Among the enviable things that celebrities have are million-dollar mansions, red carpet duds and personal chefs. But some of your favorite stars know their way around the kitchen and actually enjoy cooking, so they’ve taken the time to write a celebrity cookbook. While some are certainly better than others (don’t even get me started on Cookin’ with Coolio), the best cookbooks from celebrities have some pretty stellar recipes. So the next time you have a dinner party–or just want to get a taste of the Hollywood lifestyle–test out celebrity recipes from these cookbooks:
Eva’s Kitchen by Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria may be most well-known for her depiction of Gabrielle Solis on the hit-TV show Desperate Housewives, but this Mexican-American actress is also a champion Latino cuisine. Eva’s Kitchen includes some of her favorite childhood recipes from growing up in Corpus Christi, Texas, as well as a few things she’s picked along her travels in adulthood. Longoria shares must-master techniques for cooking classic Mexican food Texas style, and includes some anecdotes about the history and tradition behind her favorite dishes. Don’t even think about throwing a fiesta without serving Longoria’s famous tamales!
My Father’s Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow
While Gwyneth Paltrow may not exactly be the world’s most-loved celebrity, there is a pretty strong consensus surrounding her cookbook My Father’s Daughter: It’s a must-own. Dedicated to her late father, who passed away in 2002, this celebrity cookbook from the Academy Award-winning actress contains 150 ideas that can be applied to almost any meal or occasion. Paltrow’s cookbook differs from others in that the recipes are fairly simple and based around seasonal ingredients, so you don’t need personal-chef worthy skills to give them a try.
The Dead Celebrity Cookbook by Frank DeCaro
Have you ever wondered how Elizabeth Taylor liked her chicken? Or wanted to feast on lamb a la Frank Sinatra? Frank DeCaro’s collection of recipes from the biggest stars of Old Hollywood will help you cook a meal worthy of Liberace. DeCaro sifted through old magazines, dusty pamphlets and out-of-print cookbooks to compile recipes from more than 145 stars of the stage and screen. Try everything from Lucille Ball’s “Chinese-y Thing” to Johnny Cash’s “Old Iron Pot Family-Style Chili.”
If It Makes You Healthy by Sheryl Crow
Inspired by her fight against breast cancer, musician Sheryl Crow wrote If It Makes You Healthy with her personal chef Chuck White to share her mission to eat naturally and simply. The recipes in Crow’s book focus on using vitamin-rich, locally grown, seasonal ingredients. Everything’s easy to make and laid out by season so you can make sure you’re using the freshest ingredients. The cookbook also includes some personal stories and has meals designed for a small family dinner or a feast for casts of thousands (someone has to feed the crew on tour).
What are your favorite celebrity cookbooks?
