A lot of southern border states have a lot of thanking to do to our brothers and sisters in Mexico for the influence of our cuisine. While the burrito technically was invented in America, Mexico is to thank for the ideology behind some of our most coveted dishes, one of which includes the accidental invention of the chimichanga. In the mid-1950s, a chef by the name of Monica Flin accidentally dropped a burro (a large burrito) into a sizzling deep fryer. Minutes later, the chef recolonized an already world-renowned dish by creating the chimichanga.
The one thing about the chimichanga that makes it an exceptional dish is that the contents of the wrap can fit the dietary needs of almost anyone. If you're not a fan of red meat, pollo (chicken) should suffice. Like seafood? Why not add shrimp to the mix. Don't eat meat at all, vegetarian chimichangas with beans as a base are just as good. You can't lose when it comes to chimichangas, there are options for everybody.
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.