I love it when a blog reader gets in touch, via email, a message via the contact page, a comment on a post – anything! It’s always lovely to hear from you, especially during this strange coronavirus time when I barely have any human contact during the week.
I am not very good at Facebook and didn’t spot a message that was left there by someone called Paul Greene for AGES. He asked if I knew that Kim Hunter had written a cookbook. NO I DID NOT! But as you can imagine, I was on the internet immediately scrambling to get hold of a copy and it is just lovely!
It took ages for me to get around to read it too, but having more time to sit with my head in a book during this pandemic is pure joy. I’ve read the whole thing now, and I really recommend it. Kim writes in a fun, breezy tone about life as an actress and as someone who loves to cook. She tells great tales from behind the scenes, and I especially loved the Planet of the Apes stuff as I adore those movies…
Kim collected recipes from friends, people she worked with in the theatre and on film sets, so there are lots of lovely stories about where she first ate certain dishes and with whom. In that respect it reminded me of the fabulous Eggs I Have Known by Corinne Griffith.
I really liked the sound of Kim’s sole with nutty rice, so I rustled it up on Sunday night and last night too. It was ace. I do love a recipe that is for more than one thing, so having directions for jazzing up the rice felt like a bonus. I divided the recipe by a 1/3 as it was just me, and on the first night I did everything as written, and it was really good served with some carrots which I roasted in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey while everything else was going on. Mmmmmmm!
On the second night, I chopped up my leftover carrots and popped those into the rice along with some frozen sweetcorn and popped it in the oven to warm through while I cooked the brocolli and fish. Man, I felt quite the domestic goddess! It’s not very photogenic, but it was delicious!
Both times I heartily enjoyed this lovely nutty fishy dish. Thanks Kim, and thanks Paul Greene too!
If you know of any movie star related cookbooks do let me know, my flat is bursting at the seams with them, but I didn’t know of this one, and I will always be grateful to Margie Compton who told me about the Yul Brynner cookbook too!
Here’s Kim’s recipe – let me know if you try it. BTW, thanks to Mark Brisenden for posing the question, “what are pignoli nuts?” Known to most of us non-Italians as pine nuts.
How many cookbooks do you own, Jenny?
HAhahah – my flat is FULL of cookbooks! I might do a little blog post about all my movie star cookbooks soon! JX
Will have to google this as well . One of the first X movies I got into as an under age teen was one of the Planet of Apes sequels . Soft spot for them too ! Not seen the new ones ! What are Pignola nuts !?
Good point Mr B! I assumed pignola nuts were pine nuts but I’d better double check that! I only thought this as I used to take the mickey out of my friend Heather who lived in Italy for a while and called pine nuts “pinoli nuts”. YES Google confirms my assumption – will put a note in the blog post. I have rewatched all the original P.O.A. films recently, all stand up really well IMHO. I watched one of the new ones and it was just too NOISY for my old lady ears.
Got it . Yes, I started to watch the Tim Burton one some years and it was appalling ! Yes, I suspect the new ones are better seen on giant screens, but the trailers have been enough for my old man ears . I’m sticking with Roddy McDowall and Kim, etc …
The ears do get old don’t they? Faster than the rest of us I reckon!