When I went for dinner chez my chum Cathy (aka Battenburg Belle of Kitchen Confidence) for the first time since the pandemic began, I was thrilled that she was cooking up a marinara sauce to a Stanley Tucci recipe. I am mildly obsessed with Stanley Tucci and I was excited to find out that Cathy...
During the pandemic, with more kitchen hours at my disposal, I began working on my fear of cooking fish. Who knew it was so easy? Well, it’s easy when the recipes are good. Which this one was. So simple, and so delicious. Jane Alexander has co-written a whole fish cookbook. Wowzer! This is now in...
I couldn’t resist trying a recipe from the kitchen of Linda Gray. If only as an excuse to bung up a picture of one of the best evenings of my life. In Portugal. Hitting hundreds of people on the head with plastic hammers. What a night! I loved that Sue Ellen T-shirt. Goodness knows what...
The Jon Pertwee Spaghetti Flan still brings me great joy. Thinking about the fun I had cooking it with my friend Jan of Saucy Seventies Adventures several weeks ago still tickles me and there was a knock-on recipe, if there is such a phrase as a knock-on recipe? Well, I’m sure you know what I...
This is probably the simplest recipe yet in 15 years of writing about movie star recipes (I’m not counting the Dean Martin Burger). I am as pleased as punch that I discovered some shortcuts for making Donald’s curry that meant even though I was SMASHED on beer after an afternoon at the pub with Mr...
I had such a fun time hanging out on zoom with three fellow movie star recipe obsessives a few Sundays ago. Karie Bible of the lovely Hollywood Kitchen Show gathered myself, Fritzi Kramer of Movies Silently and Samantha Ellis of Musings of a Classic Film Addict together for the first in a series of guacamole...
My Murder, She Wrote related Substack is now monthly and the February edition neatly kicked off my episode guides for series two. I love Jessica’s appearance at the beginning, all dolled up in a turban and pearls! Cyd Charisse is in this episode too, and the companion recipe to the show is her Mother’s South...
This recipe is destined for the Murder, She Cooked book as David Birney pops up in four episodes. When interviewed by food writer Johna Blinn, David admitted that he was no great shakes in the kitchen and offered up this recipe from his wife, actress Meredith Baxter. I wish I hadn’t googled David Birney and...
Jenny Agutter waving her knickers on a stick at an oncoming train is one of my earliest movie memories. I think I must have been taken to the cinema to see The Railway Children when it came out (that’s how old I am) and that’s the scene I remember most. I am going to check...
It’s been a tradition for me to throw a birthday dinner for my beloved Battenburg Belle for many moons but we have missed two years due to RULES so I loved, loved, loved being able to do it this year. The big hit of the night was Fionnula Flanagan’s curry, which sounds weird but is...
Four years ago today my Columbo cookbook was put out into the world. Writing this was so much fun and it has brought me huge joy ever since. The thing that makes me most happy is knowing that people all around the world are cooking from it. For example, Missy Tassels in Sheffield had a...
This recipe has been hanging around on the Murder, She Cooked test cooking list for a lonnnnnng time. A few people volunteered to have a go at it, and then declined once they realised that liver was involved. No problem for me though, I love liver! I approached this recipe with gusto and it was...
A conversation with a colleague way back in November reminded me of my pledge in 2017 that I would ALWAYS make a Jack Cassidy Quicky Green Bean Casserole for Thanksgiving. As I had a spare evening on my hands on the last Thursday in November, I decided to make one just for me, myself and...
Oh what a fun time I had appearing as a guest on Karie Bible’s lovely Hollywood Kitchen Show last Sunday. Karie had invited myself and my co-writer Peter to speak about our Vincent Price cookbook and to make Dolores Del Rio’s Enchiladas and Vincent Price’s Mexican Creamed Corn (scroll to the bottom of the post...
Those of you of a certain age will no doubt already be reminiscing about the good old days of Coronation Street when Betty Williams (played by Betty Driver) worked behind the bar of the Rover’s Return. Her hotpot was always on the menu and Betty became known as “the hotpot Queen”. For those not […]
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Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. This is a simple but very tasty baked chicken recipe. It doesn’t look much on paper, but often these “ye olden dayes” recipes are like that. I made a small version of this as dinner-for-deux and we wolfed it down! Although Carroll’s recipe doesn’t specify, I decided to get skin on...
Here are links to all the recipes that featured on my weekly Murder, She Cooked Substack in January. I’m not going to duplicate them on the Silver Screen Suppers blog, so if you are interested in the recipes, just click on the appropriate link. Martha Raye’s Chicken Livers en Brochette Joey Bishop’s Make-Me-That-Potato-Jazz Kathleen Beller’s...
For the 3rd of the Heinz 57 extravaganzas, I had a fun cookalong with Jan Manthey – winner of the Vincent Price Cucumber Crocodile competition, cult film director extraordinaire, author and one of the frontmen of The Dylan Rabbit. Jan runs the most excellent Saucy Seventies Adventures Twitter account (18K followers and counting) and we...
When I published Edie’s ham recipe in my Murder, She Cooked Substack entry for the Capitol Offense episode, I was absolutely thrilled when someone special spotted the above pic on Instagram. Her son, Josh! He sent the following message, “Mom was NOT a good cook. Chili and pasta were her specialities. Everything else was suspect...
Here’s a suggestion of a beverage to accompany Gene Tierney’s Leaning Tower of Tuna (aka Tuna Salad Royal). A refreshing glass of V-8. I stumbled across a V-8 ad featuring Gene whilst writing the previous post and that of course, sent me down a huge research rabbit hole. I found two different ones for Gene…...
When I have a big tomato hanging around the place I am often compelled to do this to it… This dish was proposed in an advertisement for Star-Kist Tuna and I always think of it as Gene Tierney’s Leaning Tower of Tuna… I love the fanciful nature of this dish and sometimes fantasise about surprising...
More or less as soon as we were able to venture out into the world again after the first pandemic lockdown we got back on the trail of The Great Bear. Stop #15 was Hendon Central aka Katharine Hepburn in the world of Simon Patterson. We set off there, in masks, to continue with our...
Yum. What more can I say? So easy, so delicious. Kate, after the disaster of your meatloaf, you have redeemed yourself! Kate is in 3 episodes of Murder, She Wrote and I’m not sure which episode this recipe will be attached to in the Murder, She Cooked book but it is definitely going in! Kate...
It is hard to find the source of the much bandied around factoid that Marlene Dietrich’s favourite meal was hot dogs and champagne. If anyone knows for sure when or where she said it I would love to know. But it’s a good foodie fact, even if I can’t actually verify it, so I am...
I am sailing into 2022 with optimism! It’s a while since we’ve had a sweet treat as the recipe of the month, so I thought I would kick off the new year with one. These little biccies are so easy to make and soooooo delicious. I made a batch of these for a very special...
Here are links to all the recipes that featured on my weekly Murder, She Cooked Substack throughout November and December. I’m not going to duplicate them on the Silver Screen Suppers blog, so if you are interested in the recipes, just click on the appropriate link. Edie Adams Boiled Ham and Vegetables Edie Milton Berle’s...
When I had my friend Ben round for dinner once, I asked beforehand if there was anything he didn’t eat. His answer was, “metal.” He’s my kind of man, as is William. There’s nothing he won’t eat, apparently. On the day before travelling to my mum’s for a family Christmas that I didn’t think would...
I am pleased to announce the three winners of the Vincent Price Cucumber Crocodile competition. Victoria Price was just delighted to see all of the entries and wrote, “OH MY GOD! These are so great. . .” Haha, indeed they are, for all the entries skip over here, and for Vincent’s instructions on how to...
I do love a recipe with a weird title, and this one was rustled up on One Cold British Night to much acclaim. I had a DINNER GUEST. This is such a rare occurrence in pandemic times that I was excited for days beforehand. There is a feeling here in the UK at the moment...
I had LOTS of ham left over from the Marsha Hunt Ham – With Love recipe and whenever this happens my thoughts turn to Andy’s casserole. It’s not a casserole as we Brits would know it, and it doesn’t look much on paper but it is absolutely delicious. There’s surely a name for recipes that...
Fancy a boozy breakfast? I can recommend this bonkers recipe. I do so love a recipe with a weird title and Marsha is in Murder, She Wrote so this was a MUST for the forthcoming Murder, She Cooked book. I also love a recipe that is effectively a menu too. Everything on the above plate...
I just LOVED receiving photographs of the cucumber crocodiles made for the Supper with the Stars book launch competition. It really brought me great, great joy! Here are a couple of photos by Sue Foll of my cucumber croc demo at the book launch (yes, I dyed mini pickled onions red and green) and there...
To avoid making the same mistake I made with Ob’s Chicken, I am writing this up very soon after making it. It was slightly weird, but good nevertheless! When I have something that needs testing for the Murder, She Cooked book and there is something ODD about the recipe, I prefer to pluck it from...
I am very lucky that my other half, Mr Rathbone, is an excellent proofreader. He’s been kindly reading through all my Murder, She Cooked Substack posts before I send them out into the world and always has brilliant suggestions for tweaks that make my writing much better. At the bus stop on Sunday, he said...
Seitan has been on my radar for a couple of years but I had never eaten it before making this dish. I knew it was getting groovy in the vegan world and good marketing has given me a Pavlovian response to the word seitan. Every time I see it, I automatically think TEMPLE OF SEITAN...
Here are links to all the recipes that featured on my weekly Murder, She Cooked Substack throughout October. I’m not going to duplicate them on the Silver Screen Suppers blog, so if you are interested in the recipes, just click on the appropriate link. June Allyson’s Beef Stew James Coco’s Baked Eggplant William Conrad’s Salmon...
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 planning. And so it was with Shelley’s....
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...
The book is out and it is GORGEOUS! We just couldn’t be prouder of it. Peter has done an amazing job with all the film reviews and co-star biographies. He had a great vision for how the book would look and he’s totally made that happen. Ben Wickey‘s illustrations are stupendous and David Read has...
When Mr R suggested we watch Tales from the Crypt for our Halloween movie, I went straight to the spreadsheet to see what I had that would be appropriate. Luckily my pal Greg over at Recipes For Rebels included Joan Collins’ recipe for Spaghetti Bolognese in his brilliant book. As Mr R carved his best...
Yinzerella of Dinner Is Served 1972 made a Mahogany Pie for this year’s Pieathalon and her blog post included some sensational clips of a movie I’d never seen. Mahogany starring Diana Ross. Just one look at these gifs convinced me I had to get hold of it on DVD. I knew Mr R was a...
For the third Hammer-Amicus Blogathon I thought it would be fun to give everyone a sneaky peak of some of the forthcoming Vincent Price cookbook. In 2018 my co-writer Peter and I collaborated on a piece about Scream and Scream Again for Gill and Barry’s first Hammer-Amicus Blogathon and this has now morphed into an...
Here are links to all the recipes that featured on my weekly Murder, She Cooked Substack throughout September. I’m not going to duplicate them on the Silver Screen Suppers blog, so if you are interested in the recipes, just click on the appropriate link. Claude Akin’s Barbecued Honeyed Orange Chicken Martin Landau’s Jerk Beef Steak...
The news that Melbourne are coming out of lockdown on Friday received a little squeak of excitement here in London. My chum Taryn of Retro Food For Modern Times will be released into the world after 6 lockdowns totalling 262 days since March 2020. I expect her to go WILD and party like it is...
Bo’s Cheese Pies, like Bo herself, are very photogenic… and we had a fun zip out to Colindale on a very windy day in February 2020 in order to scoff one on a tube station platform. Bo’s recipe makes a big pie but I decided to make little ones, much easier to transport. This was...
To celebrate the launch of the Vincent Price cookbook I’m running a cucumber crocodile competition. All you have to do is make one of these beauties and send me a photo or tag me on Instagram by November 1st. Photos of your crocs will be judged by Victoria Price, Vincent’s daughter. Here’s Vincent’s “recipe” from...
Please note, I am not a fan of Brigitte’s politics, but I am a fan of her artichoke recipe… Aren’t artichokes things of great beauty? Scary to cook though eh? I love them but I rarely cook them as they are DAUNTING. If you feel the same way as me, then read on, because this...
HALLOWEEEEEEEEEEEN is coming! That’s always a favourite time of year here at Silver Screen Suppers Towers. I haven’t decided on the menu yet, but I may well include this as a side dish because I LOVE IT. Who doesn’t love cheesy potatoes? This really is a super simple thing to make, it’s got ingredients that...
What can I tell you about the Great Bear escapade we undertook in August 2019? Not much! My memory has been scrubbed clean since then due to various life events and the global pandemic, but at least I have photographs to remind me that we did do it! My hair has grown to about 1,000x...
For all you Peter Falk fans, I thought I would gather together photos of all of his favourite recipes in one post. All these recipes are featured in the Cooking With Columbo book. Signed copies are available via my Etsy shop Otherwise you can order the book from your local bookshop or get it directly...
Have you ever made a cucumber crocodile? If not, now is the time! To celebrate the launch of Supper with the Stars we are having a party! Visit Peter’s website for details – everyone welcome! I really hope to see some of you there, it’s going to be such a blast. Also, I am running...
Do you ever order groceries online? Do you ever put loads of delicious looking things in your shopping basket, then have a rethink and think, “I am but one human being, living alone, I must be sensible”? and take lots of them out? Have you ever then totally forgotten to check out properly and had...
Ah, Pieathalon! The only time of year I write about a recipe that isn’t movie star-related. How can I make this relevant to my readers who come here for movie star fodder I wonder? I’ll think of something. But first, do you want to hear what happens when you mix together bitter chocolate and mayonnaise?...
I have a new shiny thing! I am sending out a weekly Murder, She Cooked missive via Substack. Each week there is a little write-up about an episode of Murder, She Wrote with screengrabs from the show and an appropriate recipe from one of the stars who appeared in it. For the pilot episode, it...
This recipe comes as part of a pair with David Niven’s Jansson’s Temptation really. Because whenever I buy delicious marinated anchovies from Ocado to make my #98 dish in the top 100 movie star recipes countdown… M&S always seems to be offering a 3 for £7 deal on their delicious little bits and bobs range...
Greetings if you have landed here via Only Murders In the Inbox! The Murder, She Cooked book is now out in the world and available on Amazon or direct from me via my Etsy Shop. Greetings to all who have landed here via the wondrousness that is Tim Benzie’s Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote you have found exactly the...
Well, my work on the Vincent Price cookbook is done! I delivered all the final tweaks to my co-writer Peter Fuller yesterday and as we must celebrate all the wins these days, fashioned myself a little cocktail. This cocktail featured in an advertising campaign for Angostura bitters fronted by Vincent. “Over ice, stir 2/3 any...
I don’t think I have ever republished an old post, but I was sad to hear yesterday that Una Stubbs had passed and I remembered this one about her muesli recipe. First published in 2019. There are some combinations of words that are nice to say together and for me, Una’s Muesli is one of...
I have never barbecued anything. I am a BBQ virgin. I have the coals, firelighters, and wood and there are three barbecues in my communal garden but I guess I am SCARED of barbecuing. I planned to brave it and have a barbecue last week with my chums Becky and Cathy then I chickened out,...
Greg of Recipes For Rebels has excelled himself this year for his Cowboy Day Cook-along. Remember the scene in Giant (1956) where Elizabeth Taylor faints when she’s served a big spoonful of roasted cow’s head at a BBQ? Actually, I don’t know if it’s a spoonful of cow’s head or something else and it is...
Do you have a bottle of Angostura Bitters hanging around in your cocktail cabinet? You bought it for some tipple or another years ago, and it now just sits there, unloved? Most of us do. Luckily, Vincent Price was involved in an ad campaign that featured recipes containing this magic elixir. Use it up and...
I had such fun doing my first ever Instagram Live with my Guild of Film Writers chum Bruce McMichael tonight. We were talking about the book Nobs and Nosh which contains thoughts from many movie stars about food, and a few recipes. I made one of them, the Donald Pleasence Prawn Curry while we chatted....
I had a lovely surprise recently when I went to Jan and Diana’s house to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary. Jan had made some baked potatoes using the Farley Granger recipe I’d featured on the blog way back in pre-pandemic days – little miniature ones! He told me that he has made this recipe a...
You know how one thing leads to another? I went on a stupendous rabbit hole research expedition after writing about Keith Michell’s Avocado With Sauerkraut Dressing last week. My googling to find out if avocado and sauerkraut was a “thing” (it is) led me to the discovery that Cameron Diaz is quite a whizz in...
After two disastrous Keith Michell cooking escapades and one that was a borderline fail, he has redeemed himself with this genius way of serving an avocado. This cute little entity has become something that I crave on a regular basis. It’s a lovely working-from-home-lunch and good for all you vegans out there too! You will...
I have discovered three big things about myself during the global pandemic. 1) That I love to play drums 2) that the LWS Writers’ Hour is an absolutely magical place where creativity and friendships blossom – it’s international and free folks! 3) that much joy is to be had getting out of bed early on...
When I heard that two cookbooks owned by Marilyn Monroe were up for auction (thank-you Di and Amy for the tip-offs) I immediately went down an enormous rabbit hole of research. I was here, there, and everywhere in the Google Machine finding out what time the auction was, what was included in the lots, and...
“My wife makes a simple little thing called Jansson’s Temptation that’s terribly good. It’s nothing more than a potato and onion thing done in cream…” the suave David Niven told food writer Johna Blinn in 1967. I agree with David 100%. This dish is indeed terribly good. I suppose that it should really be known...
Crikey, I had to get in the time machine and travel back to May 2019 to find the photos of this trip me and Mr R took to Edgware with an egg. It would have been madness to try and eat a Rip Torn Omelet Mexicali on a tube station platform (cold omelet? No thanks)...
It’s a momentous day! I have just emailed the final recipe verdict for the Supper With The Stars book to my co-writer Peter. Yippee. 52 films written about, 104 recipes tweaked, 104 verdicts delivered. Vincent’s kedgeree was the last recipe I tested for the book and the whole project feels like a massive achievement. I...
I needed some French Dressing for a Diana Dors Artichoke Bean Bowl and I was slightly concerned that Donald’s dressing would usurp the Angela Lansbury Mustard Vinaigrette in my affections but although it was good, Angela’s dressing is more to my taste. I think this is because I am a vinegar head. I realise now...
This recipe looms large in my legend as it is the first thing I cooked for Mr Rathbone. We met in 2013 on a blind date set up by my neighbour Chloe. We hadn’t seen photos of each other, and I had absolutely no idea what he would look like. A match not arranged by...
