“Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra is a woman of force and dignity, fired by a fierce ambition to conquer and rule the world.” New York Times (1963)

“The chili is so good. All gone now. Please send me ten quarts of your wonderful chili in dry ice to 448 Via Appia Pignatelli. – Love and kisses, Elizabeth Taylor.”

That note was written to the owner of Chasen’s, a restaurant much beloved and long gone in Beverly Hills. Ms. Taylor craved the stuff so much she had it shipped to Rome during the production of Cleopatra.

Cleopatra was the film that went over budget, over schedule (by a year), and almost bankrupted 20th Century Fox. It was a spectacle, and the making of it a tabloid scandal.

Filmmaking on location can gobble up time, break families, and do odd things to your psyche. If you let it. But in the end, all you want is a taste of home.

I’m in Boston now with the Mister, the temperature is dropping, and here’s my version of comfort chili, not exactly like Chasen’s, but it’ll do.

1/2 pound ground beef, 1/2 pound ground pork, one large chopped onion, 3 cloves of minced garlic, half of a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce — minced (if you don’t like things super-hot remove the seeds and discard), 1 tsp. cumin, 3 tbs. chili powder (less or more to taste), a handful of fresh basil leaves, the kernels from three ears of corn (or a small can), a 28 ounce can diced San Marzano tomatoes, a 15 ounce can of kidney beans, a 15 ounce can of black beans.

Saute the onions in olive oil until translucent, add the garlic, basil, and a tablespoon of chili powder, add the teaspoon of cumin, and stir around for 30 seconds. Add the meat and stir that around with a fork until it is cooked through. Add the corn, the can of tomatoes, the beans, another tablespoon of chili powder, the minced chipotle pepper, and a pinch of salt. Simmer for at least half an hour and keep on tasting it, adding chili powder until it’s the way you like it. Serves 4.

For a glimpse into the recipes of classic Hollywood (including Chasen’s Chili—or a close approximation—which serves 8-10) we turn to Rose Dosti in an article from the archives of the Los Angeles Times. Click anywhere on the blue letters to read the whole fascinating thing.

My personal favorite? The Brown Derby’s Grapefruit Cake 😉 .