Joyce Grenfell’s “149 Special” Salad

Joyce Grenfell’s “149 Special” Salad

We are having a mini heatwave here in the UK, so thoughts turn to salads.  I am becoming quite a fan of chicory (or endive, depending on where you are in the world) because it turns out to be the kind of thing that will last a while in the fridge when you have...
Van Johnson’s Salmon Salad (Tinned)

Van Johnson’s Salmon Salad (Tinned)

We are having a heatwave.  It was 35 degrees C (95 degrees F) when I wrote this last night at 7.30pm!  Flats in London are NOT EQUIPPED FOR THIS! For the first time EVER the temperature is due to hit 40 degrees C (104 degrees F) here today.  It’s bonkers, but I...
Shelley Winters’ Caesar Salad

Shelley Winters’ Caesar Salad

I am a sucker for a Caesar and have tried a few movie star versions.  Grace Kelly’s was so good it was Recipe of the Month way back in April 2019, Ruth Roman’s method calls for coddled eggs and Jessica Walter’s garlic oil required a bit of forward...
Ellen Drew’s Ginger Ale Fruit Salad

Ellen Drew’s Ginger Ale Fruit Salad

Any recipe that includes pickle juice piques my pickle interest.  My fridge is FULL of pickle juice and because I love pickles so much, I make a lot of pickles and I eat a lot of pickles. It always seems a waste to chuck away all the delicious spiced vinegar once...
Benny Hill’s Nice Salad

Benny Hill’s Nice Salad

I am as old as the hills, so when Mr R brought over his DVD of the Christmas Top of the Pops from 1971 this weekend I thought, I might know some of these songs. But it turns out, I knew the lot! And three of them have special significance too. Slade’s Cuz I Luv...
Vincent Price’s Broiled Trout With Cucumber Salad

Vincent Price’s Broiled Trout With Cucumber Salad

My boss Alwyn goes fishing to relax.  When he talks about the pleasures to be had in the middle of the night standing in a river in the pitch black watching shooting stars it almost makes me want to do it myself.  However, these days I am usually tucked up in bed by...
Joan Crawford’s Roquefort Salad

Joan Crawford’s Roquefort Salad

This is probably the weirdest thing I have made in over 8 years of trying the favourite recipes of movie stars.  Very weird indeed.  Did I eat it?  Well, I tried it.  I ate about half of one of these delightfully shaped cheese balls…  ...
Tippi Hedren’s Golden Potato Salad

Tippi Hedren’s Golden Potato Salad

My neighbour (and matchmaker extraordinaire) Chloë has asked me to write something for a pitch she is doing for a publisher.  She’s creating a brand new magazine and it sounds like it will rock.  I might have a regular column about film star recipes.  Am I excited? ...
Jack Hulbert’s Salmon Salad (Tinned)

Jack Hulbert’s Salmon Salad (Tinned)

I can’t remember if I have ever bought a tin of salmon before.  Tins of tuna yes, but buying salmon in a tin seems a bit strange, I don’t know why.  But I fancied Jack’s salad which is in one of my favourite cook books “282 Ways of Making a...
Bebe Daniels’ French Dressing

Bebe Daniels’ French Dressing

Sometimes you don’t see a dressing for ages, and then three come along at once… On the left, we have Angela Lansbury’s Mustard Vinaigrette.  On the right, we have David Soul’s Torino Dressing, and in the middle, a French Dressing. When I needed...
The Heinz 57 Challenge – with movie star specials!

The Heinz 57 Challenge – with movie star specials!

Mr Rathbone and myself decided to celebrate spending 57 years on this here planet by attempting to consume 57 Heinz based meals in a year.  Did we manage it?  YES!  It was loads of fun as we sourced lots of Heinz things that aren’t on the supermarket shelves...
Gloria Stuart’s Huacamale

Gloria Stuart’s Huacamale

Avocado on toast, 1930s style!  This is a brilliant way of using up an avocado that is past its best. Shove it through a sieve then mix some other stuff into it. You can either make it quite runny and use it as a salad dressing or, do as I did, make it a bit thicker...
Five Alan Ladd Recipes

Five Alan Ladd Recipes

I love it when readers get in touch and ask for recipes and I am always happy to rummage around in my bookshelves to find them and send them out.  Usually I don’t get so much as a “thank-you” in return, but sometimes – hurrah – a lovely...
Tessie O’Shea’s Diet Scotch Eggs

Tessie O’Shea’s Diet Scotch Eggs

Have you sorted out your social support bubble yet?  I saw mine last Saturday and it was a RIOT.  Mr R’s sister and her husband came over and we had a boozy picnic.  OK, it was an indoor picnic because the weather wasn’t great, but we had...
Diana Dors’ Chilli Con Carne

Diana Dors’ Chilli Con Carne

As regular readers know, I am a massive Diana Dors fan and have written lots about the recipes in the Diana Dors X-Cel Diet book. I am so lucky to work in a film archive and have the TV-am collection at my fingertips – well, I did before lockdown! Diana...
Phyllis Diller’s Garbage Soup

Phyllis Diller’s Garbage Soup

Making this soup cures all ills. I was feeling somewhat melancholy last Wednesday evening (can’t remember why now) but my fridge was FULL of random veggies and once I got going on this I felt a million times better. The glorious thing about this soup is that you...
Murder, She Wrote Cookalong Day 6 – Blogger Chums

Murder, She Wrote Cookalong Day 6 – Blogger Chums

One of the best things about having a blog is connecting with folks all around the world who are game for anything! So today’s testers are based in Australia, the USA, Canada, Finland and Greece as well as here in good old Blighty. Thanks so much, you wonderful...
Ian McShane’s Salmon Steaks With Watercress Sauce

Ian McShane’s Salmon Steaks With Watercress Sauce

On impulse I bought some posh wild salmon from Planet Organic this week. I looked at the price and thought, “Imagine if I was paying for this in a restaurant, it would be TWICE as much” and took the plunge. It was utterly lovely! Much firmer and tastier...
Johnny Cash Chili Columbo Bowl Roundup!

Johnny Cash Chili Columbo Bowl Roundup!

To celebrate Columbo’s 50th birthday and the launch of my new Cooking With Columbo book I organized a Columbo Bowl Chili Cook-Along and it was so much fun.   Here’s a map showing where in the world Johnny’s chili was rustled up!  Over 20...
Vincent Price #TreasuryCookalong

Vincent Price #TreasuryCookalong

Joy, joy, joy!  Blog posts have popped up all around the world from the folks who joined in with the Treasury Cookalong.  It brought many a tear to my glass eye!  So much wondrousness! The cookalong was organised to celebrate the launch of the 50th...

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