Brunch with Vincent Price

 

I've cooked many recipes from A Treasury of Great Recipes by Mary and Vincent Price (links to those posts below). It's one of my save-in-case-of-fire cookbooks. It was out-of-print for a long time and I was lucky to get my hands on a copy at a library book sale. Now, it's back in print and my friend Jenny at Silver Screen Suppers is having a cookalong to celebrate.

I had just watched The Baron of Arizona (for the first time ever!) and wanted something with a southwest vibe. Fortunately, there's an entire section in A Treasury of Great Recipes on the Santa Fe Super Chief, the train that once carried passengers in luxury all the way from Chicago to Los Angeles. The blueberry muffins were a specialty of La Posada Hotel in Winslow, Arizona, and were served in the Super Chief dining car. Continuing the Arizona theme, Ranch Eggs have a southwestern flare thanks to their yummy pepper/onion/tomato combo. They pair really well with blueberry muffins (and a great cup of coffee).

Ranch Eggs

4 1/2 ounces bacon, cut into lardons
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 cups chopped tomatoes (or two 14.5-ounce cans)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
 2 tablespoons butter
12 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 scallions, sliced

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. As the bacon pieces crisp up, remove them to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Sauté bell pepper and onion in bacon fat, regulating heat so vegetables soften but don't brown too much. When pepper and onion are softened, add the tomatoes, garlic, salt, and pepper. Turn the heat up to cook off the tomatoes' liquid. Stir frequently. When most of the tomato water has evaporated and the sauce is nice and warm, turn the heat down and keep warm while you make the eggs.

Melt the butter in a clean skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and cream together in a mixing bowl. When the butter bubbles, add the eggs and cream and turn the heat down to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, until eggs are softly set. Season with salt and pepper.

Pile the eggs in the middle of your serving dish and surround with the tomato-pepper sauce. Top with bacon and scallions. Enjoy!

Serves 4 to 6

Blueberry Muffins La Posada

1/3 cup (2 2/3 ounces) soft butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
10 ounces blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease 16 regular muffin cups. (So, one pan plus four more muffins.) Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar then add in the eggs. Alternate stirring in the flour and milk, adding the baking powder and salt with the last addition of flour. Gently stir in the blueberries. (You don't want to mash them up or your muffins will be grey.)

Fill muffin cups half full and bake for 20 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Serve warm with butter.

16 muffins

Both recipes adapted from A Treasury of Great Recipes by Mary and Vincent Price (1965). 

 The Baron of Arizona is loosely based on the life of a real man, James Addison Peralta-Reavis (played by Vincent Price), who went to extraordinary lengths to lay claim to a huge chunk of Arizona and part of New Mexico. Some of his antics included forging documents and creating an entire noble family out of thin air. Pretty impressive. Be sure to check out the movie; it's on DVD and sometimes shows up on TCM.

 A dining car on the Super Chief, 1947

 Lounge Car on the Super Chief, 1947

 The Turquoise Room on the Super Chief, 1951

Want more Vincent Price? You know you do! Here are my other posts:
The Tomb of Ligeia and Roast Chicken with Bread Sauce
The Pit and the Pendulum and Caesar Salad
The Three Musketeers and Filets de poisson cardinal
The Masque of the Red Death and Welsh Rabbit
House on Haunted Hill and Kedgeree
Manicotti alla passetto and Buckingham Eggs
Ayrshire Poacher

Everything you need to know about this cookalong and the reissue of A Treasury of Great Recipes:

Vincent Price Treasury Cookalong with Silver Screen Suppers

Cooking With Vincent Website – for details of celebratory events in the USA 

Vincent Price Legacy Tour – for details of celebratory events in the UK

Amazon Page for the 50th Edition of A Treasury of Great Recipes

Treasury of Great Recipes Facebook page

Silver Screen Suppers Facebook page

Super Chief photos from Wikipedia

Baron of Arizona photos from Amazon
Vincent Price photo from Doctor Macro

The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg

The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg was Ernst Lubitsch’s first Hollywood picture. He would very quickly move on to the musical comedies (many with Maurice Chevalier and Jeannette MacDonald) which were renowned for their “Lubitsch touch.” Although a silent film, The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg is very musical with its wonderful score performed by the English Chamber Orchestra.

The Student Prince, Karl Heinrich (Ramon Novarro), is sent to Heidelberg to attend the university accompanied by his tutor, Dr. Jüttner (Jean Hersholt). Wanting to live like a “normal” person for once in his life, Karl Heinrich decides to stay at a rather plebeian Gasthof, no doubt partially swayed by the presence of a vivacious barmaid, Kathi (Norma Shearer). Naturally, Karl Heinrich and Kathi fall in love and K.H. has a great time in Heidelberg. Unfortunately, his uncle (the king) falls ill and K.H., next in line for the throne, has to return home to take the reigns of government, where Karl Heinrich is torn between duty to his country and his love for Kathi.

The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg isn't available on DVD, so if you want to see it you'll have to catch it on TCM at 7:30 am CST, Tuesday, January 28.

Shrimps Worcestershire (and Vegetable Gumbo)

If you you've "liked" The Past on a Plate on facebook, you've noticed I've been testing a lot of 1920s recipes so far this year. Here's the recipe for Shrimps Worcestershire from a fantastic booklet I bought on etsy, Delightful Dinners. The shrimp are a delicious appetizer. (Or you can double the amounts for a main course.)

Shrimps Worcestershire

1 tablespoon butter
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
squeeze of lemon juice
pinch of salt
pinch of paprika
8 large steamed shrimp
leaves from 1 stalk parsley, minced

Add the butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt, and paprika to a small skillet or omelet pan. Heat over medium-high heat until butter is melted and bubbling. Stir in shrimp to coat well with sauce then serve sprinkled with parsley.

Serves 2 as an appetizer or side

Adapted from Delightful Dinners.

Download and print

The aforementioned Delightful Dinners--isn't it adorable?

Photo sources:

Poster, March 1928 Photoplay

Ramon Novarro and Norma Shearer, Doctor Macro

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Annie Oakley

OK, so this movie is ridiculous, ahistorical, and even racist, although its depiction of the Sioux and Lakota is not quite as bad as a lot of contemporary films. Ah, the Western.

So, you're probably wondering, why watch it? You might be a fan of Barbara Stanwyck and she's great in this so you can see why she went on to do a lot of Westerns. You might even have a soft spot for Melvyn Douglas and watch whatever he's in even if it sucks. You might just like silly, corny old movies. If you fall into any (or all) of those categories, you'll probably want to give Annie Oakley a couple hours of your time.

Speaking of corny (see what I did there?), I've got another soup recipe for you (from 1935, just like the movie).

Corn Chowder

1 slice bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons minced onion
½ green pepper, minced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sprouted whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups milk
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 carrot, peeled and grated

Heat a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon, onion, and green pepper. Cook until onion is translucent and just starting to brown. Add the water and bring heat up to high. When water is boiling, add the diced potato, turn heat down to a vigorous simmer and cook, covered, 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, salt, and pepper and cook one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk. When all the milk is added, return pan to the heat, turn up to high and bring to a boil, stirring the whole time. Boil 1 minute, continuing to stir. Remove from the heat and stir in the corn and grated carrot. Combine with potato mixture.

Serves 4

Download and print

If you have TCM (it's the only thing I miss no longer having cable), Annie Oakley will be on this Thursday, January 16 at 2:00 p.m. CST.

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Photo source

Dinner and a Movie: Experiment Perilous

This fish dish from Mrs Beeton is made just like Wiener Schnitzel and, like Wiener Schnitzel, it's crisp and crunchy on the outside and juice on the inside. It creates a really perfectly-cooked fish. Use it for almost any white fish and serve with buttered potatoes and broccoli.

Life This Week: March 11, 1940

Chocolate Pudding and Orange Butter Cookies

Life This Week: March 4, 1940 and a Confession

There are a couple of recipes in this issue of Life magazine. The one I decided to try is the Bacardi. Since Paul and I have had some bad luck with liquor lately, we decided to spring for the rum and try something new. You know what? It was dee-licious. Plus, it helps prevent scurvy.

Bacardi ad in Life / my delicious Bacardi cocktails

Life This Week: February 26, 1940

Remember when I made Sausage Cobbler? The recipe was from an ad in this issue of Life. There were so many yummy-sounding recipes to try I couldn't stop at just one. Need an easy weekend breakfast? Love cornbread and maple syrup and sausage links? Thought you would. You should definitely try out this recipe.

February 1928 Sunday Dinner

You've known me for a while and you know I love an awesomely-illustrated vintage cookbook. Well, The Book of Unusual Cookery is tops. It's got Sunday dinners for every week of the year plus some "fine old time" recipes. Naturally, I couldn't wait to cook something from it. This is one hefty dinner and there's such a lot of tomato. Thankfully, I thought everything was yummy. To make things easier, I just used my usual roast chicken and potatoes recipe. The Tomato Aspic, Pineapple Ice and Prune Cake have to be made in advance and most of the Rice and Tomato Soup can be made early. 

Prune Cake

Life This Week: February 19, 1940

Mae West and W.C. Fields only made one movie together and it was My Little Chickadee, this week's "Movie of the Week" (check out the photos of Mae West's apartment while you're at it), a western penned by Ms. West. Fields wrote some of the dialogue, but the studio gave him equal credit for the script which royally pissed off Mae West. She refused to work with W.C. Fields again.

North by Northwest Dinner for Two

Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint star in Alfred Hitchcock's North By Northwest

Happy Valentine's Day! Perhaps you're looking for a romantic dinner for two? Look no further--I've made a menu based on the 20th Century Limited's Dining Car, which was featured in North by Northwest (1959), which would be a pretty good Valentine's Day movie choice, as well. There's train travel and adventure and romance and spies and national parks! What could be better? North by Northwest airs Saturday, February 16th, at 11:00 p.m. CST on TCM. It's also available on DVD.

Calling All Explorers!

Are you ready for an adventure? Embark with me on some culinary time travel. I'm kicking off The Past on a Plate's 1920s Menu Challenge with a week's worth of menus from the March 1927 issue of American Cookery magazine. I'll be cooking every Breakfast, Luncheon and Dinner from the "Seasonable Menus for Week in March" section during the week of Sunday, March 24, 2013, and I would love it above all things if you'd join me, even if only for a meal or two.

Feasts and Festivals: Carnival

In case you didn't know, Shrove Tuesday is next week (the 12th), so Carnival is drawing to a close. Carnival is a series of festivities preceding Lent and usually happens in predominantly-Catholic areas, such as Argentina, where the film Gilda (1946) takes place. Here are Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth dressed up for the Carnaval de Buenos Aires...

 ...and the two of them in a publicity still (featuring the black dress that's practically as famous as the movie).

These three recipes are from the same year as Gilda--they're adapted from my 1946 edition of The Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. We had the crab cocktail as an appetizer and then had a steak, baked potato, green salad and buttermilk biscuits.

Forties Fashion and Food: L'Officiel de la mode Février 1940

Tomato Custard with Cheese Sauce

Standing in for Life magazine this week, we have the February 1940 issue of L'Officiel de la mode, which you can view in its entirety at the publisher's website. I've narrowed down a few of my favorite pieces (mostly hats in this issue) to share with you. I think the Alpine Molyneux hat is my absolute favorite--I'm a sucker for anything Tyrolean. Which is your favorite?

Dinner and a Movie: Flesh and the Devil

Loin of Pork Roasted with Sweet Potatoes, Apples and Squash 

(Salad with French Dressing in the background)

If you follow me on facebook, tumblr or pinterest, you have probably guess that I'm back on a bit of a 1920s kick. I found some fabulous magazines and cookbooks on etsy recently from that decade, so I'm really looking forward to cooking from them. The Sunday lunch above is from the Woman's World Magazine Menu Book from 1928. I have to say it was absolutely divine and went perfectly with one of the best silent films ever, Flesh and the Devil.

Life This Week: January 29, 1940 and February 5, 1940

Chocolate Devil's Food Cake with Almond White Fudge Frosting is deeeelicious. I just had a bit of a problem getting the fudge icing to spread even though I followed the recipe and tried all the tips (like placing it over hot water). I was pretty disappointed mine didn't end up looking like the magazine photo! Since it tasted so yummy, I've included the recipe. I've made fudge frostings before and haven't had any problems. Maybe the house was too cold?  

Life This Week: January 15, 1940

 

Movie of the Week: Rebecca
I've read the book, watched the movie several times and even seen the two television miniseries and I never get tired of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. While it's not totally the same as the book, Alfred Hitchcock's film version much more closely matches the source material than his versions of Jamaica Inn or The Birds. Plus, the casting is spot on. Laurence Olivier is charming yet tortured Maxim de Winter; Joan Fontaine is his adorable and bewildered second wife; George Sanders is oily and sinister Jack Favell; C. Aubrey Smith, Reginald Denny and Nigel Bruce play three examples of English (gentle)manhood and Judith Anderson is menacing and creepy as housekeeper Mrs. Danvers. Just go watch it! You won't be sorry. Rebecca is available on DVD and will be on TCM next Tuesday.

Joan Fontaine and Laurence Olivier star in Rebecca

Vintage Movie, Vintage Recipe--It's Visions of Sugarplums!

If you're like I am and you get tired of all the "Christmas miracle" holiday movies, may I suggest Bachelor Mother?

Polly Parrish (Ginger Rogers) is a seasonal employee at Merlin's department store, wondering where she's going to find a job after Christmas. Due to an enormous misunderstanding, her boss David Merlin (David Niven) believes Polly is an unwed mother and can be convinced not to give up her baby if only she has permanent employment. While Polly gets to keep her job she also ends up responsible for a baby that isn't hers! It's really only a holiday movie in the sense that it's set around the holidays and it's more about the time between Christmas and the New Year than about Christmas itself (although it does start on Christmas Eve), but don't let that stop you. I don't think there are enough post-Christmas movies anyway. Bachelor Mother is available on DVD and will be on TCM December 20th at 10:15 pm (CST).

Dinner and a Movie: The Postman Always Rings Twice

photos from Doctor Macro

This week, I'm bringing you more from Woman's Home Companion. The "Picture of the Month" (see below) is The Postman Always Rings Twice and there's a Lux ad featuring Lana Turner, as well. Based on James M. Cain's book, the film stars Ms. Turner and John Garfield as lovers who decide to get a pesky husband out of the way. Despite some sanitation for the censors, The Postman Always Rings Twice is pretty faithful to its source material. I enjoyed the book more (maybe because I read it first) but that doesn't mean the film isn't worth watching. It's really well done and thoroughly enjoyable, especially if you like 40s fashion and/or film noir. This was a great movie to watch en famille at my house, because Paul's really only interested in watching 40s films if they're "noir" or have lots of airplanes in them. He likes Casablanca, too, but I think that's just his soft spot showing.

Homemade Oatmeal Raisin Bread and 1946 Fashions

Generally, I make sourdough bread for breakfast to eat with a cup of yogurt or a couple of fried eggs and maybe some bacon or sausage. It's delicious but sometimes it's nice to change things up a bit. This Oatmeal Raisin Bread recipe is from the same magazine as the pork stew in my last post. I changed things up a bit to use my discarded sourdough starter (totally not required, see the "about ingredients" section). Despite some molasses and sugar in the recipe, this oatmeal raisin bread isn't overly sweet. It's perfect for breakfast (or tea) with a slathering of golden yellow, just slightly salty pasture butter.

Dinner and a Movie: Spellbound

For my version of this classic recipe, I used pork ribs instead of pork stew meat so that I could infuse the stew with all the fantastic minerals and gelatin/collagen from the bones. It's an easy switch that will add so much nutrition to your dinner. In "traditional foods" cookbooks, bone broths are typically cooked for hours and hours to get all the nutrients out of the bones. I found that just cooking this stew until the meat fell off the bones (about 2 1/2 hours) still gave me a huge amount of natural gelatin in the final product. (You'll notice that your leftovers will become the consistency of aspic.) It's worth it to hunt around for some really high quality pork. Keep an eye out for products that are Certified Humane or find local farmers who treat their pigs well. Happy pigs = tasty, nutritious pork.