"Ring twice."

It's been a long time (nearly two and a half years!) since I last posted about Edith Meinhard, largely due to a lack of new information, but I've been spurred on by recent social media activity to share more items from my collection. I thought I'd follow up on this post with photos from Voruntersuchung, a highly recommended film if you've only seen Edith in Diary of a Lost Girl. In addition to the DVD linked in that post, there is also a Spanish-subtitled version on the Internet Archive. The captions are translations of the snipes found on the back of each photo.

"The witnesses are waiting to be questioned." Edith is seated on the far left.

"Albert Bassermann (examining magistrate) interrogates Charlotte Ander (his daughter)."

"The accused before the examining magistrate."

"The real killer is caught in the courtroom."

"Sound film recording in the streets of Berlin. Under the microphone, Gustav Frohlich and Hans Brausewetter."

Page from the Voruntersuchung program, with Edith's Mella Ziehr pictured in a happier time.

The film has fine performances all around, particularly from Albert Bassermann. This was my introduction to Bassermann, and until I attended a nitrate screening of The Red Shoes two years ago I had no idea he acted in any English-language films! He's also great in Alfred Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent, which now tempts me to rewatch with a giant bowl of popcorn...

Old Hollywood Kitchen: Zachary Scott

Well, 2020 hasn't given us much to cheer about so far. In the midst of necessary quarantine and social distancing, it can be difficult to drum up positive thoughts. Escapism is my go-to relief, and at the moment consists mostly of catching up on unwatched classic films; as I'm sticking with tried-and-true recipes (and those with minimal ingredients) to keep myself fed, I've been neglecting my stack of vintage cookbooks. It's high time I tackle my backlog of old recipe tests, starting with this comforting noodle dish:

Zachary Scott's Noodles Mecca

1 package medium noodles (I used egg noodles)
1 1/2 lbs. ground round steak
2 large onions, ground
2 kernels garlic
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/2 lb. grated cheddar cheese
2 cans condensed tomato soup

In this first attempt I halved the ingredients for a smaller serving size, including the tomato soup; unfortunately this left the casserole a bit dry. The flavors and texture were good otherwise, though I'm wondering if green pepper wouldn't jazz this up some more. I definitely will use two cans of tomato soup the next time around.

Zachary Scott is perhaps best known for his work in Mildred Pierce, a great film all around, but I have to recommend the fun noir Flaxy Martin, which also features the wonderful Dorothy Malone. Whatever you choose to watch, I hope you and yours stay safe and healthy.

Old Hollywood Kitchen: Vincent Price

As I write this a full-day marathon of Vincent Price films has begun on Comet (they're calling it Super Ghoul Sunday, which I might turn into an annual tradition). House on Haunted Hill currently keeping me company, it's high time I reflect on a dish of his I made just before Halloween, with the then-newly-acquired Cooking Price-Wise.

Vincent Price's Beef and Cauliflower on Rice

1 lb. beef steak
1 small head of cauliflower
2 oz. butter or margarine (I used olive oil)
1 green pepper, cut in 3/4 inch squares
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. cornflour (corn starch)
4 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. sugar (I omitted)
3 oz. sliced onion
1 lb. 2 oz. hot cooked long-grain rice

I had been eyeing Vincent Price's cookbooks for a while but felt they were out of my reach in terms of cooking skills; I was more at-ease once I saw how simple some of the recipes in Cooking Price-Wise could be to prepare.

This was a great first recipe to test; a nice, light stir-fry that's a satisfying mix of flavors and textures. I've since made it again with broccoli in place of cauliflower and it works just as well. I don't find myself craving it as much as my beloved Beef and Beans but I will definitely come back to this recipe in the future.

The Last Man on Earth is my film pick this time around, a dystopian thriller with plenty of screen time for Price. Pair it with this dish and you've got dinner and a movie; if you'd prefer to host your own Super Ghoul Sunday festivities, you could decorate the table with these wonderful creations (also from Cooking Price-Wise):

Happy cooking!

Old Hollywood Kitchen: Marlene Dietrich and Karen Morley

It started simply enough: one weekend I developed a craving for banana bread, and conveniently had a couple of overripe bananas to put to good use. I realized that I had one vintage recipe to re-test and one I had never used (and a tried-and-true third recipe, my own mother's). Thus, here it is, my first side-by-side recipe comparison; a tale of two banana breads.

Marlene Dietrich's Banana Nut Bread

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. salt (I omitted)
1/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed banana pulp (usually 2 bananas)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

The first test of this recipe taught me a valuable lesson: modern ovens run hotter, and with more consistent temperature than their 1930s predecessors. As such, one full hour in a 350 degree oven proved nearly fatal for the poor loaf. The bottom half was dry and tough, the top half just barely edible. It practically has a tan line! Try again.

The second attempt fared much better. I kept a closer eye on the oven timer and pulled the loaf out after 45 minutes. Improved texture, though still a touch dry. I was running low on walnuts this time around, and I'm not sure if that had an impact on the moisture levels.

Now, how about that "new" recipe?

Karen Morley's Banana Bread

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda (sifted with flour)
2 tsp. milk
2 cups flour
3 bananas, well mashed

Baked at 300 degrees for about 55 minutes, this loaf turned out moist, even a bit chewy, likely owing to the use of sour cream. This recipe may edge out Dietrich's as I'm not accustomed to putting walnuts in banana bread and prefer it without them. I plan to make it again sometime and may let it go a full hour in the oven to see how that affects the texture. Overall, I still prefer my mother's recipe (also without walnuts) over these two, but I'm willing to try either of these again.

I've included my movie recommendations in the photos above. The Dietrich and von Sternberg in Hollywood box set is a wonderful Criterion release and will hit the spot if you're looking for a heady dose of (mostly pre-Code) glamour. I've chosen another pre-Code gem, 1932's Arsene Lupin, for Karen Morley, who matches wits with John Barrymore's suave gentleman thief. Happy watching, and happy baking!

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.