s Spaghetti Bolognaise
"Beautiful? It's all a question of luck. I was born with good legs. As for the rest... beautiful, no. Amusing, yes." Since my dad retired he's been getting a dab hand in the kitchen. This began when he started an evening class called "Cooking for Men" taught by a down...
Rudolph Valentino’s Chicken from Parma
"To generalize on women is dangerous. To specialize on them is infinitely worse." Back from the seaside after a week of intense recipe-wrangling. My mind is reeling with all kinds of nonsense - is a frying pan the same as a skillet? What English cheese would be...
Tallulah Bankhead’s Coconut Jumbles
"...all my life I've been terrible at remembering people's names. Once I introduced a friend of mine as 'Martini'. Her name was actually 'Olive'.” Tallulah's excuse for calling everyone "dahling" rings a bell with me. I'm getting terrible at remembering names. Which...
Lana Turner’s Super and Easy Salsa
"I would rather lose a good earring than be caught without make-up." I know JUST what you mean Lana. And I would rather wear a sparkly hairpiece like this than a shower cap when taking my morning plunge. I may ask my personal milliner Shellac Sister Veronica to rustle...
Maurice Chevalier’s French Onion Soup
"If you wait for the perfect moment when all is safe and assured, it may never arrive. Mountains will not be climbed, races won, or lasting happiness achieved." Shirley (who is 9 years old) was very excited to be at her first hen night on Friday - mine. Well, a hen...
Marlene Dietrich’s Lamb Chops en Casserole
"It's the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter." Oh what a find! A fabulous picture of Marlene doing what she loved best, off set - cooking. Browsing the site where I found this picture has made me WISH that I lived in Denver. The Denver Public Library is...
Ann Sheridan’s Chilli Casserole
"I can whistle through my fingers, bulldog a steer, light a fire with two sticks, shoot a pistol with fair accuracy, set type, and teach school . . " Spoken like a true Texan Ann. Reminds me of the multitasking Ruthie gets up to over there in the Lone Star State......
Alan Ladd’s German Style Potato Pancakes
"Being a good host offsets the deprivation and loneliness of my youth." Aw, come over here Alan and let me give you a cuddle... Our most prolific tester so far, Dale in the TAMI office over in cowboy country threw a "Star Spangled Rhythm" party last week. Dang I wish...
Dorothy Dandridge’s Emotional Omelet
"...no producer ever knocked on my door. There just aren`t that many parts for a black actress" Much debate via emails flying between Cardiff and London about why Dorothy's Omelet is "Emotional". Plenty of chopping of onions it is true, but I wonder if it is more that...
Gracie Fields’ Lancashire Hot Pot
"At Mary Ellen's Hot Pot Party The lads & lasses all were gay and hearty" How wonderful that Una in Charlottesville, Virginia had a go at Gracie's Lancashire Hot Pot! At the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains a traditional Lancashire recipe got a good going...
Dick Powell’s Corn Chowder
"The best thing about switching from being an actor to being a director is that you don't have to shave or hold your stomach in anymore." Had a very lazy weekend after an old skool style night on Friday with Sidney and his chums. We didn't get home until 5am....
Maureen O’Sullivan’s Bridge Cakes
"Cheetah bit me whenever he could." I just adore this picture of Maureen - she's all aquiver - boom boom. Oh what fun to get feedback on the recipes, there sure are some erudite chefs out there. Marion made me laugh with her suggestion that we change Maureen's recipe...
Fred MacMurray’s Chocolate Fudge Upside Down Cake
"Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet" the saying goes and it is so lovely that people neither Ruthie nor I have ever met are rustling up Silver Screen Suppers dishes in kitchens all over the world. So a big thankyou goes out to Shirley in Wisconsin for...
Carole Lombard’s Cherry Tart
“You ought to see the map for my face in the Makeup Department. It looks like a landscape of the moon.” I've been dying to post this amazing picture of La Lombard for ages and now I get my chance. Dorothy over at the British Film Institue made Carole's Cherry Pie on...
Janet Gaynor’s Ice Box Cookies
Veronica over in Westbourne Grove had a go at Janet's Ice Box Cookies this week and sent me an evocative account of her mishaps. Firstly there was a misunderstanding in the late night shop where she went to buy the dates, as the shopkeeper kept thinking she was asking...
Anna May Wong’s Tea Cakes
"Every time your picture is taken, you lose a part of your soul." All the recipe-wrangling over the last week or so is beginning to bear fruit. Our first feedback form arrived this morning fresh from the floral-bedecked marital home of the new Mr & Mrs Day in West...
Hattie McDaniel’s Sweetcorn Pudding
"When I was little, my mother taught me how to use a fork and knife. The trouble is that mother forgot to teach me how to stop using them!" I know what Hattie means, I ate almost ALL of her sweetcorn pudding this evening even though big enough for 2. It is sooooooo...
Joan Bennett’s Beetroot Salad
"I don`t think much of most of the films I made, but being a movie star was something I liked very much." The response to the call for test cooks has been enormous - how very, very exciting. I'm intrigued by the range of choices - are people selecting based on the...
Janet Gaynor’s Ice Box Cookies
Much excitement in the Silver Screen Silver camp as I'm off to a big dinner party at the home of Gladys tonight. There will be not one, not two but three other celeb chefs there too. EEK. I am taking some Ice Box Cookies all wrapped up in cellophane as party...
Louise Brooks’ Knickerbocker Supreme of Chicken
Louise, you rock. My beautiful friend Ava came round for dinner tonight and we discussed the perils and pleasures of letting men into our lives, the horrors of self assessment tax returns and the chances of being struck by lightning if wearing an i-pod. It was a...
Marlene Dietrich’s Lamb Chops en Casserole
"I was raised almost entirely on turnips and potatoes, but I think that the turnips had more to do with the effect than the potatoes." Marlene was not only androgynous, but asymmetrical too! I went to my lock up this morning with heavy heart as it always depresses me...
Anna May Wong’s Tea Cake
There is a mini Vesuvius erupting in my oven. I decided to make Ruth a birthday cake using Anna May Wong's Tea Cake recipe. I made twice the mixture and instead of making individual muffin type cakes, bunged it all in a cake tin. As Sidney and I waited for the spare...
Marion Martin’s Peanut and Bacon Bouchees
Those little Bouchees sure are a crowd pleaser! Had a lovely evening on the balcony with Ruthie, her new beau, Ava, Sidney and Edmund. My Sister of the Skillet has arrived during Britain's heatwave. It is amusing her greatly that the Brits are huffing and puffing...
Janet Gaynor’s Ice Box Cookies
Love that Tam O'Shanter! I made a big batch of Janet's cookies for my Cinema Museum lecture and they were wolfed down by the lovely folk who came along. The lecture was lots of fun but I had a few technical problems. When my Greta Garbo clip failed to play I had to do...
Jean Harlow’s Celery a la Shrimp
“No one ever expects a great lay to pay all the bills.” A feeling of great joy today after a lovely evening with the E17 posse. They came round armed with gallons of fizzy wine in an attempt to make a dent in the Cassis left in the number 43 cocktail cabinet via the...
Mae West’s Salada de Tuna
"Cultivate your curves..." Sure thing Mae, I will! Doesn't Salada de Tuna sound much more fun than Tuna Salad? I was rustling some up in the kitchen just now when I heard a really, really loud plane fly past. This sometimes gives me the heeby jeebies, being so close...
Ann Sheridan’s Chili Casserole
"They nicknamed me "The Oomph Girl", and I loathe that nickname! Just being known by a nickname indicates that you`re not thought of as a true actress . . . It's just crap!" Not sure if that's a matching headscarf or a hood, either way it is very desirable beach...
Jean Harlow’s Celery a la Shrimp
“Underwear makes me uncomfortable and besides my parts have to breathe.” Isn't this just the BEST picture of Jean ever? I think Ruthie and I should pose like this for our author photos, leaning on the heads of two polar bears facing each other. I'm thrilled that the...
Marion Martin’s Peanut and Bacon Bouchees
"Ducky Wucky" Well I knew as soon as I spotted the pics for Marion that she was a bit of a one. Love the fact that her nickname was The Blonde Menace. I am desperate to see her in Queen of Burlesque which has the tagline "Thrills and Tears of Backstage Queens - to the...
Jean Arthur’s Chocolate Fudge
"First I played ingenues and Western heroines; then I played Western heroines and ingenues. That diet of roles became as monotonous as a diet of spinach." I am up way past my bedtime trying to get some of Jean's fudge to set. I just can't see how the chocolate sauce...
Hattie McDaniel’s Sweet Corn Pudding
"As for those grapefruit and buttermilk diets, I'll take roast chicken and dumplings." I do have Hattie's very own recipe for chicken and dumplings, but tonight it's sweet corn pudding. It's in the oven. As per tradition, to mourn the end of a relationship I have...
Tallulah Bankhead’s French 75s
“If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner." Last night saw extreme Silver Screen Supperage in action. Dinner al fresco which began with Tallulah's favourite tipple the French 75. Followed by Adolph Menjou's Spiced Venetian Cheese hors...
Adolph Menjou’s Spiced Venetian Cheese
"When I realized they had me pegged as a foreign nobleman type I began to live the part, too. I bought a pair of white spats, an ascot tie and a walking stick." I'm getting ahead of myself by preparing Adolph's cheese a couple of days before Gladys and Ava's visit on...
Joan Bennett’s Beetroot Salad
"I don`t think much of most of the films I made, but being a movie star was something I liked very much." I'm feeling rather low this weekend after Sidney & I decided to call it a day. Very sad. Very sad indeed. I feel an extended period of cooking on the way. And...
Jane Powell’s Barbecued Baked Salmon
"We need to ditch the idea that there is any value in the strong and silent man being in any way attractive. Being silent isn't being strong, it's being a victim." Well Jane sure was a cutie, both in looks and attitude. Interesting theory she has there, I'm going to...
Rudolph Valentino’s Chicken from Parma
“Women are not in love with me but with the picture of me on the screen. I am merely the canvas on which women paint their dreams.” It helped that he was the King of the tango... Grrrr. Rudi's Chicken was a big hit. Secret ingredient? A big mug of sherry. I made it...
Anna May Wong’s Tea Cakes
"I'm Anna May Wong. I come from old Hong Kong. But now I'm a Hollywood star." It's my first night in the new W1 abode. Night is falling over Centre Point, Big Ben and the London Eye and a batch of tea cakes are in the oven. The Marathon Man from my office requested...
Marlene Dietrich’s Lamb Chops En Casserole
"Careful grooming may take twenty years off a woman's age, but you can't fool a flight of stairs." Oh how I wish someone would invite me to a fancy dress party so I could go looking like this... It's true about the stairs too - they were very tricky to navigate after...
Talullah Bankhead’s Coconut Jumbles
“They used to photograph Shirley Temple through gauze. They should photograph me through linoleum.” So hard to choose a quote for Talullah - there are so many fabulous ones! What exactly is she doing in this picture I'd like to know? The person who comes up with the...
Alice White’s Sweet Potato Brouchettes
"Warner Brothers answer to Clara Bow" Well Alice sure was a cutie pie - there are so many fabulous photographs of her it was hard to choose. I may have to make her "Joanie Cake" or "Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast" just so I can put the picture of her in a silver...
Clara Bow’s Vanilla Marlow
"We had individuality. We did as we pleased. We stayed up late. We dressed the way we wanted. I used to whiz down Sunset Boulevard in my open Kissel, with several red Chow dogs to match my hair. Today, they`re sensible and end up with better health. But we had more...
Errol Flynn’s Baked Leg of Lamb
“Women won't let me stay single and I won't let me stay married.” Luckily Jack is nothing like Errol - he and Ginger were hitched on Saturday and that one is going to LAST. Those two were made for each other and now it's official. We knew that after the glorious and...
Carole Lombard’s Barbecued Spare Ribs
“Every cent anybody pays in tax is spent to benefit him. There’s no better place to spend it. I enjoy this country and I really think I get my money’s worth." I've had my head in my hands most of this month, worrying about my tax return. I finally completed it...
Marlene’s Lamb Chops en Casserole
"When you're dead, you're dead. That's it." I went to the funeral of a very religious friend this weekend and my crazy sister-in-law announced very loudly at the wake to nobody in particular that she didn't believe in the afterlife. A stony silence fell over the room...
Margaret Sullavan’s Peanut Butter Hermits
"Most actors are basically neurotic people. Terribly, terribly unhappy. That's one of the reasons they become actors." It's New Year's Eve and I have made Hermits for my workmates. It's like a ghost town here but we had to come in just in case somebody famous popped...
Charlton Heston’s Spaghetti With Cauliflower
“I've played three presidents, three saints and two geniuses and that's probably enough for any man” The mention of Charlton's dish was not enough to persuade the new boyfriend to come over for dinner. I do admit that it doesn't sound too appetising but I switched the...
Clara Bow’s Chicken Chartreuse
"I wanna go home, I miss my cook" I am loving Clara this week. She is keeping me sane during the insanity that is involved in preparing 9 seperate lectures for the upcoming cruise. My brain is ADDLED and I feel like doing a Clara and just sitting down and playing...
Barbara Stanwyck’s Roast Leg of Lamb
"I'm a tough old broad from Brooklyn. I intend to go on acting until I'm ninety and they won't need to paste my face with make-up." Well, Barbara didn't make it to ninety, but she was acting almost to the end of her life in 1990, appearing in Dynasty and its...
Joan Crawford’s Meatloaf
I was so excited to find the Holy Grail of Joanie's Meatloaf recipe that I invited Charley over to partake. I knew he would appreciate her secret ingredient of hard boiled eggs. My new squeeze is anti eggs and when I told him that Charley LOVED hard boiled eggs he...
Ida Lupino’s Lemon Mousse
I've been swept off my feet by a man I met at the Cafe de Paris. One minute I was jigging around on the dance floor, next minute I was having my face snogged off round the back of the VIP area. How marvelous. Last night he came round for dinner. I was going to cook...
Constance Bennett’s Spanish Chicken
Version 3 of Constance's chicken was the best so far, by far. The secret being having a whole fresh chicken hacked into bits by the crazy Wood Street butcher I think. As Connie put it, "Take 2 fat hens jointed as for frying..." Rosalind came over to borrow a 1930s...
Carole Lombard’s Cherry Pie
Just coming up for air after the madness of the past couple of weeks. Entering into a new period of calm. Watching Judge Judy during the day and looking for a job. The folks came for lunch last week and I had another bash at Carole Lombard's Cherry Pie. My ma was very...
Janet Gaynor’s Ice Box Cookies
I have to say thankyou to Larry Hodges for this pic of Janet Gaynor playing table tennis. He has a whole website dedicated to celebrities playing ping pong. How fab. Just a little report on the meeting with our possible publisher ES. I rustled up some Janet Gaynor...
Loretta Young’s Chiffonade Salad
"I found out you can learn a lot about yourself as a person... while you're learning how to use fashion in your life.” I too am learning how to use fashion in my life at the moment. I am ploughing through the mountain of clothes in my room trying to make some rational...
Dolores Del Rio’s Enchiladas
Seemed only fitting to try a Mexican recipe whilst here in the Lone Star State. I only have three more days here and want to cry because I am loving it so much. Last night was a real film-fest night in the old school style as Ruth's chum William Haines came over for...
Jean Harlow’s Hot Rolls
"Jean Harlow is in the back room, where Sylvia is giving her a spanking she’ll remember – to judge by the howls." So begins Sylvia of Hollywood's 1931 expose "Hollywood Undressed", I knew I was in for a big treat as soon as I opened the cover and saw the original...
Carole Lombard’s Cherry Pie
“I live by a man's code, designed to fit a man's world, yet at the same time I never forget that a woman's first job is to choose the right shade of lipstick.” It was the night of the Carol(e)s last night as Ruth had a dinner party for 7 in tribute to Carol Channing...
Carol Channing’s Sauerbraten
RASPBERRIES! I knew we had a Carol Channing recipe somewhere and we intend to make this for our dinner on Sunday night. It involves a big lump of meat and some gingersnaps. Can't wait. Happy to report that the Sylvia of Hollywood diet is going well. Despite the fact...
Sylvia of Hollywood’s Diet
I am in Austin and it is the evening before I attempt a diet I found in a 1932 edition of Photoplay. The proponent of this diet is "Sylvia" - she doesn't give her surname but we are told, "She made motion picture stars beautiful and kept them trim. She can do the same...
Fred MacMurray’s Egg Burger
I am in Ameriki! How fabulous. I am here with my sister of the skillet in La La Land after a riotous time at the Madonna Inn. The biggest jaw dropping moment was when we were having a Hollywood Martini in the bar and an elderly lady in a bright red pant suit was...
A Bulgarian Shirley Temple
I am in BULGARIA having a whole heap of fun. I've been meeting Laurel's neighbours (mostly very cheery toothless ladies who want to hug and kiss me) and eating cauldrons of "four kinds of meat". I've had one "Joan Crawford Day" which consisted of me re-reading...
Bette Davis’ Marmalade
"Why am I so good at playing bitches? I think it's because I'm not a bitch. Maybe that's why Miss Crawford always plays ladies." Bette or Joan? Bette or Joan? I am increasingly obsessed with both of them and just can't decide who I like best. At the moment Bette has a...
Sonja Henie’s Scandinavian Cookies
Ginger very kindly bought me some posh cherry jam to go in the indentations of the little treats that are Sonja's Scandinavian Cookies. Fresh out of the oven they were enjoyed by Jack (he liked the nuts) and Grace (she liked the dough-y centre). I managed to get six...
Marlene Dietrich’s Banana Nut Bread
Laurel said that he was instantly transported to the banana zone upon eating a piece of Marlene's cake. It was consumed in large slices in bed in Southend with a nice mug of tea. I am still recovering from the weekend as we barely made it out of the bedroom - apart...
Mary Philbin’s Brown Betty
Just back from a long weekend in Avebury. Sharing a fabulous little cottage in the churchyard with Ginger, Grace, William, Cary and Jack. Much alcohol consumed and great feasts cooked up. On Saturday night I spent a very calm couple of hours in the kitchen with Cary....
Fred MacMurray’s Holland Brioche Cakes
"A cowboy actor needs two changes of expression - hat on and hat off." Funnily enough I was just in the process of buying myself a self-tipping cowboy hat on Second Life when Max arrived on Sunday morning bearing a gift of two Brioche. They were a joy to behold on the...
Constance Bennett’s Spanish Chicken
"I'm a lot more sartorial than thespian. They come to see me and go out humming the costumes.” It was lovely to be rustling up Constance's chicken for 3 whilst Grace and Jack were rehearsing their country songs in the dining room. They were on fine warbling form....
The David Niven Martini
"You can count on Errol Flynn, he'll always let you down." Perhaps it is a bit of portentous syncronicity that Niven has a good quote about Errol as I am supposed to be embarking upon "Errol Week" tomorrow. Almost finished reading his amazing biography and pen is...
Ida Lupino’s Lemon Mousse
"Keeping a feminine approach is vital - men hate bossy females." Don't you love getting a new pair of shoes home and checking the end of the box to see what they have been christened? These shoes are called "Ida Lupino". By someone... Not the actual designer or...
Pat O’Brien’s Corned Beef and Potato Patties
The first genuinely inedible dish of the whole project was cooked up tonight. Grace was right to be suspicious of Pat's mush. Even if it was made with Marks and Spencer's prime posh corned beef it was a right dog's dinner. I wouldn't even let Ginger have a little...
Errol Flynn’s Leg of Lamb
“The public has always expected me to be a playboy, and a decent chap never lets his public down.” I am beginning to think that Errol was quite a cook. His Leg of Lamb absolutely rocked. It was the cup of coffee with cream and sugar for basting that intrigued my...
Roland Young’s Rissoles
No need to look so worried Roland, we LOVED your rissoles. Left over turkey never tasted so good. It also gave Ginger the opportunity to crack her, "I'll be round like a rissole" joke. Grace and I tucked into the rissoles with delicious caper & anchovy sauce...
Adolphe Menjou’s Venetian Spiced Cheese version 3
Adolphe's spicy cheese is becoming quite a house speciality. Grace requested it for our Christmas shindig it so it was rustled up. How she manages to make two types of potato salad, some mackerel pate and a bundle of cheese & chorizo puffs in the same amount of...
Bette Davis’ Marmalade
"Everybody has a heart. Except some people." I spent most of the weekend crying and making marmalade. It wasn't the making of the marmalade that made me cry, it was, as usual a boy. A big cloud of woe hung over me whilst I stirred Bette's marmalade for about four...
Adolphe Menjou’s Venetian Spiced Cheese version 2
There has been much hilarity this week with all kinds of high jinx. Myrna and William came over for a Strictly Come Dancing dinner and we had another batch of Adolphe's spicy cheese. It was very much enjoyed and I liked Myrna's observation that he was "probably the...
Adolphe Menjou’s Venetian Spiced Cheese
"It was my mustache that landed jobs for me. In those silent-film days it was the mark of a villain." If only you could tell these days if a man were a villain by whether or not he wears a moustache. There seem to be a few villains around at the moment posing as nice...
Pola Negri’s Banana Trifle
"Yes, I was correctly quoted in saying I introduced sex into films in the 20's, but it was sex in good taste and left a great deal to one's imagination." I am going to invoke the spirit of Pola when those Rolling Stone hunks come round to dinner on Sunday, I just...
Joan Bennett’s Baked Salmon
"If only Vivien Leigh had stayed in England, that part would have been mine." Hmm. I presume Joan is talking about Vivien's role in Gone With The Wind there. Intriguing. Can't imagine Joan in that part. Well, bouncing up and down to the Kaiser Chiefs on Friday seems...
George Bancroft’s Luscious Savory Beef Stew
A very SNAZZY picture of George that I didn't see yesterday when I looked... It is very late (past midnight) and I am very drunk (2 pints and approximately 1 bottle of red) so this will be short. The Stew was a hit and Charley said, "Good staight ahead vittles" which...
George Bancroft’s Luscious Savory Beef Stew
"In nine times out of ten, the slanderous tongue belongs to a disappointed person." Well that's about the size of it. I am a disappointed person. Still, it's only Tuesday... I have recovered my equilibrium somewhat and am looking forward to cooking up a feast for...
Joan Blondell’s Sunday Night Special
I've been holding a candle for a man named Joe for about two years and last week he announced totally out of the blue that he'd broken off his engagement and wanted to see me for a drink on Friday night. I hardly dared imagine that it might be a date and just assumed...
David Niven’s My Man Godfrey Cocktail
"I have a face that is a cross between two pounds of halibut and an explosion in an old clothes closet." I don't usually write about things I haven't made myself but I must just mention the marvellous "My Man Godfrey" cocktail served in the 5th floor bar of...
Ann Sheridan’s Chili Casserole
What do you see for me in your crystal ball Ann? Several days of waiting for The Artist to call me on the phone I expect... I remembered that Ann's Chili Casserole needed testing for the book so we had that last night and the ladies liked it. We almost polished it off...
Richard Arlen’s Chili Con Carne
Well would you believe it? The very DAY after I spend the weekend canoodling with a new squeeze WHO should phone out of the blue to "see how I am" but the chaw-bacon. He must be finely attuned to the vibrations throughout the ether of an ex girlfriend finally putting...
Joan Blondell’s Onion Soup
“I don't know what the secret to longevity as an actress is. It's more than talent and beauty. Maybe it's the audience seeing itself in you.” Another winnner from my favourite of all the stars. I rustled it up for Grace and Ginger exactly as per Joan's recipe. My...
Ida Lupino’s Lemon Mousse
"My agent had once told me that he was going to make me the Janet Gaynor of England - I was going to play all the sweet roles." I've been in a bit of a spin since my last entry. Just after I finished Marlene's delicious lamb chops and was just about to find out who...
Marlene Dietrich’s Lamb Chops en Casserole For One
"Glamour is what I sell, it's my stock in trade." Ahhhhhhh. My 3 week writing retreat in Crouch End is almost at an end. There's a cat on the stairs, the sprinkler is on in the garden, my massive foot is elevated and propped up on a cushion, there's a Marlene Dietrich...
Gloria Swanson’s Butterless Devil’s Food Cake
"Hollywood abounded with driven creatures endlessly looking for solace or compensation in alcohol, drugs, and sex." Well after the weekend I've just had the same could be said of North London Gloria. I am still reeling from Nazimova's party, I was so out of control my...
Greta Garbo’s Swedish Meatballs x 2
"Gif me a visky, ginger ale on the side. And don't be stingy, baby." Maybe if I hadn’t drunk so much I wouldn’t have ended up wailing and howling late into the night then waking up surrounded by piles of snotty tissues. Charley came over for meatballs and in...
Oliver Hardy’s Spaghetti With Tomato Sauce
"We never see ourselves as others see us." After a week of insane bills being run up on ebay by my internet hacker I settled down to Oliver Hardy's Spaghetti with Grace to try and forget about it all for a few minutes. We decided it was quite an apt dinner for such a...
William Powell’s Beets Piquants
“I highly recommend worrying. It is much more effective than dieting.” Well the worrying is over for Ginger. She exploded into the house yesterday evening with the fabulous news that she has scored a great new job with S&S. Yippee. We celebrated with a bowl of...
Janet Gaynor Ice Box Cookies
Deep in the depths of the magical New Forest another batch of JGIBCs were cooked up. Early in the morning before most of my fellow writers began shuffling into the enormous kitchen for their herbal teas and barley cups I sliced and baked whilst in my kimono and...
Joan Blondell’s Peach and Cherry Compote
"In the 20s, you were a face. And that was enough. In the 30s, you also had to be a voice. And your voice had to match your face, if you can imagine that." Well, my favourite star of all came up with another winner. Even though this dish included an alarming amount of...
Jean Harlow’s Celery a la Shrimp
"She didn't want to be famous. She wanted to be happy." So said Clark Gable... Poor Jean - only 26 when she died. Lots of people were madly in love with her - including William Powell it is rumoured. We liked her crispy shrimpy celery. We had a "taste test" involving...
Dorothy Dare’s Flora Macaroons
As Doris observed, it looks like Dorothy Dare is WEARING her Flora Macaroons in this frock... Much fun in the kitchen while these were being made and the resulting propped and styled photographs were as pretty as a picture. We don't know why they are called "Flora"...
Anna Sten’s Coffee Parfait
In a country kitchen in Devon with a whirlwind of cooking activity going on around me I attempted another version of the Coffee Parfait, this time from the pen of the actress Gary Cooper referred to as "Anna Stench". The fact that I was on a cookery writing course...
Margaret Sullavan’s Peanut Butter Hermits
"Most actors are basically neurotic people. Terribly, terribly unhappy. That's one of the reasons they become actors." Well there is a word of warning for myself and Grace. Might help prevent a cat scrap over the handsome new rockabilly... Margaret's recipe stated...
Sonja Henie’s Scandinavian Cookies
“Jewelry takes people's minds off your wrinkles.” Ha ha! That's my favourite Silver Screen Supper quote so far. LOVE IT. Like Sonja herself these were cute, cute, cute. Easy to make but they look impressive with their little dents filled with blackcurrant jam. The MS...
Fred MacMurray’s Chocolate Fudge Upside Down Cake
"Suppose I bust out crying and put my head on your shoulder." I'd give you a cuddle Fred. It is the first post using my swanky new MacBook computer. I was seduced by the marketing campaigns but it sure is perty. In advance of the MS Cake Break Day I made one of Fred's...
Gary Cooper Griddle Cakes x 3
“My wife said she'd help young people, ... That's what I'd do. Help young people, then buy a big motor home and get out of town.” Had a lovely time with the Panther this weekend, he was making me laugh a lot. Even when his car got towed away he kept his sense of...
Alan Ladd’s Hamburger Rodeo
"We got potato soup and mutton week after week at home. I still turn green when lamb is served. " Charley came round for dinner last night and because of his passion for the FRANKFURTER I made Alan Ladd's Hamburger Rodeo. What a strange dish that is. Not to mention...
Louise Brooks’ Chicken Knickerbocker Supreme
“Most beautiful dumb girls think they are smart and get away with it, because other people, on the whole, aren't much smarter.” Louise had to be the smartest of them all I think. I am loving "Lulu in Hollywood". Thanks to Thomas Gladysz of the Louise Brooks Society I...
More Bette Davis’ Hollywood Salad
“I will not retire while I've still got my legs and my make-up box." Me neither doll.William and Cary came over for tea and we polished off the Hollywood Salad for appetizers. Cary decided that the gherkins I placed on top of each salad smeared cracker would be...
Bette Davis’ Hollywood Salad
"I didn't forget your breakfast. I didn't bring your breakfast. Because you didn't eat your din-din." Bette is still coming up trumps with the recipes. There is just something GOOD about all of hers I think. And I do love the use of the term "din-din" -...
Marion Davies’ Rarebit a la Marion
"With me it was 5 per cent talent and 95 per cent publicity." Grace and I awoke with the humdinger of all hangovers on Sunday morning after our singles night in the champagne bar of the Great Eastern Hotel. Grace had more success than I did - there was one incident of...
Mary Pickford’s Strawberry Shortcake
"The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power." I have finally cracked open the box of Biscuick that Rosalind kindly lugged all the way back from the USofA for me. I have two lovely 1930s recipe books for the weirdness that is Biscuick and so I wanted...
Cliff Richard’s Shepherd’s Pie
"Celebrities meet a lot of people and we just can't maintain them all in our fuddled brains." Some people might find it strange that Cliff features in the Silver Screen Suppers project. I justify it thus: firstly he is the patron saint of the Tri-Delta sorority house,...
Ginger Rogers’ Date Butterscotch Pudding
"Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, except backwards and in high heels." My sorority girls proved their mettle this morning when we shared Ginger's Butterscotch Pudding for breakfast. Who in their RIGHT MIND eats tapioca? When boiled with...
Zsa Zsa Gabor’s Hungarian Chicken with Egg Dumplings
"Macho does not prove mucho." I am insanely happy after finally moving into a room of my own in the Stowe. After two and a half years of being of no fixed abode I am at last installed in a fabulous 3 bed house with two housemates. It's like a sorority house in there -...
Janet Gaynor’s Ice Box Cookies
I am living the high life at a stayingcool apartment in Manchester. "Deluxe Meets Pop" in the Edge - blime. It is SO fabulous with swanky furniture, blobby wallpaper and shag pile rugs that you could lose a puppy in. It is a "Forty Bottles" event. Marilyn is in bed in...
Maurice Chevalier’s Brown Rhubarb Pie
MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmm! That was good. I made a rhubarb crumble with 6 sticks of rhubarb my mum plucked from the garden for me the other day. It was delicious. It was a bit sad that there was nobody there to share it with me... I had it for my breakfast before going for a...
Ann Sheridan’s Chili Casserole
It was lovely to share a massive casserole dish of Chili with Edmund. I expect in the silver screen days that dish would have served four people but we scoffed the lot accompaied by two bottles of red wine. Edmund made me laugh really hard with his excellent advice on...
Marion Davies’ Meadow Cheesecake
“Somebody told me I should put a pebble in my mouth to cure my stuttering. Well, I tried it, and during a scene I swallowed the pebble. That was the end of that.” I love Marion. I hereby resolve to get hold of some of her films on DVD. I miss her. The Cheesecake was...
Bob Hope’s Baked Ham With Cider
"There will always be an England, even if it's in Hollywood." Bob came up trumps with his Baked Ham. I made it for Charley on Easter Sunday as it seemed like a lot of soaking and boiling and baking were involved so I needed a good run at it. Definitely worth it as we...
Marlene Dietrich’s Banana Nut Bread
"Once a woman has forgiven a man, she must not reheat his sins for breakfast." Well, it looks like I have at last broken free from the Toxic Scot. It is over and hopefully this time for good. Feeling positive and full of energy, not sad and miserable. Must remember...
Joan Blondell’s Sunday Night Special
"It amazes me how some of these little numbers with dreamy looks and a dead pan are getting away with it. I'd hate to see them on stage with a dog act.” I may have already used this classic quote from Joan however, it kind of fits my mood. Had a horrible day with the...
Janet Gaynor’s Ice Box Cookies
We are back to Janet's Cookies. It is ten past midnight and I have just eaten one. Fact is, I was feeling like a GOOSEBERRY here at Rosalind's place. The politics of relationships are very, very complicated and methinks it really is time to ship out to the sorority...
Anna May Wong’s Teacakes
"Every time your picture is taken, you lose a part of your soul." I can hardly believe that this is a 1940s photograph of Anna - she looks so MODERN. And her cakes are so good. Rosalind and Jimmy both said so. Unfortunately they got a little squashed in...
Ronald Coleman’s English Pot Pie
"A man usually falls in love with a woman who asks the kinds of questions he is able to answer." Hm. That is worth a ponder Ronald. I liked your Pot Pie. Even though the first attempt at cooking the round steak ended in a very burned pan that boiling with vinegar and...
William Powell’s Baked Artichokes
“Dessert is probably the most important stage of the meal, since it will be the last thing your guests remember before they pass out all over the table.” What are artichokes FOR? And how do they WORK? It remains a mystery. Although we did come to the conclusion that...
Janet Gaynor’s Ice Box Cookies
Turns out that Ruth is not only slightly camera shy but is also extremely blog shy. I am writing this for the record in the hope that at some point she will add stuff in, if not delete all this and rewrite it to her own specifications for it is SHE that made the Ice...
Jean Harlow’s Hot Rolls
“No one ever expects a great lay to pay all the bills.” Ha ha! How true. Ears must be burning both in Brixton and in Iraq today. We have given our imaginary boyfriends a right old going over in between lunch at Harpoon Hannah's Tiki bar and a session at SEA NEEDLES....
Clara Bow’s Vanilla Marlow
"I wanna go home. I miss my cook." Ruth is beside the stove cooking up Fred MacMurray's Egg Burgers De Luxe for our breakfast and Clara Bow's Vanilla Marlow is "done and done" and settling down in the refrigerator. We are going for it in a big way on day two of the...
Joan Crawford’s Creamed White Onions in Red Pepper Cup
"I need sex for a clear complexion, but I'd rather do it for love." An interesting take on the whole thing thanks Joan... There has been MUCH discussion on the ins and outs of our love lives during the cooking and many interesting things are coming out of it. There...
Gary Cooper’s Griddle Cakes
"The general consensus seems to be that I don't act at all." What a joy to come downstairs after a long lie-in to find Ruth at the magi-mix preparing Gary Cooper's Griddle Cakes in her cowgirl pyjamas. Not only that but also mixing up the dough for Claudette Colbert's...
Marlene Dietrich’s Lamb Chops en Casserole
"I was raised almost entirely on turnips and potatoes, but I think that the turnips had more to do with the effect than the potatoes." Well I am pleased to say that Marlene's Lamb Chops en Casserole contains both potatoes AND turnips which gives weight to the idea...
Fred MacMurray Wine
"The two films I did with Billy Wilder, 'Double Indemnity' and the 'The Apartment' are the only two parts I did in my entire career that required any acting." Isn't Fred handsome? The Summit has begun. I am in Delaware ("Small Wonder") with America's Sweetheart of...
Herman Bing’s Weiner Schnitzel
Had a go at Herman's wonderfully eccentric recipe for Weiner Schnitzel last night and was mightily pleased with the results. Charley read the bizarre cooking instructions out loud in his lovely booming voice and declared it to be closer to poetry than a recipe. The...
Berlin Film Festival
"The Madonna of the Screen" Just back from the Berlinale which was FABULOUS! There was a "City Girls" retrospective of some fabulous women centred films of the 1910s and 1920s. Didn't get to see as many as I wanted to but managed to catch "Dancing Mothers" and loved...
Tex Ritter’s Chili
Well I guess when you've been out riding the range all day you want a chili that doesn't take too long to make, so Tex's chili recipe is pretty basic. I have to admit that I cooked it for a lot longer than 15 minutes and added 2 Oxo cubes just to (quite literally)...
What is Hominy?
"After all, a girl is - well, a girl. It's nice to be told you're successful at it." My new (and most expensive ever) film star recipe book has arrived on my doorstep and I am beside myself with excitement. There are some super fab recipes in there including one (at...
Dick Powell’s Baked Noodles
"The best thing about switching from being an actor to being a director is that you don't have to shave or hold your stomach in anymore.” I tried Dick’s recipe for Baked Noodles on Saturday as I’m searching for a good veggie recipe to serve my sisters next Sunday –...
Anna Sten’s Russian Sandwich
Oh the Russian Sandwich is a thing of great beauty! I cannot WAIT for an unsuspecting guest to be at my house one lunchtime so I can ask the question, "would you care for a sandwich?" then disappear into the kitchen to make one of these TOWERING SPECTACULAR CIRCULAR...
Lionel Barrymore’s Baked Steak
"I've got a lot of ham in me." On the page next to Ginger's Coffee Parfait was a recipe for prize ham actor Lionel Barrymore's baked steak. As I was hankering after what my old friend Kinky would call a "big hairy steak" last night I rustled it up and it was mighty...
Ginger Rogers’ Coffee Parfait
“My love for ice cream emerged at an early age - and has never left!” Well, I attempted Ginger's "Coffee Parfait" last night which would have been some kind of ice cream I guess if I hadn't made such a mess of it. I feel I was the victim of what Ruthie earlier in this...
Slim Summerville’s Pineapple Omelet
Puddin' Head As soon as I saw this recipe I fancied having a go. One of the more bizarre of the film star recipes turned out to be actually very tasty. Wasn't sure if it was a main course or a desert but I had it with a nice green salad in front of the box and it was...
Cary Grant’s Steak a la Victor Hugo
"You're just a bunch of molecules until you know who you are." I'm trying to work it out Cary, honestly I am... So the double boiler was put to its second use of the weekend - attempting for a second time to make the weirdo sauce that TWO stars have published as a...
Claudette Colbert’s Caramel Custard
"Govern a family as you would cook a small fish - very gently." OK so Claudette wore a very nice hat throughout "It Happened One Night" but her Caramel Custard wasn't up to much.However, I blame the double boiler - I need to practice. And maybe actually the...
Clark Gable’s Stuffed Pork Tenderloins
"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" Yeh, well neither do I... Annoyingly my enjoyment of "It Happened One Night" was increasingly marred by the fact that Clark's slicked back hairdo became all floppy fronted as the "night" wore on. This reminded me way too much of...
Anna May Wong’s Tea Cakes
"I see no reason why Chinese and English people should not kiss on the screen, even though I prefer not to." I saw an Anna May Wong film at the NFT on Thursday night. It's the first time I've seen her in a TALKIE. A very low, very posh voice indeed. I...
Ida Lupino’s Lemon Mousse
Have you ever made something that was so delicious you just couldn't believe you had made it yourself? So it was last night when I rustled up Ida's Lemon Mousse which I ran out of time for on Saturday. OMIGOD. That is the most delicious desert EVER. A winner, a...
Jimmy Stewart’s Chicken Pie with Clara Lou Sheridan’s Caramel Carrots
The rolling pin is a virgin no more. I don't remember EVER making pastry without my mum being by my side telling me how it is done so I was VERY pleased with myself on Saturday when my chicken pie was a triumph! Both Rosalind and Jimmy Stewart himself complimented me...
Claire Dodd’s Grilled Spring Lamb Beggs
Am installed in my country retreat for 6 weeks. Marvellous. On the night my host and hostess left for South Africa there were loud guffaws at the suggestion that I'd be cooking up a storm in their kitchen. Rita has a magnet on her fridge which reads, "If you can't...
The New Year’s Resolution
“I never gave away anything without wishing I had kept it; nor kept it without wishing I had given it away.” That Louise Brooks one was a super intelligent woman. I may use her as my mentor for 2007. However, the more I think about the quote above the more perplexed I...
Lillian Roth’s Fig Cake
“When the Red Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob-Bobbin' Along” Our project's staunchest supporter Paulette gave her verdict on the Lillian Roth Fig Cake this morning as we all nursed mighty hangovers after going to the superb "Class Club" at the Barbican. Her and hubby declared...
Zuzu’s Petals
Season's Greetings! As is tradition there was a Christmas screening of "It's a Wonderful Life" at Rosalind's place. Her very own Jimmy Stewart had NEVER SEEN THE FILM. It caused much amusement as Rosalind and I kept passing each other tissues and when it had finished...
Errol’s Fish Dish Again
Had a lovely re-run of Errol Flynn's Baked Fish Havanaise with Paulette last night. It is the one and only dish that I can remember the ingredients for at the supermarket so I guess that makes it a house special. I had a bit of a cry last night discussing the...
Gracie Fields and Goose Fat
"I wanna go home - I miss my cook" Am experiencing withdrawal symptoms as I haven't been near a stove for weeks so the Silver Screen Suppers project has slowed to a halt. I'm back from the land of the long white cloud but currently of no fixed abode so cooking is...
Skeets Gallagher’s Souffle of Tomatoes
I am in strange black walled Blade Runneresque internet cafe in Auckland - the only non Chinese person here. All the salty snacks are Chinese, all the cold beverages ditto and even blog instructions are in Chinese so I have to use graphic memory to work out how to...
Evelyn Brent’s Spaghetti Mark 2
I have just had an almost perfect weekend. Much hilarity at the World's Biggest Blind Date attempt as mobile phone technology failed to match up to the task of 600 singletons attempting to find their assigned date in a ram jammed bar offering free drinks. Bizarrely I...
Charles Ruggles’ Tuna Special Salad
Rather too much socialising and not enough cooking going on this side of the pond at the moment. Also packing. I move out of the STAR's apartment on Wednesday and then wing my way to New Zealand. To take the ukulele or not to take the ukulele that is the question....
Roy Rogers’ Corn Fritters
I know I should really have a picture of Roy with TRIGGER but I just couldn't resist this jigsaw puzzle picture with puppies. Also, as it was almost certainly always his cowgirl co-star and wife Dale Evans who made the fritters there should probably be a picture of...
Walter Connolly’s Corned Beef Hash
I had an intriguing conversation with a friend of the Chaw-Bacon in a telephone box in the rain yesterday afternoon. Apparently the friend has had a "big falling out" with the CB because of his, "appalling misogynistic attitudes" and “blind spot when it comes to...
Winnie Lightner’s Italian Salad
Ah the Archers was a humdinger this week. "Stolen kisses in the cowshed" said Ruth after a passionate embrace with Sam - ha ha. I was right there with them. Not only was there passionate intrigue but also a superb comedy moment when Linda Snell put her foot in it by...
Greta Garbo’s Swedish Meatballs
"Life would be so wonderful if we only knew what to do with it." How true Greta, how true. The lovely Buster is in town. He came over for Greta’s Swedish Meatballs last night and damn they were good, even if I do say so myself. I think I am actually getting quite a...
Mary Brian’s Orange Circles
Have just been on a stroll up to Kilburn High Road to my friendly butcher to seek out "round steak" for Greta Garbo's Swedish Meat Balls. After scouring the interweb to try and find out what the English equivalent cut of meat would be to no avail I decided that the...
Sylvia Sidney’s Steamed Chocolate Pudding
"Hollywood! It's like an old chair - if it's useful, keep it; if not, give it to Goodwill." I like Sylvia Sidney. She always looks a bit sulky. I liked her Chocolate pudding too - absolutely scrumptious. Paulette kindly had a go at this recipe as she is a whizz with...
Evelyn Brent’s Spaghetti La Fascisti
Got to be quick as it is home-time and I have a gaggle of girls coming over for dinner tonight. I have prepared the spaghetti sauce in advance and it is in the fridge in two large saucepans. A bit like a student supper really but I selected it in celebration of the...
Ruth Chatterton’s Beefsteak a la Victor Hugo
Exhausted by a day of battles with healthcare professionals I was craving a big hairy steak so I bought an EXPENSIVE bit of organic rump on the way back to the Wood. It appears that with just a week's notice, funding for my disease modifying drug has been withdrawn. I...
Maureen O’Sullivan’s Toasted Cheese Sandwich
"Good morning, I love you. You never forget, do you, Tarzan?" Ah, now I understand. American cheese.... Ha ha ha ha ha. My long awaited book explaining British equivalents for American foodstuffs has arrived. I could have done with it during some of the pimiento /...
Richard Arlen’s Mexican Chili Con Carne
"Some people are just nice guys and nothing, not even Hollywood, can change it." I LOVE Richard Arlen and mainly because I made his Chili Con Carne last night and it was quite honestly the most delicious Chili I have ever eaten outside of Texas! Despite the fact that...
Tim McCoy’s Corn Pudding
Well either Paulette and I are exceedingly greedy or Tim McCoy's cowboy comrades had tiny appetites. Reputedly serving 6-8 Tim's delicious eggy, peppery corn dish was polished off by just two of us on Friday night with a bottle of red. I do admit though that when I...
Buster’s Tuna Toast Comforter
"Some say my acting rose to the level of incompetence and then levelled off." What else is a girl to do after having been dumped by text than go home and cook herself some comfort food. That hunk Buster came up with the goods. Four of my favourite things in once...
Joan Marsh’s Chicken Salad
"Is it?" Aha! A new spirit of optimism is upon me after a weekend at the seaside. Life is pretty damn good at the moment, not least because I have a new "Favorite Recipes of the Famous Movie Stars" book produced by the Milwaukee Gas Light Co in 1934 and autographed by...
Mary Pickford’s Chicken and Pineapple Salad
"If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down." Well, another sad and sorry singleton's Sunday for me, hanging around...
Janet Gaynor and Cheese "Fondue"
Ahhhh, sweet victory after two debacles in the kitchen d'etting. Saturday dawned in a rather ominous fashion - well, mainly as I knew that I simply couldn't put off La Gaynor anymore. I felt her looking at me constantly. From every direction. In fact, showed a clip to...
Kay Johnson’s Chocolate Soup Pie
"As long as they pay me my salary, they can give me a broom and I'll sweep the stage. I don't give a damn. I want the money..." A refreshinghly honest opinion from a star of the silent era - found in her private diaries though, not published in a fan mag....
Anna May Wong’s Egg Foo Yung
Guest post from the lovely Ms Caroline Frick in the US of A! In the Photoplay Cook Book from which this recipe hails, Anna May reportedly defined Egg Foo Yung as "The simplest Chinese recipe of all...a delicious luncheon dish." Therefore, I chose to slap it together...
Anne Baxter’s Magic Orange Cups
"Do at least a few of the things that really seem fun. Nobody should be afraid to have fun ...even if it's silly." This apparently was Anne's comment in a magazine when she was asked why she was wearing toe rings... Oooh I love Anne Baxter in "All...
Food Raid of a Star’s Cupboard
Well, I moved into the home of a genuine Hollywood star last night. An OSCAR winner no less but I am unable to reveal his identity - top secret. He will henceforth be referred to as THE STAR. I am flat sitting for THE STAR for two months in a fab 1930s block right...
Shirley Temple’s Mammy’s Pecan Bars
Well, I am not going to lie. It has been a rough re-launch of the Stateside Silver Screen Suppers Campaign. But here is why: Many cookbooks from the early period CLEARLY were intended for those people who are A. naturally gifted in the kitchen or B. had extensive...
Hattie McDonald’s Chicken With Dumplings
"Why should I complain about making $700 a week playing a maid? If I didn't, I'd be making $7 a week being one." I had a look through my recipes to see if I had any "Gone With The Wind" related ones and found a great article in a 1941 "Modern Screen" magazine that was...
Yvonne de Carlo’s Salome Salad
Desmond Carrington is a national treasure. I am preparing a trifle and listening to his Radio 2 show. Who else could play George Formby, Eric and Ernie and Meatloaf in the same half an hour? Last night I made the crazy sounding salad dressing Yvonne proposed which...
Joan Blondell’s Chicken Chop Suey
"It amazes me how some of these little numbers with dreamy looks and a dead pan are getting away with it. I'd hate to see them on stage with a dog act." Joan Blondell is without a doubt my absolute favourite actress and it was with great pleasure that I cooked up her...
Rhonda Fleming’s Hollywood Ham Loaf
My lovely ex boyfriend Charley came round for dinner last night. As the man who re-introduced me to the pleasures of carnivorism after 12 years as a vegetarian I knew he would appreciate The Queen of Technicolor's Hollywood Ham Loaf. A loaf made almost entirely of...
Errol Flynn’s Tomato Fest
"The public has always expected me to be a playboy, and a decent chap never lets his public down." Last night was Flynn Night on the boat. Radio 2’s excellent “Putting on the Style” was all about the swashbuckling “man’s man” so I cooked up some of his Devilled...
Ann Sothern’s Salad for the Sisters
"I finally realized the happy medium, 'honey blonde' was the correct color and line for me." Had my sistas over for lunch on the tub on Sunday and it was super. Very rare for Clara, Myrna, Veronica and I to all get together same place same time, so the frozen...
Penny Singleton’s Spaghetti Caruso
“If I wanted something badly enough, I’ve gotten it.” Apologies for the gap in the Silver Screen Suppers schedule which has occured due to intense courting on America’s Sweetheart of Song’s part, and a cat sitting stint in North London on mine. I’m hoping now that AS...
Anna Neagle’s Waldorf Salad
All good intentions of doing chores were swept away last night by the offer of a trip upstream to Richmond on S&N’s boat. It was a beautiful evening for a little chug past Eel Pie Island, multiple swans’ nests and riverside loafers. Still, I did manage to rustle...
Psycho Salad
"You're beautiful. You're a beautiful kid!" Rita Hayworth threw a "pot luck" party on Friday night for the writing circle. We all had to bring a little something to eat so I though it would be a chance for a Silver Screen Somethingoranother. As I was out all day being...
Jimmy Stewart’s Chicken Breast Italiano
"Not all of us were working at the same time, but enough of us. Hank Fonda knew how to cook rice. We lived pretty much on a rice diet." On Friday Rosalind came over to the tub bringing her lovely new beau Jimmy Stewart. I thought I should cook him something by his...
Joan Bennett’s Beetroot Salad
“I turned my hair dark and have received much better parts ever since." Omigoodness the day I had yesterday. I know just how Joan felt having to drag that dead body up the beach in "The Reckless Moment". I was completely shattered by a combination of tellings off,...
Rosalind Russell’s Garden Vegetable Salad
“Flops are a part of life's menu and I've never been a girl to miss out on any of the courses.” How right RR was – her salad was indeed a flop. The kind of salad an elderly relative might cobble together so that there is something “healthy” to have with cheap sausages...
Kim Novak’s Chili Rellenos
Lady Longhorn will be laughing into her corn chowder when she reads Kim's fanciful recipe for Chili Rellenos. Not authentic Mexican ingredients by any means. However, Groucho wanted "Mexican" food as the big match on Saturday night was Argentina v Mexico. The only...
Helen Twelvetrees’ Wakimoli Salad
"Between pictures I go away. I think that is the best way to achieve happiness in Hollywood, the only way to keep one's perspective. If you stay too close to the motion picture colony you lose your sense of values." Oooh the ladies did enjoy Helen's Wakimoli. It was...
Wakimoli Schmakimoli
Tonight is "ladies football night" at Paulette Goddard's place. Brazil are playing so we will have plenty to occupy our hearts and minds. We've all been asked to bring some grub so I thought it might be a good chance to try out Helen Twelvetrees' "Wakimoli Salad"....
Champion Toad In The Hole
Aha! It makes my heart glad to see that America's Sweetheart of Song is now cooking away out there in the Lone Star State. Go Ruthie! One re-run and one near disaster on the cooking front this weekend. I made Constance's chicken dish for the delight of El Pantero...
dick powell’s delightful corn chowder
in the scorching texas heat, which has not been under 100 degrees for over a month, one does not immediately think of HOT SOUP for dinner. that is, unless it is a corn chowder by the divine dick powell. yes indeed, time had finally come for this stateside film...
Constance Bennett’s Spanish Chicken
“I'm a lot more sartorial than thespian. They come to see me and go out humming the costumes.” Delicious, delicious, delicious. Constance was spreading her cometary glory all around our island last night as we scoffed her Spanish Chicken on the fuel pontoon. After...
Touched By Her Cometary Glory
A change of plan for Edmund's dinner tonight as Carole's ribs take aeons to cook. Instead we will be having Constance Bennett's Spanish Chicken. E sent a textual message asking "will it be touched by her cometary glory like James Agate suggests?" Well we shall see...
Supper Smash
The Queen of entertaining Rosalind rustled up some superb Supper Smash last night. This is convenience food British style to rival the Bisquik. Those of a certain age on these shores will remember the "For Mash, Get Smash" advertising campaign and those a bit younger...
In The Middle Of The Thames
Much excitement Thameside as the boat is back in the water. But not in its usual spot - secured next to the FUEL PONTOON for a few days. And this means right in the middle of the river basically. Fab views with birdlife all around. Those crazy headed Grebe things dive...
Clark Gable’s Hunter’s Breakfast
"Hell, if I'd jumped on all the dames I'm supposed to have jumped on, I'd have had no time to go fishing. " The only kind of hunting I do at the moment is MANHUNTING but Clark's breakfast sure did set me up for the day yesterday. Tesco's came up trumps with their...
Dick Powell’s Trousers
Have spent a glorious day at the newspaper library in Colindale searching 1930s fan mags for silver screen recipes. Alas, zilch. Saw some fun things along the way though including a remarkable press photograph of Dick Powell in "Cowboy From Brooklyn" wearing the...
Hollywood Ham
I am hoping to rustle up a Clark Gable number on Sunday for the Panther. I wanted to follow Loretta's recipe with something from her secret lover as I've been reading about their tryst and resulting lovechild. Am awaiting a recipe from my fellow chef in the States for...
Loretta Young’s Peach Dessert
"As soon as I get home from a day of work, I bathe, brush my hair, put on fresh makeup, and slip into a hostess gown." On Saturday night the Black Panther came over and cooked me dinner on the tub. I should probably explain that he is not a member of the 1960s...
Eee By Gum – Gracie Fields’ Hotpot
Ee that hotpot were grand! I was rather bemused by the chunks of lamb the butcher had provided and had neither the correct implements nor the emotional wherewithall to get much meat from between bones, fat and things that looked like the cotton wool tubes dentists use...
Dripping? That’s All In The Past My Dear…
Trotted up to Kilburn High Road to buy meat products for Gracie's Lancashire Hot Pot in my lunch hour. Despite all Prince Charles' bleating about MUTTON you cannot buy it for love nor money round these parts. I settled for neck of lamb instead as the nice butcher man...
Gracie Fields Special
Oh the joy of rustling up dinner a deux on the boat with the sun shining in through the open doors and Desmond Carrington playing Perez Prado, Joyce Grenfell and Gracie Fields on his most excellent Radio 2 slot. Got super excited when he plugged his Friday night show...
Errol Flynn’s Baked Fish Havanaise
"It isn't what they say about you, it's what they whisper." Mm. That was GOOD and DID cure my malaise for a few minutes. Easy to prepare, looked great on the plate and had all the cats on the island trotting up the ladder and poking their heads through the door to see...
Havanaise to Treat Malaise
Suffering from a bad case of malaise at the moment. Have been wandering listlessly around Richmond trying to cheer myself up with small purchases - several hair clips and two plectrums in the shape of skulls - to no avail. Am going to attempt Errol Flynn's "Baked Fish...
Do Not Become Sister Ruth
I saw the newly restored classic "Black Narcissus" last night and realised that it was a perfect film for someone trying to get over a man who thinks he is the handsome-ist stud in town. David Farrar plays the part of Mr Dean like he just can't get over how...
Bette Davis’ Boston Baked Beans
"I am just too much." Ah, the beans were a great success. Rosalind even had two portions. John G (her ex) said they were good but he wasn't sure why they had to have been cooking for 8 hours. Made the whole flat smell of molasses though which on the whole was a good...
Dearth of Fat Salt Pork
The butcher that Rosalind remembers being on Berwick Street is alas no more. Had a lengthy conversation with two barrow boys on the market who told us that there are now NO BUTCHERS in the West End. They are all gorn. R has bacon in her fridge so I shall make do with...
Worth Eating?
Stomach is churning at the prospect of dinner tonight with Square Jawed Georgie who wants to meet up because he says "some things need explaining" and there are "some things you need to know". What, what, what, what, what? Is it fair to expect me to try and eat tapas...
Thelma Todd’s Caesar Salad
One good thing about being dumped is the way chums rally round to cheer you up. Had a long telephone conversation with the fabulous Gary last night. He was telling me a story about Thelma Todd and Caesar Salad which we must verify. Apparently Thelma was in a...
Pilchards on Toast
My good intentions at getting going on this project have been foiled by the fact I didn't read the recipe. Bette's Boston Baked Beans require 8 hours of cooking and I didn't get home until 6pm so methinks they will have to wait until next weekend. Instead of a gourmet...
The Cooking Must Begin
OK. I have spent the afternoon skim-reading the abridged handbag sized version of "He's Just Not That Into You" and I agree with everything those wise old yankees say. So time to stop wasting brain space on Dirty Scottish Georgie and get on with the project the...
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