Silver Screen Suppers

Jean Harlow's Stuffed Celery a la Shrimp

2010-04-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

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 offline for a few days. It's having a makeover so it has to come down for the work to be done. I'm excited but scared - what if everything I've written here gets lost in the ether? Four years of cooking antics gone! Keep your fingers crossed my lovely chums.

On Friday gorgeous Paulette cooked dinner en famille and she made Jean's stuffed celery as a starter. YUM. She was using premium quality mayonnaise and I must say it does make a difference. They were scrumptious. I made Ida Lupino's Lemon Mousse for pud and got it all a bit wrong as I was chatting to Shirley when I should have been concentrating. I put in too much cornflour but it still tasted good. Didn't set like it usually does though - was more mouseey..

As with all gizmo's young 10 year old Shirley was doing all sorts of fancy tricks with Paulette's new i-phone while us grown ups just looked at it like it was something out of a Star Trek film. Shirley took some pretty good pix of the celery, one of which can be seen on the flickr site

See you once the site transformation has taken place...

Janet Gaynor's Ice Box Cookies

2010-04-23T23:51:00.000-07:00

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 one of Joan Crawford's Creamed White Onions in a Red Pepper Cup - ha ha! I admit, it didn't look very appetising!

Everyone working on the show was adorable. I got to sit in front of one of those mirrors surrounded by lightbulbs to have my hair and make-up done. Blusher! I haven't worn that since the 80s! Matthew Fort interviewed me and was absolutely charming. He got a few classic film quotes in and it was a fun chit-chat. I can barely remember what I said because it all went by in a flash, but I do remember ranting on about imagining Marlene Dietrich playing the musical saw while she waited for her Banana Nut Bread to cook!

I made a batch of the good old JGIBCs and gave some out to all the lovely folk who worked on the show. TX date will be Friday May 7th at 7pm on the Good Food Channel with repeats on Saturday. Can't wait!

Cary Grant's Tuna Fish Pie

2010-04-21T05:26:00.000-07:00

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 made. Well, a choice of two actually. I think she should go with the Joan Crawfordesqe black number that I bought to wear to the Brits - it looked amazing on her. We are about the same size and shape so we may just swap frocks halfway through the event!

Man, we put the world to rights last night over two bottles of red. Main subject? Men we have loved and men we would like to love. There's a certain fellow at the bfi who better watch out when Ms Kim is wearing that frock on Tuesday! A certain award winning film director too the way she is feeling...

My desk-mate Jim has returned from the ash cloud. So nice to have him back taking the mick out of my cooking. I've got some left over pie for lunch and I admit, it doesn't look very appetising after a journey in on the bus. I did like Jim's observation though that the little "biscuits" that top the pie look like miniature scones.

Market Kitchen tomorrow - EEK!

Jimmy Stewart's American Apple Pie

2010-04-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

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 Stanwyck's wine soaked leg of lamb with Jimmy's Apple Pie to follow. These were both DELICIOUS but as we are having an unseasonally gorgeous weekend the six of us went to the Middle Lane Pleasure Gardens instead of watching Ball of Fire.

It's been an odd weekend. After lying fallow for 8 months or so - like buses, two have come along at once. For the first time since moving to Crouch End I had a bed fellow of the opposite sex last night. I am having to keep my eyes open with matchsticks this evening - not much sleep was had. But I was strangely disconnected throughout. Perhaps I was just hungry? After the promise of a nice dinner, turned out crisps and wine sufficed.

And then, after a big build up from Grace, ROD turned up on the scene this afternoon. Interesting. There's a touch of the David Essex about him, and as some of my readers know, I am rather partial to the gypsy lifestyle...

Over and above all of this was the absolute HEAVENLY PLEASURE of spending some time with Cary, Grace, William and the lovely and very zen Douglas Fairbanks. I do not see these folk often enough so a whole afternoon with them all was a springtime treat of the very best kind.

Rudolph Valentino's Secret Spaghetti Sauce

2010-04-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

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 that won't make Rudi turn in his grave...

There is a big weekend ahead. I've been preparing for a big gig tomorrow night, I am DJing solo - without my sisters - at a big house party in Islington. It's a blitz themed party so I'm going with two gramophones, two boxes of 1940s records and my new gorgeous red and gold guitar amp. I don't have enough shellac from the actual blitz period (strictly speaking 1940 and 1941) so I'll be treating the rug cutters to some futuristic sounds right up to 1949. I'm being paid in champagne and canapes - have they any idea how much fizz I can put away during a set?!

Then on Sunday night I am going on a DATE. Yes, another one, but this time with somebody brand new. A friend of Ava's who my desk mate thinks looks like George Clooney... Intriguing.

By the way, quick update on the moth box situation - moths in the bedroom moth motel - zero (good) - in the lounge moth motel NINETEEN! The swarm continues...

Dolores Del Rio's Arroz Con Pollo

2010-04-07T06:18:00.000-07:00

"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 on.

Edmund came to dinner last night and much fun was had. It was the first time I'd made Dolores' chicken dish and Edmund enjoyed reading the characteristically bizarre recipe. He was much amused by the fact that the stock was supposed to be made from veal knuckle and mixed vegetables with the exception of celery. Why no celery? Because Dolores no likee celeree we decided. He was also amused by the fact Dolores said to throw the unwashed rice in a pan and fry it until it was "tea colour". Who knows how Dolores took her tea? We let it get to a kind of "tea with a dash of milk" colour.

Anyhow it was absolutely DELICIOUS and much more appropriate for the book than her Enchiladas - with or without the veal knuckle. Edmund had brought along "Flying Down to Rio" which we half watched and half gossiped through. When we were almost at the end Edmund started obsessing about the fact that there should have been a song called "Orchids in the Moonlight" somewhere or another in the film. He insisted on rewinding then fast forwarding while we searched for it. Every time Dolores appeared on screen I waited until she opened her mouth to speak then bust out with ORCHIDS IN THE MOONLIGHT in a strangulated falsetto. All very amusing when one has drunk three packs of Coronas between two!

Gloria Swanson's Butterless Devil's Food Cake

2010-04-05T05:20:00.001-07:00

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...

http://www.exacteditions.com/exact/browse/588/1101/6824/3/49/0/

I had heared nothing from the editor for months so assumed that she wasn't going to run it - just IMAGINE if I'd known before - it would have completely blown my Gloria Swanson frock competition as the answer to the question I posed is right in there!

It has cheered my up no end - still no word at all from the New Yorker who stood me up last night - he has brought disrepute on a whole city with his dating style!

Bette Davis' Marmalade

2010-04-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

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 nice to have Paulette's lovely big copper preserving pan in to make it but I do feel like I have wasted the whole day standing over a pan of bubbling sugary fruit...

Alongside wasting time doing that I have YET AGAIN been wasting my time waiting for the phone to ring. Spoke to Mr Mayfair on Thursday and agreed to meet this evening. 5pm and still no call. Has he forgotten? Or is this just his style? Well whatever (as the teenagers say), I'm going to go for a swim, watch a movie and blow a raspberry in his general direction. He'd better not come up with some cock and bull story...

I am getting some comfort from the fact that a newly purchased moth box seems to be doing its work. I can see three moths from where I am sitting and they are all in the general vicinity of the moth motel. I predict that when I get back from my swim there will be three less of the critters to worry about. In general I like animals but the moth is the enemy of the knitter and my wardrobe is full of beautiful hand-knits so death to the moth!

Update - it is now 22.15pm and no phone call - should I consider that being stood up?!

Gloria Swanson Frock Competition - RESULT!

2010-04-03T07:17:00.001-07:00

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 choosing certain fruit, but only one person could win the frock and that person was the lovely Brian Dennis - portrait painter extraordinaire.

The exciting news is though that Brian did say that if he DID win, he would paint a portrait of someone wearing the dress (not sure it is his size!) so I'll keep you posted as to who that is going to be. In fact, I got a text from him this morning that suggested he might run his own competition to find a sitter to wear the frock.... So you may still get a chance my lovelies!

I am back from a little Easter visit to my folks which was lovely and I've just scoffed some Joan Bennett's Beetroot Salad which was yummy. Much to do this afternoon and tomorrow. Mostly watching 1940s fashion newsreel items. It's WORK you know!!

Claudette Colbert's Claudette Colbert Cake

2010-03-31T06:15:00.000-07:00

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 YUMSKI as my French colleague Marie-Agathe put it.

We've had a lovely redhead rockabilly girl working with us for a couple of months and she's such a peach I decided to make the cake for her last day. What a success it was. Everyone piled up to the mezzanine waiting for their slice - it was gone in a flash! I decorated it with little pink sprinkles and some mini eggs to make it look Eastery. A BIG success!

And by the way, I hereby award test cook Miss Dorothy an internet MEDAL for making this for an event at the Cinema Museum. It is the most time consuming cake I have ever made so bravo Ms D over there at the British Film Institute.

Cary Grant's Tuna Fish Pie

2010-03-29T13:32:00.000-07:00

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 a busy week this week and I SHOULD be making some Bette Davis marmalade tonight but there is just too much to do. I guess it can wait until the weekend. I'm cat sitting for Paulette and Ivor and they do have a lovely big kitchen for cooking. Would it be mad to take my biddy-bag trolley full of jam jars round there and make the marmalade in Paulette's nice copper preserving pan?

Thelma Todd's Scripture Cake

2010-03-28T04:33:00.000-07:00

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 Toddy and I'm going to pass it on here. I laughed out loud VERY loudly at the part where the two guys were swinging the dummy - genius - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCGD2a5iE3M

Yesterday Bette and Jean came over with their little monkey-chew Romy. I'm not really a fan of babies in the flesh but I have to admit that this one is absolutely adorable. I had a bash at Thelma's crazy Scripture Cake - all the instructions involve looking up certain things in a bible so I had to call upon Shirley and Paulette to assist with that, not having a bible myself. So things like, "Use 4 and 1/2 cups of I Kings, 4th chapter, 22nd verse" translates to "Use 4 and 1/2 cups of flour". You get the idea. The ladies had a few religion related comments about it all: "should be heavenly" quipped Joan and Bette observed that it was a bit crispy because it was a "Catholic Cake".

The thing that amused me most about the whole thing was that when I stumbled into the lounge this morning with a mighty hangover there was a left over piece of cake on the table and a LADYBIRD was nibbling away at it. There is a photo over on the Flickr site!

It was great to see the ladies and Joan and I had a very in depth conversation about domestic violence. I guess it is the old case of "it takes one to know one" so it was good to hear Joan's take on it all to realise it's quite normal to be grappling with the fallout of it even now.

Irene Dunne's Shrimps and Rice

2010-03-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

"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 can be transported to this via the picture of a buffet spread in the sidebar to the right). I have never been to Kim's kitchen but I love the fact that she has black marble work surfaces - tres chic! Also love the fact that there is a glass of fizz lurking in the background of the shot!

Kim and her guest (who was it I wonder?!) enjoyed the shrimpy dish very much. I have a feeling that she bought nice big fat king prawns rather than the teeny weeny shrimp Irene might have used. Obviously a gal who likes high-hat living, Kim even suggested throwing in a couple of langoustines to "add a bit of luxury".

I am in a mood for confession so I will admit that I have never eaten a langoustine. In fact, I am not even sure I know what one is. Mini-ature lobster? And while we are at it I will also come clean and admit that although I know that Irene is probably my co-writer's favourite silver screen star, I've never seen a film with her in it. Shocking - bring me ebay immediately!

Boris Karloff's Steak and Kidney Pie

2010-03-23T06:37:00.001-07:00

"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 EXACTLY to Boris's recipe. Three people had volunteered to test cook this one but so far, King is the only one who has had the guts to do it!

Rosalind was on hand to assist, her lovely ma had made the pastry for the pie on Saturday in Lincoln and wrapped it up in the paper from the lard. We all sat consuming vast amounts of wine whilst Rosalind and King were huddled together removing the channels from the kidneys and confiding in each other how much they loved to handle offal... And what a wonderful result - a great big, beautiful pie which was 100% delicious. I laughed out loud when Edmund found out what the secret ingredient was - hard boiled eggs. He SHOUTED, "Eggs? Where? It's a PIE not a QUICHE"! But he gobbled it all up just the same.

Rosalind couldn't find her copy of "Gods and Monsters" which we were gathered there to see but no matter, we watched "An Education" and gossiped all the way through it instead. A wonderful night in the grand tradition of dinner and a movie.

Silver Screen Sunday - Now Voyager

2010-03-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

"...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 at once. Might have been Rosalind actually.

This is THE hat Veronica came over to see. We had a lovely Now Voyager brunch with Finnan Haddie a la Davis and some Bonita Granville Gingerbread followed by the film. A lovely springtime lunch party. There was much discussion before and after the film about whether Veronica should take the plunge and co-habit once more with her ex-husband. An interesting conundrum and more complicated than it sounds. I'm glad I don't have that to worry about at the moment.

I was very glad I got up the gumption to go to the Rock and Roll night last night. Reminded me how at home I am with the rockabilly types, even if none of them will speak to me. They were all too cool for school but I do love all that posturing. At one point there were about a dozen men lined up at the bar and the sight of their massive turn ups pleased me immensely. Brilliant to see that as usual at this kind of event the most unexpected people are always the best dancers. An Amy Lame lookalike and a guy who looked like one of the scary types in a Dickens novel wiped the floor with all the beautiful people. I loved his half splits.

Bonita Granville's Gingerbread

2010-03-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

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 but it is the month of being brave so I am going to do it.

I've just eaten a solo portion of Marlene Dietrich's Lamb Chops to fortify myself and have made a batch of Bonita's Gingerbread for tomorrow's Silver Screen Sunday. It smells mighty fine but I've never made Gingerbread before so am not sure how it will taste but fingers crossed Veronica will like it.

I almost chickened out of going out on my own to rub shoulders with rockabilly boys and then when I went into the kitchen to do the washing up they were playing the Stray Cats on the radio. I am taking it as a sign...

Jean Arthur's Chocolate Fudge

2010-03-19T13:25:00.001-07:00

"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 rockabilly cardigan to work 3 days in a row - I wonder if anyone noticed?

Spring is most DEFINITELY in the air. Everyone is getting very frisky. Today a momentous thing happened for me, I saw someone I fancied. I thought that had stopped happening.?! Eureka, I had a nice little frisson with someone on the tube. 3 minutes of no strings attached microflirting. I shall try and get back in practice, it was most enjoyable.

And just now a phone call from Mr Mayfair saying that he's moving back to the States and insists that he kisses me at least once before he goes. Ha ha! Sure, why not?! I told him to call me when he was in the mood for making out...

I'm considering having another go at Jean's fudge. Ruth's mom sent a very thorough email explaining why her recipe was not really for the beginner. I LOVE the mom testers because they really know what they are doing and they make me feel better about failing. I could NOT get Jean's fudge to set when I tried it but felt better when Ruth's mom emailed to say, "fudge is a little complicated; you can ruin it easily and Jean's won't help anyone succeed." So, if we do include this recipe in the book we'll include some of Ruth's mom's excellent guidance in how to actually get this to work.

I did a silly thing on the way home from work today. I left a folder that effectively contained the first third of the Silver Screen Suppers book AND the book proposal on the BUS. Oh my Lord. I guess three things could happen. 1) someone finds it and pinches the whole idea. (Ruth and I would probably have to hire a contract killer if this happened.) 2) a publisher who happens to live in Crouch End finds it and offers us an incredible deal. (This would be what happened in a movie of course.) 3) I will have to go to some Godforsaken bus garage somewhere in the arse end of Greater London to retrieve it.

I am predicting number 3.

Katharine Hepburn's Eggplant in Casserole

2010-03-17T07:12:00.001-07:00

"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 a test cook saying she loved it. Some of you may know that the eggplant / aubergine gives me the fear so I've been putting off trying this one myself. But now it looks like I'll have to do it - aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrg!

Trusty test cook Nazimova tried it out for a veggie friend who came to dinner and this is, of course a very good reason for including it in the book. We are short on main course recipes for those who don't eat meat. Maybe I'll take Naz's tip about using small young aubergines as she says, "they are much quicker to fry and don't turn to rubber but melt away". Hmm. The vegetarian friend, "thought it was brilliant!" and Naz says, "This will probably be my dish for the summer, like it that much". What a bunch of crazed aubergine fanciers they all are!

I'm looking after Shirley this evening while Paulette goes for cocktails. It amused me greatly this morning when I popped round to test my door keys to see that on Paulette's shopping list it said, "Beer for Jenny". She knows me SO WELL!

Janet Gaynor's Ice Box Cookies

2010-03-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

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 and chewy. Nice, but not as Janet would have wanted them. Still, my work chums gobbled them up in a flash, making appropriate noises and giving them double thumbs up.

Had a wonderful lunch with my mentor Hugh. As usual we laughed far too loudly, I had to calm down for fear of upsetting other people in the restaurant. The thing that really killed me was him recounting a story I had told him, with great embellishment. I don't think I have ever experienced this before. He asked me how my Second Life adventures were going and when I said I hadn't been on there for a while he was astonished. He said that last time we'd got together I told him all about dancing in the ballroom of the Titanic and an encounter with a sleazy man and a billiard table that was interrupted by a phone call from a Hawaiian. Well, he'd kind of got it right. What about the guy pole dancing in a Batman outfit though?!

It has reminded me that I did find it incredibly calming to wander around on my own in virtual reality and often ended up sitting under a fountain meditating. But it was a worse time waster than TV for a while there so I'd better not get back into it...

Oliver Hardy's Spaghetti Sauce

2010-03-14T07:21:00.000-07:00

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 night chez Jean. It was Oscars night, a week after the event but hugely enjoyable nevertheless. We had some Hollywood canapes and a Gloria Swanson Devil's Food Cake alongside his delicious terrines and little cups of celeriac soup. Cries of "look at his HAIR!" and "what IS she wearing?" filled the air as we had great sport putting our oars in. Ava showed us her lovely new feet with great pride. Beautiful they are too. I bet she can't wait to get those into a pair of strappy sandals for spring.

I can never see a terrine without thinking of Ava and her hospitalization due to sliding on a terrine. Ha ha! I must get her to tell me the story again, I'm sure I've altered it in my mind but she almost definitely ended up with a terrine shaped bruise on her bum.

Talking of bruises, the lovely Preston got me a ticket to a special screening of the new roller derby movie "Whip-It" on Saturday night. I loved it. Juliette Lewis rocked as Iron Maven and it was great to see some familiar faces amongst the roller girls in the audience. RAWHIDE!

Janet Gaynor's Ice Box Cookies

2010-03-12T05:28:00.001-08:00

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 back on what we had on Sunday.

Janet was the first recipient of the Academy Award for Best Actress so I thought it would be a good day to mention that my lovely ex-housemate Grace made some Ice Box Cookes last week with modifications. She added 1 teaspoon of mixed spice and 100g sultanas and pronounced them to be "yumtastic!" She also came up with the genius suggestion that they be renamed "Janet's nicey icey spice box cookies".

Easy for her to say!

Gena Rowland's Spinach and Rice

2010-03-11T12:39:00.000-08:00

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 what friends are for!

So in my new spirit of trying to use up all the stuff in my cupboards before impending move (yes, again!) I checked the recipe spreadsheet to see what we had that included spinach and one of the store cupboard staples. And so, tonight, whilst watching amazing things being created on Masterchef I ate a very weird dinner. I guess it was OK, and I guess there's plenty of iron in there, but I also guess I'm turning into a ravenous carnivore and could have done with a nice pork chop on the side!

Anna Mae Wong's Tea Cakes

2010-03-10T12:09:00.000-08:00

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 some of Anna's Tea Cakes and reports back that special celebrity guest Caroline Monroe had one and said it was lovely! Worlds colliding - super.

It is little things like this that keep me going. I had to defend myself this week when someone I barely knew launched an astonishing attack on my much beloved project. What was the point he asked? Why bother testing the recipes? Why not just reprint them? Why was it taking me so long?

Hmm. I employed the "bubble" technique recommended by Lisa over at The Sassy Minx to try and avoid being crushed by it all. And then in my mind I blew a big raspberry in his general direction!

Greer Garson's Guacamole

2010-03-09T05:38:00.000-08:00

"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 my birthday. Twice now there has been a spider hiding inside it. What does that mean? I've never seen a spider ANYWHERE in my flat apart from in my shower cap. Luckily, since living on a boat for a year, I like arachnids.

As if by magic, thinking about Katy made an email from her appear - her verdict on Greer's Guac. Just like Dorothy she was APPALLED by the amount of salt therein. Methinks if this one makes it to the book we will definitely have to modify for the modern palate, as Katy points out, she suspects that using the full amount would result in hospitalisation. She and hubby Buster ate some before they went to the cinema and said, "by the end of the screening we were frothing like rabid dogs from the salt intake and had to find a mini store to sell us bottles of water to surpress the raving. Ha ha - it aint a picnic being a test cook!

There is a photo of Katy's "salty snack" over on the flickr site but do be warned - as Katy herself points out, it looks like green vomit!

Rita Hayworth's Angel Food Cake

2010-03-07T13:51:00.000-08:00

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 secret is obviously all in the whipping. Last time I tried to whip the egg whites with one of those soup mulchers but it just didn't work. Has to be the old fashioned egg beater for sure.

Lord knows how I'll get it into work tomorrow!

Bette Davis' Finnan Haddie a la Davis

2010-03-07T06:05:00.000-08:00

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 have a test run before the Now Voyager Silver Screen Sunday. Veronica is going to come for brunch as I have told her that it has the best scene in any film ever that features a hat.

It's been sunny, sunny, sunny all weekend - perhaps Spring is actually here already?

Dick Powell's Corn Chowder

2010-03-06T13:04:00.000-08:00

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 whole bottles of cheapo plonk willy nilly. So far so good. Mind you, the glasses here are like goblets...

I'm not sure if Dick's Chowder is fancy enough for the book. Luckily he was quite a chef so we have quite a few other recipes to choose from. I like the sound of Truck Driver's Welsh Rarebit. Might give that a whirl...

William Powell's Baked Artichokes With Cheese

2010-03-06T09:36:00.001-08:00

“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, now for some peace and quiet! I kicked off my Silver Screen weekend with some of Bing Crosby's Turkey and Eggs a la Crosby. I have perfected the single girl's portion - in a little buttered ramekin. So cute.

I've been really enjoying all the comments on the Gloria Swanson Competition post (see 1st March), love the fact that so many people are participating - both old friends and complete strangers. Adore the power of the internet.

Talking of old friends, fairly recently my writer-ex sent me a report on his rendition of William Powell's Artichokes. He said that they, "looked somewhat dramatic and decadent on the plate, like the head of a giant tulip and would have not been out of place in a mansion owned by William Randolph Hearst." What a fabulous mind picture! I wonder if WR and Marion Davies would have eaten them alongside their Rarebits! Writer-ex proclaimed them to be tasty but messy to eat, saying: "like eating a lobster, you get left with a lot of stuff behind. These fibrous leaves actually jammed up the waste disposal unit of my then girlfriend....but that wasn't the reason we split up."

Imagine if that had been the straw that broke the camel's back. When friends asked, "what happened?!" you could blame it on William Powell.

Shirley Temple's Mammy's Pecan Squares

2010-03-03T04:58:00.000-08:00

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 Pecan Squares" as her two attempts to make them failed. I blame the altitude she was cooking them at, as mine were scrumptious.

My diagonal desk mate proclaimed them "good enough to sell in shops", my next door desk buddy was "eating them like they were going out of fashion" and the lovely noodle watcher Michael sent an email which I hereby repeat in full.

"Of all the film starry fancies you have made and done brung in, I think Shirley Temple’s Pecan Squares, are the tops so far."

So there you have it. The little munchkin done good.

Sonja Henie's Scandanavian Cookies

2010-03-02T12:44:00.000-08:00

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 every single week. We all loved his crazy combinations of music (tonight a brilliant rendition of 1930s showtune "Pettin' in the Park" followed by Take That's cover version of "How Deep is Your Love") and whenever I listen to it my thoughts turn to the fabulous two years we had living together in Walthamstow.

A BARRAGE of texts and phone calls were launched upon the ether when Desmond mentioned that his show was being moved to Friday night. What the *&%?! I stay in every Tuesday to listen to his show. It is tradition. I do not wish to listen to his replacement Jamie Cullen. There is NO WAY Cullen is going to play curve balls like Hawaii 5-0 followed by some nutty novelty song featuring Ziggy Talent singing "Maharajah of Mogator". Grr. Ginger and I were very cross.

And then Desmond had to seal the deal by ending his show by playing "one of his favourite singers" Sandy Denny and the SUBLIME "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" Not only the metaphorical question we ALL might all be asking ourselves (where the hell DOES it go?) but also the signature tune of the Cotter Offord Project.

I remember many occasions cooking in the kitchen of 43 St Johns Road hearing Jack and Grace rehearsing this song and how I loved it so. That was a beautiful time and although I had planned to cook some of Sonja's Cookies tonight, I think I may just retire to the electric blanket and have a big blub!

For all my readers who have never experienced the absolute joy that is Desmond's show - it's available on "listen again" for the next week - wherever you are in the world. I highly recommend setting aside an hour to listen to this - he was on FIRE tonight with his crazy combinations and banter - I just don't think that the vibe will be the same on a Friday night - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00r332w#segments - a whole hour of genius. We have him to ourselves on Tuesdays 7pm - 8pm until Easter my lovelies.

The Gloria Swanson Frock competition runs for the whole month of March - please enter - it's free and fun. I am loving getting messages popping into my in-box from all around the world about which fruit Gloria carried in her handbag. Raspberries? Grapefruits? Pomegranates - or something else entirely? Guess away... See the next post down...

Gloria Swanson Frock Competition

2010-03-01T05:30:00.000-08:00

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 is about a size 14 UK / 10 USA / 40 European (I shall put exact measurements up when I remember to get my tape measure out).

Gloria was a health nut and often took her own soup in a thermos flask if she was invited out to eat. In the daytime she often carried a particular fruit in her handbag in case she got peckish. My competition question is - which fruit was it?! You can enter as many times as you wish - just put your guesses in the comments. In the event of more than one person guessing correctly I will pull a name out of a hat - a leopard print trimmed turban naturally!

The competition is open to everyone - wherever you are in the world - and if it isn't your size, why not enter anyhow and if you win you can charm a girlfriend with it as a gift! Who wouldn't want to own a little piece of the glamour that is Gloria?!

Closing date for entries will be midnight UK time on the 31st March.

If you are not sure how to post a comment - email your guess to me at silverscreensuppers@yahoo.co.uk x

Clark Gable's Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

2010-02-28T09:41:00.001-08:00

“I'm just a lucky slob from Ohio
who happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

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 enduring love for each other. Must get hold of the only film they were in together to see if it holds up for a modern audience...

I made a schoolgirl error today, thinking it was the 29th February and therefore the special day that only comes once every four years. Consequently I proposed to the man formerly known as the artist - only to get a rebuttal. I am two years out of sync. Oh well, I'll ask him again in 2012 I guess. Mind you, although he pooh poohed me for getting the date wrong he has just sent a text enquiring after my dowry! Ha ha.

I have been pretty much "lit" all weekend thanks to those book group ladies leaving 2 and a half bottles of wine undrunk on Friday. Jeepers. There is no point me having undrunk wine in the house is there?!

Gloria Swanson's Caviar Canapes

2010-02-27T07:42:00.000-08:00

"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 together. Maybe I was nervous as I was the hostess... We met at Villiers Terrace for a cocktail first - maybe that's what did it, my Vodkatini? I wore the dress I had bought specifically to wear to the Brits. I figured that the ladies would appreciate it more than the New Yorker!

It was an ace night though, love those sassy women. There was much discussion about all the teenage passion in the book we have just read. We wondered whether I was the least hot and bothered over it as I've been having that stuff for real lately. As the only non-married one in the group I guess I'm closer to the teenager than most.

My lovely supportive chum Paulette was on hand to assist with the dinner. She made the Gloria Canapes and introduced the innovation of CRUMBLING the egg yolks rather than putting them through the sieve. Nice. The spinach pie turned out fine and the Ida Lupino Lemon Mousse - divine. I was so drunk by the time that came out that I took the risky decision to zap the big vat of it in the microwave to soften it up for serving. Worked fine and there is LOADS left over. I shall feed some to Charley when he comes over for his birthday dinner tomorrow.

Rudolph Valentino's Secret Spaghetti Sauce

2010-02-26T05:28:00.000-08:00

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 special each whilst watching Sunset Boulevard. Ava hadn't seen it before and as I'm planning to write the Sunset Boulevard article this weekend it was good to see it again. We laughed when Gloria observed about her shiny dance floor, "Rudolph always said that tile was best for the tango" (or something approximating that).

The sauce was just as good as it was first time around so this is one for the book for sure. Absolutely no change in flavour or texture after freezing. Excellent!

Ida Lupino's Lemon Mousse

2010-02-24T14:15:00.000-08:00

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 downfall. I've had to curb my enthusiasm for ladling it into my mouth as I try to get it in the tupperware. It is, without a doubt, my favourite of all the SSS recipes. I LOVE IT.

I wonder if there is some connection with contented singledom. Like Proust and his madeleines there is something about the mousse that takes me back in time. To living at Rita's place after the end of everything with the Chaw-bacon, when I was beginning to get over it all.... Weird.

I forgot to mention that there was a fabulous moment in Grey Gardens last night that caused Rosalind and I to simultaneously grab each other and cackle like witches. Little Edie got on the weighing scales in her swimsuit and then had to grapple for the string around her neck that was attached to her binoculars so she could see the truth. Ha ha! We both intend getting magnifying glasses and miniature binoculars so we don't have to wear our spectacles. For weigh-ins or for anything else.

Rudolph Valentino's Chicken from Parma

2010-02-24T00:56:00.000-08:00

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 this latest thing!" and will attempt to use it in some context today. I may also keep in reserve the "Marble Faun" nickname for any new man that comes my way and seems to deserve it.

It is TEEMING with rain but the view from the 9th floor still rocks. I love the fact that at night I can see the pink lights of the Paramount Club from the spare bed and wonder if the New Yorker is up there looking at Rosalind's fairy lights.

Jimmy is telling me that Helvetica and Avant Garde should never be seen on the same page. Never! We are fast approaching the madness of a Grey Gardens lifestyle here ourselves. This is what it will be like when we are all in the home together. Jimmy is complaining about the rain so I just gave him a Big Edie impression: "Will you shut up! It's a goddamn beautiful day. Shut up!"

I made Rudy's chicken last night, here in Rosalind's kitchen and it was - as usual - absolutely delicious. It's good to break the spell of only having made it as a romantic dinner for two for Sidney. It can be made to serve 3 - easy!

Greta Garbo's Swedish Meatballs

2010-02-22T05:58:00.000-08:00

"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. Next, Sonja Henie. Her little cookies were a massive hit in the office. Basil compared them to Jammy Dodgers.

It's a while since I have made Garbo's meatballs so here is a report from Marilyn M. that has been languishing in my inbox for a donkey's age. As Ms Monroe is well known for burning bundles of money in her back yard I was pleased to see that she bought rump steak for this recipe and minced it. Not for her the £2.50 Tesco value pack of mince! She recommended adding some herbs for a bit of flavour (although said she wasn't the best person to suggest which ones) and opted out of making the sauce. Lazy girl - all you do is add milk to the butter in which the meatballs have been cooked and warm it up a bit! Marilyn M. is definitely the kind of woman who needs STAFF to do this kind of thing for her.

Mind you - how did she mince the steak? Did she roll up her sleeves and put it through a mangle-like contraption? I wonder...

Sonja Henie's Scandinavian Cookies

2010-02-21T11:11:00.000-08:00

"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 these last few days. I don't think I am cut out for the uncertainty of it. Am slightly worried that I've been a bit harsh on the New Yorker but feel better for giving him the elbow. Rosalind - who is usually right about these things - says that he has been wasting my precious time. So this week I should have a lot more time for writing as I won't have to spend any time at all waiting for my phone to ring...

I've made a batch of Sonja's cookies for work to celebrate the Olympics. They are very cute.

Bing Crosby's Turkey and Eggs a la Crosby

2010-02-20T03:49:00.000-08:00

"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 I have been reading about self entitlement. The New Yorker told me that at an early age he had announced to a teacher that he wasn't prone to self entitlement and I had to look it up on the internet. Fascinating!

I'm afraid that I have nothing to report from the Brits. Because HE STOOD ME UP. Rosalind straightened my hair and did my nails and I sat in her lounge waiting for him to call me until 12.15am at which point I went to bed. A text arrived at 2am saying he had left his phone in a taxi so hadn't been able to call me. Really? Do I look as if I was born yesterday?! Unfortunately I went out with the Panther for two years and have therefore heard every excuse in the book. He was more inventive than Reggie Perrin with his reasons for being late, having to cancel or not even turning up at all.

This new no show has suggested "making it up to me" by taking me to a BAFTAs party tomorrow night that starts at 11.30pm. What kind of insanity?! I'll be cosied up with my electric blanket by 9.30pm as per usual!

Anyhow, I was really pleased as I sat in bed this morning listening to Sounds of the Sixties when I suddenly remembered that I had the wherewithal for Bing's Breakfast. Loving the spinster life - why try and change it?

Clark Gable's Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

2010-02-16T06:04:00.000-08:00

“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 bits. So we shall see. There is no point having a hissy fit because I don't get to see all the money come down from the ceiling when Dizzee Rascal is doing his thing! Apparently the New Yorker says there was a "delicate situation with a client" so someone else will be sitting in my seat! I have to watch Dizzee on tele and hope to press the flesh with him later. Ha ha!

But to cheer me up, joy of joys I received a little Silver Screen Supper missive in the post today from our test cook Mickey in Athlone, Ireland. Some before and after photos of his version of Clark's Tenderloin (looking absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS I must say) and his Vincent Price Peppered Steak - ditto. Yum, yum, yum. And a lovely letter - remember the days when people sent letters?

The photos sure did bring a smile to my face Mickey and I am going to scan them in and post them to the flickr site soon. Bless you for taking the time to test cook for us, take photos and put pen to paper. You are a STAR! x

Joan Crawford's Charcoal Broiled Steak

2010-02-15T13:21:00.000-08:00

"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 movie star if I am going, and that takes preparation!

If the answer is yes, I want to wash my hair tonight so I can do the heated roller thing tomorrow morning with my early am coffee in bed. If not, I can relax in the knowledge that I'll be spending yet another Tuesday evening in the company of Desmond Carrington on Radio 2 instead. Which, don't get me wrong, I adore to do. To be completely honest, I don't mind which way it goes, I'd just like to know!

Joan's steak rocked. I had been fancying a big hairy steak for days and her sauce of butter, Roquefort cheese and mustard was utterly divine. Joan, I salute you and will be channeling you this evening and tomorrow. There is NO WAY Joan would not get a seat at the Brits if she wanted one!

Bing Crosby's Turkey and Eggs a la Crosby

2010-02-14T06:07:00.000-08:00

“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 had a Serbian Cooking Extravaganza. She taught me how to make Pasulj, Sarma, Prebranac and Proja - all absolutely DELICIOUS. Oh yum, yum, yum. Azi's mum was stationed on the couch as we cooked, watching Croatian Pop Idol and a Jackie Chan movie. Later we had some Cuban Serbian music and when I asked what the connection between the two cultures was, Azi simply showed me her postcard of a young and devastatingly handsome Che Guevara.

A copious amount of booze was consumed and during an extended bout of celebrity impressions Azi discovered that (just like Roger Moore) she was able to lift just one eyebrow. Rudolph's attempt at James Dean was so good a photo was taken, and he managed to get my Tina Turner impersonation in approximately one second. When Azi decided that me getting Sean Connery was an easy option a new catchphrase was invented, "You got it cheap!"

Other memorable quotes include: "Leotard darling, leotard" (something to do with Freddie Mercury) and "male female relationships, they need the presence of a body" (regarding talking for hours on the phone with my new beau). Oh, and regarding the Sarma which involved a whole head of pickled cabbage, "it's for people who like pickles!' And anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE pickles. Pickles, pickles, pickles and beans and MEAT!

Jean Harlow's Celery a la Shrimp

2010-02-12T05:23:00.000-08:00

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 evening!

Anyhow, I'm getting back in to blogging the results of the test cooking as there seems to be no time at all at the moment to cook myself. Roxie reported AGES ago that she'd made Jean's celery dish for a dinner party. Her guests all enjoyed it and the general consensus was that it was a perfect starter as it is both flavoursome and light. The paprika was considered to be the perfect twist and livened the dish up. Final verdict? "The receipe was elegant and simple - if there were more flavours on the plate it would confuse your palate and spoil the dish." So it's a winner!

Buster Keaton's Chop Suey

2010-02-11T09:30:00.000-08:00

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 effort for a whole lot of bland, brown food. The part in her report that really made me laugh was this: "why would anyone want to make it from a cookbook when they can dial up Ming's Palace and get--delivered!--Sechuan Chicken or Kung Pao Beef or Pork Lo Mein with 2 egg rolls, hot & sour soup, and 2 fortune cookies for $13, and have it taste really good!"

Unfortunately it is the ONLY Buster recipe we have - the call is out - Buster fans, do you have any others?!

I was cheered to the core last night by my DJing session at the Walthamstow Wind-Up. What a lovely bunch of people they are in E17. Lots of laughs involving Mo's black rubber gloves and gags involving the many board games that were scattered around the venue, "Don't sit there, you'll be in a draft" for example said Jim, pointing at the draught board. Ha ha - the old ones are the best. Tony Tunes was doing his "groove devining" act - trying to identify a revolving 78 by just looking at the grooves. And Cary was making me laugh like a drain inventing rude surnames for the New Yorker.

Everyone wants to know what his real name is so they can google him. Nosey bunch! I'm quite enjoying not knowing...

Cecil B DeMille's Cajun Chicken

2010-02-07T15:12:00.001-08:00

"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 events as much hilarity was to be had over the fact that my William Holden Gelatine dish hadn't set - it provoked gales of laughter in the kitchen as I approached my guests wobbling the plate of goo...

Cecil's chicken was a big hit. Just the right amount of spice I think and a big ole chicken from the butcher just about served 5 - Rosalind, Jimmy, King, me and special surprise guest John G who came mostly on the promise of seeing Charley who alas couldn't make it.

Jimmy looked marvellous in his baker boy cap, short trousers and argyle socks. I wish I'd had time to make him a megaphone... King looked impeccable in his bib and tucker and Rosalind was resplendent in her mini-me "good angel" Norma Desmond outfit. I was all in black velvet and she was in white turban and flashy wrap around number. John G came at the last minute so proclaimed, "I'm in my jummy" and it made me laugh as he looked just cosy in his cardi.

After lunch we all flopped on the sofa to watch the movie and it wasn't until John shouted, "Is anyone awake?" That we realised that we had all slept right through the first half. Shades of the VERY FIRST Silver Screen Sunday - "All About Eve" at Rosalind's place over 3 years ago - May 2006...

Gloria Swanson's Butterless Devils Food Cake

2010-02-07T01:31:00.000-08:00

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 someone like me was allowed to go into...

We were supposed to just meet there for a cocktail and when he asked me if I liked sushi I didn't get the chance to say, "it's my least favourite food" as he was already halfway up the stairs trying to secure us a table. This he did, best seats in the house and I felt like Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman" as he ordered all kinds of revolting sounding things for us to eat and instructed me on the best way to hold my chopsticks. I did try and stick up for myself by saying, "I learned to hold them the Essex way" but I don't think he got the cultural reference.

Despite my horror at the idea of eating eel, I have to admit that this was - without a doubt - the most delicious meal I have ever eaten - bar none. Everything was DIVINE including the squid with its gelatinous suckers. At one point I pointed with my chopsticks at some unidentified crispy things sticking out of a crab roll, "what's that?" I asked, "crab" he replied. "What, his little legs and everything?" I asked, amazed that there was a miniature half a crab in crispy batter just sitting there for me to eat. So I did, his little legs and his little claw - just like that!

When my date asked if I liked fat salt pork I didn't get a chance to say that my only experience of it was trying to buy some (and failing) for the Bette Davis' Boston Baked Beans recipe. I was wary of it at first - thinking it would be all fatty like spare ribs but I can honestly say it was the most delicious thing I have EVER eaten. From now on that would be my death row meal request. Just one single square of that.

I can't even begin to tell you where we went after we had eaten, but I CAN tell you that at one point I could see Rosalind's 9th floor flat WAY BELOW ME as I was 385 feet above London!

PS - for those who know Nobu - of course the piggy thing I ate was pork belly not fat salt pork. I am an INGENUE!

Cecil B DeMille's Cajun Chicken

2010-02-05T09:29:00.000-08:00

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 Carrots, Olives and Nuts
Cecil B DeMille's Cajun Chicken
Gloria Swanson's Devils Food Cake

Rosalind and Jimmy were making me laugh this morning with their antics. Jimmy wants to come dressed as a "Monkey Butler" but Rosalind said, "You are going as Erich von Stroheim and that's that!" Ha ha!

Last night I introduced the New Yorker to the seedy underbelly of the East End of London. I took him to a burlesque night at the Bethnal Green Working Man's Club. Lord it was saucy! He seemed to take it all in his stride though, and scoffed both the Anna May Wong Tea Cakes in the taxi on the way home. He was pleased to get a cherry...

Anna Mae Wong's Tea Cakes

2010-02-04T06:23:00.000-08:00

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. I received several emails from folks either exhalted or dejected about the discovery (or not) of cherries. The big boss is still dubious about "recipes by dead people" but they looked so cute in my retro dot baking cases that even he couldn't resist!

I kept two aside as it's my second date with the New Yorker tonight. Wonder what he will make of them...

William Holden's Lime Gelatine with Carrots, Olives and Nuts

2010-01-31T07:42:00.000-08:00

"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 a fabulous weekend in the countryside trampolining, watching the tennis and eating a tonne of Silver Screen Supperage. Paulette made a magnificient Gloria Swanson Devil's Food Cake and I did canapes. The centrepiece was William's crazy lime jelly extravaganza. I made it in a rabbit mold and Paulette said as it plopped out, "it looks like some kind of Damien Hurst artwork". It really was quite a sight to behold! Not much of it was eaten but it certainly was a talking point. We also had Gloria Swanson's Caviar Canapes and the old faithfuls Jean Harlow's Celery a la Shrimp and Adolph Menjou's Spiced Venetian Cheese. All washed down with some extremely strong martinis. Hic.

The young Rebel Without a Cause James made me laugh when Paulette brought the cake to the table. When she mentioned it was a very special cake he just asked, "Betty Crocker?"

Alan Ladd's German-Style Potato Pancakes

2010-01-29T11:56:00.000-08:00

"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 at the Singles Night on Saturday is doing a pretty good job of sweeping me off my feet, but I am trying to resist! Ha ha! My mother is counseling me to find out everything I can about him but it's not easy is it, when you meet someone at random? Anyhow, it has put a spring in my step this week, despite a bit of cage rattling this week by an ex.

It's going to be a big weekend for Silver Screen Suppers too as I'm off the the countryside with Paulette, Ivor and Shirley to a big dinner party with lots of film star fodder. Will report back. For tonight though I am planning to rustle up some of Alan's pancakes as I am now working my way through the book recipes in alphabetical order and Alan is numero uno. I might have them with a fried egg on top....

Gary Cooper's Buttermilk Griddle Cakes

2010-01-24T05:09:00.000-08:00

"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 went to a singles night last night to search for a "right guy". I had to steel myself to do it, as the friend who was supposed to come with me chickened out (boom boom), but I remembered the new warning motto, "resistance is the ego sensing danger" and got myself psyched up for it.

It was really good fun. Surprisingly so, and it was a real fillip to see that there were fanciable men out there (as one of the ladies put it) "apparently" single. Not sure that anything will come of any of the encounters but at least it has reminded me that they are out there, somewhere...

I've got the whole day to myself and am RELISHING it. Have just made myself a batch of Gary's Griddle Cakes and they were delicious. These are such a treat and it seems quite extravagant to make them just for one, but I'm on a testing frenzy at the moment.

Marion Davies' Rarebit a la Marion

2010-01-21T12:28:00.000-08:00

"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 accompany her recipe in the book. I read the story late at night and was so tired I didn't blink an eye about Gandhi being at San Simeon watching movies and eating Welsh Rarebit late at night. It was only in the morning I remembered that one of Marion's dogs was called Gandhi.

I've just eaten TWO slices of Rarebit and very nice it was too. The mixture was a bit runny and Marion didn't specify grilling it so I did it just as she said and just poured the mixture over the toast and scoffed it. Yum.

It's Marion night in Crouch End tonight. I am now going to turn the TV off and write the first draft of the mini biog that will accompany Marion's recipe in the book. What a shame her movies are so hard to get hold of on DVD, I could have rounded the evening off with a screening... Instead I shall start planning the Sunset Boulevard lunch party I am having in February. Gloria Swanson's Caviar Canapes here I come!

Myrna Loy's Senegalaise Soup

2010-01-21T05:08:00.000-08:00

“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 careful about what I share with the world on this blog. HOWEVER, it is lovely that when I posted how miserable I was the other day I got nice messages to cheer me up, so hurrah for the interweb!

Back to the point... Nazimova sent a grand and celebratory email to say that she'd made Myrna's soup again at the weekend and "everyone loved it". Her mum - visiting from Belgrade - said she could eat it every day and asked for the recipe! Naz suggests having the soup as a starter with liver and mash to follow, using the onion and apple bits Myrna says to discard to go with the liver. Genius!

I am very pleased that we have been pro-active about the Serbian cooking weekend and got a date in the diary. Naz's mum speaks no English and I speak no Serbian so it's going to rock!

Constance Bennett's Spanish Chicken

2010-01-20T09:58:00.000-08:00

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 postal address and I could tell from the writing it was from neither of them.

To my immense joy it was from my old friend PJ in Warrington. He'd sent it to my folks and they had forwarded it on. And joy of joys it was a MIX-CD from the legendary KING of the MIX-CD. I'd seen from his blog that he was transferring his vinyl to digital files and he's been a good and true friend and made me a CD selection. I had no time to listen to it last night so plan to do so this evening in an old fashioned style whilst eating my dinner - the leftovers of the Spanish Chicken I made for Charley on Sunday night. Can't WAIT. Thank you PJ! This has cheered me up no end.

Rudolph Valentino's "Secret" Spaghetti Sauce

2010-01-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

“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 and a whistle-stop tour of Austin for Edmund. Even though we were only there for a week we managed to squeeze in some of the best, best spots of the town. Highlights for me were: getting my first glimpse of the diamond as big as a bath math on Ruth's finger, two-stepping with a Hot Rod Spare Parts Dealer at the Broken Spoke and the moment Lawrence stamped on the glass at the wedding - MUSELTOF! I'm so happy for them both and wish them every happiness in their new life.

Another great thing was meeting some of the test cooks who have been cooking up a storm in the US. Dale (our "Star Spangled Rhythm" party thrower) was there. As was Gene (great to meet her, Edmund's favourite!), Irene - the wonderful and generous mother of the bride, the two beautiful cousins and many, many, many assorted Frick, Bush and Page relatives. How utterly wonderful to be a part of such a humdinging event.

So now I return to my little garret in Crouch End. New Years Resolutions are kicking in and test cooking has resumed. Tonight's cookathon has put me in a quandary. Rudolph's Chicken From Parma is such a favourite BUT, his "Secret" Spaghetti Sauce is (to copy one of the Bush cousins) AWESOME so a decision will have to be made. As Valentino was famously a superb cook - always rustling up pasta for his fellow film stars - it may have to be this one...

There is a Shahrukh Khan movie on C4 and I am watching it in Ruth's honour (Shahrukh is her own Ricky Whittle). At her hen night we had a Bollywood dance lesson so I am waiting for a big number so I can do the "snake" and the "lightbulb" moves here all alone to try and work off some of this pasta... Must remember to pull the blinds though so the neighbours don't have to witness it...

Silver Screen Saturday - Gone With the Wind

2010-01-02T13:42:00.001-08:00

"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.

Plantation Chicken with Dumplings
Corn Bread
Sweet Corn Pudding
String Beans
Cranberry Jelly
Tomato and Watercress Salad
McDaniel Dressing
Cracker Cake

It was a bit like cooking a Christmas Dinner. Elaborate but absolutely DELICIOUS. Luckily I had lots of helpers. Charley came back after beers in the old man's pub last night and offered to assist. Although the lovely King had brought me back some Graham Crackers from the States I couldn't get my act together to go to Maida Vale to pick them up (what was that New Year's Resolution again?) so I used Digestives for the cake. Charley whacked a plastic bag containing over a whole packet of biscuits with vigour. The resulting cake was quite amazing. Picture viewable on the flickr site! We decorated the cake with candles and celebration glasses of So-Co (Southern Comfort). Birthday boy James said that it was like a massive Custard Cream.

The Cranberry Jelly in a mould the shape of a rabbit was weird but tasty. Dumplings aren't my cup of tea but were enjoyed by the guests (Rosalind, Jimmy, James and Ava), the corn bread was corny and the chicken yummy. All in all I would say that this was probably the best meal I ever cooked!

"Gone With the Wind" was screened as I prepared the lunch. Rosalind screeched for me every time there was a classic moment and I legged it up the stairs for the best bits. I loved being in the kitchen, remarkably calm considering all the dishes I was juggling and hearing Ava in the distance laughing at the film. Rosalind said, "I'd forgotten how funny it is", during the first half and then handed out some tissues during the second half for a big blub.

A wonderful, wonderful way to spend a Saturday and a great precursor to the trip to Texas tomorrow. Yeehaw and toodle-pip for a week or so. Wishing all my readers a humdinger of a year ahead. I've a feeling it is going to be a fantabulosa year. Love. happiness and healing via the power of classic movies to you all!

Jean Harlow's Celery A La Shrimp

2010-01-01T04:47:00.000-08:00

“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 upon waking up, "Happy New Year To Me!" All sorts of resolutions have been made for the new decade, one of which is (broadly speaking) to just get my act together. It's vague I know, but it has to happen.

My New Year's Eve was lovely. Spent in the bosom of my pals in Crouch End drinking copious amounts of bubbly, eating a few Hollywood canapes including Jean's classic shrimp dish and entertaining each other with "turns". Shirley played us a song on the piano, Paulette gave us a tune on the accordion and Ivor led us all in a game of bingo. Marvelous. I did a family friendly version of my paper tearing act.

So the new year begins with preparation for a grand luncheon tomorrow with all recipes by Hattie McDaniel. There is much to do but I'm managing to squeeze in a cheeky drink with Charley at Villiers Terrace later. We are both agreed we are going to dance on the grave of 2009. And besides, my mum has sent some Christmas cake for him...

Myrna Loy's Senegalaise Soup

2009-12-29T12:42:00.000-08:00

“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 and yummy too. I did prefer Nazimova's version but maybe that is because other people's cooking is always nicer than one's own. It's a good little recipe though and a definite for the book. Apples, onions, curry powder and chicken essentially. Mmmmm.

I'm busy, busy, busy this week. Trying to get a head start on my tax return before I head off to TEXAS. I am beside myself with excitement.

Roland Young's Rissoles

2009-12-28T15:09:00.001-08:00

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, best way of making the most of the annual post Christmas food parcel. I chopped up the turkey slices, pigs in blankets, stuffing and bacon and mixed them up with the other ingredients Roland suggested and they made the most yummy little patties ever.

I had to make a last minute plan today. Charley was poised for a trip to the countryside but Rosalind and Jimmy had to wait in for the cable guy. Hence a luncheon party in the Crouch seemed the best option and we had a late lunch (Linner / Dunch) incorporating Roland's Rissoles.

Alas, nobody knew the classic phrase to quote when invited to such a repast, as Ginger would have put it when invited to a last minute lunch: "I'll be round like a rissole!"

Betty Grable's Watermelon Pickles

2009-12-28T03:13:00.001-08:00

“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 as an acquired taste" and they were certainly unusual as pickles go. I pronounced them to be "clovetastic" as they smelt and tasted like a visit to the dentist. But many thanks go out to Cary who had the patience to make them for us and I'll ask him what he REALLY thought of them when I see him next.

Christmas was LOVELY. Just me, my folks and 2 waifs and strays who couldn't get to their family because of the snow. My favourite part of Christmas Day was when we all had a "zizz", as my dad calls it, after lunch. He set the alarm so that we could have an hour and a half of shut eye and wake up in time for a game of Walkers Whist before Poirot. Ha ha - a trad Christmas alright!

And today I must rush as I have Rosalind, Jimmy and Charley coming round for rissoles...

Rita Hayworth's Angel Food Cake

2009-12-23T09:27:00.001-08:00

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 time I have really felt sad about the hundreds of records I had to leave behind when I split with Sidney. My CHRISTMAS 78s are all there so I have nothing festive to play tonight. Let's hope Clara has some Xmas Swing in one of her boxes.

Jean took her cake to work and got great feedback from colleagues, most saying how light it was (in marked contrast to the brick I made at the weekend). Some suggested accompaniments such as peach / apricot compote (Will in the Arts team), fruit and yoghurt (Auntie Jean) and stem ginger (Denise in the Sports team). Mmmm, that would be nice and Christmassy.

Speaking of which I'd like to wish all my readers the most fabulous Christmas and fantabulosa New Year. 2009 has been a bit crummy at times, but 2010 is going to be ace. As Bob Hope puts it, "My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?" Right on Bob!

So let's all have a great big love in, not just for Christmas - for always! Happy holidays.

Clara Bow's Vanilla Marlow

2009-12-21T13:49:00.000-08:00

"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 or turned back from slippery hills and I had to walk all the way from Archway. Blitz spirit prevailed as we all tried not to fall over shuffling down Crouch Hill to the Broadway. It's like a Victorian scene outside my house, I just looked out the window and there is a bunch of boys chucking snowballs at each other. Lovely.

So it seems an apt kind of evening to blog the results of Lita's testing of the Marlow - not a success alas. I'm going to have to write more in depth instructions about cream whipping and milk steaming I think. Lita approached the recipe with gusto - but rather too much gusto unfotunately and the resulting curdled mess did not impress her husband! Attempting to fix the marlow reduced this very glamorous domestic goddess to a jibbering wreck but she did volunteer to give it another go once she has recovered from her diva moment!

Not right now though, too bloody cold for ice-cream!

Gloria Swanson's Butterless Devil's Food Cake

2009-12-20T11:54:00.000-08:00

"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 and a smattering of grandchildren. We had a lovely time as the wine flowed freely as did the conversation. It was just wonderful.

My plan of taking a Gloria Swanson Devil's Food Cake AND a Rita Hayworth's Angel's Food Cake FAILED. I blame two things firstly, not using the right tools for the job (my soup masher just would not whip the egg whites to stiff - it got very, very hot and smelt a bit like a fairground dodgem - it may well be bust) secondly RICKY WHITTLE. Gloria's cake stuck to the cake mould and ultimately never made it out of the kitchen because I lost track of how long it had been in the oven due to Mr Whittle's Cha-Cha. My goodness me. Rita's made it to Suffolk but although it looked lovely, had the texture of a brick. More testing required and a wire whisk to be bought.

Despite me feeling like a very poor cook today it ultimately didn't matter as there was mountains of food and mountains of love so a stodgy birthday cake wasn't really anything to worry about...

Rita Hayworth's Angel Food Cake

2009-12-19T10:33:00.000-08:00

"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. These are for a very special event happening tomorrow but I can't reveal what it is in case a certain someone reads this blog and twigs that there is a surprise party being hatched. It will be intriguing to see which of the guests chooses to be Angelic and who Devilish...

Yesterday was a lovely, lovely day. I finally got my waist length hair chopped to collarbone length so I can do some Rita style hairdos. Pincurls here I come. My new hairdresser is a peach! Her salon in Primrose Hill is full of original 1920s bits and pieces and she knows all about vintage hairdos. My appointment was at noon and the first question was, "Do you feel it is too early for a mulled wine?" Hell no! There were also homemade biscuits, yum, yum, yum!

I'd never met Lisa before, but she and her mum have test cooked LOTS of the Silver Screen Suppers recipes as my lovely friend Hugh had told them about the project. So I'll be posting their feedback here soon. Great, great, great to meet in person some test cooks who were previously just an email address...

Lisa's lovely salon - http://lisahauck.com

Ann Sheridan's Chili Casserole

2009-12-15T12:58:00.001-08:00

"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 Katharine's Eggplant dish - yeach! Everyone is welcome to join in!

There is something really nice about making something then leaving it to cook for an hour or so and doing something else while delicious smells fill the air. Maybe that's why most of my star favourites are casseroles - Marlene's Lamb Chops, Constance's Spanish Chicken and Ann's Chili. All gorgeous. There's a picture on the flickr site...

By a fantastic quirk of fate I have switched on the TV to find that "Who Do You Think You Are "is on and for reasons I can't explain right now (top, top secret) I am particularly interested in this one as it is all about Alastair McGowan finding out exactly what Anglo-Indian actually means... Fascinating stuff....

I'm off now to switch on my birthday electric blanket - the perfect gift from the lovely Rosalind and Jimmy. My room is awful cold!

Dorothy Lamour's Strawberry Ice Cream

2009-12-12T07:05:00.000-08:00

"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 yet! I've seen many friends old and new, received two sung birthday greetings and many felicitations through the post, interweb and telephone. Feel very loved, and happy to be alive. Birthdays. Good. As Gloria Swanson puts it, "I don't let age bother me. Whenever I am a year older, everyone else is too."

So it's a chance to blog Dale's findings on Dorothy's Ice Cream Recipe. Dorothy was born on the same day as me but around 50 years earlier (you can do the "math" if you care to!) so she is my honorary birthday buddy. Can you see a likeness? The conk is big enough!

I haven't made her ice cream myself but Dale pronounces it time consuming but good. "Fat + sugar + strawberries = super easy deliciousness," she says. Dale is one of our most dedicated test cooks and she made two versions - one in her ice-cream maker and one in the old fashioned way (using the NORGE!) - verdict? Her guests preferred the flavour of the latter and the texture of the former.

When the weather gets warmer I shall have a go at this recipe. At the rate I am filling the house with purchases from the Crouch End kitchen shop I will probably have an ice cream maker myself by then!

Rita Hayworth's Angel Food Cake

2009-12-08T05:34:00.001-08:00

"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 - and will be attempting to do the Hayworth "do" for the work Xmas party tomorrow. Watch out Gilgamesh!

I thought as yesterday's post was about Devil's Food Cake, it would be nice to blog the Angel's Food Cake today. Olivia made this AGES ago so apologies for taking so long to write it up. I haven't tried this recipe myself but it's next on the list of things to offer to work colleagues for approval. Olivia proclaimed the cake to be highly enjoyable with a "light and slightly marshmallowy texture". Good for the waistline too as it is low in fat. Mind you, it does contain 9 eggs! No wonder it serves up to 16. These Hollywood folks sure knew how to feed the five thousand...

Gloria Swanson's Butterless Devil's Food Cake

2009-12-07T05:50:00.000-08:00

"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 Chocolate but yes, to paraphrase Mr Tibble downstairs, it was freakin awesome! I shall make another soon to test the cooking time. I made it in my fancy silicone tube pan thingy so I'll need to test it as a plain and simple sponge cake too.

Had SUCH a lovely weekend with Ginger and Grace - our annual girls weekend Christmas shopping at the seaside. Who would have thought it, when we all decided to live together we were three single girls and now look at the pair of them! Ha ha. One is married and pregnant, the other is heading that way - tee hee! So they both gave me a good talking to about how I should give a NICE man a go for a change.

Sigh. Not sure I am wired up for a nice boyfriend, but I might give it a go...

William Powell's Beets Piquants

2009-12-06T08:45:00.001-08:00

"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 results in mob merriment. I guess I'll just have to relax and enjoy it...

I've been thinking a lot about dating this week. Ava persuaded me to try the dating website she's been using but it's just made me very depressed about the prospect of trying to get to know somebody via a short profile and a photograph. Would I have begun communication with William Powell for example, if this was his profile picture? Hmmm. I don't like this game. I'm going to forget about it all for a while.

It's a Silver Screen Sunday and I'm just about to retire to the kitchen to cook some Rum Jam for Christmas presents and some Beets Piquants to go with my fishcakes. I am going to seriously campaign for the Beets to replace the Artichokes for Mr Powell's recipe in the book. Although I know that my co-writer is not a fan of the beet...

Colleen Moore's Shamrock Salad

2009-12-03T11:16:00.000-08:00

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 in-depth chats to Anna I am currently VERY interested in the promotion of stars as being of a particular nationality. Colleen often played colleens if you know what I mean, but I LOVE this picture all Americanized. I would like an outfit like this to wear to the forthcoming wedding in Texas...

Today I had an email from Mickey in Athlone, Ireland which reminded me that I hadn't blogged the results of his testing Colleen's recipe. I loved his question, "what exactly is “chill in the Norge?” Ha ha - Colleen's recipe appeared in a fantastic promotional booklet for Norge fridges. All the recipes say things like, "leave overnight in the Norge", or "chill in the Norge" and there are various pictures of stars such as Ginger Rogers posing with Norge fridges. It reminds me of my lovely two years in Walthamstow with my own Ginger and Grace. We always referred to the fridge as The Norge.

Neither Mickey nor Katharine were mad about this recipe. It's a novelty one I agree. Katharine suggested using very small peppers which I think is a good idea. I also loved Mickey's point about pimentos - he left them out as he hadn't a clue what they were! A recurring problem for the Silver Screen Suppers cooks. We may have to have a little section in the book to clarify some of these ingredients.

Silver Screen Sunday Extravaganza

2009-12-02T05:58:00.000-08:00

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 washed down with champagne cocktails and lashings of wine! It was a stardust sprinkled buffet table groaning under the weight of Greer Garson's Gucamole, Lana Turner's Simple and Easy Salsa, Anna Sten's Russian Sandwiches, Katharine Hepburn's Brownies, Janet Gaynor's Ice Box Cookies, Colleen Moore's Shamrock Salad and - my fave - Mae West's Pumpkin Pies. YUM YUM YUM.

Lots of guests came done up as their favourite film stars (Warren Beatty, Shirley MacLaine, a singing cowboy (not sure which one!), Cary Grant and Lauren Bacall to name but a few), Anna ran a fabulous film quiz and I gave a little 10 minute introduction to the project. Several people volunteered to test cook (email me at silverscreensuppers@yahoo.co.uk for a list of recipes) and there may be a chance for me to visit St Donat's - former holiday home of MARION DAVIES in Wales sometime soon.

The event was all in a very good cause - raising money for Theatre Versus Oppression - see http://www.theatreversusoppression.com/ and photos of the splendid food can be seen here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/fritzyritz/ or by clicking on the picture of the heaving buffet table in the side bar. I put on 3 and a half pounds - that's how GOOD it all was.

Oh and if you are wondering, I have put ROMY SCHNEIDER at the head of my post to welcome Joan and Bette's brand new bundle of joy into the world. She goes by the name of Romy so how can she fail to be fabulous?

Marilyn Monroe's ???

2009-11-27T14:36:00.001-08:00

"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 star recipes being published (1920s and 1930s) but there MUST be one out there somewhere. The call is out. If anyone knows of one, please let us know. We know from Katharine in Cardiff that Marilyn DID cook but it would be just ELEGANT if we could find one of her actual recipes.

I am off to Cardiff this weekend - very exciting. There will be a Silver Screen Suppers extravaganza on Sunday with many, many film star dishes on offer. I'm going to give a little talk about the project and hopefully score some more test cooks. The call for second round of testing should be going out this week so if you fancy having a go at one of the recipes that hopefully will make it into the book drop me a line.

Last Sunday I was invited to Paulette & Ivor's place for a screening of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. It was the first time Shirley (aged 9) had seen it and it was great to see her reaction to the whole shebang. The funniest moment was when Ivor said something about how his wife was just as beautiful as Marilyn and Jane. Their little angel Shirley (sitting between myself and another female guest) said, "What about these two?" pointing to us. She followed this up with the statement, "Just because you are old and withered, doesn't mean you're not pretty".

I THINK that it was meant as a compliment....

I'm watching "The Seven Year Itch" and Marilyn has just gone upstairs and changed into a fabulous frock as she thinks that, "it just isn't right to drink champagne in Matador Pants." Ha ha! Billy Wilder was so right when he said of Monroe, "There has never been a woman with such voltage on the screen, with the exception of Garbo." Voltage. Hm. Interesting. I think I may have to replace my fuse. I've been operating at low voltage lately. But birthday / Christmas season is coming up. I am going to crank it up.

Myrna Loy's Senegalaise Soup

2009-11-26T06:06:00.000-08:00

"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 bunch of us from work had a fantastic evening at Nazimova's place last night. I made her put on the oven glove she burned a hole in the last time she cooked for me TWICE because it makes me laugh so much. It was great watching her cook Myrna's soup through the hatch. When I grow up I want a kitchen with a hatch!

We had no idea how a soup incorporating apples, curry powder and chicken would turn out but there is no doubt about it, this recipe is a HIT. Naz also prepared us some traditional Prebranac and Ajvar which we set upon with gusto. I resisted the toast with special "G. Butter" though, as I vividly remember what happened last time...

A screening of the legendary Rum Jam films "Milkman" and "The Proposal" followed dinner. There was much hilarity when someone we know and love from the office popped up in the back seat of a Citroen looking mightily dishevelled. How very cool to have a screen to pull down and a DVD projector in your own living room. I want to live like Nazimova! She has promised to teach me how to make Prebranac sometime which I am very much looking forward to...

Joan Bennett's Baked Salmon

2009-11-21T08:38:00.000-08:00

"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 tonight for baked salmon then I'll be cooking up Constance's Spanish Chicken tomorrow for Ava and Edmund. "Sisters, sisters, never were there such devoted sisters..." I am enjoying lots of sisterly stuff at the moment both from my real one (love the email system) and my surrogate ones. Lots of girl energy this week.

Isn't this picture of Joan amazing? I shall be channeling her energy this evening as I am going on what feels like my first night out as a single woman for around 15 months. Weird. After the salmon Veronica and I are going OUT. Yes, OUT. I've forgotten how to do it...

Regarding the salmon, it's a bit of an experiment. Joan's recipe includes bacon and as Veronica is a veggie I am replacing that with tempeh. Could be good, could be a disaster, we shall see.

Tallulah Bankhead's Coconut Jumbles

2009-11-19T05:54:00.000-08:00

“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 commisioners concluded that although folks have a strong idea about what 1940s fashion looks like - the 1930s is a bit of a forgotten era fashion-wise. But here is Tallulah rocking the very best look of the era - a white, slinky, silky, bias cut evening gown. YUM.

I'm getting excited about my impending visit to Austin. Not least because I am going to meet some of the lovely test cooks who are doing sterling work in the Lone Star State. One such is Gene, who gave a detailed response to the challenge of Tallulah's Coconut Jumbles. Again, Tallulah's dough was too sticky for rolling and Gene offered the alternative of making dropped cookies instead of cut out cookies. Makes sense! Although her hubby liked them, Gene thought they tasted like a "heap of cooked flour more than anything else". Hmm. This one may need another attempt in the Crouch End kitchen. Food dye and dessicated coconut here I come!

Deanna Durbin's Santa Monica Dressing

2009-11-18T05:55:00.000-08:00

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 be travelling to Austin, Texas in January to see my Sister of the Skillet tie the knot. Let's get Christmas out of the way QUICK, I can't wait! I have already bought a dress equally showstopping as Deanna's for the occasion...

Ruth is leaving the organisation to her mom, who if test cooking is anything to go by is amply equipped to organise absolutely anything! Here are her verdicts on the first three recipes she rustled up for us. Firstly Joel McCrea's Frojoles with Cheese - a one word verdict - Bad!

Surprisingly (especially as it is one of my favourites) Jean is the only person who volunteered to test cook Constance Bennett's Spanish Chicken. But the "disjoint two fat hens as for frying" instruction has been queried - one is quite enough she says!

Last but not least, Deanna's Salad Dressing. A "bit of a pain" to make as it has so many ingredients says Jean, but the verdict was "good" and "similar to a Louis Dressing". Of course I had to look this up on Wikipedia and I'm pleased to see that this is the dressing used in a Crab Louis dish.

Cary Grant's Crab Louis here I come!

Lupe Velez's Orange Flower Appetizer

2009-11-15T06:39:00.000-08:00

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 been reading "Me, Cheeta" it was a jungle themed evening with Paulette and myself sporting leopard print and preparing some Tarzan related foodstuffs together. First as a starter, Lupe's Orange Flower Appetizer which was quite, quite charming. Fun and easy to make - half a greengage with a little swirl of cream cheese making the centre of the flower and orange segments forming the petals. There was a complaint that I hadn't (as Lupe prescribed) presented it on crystal plates but that just made me more inclined to buy some - ebay here I come.

The William Powell Beets Piquants which accompanied Nigella's fishcakes were very much enjoyed. Deceptively simple ingredients yet again surprising the palate. Paulette's wonderful rendition of Johnnie Weissmuller's Apricot Meringue Pie rounded off the evening and I am very pleased to report that I have some leftovers in the fridge for my tea.

More good feminine energy was provided over the weekend by Joan and Bette. I nipped down to Brighton to see them yesterday and it was great to find them both in top form getting ready for the imminent arrival of their baby. Talked long into the night with Joan about volatile relationships. Fascinating...

Lilian Gish's Lemon Pie

2009-11-12T05:53:00.000-08:00

"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 get my hands on my number one heart-throb Ricky Whittle on Saturday night in Blackpool. The universe works in mysterious ways and this glorious encounter has given me enough good palpitations to last for a fair few months. Ask, believe, receive indeed. I know that some of the ladies who read this blog and know who Ricky Whittle is will want more details but alas, I'm afraid that,"What happens in Blackpool stays in Blackpool."

Anyhow, I am VERY behind on reporting on the test cooking that has been going on all over the world so am planning to get right back into that this week. We are putting out a second call for testers very soon so if you are game to assist please just drop us an email at silverscreensuppers@yahoo.co.uk

Ruthie's cousin Judy had a go at Lilian's Lemon Pie and the report back was very pleasing. "It was a hit" said Judy and elaborated: "It's a light and fluffy way to approach a lemon pie. Really refreshing and not too heavy. Good spring or summer recipe. (And this is perfect for Ms Gish, as she probably would've been watching her weight anyway...)" Very true - she was a teeny tiny little thing La Gish. And not as sweet as you'd think according to Marion Davies...

Janet Gaynor's Ice Box Cookies

2009-11-04T05:36:00.000-08:00

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 shoes). Was feeling very down in the dumps until I checked my emails and found I had WON AN AWARD!

I feel like I have won an OSCAR as Matthew over at Movietone-News has awarded me a Kreativ Blogger award. Yowzer. Soooooooo chuffed. Apparently there are two conditions involved in accepting the award. First, one must list seven other blogs to receive the award, and secondly reveal 'seven things you don't know about me'. So here we go. My current favourite 7 blogs - click on the blue name to check them out for yourselves:

Silent Stanzas - wonderful poetry about stars of the silent era
Carole Lombard - my favourite single star website - just gorgeous
Allure - I'd like some please
Geoffrey Chaucer Hath a Blog - one of the first blogs I ever read, and it still tickles me
Matilda's Delights - always something lovely to look at
Sassy Minx - my cheerleader
Kemp Folds - silly but I love it

And seven things you MAY not know about me:

1 - My hair IS longer than Anna Mae Wong's (see post from Oct 16th) - 25 inches long in fact, from centre parting to split ends.
2 - Like Marilyn Monroe in "How To Marry A Millionaire" I am far too vain to wear my glasses.
3 - I come over all peculiar if I ever see Fran Healy or Ricky Whittle on the telebox.
4 - I strongly dislike my best friend's favourite classic movie (she does not know this).
5 - The film I have watched more than any other is Gone With The Wind.
6 - I don't like to touch any tea towel unless it belongs to me.
7 - Janet Gaynor's Ice Box Cookies are my favourite thing to cook.

I shall now bask in the glory of being an award winner - how utterly, utterly lovely!

Vincent Price's Sweetcorn Fritters

2009-11-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

"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.

Like running up and down the stairs every five minutes for the trick or treaters last night. What kind of INSANITY was going on in the streets of the Crouch? When I got in loads of goodies when I lived in Amersham not a single child knocked on my door. Last night there were HOARDS of them. Madness. By the time Shirley and her posse got here all I had left was ONE chocolate eyeball and 15 chocolate skeletons. I am buying 3 times as many treats next year. I had to stop answering the door.

I had Vincent's corn fritters with my steak last night. I have to say it was the most delicious steak I have ever eaten - apart from maybe the steak at the crazy Italian place I used to go to with Charley. Luckily Vincent's recipe was very generous so I only ate half of the steak last night and had the rest of it tonight. Double bubble!

Vincent Price's Peppered Steak

2009-10-31T10:45:00.000-07:00

“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 my hair.

I know for sure that Shirley and five of her chums will be rocking up later. It's her first time trick or treating and she is very excited. I have chocolate eyeballs and chocolate skeletons for them. And when all the little critters are tucked up in bed I shall have Vincent's Steak which is marinating in the fridge right now. It's garlic a-go-go which will keep the vampires away.

It was great seeing Charley on Thursday. He really is a lovely man and it was good to get his perspective on everything that's been going on in my love life. I am following his advice and slamming the iron door. I'm very pleased that he is giving it another go with A.M. Good for them. Gives me faith in the modern man...

Oh my LORD! I've just had 3 visitations from 3 different bunches of kids in 15 minutes. Hope I am going to have enough treats!

Marlene Dietrich's Lamb Chops En Casserole

2009-10-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

"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 tenderness, and I hope and I'm pretty sure, he has for me. As I know he is a fan of a lamb chop, there was not too much agonising over what to cook. I shall report on what he thought of it tomorrow, but I wanted to do a quick post today as I am very excited about this:

www.queensofvintage.com/eat-like-the-stars-%E2%80%93-silver-screen-sandwiches

My little article about film star sandwiches in the Queens of Vintage online magazine. If you've never visited their site I whole heartedly recommend it - gorgeous!

I don't know how to make the above a "hyperlink" but to go straight to the article you can click on the picture of Tallulah Bankhead eating a sandwich in the sidebar!

Margaret Sullavan's Peanut Butter Hermits

2009-10-27T06:53:00.000-07:00

"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 opened the box to get another chocolate, she'd be reminded of the sin she was about to commit!

As discussed here before, Margaret's Hermits are pretty sinful. Not for those on a diet... My lovely (and very knowleagable) work colleage Renee made some of these despite not having baked for about 20 years since Home Economics at school. As we are not in the vacinity of Graham Crackers, Ms Adoree used crushed up digestive biscuits. This will be suggested in the book. As I am planning a trip to Austin soon (top secret) I will bring back some Graham Crackers and try both versions side by side and have a taste test.

I do love it when test cooks send a photo of their finished items and when I get around to jazzing up the website I'll have a page for these. Renee's pic of her Hermits was utterly charming and she was very pleased with the results saying, "I may even attempt the recipe again and perhaps feel confident enough to let others try my cooking!'

I say YES my dear, and bring them into the office!

Jimmy Stewart's Chicken Pie

2009-10-26T10:41:00.001-07:00

"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 cat in "Bell, Book and Candle". OK, so I fell asleep on the sofa while we were watching it, but it wasn't because of Jimmy's acting.

Jimmy's Pie takes a LONG time to make but I consider it worth it as it is so scrumptious. In another kitchen elsewhere in London, Basil was having a bash at it too. He made his half the size of mine, using chicken thighs and proclaimed it to be "absolutely delicious!" adding, "If you commit to making it, the rewards WILL justify the efforts!" He admitted that he and his lovely wife Bettina ended up eating the whole pie between them (even though it should have served 4). I don't blame them, it's virtually impossible to resist.

Also virtually impossible to resist is Gene, but resist each other we did! He was charm itself and took himself off to the spare room to get his beauty sleep after pie and a movie. I did enjoy the business with the apron strings though...

What a lovely day today. It began with a text from the very top of the house to me down in the kitchen asking if there would be crumpet for breakfast. For comedy factor I got two out of the freezer. Later on I had lunch with my mentor Hugh. How lovely to spend quality time with two people I am VERY fond of in the same day. Lucky me.

Bing Crosby's Turkey & Eggs A La Crosby

2009-10-24T03:54:00.000-07:00

“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 think I may have to have a snooze.

Day 1 of a whole weekend set aside for Silver Screen Suppers business and so far so good. I nipped into the Crouch for some bits and pieces and got a great haul of classic movies on DVD in the second hand record shop. There are 2 Jimmy Stewart films amongst them, which is great as tomorrow The Artist Formerly Known as Gene Kelly is coming to dinner and I’m making Jimmy Stewart’s Chicken Pie.

Unlike when I lived in Beaconsfield, there are 3 places within walking distance of my house where a friendly butcher will chop up a “fricassee chicken” in front of your very eyes, and give you all the yucky bits in a separate bag in case you want to do something with them.

And now Joy of Joys “The Shop Around The Corner” has just started on TCM. If only I had some Margaret Sullavan’s Peanut Butter Hermits to munch on...

Anna Mae Wong's Tea Cakes

2009-10-21T06:21:00.000-07:00

"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 Mae Wong's Tea Cakes. These are proving to be a hit with most testers but they are not really what we in the UK would expect from tea cakes - no sultanas in these babies. Jennifer proclaimed them to be like vanilla fairy cakes - not sure if that would translate for our USA based chums - but she is right about possibly jooshing them up with some lemon flavoured icing. Nice.

I particularly liked the fact that she took some of these into a work meeting! Love the idea of archivist types over there at the Wellcome Trust sampling some film star fodder!

Lupe Velez Tamale Pie

2009-10-19T05:42:00.000-07:00

“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 those on today, it is FREEZING in my office.

Well, encouraged by Moya in New York I finally made the Tamale Pie last night. As expected, I failed. I don't think cornmeal in the UK is the same entity as cornmeal in Mexico - or possibly my mistake was to buy "fine" cornmeal. Jeesh. It was, as anticipated, rather semolina like in consistency. Reminded me of cremola - which was something I hated as a kid - a custardy kind of semolina thing. YEUCH! I think I need to get me over to Texas though, to see what a real Tamale looks like.

Luckily I can use up some of the enormous bag of cornmeal I have for some Gary Cooper Buttermilk Pancakes. Now HE is one hot tamale! (Or can that only be applied to women?)

Claudette Colbert's Claudette Colbert Cake

2009-10-18T03:42:00.000-07:00

"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 dressed up in cinema uniforms from the 1950s. Looking utterly charming in her usherette's outfit, Dorothy was not only mistress of ceremonies, she had also taken the time to make a Claudette Colbert Cake! Superb it was too. I had a great big slice with a cup of tea while I wondered if I'd ever get the sound system to work.

Another of our lovely test cooks, Jennifer, had asked her boyfriend's flatmate to lend us his valve amp and such a splendid thing it was too. Like something from a Frankenstein movie we had to wait for the valves to heat up, jiggle around with various wires and hope for the best. It worked! I fell in love with the way the element in the four glass tubes glew red as the sound of movie related 78s filled the room. I want my own valve amp! My favourite part of the day was playing tunes to fit a screening of Phyllis Calvert's home movies which her grandson had brought along.

Magic!

Anna Mae Wong's Tea Cakes

2009-10-16T05:35:00.000-07:00

"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 little Shirley last night working on her papier mache project. She seemed most peturbed that one of the legs on her trouser bowl was wonky - having one wonky leg myself I couldn't really see the problem. Tonight we shall paint it.

Paulette had made some AMW Tea Cakes and totally delicious they were too. MUCH nicer than the ones I made, I think she adds some secret ingredient when she is baking things to make them taste so good. Or maybe it is the magic of the heart shaped baking cases. I bought Paulette some of these as a "thank you" gift for looking after me during my post-break-up-trauma-period and they are such lovely things.

I was extremely happy to be back in the fold there, especially when Paulette had to search for something in the food cupboard near the back door. Pleased to see that the lightbulb has STILL not been replaced, making it necessary for Paulette to do the thing which always makes me laugh: don the head torch.

Vincent Price's Pepper Steak

2009-10-15T05:27:00.000-07:00

“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 having a lovely email correspondence with Mickey in Athlone, Ireland who has tested three recipes for us with great vigour!

I loved his report on Vincent's Steak: "A mighty lump of meat as they say in Ireland. Goes well with chips and onions." That makes me STARVING for a good hairy steak! I guess the amount of garlic in Vincent's recipe would keep the vampires away for sure. I may rustle this one up for myself on Halloween night then watch a scary Vincent Price movie. Rosalind and Jimmy are currently residing just under the Hollywood sign and a neighbouring (and by all accounts spooky looking) house was once owned by Bela Lugosi. Alas we have no recipes for him but they might try out Boris Karloff's Steak and Kidney Pie on the 31st whilst hiding somewhere in the garden. Ha ha!

I've got some brilliant CDs of Vincent Price's radio cookery show which I heartily recommend. Sometimes I listen to them while I am cooking for inspiration. He sure knew how to throw a dinner party. If you are clever enough to work out how to do it, you can listen to them here...

http://calliopyranch.com/this-n-that/cooking-with-vincent-price - happy listening!

Lupe Velez's Tamale Pie

2009-10-14T06:01:00.000-07:00

“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 was all done and in the fridge and I was going to cook up the cornmeal for the base and top but copious amount of booze waylaid me. My new landlord insisted on pouring me two very large glasses of wine and singing me several songs (he is Welsh).

Luckily, I have a report of this recipe being made Stateside by Ruthie's brother's wife's mum. What relation therefore she is to Ruth I am not quite sure, but it was very kind of her to test the recipe for us. The verdict? Sis-in-law proclaimed it DELICIOUS and we received a hilarious photo of little Spanky in his high chair chowing down on some. The youngest participant in the project since Baby Peggy! Hoorah!

I may get around to making the pie on Sunday but I have to admit, cornmeal gives me the fear - especially now I have found out that it is the same entity as Polenta...

Bette Davis Hollywood Salad

2009-10-13T06:03:00.000-07:00

"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 is something I must rectify as she is one of the funniest people I know. Always a tonic.

The salad was rustled up in Cape Town (isn't this project getting cosmopolitan?!) and Rita shared it with her cleaner Busisiwe - they both loved it. Although Orson professed to not liking three of the main ingredients (figs, dates and sultanas) once he'd had a bite he ate whatever was left on the plate. Rita said she wouldn't bother with the figs next time as she "didn't give a fig" about figs and they were hard to get hold of in Cape Town.

The thing that made me really laugh was in reference to a conversation we'd had ages ago about Bette Davis. She said that she might add olives the next time she'd made the salad as they would, "add a twist of acid which is precisely what I would have expected from Bette - having seen her at the Ashcroft Theatre in Croydon, you know: 1973". Ha ha! Perfect.

Maurice Chevalier's French Onion Soup

2009-10-12T06:12:00.000-07:00

"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 Lupe's Pie last night, the household chores and the making of Rum Jam took over, so instead I shall blog the results of Joan C's testing of the soupe a l'oignon. Joan thought the soup delicious and shared it with Bette saying, "Ma petite cherie scoffed deux helpings (as did I)". The croutons were much savoured and she suggested adding a note not to skimp on these. As she points out Monseiur Maurice did amiably warble, "Thank heavens for little (cheesy) grills." Groan...

She also made one comment about husbands and soup on the feedback from that is not suitable for a family forum. Her sense of humour is so blue sometimes it takes me about half an hour to work out what she is actually referring to! Naughty girl, I do miss them both now they are living down there in Brighton.

Harold Lloyd's Eggs Dolores

2009-10-11T01:29:00.000-07:00

"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 but Harold's eggs were it. He might as well have called them Eggs Dolorous (meaning sorrowful) as the pile of them all pink and scrambled was not a pretty sight to see. Sigh. Luckily I had some nice crispy bacon on the side to allieviate the pain of wasting 3 perfectly good eggs by adding cheese and TOMATOES. Bleaugh! Bring back Dorothy Dandridge's Emotional Omelet.

I am hoping for better things from Lupe Velez's Tamale Pie which I'll be attempting later today. I have never had Tamale Pie, I do not even quite know what it is, but I'm going to find out...

Ida Lupino's Lemon Mousse

2009-10-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

"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 in bags and boxes. Unrolling newspaper wrapped mystery items has brought exclamations of great joy when things I have totally forgotten about (my Japanese owl mugs for example) emerge like rubies in the dust.

Jessica's verdict on the mousse? "It was awesome and all my housies loved it". Fabulous. Love the idea of these dishes being shared with loved ones - the way it should be. I have taken on board Jessica's comment about maybe specifying a shorter freezing time. A perfect excuse for me to rustle up another batch and scoff it spinster style straight out of the tupperware with a soup spoon. Just testing you understand...

Diana Dors Bhuma Ghosht

2009-10-09T06:26:00.001-07:00

"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 was a long awaited Silver Screen Supper in West One last night. Edmund rocked up with the Diana Dors boxset, Rosalind cooked up a curry and our surprise handsome guest sprawled on the sofa wolf-whistling and making comments such as "She's a STUNNER" regarding the lovely Ms Dors. Rosalind made two versions of the dish, one to Diana's specifications and one a bit spiced up for the modern palate. Being a purist, I liked the authentic one.

Rosalind made me laugh by saying that when she told her mum she was making a curry her mum said, "An INDIAN curry?" as she legendarily prefers curry that comes from a Chinese takeaway. Rosalind also commented on Diana's pneumatic physique, "She must have eaten a lot of Bhuma to get those Bhumas..." Indeed!

Ann Harding's Hollywood Salad Dressing

2009-10-08T05:23:00.001-07:00

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, Texas I thought I would wish her luck. Apparently she gets to wear an umpire's outfit and blow a whistle, I am so jealous.

Ann's Salad Dressing turned out to be a bit like Thousand Island - with caviar. I am loving Dale's detailed information about pimento though! A recurring theme throughout this project is how to define the pimento. Dale used a "jarred whole fire roaster pimento" in this dish. Where on earth would I get one of those outside the Lone Star State? Pimento, Pimiento, shimiento...

Maurice Chevalier's French Onion Soup

2009-10-07T06:21:00.000-07:00

"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 she liked onions but we both agreed that EVERYONE liked onions, didn't they? Rosalind's parting comment on the subject being, "if you don't like onions, I don't like you!"

My new pad meets with Rosalind's full approval and as we toasted each other with multiple cans of beer she announced that for the first time in a long time I was, "sitting pretty". She also asked the rhetorical question, "Who am I? Angela Lansbury?" at some point. And in respect of housing, and children, "why buy when you can rent?"

Side by side in bed next morning, she dispelled my doubt that I would ever succeed at buying a place of my very own with the exclamation, "you got the Kaiser Chiefs tickets didn't you?" Which I have to admit, made me have to examine my negative thinking pattern on that one...

Ronald Reagan's Corned Beef Hash in Bell Peppers

2009-10-05T05:38:00.000-07:00

"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. He / she sent feedback with an apology that it had taken so long as, "the corned beef sat ominously on my shelf for a while before I was brave enough to try it." I'm the same with the Tea Matzos! Maybe next weekend for the Matzo Ball Soup. I dreamed about it last night.

Oliver - like others who have tried this dish - suggested roasting the peppers rather than boiling them. And s/he loved the popping of an egg on top at the end, "providing protein so the post-war generation grew up big and strong..." Ronnie's dish was proclaimed as being definitely worth trying as a quick journey into the past and Oliver summed it up thus, "It really felt like retro gastronomy - the techniques and the result were so incredibly different from our Nigel Slater dominated, balsamic vinegar and olive oil idea of cooking nowadays."

Absolutely!

Joan Bennett's Beetroot Salad

2009-10-04T08:25:00.000-07:00

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 stone's throw from my new place this morning I felt a sudden surge of happiness. I am truly in the right place for me, right now.

Tonight I will have an evening of self-indulgence. I shall make Joan's Beetroot Salad and watch her and James Mason in The Reckless Moment. I haven't seen this for over 20 years and am intrigued to see if the scene that has stuck in my mind ever since is just as I remembered it.

Joan Bennett is dragging a body along a beach wearing the most divine sunglasses ever. The thing I remember about the scene (apart from the accessories) is the absence of music. It was such a dramatic moment and it seemed all the more ghoulish because all that was on the soundtrack was the sound of Joan's efforts to get rid of some evidence... We shall see.