Dining with the Famous and Infamous is an entertaining journey into the gastronomic peccadilloes of celebrities, stars, and notorious public figures. From outrageous artists to masterpiece authors, from rock stars to actors – everybody eats. Based on the findings of the British gastro-detective Fiona Ross, this volume explores the palates, the plates, and the preferences of the famous and infamous. Including recipes and their stories in the lives of those who cooked, ordered or ate them, Ross invites you to taste the culinary secret lives of people like Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Sinatra, and Woody Allen, among many others. Food voyeurism has arrived.
If you’ve ever wondered whether George Orwell really swigged Victory Gin or whether cherries played their part in the fall of Oscar Wilde, then Dining with the Famous and Infamous will satisfy your appetite. 'Marilyn Monroe becomes a different kind of sex goddess when you discover she tried to eat her way out of Some Like It Hot with aubergine parmigiana: every curve you see on film is a protest (plus early signs of pregnancy!). You can recreate a ‘Get Gassed’ afternoon cocktail with Andy Warhol and Truman Capote; shake up the chocolate martini Liz Taylor and Rock Hudson invented on the set of Giant; and even relive the Swinging Sixties with the foodie tales, hedonism and hashish cookies of Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones.
Who wouldn’t want to sit at the table of their favorite film star, writer, artist or warlock and taste a piece of their lives?
Dining with the Famous and Infamous is an entertaining journey into the gastronomic peccadilloes of celebrities, stars, and notorious public figures. From outrageous artists to masterpiece authors, from rock stars to actors – everybody eats. Based on the findings of the British gastro-detective Fiona Ross, this volume explores the palates, the plates, and the preferences of the famous and infamous. Including recipes and their stories in the lives of those who cooked, ordered or ate them, Ross invites you to taste the culinary secret lives of people like Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Sinatra, and Woody Allen, among many others. Food voyeurism has arrived.
If you’ve ever wondered whether George Orwell really swigged Victory Gin or whether cherries played their part in the fall of Oscar Wilde, then Dining with the Famous and Infamous will satisfy your appetite. 'Marilyn Monroe becomes a different kind of sex goddess when you discover she tried to eat her way out of Some Like It Hot with aubergine parmigiana: every curve you see on film is a protest (plus early signs of pregnancy!). You can recreate a ‘Get Gassed’ afternoon cocktail with Andy Warhol and Truman Capote; shake up the chocolate martini Liz Taylor and Rock Hudson invented on the set of Giant; and even relive the Swinging Sixties with the foodie tales, hedonism and hashish cookies of Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones.
Who wouldn’t want to sit at the table of their favorite film star, writer, artist or warlock and taste a piece of their lives?
INTRODUCTION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DINING WITH FAMOUS AND INFAMOUS ARTISTS
Salvador Dalí
Mark Rothko
Gauguin and Van Gogh
Andy Warhol
Auguste Renoir
Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo
Pablo Picasso
DINING WITH FAMOUS AND INFAMOUS MOVIE STARS
Joan Crawford
Michael Caine
Laurel and Hardy
Cary Grant
Marlene Dietrich
Alfred Hitchcock
Liz Taylor
John Wayne
Marilyn Monroe
Bogart and Bacall
Woody Allen
DINING WITH FAMOUS AND INFAMOUS MUSICIANS
The Beatles
Louis Armstrong
Frank Sinatra
Woody Guthrie
Bob Dylan
Bob Marley
Michael Jackson
The Rolling Stones
DINING WITH FAMOUS AND INFAMOUS WRITERS
Evelyn Waugh
C.S. Lewis
Ernest Hemingway
F. Scott Fitzgerald
John Steinbeck
J.D. Salinger
Ian Fleming
W.H. Auden
George Orwell
Agatha Christie
Oscar Wilde
Sylvia Plath
FINALLY, THE NUTS
Casanova
Sybil Leek
Nostradamus
Aleister Crowley
Fiona Ross, like most of us, leads a double existence: In her “normal” life as a writer of fiction and freelance food writer in a gloomy, rainy corner of the United Kingdom called Bishop’s Stortford, she keeps company with two meat-eating chickens and her dog, Parsnip. Meanwhile, her glamorous double works as a gastro-detective whose headquarters is the famous Bodleian Library in Oxford; there she spends her time on the trail of gastronomes and investigating such sticky issues as how much jam Marx liked on his tarts.
This is a well-researched journey into the eating habits of
celebrities, artists, and public figures throughout history. Ross,
an English teacher by day and freelance food writer by night, uses
a simplistic tabloid tone to highlight eccentricities such as
Salvador Dalí’s erotic ties to odd cuisine. The author recreates
dishes, including the Spanish artist’s favorite seduction recipe:
lobster in chocolate sauce. She digs into Marilyn Monroe’s ravenous
appetite, claiming that the movie star 'was the ultimate comfort
eater,' using eggplant parmigiana as a form of protest to gain
weight before auditioning for a role she didn’t want (but got
anyway, curves and all) in Some Like It Hot. Instructions for
Monroe’s 'Chicken Cacciatore to Woo Arthur Miller' are also
included. . . .Ross . . . offer[s] tantalizing glimpses into
private lives.
*Publishers Weekly*
Always wanted to know the way to Frank Sinatra’s heart? Any
interest in what Aleister Crowley would consume before his rituals?
In Dining with the Famous and Infamous by Fiona Ross, readers
get a chance to look into the diets and habits of famous musicians,
artists, writers and movie stars. Whether you’re always wondered
what Salvador Dali’s 'erotically charged' meals consisted of, or
who had the best recipe for hashish fudge, Fiona Ross’s highly
researched book is a delicious find for fans of celebrity history
and period recipes. . . .Ross’s tone is conversational; it’s almost
as if she’s letting you know the dirty little secrets of friends
and family while cooking their favorite recipes. Think of it as
outing a relative on their secret affair while baking their
well-known cake recipe. Dining with the Famous and Infamous is a
great guide, whether you read it straight through or go straight
for your favorite writers and musicians at your leisure. This is a
great book for creating a fancy dinner or sticking to the basics of
drinks and appetizers. It is ideal for a Classic Hollywood themed
party or a Writer soiree.
*FangirlNation*
Dining with the Famous and Infamous is a kind of cookbook to the
stars, featuring numerous food-centric anecdotes about artists,
musicians, movie stars and others from the entertainment realm.
This might seem like a significant limitation, but Ross manages to
cook up some pretty good stories about some VERY famous people.
However, this book isn’t just about telling you what these beloved
(and not-so-beloved) figures ate – it’s about telling you how to
make it for yourself. . . .So whether we’re talking about the
adolescent eating habits of the Beatles or the quiet meals shared
between Bogey and Bacall, Dining with the Famous and Infamous
offers you an opportunity to eat those same foods. The book
presents an opportunity for you to connect with these stars in a
very visceral way – through the stomach. While one could argue that
neither the anecdotes nor the recipes alone could stand on their
own, there’s no doubt that together, they are an intriguing reading
experience. . . .We all have to eat; it’s one of those
universalities that connect everybody. What Dining with the Famous
and Infamous does is give that connection specificity – there’s
something oddly compelling about knowing what food likes (and
dislikes) you might share with a movie star or a literary icon.
Fans of celebrity culture and/or cookbooks will find plenty to like
here.
*The Maine Edge*
A sensual delight that moves the reader artfully from Dali to Oscar
Wylde, Sylvia Plath to Frida and Diego, and from Warhol to Sinatra
and John Steinbeck. The common ground is the sensuality of food and
cooking from the very simple to the infinitely complex foods of
childhood and intimate moments in Cambridge and Paris --or Tahiti.
And daily lives of the rich and celebrated. Fiona Ross' writing is
both funny and insightful as she moves through lives of celebrity
extravagance and artisanal poverty. Its all about the aromas of
creativity, culture and personality. A wonderful read. As she
artfully warns us about Dali's favorite chocolate and lobster dish:
"Prepare to be Seduced."
*James McCann, author of Stirring the Pot: A History of African
Cuisine, winner of the 2010 Best in the World award from Gourmand
Magazine (Paris)*
This book not only has an eye-catching title but also fascinating
stories about how the famous and infamous ate. It even includes
recipes for anyone intent to emulate their life style! A true
page-turner!
*Q. Edward Wang, author of Chopsticks: A Cultural and Culinary
History*
Ever wanted to dine with Agatha Christie? Bob Dylan? Cary Grant?
Marilyn Monroe? Picasso? Cassanova? Well, Fiona Ross’ Dining with
the Famous and Infamous is the next best thing– a delightfully
irreverent romp through the culinary foibles of the world’s
greatest movie stars, artists, musicians, writers and well, nuts.
The really good news is that you can sample some of their
tantalizing treats with the unique recipes that are supplied. For
chocolate lovers, “Andy Warholian Chocolate Soup” recipe is a must
try!
*Andrew F. Smith, culinary historian*
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