Dick Powell's Corn Chowder

"The best thing about switching from being an actor to being a director is
that you don't have to shave or hold your stomach in anymore."

Had a very lazy weekend after an old skool style night on Friday with Sidney and his chums. We didn't get home until 5am. Outrageous. There has been a lot of falling asleep in front of the sofa during the athletics to catch up. Luckily we managed to stay awake to see Usain Bolt break the world 100m record. Sidney was full of national pride and is still shouting, "YES, JAMAICA" every now and then....

I made a batch of Dick Powell's chowder for the two of us even though it stated "serves 6". We almost ate the whole saucepan between us, and Sidney may have been correct in his observation that it might serve 6 short people or 4 long people. Maybe people weren't so greedy in the 1940s... In a reversal of Dick's roles I'm going to have to hold my stomach in tomorrow.

Dick Powell's Baked Noodles

"The best thing about switching from being an actor to being a director is that you don't have to shave or hold your stomach in anymore.”

I tried Dick’s recipe for Baked Noodles on Saturday as I’m searching for a good veggie recipe to serve my sisters next Sunday – Veronica is a vegetarian. It turned out pretty good – quite cheesy and tasty – but I’m not sure it is frou frou enough for a big Sunday lunch affair.

Also made another batch of Ida’s Lemon Mousse – I am slightly addicted to it. Which is a bit of a worry as it is made almost entirely of full fat cream. Bad girl! Still, I have lost ½ stone since I gave up alcohol on 1st January for a month so can’t get too worried about it. I am almost at the finishing line too. I shall be working on my “martini barrel” from Thursday onwards when the booze ban is lifted. Bring on all the recipes that include sherry.

dick powell's delightful corn chowder

in the scorching texas heat, which has not been under 100 degrees for over a month, one does not immediately think of HOT SOUP for dinner. that is, unless it is a corn chowder by the divine dick powell. yes indeed, time had finally come for this stateside film archivist to get with the program and begin cooking. armed with a newly won ebay cookbook dedicated to the late will rogers, very, very vague directions, and a seriously sassy apron, i began celebrating the glory that the man whose movie proclaims the glory of "pettin' in the park..." yes, this corn chowder is definitely 1930s crooning dick p., rather than snarky 1940s dick powell, private eye. end product = delish, yet said vague directions gave a bit of pause during the process. thank heavens i have spent a lot of time by the side of my grandmother cookin' over a kansas stove to get an idea of how to "thicken" a broth... (hint: flour, but not too much as you can end up with a very odd looking soup.) i must say that my gravest concern over this project is that i will end up gaining 435 pounds in the process - and end up looking a bit orson welles like by september.

onward ho!!!