If you’ve ever wondered what yummy dishes your favourite silverscreen movie star cooked up while in the Hollywood Hills, wonder no more, because one of my most favourite girls in the whole wide world, Miss Jenny Hammerton – film archivist, author-girl, and one forth of the awesome Shellac Sisters – is recreating recipes cooked by the silver screen stars themselves at www.silverscreensuppers.com – pop on your pink frilly apron and come bake a cake – Jean Harlow style, obv. – with us!

Jenny, I heart Silverscreen Suppers, who/what inspired you to create it?
Many years ago I found a beautiful 1930s book called “Favorite Recipes of the Movie Stars” in a dusty junk shop in Norwich . It was full of wonderful pictures of film stars in their kitchens grappling with mixing bowls and trying to tempt live turkeys into ovens! The recipes were strange and enticing so I decided there and then to start eating like my idols. I created a blog to record my adventures in creating signature dishes of the stars, and to help me remember the huge amounts of fun I had sharing them with friends.

How do you know so much about Silvercreen stars and what they ate?
I trained as a film archivist and old movies have always been a passion. I’m like a terrier when it comes to research and my favourite place for delving is the newspaper library in Colindale. I love ferreting around in vintage fan magazines looking for recipes. It’s easy to get sidetracked as the mags are full of glorious fashion plates, beauty tips and general gossip but when I DO find a recipe I feel like Sherlock Holmes in a frock.

What came first, the love of silverscreen stars or the love of food?
I have three brothers and on Saturdays my parents were both out at work. We took it in turns to choose what to watch on television and I used to endure weeks and weeks of wall-to-wall sport until joy-of-joys it would be my turn and I could watch old movies! So the silver screen stars came first – definitely!

Who’s your most favourite silverscreen star and why?
It has to be Joan Crawford. On-screen and off, I find her life and work endlessly fascinating. Her recipes are so eccentric. She loved to entertain and would serve the most bizarre things at her dinner parties such as Almond Soup and Creamed White Onions in a Red Pepper Cup. I think the word I would use to describe her taste in food would be “fanciful”. I also love the fact that she would have specific outfits for specific tasks – she had certain dresses that were her “writing letters in the afternoon” dresses for example.

And what’s your favourite recipe s’far?
Marlene Dietrich’s Lamb Chops en Casserole is a definite winner. I’m also very fond of Carole Lombard’s Cherry Pie. Oh and Clara Bow’s Vanilla Marlow… And Errol Flynn’s Baked Fish Havanaise… It’s too tricky to pick just one!

When you cook up a silverscreen supper do you dress up like your fave idol-girl too? I love that idea!
Oh yes, dressing up and flinging quotes from the movies around is all part of the fun! If I’m making Greta Garbo’s Swedish Meatballs I make sure to behave all moody and say, “Gif me a whisky, with ginger ale on the side. And don’t be stingy baby” on a regular basis. As a DJ with the Shellac Sisters I have lots of wonderful vintage numbers which I can don to get into the Silver Screen mood. I’ve also got quite a collection of vintage pinnys too – cooking can be a messy business when you are wearing a shelf-bust prom dress!

Have you had any kitchen disasters while making a Silverscreen Supper – care to share?
Oh goodness me, yes. My poor flatmates had to be very polite about Ginger Rogers’ Butterscotch Date Pudding (it had tapioca in it), Pat O’Brien’s Corned Beef Patties were quite frankly inedible and I never could get Jean Arthur’s Chocolate Fudge to set!

I want to cook like a silverscreen goddess-girl, do you have any plans for a book?
Sassy Minxes everywhere will be able to sprinkle stardust around their kitchens very soon! I’m hoping to have a little livre of loveliness out for Christmas 2010. If your gorgeous readers want to be first to know about it I’m setting up a mailing list over at the blog – www.silverscreensuppers.com – just come by and drop me an email. Also currently looking for volunteers to test cook the recipes – there are over 3500 in the collection and 100 have been selected for the book. All test cooks will receive an acknowledgement in the book – which glamour goddess will YOU choose to impersonate in your kitchen Miss Lisa?! - Ohhhhh, I can’t possibly decide Miss J, I’ve got the Clara Bow bob, and am prone to the Joan Crawford diva-like outbursts, but wouldn’t mind baking cupcakes ala Jayne Mansfield either – ohh, decisions, decisions! - Lisa

Who would be your ideal Silverscreen dinner party guests and why?
Joan Crawford (for some outrageous diva style behaviour)
Bette Davis (for some catty comments regarding the above)
Greta Garbo (just to gaze at in awe)
Louise Brooks (for some intelligent conversation)
Clark Gable (for some after-dinner-rolling-around)

Jenny’s Sassy List!
Colour: Black & White – natch!
City: Austin, Texas and not just because cowboys are my weakness… It has the BEST vintage clothes shops and my co-writer and bosom buddy Caroline lives there.
Website: current fave is www.movie-tone.com and I also love www.bust.com – getting a copy of this kick ass sassy magazine drop on my doormat every now and then really boosts my creative energy. I wish the UK had a print magazine like this.
Movie: Currently loving Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard.
Album: I only have 78rpms, albums are far too modern! My current fave 78 is: “My Wife is on a Diet” by Henry Hall.
Book: “My Way of Life” by Joan Crawford shares equal first place with Marlene Dietrich’s “ABC”. Both jaw-droppingly mad.
Shop: My local supplier of fabulous frocks – www.frillseekersvintage.co.uk and the Hammersmith Vintage Clothes Fairs. I can also be known to come over all faint in the kitchen department of John Lewis when browsing the crockery and time saving devices.
Food: Marion Martin’s Peanut and Bacon Bouchees for a pre-dinner snack accompanied by Tallulah Bankhead’s favourite “French 75” cocktails. Constance Bennett’s Spanish Chicken for a main course and Ida Lupino’s Lemon Mousse for dessert. Then a long lie down with a big box of chocolates a la Jean Harlow!

Don’t you just love her? I’m now looking EVERYWHERE for a copy of Joan Crawford’s My Way of Life – if anyone ever see’s a copy, or has a copy I can borrow, PLEASE let me know! Now go check out www.silverscreensuppers.com right now, and come back to The Sassy Minx soon to see and hear from Jenny in her other role as one forth of vintage DJ ensemble, Shellac Sisters – I know, she’s too-cool-for-school, right?!