From Booklist
Celebrities, often with the help of ghostwriters, once authored their own cookbooks. Now cooks to the stars write their own books, using the celebrity's name recognition to promote themselves. Jack Nicholson's cook, Tommy Baratta, trumpets his cuisine's weight-loss benefits and its salutary effect on Nicholson's movie career, allowing the star to simulate a werewolf, a role Nicholson was evidently unequipped to perform so long as he was trucking around a paunch. Unwilling to rely on Nicholson's cachet alone, Baratta hedges his bets by dropping other Hollywood names. He records recipes he's cooked for Hamptons neighbor Kathleen Turner, as well as Anjelica Huston's meatballs, which, Baratta confesses, substitute ground turkey for his mother's original recipe's hamburger. Baratta's "trick" to making his cuisine lean extends little further than employing nonfat dairy products and egg substitutes in fairly typical Italian American dishes. Baratta's contribution is to assure his readers that most of his meals are quickly prepared because they were frequently intended for fast consumption when Nicholson was on location and locked into a tight shooting schedule. Most recipes in this book hold few surprises, but some explore less-known but rewarding Italian classics. Expect media attention. Mark Knoblauch
Product Description
The chef of a popular Greenwich Village restaurant and long-time friend of Jack Nicholson shares his recipes for the renowned actor's favorite low-fat and low-calorie dishes, which were a part of Nicholson's weight-loss programs. Tour.
