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 hereby give myself a pat on the back.

The book is scheduled for publication in October this year, so to keep up with news about it you can sign up to Peter’s mailing list here.  To illustrate the book there will be photographs and ephemera from Peter’s extensive collection, plus fabulous illustrations by Ben Wickey

It’s going to be AWESOME!

Keep your eyes peeled here on the blog for the announcement of something I am planning around book launch time.  A CUCUMBER CROCODILE COMPETITION.  Oh yes my friends. Get ready to put all your creative energy into making a prize-winning Cucumber Crocodile!  Here’s some I made earlier…

When I saw that Vincent’s kedgeree was cooked in a ring-mould (or ring-mold with no u if you are in the USA), I was the first with my hand up to test it.  Because I LOVE things made in a ring-mould. In fact, the ring-mould looms large in the Supper With The Stars cookbook legend.

The idea for the book was hatched when Peter and Olivier came round for lunch way back in 2016.  I made a couple of dishes proposed by Vincent on his Bounty of Paradise LP (Steak Teriyaki With Peanut Sauce and Pineapple Glazed Double Pork Chops with Shrimp Fried Rice) plus some Pineapple Nut Bread from the Treasury

Something magical happened in the kitchen as Peter browsed through my movie-star related cookbooks.  We decided that his encyclopaedic knowledge about Vincent’s films, and my encyclopaedic knowledge about his recipes (and those of him many co*stars) would make a brilliant book!

Writing work began slowly as Peter and I were both busy with other projects, but we put the word out that we were looking for test cooks in August 2019, and in January 2020 we had an enormous brain storming session over a very boozy Vincent Price meal.  Peter brought over some Vincent Price Black Cat ale

I made Vincent’s legendary Coq au Vin (you can just about see the flaming brandy in this pic)

accompanied by his Ring Mould of Peas With Artichoke Hearts.

I kept calling this  a pea-ring for my own amusement.

Mr R made a great joke about Pee-Wee Herman which I wrote down but now can’t find.  I think it was something along these lines.

Q: Where does Pee-wee Herman keep his keys?

A: On a Pee-ring.

We each had a Coeur a la Creme for pud.

What a feast!

But it was when lockdown began that Peter and I got our skates on with the writing.  Most of my work on the book has been done during the pandemic and Peter has been working on the design and layout as well as the movie star bios and film critiques.  There’s still some fiddly bits of work to be done, but today feels like a day to celebrate a sense of completion.   99.9% of my contribution is done. The kedgeree test cooking felt like coming in a full circle, especially as it WAS a full circle!

Not super-photogenic with the curry sauce but utterly delicious!

I realise that a ring-mould is not something most people have in their kitchen cupboards but if you spot one at a garage sale or in a charity shop I say BUY IT.  Then you can make a kedgeree-ring or a pea-ring or some other kind of weird 1970s buffet fodder type ring.  I’ve got my eye on an Olivia de Havilland recipe for a Baked Carrot Ring With Peas which I can only imagine will look a bit like this…

My ring-mould is pyrex and my mum gave it to me when she was having a clear-out. Here’s one on eBay that’s exactly the same – only £12.50!

I’m sure that you could make Vincent’s kedgeree in a bowl rather than a ring-mould but it wouldn’t be quite as fun would it?!

I’m sharing the pea-ring recipe here too.  Vincent’s Kedgeree, Coq au Vin and Couer a la Creme recipes will all be in Suppers With The Stars but I felt this one was a little too weird for the book.  Not too weird for you lot though!

Happy ring-moulding!

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