Dishing

the long version

This book is a star-studded memoir, a reminiscence about great food and great meals, and a special kind of cookbook by Liz Smith, bestselling author and gossip columnist. Here, great dish and great dishes are artfully blended with anecdotes and spiced with Liz's sense of humor, instinct for a great story, and joie de vivre to produce a life-loving, sometimes bawdy, and always captivating read. Liz traces here her gradual education in haute cuisine, as well as her unashamed taste for down-home, stick-to-the-ribs cooking. She has watched Nicole Kidman devour a basket of bread before a full dinner at New York's Four Seasons and not gain an ounce. She has eaten al fresco off the hood of a car with Mike Nichols. She has been tempted by fattening cookies sent by Renée Zellweger. She has talked biscuits and gravy with Julia Roberts and eaten Elizabeth Taylor's trademark Jailhouse Chili and Chipped Beef à la Krupp Diamond. She revels in such dishes as Elvis Presley's favorite sandwich (peanut butter and banana) or Frito Pie (you'll love both these once you've tried them). From Kate Hepburn's brownies to pigs' feet, Liz not only names names but shares their most treasured recipes, as well as taking the reader on a gourmet tour of great meals.