About the Author

Frank DeCaro, author of The Dead Celebrity Cookbook, is heard each weekday morning on his own live national call-in program, The Frank DeCaro Show, on Sirius XM Satellite Radio, which now boasts more than 25 million subscribers. His radio guests have run the gamut from Justin Bieber to Ernest Borgnine, and his following across North America is as loyal as it is diverse. Known as both a writer and a performer, DeCaro pens the "Icons" column on vintage television for CBS's Watch! magazine. For years as a fashion editor, he wrote the "Style Over Substance" column for The New York Times. A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, DeCaro has written for myriad publications including The New York Times Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Newsweek, Vogue, and TV Guide. As a performer, DeCaro has appeared on the ABC sitcom Cougar Town, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, The Joy Behar Show, and numerous talking-head programs. He is best known for his six-and-a-half-year stint as the movie critic on The Daily Show and a forty-episode run of the game show I've Got a Secret. In 2010, he cocreated the YouTube sensation "Betty White Lines," a rap tribute to the Golden Girls star which was featured on the Today show, Showbiz Tonight, and dozens of blogs, and got more than 100,000 hits in its first week online. In addition, the award-winning DeCaro is the author of the groundbreaking A Boy Named Phyllis: A Suburban Memoir, which Vanity Fair called "hilarious" and The Advocate credited as opening the door for David Sedaris and "the gay American humorist as everyman." His follow-up work, a coffee table biography called Unmistakably Mackie: The Fashion and Fantasy of Bob Mackie, earned a B+ in Entertainment Weekly. DeCaro lives with his husband, writer Jim Colucci, in New York City and suburban New Jersey. Visit the author at deadcelebritycookbook.com.

Reviews

Dinner and a (Dead) Movie (Star) If you'd relish a chance to rifle through the cabinets of the rich and famous, Frank DeCaro's The Dead Celebrity Cookbook: A Resurrection of Recipes from More than 145 Stars of Stage and Screen (HCI, Oct.) is for you. The title, which is to enjoy a 25,000-copy first printing, compiles recipes ranging from Lucille Ball's persimmon cake to Ricardo Montalban's carne asada. Author Frank DeCaro was the movie critic for almost seven years on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He now hosts The Frank DeCaro Show on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. To promote the title, DeCaro will create a YouTube video along the lines of "Betty White Lines," a 2010 rap tribute to the Golden Girls star that garnered more than 100,000 hits in its first week online. The video went on to be featured on The Today Show.—N.D.

The Dead Celebrity Cookbook proved to be a great idea for a Halloween party…the night was a ton of fun and one of the best Halloween parties I have ever thrown or attended.– lifeofaturnip.com

A good laugh…organized in a humorous way…– Phyllis Stein-Novack, southphillyreview.com

A great collection of recipes…the book shares some very interesting stories and tidbits about each of the celebrities that you might not know unless you were a true fan.– DadofDivas-reviews.blogspot.com

A veritable who's who of Hollywood's Golden Age.– Sara Bonisteel, epicurious.com

An awesome new foodie book on the block…– wolfharrison.com

Anyone who loves Hollywood memorabilia is an entertainment junkie, and loves to eat and cook…will treasure The Dead Celebrity Cookbook.– Edge, Philadelphia and Boston

Celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor and Andy Warhol may be gone, but their favorite dishes will never be forgotten. Try one tonight!– oprah.com

Chow down on your favorite dead stars' recipes. Come on, it won't kill you!– Michael Musto, The Village Voice

Flip on a movie channel and get cooking! Required reading.– Billy Heller, New York Post

I could not wait to review this book when I saw it on NetGalley! One of my great passions is old Movies, so I really wanted to see inside this book. About the only channel I ever watch on TV is Turner Classic Movies and I have watched some of these people so many times that I feel like I know them. This book helps me get to know them even better. When I got my hands on the book, I couldn't put it down! It is jam packed with really wonderful recipes from all of the best stars. Not only is it loaded with really great recipes, Frank Decaro shares some of his insight into the movies and TV shows the stars were in. Of course most of his insights are food related, which I loved. I really loved his writing on The Lucy Show. Also included are 6 recipes from Lucille Ball. He gives a short narration of Lucy's worst food fiasco's, and there were a lot of them. I also loved his re-count of Batman's sidekick, Robin's expressions. For example, "Holy Guacamole," "Holy Eggshells," etc., and about 15 more, along with recipes from the cast of Batman. There are so many recipes in this book that I want to make, but I don't know where to start. But, I am definitely going to make Katherine Hepburn's Brownies, Elizabeth Taylor's Chicken with Avacado and Mushrooms, Claudette Colbert's Cheese and Olive Puffs, Greer Garson's Capirotada, Vivien Leigh's Fruta Alumina, Bette Davis' Red Flannel Hash and Lucille Ball's Apple John. These are just a few of the recipes that I want to make. One of the main things I like about this cookbook is that even though these are recipes from Movie Stars, the ingredients are easy to find and the directions are easy to follow. Also, Frank DeCaro gives his tips for some of the recipes. For instance, if he thinks something needs additional ingredients or updating, he mentions that information following the recipe. Something that I find comforting is that these stars eat the same kind of foods that I eat. For instance, Gene Rodenberry's Lima Beans and Ham, Fred McMurray's Flemish Pot Roast, and Patrick Swayze's Chicken Pot Pie. I could go on and on because there is no end to the wonderful treasures in this book. Since I am reviewing this from a NetGalley copy, I am pre ordering it from Amazon. I don't want to miss anything this book has to offer. Thank you Frank DeCaro for writing this wonderful book. Now I can eat like the Stars! Please visit http://wwwriverplantation.blogspot.com for my full review --Charla Wilson

If you are a foodie and film fan, then you will think you have died and gone to heaven when you read "The Dead Celebrity Cookbook"! Recipes and reflections are blended together with rollicking, rowdy, revelry, and a smashing time will be had by all! Author Frank DeCaro enlightens and entertains with facts and food finds from legendary stars of stage and screen, and the results are delicious. I love to sit down with a cup of coffee and read a cookbook. Since this book is filled with as many stories as it has recipes, it is one of the most readable and enjoyable cookbooks that I own. The chapters are categorized by the contributor's claim to fame, such as: "Musical Munchies"; "Sitcom Moms Really Cook"; "Dance This Mess Around"; and "A Feast of Funny Fellows". The skill level of the chefs ranges from kitchen-capable to titan of take-out, and the recipes run the realm between truly taste tempting to seriously strange and somewhat scary. Dom Deluise's "Doodlewoppers"--who knew?!? Just kidding--those "Doodlewoppers" sound like darn good cookies!!! "The Dead Celebrity Cookbook" is a decadent delight from cover to cover. The amazing range of recipes is as equally appealing as the royal roster of legendary luminaries from the world of entertainment. A "must have" for the kitchen library of true devotees of the silver screen and the silver palate. --Virginia Campbell, Clifton Forge, VA

If you want to get closer to your favorite stars, this book is an excellent find. A great book for any movie star fan – and it gives a little peek into the lives of these stars that are sadly no longer with us, but are still adored all over the world.– comfortbites.blogspot.com

In The Dead Celebrity Cookbook, author Frank DeCaro has collected and presented an array of recipes by beloved (and dead) stars….– people.com

It's time to plan your holiday feasts...why not try something a little different this year? Perhaps Patrick Swayze's Chicken Pot Pie. Or Mae West's Fruit Compote....– Lauren Donaldson, delish.com

Kids, I highly recommend Frank DeCaro's book The Dead Celebrity Cookbook. It's much more than a cookbook. Frank also dishes about the celebrities and the films and TV shows they were in. You get a sense of the admiration and love Frank has for his dead celebs. It's a fun romp!  Even though I love my Jamie Oliver easy peezies from now on I'll grab this book. Frank DeCaro knows his food and a good caftan when he sees it!--MargOH Channing/ www.fierth.com

Liberace is dead and gone. But his sticky buns will live on for eternity.– Doug Gruse, The Post-Star, Glens Falls, NY.

The book marries DeCaro's twin obsessions with movie/celebrity/pop culture and food. The recipes reflect a happier time when carbs, mayo and butter were still considered friendlies…– Elena Ferretti, foxnews.com

The cookbook gives an infinite amount of ideas for quirky dinner parties, irreverent barbeques, and interesting menus for holiday gatherings.—Steve Desroches, Provincetown Magazine

The most morbid and intriguing cookbook around.– foodista.com

The perfect gift for your favorite cook.– Amy Scattergood, LA Weekly

The recipes are killer. Slip on your oven mitts and get cooking!– healthbistro.lifescript.com

These are the stars many of us grew up watching...With this cookbook you have a chance to bring a part of them into your home. What better way to remember your favorite celebrities than through food!– 98country.com

This is definitely a one-of-a-kind compilation!– celebrityviplounge.com

This is so cool! I found it on amazon.com and placed my order immediately!– Lynn Quale, 1037theloon.com

We hear Rock Hudson's Cannoli is delicious!– Entertainment Weekly

While Halloween might come only once a year, there's never a bad time for The Dead Celebrity Cookbook.– bonappetit.com

You don't cook, you say? No matter. Ignore the recipes and read the wonderful bios of celebs.– Blase DiStefano, OutSmart, Houston TX.