I have a lot of cookbooks focusing on diet, cuisine, or the favorite recipes of popular chefs in the media (looking at you Curtis Stone). As of late, I’ve increased my focus on the cookbooks of celebrities that are famous for something other than cooking.
I find that these celebrities, some my faves and others new to me, provide interesting recipes and highly entertaining stories that accentuate why food is important to them, and the role cooking plays in their life.
Whether athletes, actors, musicians, or television stars, the following celebrity cookbooks are enjoyable to read for the quality of their recipes and the glimpse of the person behind them.
While theater and film stalwart Stanley Tucci is now onto his third book, 2021’s Taste: My Life Through Food, I love the first brilliant dive into his family’s relationship with food.
There are 200 recipes, wine pairings, interesting family anecdotes, and I’m a complete sucker for a whole fish crusted in salt. If you have an affinity for Italian food and the role it plays in life, then the beautifully presented Tucci collection would make a useful addition to your home library.
2. From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg’s Kitchen
I grew up with Snoop Dogg and his music. His evolution from 1990s ‘gangsta rapper’ to everyone’s favorite uncle has been a lot of fun, and I must say, I’ve enjoyed this development immensely as I’ve aged along with him.
For many, his close relationship with food icon Martha Stewart, and his genuine love for cooking, are maybe Snoop’s most endearing traits.
From Crook to Cook is an outstanding cookbook showcasing 50 recipes that point to Snoop’s idiosyncratic style. Where else could you find a book with stoner snacks alongside recipes for Lobtser Thermidor and Filet Mignon?
3. Magnolia Table, Volume 2: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering
My wife and I are huge fans of the television show “Fixer Upper”. Katie loves the renovations and stories of the buyers, while I’m all about Chip Gaines’ willingness to run through walls while cracking dad jokes. Joanna and Chip seem like genuinely nice people with a commitment to family, their community, and work.
As a person who believes the best food is that which is shared, the second collection of recipes from Joanna Gaines offers tremendous options, whether it’s a simple breakfast meal or hearty food for the whole family.
4. Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits
Whiskey in a Teacup combines a lot of elements I love, Reese Witherspoon and fried chicken being chief among them.
There’s a whole lot to like in addition to her recipes, like how Witherspoon approaches life and retains her southern sensibilities despite a life spent in the spotlight.
Whiskey in a Teacup‘s disarming, conversational tone and vibrant pink cover make it a title that friends and family are bound to pick out from amongst your library.
5. OH COOK! 60 easy recipes that any idiot can make
May, the calmest and least controversial of the three hosts of television leviathan the Grand Tour, is good value in general. He’s smart, patient (dealing with Jeremy Clarkson and Russell Hammond means you have to be), and quite funny.
I was immediately drawn to this quote: ‘The silent millions of reluctant home chefs have been waiting for decades for Oh Cook! the cookbook that, finally, drives a blunt meat skewer through the burgeoning pseudo-intellectualism of foodie media.’
His general knowledge, enjoyably companionable writing and boundless curiosity make May a great author for those learning to cook simple meals successfully, although his love affair with spam is beyond me.
I also grew up with Freddie Prinze Jnr (he was pretty much the opposite to Snoop!); every girl that I dated as a teen thought he was dishy, and there were many sittings of “She’s All That”.
I like Freddie more for how he’s transitioned from the intensity of being a teen heartthrob into a variety of different roles, with the best ones being off-screen as a father, husband, and seemingly all-around good guy.
From his childhood in New Mexico and back further to his mom’s Puerto Rican heritage, his love for cooking and family shines through on the pages of recipes and stories in Back to the Kitchen, a book of 75 quick and interesting weeknight meals perfect for different occasions.
7. The Sinatra Celebrity Cookbook: Barbara, Frank & Friends
Barbara and Frank Sinatra
Image Source: The Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center Foundation via Goodreads
If Frank Sinatra is involved, I’m going to have to take a look. The Sinatra Celebrity Cookbook was written primarily by his wife Barbara as a fundraiser for their Children’s Center, with Frank and his famous friends chiming in from time to time.
Released in 1996 (just two years before Frank’s passing) the book makes for fascinating reading in comparison to more modern tomes. The recipes compiled stand up well, and while the photography is dated there’s enough of old Blue Eyes to keep fans happy.
Conclusion
While I expect great recipes from authors such as Jamie Oliver or Guy Fieri, getting a glimpse into a famous entertainer’s love for cooking, and how it provides a look at what makes them tick, is an underrated part of reading books like those above.
