It tickles me that the very first Murder, She Wrote sets the scene foodwise. Our heroine Jessica Fletcher is part of the refreshment committee for a murder mystery play that will soon be performed in her beloved Cabot Cove.
The director condescendingly calls the homely trio "the cookie ladies", but he underestimates our J.B.
He's annoyed to hear that after sitting in on a dress rehearsal of just the first act of the play, she's already worked out whodunnit!
This episode is super enjoyable if you already know Murder, She Wrote well. There are so many elements that we will see running through the series. It's thrilling to learn how Jessica became a best-selling author, and we quickly understand that she is humble about her writing yet still excited about her success.
It's plain to see how popular she is, not just with her nephew Grady and her friends in Cabot Cove but also with those in the publishing business and the random folks she meets on her travels. Jessica is lovable in so many ways.
All Fangelas know what a wonderful character Angela Lansbury personifies in Murder, She Wrote, but if you are new to this series, you'll soon learn to love her too, I am sure. She is an inspiration to us all.
The refreshment committee for the play is planning brownies and macaroons, so if you are a baker, you could rustle up some of those for this episode, served with a big bowl of boozy punch. If you are in the mood to throw a fancy dress party, why not suggest a theme of great characters in fiction? You could go as the Count of Monte Cristo as publisher Preston Giles does, or a fairy godmother like Jessica.
I'm not sure who Anne Francis is supposed to be in her crazy get-up, but her gazpacho is good!
Anne Francis' Gazpacho Soup
½ clove garlic
½ small onion, sliced
½ green pepper, seeded and sliced
3 ripe tomatoes, peeled and quartered
1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ cup ice water
Place all ingredients into a blender and cover. Blend on medium speed for about six seconds or until all ingredients are thoroughly chopped and blended. Chill for about 10 minutes and serve cold.
Note: Too high a speed on the blender will cause the gazpacho to foam; it's better to use a slower speed and stir occasionally.
Anne says this serves 4-8 but I’d say serves 2-4 if you are greedy like me and guzzle gazpacho by the glassful.
I like to drizzle over a little olive oil and sprinkle some cucumber cubes over the soup - meow!
Enjoy sprinkling some stardust around your kitchen! If you try Anne’s gazpacho do let me know how it turned out in the comments below. All thoughts on this episode are welcome too.
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Next week on Murder, She Cooked, a recipe from the kitchen of Claude Akins.
Here come all the linky-links!
More movie star recipes can be found over at the Silver Screen Suppers blog - 15 years and counting.
You’ll find me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook by searching for Silver Screen Suppers.
Would you like to test a recipe for the forthcoming Murder, She Cooked book? Leave a comment on this post or drop me a line via this link to my contact page. Everyone is welcome, whatever your cooking abilities might be.
If you like Columbo, you might like my Cooking With Columbo cookbook
and if you have never been to a Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote live show, check out the amazing Tim Benzie’s website here. Tim did a private show for my hen night. Can you guess which episode we did?
My typewriter logo was designed by the divine Thom Kofoed - do check out his etsy shop for loads of great goodies.
I found the Greetings from Cabot Cove postcard on Zazzle, the artist’s name is Daniel Tepfer.
Cheerio for now, tune in for another episode next week!