Photoplay (Jan - Jun 1932)

(.(• c aviar M. I in ariene Most of the studios have lunchrooms for the players. At the M-G-M they call it "The Commissary." At Fox it's "The Munchers"; where everyone is served with ice cold grapes free, even with just a ham sandwich. Here's Warner Baxter tearing through a bowl of soup and telling Helen Mack and Minna Gombell the gossip of the morning's work on the sound stages THE manager of the Embassy Club in Hollywood was showing Mary Pickford through the kitchens when a waiter came swinging through calling, " Caviar for Marlene Dietrich, and Ann Harding's cocktail." The waiter hadn't even been over to their tables, but when he saw them come into the dining room he knew that their order would be "the usual thing." The Embassy is one of the swanky places in Hollywood where the stars eat. At the studio restaurants they dash in f<3r i hurried bite, but at the Embassy they have time to be social. This club used to be barred to the casual visitor, but a short time ago it opened its doors to the public for dinner. At luncheon it still remains the stars' stronghold. Perhaps you will be surprised and interested to know that Eddie Brandstatter, the genius behind the scenes there, has discovered that the stars prefer simple foods rather than elaborate fare. Each one has some favorite dish, each some special taste to which Eddie caters. Now, there's Lilyan Tashman, who should have sophisticated :ulinary tastes if anyone ever did have. But Lilyan just eats heartily of everything and anything she likes. She has ginger lie with any meal, never drinking tea or coffee. At the Embassy, one of her favorite dishes is cold Columbia River salmon served with rings of hard-boiled egg and covered with a thin spicy sauce that is an Embassy specialty. Evelyn Brent combines breakfast and lunch. Her favorite dish is bacon and eggs. "Bacon and eggs for Evelyn! Tomato cocktail for Ann!" and ah, here's Eleanor Boardman's special lamb stew MARLENE DIETRICH isn't the only one who has a standingorderf or caviar. [t costs Josef Von Sternberg md Eric Von Stroheim a pretty penny to satisfy their tastes for the delicacy. They frequently lunch together, usually arriving at the club a little early so that they are finished before the crowd arrives. They always order Photoplay Magazine 919 N. Michigan Ave.. Chicago, 111. Please send me a copy of Photoplay's Famous Cook Book, containing 150 favorite recipes of the stars. I am enclosing twenty-five cents Be sure to write name and address plainly. You may send either stamps or coin. Russian caviar and rarely ever leave before having consumed a pound of it between them. And caviar is SI 8 a pound! Nearly everyone has his own table at the Embassy and although the place has an air of elegance, it also has a charming feeling of intimacy. Everyone knows everyone and there is much going back and forth between tables during the lunch period. Carmel Myers always orders cottage cheese and chives on green lettuce, with a sprinkling of paprika over it. Joan Crawford is another salad devotee. She has a favorite which consists of prunes stuffed with cottage cheese placed on cottage cheese, the whole served on lettuce. Another favorite of Joan's is a salad made with romaine lettuce garnished with chopped hard-boiled eggs and tomatoes. Over this she pours a dressing which she mixes at the table. The dressing is vinegar, olive oil and dry mustard mixed together to a thin consistency. To this is added salt, pepper and paprika to taste. LAMB stew is a great piece de resistance. And at the Embassy it is prepared in such a way as to tempt the epicure. Eleanor Boardman frequently orders it. The lamb is cut up in goodsized pieces and stewed with carrots, peas and onions. Before serving, a gravy sauce is poured over the whole. On the large platter upon which it is served, the stew is ringed with curried rice. This dish, like many others, is served buffet fashion from a cart. Stewed fruits are a nonfattening dessert favored by a majority of the stars. A compote composed of various fruits is served in a huge silver bowl and passed from table to table. Janet Gaynor, Lydell Peck, Charlie Farrell and Virginia Valli often dine out together at night. At the Embassy, one of their favorites is filet mignon with mushrooms. CAROLYN VAN WYCK 17