Thanks to Ava and Vincent, cooked a delightful meal from the new book "Supper with the Stars".
Ava Gardner and Vincent Price co-starred together in the 1949 film noir "The Bribe". They were both known for their down to earth personalities and love of great food.
The Recipes
My guest Peter Fuller recently co-wrote the new cookbook "Supper with the Stars with your host Vincent Price" along with Jenny Hammerton of SilverScreenSuppers.com I love how they paired up the recipes of Vincent Price and his many co-stars! While Jenny is currently on a writing deadline, I wanted Peter to meet Lora Stocker of the Ava Gardner Museum.
Ava Gardner Fillets of Flounder
Ingredients
1 cup milk
1 egg
Salt, Pepper
Breadcrumbs (sifted)
3 tablespoons butter
5 flounder fillets
1 cup tomato sauce*
*Ava's recipe doesn't specify what kind of tomato sauce of what it is used for. We suggest making a simple marinara sauce and serving it on the side of each fillet.
Directions
Mix egg, milk, salt and pepper.
Soak the fish in this mixture for 15 minutes.
Dip each fillet in the breadcrumbs.
Heat frying pan with butter before placing fillet in it.
Fry on both sides until browned.
Serves 5
Vincent Price's Pomme De Terre Macaire (Sauteed Baked Potatoes)
Ingredients
1 large Idaho potato
2 tablespoons butter (divided use)
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake the potato for approximately 1 hour.
Break the potato in half and scoop out the pulp with a fork. *
Mash 1 tablespoon of butter into the pulp and add salt and pepper to taste. Mash mixture until smooth.
In a heavy frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Put the potato pulp into the frying pan and spread it into a flat cake. It is best when it is least 1 inch thick. Saute very, very slowly until it is golden brown on both sides.
Serve in wedges like a quiche Lorraine. Serves 1.
*If you are making a large quantity of baked potatoes, don't throw out the skins. Instead, bake the in the oven--450 F for 10 minutes on each side. Once cooked, you can freeze them for another day, or reheat them with your favorite filling.
Special Guest
Lora Stocker is a professional designer, illustrator, and artist and does graphic design work for the Turner Classic Movies social media team. She is a North Carolina native and is on the board of the Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield, North Carolina.
Peter Fuller
Australian-born Peter Fuller is a London-based award-winning print, radio and television journalist and film historian with over 30 years of experience. He is also a renowned authority on the life and career of Hollywood icon Vincent Price, winning several Rondo awards for his active promotion of the actor's legacy through publications, websites and special events. Peter curates The Vincent Price Legacy UK Facebook page and manages the official Vincent Price YouTube channel. In partnership with Vincent's daughter, Victoria Price, he also guides bespoke tour groups worldwide to celebrate Vincent's passion for travel, culture and the visual arts. His latest project is the Supper with the Stars cookbook which he has co-authored with Silver Screen Suppers' Jenny Hammerton.
Collage by artist Cherie Savoie Tintary.
The Final Product
This was super tasty and easy to make. Lora had great advice about cutting the potato into wedges in the frying pan. It makes it much easier to turn them over that way. I served the marinara sauce on the side with a wedge of lemon.
Movie Picks
I'm keeping with the theme of film noir for the movie recommendations. After toiling in small parts and B-movies, Ava Gardner had a major breakthrough with her role in the "The Killers" (1946). Other noir films on her resume include "Whistle Stop" (1946) and "Singapore" (1947). Vincent Price is primarily known for his work in the horror genre, but he appeared in several noirs including "Laura" (1944), "Leave Her to Heaven" (1945), "Shock" (1946), "The Web" (1947) and "His Kind of Woman" (1951).