When an area is referred to as 'The Dead Zone,' it's a fair indication that you probably never want to pay it a visit. In this case, the dead zone is out at sea, and the dead are all of the fish and other aquatic life in the affected part of the Gulf of Mexico.
The Dead Zone is the most notorious hypoxic area in all of the United States. It's the result of years of phosphorus and nitrogen being dumped out at sea by the Mississippi River. The waste didn't end up here entirely on purpose; the Mississippi River has the unfortunate honor of being the primary drainage area for almost half of America. Waste dumped into lakes and streams from many different locations finds its way into the river, then out to sea, and then out into the dead zone, which covers 8000 square miles. The chemicals sap the oxygen level in the water, meaning the fish can't breathe. They end up washed up on beaches like this.
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.