We all knew she was coming at some point on the list, so we may as well get her out of the way now and end the anticipation! Right now, there is no higher-profile or more successful drag queen anywhere on the planet than RuPaul Charles. She's taken her career and turned it into a vehicle for super-stardom; so much so that she's been able to reach out and elevate other queens just by associating with them. She's the original drag queen star-maker, without whom the current scene would not be possible.
Charles started out in the New York underground clubbing scene, as part of a set of hedonistic artists known as the 'Club Kids.' She's been a successful pop star, she has her own range of cosmetics, and she's a widely published and read author. She'll be the first (and in some cases only) drag queen that the majority of the general public are able to name. In short, she's a one-woman industry, and she's the benchmark to which all others aspire.
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.