John Quincy Adams was the 6th President of the United States from 1825 to 1829 and he also worked as a diplomat, minister, ambassador and a treaty negotiator. He was adherent to US Republican values which influenced his shaping of American foreign policy. His diplomatic skills helped with the negotiation of treaties such as the Treaty of Ghent which put an end to the War of 1812. He was also included in the negotiation with Great Britain over the US border with Canada in 1818.
Another treaty that he negotiated was the so-called Adams-Onis Treaty which made room for the purchase of Florida from the Spanish. Adams' presidency was marked with his goals to modernize the economy and to promote education. He even paid off a large part of the national debt. Adams has been labeled the only child prodigy among the presidents due to his estimated IQ of 170. He was fluent in several languages including Dutch and Latin, and he could read and write Italian and Ancient Greek.
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.