Clark Gable's Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

“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?!

Carole Lombard's Cherry Tart

“Don’t kiss and talk about it - men don’t.”

OK then Carole, I will keep schtumm. Carole looks so MODERN in this photo, so much so I am going to double check with the lovely Carla over at www.carolelombard.org just to make sure it is really her...

Back from a wonderful weekend camping in Epping Forest with my Crouch End family. On the way there, Paulette cracked me up by doing her “Cleopatra” line-dance routine in the car and losing the instructions to the campsite through the car window. We found it though, and fabulous it was too.

Those who weren’t born and bred Essex like Paulette and myself were astonished at the lawlessness of the campsite. Nothing new to us though, we Essex folk don’t like living by the rules. We two Essex girls weren’t surprised at all at the amount of axes lying around the place next to the fire pits and the number of fireworks going off at all hours.

I didn’t mention the delicious cherry pie that Paulette made for the book group in the previous post. As the original 1950s housewife she is queen of baking and I loved her variation on the theme – using cherries soaked in kirsch. She was a little alarmed at the amount of sugar in the recipe and yes, it was very sweet but as Jane said, “Sweet, schmeet”, we all loved it.

Today Shirley told me that I was her favourite grown up in the whole wide world, which after the week I’ve had has done my self-esteem the world of good. I even forgave her for attempting to curl my hair and getting it in such a tangle that Paulette had to use scissors to remove the hairbrush.

Carole Lombard's Cherry Tart

“You ought to see the map for my face in the Makeup Department.
It looks like a landscape of the moon.”

I've been dying to post this amazing picture of La Lombard for ages and now I get my chance. Dorothy over at the British Film Institue made Carole's Cherry Pie on Sunday for her housemates. I won't say what she wrote on the feedback form about spitting cherry pips and the French, but by all accounts the pie was quite a hit. We may have to tinker with the sugar measurements though as like my pa, a couple of the housemates found the pie a little too sweet.

I do like the reasoning behind Dorothy's selection of her film star persona for the blog - she says, that just like La Lamour, it is her dream to be torn between the love of two song and dance men.

By the way, if you are a fan of Carole Lombard and you haven't paid a visit to www.carolelombard.org I heartily recommend it. My current favourite film star website.

Carole Lombard's Barbecued Spare Ribs

“Every cent anybody pays in tax is spent to benefit him.
There’s no better place to spend it.

I enjoy this country and I really think I get my money’s worth."

I've had my head in my hands most of this month, worrying about my tax return. I finally completed it yesterday. How refreshing - and timely therefore - to find this quote on the most excellent www.carolelombard.org website this morning. Gives me a new perspective on things and very Alvin Hall. Sort of.

I'm having a Lombard weekend as I attempt to write a blurb to go with her spareribs recipe for the book. I'm applying myself with renewed vigour to the project now that we are entering 2009. I am trying not to be distracted by the DVD of My Man Godfrey which is hovering beside me, as I must actually write the stuff rather than just thinking about it.

Maybe I will reward myself with a viewing of the film once the work is done. In fact, I may indeed do that after having a My Man Godfrey Martini in the 5th Floor Bar of Waterstones Piccadilly when the month of sobriety comes to an end. Perfect.

Carole Lombard's Cherry Pie

Just coming up for air after the madness of the past couple of weeks. Entering into a new period of calm. Watching Judge Judy during the day and looking for a job.

The folks came for lunch last week and I had another bash at Carole Lombard's Cherry Pie. My ma was very impressed that I had stoned all the cherries AND made the pastry. I was genuinely shocked when she said that she never made pastry any more, just bought the roll out stuff. Role reversal / roll reversal! I used crumbled macaroons instead of breadcrumbs and although the texture was good, I think the pie was too sweet as a result. I think I need to look for sour cherries.

Not anticipating that I would make a pie, my mum had made a raspberry pie and brought it with her. When Grace got home from work she set upon my cherry pie with gusto. She planned to eat a big piece right there and then and take another big piece to work next day. She was ranting about how much she loved my pie and when I told her that my mum had also brought a pie which I was planning to put in the freezer she asked with much excitement: "What kind of pie?" which made me laugh and launch into a round of "Who ate all the pies? Who ate all the pies?" What a pie-monster!

Carole Lombard's Cherry Pie

“I live by a man's code, designed to fit a man's world, yet at the same time I never forget that
a woman's first job is to choose the right shade of lipstick.”

It was the night of the Carol(e)s last night as Ruth had a dinner party for 7 in tribute to Carol Channing with a little Lombard thrown in. We spent the day mucking about with the Sauerbraten and making a cherry pie and some salad. It was only after the pie was on the table we realised that we had commited a minor faux pas. I had made Loretta Young's Chiffonade Salad to accompany the main course. Someone brought up Clark Gable's affair and subsequent love child and Ruth and I felt bizarrely ashamed to have Loretta and Carole at the same table. Weird.

The dinner was a great success with much hilarity and tonnes of film related stories. The ginger-y beef was absolutely delicious - all hail the Texas Longhorn. The cherry pie was delightful and even the salad (containing beetroot, hard boiled eggs and gherkins) was appreciated. Although not by Ruth who on top of feeling that a banana taints everything, is not a fan of the beet.