We took a peek behind the scenes of Ann Miller's career and previewed the new exhibit celebrating the 100th anniversary of M-G-M at the the Hollywood Heritage Museum.
Ann Miller began her career on the stage and became the screen's premiere tap dancer in the 1940s and 50s. She had co-starring roles in several screen musicals including Easter Parade with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire, On the Town with Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly and Kiss Me Kate opposite Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel. Later on she worked in television, nightclubs and starred in the Broadway hit Sugar Babies with Mickey Rooney. Her final film appearance came in David Lynch's 2001 thriller Mulholland Drive.
Recipe
This recipe is from "Cookbook of the Stars" (1970).
Ingredients
2 cups milk
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Directions
Cook in double-broiler for 10 minute. Add: 1 cup raisins, 1 cup pecan meats, 2 cups marshmallows and 1 cup whipping cream. When chilled, add whipped cream and fruit.
I have thoughts on this.
I found this recipe to be super vague and even confusing. It is called a Frozen Fruit Cake, but never mentions freezing. It also isn't a cake. I didn't want to waste food and these recipes often make a LOT. I made a much smaller version instead. I consulted my friend Donna Hill in San Francisco about what to do. She suggested that I combine the egg and flour and slowly temper it into the hot milk, sugar and vanilla. Then I slowly folded in the marshmallows, raisins, walnuts and whipping cream. The result was lumpy and didn't look very appealing. I put some of it in the freezer and some in the refrigerator. I found that the refrigerator worked better for this. Instead of adding even more whipping cream, I opted to just top it with fresh fruit. This recipe is basically similar to a vintage ambrosia.
The world of vintage movie star recipes can be a tricky one! As I've said before, I think many of these were written for seasoned cooks and/or housewives and have very few specific directions. I tend to need all the help I can get. Plus styles and tastes have changed so much over the years. I've had more than my share of huge misfires by making these, but important part is that I'm still having fun. Overall this turned out decently and wasn't a total disaster, but I won't be adding to the rotation in my home.
Fearing this would end badly, I decided to make a second Ann Miller recipe. I settled on her Fettuccine Alfredo in "The Dead Celebrity Cookbook" (2011) by Frank DeCaro. This was quick and easy to make!
Ingredients
1 package egg noodles
1 stick unsalted butter
1 egg yolk, preferably from an organic egg
1/2 cup light cream or sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesean cheese
Directions
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain. While noodles are cooking, beat yolk lightly with a fork and add cream. Melt butter. Place dreamed hot noodles in a warm serving bowl and pour the egg and cream mixture, the melted butter, and about half the grated cheese. Toss until well blended, adding the rest of the cheese a little at a time. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
Special Guests
Jack Priest is a 22-year-old from Perth, Western Australia, who spends lots of time in Los Angeles researching and documenting the history of Hollywood. His motto is “To honor and respect Hollywood’s past by introducing it to new and younger generations.”. Jack also collects Hollywood-related memorabilia and personal possessions of the stars for safekeeping in the future. You can find him on Instagram at: @Hollywood.archivist and @Hollywoodhistoryarchive
Angie Schneider is a board member of the Hollywood Heritage Museum and collects memorabilia on Mary Pickford and Theda Bara. She blogs at “Tinsel and Stars" and is currently writing a cookbook on the recipes of Pickfair.
Darin Barnes has worked in the entertainment industry for almost thirty years.
Beginning in production, he moved into talent representation, eventually working with hair and makeup artists. Finding his love for classic films at an early age, Darin is a collector of vintage memorabilia focusing mainly on actress Norma Shearer. Darin is proud of his volunteer work with the Motion Picture Country Home in Woodland Hills and currently lives in Downtown Los Angeles.
Video
Final Result
The Frozen Fruit Cake was just ok, but the Fettuccine Alfredo is definitely worth repeating.
There are plenty of Ann Miller films available on DVD, Streaming and Turner Classic Movies.
Please consider supporting Hollywood Kitchen on Patreon or Buy Me A Coffee!
Thank you for watching and stay tuned for more food, fun and film history.
The new exhibit "Meet The Stars: 100 Years of MGM Studios and the Golden Age of Hollywood" will a Hollywood Heritage from April 7th through the end of May. The museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00am to 3:00pm. Please click HERE to get tickets and more information.