for the love of the Thin Man

 and 4 recipes too! 

  

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to explore the love my husband and I have for the Thin Man Movies. This charming series always grabs our attention and is instantly put on our playlist any time it’s featured on TCM (Turner Classic Movies channel.)

 

So today, in honor the day of love, I’m sharing some fun pictures, facts and even several vintage recipes from our two charismatic stars, Myrna Loy and William Powell.  

 

The Thin Man is a 1934 American comedy/detective film based on the 1934 novel by Dashiell Hammett.

 

The film stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, a leisure-class couple who enjoy copious drinking and flirtatious banter.

 

Nick is a retired private detective who left his very successful career when he married Nora, a wealthy heiress accustomed to high society.

 

In 1997, the film was added to the United States National Film Registry having been deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant"

 

Their wire-haired fox terrier Asta was played by the canine actor Skippy.

 

A film series followed, featuring the main characters Nick and Nora Charles.

 

The story is set in New York City during the Christmas season of 1932, in the last days of Prohibition in the United States.

 

The main characters are Nick Charles, a former private detective, and Nora, his socialite wife.

 

William Powell appeared as Nick Charles in six Thin Man films, beginning with The Thin Man in 1934. This movie provided Powell with his first Academy Award nomination, in 1935.

 

In 1931, Powell married actress Carole Lombard. They divorced in 1933 but starred in My Man Godfrey three years later. He was later romantically involved with Jean Harlow.

My Man Godfrey is another one of our all-time favorite movies. The chemistry between Powell and Lombard is sooooo good! 

 

By the late 1930s, Myrna Loy was highly regarded for her performances in romantic comedies, and she was anxious to demonstrate her dramatic ability. 

 

Loy was cast as Nora Charles in the 1934 film The Thin Man. Director W. S. Van Dyke chose Loy after he detected a wit and sense of humor that her previous films had not revealed.

 

At a Hollywood party, he pushed her into a swimming pool to test her reaction and felt that her aplomb in handling the situation was exactly what he envisioned for Nora.

 

The Thin Man became one of the year's biggest hits and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Loy received excellent reviews and was acclaimed for her comedic skills.

 

Myrna Loy and William Powell proved to be a popular on-screen couple and appeared in 14 films together, one of the most prolific pairings in Hollywood history.

 

Loy later referred to The Thin Man as the film "that finally made me... after more than 80 films."

 

(Info for this post has been gathered from Wikipedia.)

Now for the fun part...

THE RECIPES!

Here are 4 unusual recipes from my collection of vintage celebrity recipes. The first three dishes are from Myrna, and Mr. Powell provides us with the Vatrushka or Vatrouski recipe.

 

Vatrushka is an eastern European round pastry filled with white cheese. Sounds interesting and tasty!

 

I love how cooking styles change over the decades, and this is proof that tastes may change, but good food is good food and there’s no disputing that!

 

I have yet to try making these 4 recipes, but I do have some free time next week, so I’ll let you know which ones I try!!

Myrna Loy’s Twice Baked Potatoes 

Myrna’s twice baked potatoes are so easy to make and still stand the test of time with today’s cravings. You start with baking large potatoes. Then remove from the oven, slice through the top and middle and remove all the potato flesh from the skin and place it in a large bowl. 

To this mixture, add crisp bacon that has been minced. (I would do one slice of bacon per potato.) Then to this mixture add chopped chives, cream (or milk), butter and nutmeg. Mix well. Refill the potato skins with this mixture and top with a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Bake again until golden brown.

 

And now a quick and easy Chicken and Pimetno soup, directly from the kitchen of Myrna Loy. Click on the recipe to enlarge and print.

 

Here’s a more international version of an easy soup from the kitchen of Myrna Loy. It’s her take on a flavorful Senegalese Soup. Once again. Click on this recipe to enlarge and print.

 

William Powell’s Vatrouskis

Yield: 12 cheese tarts

1 cup cottage cheese

¼ cup sour cream

1 tbsp butter, softened

1 egg, beaten

½ tsp sugar

¼ tsp salt

14 oz flat pie crust pastry (the frozen variety is perfect)

 

Preheat oven to 450°F

 

Drain cottage cheese with a cheese cloth to remove most of the liquid.  Mix the cottage cheese, sour cream and butter until well blended.  Add beaten egg, salt and sugar, and incorporate well until blended.  Butter the insides of a 12-cup muffin tin. 

 

Roll out pastry and cut into 3-inch rounds.  Press these gently into each muffin tin.  Fill each one almost to the top with the cheese mixture (about 2 teaspoons each). Bake for approximately 20 minutes until nicely browned.

Vatrouski or Vatrushka is an eastern European cheese tart filled with white cheese. Must be very good and tasty!

ciao fabiana

 

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You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials” 

 

 

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