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Hollywood Dish - More Than 150 Delicious, Healthy Recipes from Hollywood's Chef to the Stars
by Akasha Richmond
Avery
ISBN 1-58333-241-3
Published January 2006 - Hardcover - 310 pages - $24.95

Chef to the stars.  It has a nice ring to it.  Akasha Richmond is just that.  Hollywood has long been known as quirky, to say the least, so when exercises, health spas, diets, and new foods were experienced and publicized, much of the rest of the country followed suit, albeit with a certain amount of skepticism, as there were of course, many who thought it all eccentricities.  However, there has to be some truth to the way California eats - raw vegetables, granola, wheatgerm, and sprouts to name a few.  Chef Akasha has catered to diverse tastes, and in her introduction she relates the story of how Los Angeles (and its celebrities) changed their eating and health habits  Suzanne Somers and Marilu Henner are just two who come to mind.  Any coincidence they both look fabulous?  Chef Akasha's book is divided into these courses: Breakfast at Tiffany's (Cereal, Eggs, and Other Ways to Start the Day); The Fabulous Baker Boys (Yeast Breads and Quick Breads); Love at First Bite (Appetizers and Little Bites); Some Like It Hot (Soups and Stews); High Noon (Sandwiches and Wraps); The Secret Garden (Salads and Dressings); Dinner At Eight (Seafood, Poultry, and Meat Entrées); Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? (Vegetarian Dishes); Fried Green Tomatoes (Vegetable Sides); Chocolat (Cakes, Pies, Cookies, and Other Sweets), and Beetlejuice (Juices, Smoothies, and Tonics).  Very clever using movie titles.  Chef Akasha is so versatile and active in promoting heatlhy eating - these recipes are wholesome and healthy.  Meals I found interesting are: Pear and Pistachio Scones with Fig Chutney; Warm Artichoke Dip with Spinach and Goat Cheese; Caramelized Maui Onion Tart; Deviled Crab Cakes; Short Ribs Braised with Chinese Flavors; Pineapple Yam Bake, and Cappuccino Cream Pie with Chocolate Cookie Crust.  She also adds, whenever possible, the origin of many well-known foods, which adds to the attraction of this book, and each recipe has a celebrity-related anecdote - from Grace Kelly to Barbara Stanwyck, with Pierce Brosnan, Billy Bob Thornton, Henry Fonda, Richard Simmons, Vincent Price, and the likes in between.  Recipes are not illustrated and there are no nutritional guides.  Visit Chef Akasha at her website to learn more about his amazing woman.
Conclusion - A lovely tribute to Hollywood and very interesting recipes.

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