Old Hollywood Kitchen: Celeste Holm

With the warmer weather upon us, what better time for an entree incorporating a touch of fruit?

Celeste Holm's Chicken Montmorency

1 chicken, cut for frying
Butter
1 can dark, sweet cherries
Cornstarch for thickening
Sherry (optional)

One hurdle to clear in gathering the ingredients: canned dark cherries are tough to find in my area. Aside from fresh picked, the only other widely available options are canned pie filling and maraschino cherries. No way.

Luckily I found something better! Sour cherries are more accurate to the traditional dish and add a refreshing tartness, whereas the canned cherries would have been cloyingly sweet.

I can recommend this recipe on ease of preparation alone. Served with wild rice per Holm's suggestion, and without the sherry, it's an enticing mix of flavors and textures; the tang of the sour cherries plays well against the dark meat of the chicken thighs I used. Many of the recipes in these cookbooks call for the use of a whole chicken; if you're only cooking for one or two people, it's easier to use smaller cuts of meat. It may also require some tweaking of ingredient proportions, usually a simple task (unless you're giving Joan Blondell's Sunday Night Special a whirl). I plan to make this again very soon, the perfect summertime sustenance.

Celeste Holm was in numerous supporting roles over the course of her film career, but my pick this time around is 1948's Road House, which also boasts fine performances from Richard Widmark and a singing(!) Ida Lupino. Road House was screened at the 2nd Nitrate Picture Show, which was before I began attending the festival. Fingers crossed that it gets an encore screening someday!

Old Hollywood Kitchen: Glenda Farrell

For the first time in the Old Hollywood Kitchen we have a repeat celebrity, the wonderful Glenda Farrell. This is a recipe I've had tucked away for the right occasion, as mentioned in a previous post. When St. Patrick's Day rolled around last Sunday, her Irish Beef Stew was a natural choice.

Glenda Farrell's Irish Beef Stew

Meat mixture:

3/4 lb. round steak

1 cup carrots

1 cup potatoes

1 cup celery

1 tbsp. parsley

1 cup onion

1 cup beef suet (I omitted)

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

Biscuit dough:

3 cups flour

3/4 tsp. salt

*3 tsp. baking powder

3 tbsp. shortening

1 cup milk

*Note that the instructions state to sift in 6 tsp. of baking powder. I'd stick with the 3 tsp. instead, though you'll see shortly that there were other problems...

This one started out easy enough. I rounded out the meat and vegetable mixture with Worchestershire sauce and black garlic powder seasoning to stave off potential blandness. I didn't substitute anything for the beef suet, and I'm wondering if 1 cup of beef or vegetable broth would have benefited the proceedings.

This is when the worry sank in.

No matter, as the biscuit dough tested both my limited skills and patience. I sifted and mixed the ingredients as directed, but the "dough" was too dry to hold together. I splashed in a tiny bit more milk...and it got so much worse. Nothing but a gluey mess to contend with and try to form into a reasonable facsimile of pie crust. Truly an amateur hour, I forgot to flour my countertop before rolling out the dough, and so resigned myself to patting sticky globs of dough at the bottom of the casserole dish and over the top of the meat mixture without attempting to balance the dough with flour (and possibly more milk). I'd had enough. I waved the white flag.

Not ready for primetime.

As with many of these older recipes, it was done in less time than specified (only needed 45 minutes of the hour). The taste test yielded no surprises: flavorful meat and crisp vegetables, buried beneath (alternately crunchy and tacky) dough that you could use to grout tile. Doubtful I will attempt this again anytime soon, not at least until I get a better handle on making biscuits. The failure here is my own, but I'm looking onward and upward. At least we'll always have that fine Devil's Food Cake.

I've recommended several of Glenda Farrell's films in her previous post, but to end on a positive note, I'll keep with the theme and highlight a short film I watched on St. Patrick's Day, the enjoyably spooky Return to Glennascaul, featuring Orson Welles, golden timbre and all, and an unusual old house in Ireland. More recipe tests forthcoming, and I guarantee more favorable results.

Old Hollywood Kitchen: Joan Blondell

The last installment of Old Hollywood Kitchen featured my beloved Glenda Farrell, so it only makes sense to follow with one of her closest friends, the equally wisecracking Joan Blondell.

Joan Blondell's Sunday Night Special
4 cans tomato sauce
4 lbs. ground beef
1 1/2 cups green peppers, chopped
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2 cans corn (easier to use 1 15.25 oz. can and 1 8.75 oz. can)
1 cup onion, chopped
1 lb. shredded cheese (not specified, I used cheddar)
3 boxes pasta (again, not specified, I used macaroni)

A caveat right up front: this makes SO MUCH FOOD. I quartered the recipe and still had way too much pasta, then had to use two cans of tomato sauce as one wasn't enough to cover the dish.

Brought to you by Hideous Formica.

The "finished" product:

The concept is good and the flavors are almost there, but this is going to take some serious reworking of proportions. My biggest failure of these recipe tests thus far, but not a total loss; I'm definitely going to give this another try and will share my version here once I get it right.

It's fitting to wrap up 2018 with Joan Blondell as I spent Christmas morning watching her team up with Katharine Hepburn in Desk Set. Dated in (mostly) entertaining ways, it's a fun film for the holidays; if you're not keen, I can always recommend peak Blondell in any of her Busby Berkeley outings, particularly Gold Diggers of 1933 ("Remember My Forgotten Man" has me in tears every time). There's also her numerous pairings with Farrell, natch, my favorite of them being Havana Widows. Here's to more great food, films and fun in 2019!

Speaking of Katharine Hepburn, here's a little bonus! Her brownie recipe has been floating around the internet and I finally decided to give it a try:

Very easy to make for a relative novice like me, and with a satisfying fudgy chewiness to boot. They're too rich and dense for me to want to make on a regular basis, but will be a great recipe for future use if I need to whip up a quick dessert.

Old Hollywood Kitchen: Glenda Farrell

When I began my search for these vintage recipes, there was one star I had always hoped to find. Once I picked up a copy of What Actors Eat When They Eat, I was thrilled to see that Glenda Farrell was featured in the collection, having had no previous luck turning up one of her recipes. I plan to make that recipe sometime this winter as it's best suited for cold weather. What a pleasant surprise to chance upon another vintage cookbook, Famous Stars Favorite Foods, and flip to this page:

Glenda Farrell's Devil's Food Cake

3 squares chocolate, melted
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 3/4 cups cake flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

I'm growing in confidence with my cooking, but baking is still largely a nerve-wracking affair. I halved the recipe for a two-layer cake, and it turned out fine though a bit on the dry side. I'm not sure what the recipe might need to add some moisture, but it's simple enough to lend itself to experimentation. I also substituted an oil and cocoa powder mixture for the chocolate since I don't keep baking chocolate around.

Topped with a simple buttercream frosting, it's just the way to satisfy that cake craving. I first baked this for Glenda's birthday back in June to complement a marathon of her films. If you haven't yet experienced her acting, any of her Warner Brothers features would be a good start, particularly the one that brought her Torchy Blane to acclaim: 1936's Smart Blonde. You can also tune in to TCM every Monday in November to celebrate her reign as Star of the Month. Long may she rule.

Old Hollywood Kitchen: Eleanor Powell

One of my goals in exploring these vintage recipes is to find successes that will become mainstays in my kitchen. I'm so enamored with today's recipe that I've already prepared it several times since my initial test...

Eleanor Powell's Beef and Beans (Cantonese Style)

1 lb. flank steak

2 1/2 lbs. string beans

3 large onions

1 bottle soy sauce

1/2 lb. lard or olive oil (olive oil is preferable here)

Salt and pepper to taste

The recipe as written yields 4 hearty portions, but I cut the recipe in half. It can take a while to trim down the green beans (in the full recipe I used about 2 lbs. of beans instead of 2 1/2), but you can save time by sauteing the beans and onions together; cooking them separately creates excess liquid and is an altogether unnecessary step. I also use garlic salt or garlic powder to season the beef, complementing the richness of the olive oil and soy sauce beautifully.

In Eleanor Powell's own words, "this dish is crisp and tender and served with steamed rice and tea makes a delicious and different dinner", and it certainly fits the bill of the "strength giving food" she she sought out. The green beans soak up the flavor nicely, and the steamed rice makes it lighter than your typical stir fry. Best of all, the leftovers are just as satisfying as when freshly cooked. Highly, highly recommended.

The only downside of this recipe is that it doesn't impart any of Powell's great dancing ability (oh, I wish!). However, you can't go wrong with any of her films if you want to see her skills on display. My pick this time around is Broadway Melody of 1940, her only collaboration (sadly) with Fred Astaire. Powell and Astaire are as perfectly matched as the beef and beans, a fine pairing for dinner and a movie.

Old Hollywood Kitchen: Helen Twelvetrees and Irene Delroy

I have a pair of recipe reports today! I usually pick up avocados when they're on sale, and when the craving for guacamole struck, it was time to test out this simplified version:

Helen Twelvetrees' Wakimoli Salad

2 avocados

1/2 onion, chopped fine

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon salt (omitted)

Few grains pepper (omitted- I'm not a fan of black pepper)

Dash paprika

Head of lettuce (for presentation)

Crackers (tortilla chips are a better option here)

Guacamole was not as ubiquitous in the 1930s as it is today, and it's interesting to test one that functions more like a dip. Unfortunately, the full cup (!) of mayonnaise drowned out the velvety avocado and crisp onion, and left it too runny to be satisfying. It's worth another try, cutting back on the mayonnaise (and perhaps adding some diced tomato), but no substitute for the real deal.

The second recipe, however, was a success.

Irene Delroy's Heavenly Hash

2 cups hot milk
3 tablespoons uncooked rice
2 eggs, separated
Few grains salt (optional)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup black walnut meats
1/2 cup whipping cream (topping)

As I don't have a double boiler, I just heated the milk and rice in a saucepan, which took only 40 minutes. I was worried that either the rice would be underdone or the milk would evaporate, but checking on the rice periodically ensures that everything cooks properly. I was also unable to locate black walnuts, which have a very strong flavor, so I used regular chopped walnuts. 

It isn't until you add the vanilla that the hash starts to feel like a dessert. Very hearty and satisfying, with the vanilla lending a subtle sweetness. Next time I'll have to toast the walnuts to bring out their flavor, as they do get lost in the mix. A fine dessert for the colder months.

Normally I recommend a film by the author of each recipe I test, but Irene Delroy has a brief filmography and I've yet to see any of her work; the only Helen Twelvetrees film I've seen is Millie, though my memory of that is faint at best. I have a few more recipe tests under my belt, to be shared soon. Stay tuned.

Old Hollywood Kitchen: Mary Carlisle

In my quest to build culinary skills via vintage recipes, I have found a new ally: What Actors Eat When They Eat, compiled by actors Rex Lease and Kenneth Harlan and published in 1939.

More substantial than Favorite Recipes of the Movie Stars, I've been overwhelmed when trying to pick out test recipes. Several hearty soups, chilis, sauces, and rice dishes up for contention. Thankfully I found relief in a simple beverage recipe from Mary Carlisle, who is still going strong at the age of 104(!).

Mary Carlisle's Cafe Froid (serves 2)

1 cup cold coffee

3 tablespoons ice cream (no flavor specified- I used French vanilla)

Ginger ale (one 7.5 oz. can was sufficient for two servings)

Mix the cold coffee and ice cream in a bowl (better if you let the ice cream soften a bit) using either a whisk or a hand mixer, which creates a frothier texture. Pour the mixture into glasses and top off with the ginger ale.

At first I was wary of the ginger ale/coffee combination; it's unusual but surprisingly refreshing. I'll give it another try in the warmer weather as a pick-me-up. 

Plenty of recipes to choose from for my next test, but until then, why not raise a Cafe Froid toast to Mary Carlisle and enjoy 1935's One Frightened Night, a fun "spooky house" film in the vein of the previously-recommended The Cat and the Canary. Mary is a highlight even among a solid supporting cast, and the film is readily available online as it is in the public domain. 

Old Hollywood Kitchen: Laura La Plante

One of my goals for the new year (and beyond) is to build my cooking and baking skills and be more confident in the kitchen. What better way to experiment than to bring in my love of classic film? There are many fine websites that explore celebrity recipes, but as a relatively inexperienced cook, intimidation has kept me from trying them out myself. Until now.

Perusing my stack of cookbooks, only one stood out: a well-preserved copy of Favorite Recipes of the Movie Stars, published by Tower Books in 1931. It's a slim volume, but varied in the types of recipes it offers, from light sandwiches to stews, breakfast to dessert. I figured the easiest way to take the plunge was to test a recipe with no actual cooking involved.

The charming Laura La Plante offers her Favorite Salad, an ambrosia-like creation that she recommends serving in lettuce cups along with crackers or cheese straws. The challenge with this recipe was determining the proper proportions of ingredients. How many ounces was a can of pineapple back then? A box of marshmallows? Is 1/2 pint of cream enough? Here is the recipe as I made it, with noted modifications:

Laura La Plante's Favorite Salad (updated)

1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1 10 oz. bag mini marshmallows (I used about half of the bag)
1/2 pint whipping cream
Crisp lettuce leaves
Small crackers or cheese straws (optional)
Mayonnaise (I omitted- the heavy cream was sufficient)
Dash of paprika

Even with my changes I followed the recipe as written, and it turned out pretty well! I had hoped to find the fruit-flavored mini marshmallows to add more color, but no luck. The next time I make this recipe I might even incorporate more fruit, like maraschino cherries. As a thank-you to Ms. La Plante I'd like to recommend one of her films: the spooky, fun silent The Cat and the Canary, wonderfully restored by Kino Lorber.

(Edit: I have since made this salad with just the crushed pineapple, whipped cream and fruit-flavored marshmallows, to great success! Lighter than your standard ambrosia salad without cloying sweetness. It's like eating a pastel Art Deco cloud, if that makes any sense.)

Are you interested in making this or other film star recipes? Do you have a tried and true favorite? Feel free to share in the comments, and enjoy!