Yum.
As partially recounted here, I just moved into an apartment complex. In its laundry room is a modest stack of books and magazines you can read whilst awaiting your clothes. In that stack I today found a trade-sized paperback entitled, Pilar Wayne’s Favorite and Fabulous Recipes (1982, PAX Publishing Company, Costa Mesa, CA). Pilar Wayne, I learned whilst perusing said tome, was married to Hollywood icon John Wayne from 1954 to 1976. Besides being married to America’s Cowboy, she was also apparently quite the cook. And here we have the proof.
And Pilar had signed the book, too! There was her name, right below, “And to my children for testing the recipes and being my most severe critics.” Kind of a mixed message—but still! Signed!
Evidently, one of the things that Pilar particularly enjoyed making was the fish dish above. Its recipe is below. In glancing through the recipe I saw the intriguing ingredients, “2 envelopes unflavored gelatin,” “1/2 cup mayonnaise,” and “tabasco.” But that was all I had time to read before, thank God, my clothes were ready and I had to leave.
Posted by skerrib on June 3, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Stick a fork in him; he’s done.
Posted by anita on June 3, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Oh my gosh. This is too bizarre! That’s exactly what I fixed for dinner tonight, howbeit with light Mayonnaise and A1 Sauce in place of Tabasco.
Family recipe. Always a big hit, especially the salmon mousse sandwich left-overs the next day.
Posted by John Shore on June 3, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Now if you’d actually read the recipe, Anita, you’d have no doubt been happy to learn that Pilar, too, uses low-fat mayonnaise. Just one of the many things I’m sure you and her have in common….
Posted by arlywn on June 4, 2008 at 4:17 am
I…. dont think I like food that smiles at me…
Posted by Lucas on June 4, 2008 at 8:02 am
Reminds me of the great “Gallery of Regrettable Food” at James Lileks site, which include a complete guide to Gel-Cookery from the 60s. Be warned though, some of the recipes there are the type of thing that one can’t unsee.
Posted by Yvette on June 4, 2008 at 8:46 am
It looks creepy. Must be related to Mr. Bill.
Posted by John Shore on June 4, 2008 at 8:50 am
Yes, it’s … Mr. Gill.
Hey, Lucas. HILARIOUS SITE! Yikes. And you’re right: some of those images are permanently seared into my brain. So now I have to kill myself.
Posted by Ross on June 4, 2008 at 10:07 am
Lucas – that site is crazy funny…
Check it out everybody and be sure to allow yourself at least a half hour there to maximize the yucks…
Anita- if what you made in any way resembles John’s picture then I’m going to have to barf for you. Just kidding, I’m sure it’s quite tasty.
Posted by Christian on June 4, 2008 at 11:19 am
Betcha the Duke didn’t eat it. Salmon mousse? Maybe Steer Puddin’ sandwiched between two strips of rawhide.
Posted by samwrites2 on June 4, 2008 at 1:27 pm
John,
You think spam would work instead of the salmon?
The Mr. Gill remark was hilarious.
-Sam
Posted by John Shore on June 4, 2008 at 3:45 pm
“Steer Pudding.” Yum.
I DID find another recipe in the book for something I could see the Duke eating. It’s called, “Three ‘C’ Casserole (Corn, Crackers and Cheese.)” It’s:
2 cups canned creamed corn
1 cup crushed soda crackers
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1.5 cups milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
Mix all together. Bake at 350 for one hour.
Spam optional.
Posted by Brian Shields on June 4, 2008 at 7:28 pm
You know Wayne (John, not Pilar) was a huge fraud who avoided military service in WW2 when many of the other Hollywood stars went to war.. and then spent his entire career making movies that glorified the killing he was too chickenshit to do himself and otherwise making a general ass of himself.
Which is all to say, he probably did eat the damn casserole..
Posted by Brian Shields on June 4, 2008 at 7:29 pm
And the mousse too..
Posted by skerrib on June 4, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Really, Anita? Really??
Posted by John Shore on June 4, 2008 at 8:07 pm
C’mon, Anita. Inquiring intestinal tracts wanna know.
Posted by Christian on June 5, 2008 at 5:31 am
Brian, I don’t think it was quite that simple. A lot of stars did, and I lot didn’t go to war. Nothing is that black and white. And you are right – it probably takes guts to eat that ugly thing.
Posted by John Shore on June 5, 2008 at 6:48 am
Because I’ve never had any interest in him as an actor, I’m afraid I know zilch about John Wayne. NOW, through Pilar’s cookbook, I know a little more. Sort of.
Posted by How John Wayne Proposed To His Third Wife, Pilar (and a pic of her Bananas Flambe) « Suddenly Christian on June 5, 2008 at 8:19 am
[...] June 5, 2008 Posted by John Shore in Food, entertainment. trackback First I shared with you Pilar Wayne’s recipe for Salmon Mousse (which, obnoxiously, I referred to as “Smiling Gelatinous Fish Log”), taken from her [...]