There aren't many people in life who can say they've performed a 'first' in entertainment, but Jayne Kennedy can. She was the first black woman ever to win the Miss Ohio beauty contest and used the press attention that came with that victory to build a successful career for herself in both modeling and acting.
During the 70s, you were never far away from a Kennedy appearance on television. She rarely held down recurring or regular roles, but put in a wide range of guest appearances in shows such as 'Shaft,' 'The Six Million Dollar Man,' 'Starsky and Hutch' and 'Sanford and Son.' Kennedy's true passion was sports, though, and so she broke the mold once again when she became an NFL sportscaster in 1978, taking a position as an announcer on 'NFL Today.' There was some resistance from male colleagues and viewers, but Kennedy excelled in her role, eventually going on to host other sports shows on syndicated television.
Chefs made their way into celebrity land a while ago. But how many celebrities that weren’t trained as professional cooks are actually whizzes in the kitchen? Here are several that come to mind.
Actress Julia Roberts is confident about her cooking skills. “I’m quite a good cook,” she told E! News. “I’m like a closet home ec teacher…I can really cook anything.” Roberts has said she often cooks fish for herself and her kids. And speaking of her three children, “They think that I’m a good cook,” Roberts told People. “They actually told me that I should open a restaurant.” She also relishes cooking for the holidays, particularly shredded Brussel sprouts. Roberts hasn’t published a cookbook, but we did find recipes attributed to her for peach crisp and banana hemp muffins. Or you can make the same summer salad the actress supposedly eats.
Chrissy Teigen started off as a supermodel. Then her love of cooking filtered into her professional life too. At this point, she’s created recipes for a limited Blue Apron release and also just launched her own home and cooking line at Target named “Cravings,” after the two cookbooks she’s released. Teigen describes cooking as “a time of peace” for herself. So maybe peace out to her tuna melt sandwich or the fried chicken wings that are a favorite of her husband, John Legend.
Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, comes from a cooking Italian family. Her father started his own restaurant in New York and also published a cookbook. And apparently, Lady Gaga has inherited the family’s cooking genes. Her Instagram account occasionally features photos of her culinary activities. Sure, sometimes it’s topless cooking. But other times it’s more poignant like in the post she shared about her bringing food to the family of her dear friend who passed away. Want to try a Gaga/Germanotta family favorite? Check out her recipe for whole wheat pasta with a sweet fennel sauce.