Horror historian and author David J. Skal is back to discuss the "Master of Menace"!
Vincent Price began his career in the theatre before he entered films in the late 1930s. He made films in a variety of genres including film noir ("Laura"), Biblical epics ("The Ten Commandments") and dramas ("The Song of Bernadette"). Price found his greatest fame in the horror genre with starring roles in "House of Wax", "The Fly", "House on Haunted Hill" and many more. He worked extensively in television and appeared on countless hit TV shows including "Batman" "Get Smart" and "Mod Squad".
While Vincent Price was known for playing horror villains, in real life he was a true renaissance man! He collected fine art and published several cookbooks.
I decided to make the Minestrone soup from his book "Cooking Price-Wise: A Culinary Legacy", which was originally published in 1971. I have a re-issued edition.
Minestrone
Serves 8
Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours
Ingredients
4 oz. potatoes, peeled and diced
2 oz. carrots, peeled and diced
2 oz. turnips, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, washed and chopped
1 oz. streaky bacon, derinded
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 1/2 pints stock
2 bayleaves
1 oz. macaroni
1/4 medium cabbage, shredded
1 teaspoon sugar
Parmesan cheese
Directions
Prepare vegetables. Cut bacon into pieces, fry gently in a little butter until soft. Add vegetables and continue frying for 2-3 minutes. Stir in tomato puree and gradually add stock, bayleaves and macaroni. Bring to boil, add salt and pepper, cover and simmer for 1 hour, add shredded cabbage and cook for a further 30 minutes. Remove bayleaves, add sugar and serve accompanied by Parmesan cheese.
Special Guest
Once again Hollywood horror expert David J. Skal agreed to be my special guest. He has written so many outstanding books including "Fright Favorites: 31 Movies to Haunt Your Halloween and Beyond", "The Monster Show" and "Hollywood Gothic" . You can find out more about his extensive body of work on his official website. His books are a really a must for any film lover's personal collection.
The Final Result
Vincent Price hit the ball out of the park on this recipe! It was easy to make, hearty and perfect for a cold, gloomy winter day.
Many of Vincent Price's cookbooks are available to purchase online. They have been re-issued and sometimes you can find first editions as well. As always, I encourage everyone to buy from small, independent bookstores whenever possible.
Did you know that Vincent did an entire International Cooking Course on vinyl? It is one of amazing the things you can find on Youtube! Go down the rabbit hole and learn more.
If you live locally, you can also visit the Vincent Price Art Museum in East Los Angeles.
There are tons of Vincent Price films on DVD.
Watch Vincent Price and Boris Karloff on "The Red Skelton Hour". As David mentioned, there are TONS of Vincent Price interviews and appearances on Youtube.
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