Erica Shishido, better known by her professional wrestling name, Aja Kong, has created a legacy for herself that has expanded over the course of four decades and just might make it into a fifth. The Tokyo, Japan-native is internationally known amongst wrestling fans from around the world and respected by her peers for her longevity and tenacity in such a brutal sport. Weighing in at 227lbs, Kong uses her size and strength to overpower her opponents. Throughout her illustrious career, Aja Kong has (wo)manhandled other wrestlers with ease to the point that she's put many lives in danger with her passionate performances.
Since making her debut in the All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (AJW) in 1986, she instantaneously became a love-to-hate heel in the company. In 1995, Kong made her way to the WWF where she dominated the entire women's roster, including breaking the nose of Chaparita Asari yet was never a champion in the organization. That didn't stop her from racking up championship honors in leagues like GAEA Japan, Hyper Visual Fighting Arsion (Arsion), AJW, and more. To this very day, Aja Kong is smashing faces with spinning elbows in the All Elite Wrestling, LLC (AEW) at the age of 49.
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.