The Mirror Crack'd (1981) - July's Movie Suggestion

Plus Kim Novak's Chili Rellanos recipe

It’s publication day for Cooking The Detectives today! Whoop, whoop!

Recipes from all of the actors and actresses you see on the cover and many more who played TV sleuths are within.

Signed copies with bookmarks are available via my Etsy shop

via Amazon or to order via your local bookshop.

I’m doing a couple of pub day pop-ins at the London Writers Salon Writers Hours and in the evening I will celebrate with a Creole Scream Cocktail, as featured in the “taster episode” of The Persuaders I write about in the book.

For all those who voted in the poll to help me decide what to cook today, all will be revealed in the next missive…

I might go live here on Substack at some point today, so keep your eyes peeled!

I’m having two in-person book launches, one was this weekend in Hastings and the other is next Saturday in London. Each will feature a Kojak Lollipop Lickathon - with prizes!

But there’s also a chance to win some goodies at an online party that everyone is welcome to join (timezones permitting).

Pop the date in your diaries my lovelies! We’ll be licking along to a movie that has strong links to my new book -The Mirror Crack’d (1980) with Angela Lansbury playing Miss Marple.

It’s one of those movies that has a HEAP of superstars in it and three of those have recipes in my new book.

Angela Lansbury - Walnut Date Bread

Tony Curtis - Hungarian Goulash

Rock Hudson - Chicken Casserole Dinner

These are the suggested recipes in chapters on Murder, She Wrote, The Persuaders and McMillan and Wife in Cooking The Detectives. So if you buy the book you can rustle up one of those to scoff before, during or after The Mirror Crack’d. Or an alternative one of Angela’s recipes from Murder, She Cooked if you have it of course.

I highly suggest listening to the TV detective themed playlist Mr Rathbone has put together to groove along to as you cook.

By the way, if you are an Angela Lansbury fan, did you know that my other newsletter is all about Murder, She Wrote? Lots of fun for Fangelas over there!

If you can’t make the watch party, do try and find time to treat yourself to this movie - alone or with chums. It’s mad!

How to join the watch party

More details about how to join the watch party will follow but basically you’ll need to source the film on DVD or via a streaming service (it’s on lots here in the UK so hopefully it’s the same if you are elsewhere). To join in with the fun you’ll need to have access to my private chat room, which you can activate in advance so you are ready to go.

If you want to join in with the lickathon, make sure you have a lollipop about your person!

Movie star recipe of the month

I am often asked which is my absolute favourite movie star recipe, and I will usually say Elizabeth Taylor’s Chicken Steamed in Wine. It’s easy to make, and absolutely delicious. Elizabeth isn’t featured in Cooking the Detectives , alas. If only someone had cast her in a TV detective show!! But she’s so spectacular in her purple finery in The Mirror Crack’d,

that I feel her dish would be a perfect accompaniment to the movie. This recipe was featured here on Dinner and a Movie when our monthly pick was A Place in the Sun - so skip over here if you fancy making Liz’s winner winner chicken dinner.

However, we haven’t featured the lovely Kim Novak yet here on Dinner and a Movie, she plays Lola Brewster in The Mirror Crack’d and she’s fab! Her signature dish is good too…

Kim Novak’s Chili Rellenos

When I made Kim’s dish way back in 2017 I noted that I had quite a lot of the filling left over, so maybe get in some extra peppers, or reduce the mixture, or freeze the leftover mix for another day?!

Ignore my scribbles, especially the one about 160℃ - my old oven ran very hot so I always had to reduce the temperature. For normal ovens, 350℉ is 175℃.

I do hope you can join me at the watch party on Sunday 27th July, lovely readers.

Later in the week for my beloved benefactors (aka paid subscribers) I’ll be sending out a video postcard from me, some extra recipes from stars of the movie and a sneaky peek at the chapter in Cooking The Detectives about a TV version of The Mirror Crack’d. The version I wrote about starred Julia McKenzie. Who made the better Miss Marple? Julia or Angela? You decide!

Star-spangled recipe books!

My books are available worldwide via Amazon (switch to your own country for the correct pricing)

or via my Etsy shop (these will come directly from me and can be signed if you wish) - my 1933 cocktail book facsimile is only available from here.

Bags, bags, go away. Come right back on Doris Day.