This year the theme is "They SHOULD have won an Oscar....the didn't...and that stinks!"
I rounded up the usual suspects and some new faces to rant about Oscar injustices.
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Marilyn Monroe's Broiled Steak & Artichoke Carrot Salad
Presented by Benjamin Meißner
Marilyn Monroe presented at the Oscars, but was never nominated.
Ingredients
1 cup artichoke hearts frozen or canned
2 tbsp olive oil divided, plus more for the steak
1 whole carrot peeled
1 head endive sliced into strips
1 tbsp chopped fennel fronds or fresh dill
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb ribeye steak 1 1/2 inch thick
Directions
Set your steak out and let it come to room temperature before cooking. Set your oven rack 6-12 inches below the broiler. Place your cast iron skillet on the rack and preheat the broiler for 10-15 minutes, leaving the cast iron skillet on the rack so it will heat up with the broiler. The skillet will get quite hot, so be sure you have very thick heat-resistant oven mitts on hand.
While oven heats up, place a skillet on the stovetop and heat up 1 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat until hot. Add the artichoke hearts (either frozen or thawed) and cook them until warmed through and golden brown around the edges.
Pour artichoke hearts into a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.
Use a non-serrated peeler to slice the carrot into long ribbons or strips. Set aside with the other salad ingredients.
Rub the steak on both sides with olive oil, then season generously with salt and pepper. Use oven mitts to pull out the oven rack and place the steak carefully into the preheated skillet. Note that the oil with splatter a bit, as the skillet will be quite hot, and your kitchen will get quite smoky. Return skillet below the broiler and close the oven. Let the steak broil for 2-3 minutes, until top is well browned. Use tongs to flip the steak and continue broiling for another 2-3 minutes longer.
Turn off the broiler and turn oven heat to 500 degrees F. Let the steak continue to cook in the closed oven for 2-3 minutes (rare), 5 minutes (medium) or 7 minutes (medium well). Remove steak from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes.
While steak sits, combine the artichoke hearts, carrot ribbons, endive, and fennel or dill in a medium salad bowl. Stir together 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and 1 tsp honey. Pour it over the salad ingredients and toss until well combined. Season the salad with salt to taste. Serve steak with salad. One large 1 lb. ribeye should feed two average adult appetites, but you can certainly add another steak to the skillet to make larger portions if you like.
Source: You can click on this link to see the source for this recipe and read more about Marilyn Monroe's eating habits.
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William Powell's Martini
Presented by Cora Sue Collins, Darin Barnes and Jack Priest
Since the two recipes I found for William Powell were gross, we decided that making a Martini was a perfectly suitable way to honor him.
*Cora Sue Collins starred with William Powell in the 1934 film "Evelyn Prentice".
William Powell never won an Oscar, but received three Best Actor nominations for "The Thin Man" (1934), "My Man Godfrey" (1936) and "Life with Father" (1947).
Ingredients
2 ounces dry gin
1 ounce dry vermouth
1 dash orange bitters (optional, but highly recommended)
Directions
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir well to chill and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Twist a piece of lemon peel over the drink and use as garnish, or, if you must, toss in an olive.
Source: This recipe can be found at FoodNetwork.com and a host of other places with several different variations.
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Ava Gardner's Succotash
Presented by Lora Stocker
Ava Gardner was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her role in "Mogambo" (1953).
Source: This recipe is from the Ava Gardner Museum where Lora Stocker proudly serves on the board.
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Thelma Ritter's Chicken Fricassee
Presented by Christy Putnam
Thelma Ritter received six Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress including "All About Eve" (1950), "The Mating Season" (1951), "With A Song In My Heart" (1952), "Pickup on South Street" (1953), "Pillow Talk" (1959) and "Birdman of Alcatraz" (1962).
Source: Christy Putnam is writing a biography on Thelma Ritter and this recipe is from her research. It is from a Woman’s Day Encyclopedia of Cooking.
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Dorothy Dandridge's Emotional Omelet
Presented by Krista Lawler
Dorothy Dandridge made history as the first African American to ever land a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her role in "Carmen Jones" (1954).
Source: This recipe is from "The Mike Douglas Cookbook" published in 1969.
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Judy Garland's Vegetable Salad & James Mason's Mogen David Pudding
Presented by Danny Miller
Judy Garland won a special juvenile Oscar in 1939. She earned a Best Actress Oscar nomination for "A Star is Born" in 1954 and a Best Supporting Actress nomination in 1961 for "Judgement at Nuremberg."
James Mason received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for "A Star is Born" (1954) and Best Supporting Actor nominations for "Georgy Girl" (1966) and "The Verdict" (1982).
Source: The Judy Garland recipe is from the book "What Actors Eat When They Eat" (1937). The James Mason recipe is from the Mogen David wine cookbook.
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Cary Grant's Barbecued Chicken & Jean Arthur's Fudge
Presented by Ruth Mundsack
Cary Grant received Best Actor Oscar nominations for "Penny Serenade" (1941) and "None but the Lonely Heart" (1944). He earned an Honorary Oscar in 1969.
Jean Arthur received a Best Actress Oscar nomination for "The More the Merrier" (1943).
*Unfortunately the Jean Arthur fudge recipe didn't firm up, but we will be revisiting that recipe on a future episode.
Source: The Cary Grant and Jean Arthur recipes are from the book "What Actors Eat When They Eat" (1937).
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Jane Withers' Chocolate Cake
Presented by Christina Rice and her daughter Gable
Jane Withers was never nominated for an Oscar, but still had an impressive and long career.
Unfortunately Hollywood Magazine didn't give any directions about making the cake other than a list of ingredients. That said, Christina and Gable managed just fine. They ate most of the cake before they could take a final picture, which is totally understandable.
Source: The Jane Wither's recipe is from Hollywood Magazine, April 1938.
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Carole Lombard's Grapefruit Cake
Presented by Melanie San Millan
Carole Lombard received a Best Actress Oscar nomination for "My Man Godfrey" (1936).
Source: This recipe is from The Brown Derby Cookbook. The Vine location was one of Carole's most favorite restaurants.
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Peter O'Toole's Guinness Beer
Presented by Mary Stanford
We couldn't find a recipe for Peter O'Toole, so we decided that a Guinness Beer was an acceptable way to celebrate him.
Peter O'Toole received eight Best Actor Oscar nominations and one of them happened after he received the Honorary Oscar in 2002.
Here is his list of nominations: "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962), "Becket" (1964), "The Lion in Winter" (1968), "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1969), "The Ruling Class" (1972), "The Stunt Man" (1980), "My Favorite Year" (1982) and "Venus" (2006).
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Ida Lupino's Cocktail Meatballs
Presented by Barbara Boyd Doss
Ida Lupino never received an Oscar nomination, but is still a major figure in Hollywood history both in front of and behind the camera.
Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoons pepper
1/4 cup minced onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
2 tablespoons pineapple juice
Green onions or parsley for a fancy garnish.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine together the ground beef, bread crumbs, pepper, onion, garlic, milk and soy sauce in a large bowl.
Shape heaping teaspoons into small balls. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned and cooked through. While meatballs cook, mix together the ketchup, mustard and pineapple juice in a mixing bowl. When meatballs are done, pour them into the mixing bowl with the sauce and toss to coat well.
Garnish and serve. They can also be kept warm in the oven until ready to serve them.
Source: This recipe is from QuaintCooking.com
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Irene Dunne's Chocolate Vinegar Cake
Presented by Annette Bochenek
Read more about Irene Dunne on Annette's blog Hometowns to Hollywood.
Irene Dunne received five Best Actress Oscar nominations for "Cimarron" (1930/1931), "Theodora Goes Wild" (1936), "The Awful Truth" (1937), "Love Affair" (1939) and "I Remember Mama" (1948).
Ingredients
2 cups brown sugar
¼ cup butter
2 eggs slightly beaten
2 squares bitter chocolate, melted
5 teaspoons vinegar
1 teaspoon soda / bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 cups cake flour (I used ordinary plain flour)
1 cup water
Directions
Cream sugar and butter thoroughly. Add eggs, melted chocolate and vinegar, in the order named, stirring constantly. Add quarter of the flour, into which has been sifted soda and baking powder, then quarter of the water, then some more flour, water again, alternating in this fashion until all the ingredients have been added to the mixture. Bake in two layers in a moderate oven about 325 degrees. Bake 30-35 minutes.
Source: This recipe is on Jenny Hammerton's website SilverScreenSuppers.com
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Edward G. Robinson's Chicken Parmesan
Presented by Karie Bible
The Edward G. Robinson Encyclopedia (2008) mentions that he had a fondness for eggplant. It also says that he doesn't not dabble in the kitchen, but enjoys good food.
Edward G. Robinson was given an Honorary Oscar, which his wife accepted in 1973 after his death.
Ingredients
2 1/4 pounds globe eggplant (about 2 large)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more to oil the sheet pans
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes (preferably San Marzano) diced, reserving the juices, or crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil, packed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 to 2 cups breadcrumbs
1 1/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, beaten (more if needed)
1 1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
Directions
Prepare the eggplant:
Slice the eggplants into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick rounds. Lay the eggplant slices out on a rack over a rimmed sheet pan (or on several layers of paper towels).
Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant rounds lightly with salt. Let the eggplant rounds sit and release moisture for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.
Make the sauce:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and gently cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes and their juices, breaking up the tomatoes as you add them to the pot. Increase the heat to bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to maintain a very low simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the minced basil and remove from heat.
Preheat the oven:
Place the oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 425°F.
Prepare a dredging station:
Combine 1 1/2 cups of the breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and place in a shallow bowl or rimmed dish.
Set up your station so that you have flour in one shallow bowl, beaten eggs in another bowl, and the breadcrumb cheese mixture in another, in that order.
Dredge the eggplant rounds:
Set out two rimmed sheet pans. Spread 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of each pan.
The eggplant rounds should be wet from releasing moisture after salting them. Pat the eggplant slices dry with paper towels.
Working one at a time, dredge the eggplant slices first in the flour, then dip in the beaten eggs, and then dredge in the breadcrumb Parmesan cheese mixture. Add more breadcrumbs, if needed.
Place on the oiled sheet pans in a single layer. Drizzle a little oil over the top of each breaded eggplant round.
Bake the eggplant rounds:
Place breaded prepared eggplant slices in the oven. Cook for 18 to 20 minutes at 425°F, turning the slices over at the halfway point, until they are nicely browned and fork-tender. Remove from oven, and let cool to touch.
Assemble the casserole:
Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Place a third of the eggplant rounds in a single layer covering the sauce on the bottom of the pan.
Layer half of the sliced mozzarella on top of the eggplant rounds. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
Place another third of the eggplant rounds over the cheese. Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the eggplant rounds. Layer the rest of the sliced mozzarella over the sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of shredded Parm.
Add the remaining eggplant in a single layer on top of the cheese. Top with the remaining sauce and the remaining Parmesan.
Bake, rest, and serve:
Reduce the oven to 350°F and bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly around the edges, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before cutting into to serve.
Source: This recipe is directly from SimplyRecipes.com
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Artist Cherie Savoie Tintary did a great series of collages to promote this episode!
Thank you for tuning in and I hope everyone enjoyed the Cook Along!