Cooking Price-Wise – Review

Monday, May 29, 2023, was an amazing day for me. Before travelling to Wembley to see Sheffield Wednesday beat Barnsley in the League One play-off final, I watched the previous evening’s episode of the Talking Pictures TV show The Footage Detectives, and was surprised to find myself making a fleeting appearance on it.

Well, sort of. Hosts Mike Read and Noel Cronin read out an email I sent to them about Vincent Price’s cookery show Cooking Price-Wise, complete with pictures of my paperback book, published in 1971 to tie-in with the programme. I’d managed to pick up a copy cheaply on a certain famous auction site, but had never seen the actual series.

“Far scarier”

I’m pleased to say that situation has recently changed thanks to the BFI, which has released all six episodes in one delightful set – it’s the 50th entry in the Flipside series, which is dedicated to showcasing largely forgotten, underrated cult movies, shorts and TV programmes made in the UK and Ireland.

I must admit that I’m not a huge fan of cookery shows, and wouldn’t have given this one house room if it wasn’t for the presence of Price, one of my favourite actors. And I’ve got to say that some of the dishes he concocts, based on recipes he and his second wife Mary discovered during their globe-trotting travels, look far scarier than anything he dealt with in his horror film career. Let’s say they are not as Instagram-friendly as the ones Jamie Oliver and co deliver today.

Nevertheless, there’s something rather wonderful about watching him create them, explaining their origins and history while trying to get a blender to work. There’s a few ‘here’s one I made earlier’ Blue Peter-style moments too, all played out by Price while wearing some extraordinary outfits; few blokes have ever rocked a neckerchief quite so impressively.

“Plenty of special features”

I can’t say I’ve picked up any tips or tricks by watching, but a friend tells me he’s completely changed his approach to making scrambled eggs thanks to the actor, so perhaps I should give the show another go – it wouldn’t come as a surprise to find that I missed something first time around while dazzled by the extraordinary nature of the project. There are plenty of special features to get your teeth into too, including a new interview with Price’s daughter Victoria, who speaks warmly of her father both as a person and as a gourmet, as well as audio commentaries on selected episodes.

I loved the sections featuring Jenny Hammerton, a collector of celebrity recipes (there are a surprising number of them about, apparently), who demonstrates one of Price’s recipes and discusses his culinary efforts.

Hammerton also reveals that an original copy of the Cooking Price-Wise book is now worth a small fortune because they’re so rare. And in case you’re wondering, no, mine is not for sale.

Cooking Price-Wise is available to buy on Blu-Ray from the BFI