While the northeast region of the United States has produced some world-class ballers, unfortunately for Maine, they only have one lone wolf to ever make it to the pros in former NBA power forward/center, Jeff Turner. Hailing from Bangor, Maine Turner took his future into his own hands and played all four years of his collegiate basketball at Vanderbilt University (1980-84). Turner eventually made his way to the NBA Draft being selected 17th overall in the 1984 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets.
Turner played three seasons with the Nets before heading overseas to play in a professional Italian basketball league. The lefty made his way back to the NBA signing a contract with the Orlando Magic where he played from 1989-1996. While averaging an uneventful 6.0 points per game and 3.3 rebounds per game, he did have a rather successful pro-ball career and even won a gold medal as a member of the Men's US National Basketball Team in the 1984 Olympics.
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.