As with all great stories, there's a pinch of truth to the story of 'Saving Private Ryan'. In this case, it comes from the true-life stories of the Niland brothers; four Irish-Americans who served during the Second World War, and only two of whom survived the conflict. Their stories are also partially told by the epic 'Band of Brothers' TV mini-series.
Sergeant Fritz Niland was the rough inspiration for the character of Private Ryan. Fritz fought during the Normandy Campaign and survived the events of D-Day. During the days after D-Day, he traveled to see the 82nd Airborne Division to see his brother Bob, only to find that Bob had been killed in action. The second brother, Preston, was killed during the D-Day landings. Fritz believed he was the only survivor from the family until he found that his third brother, Edward, had been captured by the Japanese and held as a Prisoner of War in Burma before being rescued in 1945.
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.