What a weird one 2016 was eh? Goodness me. So here’s hoping that 2017 will be a better year in many, many ways. Like many folks at this time of year, I’m plotting and planning about what next year will have in store. My main project in 2017 will be the Columbo cookbook. Drum roll...
I returned from my folks’ place laden down with a huge bagful of leftovers – oh goodie! My dad hates leftovers, but I love ’em! Usually I would make some Roland Young Rissoles with all the leftover turkey and ham and pigs in blankets, but this year, I changed it up, and made a...
Greetings kittens! Did you have a lovely festive season? It’s still going on around here, as I’m off to Mr R’s this afternoon for our pretend Christmas day. We went to our respective parentals for the real one. I cooked the Christmas dinner this year and have to admit, I was rather proud of myself....
In haste… Holidays are coming… Life is getting a little crazy… In this busy pre-Christmas period I was determined to catch up with Battenburg Belle and suggested that I cook a tribute dish for Zsa Zsa, who went to the Hollywood in the sky this week. I’ve got a soft spot for Zsa Zsa as...
Classic Hollywood movies, I’ve missed you! Over the last couple of years, I’ve had the entire Columbo series on rotation in my kitchen. I plonked my old laptop on top of the kitchen record player, and had an episode of Columbo on DVD keeping me company every time I cooked… But as the second draft...
When I was single for 8 years, I spent a lot of time hanging out with other singletons. It made me feel less like I was the last single person on earth. One of the chums I spent lots of time with, was my friend Ben, and around this time of year in 2012 we...
When my friend Heather and I were both single, we got fed up with all our friends going on “romantic mini-breaks” with their other halves and decided we’d go off on a romantic mini-break of our own. This is now an annual tradition. We’ve been to France, Berlin, Budapest, Stroud, Bath, and probably several other...
One of the things I have learned in over 10 years of cooking like the stars, is this. Sirloin is the best. When I first started this project I had no idea about meat. I didn’t know the difference between rump, sirloin and silverside. Throw in the complication that the most of the stars I...
Here is something festive for your holiday eat-athon. Mine has already started… I was taken for a very posh lunch today at Hakkasan which is a Michelin starred restaurant in London. I feel thoroughly spoiled, and thoroughly smashed on Espresso Martinis… THANK YOU ANNA GAYNER! The day before I was going to test cook Eva’s pie, I...
I love it so much when blog readers get in touch and we start up a little correspondence. It’s one of the very best things about blogging. Ellie emailed me from Exeter to chat about Rita Hayworth and Diana Dors. She told me that she had once staged a Diana Dors dinner, ending with a...
I have been celebrating the completion of the second draft of the Columbo cookbook with the Lieutenant’s favourite snack. Hard boiled eggs. Behold my new guilty pleasure. Yes, I realise it’s the laziest thing in the world to buy pre-boiled, hard boiled eggs. But look, they are BLUE! These just tickle me, and I will...
After looking at the recipe for this, Mr Rathbone said: “I’ve got a bad feeling about James Mason’s Pudding.” I will admit, it’s very odd. No baking temperature was specified by Mr Mason, so I did a bit of guesswork and figured I should cook it at a rice pudding sort of temperature...
2nd recipe for Mogen David week was Xavier’s Samba Sauce. Surprise, surprise, this was good too! I used button chestnut mushrooms and the sauce looked cute, and tasted lovely. I think the Worcestershire sauce was the key ingredient in smoothing out the Mogen David. I used sweet paprika, but I’m guessing Xavier would have used...
Vic is King of Lamb Chops. He loves them. He also likes Lon Chaney. So it was a no brainer when I decided it was Mogen David Week, to invite him to partake of some Lon Chaney Jr.’s Lamb Chops. Apologies that I’ve chopped Lon’s head off here, when I can lay my hands on...
Just a quick post for those of you in London. I’ll be at my nephew’s brewery tomorrow afternoon selling home baked beer bread and small batch mustard. I am well chuffed with my new labels: Loaves on offer will be: Pentonville Rye, Pain au Islington, Loaf on Mars and this month’s special – Walnut Sourdough...
At the weekend I was on writing retreat, and I had a lovely time. Two whole days of nothing but tip tapping away on my laptop in bed, with the heated blanket on. No housework, no admin, no de-cluttering, no shopping, nothing except writing and a little bit of cooking and a vast amount of coffee...
Once a month I participate in a Columbo tweet-along, it is a blast. Folks all around the world press “play” at the same time, for the same episode, and the tweeting madness begins, all viewable via the #ColumboTV hashtaggery. This Saturday we all watched The Bye Bye Sky High Murder Case episode. The villain of...
Oooh, I liked this! I think it had a lot to do with the convivial atmosphere that was in the air when I was making it. I was cooking at Battenburg Belle’s house. And she has a super dooper new Le Creuset pan which I am coveting… Celeste was a bit vague on the cooking...
Did you have a lovely Halloween? I sure did! Mr Rathbone came as Vincent Price (naturally), and we took a specially posed picture of him adding the finishing touches to this dish, just as Vincent did… I must admit, I thought that this was a slightly odd way of cooking a leg of lamb (us Brits...
Regular readers may remember that I used to have a monthly column over at the wonderful Eat Drink Films website. Well, this lovely intenet magazine is now an intermittant arrival in my inbox, rather than a weekly one, and I’m happy to say that the last piece I wrote for them is now up on...
It’s HALLOWEEEEEEEN! We’ll it’s the day before Halloween but here in the UK it seems everyone is dressing up and going bonkers all weekend… I got a nice message from a reader of the blog, Mark Brisenden to say that he’s mentioning me on his radio show today – how lovely! Here’s a link to...
Just a very quick post for any North Londoners amongst you… It’s been a bit quiet over at Silver Screen Suppers Towers lately due to my new found obsession with making bread and mustard with my nephew’s beer. He has resurrected the dormant family business The Hammerton Brewery. Based in Islington, a stone’s throw from...
Oh what a glorious thing it was to see! I made this for Vic (who had gifted me the most excellent Dick Emery Cookbook) and Corinna, one school night the other week. We drunk much Mateus Rose (Vic’s new drink of choice) and much beer, and recited many of Dick’s catchphrases. Ooh! You are awful,...
Ahh, the splendour of Natalie’s Huevos Rancheros, now probably my default Saturday breakfast. Even when engaged in baking 14 loaves of beer bread, a couple of Saturdays ago: I managed to rustle some up, to give me sustenance. I added some red peppers to Natalie’s recipe, as I had some that needed using up. Other...
Courgette season is nearly over here in the UK – boo hoo! But there is just about a month left to enjoy seasonal zucchini / courgette and if it’s not courgette season where you are, cut out and keep this recipe for when it is, because it ROCKS. Everyone I have fed this cake to...
I made these for Vic AGES ago, and wrote down a comment he made about them on an index card to include in my blog post report. Then I lost the index card. I am an inveterate note taker. I write things down on the backs of envelopes, in a million different notebooks, on...
Billy’s a bit modern for the Silver Screen Suppers blog, and he’s mostly remembered as a comedian rather than an actor here in the UK. He is known as the BIG YIN… But he’s in Columbo, yes he is! Hence I tried out his trout recipe for the forthcoming book. I think I’ve been a...
I’ve been wanting to try this recipe ever since I had an email conversation with my beloved Michael MacMahon about Jansson’s Temptation. I think it was after I had cooked the best film star recipe ever, Jocko Marx’s Herring Potatoes. (the first time around…) This pot contained the most delicious meal I have ever made… I...
A blog reader “Jenny E” left a comment this week asking for this recipe, so I thought I would make it recipe of the month. It is easy and it is delicious. It’s still pretty hot here in London so salads are on the menu for a few more days I reckon… That’s a bit gaudy...
Ooh, I’ve got a little article over at the Vincent Price Legacy site about cooking with the BRAND NEW and JUST RELEASED Vincent Price Ale. Can you imagine how amazing it will be to sip a beer with Vincent on the label? I have some on order and will be snapping selfies left right and...
Lipsmacking-thirstquenching-acetasting-motivating-hightalking-coolliving-evergiving PEPSI! I tried to learn this once but I didn’t quite get there. I know I’ve missed something. For the full monty, see here… Ha ha – I forgot loads. Must try harder…. This dish by Robert put me in mind of that little ditty because it was, truly, utterly, lipsmackingly good. It’s hardly...
Who is Jocko Marx, I hear you ask. Well, it’s a good question. According to a 1933 movie star cookbook he’s one of the 4 Marx Brothers. For a debunking of this myth, see a previous blog post… Whoever he was, his signature dish is PHENOMENAL. At least, it is how I make it –...
I had a raging hangover on Saturday morning. On Friday night I stayed up late at Mr R’s place, drinking beer and watching Madness videos. I’d forgotten how good they were. I think we watched this about 13 times… Cracks me up! Heartily recommended watching, especially for all my readers across the pond who may...
I love Rue. Well, I love her character Blanche in The Golden Girls. She’s in Columbo too: …hence her cookie recipe floated to the top of the test cooking pile. These cookies are packed with good stuff – nuts, raisins, apricots etc., and they were really tasty, BUT, I don’t think I cooked them for...
This recipe is now a bit of a default way for me to cook up broccoli. It’s easy and it’s tasty, and it always makes me laugh because… whenever Yul Brynner comes up in conversation I have a “Pavlov’s dog” type reaction to his name: and cannot stop myself from saying, “I really fancy Yul...
I have been looking for an Anthony Andrews recipe for ages. He’s in Columbo: so I was desperate for a recipe to use in the Cooking With Columbo book. When I found this recipe I was very excited. But I didn’t have a “chicken brick”. In fact, I only vaguely knew what a chicken brick was…...
I don’t often get invited round to friends’ houses for dinner, except by the lovely Battenberg Belle. I tell myself it’s not because people don’t like me, but more that they think because I have a food blog, I am a really good cook. I’m not you know. And I will eat ANYTHING when I go...
This has been on the test cooking schedule FOR EVER. Mostly because I didn’t really like the sound of Asparagus Soup, but whaddya know? It was good! Quite subtle and sophisticated really, and sort of fluffy. Bubbly. Mostly because I blended it up in my soup machine, I think. As the only other recipe I...
You know what it’s like when you have been lazing around the house all day on a Saturday and you are supposed to be going out in the evening but can’t be bothered? Such it was the other day when I was due to go to Gary’s barbecue at the allotments. I was going on...
For the Hedda Hopper night‘s dinner, I was planning a whole feast of curries made with the lovely spice mixtures prepared before your very eyes at Rafi’s Spice Box in Sudbury. But on the morning of the day, an email popped into my inbox from one of my guests, entitled “Spice Alert” revealing that he wasn’t keen on...
On the morning before Cowboy Day #1, half asleep I said to Mr Rathbone: “What mode of transport are you using to get to my place tomorrow?” after a tiny pause he said: “Horse, of course!” After we stopped laughing he said, “Or I might take the stage”. I basically wanted to know if he would be passing...
Last time Angus and Clive came round to dinner they brought LOADS of booze, including a bottle of bourbon, from which only a sip was taken. They refused to take it home with them at the end of the night, so I promised to make them some Hedda Hopper cocktails aka Malice In Hollywood #1...
This was perfect. Am I allowed to say that about a cake I made myself? I have Irene to thank for it of course, as her recipe is ace. But I have made this quite a few times now and this time was the best. I’m going to be a proper person, and write down...
There is something very appealing about the recipe title “Honey Buns”, so it was destined that I make them at some point, and make them I did, for the Muswell Hill and District Horticultural Society Spring Show. Now then, the Spring Show was a LONG time ago, and in fact the SUMMER Show is tomorrow....
Yee haw partners, wanna come to a virtual reality party? I’m joining in with this opportunity to don a cowboy hat and eat masses of chili, and you should too! You don’t have to have a blog to participate in this, it’s just for fun! All the details about it are on Greg Swenson’s fabulous...
I have been celebrating the completion of the first draft of the Cooking with Columbo cookbook, with champagne and a special Columbo sandwich. YES! I am soooo excited. Myrna Loy, Janet Leigh, Celeste Holm, Vincent Price, William Shatner and many other stars who have appeared on this blog, had guest star roles in Columbo. Their...
Oooh, how I wish I could be in Bristol this weekend. They are having a Cary Grant Festival – it looks amazing. One of the organisers Charlotte Croft emailed last year to ask if I would send Cary’s Mushroom Canapés recipe which I duly did. They will be serving some of these delightful little morsels again this year, at...
Do you ever enter competitions? My mum went through a phase of entering every competition going, often asking us kids to help with the tie-breakers. Usually something along the lines of “Mr Kipling’s Cakes are…..” fill in the blanks… I have a lovely coffee service that my mum won from Maxwell House in the 1970s… ...
Time to say goodbye to Wookey Hole – Mr Rathbone is getting a new fridge freezer… I shall miss this guideline about how long things should be frozen for: I don’t have this on my freezer door. Hence of course, I feel that I am at liberty to have bits of cheese and portions of Phyllis...
I’ve been trying to perfect poached eggs, Vincent Price style, throughout my holiday week. We always treat ourselves to stonking great big brunches when we are in Mersea, like this: So every day I’ve been experimenting with Vincent’s method of boiling eggs for 10 seconds before poaching in a whirlpool of water with a tablespoon...
Surprise hit recipe! Ohhh, this was so good! It’s so nice when a recipe comes along, that doesn’t look much on paper but turns out to be a winner. So it was with this one. The fish was superb, bought fresh from the sea from the fishermen that caught it, off the coast of Mersea...
You know that you aren’t in London any more, when you are sitting in a pub garden and you hear someone say: “My horse loves Quavers.” Then you turn around, and there are two Shetland Ponies having an afternoon out at the boozer. I’d totally forgotten I was wearing a cowboy hat until some geezer...
It’s my fave cooking experiment of the year. It’s the PIEATHALON! The genius that is Yinzerella, who is maitre d’ of Dinner Is Served 1972, hosts this brilliant cookalong where weird pie recipes are swapped amongst a group of bloggers worldwide, and we all report our successes or failures. I was excited to get my...
My two best friends are Cathy – an excellent cook and proprietress of the Battenburg Belle cooking blog – and Heather, who has no interest in cooking whatsoever. At least, she professes to have no interest in cooking, I don’t quite believe it. Last Saturday afternoon she came up from Hove and while I was pottering around...
This is probably the BEST movie star chocolate cake recipe ever, BUT, a word of warning, do not think you can get up early to make this, and still get into work on time. That is not going to happen. Our much beloved work colleague Luke resigned recently, much to everyone’s shock, and has gone...
Although I started this blog 10 years ago on 14th May 2006, I didn’t actually COOK anything until the 22nd May. The first film star recipe I ever made? Drum roll please… Bette Davis’ Baked Beans. These will be on my wish-list next time Caroline Frick pops over from Texas… I remember that day 10...
Silver Screen Suppers is TEN YEARS OLD. Jeepers! To celebrate, I’ve selected my favourite 50 film star recipes. Ooh, this was tough, but FUN. When I started this project I was living on a houseboat on the Thames with a tabletop oven that had to be turned on with a pair of pliers. You can...
Mmm. This was really tasty. Sometimes you can look at the ingredients in a recipe and be fairly sure it’s going to be a hit. Such it is with Audrey’s pasta sauce. Butter, onion, tomato puree, vodka, Parmesan… It’s going to be good isn’t it? And it is. I love the book this recipe is...
Turns out that Mr R has never eaten lobster either. What are we like? Such ingenues. I had some fresh lobster left over from Ray Milland’s Lobster Salad so I thought, oooohhhhh! Shera’s Stuffed Peppers. I’ve been meaning to try this recipe for ages. We had these on Saturday night and they were REALLY GOOD....
This won me second prize at the recent Muswell Hill and District Horticultural Society Spring Show in the quiche category, so it’s not just Mr R and myself who think it is delicious! It’s Anne’s seasonings that makes it so good… Guaranteed to please. 1 pie crust for 9-inch pie 8 oz Switzerland swiss cheese...
I have never eaten lobster before. I’ve always thought of it as being a big prawn. And I’m not mad on prawns so why would I like lobster? But anyhow, Ray Milland’s Lobster Salad is on the test cooking schedule for the Columbo Cookbook so I had to try it! Battenburg Belle was game to...
I wanted to make a batch of Johnny’s Chilli as close as I could to his recipe, using spices readily available here in the UK. My chums Heather and Nathan were kind enough to bring me back some McCormick’s Chilli seasoning the last time they were in the States. So I made a batch of...
My 6 day writing retreat has come to an end. Oh, it was so lovely! I’ve got Columbo coming out of my ears… I decided that as I was out of my own environment, it was a good chance for me to take a break from some bad habits. So I didn’t have any booze...
What a perfect spinster’s supper! Janet is now one of my favourite stars, as her recipe is FOR ONE! I just love it when I stumble upon a recipe that stipulates “Serves 1”, the most notable being Vincent Price’s Chicken in Pineapple. This usually means no leftovers, and nothing to go in the frozen...
The lovely Peter Fuller has a fabulous new Vincent Price website and he asked me to write something about the glorious TV show that is Cooking Price-Wise, the series that my food hero presented on British TV in the 1970s. It was a really fun article to write, and for it, I cooked one of...
It’s day one of my writing retreat. I will be totally on my own with nobody to speak to except this cat for 6 days. Luckily, Milky is a Columbo fan, as it’s all about Columbo this week. Today, I had to extend my arms as long as I possibly could in order to...
Oh this was so good! Almost as good as a Bird’s Eye Potato Waffle – ha ha! I had some leftover stuffing in the freezer so I mixed it up with a beaten egg and bunged it in the waffle maker. It was utterly delicious. I am sad that that’s the last of the stuffing,...
I hope that you all had a fabulous Easter. I sure did. Lots and lots and lots of food. Plus lots and lots and lots of drinking. A diet therefore ensues… Until then, here’s a link to the loveliness that is the Bibelot Magazine. I’ve done a little piece about Priscilla Lane’s Popcorn Balls and...
Good fodder! You can’t go wrong with a Wiener Schnitzel can you?! This was GOOD! I liked the garnish of beetroot, capers, lemon and anchovies very much indeed. I found an index card knocking around my flat the other day. Written on it in a drunken scrawl was the following: He was a bit...
Yum! Garlic-y and herby-y and love-ly. Easy too. Forgot to take a photo of it when cooked, here it is marinating: Recipe at the bottom of this post… Taryn of Retro Food for Modern Times asked me how my haggis pizza turned out on Burns Night, so here’s a pic: The one I made last year...
Ah, lovely! I had two bananas left over from the Vincent Price Bounty of Paradise dinner party because I forgot to add them to the pork chops main course. So you know what happens when you have two bananas lying around the place over-ripening by the minute…? Banana Nut Bread! I made this almost exactly...
When Vincent Price expert Peter Fuller comes round for lunch, it has GOT to be a menu from the Master of Menace himself. We had a brilliant afternoon sampling delights from Vincent’s International Cooking Course LP… Bounty of Paradise – Polynesian food! We got into the Polynesian mood… First up was Steak Teriyaki with Peanut...
