Title: Recipes For Life: My Memories
Author: Linda Evans with Sean Catherine Derek
Genre: Memoir with recipes
Published: October 2011 – Vanguard Press
My take: When I was young one of my favorite television shows was The Big Valley starring Barbara Stanwyck and a young actress named Linda Evans. I thought she was the most beautiful person on tv. So when I was offered a review copy of Recipes For Life I happily accepted. Linda Evans went on to star in one of the biggest shows on television: Dynasty. My children were born during those years so I was too busy/tired to watch the show but I knew it was very popular.
Recipes For Life is filled with Evans’ memories starting with her family’s move to California in the 1940s and moves through the decades to recent years. There are many stories about stars such as Barbara Stanwyck, John Forsythe, and John Wayne (to name a few) who were not only co-stars but also good friends. I enjoyed the numerous color photos scattered throughout the book. Evans also wrote about her love of cooking and included several favorite recipes – hers and those of famous chefs, actors, and other friends.
At times I was surprised by how much Evans disclosed about her marriages and relationships yet she didn’t do it in a negative way. She always seemed to take the good from each one and move on – usually on good terms. I admire her positive approach to life. Hers hasn’t necessarily been easy but she has been blessed with a few wonderful friends who have been as devoted to her as she is to them. And in my book that makes her a fortunate person.
I recommend Recipes For Life to fans of Hollywood memoirs and cookbooks.
Source: FSB Associates
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Linda’s Famed Artichoke Dip I’ve been making my artichoke dip for years. Practically everyone who has ever tasted it has asked me for the recipe. It’s perfect for large parties or for smaller, intimate gatherings. Or when your husband’s ex-wife comes to dinner! The secret here is to use the artichoke bottoms, not the hearts. Artichoke hearts may be easier to find, they don’t produce the same results. The recipe easily doubles or triples for large gatherings. You can also replace the artichokes with 7 ounces of lump crab meat for a delicious variation. MAKES 6 SERVINGS 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature Preheat oven to 350°F. With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the mayonnaise. One by one, blend in the Tabasco sauce, scallions, and Parmesan. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the artichokes (don’t use the mixer for this). Spoon the mixture into a 3-cup baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm with crackers. The above is an excerpt from the book Recipes For Life: My Memories by Linda Evans. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy. Copyright © 2011 Linda Evans, author of Recipes For Life: My Memories Weekend Cooking is a meme hosted at Beth Fish Reads |
Yum I love artichoke dip! I’ll have to give this version of the recipe a try. Linda looks pretty darn good on that cover. i wonder if it is a recent picture? She hasn’t aged since Dynasty.
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My mom loves celebrity memoirs, so I bet this would appeal to him.
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I don’t know much about Linda Evans, but a friend of mine loves her. This would probably be a great read for her. I do like artichokes though, and might just have to clip that recipe and try it out soon!
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my sister used to watch Dynasty, so that’s where I know Linda from.
This sounds like a tasty recipe. Thanks for sharing.
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First, the recipe sounds so yummy. I love artichoke dips and this one is a bit different from other recipes I’ve seen.
Second, I remember the Big Valley! Ha. We were watching Dallas when Dynasty was on, so I kind of missed Linda Evans in that.
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Amazingly enough, I never saw either of these shows, but I did go on a Rockford Files kick a while ago, and saw her there. Very beautiful with such grace.
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The artichoke dip sounds delicious. I like the chatty breezy tone of the intro to the recipe!
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Linda Evans is an actress I really respect. I definitely want to read this memoir. As to the recipe, it looks delicious. I’m going to try the lump crab alternative.
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That does sound yummy. Very cool that Linda Evans can tell stories about actors as far back as Barbara Stanwyck and John Wayne.
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I love the interplay of memoirs between recipes. A good idea that makes it all the more appealing. I remember Dynasty – still can see the huge house and the cat fight of the century – Collins against Evans in that elaborate gown & poofed up hair… Classic 🙂
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I never have eaten artichokes, so I have no idea what they would taste like. Dips are always good though and maybe I just have to buy an artichoke one day and try it!
Here is my weekend cooking 🙂
http://shelikesbento.blogspot.com/2011/10/weekend-cooking-quick-fix-vegan-by.html
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Reading the book..well no, but I liked the review 🙂 And it takes me back even if I was just a kid when they showed it here
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I loved Dynasty. Big Valley I don’t remember so well but she was very beautiful as a young woman and still is. I’ll probably get a post up this week on the book and of course the spotlight tomorrow. Glad you liked it Mary.
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Ah, Big Valley – I used to watch that with my Gram 🙂
This recipe looks good; I’d enjoy the crab meat variation, too.
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Kim
I also watched The Big Valley with my grandmother. She was a big Barbara Stanwyck fan, and I fell in love with the show. I thought they had such a great family. Linda was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. – I really enjoyed Recipes For Life. I am making her dip for a party tomorrow. Thanks for all of the great memories.
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I was such a young girl when The Big Valley was on – I though Linda Evans was the most beautiful person I’d seen. Seems she’s like that inside as well 🙂
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