Dining with the Famous and Infamous

Reviews / Votes

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 Dali'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