Elvis Food (All of it) The Burger and the King (BBC 1996) DO NOT WATCH IF YOU'RE HUNGRY!
The Burger and the King (BBC 1996)
DO NOT WATCH IF YOU'RE HUNGRY!
I KEPT wondering why this was so familiar, it's based on David Adler’s book The Life and Cuisine of Elvis Presley.
A remarkable guided tour through the culinary world of Elvis Presley, in his later years famed as much for his appetite as for his music. The King's passion for food is recounted by close friends, relatives and personal cooks who share the recipes that kept their idol happy.
From the squirrel and raccoon dishes of his youth to the fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches that contributed to his demise.
'The input's gotta be just as great as the output' was Elvis Presley's rationale for his extraordinary eating habits towards the end of his life.
This documentary reveals just how much Elvis was packing away in his final days.
Tales of giant pizzas being smuggled to Presley, against his doctor's strict instructions, and his love of fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches are just some of the examples of his extraordinary diet.
ALSO WATCH Wisconsin Death Trip, a 1999 American black-and-white and color docudrama film written and directed by James Marsh, based on the 1973 book of the same name by Michael Lesy.
Original music for the film was composed by DJ Shadow, with original piano music for the closing credits by John Cale.
Director James Marsh has an extinguished documentary career, making several films for the BBC that are rarely screened in the U.S.
STD is pleased to bring to light this Marsh title from 1996, based on David Adler’s book The Life and Cuisine of Elvis Presley, in which he explores America by following Elvis’ appetite.
The film travels from Memphis to Las Vegas, documenting dishes (mostly fried), from squirrel to peanut butter and banana sandwiches, complete with recipes.
Along the way, we meet a range of fascinating characters, from Elvis’ cook who served his last meal of cheeseburgers to his eating companion who was known to join him on chartered flights just to satisfy a craving.
Excerpt from Grill Marcus on the films of James Marsh in the New York Times(11/28/1999):
Mr. Marsh received his first directorial assignment in 1989, when he was 25. Arena, says Mr. Marsh — an Englishman now living in New York — was putting on ”themed evenings, four or five hours a night on a single subject.” One was ”Food night,” and for it Mr. Marsh conceived a 15-minute segment on the last meals of condemned prisoners. ”I wanted to know what the ritual meant in a bureaucratic system of execution,” he says, recalling that in the British tradition a prisoner’s last meal might also have involved a last drunk, complete with prostitutes. Because capital punishment had been all but abolished in the United Kingdom since the 1960’s, Mr. Marsh set off for a two-day shoot on Death Row in Louisiana. ”I wanted to expose the process in one detail,” he says. He ended up focusing on a single prisoner, a man ”outraged by the crazy idea of hospitality at the end of his life.”
There is probably a more direct line from this first project to Mr. Marsh’s ”Wisconsin Death Trip” than to another food piece by him, ”The Burger and the King.”
In this graceful account of ”The Life and Cuisine of Elvis Presley,” the fine David Adler book on which the film is based, cooks from throughout Presley’s life — from his high school cafeteria, the Army, Graceland — present their dishes proudly and so lovingly that by the end one may want nothing more than to copy down the recipe for fried banana and peanut-butter sandwiches and make one.
"I think this is one of my favorite videos I've ever seen about Elivs . I especially love Mary, Elvis's cook . No wonder he loved her . I know exactly what she was talking about when she talked about how people down in the South cook a lot different than most folks . I know how to cook like that too . I live in Georgia and I learned how to cook from my Mama and all of my Granny's . I know how to make my granny's homemade banana pudding too . I always added a little sugar to my collards and turnip greens and of course salt , but never pepper (also fat back or bacon ) . I also added salt , pepper , and a little sugar to my coleslaw & fried squash. I learned to always cook my green beans down till all of the water was almost gone, then add more water and cook them for few more minutes . I know how to make fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches too . Lordy....now I'm hungry ... LOL...!! Anyway Thanks so much for sharing this great video . I love it!"
Elvis
Got All Shook Up Without His Cholesterol : Rock 'n' roll: Book
provides a tongue-in-cheek tour of the King's four food groups--meat,
vegetables, tobacco and over-the-counter medication.
LARRY McSHANE | ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — A pound of bacon, a loaf of Italian bread, peanut butter and jelly. OK, Mr. Presley, dinner is served. Elvis'
dietary needs--and they made his other pursuits appear tame--are the
topic of "The Life and Cuisine of Elvis Presley" (Crown, $15), a
no-rolls-barred account of the meals that stretched a thousand
jumpsuits.
The groundbreaking "food biography" is the
tongue-in-cheek work of David Adler, an Elvis fan who invested his time
and effort (too much, perhaps) tracking the King's chow from cradle to .
. . well, you know where he died. Adler interviewed Elvis'
Graceland cooks. His valet. His Tupelo, Miss., neighbors. He gathered
menus from Elvis' high school. And the Army. And Las Vegas hotels. He
hung out with Elvis' stepbrothers. And Elvis' coroner. And Barbara Eden.
The
"I Dream of Jeannie" star worked with Elvis on the forgettable film
"Flaming Star," where Presley played a half-breed who protects his
Indian mother from white ranchers. (Remember?)
Barbara was his
love interest. Her mealtime recollections of Presley: "Good table
manners. If he didn't (have them), I would remember that."
Though initially thin, Elvis bulked up nicely--at the time of his death, he weighed in at 255 pounds.
Don't waste any time wondering why. Adler provides the, ahhhh, skinny on Graceland's departed gourmand.
Adler
discovered E's favorite meals were more than simply food--they earned
their very own titles: the Fool's Gold Loaf. The Palm Beach Burger, with
a Chocolate Shake a la Gridiron. Cheeseburger Delight. (Yes, Elvis did
like red meat.)
The Fool's Gold was a particularly sumptuous
feast. Elvis, 18 months before his death, swept two guests via private
jet straight from Graceland's Jungle Room to Glendale, Colo., for a
taste of this treat.
The main ingredients: one loaf of Italian
white bread, smeared with butter and tossed into an oven at 350 degrees;
one pound of lean bacon, fried and drained. After 15 minutes, the
loaf is removed and sliced lengthwise. Hollow out the inside of each
half; smear peanut butter and jelly inside, add the bacon, slap the two
halves together.
Yield, according to the book: 1 serving (Elvis), 8 to 10 servings (others). Cost: $49.95 per sandwich; hence, the name.
Throw
in fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches, chicken-fried steak,
fried dill pickles, fried chicken with potato chip coating. . . . You
get the idea; he got the cholesterol.
What else made the King's mouth water? Adler's research turned up these Elvis food facts:
* Favorite seasoning: Salt. * Cooking Tip: Make it well done. ("That's burnt, man," was high praise.) *
Favorite pizza topping: Barbecued pork, with barbecue sauce instead of
tomato sauce, from Coletta's Italian Restaurant in Memphis. * Ambience: Leave the TV on. (Shooting out tube during dinner optional.) * Favorite dessert: Del Monte fruit cocktail with coconut flakes, raisins and mini-marshmallows. * What drink to serve with dinner: Bottle of Pepsi. * Favorite snacks: Brownies, Girl Scout cookies, Eskimo Pies, Nutty Buddies. (Detect a pattern here?) * Favorite doughnuts: Krispy Kreme jelly doughnuts, by the box. *
Napkins: Save 'em. "He used towels," said Billy Stanley, Elvis'
stepbrother. "He'd say, 'Bring me a beach towel.' 'Cause he'd make such a
mess." Adler's work, although tasty, was high in calories: He put
on 10 pounds while chomping in the King's teeth marks. His favorite
meal, prepared by ex-Graceland cook Pauline Nicholson, was a
chicken-fried steak (that's steak, coated with breading, then fried) and
mashed potatoes served on plates once used in Graceland.
For
those who believe Elvis is alive, Adler says, some sightings back up
this contention. Adler notes that Elvis sightings are frequently at
grocery stores, 7-Elevens or fast-food restaurants--haunts not unknown
to Presley.
One particular account, of Elvis ordering a Whopper in Kalamazoo, Mich., particularly struck the author.
"What gives (this) account eerie credibility is that . . . Burger King was by far Elvis' favorite fast food chain," Adler wrote.
Check, please. Elvis' Shopping List
These items were to be kept in the Graceland "kitchen and house for Elvis-- at all times--every day.
" Purchases often were made at the local Piggly Wiggly. The four major
Elvis food groups: meat, vegetables, tobacco and over-the-counter
medication. The cost: about $500 a week:
* Fresh, lean unfrozen ground round steak. * One case regular Pepsi. * One case orange drink. * Rolls. * At least six cans of biscuits. * Hamburger buns. * Pickles. * Potatoes and onions. * Assorted fresh fruit. * Cans of sauerkraut. * Wieners. * At least three bottles of milk, and half and half. * Lean bacon. * Mustard. * Peanut butter. * Fresh, hand-squeezed cold orange juice. * Banana pudding. * Ingredients for meatloaf and sauce. * Brownies. * Ice cream (vanilla and chocolate). * Shredded coconut. * Fudge cookies. * Gum (Spearmint, Doublemint, Juicy Fruit--three each). * Cigars (El Producto Diamond Tips and Altas). * Cigarettes. * Dristan. * Super Anahist. * Contac. * Sucrets (antibiotic red box). * Feenamint gum. * Matches (four to five books). Source: Associated Press
Elvis Presley’s Legendary Midnight Sandwich Run on his Private Jet
On the night of February 1, 1976, Elvis
Presley took his private jet from Graceland to Denver and back in one
night because he was craving an 8,000 calorie sandwich made from a
hollowed out loaf filled with an entire jar of peanut butter, one jar of
jelly, and a pound of bacon. Not your average snack, priced at $50,
this is the story of how the Fool’s Gold Loaf became the Elvis
Presley of sandwiches, King of the PB&Js…
Late one night at Graceland, Elvis was entertaining his buddies from
out of town, Capt. Jerry Kennedy of the Denver, Colorado police force,
and Ron Pietrafeso of Colorado’s Strike Force Against Crime.
The Denver police who worked as bodyguards for visiting celebrities
and VIPs like Elvis, would often take the stars to a favourite local
restaurant called the Colorado Mine Company (pictured above), and the
three men began reminiscing about a particular sandwich on the menu that
had left quite the impression on Mr. Presley. So much so that the music
icon decided he had to have one, right then and there.
And just like Cinderella’s pumpkin, Elvis’ private jet was awaiting to take the hungry friends for a midnight snack in Denver.
Elvis’ private jet, the Lisa Marie, along with the Hound Dog II, now reside as permanent fixtures at Graceland.
The Lisa Marie, a Convair 880 named after the rock legend’s daughter,
featuring a red-white-and-blue exterior, gold-plated bathroom fixtures,
a stereo system, a conference room and bed, flew two hours to a special
hangar in Denver where they arrived at 1:40am.
Elvis, pictured leaving the Lisa Marie
Aboard the Lisa Marie
Because of it’s connection to Elvis and its particularly outrageous
ingredients, the Fool’s Gold Loaf sandwich became somewhat of a legend
in its own and has been included in numerous cookbooks typically focused
around Presley’s love of food. The sandwich was originally priced
at $49.95, hence its “Fool’s Gold” name, and in later years, it was
priced as high as $65.
The Colorado Mine Company has since closed, but if you’re curious to
try the famous sandwich, you can still find the real deal. The
teenage chef who prepared the Elvis’ midnight snack back in 1976, later
opened his own joint in Golden, Colorado called Nick’s Café, where he’s been selling the King’s favourite sandwich for the last 30 years.
He also provides the recipe for Fool’s Gold Loaf on his café’s
website, but notes that the specific jam used in the original sandwich,
Dickinson’s blueberry preserves, is no longer produced today.
“This is no ordinary PB&J, folks,” writes Nick, “Eat at your own risk”. Here’s the recipe:
INGREDIENTS
o 2 T margarine o 1 loaf French white bread o 1 lb / 450 g bacon slices o 1 jar of smooth peanut butter o 1 jar of grape jelly
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Spread the margarine generously all
over all sides of the loaf. Place it on a baking sheet in the oven.
Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a bit of oil until it is crisp and drain it thoroughly on paper towels.
Remove the loaf from the oven when it is evenly browned, after
approximately 15 minutes. Slice the loaf lengthwise and hollow out the
interior, leaving as much bread along the walls as desired. Slather a
thick layer of peanut butter in the cavity of the loaf and follow with
another thick layer of grape jelly. Use lots of both.
Arrange the bacon slices inside the cavity, or, if desired, layer the
bacon slivers between the peanut butter and jelly. Close the loaf,
slice and eat.
Serves one if you’re Elvis. Serves 8-10 if you’re a regular person. Fool's Gold Loaf is a sandwich made by the Colorado Mine Company, a restaurant in Denver, Colorado. The sandwich consists of a single warmed, hollowed-out loaf of bread filled with the contents of one jar of creamy peanut butter, one jar of grape jelly, and a pound of bacon. The sandwich's connection to Elvis Presley is the source of its legend and prolonged interest. According to The Life and Cuisine of Elvis Presley, it was the focus of a midnight sandwich run by Elvis Presley and his friends. Taking his private jet from Graceland, Presley and his friends purchased 22 of the sandwiches and spent two hours eating them and drinking Perrier and champagne
before flying home. The story became legend and the sandwich became the
subject of continued media interest and part of numerous cookbooks,
typically focused around Presley's love of food.
Elvis connection
David Adler's book contains a detailed account of the event that made the Fool's Gold Loaf sandwich famous.[10] On the night of February 1, 1976, Elvis Presley was at his home at Graceland
in Memphis, entertaining Capt. Jerry Kennedy of the Denver, Colorado
police force, and Ron Pietrafeso of Colorado's Strike Force Against
Crime. The three men began discussing the sandwich, and Presley decided
he wanted one right then. Presley had been to the restaurant before,
while in Denver.[10] Kennedy and Pietrafeso were friends of the owners, so they were
driven to the Memphis airport and boarded Presley's private jet, the Lisa Marie, and flew the two hours to Denver. When they arrived at Stapleton International Airport
at 1:40 AM, the plane taxied to a special hangar where the passengers
were greeted by Buck Scott, the owner of the Colorado Mine Company, and
his wife Cindy who had brought 22 fresh Fool's Gold Loaves for the men.[10] They spent two hours in the hangar eating the sandwiches, washing them down with Perrier and champagne.[10]
Presley invited the pilots of the plane, Milo High and Elwood Davis, to
join them. When they were done, they flew back to Memphis without ever
having left the Denver airport.[10]
