Monday, June 29, 2009

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 the quote myself, "Gif me whiskey, ginger ale on the side. And don't be stingy baby." Ha ha!

I met some lovely people and had a chat after the event with a potential publisher for the book over beer, fish and a "little bit of chip".

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

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 medium of Kir Royales. Ginger, Grace, Cary, William, Jack and Grace's new beau polished off the canapes with vigour - favourite seeming to be Marion Martin's Peanut and Bacon Bouchees. We have christened the new beau Douglas Fairbanks Snr as he is full of vim. He said he wasn't sure about the combination of peanuts and meat though - to which Ginger's response was, "it's a good job you don't live in Thailand!"

I'd had a weird day in which my fortunes rose and fell to the tune of £300 over the space of an hour. I thought my battle with the storage company was won until - crazy archivist mentality not withstanding - I realised I hadn't kept a copy of a crucial email. I blame the stress of that for the amount of fizzy wine I consumed. I knew I was really, really drunk when after getting into the bath to scrub my black flip-flop encrusted feet clean I heard someone say, "Come on now, be sensible" and it dawned on me that everyone else had gone home...

Saturday, June 13, 2009

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 to Centre Point - a very tall skyscraper - but then I heard them announce a fly past to celebrate the Queen's birthday on the radio. So I ran out on to the balcony and although the plane was gone, a beautiful big fluffy red, white and blue vapour trail was puffing up in the sky. Gorgeous.

It's day 1 of a 2 day writing jag. I'm working mostly on a talk I am going to give at the Cinema Museum on 28th June about the Silver Screen Suppers project. If you are London based, please come along. Free Janet Gaynor's Ice Box Cookies! It's at 3pm and more details are here - www.cinemamuseum.org.uk - no idea why they have christened it "Eat to the Stars" - eating your way to heaven perhaps...

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

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 attire.

A batch of Ann's Chili Casserole is in the oven and Celebrity Masterchef is about to begin. I am loving the spinster life! The fact that the Chili is baked gives it an extra something I think. The flavours develop somehow. I've added a few shakes of the secret ingredient Gladys' mother adds to her potato salad to give it Oomph - Maggi Sauce.

I just cannot wait to get a big bowl in front of me and dig in...

Saturday, June 06, 2009

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 lovely Matthew over at movietone-news.com has done a fab piece about my Silver Screen Suppers blog. You can see it here http://www.movietone-news.com/2009/06/eat-like-your-idols.html - I am bashful but chuffed! Welcome new readers!

I've been in Brighton today for Joan's birthday. It was lovely except for the fact I seem to have developed an aversion to being touched by babies - and there were two there... Joan kept dandling one of them and propelling it towards me then away from me from me like Vic Reeves' and his spirit level. I seemed to be the only non-broody woman in a coven of them.

Home to safety, Casualty and Jean's Celery a la Shrimp. I've been craving it throughout my booze binge and tonight's the night. I might just go the whole hog into spinsterdom, put on my kaftan and do as Jean does - go commando.

Monday, June 01, 2009

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 Rhythm of Gay Music!" That's either got to be really really good, or really really bad...

Her little Silver Screen Snackettes were very tasty. I used some pancetta that I had left over from a salad and Rosalind declared that she liked the combination of "crispiness and fat". We had two each before I met up with Sidney for some beers and a snooze in St James' Park.