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Since her dazzling debut as Audra on The Big Valley, Linda Evans has charmed millions of television watchers with her talent, her warmth, and her beauty. Through it all, she has remained unaffected, grounded, and deeply spiritual. Now Linda opens up for fans, sharing her secrets for living, along with a delightful assortment of anecdotes, photographs, and recipes she’s enjoyed and collected over the years—from growing up the daughter of two dancers, to her family’s struggles and the deep family ties she maintains to this day; from amazing stories about her nearly fifty years in Hollywood and the experiences she’s had, to the incredible friends she’s made, including her dear mentor Barbara Missy” Stanwyck, fashion designer Nolan Miller, and on-screen husband John Forsythe. Linda also offers an intimate glimpse of her high-profile romances with legendary director and cinematographer John Derek, international music star Yanni, and others.
Complete with over 60 photographs (many never-before-published) and more than 50 recipes, some handed down through the generations (Mom’s Hot Dog Stew), some taught by famous friends (The Duke’s Crab Dip), some inspired by supreme dining experiences from travels around the world (Paella Mari-Carmen” Style) and others from her winning appearance on Hell’s Kitchen (Hell’s Tuna), Recipes for Life: My Memories is a delightful journey of a life well lived that fans will truly savor.
Hollywood Walk of Fame actress Evans (Linda Evans Beauty and Exercise Book, 1983) tells her story through food.
She can eat like a horse and never get fat, but theDynastystar's amazing metabolism isn't the only thing on display in this memoir punctuated with attention-grabbing anecdotes, glossy photos and delectable recipes. With a warm, friendly tone, Evans gently guides readers through the seminal moments of her life and career, spanning from the 1940s to her recent work on the British showHell's Kitchen. Each story is followed by one or more recipes that complement its theme. In recounting her mother's battle with polio in a particularly poignant passage, Evans offers up recipes for family favorites like Mom's Hot Dog Stew. Those looking for juicy behind-the-scenes Hollywood gossip will not be disappointed. The author doesn't hold back when writing about how she made the difficulttransition from lover to friend with her first husband, famed actor and director John Derek, after he left her for the then-15-year-old (and perfect "10")Bo Derek. Evans also details her relationship with Yanni and friendship with mystic channel JZ Knight, which that led to her spiritual awakening. While spare as a cookbook, among the nearly 50 recipes included are John Wayne's Crab Dip Omelet, Tony Curtis' Lemon Souffle with Raspberry Sauce and Julie Forsythe's Sesame Chicken.
A mouthwatering blend of memoir and cookbook.
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction: Chain Me to a Stove xv
Memorable Moments
Hollywood Here We Come! 1
A Heart of Gold 4
Bringing People Together 6
California Dreaming 9
Sweet Dancing Eyes 12
The Long Walk of Fame 15
Out of My League 18
Dragged into Destiny 19
My Magical MGM Days 22
From Bikinis to Boots 24
Marjoram, Missy, and Thyme 26
Like a Second Mother 31
My Dream Man 34
An Unusual Recipe for Friendship 44
My Béarnaise Fiasco or Meltdown Washout 46
European Excursions 50
Always a Great Notion 51
The Duke 53
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? 57
Far from Evil but Scary as Hell 60
The Trials of a Bunky 63
Back in the Saddle Again-Almost 67
Semi-sweet Memories 69
The Best Revenge 71
A Man of a Thousand Names 74
Breakfast with Burton 75
Raw Talent 78
Take Two 85
Fugitive Found 87
A Whirlwind Romance-and Lifestyle 93
Moon River, Wider Than a Smile 98
Enter Nena 100
Not So Tuffy 104
An Avalanche of Mixed Memories 107
Life without Marriage, but Not without Love 110
The Part That Didn't Get Away 114
Nearly Disappearing into a Black Hole 117
Friends for Life 119
Love Never Ceases 122
An Italian Love Affair 125
What Goes Up Must Come Down 128
I Was Never One of Charlie's Angels, but He Was Sure Mine 131
A Man for All Reasons 133
The Jewel in John's Life 135
Golden Opportunities 138
Nothing Like My Sweet Little Kittles; or, Circus of the Fools 140
Forty Isn't Fatal, It's Fabulous 143
Quick Draw McEvans 147
George Burns and Other Sex Symbols 151
I Love The Love Boat 153
Angel of Death 156
The Joys of Having Two Dysfunctional Families 158
The Tuna Meltdown 160
Not the Kiss of Death 162
Blondes Do Have More Fun 166
Better Than a Van Gogh 171
Coyote Ugly: In the Eye of the Beholder 173
My Heavenly Blue Angels 181
The Weight of the World 185
A Taste of a Real-Life Dynasty 189
"Ritzy" Business 192
Real Princes among Men 195
A Royal Welcome 197
Dynasty Fans Even in the Vatican? 200
The Price of Fame 202
My Spiritual Journey Leads Me Home 205
March on the Capital 210
There's a Bunky Loose in the White House 215
A Time for Change 217
Music to My Life 219
Bless You Jane 221
Living and Loving in the Moment 224
A Family Affair 226
An Angel among Us 229
Winter Wonderland 230
Sweet Surprises 233
A Symphony of Sights and Sounds 236
Yanni's Other Girl; or, My Rival in Venice 237
Finding My Voice 240
Always a Song in My Heart 242
As American as Apple Pie, Almost 243
Animal Lovers Unite 247
Leap of Faith 250
Eating My Way across the Country 253
From the Frying Pan into the Fire 256
Hell's Kitchen: Heaven on Earth for Me 258
My Just Desserts 264
List of Recipes
Mom's Hot Dog Stew 7
One of My Favorite Pastas 13
Peach Heaven 16
Mom's Baked Mac and Cheese 20
Missy's Hobo Fillet 29
Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas 37
Puerco Picante 38
Rice Casserole with Sour Cream, Cheese, and Chiles 40
White Rice 41
Fish Tacos with Garlic Aïoli Sauce 42
Julia's Béarnaise 48
Duke's Crab Dip 53
Duke's Crab Dip Other 54
John Wayne's Favorite Green Chile and Cheese Casserole 55
My Famed Artichoke Dip 59
Fresh Start Blueberry Muffins 72
Luciana Paluzzi's Pasta alla Matriciana 76
Julia Child's "Perfect" Hollandaise 80
Hollandaise Sauce Made in the Electric Blender 82
Asparagaus My Way 84
Dani and David Janssen's Caesar Salad 89
Ham Dani 90
Chicken, Shrimp, and Mushrooms 96
Leslie and Tony Curtis's Lemon Soufflé with Raspberry Sauce 101
Raspberry Sauce 102
Frozen Raspberry Sauce 103
Bυche de Noël 111
Lose-Your-Figure Potatoes with Cheese and Garlic 116
Strawberries and Decadent Sauce 120
Warm Berries in Custard 121
Julie Forsythe's Sesame Chicken 136
Ina Garten's Filet of Beef Bourguignon 144
Kung-Bau Chicken with Peanuts 154
Plain Rice 155
Dynasty Corn Pudding 161
Chocolate Souffléd Pudding 167
Molten Chocolate Cakes 169
Mari-Carmen-style Paella 178
Al's Aìoli 180
Great and Simple Cheese Soufflé 187
Warm Butternut Squash Salad 198
JZ's Award-Winning Lemon Meringue Pie 208
JZ's Classic Crust 209
Crab and Lobster Cakes with Mustard Beurre Blanc 212
My Favorite Salad Dressing 222
Baby Spinach Salad with Citrus and Avocado 222
Felitsa's Appetizer Meatballs 228
Yorgo and Linda's Pesto 231
Stand-up Buttermilk Pancakes 234
Roasted Pepper and Mozzarella Salad with Vinaigrette 238
Best Ever Apple Pie 245
Banana, Lemongrass, and Coconut Soup 254
Hell's Salmon 262
Anonymous
Posted November 21, 2011
I liked this boot, alot, but there a a bundle of recipes. Guess I thought there were going to be a few interspersed with copy. There are some I would like to try, she seems like a great cook, among other things.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 12, 2011
have enjoyed reading this. thanks
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 23, 2011
A complete waste of time and money. I wish I could get my money back. Short choppy sentences and terrible writing.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Hollywood memoirs are a dime a dozen, some salacious, some introspective. Linda Evans, who has been on the radar since her days as ingenue Audra Barkley on TV's The Big Valley in the 1960's, has written a unique memoir titled Recipes for Life: My Memories, that incorporates her love of cooking with her tales of living and working in Hollywood. I was a big fan of The Big Valley and later Dynasty, which was a monster hit in the 1980s, and always thought that Evans was not only beautiful but also talented. This delightful book has fifty recipes interspersed throughout the book, along with many photos and memories. She begins the book with her childhood, and includes a fantastic photo of her parents who were professional ballroom dancers in the early 1940s. When times were tough, her mother made Hot Dog Stew, the first recipe in the book. (It's actually two recipes, as she shares her version and her sister's version.) Evans' memories of her co-star Barbara Stanwyck enthralled me, as I am a fan. Stanwyck was a big star, and she gave much advice to the young Evans during their Big Valley days, in her inimitable way, as only she could do. Evans shares a recipe she created called Missy's Hobo Fillet, based on Chasen's Hobo Steak, a Stanwyck favorite. I'm definitely going to try this one. John Derek was Evans' first big love, and she was devastated when he left her for 15 year-old Mary Cathleen Collins, soon to be known to the world as Bo Derek. Evans had many romances after that, and they are recounted here with stories and photos, along with recipes from parties she hosted and attended. There are many recipes from friends; whenever she ate something she liked, Evans always asked for the recipes, including three from John Wayne himself. She shares memories of famous friends and colleagues, like Steve McQueen, Richard Burton, and a long time friendship with David Janssen of TV's The Fugitive, along with wonderful spontaneous photos of them at parties. Evans' made a lifelong friend, Bunky, who eventually became her assistant and traveled with her on jobs around the world. Bunky is quite a character, and brought out the silly side in the usually reticent Evans. One of the unique things that I remember about Evans is her friendship with John Derek's ex-wives. Ursula Andress, Bo Derek, first wife Pati and her daughter Sean, and Evans all became good friends, and spent a lot of time together, even celebrating his birthday all together. The Dynasty days are covered, and Evans and screen hubby John Forsythe became good friends. Evans spent a lot of time with John and his wife, dining and vacationing together. She does address the Rock Hudson issue. He was guesting on Dynasty as a love interest for Evans, and was reticent to kiss her in a big scene. Soon she found out it was because he had AIDS. Reading her recollection of the story illuminates the feelings of that not-so-long-ago era. This is a terrific way to write a memoir; Evans loves to cook (she even finished first on Hell's Kitchen, a London TV cooking competition show) and so wrapping her memories around recipes and fabulous photos is a natural. She shares her own recipes, and recipes of famous chefs like Julia Child and Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten, and many of them sound mouthwateringly delicious. The book is so beautiful, I will have to take care when using it in the kitchen; I don't want to get anything on the pages! Recipes for Life is a great gift for anyon
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 16, 2012
What a life ! Mostly fairy tale and indulgent . I will try several recipes. Good book to read a few pages during morning coffee !
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Posted April 22, 2013
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Posted March 6, 2012
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Overview
Since her dazzling debut as Audra on The Big Valley, Linda Evans has charmed millions of television watchers with her talent, her warmth, and her beauty. Through it all, she has remained unaffected, grounded, and deeply spiritual. Now Linda opens up for fans, sharing her secrets for living, along with a delightful assortment of anecdotes, photographs, and recipes she’s enjoyed and collected over the years—from growing up the daughter of two dancers, to her family’s struggles and the deep family ties she maintains...