Janet Gaynor’s

ICE BOX COOKIES

Cream one pound of butter and 1 ½ cups sugar. Add 3 eggs, one by one, beating and mixing meanwhile. Add 5 cups of flour gradually while beating the mixture. Add dates and nuts (quantity to suit) which have been chopped into small bits. Add vanilla flavoring. Shape this into a roll and put in refrigerator over night. In the morning slice into thin layers and bake in moderate oven.   

– Janet Gaynor

Anna May Wong’s

TEA CAKES

¼ cup butter

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

½ cup milk

1 ¼ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar and add egg beaten very lightly. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add alternately with milk to mixture. Add vanilla last and beat all until smooth. Bake in oven at about 375 degrees. Ice when cool, if desired.  

– Anna May Wong

Douglas Fairbanks’

GNOCCKIS A LA ROMAINE

Combine 1 quart of milk, ¼ pound of butter, salt, pepper and ground nutmeg. Let come to a boil and add 6 ounces of cream of wheat. Cook in a double boiler for 1 hour. Add 2 egg yolks and ½ pound of grated Swiss cheese. Put in a flat pan about 1 inch deep and allow to cool. Cut in round shape and place in buttered baking dish. Cover with grated Swiss cheese and allow to bake for 15 minutes. Serve very hot.

– Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.

TYRONE POWER’S

TURKEY STUFFING

1 quart chestnuts

1 pint breadcrumbs

¼ cup butter, chicken fat or lard

1 tsp. salt

1 egg, well beaten

¼ cup chopped celery

2 tsp. poultry seasoning

Make a gash in each chestnut. Place in an iron skillet with 1 tablespoon butter, and shake over hot flame for a few minutes. Place chestnuts in oven for 10 minutes. Then remove shells and skins. Cover the blanched chestnuts with boiling salt water and cook until tender. Strain and put through a ricer. Add rest of ingredients and mix well.

– Tyrone Power

BAKED STUFFED PORK TENDERLOIN

3 pork tenderloins

Melted butter

2 cups crumbled toasted bread

1/3 cup boiling water

1 egg, beaten lightly

¼ cup butter

½ small onion, minced

½ teaspoon minced parsley

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon celery salt

1/8 teaspoon powdered sage

Sprinkling of salt

Split the tenderloins so they will lie flat. Brush with melted butter. Then prepare the following stuffing:

Pour boiling water over toasted crumbs (the crumbs should be well moistened) then add beaten eggs, butter, onion, parsley, salt, celery salt, sage and a sprinkling of pepper. Mix all together until light, then spread on pork tenderloins and tie with a string. Arrange in a greased baking dish, sprinkle lightly with salt, put about a half cup of water in bottom of pan and bake at 400 degrees about an hour, or until tender. To serve, cut and remove string. Thicken pan gravy and serve with tenderloins.

– Clark Gable

BREAD-AND-BUTTER CUSTARD

Three large pieces white bread — buttered. Cut in quarters, and line an enamel pie dish with same. Prepare custard of two eggs, one cup granulated sugar, one quart of milk.

Pour custard over bread and butter, and bake it in moderate oven forty-five minutes.

“I happen to have a weakness for sweets, and this one you will not find in any other cook book.”

– Sincerely yours,

Harry Houdini

SALISBURY MEAT BALLS

Heat ½ cup olive oil in skillet and add the following:

2 small onions chopped fine

1 clove garlic

1 bell pepper chopped fine

Round steak rolled into little balls

Braise meat slowly and then add seasonings, 1 can of tomato soup and ½ cup of chili sauce. Let simmer for 2 hours, adding a little water.

– Carole Lombard

CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

The yolks of 4 eggs and 1 1/3 cups sugar are beaten until they are quite light. In part of contents of 1 cup of thick sour cream placed on the fire melt 2 squares of chocolate. Allow to cool and then pour in the rest of the cream. Into 1 ½  cups flour sift 1 teaspoon soda. Add alternately with cream to yolks and sugar. Flavor, then cut and fold in whites of 3 eggs beaten stiffly. Bake in square, shallow pans. When sufficiently cool combine with icing or nut filling.

– Anita Page

KIPPERED ALASKA COD

Piece of kippered cod about 1 ½ pounds

6 medium size onions

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup medium thick white sauce

1 tablespoon butter

Seasoning to taste

Boil the kippered cod until tender, drain and put in earthen casserole. Pare and slice the onions and fry to a golden brown in 2 tablespoons butter. Spread over the fish, add a tablespoon butter and put the casserole uncovered in the oven for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Send to the table at once without taking from casserole.

In make the white sauce use enough butter to make a good rich sauce or add a little cream when blending.

– Richard Dix

FOR SUE GULDIN AT THE MARGARET HERRICK LIBRARY

A RICHARD DIX FAN!

–HAPPY BIRTHDAY–

Buster Keaton’s Chop Suey

Grease an iron pot with 3 tablespoons peanut oil and add 1 cup raw, lean pork, cut into cubes and allow to cook until brown.

Now put into pot mixed vegetables and allow to steam under tight-fitting lid. The mixture of vegetables consists of:

2 ½ cups water chestnuts cut in cubes,

2 ½ bamboo shoots,

2 cups Chinese greens cut in small pieces,

2 cups celery chopped into small pieces,

1 cup chopped onions,

3 cups canned mushrooms, chopped,

5 cups bean sprouts,

½ cup chopped salted almonds.

After steaming for 30 minutes, chicken stock is added to moisten. Thicken with 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Thin with chicken stock if too thick.

Dice whole roast chicken, being careful to use no skin or fat parts; place in pot and cook slowly for 15 minutes.

Add soy sauce as seasoning and to give it proper dark color.

This recipe should serve 8 persons.

– Buster Keaton

FOR MIKE FRANCIS AT THE MARGARET HERRICK LIBRARY

A BUSTER KEATON FAN!

–HAPPY BIRTHDAY–