If a Body Meets a Body

Murder, She Wrote - S2:E18

Oct 04, 2023

Before this month’s episode, like a TV continuity announcer, I have some exciting bits and bobs to tell you.

Firstly, for those in the UK, I am co-hosting a Watch and Dine Party with Talking Pictures TV this Sunday. I am super excited - everyone is welcome.

Tune in on Sunday, 8th October at 6.30 pm, and if you fancy cooking yourself a star-spangled movie menu, check out this link to my Silver Screen Suppers website for recipes from the kitchens of three of its stars. Ian Carmichael, Richard Attenborough and one of my favourites, Terry-Thomas.

There’s a prize draw to win a copy of my new book, which is my second announcement.

The new version of the Joan Crawford cookbook is now available. It’s a kitchen-friendly dinky hardback with more portraits of Joan

and six more of her recipes. Here’s a link to the UK Amazon page for more information, but do change to your country if you are elsewhere for correct pricing.

A perfect Christmas present for someone in your entourage, I hope!

To celebrate the book launch, I am hosting a Mildred Pierce watch party on Sunday, 22nd October, at 7 pm BST. You can join this wherever you are in the world if you have the film on DVD or can access it via a streaming service. All the details of the watch party are here, plus recipes for Joan’s legendary meatloaf, her coleslaw and cocktail. Everyone is welcome to join. If you have never been to a watch party, DO COME, it’s loads of fun.

Lastly, a couple of weeks ago, I kicked off the Jessica Fletcher Knitalong with a live cast-on over on Instagram.

It was loads of fun as I chit-chatted with lots of Murder, She Wrote fans and got going on the first sleeve. Congratulations to my two prize winners, Poppy Cocktails and Victorian Sleuth. They are officially co-opted onto the Cabot Cove Club Committee - zero responsibilities, just kudos!

You can join in with knitting Jessica’s legendary jumper any time. All the details about where to obtain the pattern and the yarn to use are here.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress each month. Here is how far I’ve got in about 6 hours of knitting - let’s call it around 6 episodes of Murder, She Wrote!

I’ve just noticed, though, that on the pattern, the stripes are all knitted in one contrasting colour, but in Jessica’s version, they are two colours. ARG! What shall I do? Unpick or forge on?! What would Jessica do?

Now, at last, it’s time for the latest instalment of Murder, She Wrote. In this episode, Jessica is trying to meet a book deadline, but circumstances beyond her control get in the way. I know the feeling!

Amos tells Jessica that everyone in Cabot Cove thinks she solves all his crimes for him. So, when yet another murder is committed in the town, he tells her that he wants to work on this one alone to save face.

J.B. is, naturally, most gracious and lets him know that he's quite welcome to it.

She's got a book deadline to meet, so it's all his!

In the end, the sheriff is grateful for J.B.'s help and jokes about how they have a friendly understanding of each other’s boundaries, “I don't write any books, and she don't give out any traffic tickets!”

Robert Sterling and Anne Jeffreys play a married couple here, and they were hitched in real life too.

They submitted this recipe to a movie star cookbook under both of their names, which I always find super cute.

If you fancied a double bill, why not watch the John Wayne movie The War Wagon after this Murder, She Wrote? The recently widowed Connie is pursuing Amos, and they watch this movie together.

The way to the heart of Amos is via his love of The Duke and, of course, through his stomach. “That's the best apple pie I've had in years,” he tells Connie, so a freshly baked apple pie would definitely round off your evening nicely.

If you don't fancy cooking, one of the minor characters mentions having a peanut butter sandwich. That's always my go-to treat when I feel too lazy to rattle the pots and pans!

Anne Jeffreys and Robert Sterling's Cherry Chicken

2 x 2-pound broiler-fryer chickens

1 can cherry pie filling

¼ cup butter

¼ cup port wine

Hot cooked rice

Cut the chickens into halves, melt the butter in a large frying pan and brown the chicken on all sides. Set the chicken pieces aside. Add the cherry pie filling to the frying pan and stir in the port wine. Return the chicken to the sauce, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. To serve, arrange the chicken on a bed of rice, spooning some sauce over the chicken. Serve the remaining sauce separately.

Serves 4

Next time on Murder, She Cooked a recipe from the kitchen of Robert Stack.