Date I made these recipes:
June 12, 2016 – The Tony Awards
The Theatre Lover's
Cookbook – Recipes from 60 Favorite Plays by Mollie Ann Meserve and Walter
J. Meserve
Published by:
Feedback TheatreBooks & Prospero Press
©1992
Purchased at Kona Bay Books, Kona, Big Island , Hawaii
Recipe: Jenny's Spaghetti with Fresh Basil Sauce,
inspired by the 1977 play, Chapter Two by Neil Simon – p. 33-34.
Eating Together –
Recollections & Recipes by (playwright) Lillian Hellman and Peter
Feibleman
Published by: Little,
Brown and Company
©1987
Purchased at Kitchen
Arts & Letters, NYC* There's a great backstory about the purchase of
this book; see below.
Recipe: Bolognese Sauce – p.
50-51.
In a previous life, I was a Broadway musical star, never mind
Tony Award winner. I love to sing, I can act, and with proper
training, I can shuffle ball change with the best of them. Never mind film or TV, this baby is
Broadway-bound.
Not that this ever happened, nor will it, but a gal can
dream.
This year's Tony
Awards were timely because a) they were a respite from the terrible
shootings that happened in Orlando and b) because I just bought The Theater Lover's Cookbook a couple
of weeks earlier at a used book store while in Hawaii for my wedding
anniversary. I cannot tell you how many
times the books I buy end up being "timely."
Also pertinent is the second cookbook I used – Eating Together – Recollections &
Recipes by famed playwright Lillian Hellman (& Peter Feibleman). This book has been sitting on my shelf for
years now, just waiting for the right opportunity to shine and tonight is it!
Although much of the fun and focus of the Tony Awards is the musical, a goodly
portion of awards and respect must be paid to the plays. Remember, it was Shakespeare who said
"The play's the thing" and on Tony
night, it is indeed.
This year, it occurred to me that I really should tune in to
this award show more often. There's just
something different about a Broadway actor or actress and not just because they
perform in New York . Plays and musicals are demanding on the
actors and I think that we see the stuff that they are made of when they bring
their A-game performance night after night, week after week, eight shows a week
to a live audience. It's hard to
articulate why but to me, the caliber of the actor or actress is just a cut
above their Hollywood counterparts. That doesn't mean that Hollywood actors don't
come to New York
or vice versa because that happens quite frequently, but "Broadway
Babies" generally stick to Broadway probably because it's fun, they have a
posse of friends in that business and it demands so much more of them than a
couple minute spot in a TV commercial, TV show or movie.
A great example of the do-si-do done by actors throughout
their careers was when host James Corden pointed out a few actors in the
audience who had appeared in that TV juggernaut, Law & Order (and all its spin-offs) over the years. This "sketch" was one of the
funniest moments of the night:
James Corden: "Those of you watching at home who
aren't theater buffs, don't worry. You
may not know some of these Broadway actors by name but you will recognize them
from your favorite television shows."
And then he proceeded to call them out:
"Claire Danes is here and you'll recognize her as [character name]
in Law & Order. Billy Porter is here and you'll recognize him
as [character name] in[brief pause] Law
& Order. Michael Shannon is best
know to all of us as [character name] [brief pause] in Law & Order" and so on and so on ending with Danny
Burstein who, it turns out, played several roles in Law & Order which James named off, ending with "And
finally, who could forget his wonderful turn as [character name] [brief pause] in
Law & Order.
I about busted a gut.
And speaking of Law & Order,
and other TV shows, these Broadway stars also crossed over from the stage to TV
screen:
- Jerry Orbach was star of the Broadway production, The Fantastics (and was first to sing this incredible song, "Try to Remember" )long before he became know as the hilariously funny Detective Lennie Brisco in...brief pause...Law & Order.
- Funny lady Elaine Stritch who most of you know as Jack's mother, Colleen, on 30 Rock, as well as a defense attorney on...brief pause...Law & Order, made a name for herself starring in many Broadway productions, and even a one-woman show, Elaine Stritch at Liberty in 2002. Two songs for which she is/was known are "I'm Still Here" (from the Sondheim musical, Follies) and "Ladies Who Lunch" from the musical, Company. The last refrain is my favorite: "Let's hear it for the ladies who lunch. Everybody rise! Rise! Rise!...."
- Actress Beth Howland recently passed away and was best known for her role as the ditzy but delightful Vera Louise Gorman on the TV show Alice, but prior to that, she too, was a Broadway baby, originating the role of Amy in Stephen Sondheim's Company (same as Elaine Stritch). One of the songs she sang in that production, "Getting Married Today," later resurfaced on the TV show, Glee.
Which is to say folks, that what goes around, comes
around. Books become musicals, plays
become musicals, musicals become plays, actors and actresses do si do between Hollywood and New
York and what we get is some great
entertainment. I have been lucky enough
to see several productions – plays and musicals – on Broadway and have also
been treated to some outstanding touring companies in Minneapolis .
And although my collection of musical theater CD's is not as vast as the
cookbooks, it is also none too shabby and goes back to songs from musicals
staged in the 1940's. On my to-acquire
CD list is Hamilton which will cost
me far less than an airplane ride and tickets to the production in NYC to be
sure.
And now, after that trip down memory Broadway lane, let's on
with the cookbook show, starting with The Theatre Lover's Cookbook – Recipes
from 60 Favorite Plays. Here's a
smattering of plays and musicals featured in this cookbook:
- Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring (1941) – Old Lace Pot Roast
- Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward (1941) – Hysterical Mousse
- Chapter Two by Neil Simon (1977) * featured recipe – Jenny's Spaghetti with Fresh Basil Sauce
- The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekov (1904) – Cherries Jubilee
- The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare (1592-1593) – Creamed Capon
- Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (1949) – Boiled (Steamed) Lobster (I probably read this play at least twice in high school and who knows how many times in college and I cannot say the play, nor main character, Willy Loman, are my favorites.)
- The Fantasticks by Tom Jones and Harvey L. Schmidt (1960) (Starring Jerry Orbach of Law & Order fame.) – Fantastick Bean Rolls with Cilantro
- For the Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Notzake Shange (1976) – Fried Bananas (I read this book my last year in high school. The title has always stuck with me even if the details of the book are now fuzzy.)
- The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams (1945) – Ingenue Salmon Loaf (Yet another play that has been done to death.)
- The King and I by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (1951) – Anna's Rice (My parents had the 1956 movie soundtrack album and my third grade class performed many selections from it for a class production.)
- The Little Foxes by Lillian Hellman
(1939) – Addie's Frozen Fruit Cream (*Lillian's
cookbook is our second featured cookbook today.)
- The Miracle Worker by William Gibson (1959) – Breakfast Bisquits (Patty Duke, who played Helen Keller on stage and screen, passed away this year.)
- The Odd Couple by Neil Simon (1965) – Felix Ungar's Linquine (Loved the TV show and especially love "The Oscar Song." YouTube it!)
- Our Town by Thornton Wilder (1938) – Mrs. Gibb's Wedding Day French Toast (Aaron Copland wrote the music for this play and the opening number is just haunting. I love it.)
- South Pacific by Joshua Logan,
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II (1949) – Nellie's Normal
Blueberry Pie (My parents loved this musical and film but I remain
lukewarm. That said, there has
never been a time when I visited
- A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (1947) – New Orleans Pork Chops (You know I have to say it: "Stellllllllllaaaaaaaa")
And so on and so on. Each
play comes with a little recap and a
recipe. Sometimes the recipe is
something mentioned or featured in the play, sometimes not. Overall, it's a fun read and for me – an
English major and musician - who
"could have been a contender" (On
the Waterfront) had things gone a little differently. ("Here she is boys! Here she is world! Here's Rose Ann! - Rose's
Turn from the musical, Gypsy)
Anyway, the recipe I selected here is from Neil Simon's play
Chapter Two. Chapter
Two is about second relationships and second chances. The protagonist, a recently widowed George,
meets a newly-divorced Jenny and they get married shortly thereafter. The play is the tale of that second marriage.
According to this cookbook, in "Act I, Scene 1, she
[Jenny] promises to make spaghetti with fresh basil sauce." I thought the dish sounded good and so made
it and it was very tasty and very simple to make. I was a tad worried about
basil overkill (the full recipe requires 6 cups) but I worried for naught and
in fact, liked it better than pesto, a dish I can take or leave. (My people do
not "do" pesto. We're
straight-up red sauce, period.)
So that was one easy dish down with one to go from Eating Together – Recollections &
Recipes by (famed playwright) Lillian Hellman and Peter Feibleman.
This book is divided into parts: Part
One: Her Way and Part Two: His Way with each author
telling stories and sharing recipes, most often of their travels together. Mr. Feibleman was a close friend of Miss
Hellman's and it sounds like they shared a love of writing, food and
travel. Since I don't know Mr. Feibleman
though, I elected to cook something from Miss Hellman's "Her Way"
section and don't you know, found several pasta sauce recipes from which I
selected "Bolognese Sauce."
Besides her play, The
Little Foxes, Miss Hellman also wrote the play, The Children's Hour which was made also into a movie staring Audrey
Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine and James Garner.
I've seen this movie, as well as The
Little Foxes with Bette Davis, but I didn't know much about Miss Hellman
until I saw the movie, Julia, with
Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave.
The movie, Julia,
is a story excerpted from Miss Hellman's play, Pentimento, and tells the story of a friendship between
"Julia," a Nazi-resistance fighter, played by Vanessa Redgrave, and
Lillian (as in Hellman), a budding playwright, played by Jane Fonda. Both women end up in dire situations as
Lillian is convinced by Julia to smuggle money into Nazi Germany to help the
resistance movement. This is a dangerous
task for Lillian who is Jewish.
The movie then, is rather tense as we wait to find out the
friend's fate but it was beautifully acted and the costumes made me just drool;
the late 1930's and early 40's yielded some unbelievable dress designs. The movie itself was nominated for 11
Academy Awards. And now that I've talked
about it, I'm thinking I'm going to purchase this DVD and re-watch it. (Besides, there are scenes involving
cocktails of the martini kind so...)
So that's the background on Miss Hellman. And although both
co-authors provided some yummy-sounding recipes, since I was making Jenny's Spaghetti with Fresh Basil Sauce
from the theater cookbook, I went all in and made half the "Bolognese
Sauce" recipe from this book and we were good to go. The recipe takes a little longer than the
fresh basil sauce but it was worth it.
Plus, I liked having two sauces for dinner instead of one.
And so that's my very long, long....long Tony Award show blogpost, featuring
anecdotes about things seen...in Law
& Order and other fun factoids to amuse and enlighten.
Curtain up!
Jenny's Spaghetti with
Fresh Basil Sauce – For a party of 6 – from TheTheatre Lover's Cookbook
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 cups coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 pound uncooked spaghetti
Romano or Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, for topping
Heat a large skillet over low heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and sauté
about 2 minutes. Add the basil, salt and
pepper. Sauté about 15 minutes.
While the sauce cooks, cook the spaghetti one minute less
than called for on package directions and drain. Add the spaghetti to the skillet, increase
heat to medium and cook, carefully tossing continuously until the spaghetti is
cooked al dente, about 1 minute. Test
the spaghetti for doneness by tasting.
Transfer to a warm serving platter or individual plates. Top with the grated cheese and serve
immediately with crusty Italian bread.
Bolognese Sauce –
Serves 12 – from Eating Together –
Recollections & Recipes
¼ cup olive oil
1 pound ground beef
2 onions, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 10-ounce can plum tomatoes *See Ann's Note below
2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
2 cups water or meat broth
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon basil
1 teaspoon thyme
Dash of Tabasco
sauce
Pepperoni sausage (optional)
Ann's Note: I made
half this recipe which meant that I only needed a 5-ounce can plum tomatoes,
something that really doesn't exist. But
while I was in Target looking at canned tomatoes, I noticed they had a can
(still too large) of fire-roasted tomatoes and thought "Ah ha!" So at my next shopping stop – Trader Joe's –
I purchased a small bag of small Roma tomatoes and roasted them using a
variation of Ina Garten's directions: slather
the tomatoes with a generous amount of olive oil. Sprinkle with Kosher salt. Roast on a cookie sheet or roasting pan at
450F for 15-20 minutes (depending on size).
Let cool. And then after they
cooled, I pulsed them in the food processor and added them to the rest of the
sauce – delicious!!
Put a small amount of olive oil in a large pan and sauté the
meat, turning it until it browns. Add
the onions and garlic, the tomatoes and the tomato paste. When you have removed the paste from the can,
add 2 cups of water (or broth), scraping the remaining paste from the sides of
the tin. Season the sauce with salt,
pepper, oregano, basil, thyme and Tabasco . Simmer for 2 ½ hours. It is often very nice to add to this sauce a
small amount of very finely chopped pepperoni sausage.
*This cookbook, Lillian Hellman's Eating Together, was sourced for me by my friend and (used)
cookbook store owner, Bonnie Slotnick, who, at the time, was finding and
filling requests for out-of-print books from people like me at Kitchen Arts & Letters (NYC). This was the very first "official"
cookbook I collected after seeing mention of it in a food magazine (can't
recall if it was in Bon Appetite or Gourmet.) When Bonnie moved on, I thought all was lost
but managed to find her, first in the West
Village and now in her new home in the
East Village
Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks
28 East Second Street
212-989-8962
No comments:
Post a Comment