Jessica Behind Bars

Murder, She Wrote - S2:E9

Nov 02, 2022

The past few weeks have been such a sad time for Murder, She Wrote fans all over the world. We can only hope that Jessica and Mort are having a cup of tea and some cookies together in that Hollywood in the sky right now.

Just to let you know that the Silver Screen Suppers Recipe of the Month for October is Angela Lansbury’s Walnut Date Bread, which is such a great recipe. Skip over here to see it - Silver Screen Suppers.

I have also rounded up some of Ron Masak’s recipes in this blog post in case you would like to serve a tribute dinner.

But for now, on with the show…

Jessica shows her knowledge of French cuisine in this episode. After tasting the vast vat of stew being prepared in the prison kitchen,

she wrinkles up her nose and says,

“If this is Navarin Printanier, I’m afraid both the lamb and the vegetables died of old age. I suggest that you give it a decent burial.”

Yvonne De Carlo plays the boozed-up prison cook.

If you love Orange is the New Black, you might be reminded of Kate Mulgrew’s character Galina “Red” Reznikov, the head chef of Litchfield Penitentiary.

You could have a double bill with one of the Murder, She Wrote episodes starring Kate Mulgrew, The Corpse Flew First Class, Ever After, or The Dying Game. Kate’s recipe for Pork Tenderloin is in the Murder, She Cooked book and will be coming soon here on Substack when I get to series three. For now though, here’s a strange sounding but great tasting salad dressing from the real kitchen (rather than prison kitchen) of Yvonne De Carlo.

Yvonne De Carlo’s Salome Salad

1 can tomato soup
1 cup salad oil
½ cup vinegar
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon paprika
1 or 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Beat ingredients well with an eggbeater. Pour and mix a desired amount into a salad bowl of chopped, fresh garden green onions, radishes, sections of tomatoes and shredded romaine and heart lettuce. The remaining dressing may be kept in the refrigerator for future use.
Yvonne didn’t specify how many this serves but I would say a huge amount of people!

Next time on Murder, She Cooked a recipe from the kitchen of Marsha Hunt.

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The Murder, She Cooked book is out now!

It covers the first six seasons of the show and contains extra material including test cook verdicts on the star-spangled movie star favourite dishes. It has reached Cabot Cove and word on the street is that J.B. is finding it even more enthralling than The Sins of Castle Cove…