Vincent Price is a name that conjures up images of gothic castles and bloodsucking monsters. But while his prolific seven-decade celluloid career certainly elevates him to the ranks of the greatest silver screen actors of all time, his filmography only tells part of his varied life story. Even among hardcore horror fans, many don’t know that Vincent Price and his second wife Mary made a major contribution to the kitchens of America when, in 1965, they released their landmark cookbook, A Treasury of Great Recipes.
These days, although it’s been out of print for years, Mary and Vincent Price’s cookbook is experiencing something of a renaissance. This revival includes a rerelease of the book with a forward from Wolfgang Puck. That’s right. These recipes have some serious culinary street cred.
Last week, as part of the book’s promotional tour, I was fortunate enough to attend a Vincent Price dinner in Morgantown, West Virginia. Yes, it’s true; West Virginia is far more of a foodie hotspot than most people know. And if you doubt me, just keep in mind only a handful of cities in America hosted a Vincent Price dinner, and Morgantown was one of the select few. To up the ante, Vincent Price’s daughter Victoria was the host for the evening. Major horror royalty in the house.
The evening’s dinner came courtesy of the gastronomic prowess of chef Marion Ohlinger. From brook trout kinilau to cocette de guinea hen, we were served five exquisite courses and–let me just admit it now–far too much Vincent Price wine. But see, once you’ve sampled Vincent Price’s award-winning cabernet and chardonnay and pinot noir, you might think as I did that there can never be too much of it. After the fourth or fifth glass, your stomach however might disagree.
All the amazing wine aside, my favorite moment of the evening came when Victoria showed us the original proof of the cookbook, which includes dozens of blank pages at the end for notes. Since Vincent and Mary didn’t fill up those pages, Victoria uses it as a guestbook for all of the people who attend the dinners held in honor of her parents’ cookbooks. A piece of Vincent Price’s legacy, and I got to sign it. *swoon*
If you want to know more about A Treasury of Great Recipes, check out the Cooking with Vincent website. You’ll find everything from cool retro photos and free recipes to information about the wine collection and Victoria Price’s blog. And keep your horror-loving eyes peeled–Victoria might be bringing a Vincent Price dinner to your town!
Happy haunting, and be sure to check out a Vincent Price movie, won’t you?