'You know Pauline, I'm not hungry. I just feel tired. I just want to rest.' These words spoken at about 7am on August 16, 1977 were the last that Elvis Presley would utter to another human's face. A few hours later he was found dead on his bathroom floor, a victim of both the gargantuan cocktail of drugs that had become part of his daily routine and his one true love, food.
Elvis's love of food ultimately destroyed him and left him virtually bedridden at the end of his life. He would spend his time flat on his back watching the TVs at the foot of his bed and eating the food he loved best. If you try and picture it you can imagine what a challenge that would be to most people. Lying flat and eating poses certain logistical and safety problems. Elvis though, an ingenious man when it came to satisfying his hungers, created the TV glasses. These were glasses with a mirror inside positioned at an angle of 45 degrees, which allowed him to watch the TV with his head flat on the bed.
The last chapter of one of my favourite cookbooks, 'Eating The Elvis Presley Way' by David Adler, chronicles Elvis's last day from the point of view of the kitchen at Gracelands. Here's what the King's ate just before he died. It was one of his favourites and as is typical of the kind of food Elvis loved. It is enormous, unhealthy and betrays an almost childish love for flavour. I should point out that the recipe below is a modest version of the dish as Elvis's cook was so worried about his health.
Elvis's Last Supper
2 scoops Peach ice-cream (Sealtest was the preferred brand)
2 scoops of your favourite flavour (the actual second flavour is lost in the mists of time)
6-8 chocolate chip cookies (Chips Ahoy brand)
Mix together the two flavours of ice-cream until soft then use the cookies to dip.
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