elvis , continued...
Food fit for a King
A Journey thru the King's stomach
The young Mr.P
Of all of baby Elvis' nursery foods, the one he lived for (and on) was peanut butter on crackers. Elvis' personality shows through in his voraciousness for these crackers. As soon as he could walk,"he could eat his weight in peanut butter an crackers", according to Elvis' uncle Vester, Vernons brother. Uncle Vester used to tease Elvis by telling him that he was going to eat up all the peanut butter and crackers before Elvis could get to them. Elvis would become hysterical. At the mere sight of Uncle Vester he would scream to his mother, "Hide them, Uncle Vester is going to steal them". And if she didn't, Elvis would pull up a chair to the counter and hide them himself.
Young Elvis, fussed over by his mother, was content with this basic diet of bread,lard,peanut butter, and greens. There was only one thing missing: meat. Because Elvis never had steak, he never missed it; steak just wasn't eaten in the homes of poor people like the Presleys. Even Miss Vertie, despite her generosity to Elvis' mother, never gave Gladys valuable food like beef, which she kept in an icebox with the Coca-Cola
But though there cerainle was no beef on the Presley's table, meat did make an occasional appearance. The Presleys were country people. The could live off the land. Nothing was more mouthwatering to Elvis than the sight of his father returning home with a shotgun in one hand and a freshly shot squirrel in the other. Gladys cooked squirrels with dumplings - just like chicken - or fried them.
Fried Squirrel
To cook a squirrel, first go out and try to kill a very young one. This is the most important thing as old ones are too tought. When skinning the squirrel, make extra sure to remove all the hairs.
2 young squirrels, skinned and cleaned
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
After carefully washing the squirrels, pat dry. With a mallet, gently pound the meat until the bones are crushed and the flesh is tender. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a skillet (preferably cast- iron) over medium-low heat. Dredge the meat in flour, and add to the melted butter.Brown and turn. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the meat is golden brown and cooked through. (Pierce with a knife to check doneness. The juices should run clear when cooked). The process should take 25 to 30 minutes.
Yield: Enough for a small starving family
The famous Fool's Gold Loaf
The evening of February 1, 1976, found Elvis home at Graceland entertaining two favored guests in the jungle room. Capt. Jerry Kennedy was a member of the Denver police force, and Ron Pietrafeso was in charge of Colorado's Strike Force Against Crime. Elvis had met both men several years earlier during his period of extreme interest in law enforcement, which culminated in his surprice drop-in visit to President Nixon, who named Elvis a "special agent". Tonight, as Elvis sat on his Kon Tiki throne chair in front of the jungle room's babbling waterfall, the discussion centered on law enforcement in Colorado. Elvis however, was reminded of something else. Colorado was the home of the absolutely delicious sandwich, the best Elvis had ever eaten: the Fool's Gold.
Elvis had sampled the sandwich only once, when after a concert he was invited to a restaurant called the Colorado Cold Mine Company in the Denver suburbs of Glendale. He ordered the house specialty, which was named Fool's Gold because of it's outrageous price -$49.95. The first bite alone was enough to make a lasting impression on Elvis.
Now, months later, Elvis was reminded of those sandwiches. Both of his guests from Colorado were very curious about this extravagant treat. The King's policy when enteraining in his rock and roll palace was to grant his guests' every desire - your wish was literally the King's command, be it a game of racquetball at four in the morning or a down-home Southern breakfast at midnight. However, the "Fool's Gold Loaf", since it came from a restaurant in Denver, would stretch the limits of even Elvis' notion of hospitality.
Elvis gazed across at his guests, who were comfortably ensconced on the Hawaiian armchairs, cushioned by the rabbit's fur throw pillows. The conversation continued to revolve around the sandwiches. One of the guys impulsively remarked, "Boy, I wish I had me one of them now!", Elvis knew what he and his guests wanted and the thousand-mile-journey to the Fool's Fold Loaf would not deter him. Elvis looked at his friends and shouted, "Let's go get 'em!"
Before the lawmen knew what was happening they were seated inside Elvis' stretch Mercedes along with another couple of Elvis' buddies, and whisked to the Memphis airport. Elvis' personal jet, the Lisa Marie, was waiting for them on the tarmac. As the four jet engines roared for takeoff, the excitement inside the plane revved even higher as Elvis and his guests were about to be flown the two hours to Denver for Elvis' favorite sandwich, the most mouthwatering sandwich known to the King.
Ones aloft, Elvis, the lawmen, and the test of the gang gathered in the plane's dining room, around its leather topped table sith surrounding bucket seats upholstered in aquamarine plush. Though Elvis often snacked on the Lisa Marie, in anticipation of the filling treat to come his only indulgence was a bottle of his vine de table - regular Pepsi.
At the Colorado Gold Mine Company, the scene was frenzied. The call had come in from Memphis at midnight. The cooks had less than two hours to prepare the "takeout" order of their lifetime. The massive griddle was scrubbed clean in order to fry up the huge quantitites of bacon required. The loaves of bread were quickly hollowed out and then briefly browned. The other ingredients were always ready. Miraculously, the staff completed its creation in the nick of time. The restauranteur, his wife, and a waiter speed of off for the Denver airport with twenty-two loaves. As requested, a case of Perrier and a case of champagne accompanied the sandwiches, along with a chest of cracked ice.
Elvis' plane touched down at 1:40 am at Stapleton Airport and taxied to a private hangar. The owner of the restaurant personally brought Elvis and his party the order on silver trays. For two hours in the Denver night, the feasting went on. It was typical of Elvis' generosity that he insisted that the plane's pilots, Milo High and Elwood Davis, join the fun. Elvis, as usual, avoided the alcohol, instead washing down the sandwiches with the Perrier. It was yet another night of dining Elvis style on food fit for the King.
And just what is "Fool's Gold Loaf"? Far be it from Elvis to settle fon an ordinary peanut butter an jelly sndwich. Fool's Gold Loaf is a p.b.j realized on such a heroic scale as to become truly Olympian.
An entire loaf of bread is warmed and then hollowed out. The sandwich is generously spread with peanut butter and an equally thick layer of jelly. Finally, lean bacon has to be cooked, at least a pound fried to crispness, to fill the reamining belly of the loaf. The massive loaf is then downed while the bacon is still hot. The serving size? One loaf per person.
Fool's Gold Loaf
2 tablespoons butter
1 loaf Italian white bread
1 pound lean bacon
1 large jar Skippy smooth peanut butter
1 large jar Smuckeräs grape jelly
Preheat the oven to 350f. Spread the butter generously over all sides of the loaf. Place the bread on a baking sheet in the oven. Meanwhile, fry the bacon 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 wall as desired. While the bacon is still warm, fill the insides of the loaf with peanut butter and jelly to taste. Arrange the bacon slices inside the cavity, or, if desired, layer the bacon slices between the peanut butter and jelly. Close the loaf. Savor.
Yield: 1 serving (Elvis), 8 to 10 servings (others)
From the book
The Life and Cousine of Elvis Presley