vintage celebrity recipes!

Hey everyone! We are so happy to announce a fun new cooking adventure… We have a new Reddit page for all things related to Old Hollywood Celebrity Recipes. We're excited to have you join us!

I'm u/ciaolavinia, the founding moderator of r/OldCelebrityRecipes. 

 

We will be sharing dozens of fun recipes made popular by some famous folks of the past. As we step into 2026, it’s the perfect time to celebrate with classic dishes from the Golden Age of Hollywood and beyond.

 

Let us ring in 2026 by toasting the future by revisiting the glamorous flavors of the past with iconic dishes and cocktails popularized by silent era film stars, mid-century movie stars, and iconic tv stars from the 70's & 80's.

 

Won’t you join us in posting your favorite Old Hollywood Celebrity Recipe that you think the community would find interesting, helpful, or inspiring? Feel free to share your thoughts, photos, or questions about some delicious recipes that are still so yummy today!

 

Many vintage celebrity recipes are available, ranging from Old Hollywood classics to mid-century dishes, often found in vintage cookbooks and online collections. Notable examples include Katharine Hepburn's Brownies, Elizabeth Taylor's Chicken with Avocado and Mushrooms, and Johnny Cash's "Old Iron Pot" Chili.

 

Lucille Ball’s Chicken Saute Sec with Mushrooms and Artichokes

Their Favorite Recipes from John Wayne, Alan Jones and Charles Boyer.

- Baked Macaroni

- Corned Beef and Cabbage

- Cheese Souffle a la Sussex

Loretta Lynn's Peanut Butter Fudge

Lauren Bacall's Spinach and Sesame Salad

Kirk Douglas' Hamburger Patties

Joan Collins' Vegetable Rice with Parmesan Cheese

Gloria Swanson's Cream Fudge

Gene Tierney's Star-Kist Salad Royal

Farrah Fawcett's Chicken Marengo

Dolly Parton's Banana Pudding

Princess Diana's Fudge recipe

Clint Eastwood's Spaghetti Western

Clark Gable's Lemon Cream Pie

Cary Grant's Steak & Kidney Pie 

Rosalynn Carter's Flank Steak

Betty White's Easy Prune Loaf

Happy New Year from CIAO NEWPORT BEACH blog 

and OLD CELEBRITY RECIPES!

 

 

ciao fabiana

 

lucy and ivy

There’s just something exactly about this glorious green and white ivy print, and all I know is I'm in LOVE! It all started with first seeing this pretty tablecloth and napkins from Pacific and Rose.

I instantly remembered that I had some vintage Franciscan Ivy dinner plates and thought these items would be a match made in heaven.

The Franciscan Ivy dinner plates are a classic piece of American dinnerware. They were first introduced in the 1940s by the Franciscan Pottery company, which was based in California.

 

The design features a charming ivy pattern that wraps around the edges of the plates, giving them a timeless and elegant look. These plates became especially popular after being featured on the TV show "I Love Lucy"

These lovely Ivy plates and other dishware is a classic that's been around since 1948, and more importantly, you may recognize it in a black and white version, because it was featured on "I Love Lucy" for years in those darling scenes where Lucy and Desi are in the kitchen having breakfast. It was Lucy's everyday dishware!!

 

The Franciscan Ivy dinner plates definitely made their mark in TV history thanks to "I Love Lucy." 

I love how they added such a cozy touch to the Ricardo’s kitchen scenes. These Ivy clad cups and plates have become iconic in their own right.

 

It's so fascinating how something as simple as dinnerware can hold such nostalgic value and bring back memories of those classic moments. 

Do you have any favorite episodes or scenes from "I Love Lucy"? Lucy always had such a knack for getting into hilarious situations!

 

Lucy and Ricky had such great chemistry, and their kitchen antics were always entertaining. 

Whether it was Lucy’s hilarious attempts at cooking or Ricky’s exasperated reactions, those moments were pure TV gold.

One of my favorite scenes is when Lucy tries to bake bread, and it turns into a gigantic loaf that pushes her out of the kitchen. Such a classic! 

Do you have a favorite kitchen moment from the show? Or maybe a scene that always makes you laugh?

While the Franciscan Ivy dinner plates and cups are most famously associated with "I Love Lucy," they also appeared in other shows like "Bewitched."

 

As you can see here in Larry and Louise’s kitchen, the ivy pattern's timeless charm made it a popular choice for set designers looking to create a cozy, homey atmosphere.

Now take the plates featured on the set of Samantha and Darrin’s dining room. It’s red transferware. 

Red and white transferware, along with blue and white transferware has been a classic for hundreds of years!   

But set in the groovy Americana set of the 1960’s Bewitched dining room, it once again creates a relatable comfort zone for viewers.

 

Transferware is known for its intricate patterns and vibrant colors, making it a popular choice for both everyday use and special occasions.

These dishes often feature scenes of pastoral landscapes, floral designs, or historical events, and they were produced by various manufacturers, including Wedgwood, Johnson Brothers, Spode, and Mason's.

The red and white color combination is particularly striking and has a timeless appeal.

Do you have a favorite pattern or design when it comes to transferware?  

ciao fabiana

 

 

For lots of fun extras, follow me on Instagram!

 

 

 

You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials” 

 

 

 

Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.

southern charm: chelsea's new home

If you watch Southern Charm on Bravo, then you’ve probably had a peek at Chelsea Meissner’s new home on James Island near Charleston, South Carolina. Bought as a fixer-upper, Chelsea contributed much of the elbow grease that was necessary to update this split-level home.

Southern Living magazine is sharing an inside look of Chelsea’s new home this month in their “timeless style” issue. I think she did an amazing job infusing just the right amount of coastal charm to this home. Isn’t the tile in the kitchen fabulous? 

Here’s a mini home tour of Chelsea’s adorable and hip beach house…

Chelsea with Southern Charm friends Austin and Craig

Southern Charm is on Wednesday nights on Bravo. I have to say, I suggested to my mom that she watch it, and now it’s her favorite show! 

Patricia's Charleston mansion, aka the historic Isaac Jenkins Mikell house 

And you’ve gotta just love Patricia, her butler Michael and her fabulous Charleston mansion! This home is on the other end of the home décor spectrum. More on that tomorrow...

  

ciao! fabiana

Photos: Southern Living & Chelsea Meissner on instagram

christina on the coast in newport beach

It’s already Thursday, and that means my DVR is set for the final episode of “Christina on the Coast”. As some of you know, Christina is my neighbor. She lives just around the corner from me and several of my girlfriends.

Heather is only about three houses away from her, Caran is just up the street and Amy, Brenda and I are all about a minute away, so we’ve all been intrigued the last few months about what’s going on at Christina’s house. (and did I mention that Tarek lives only a couple of blocks away?) 😉

In December, there were tons of cars on the street for a big party at Christina’s house which turned out to be her surprise wedding. Since then, we’ve all been on alert for Christina sightings.

I saw her months ago at the local health food store, and my husband actually stopped and talked to Christina and her husband while they were out for a walk.

Anyhow, every Thursday, I’m sure to check in on “Christina on the Coast” for any fun neighborhood sightings and news.  

I’m quite familiar with Christina’s new house that she showcases on her show, and so are many of us here in Newport. You see it was featured on the Newport Harbor Home Tour a few years back and in several magazines.

Here’s the before and after of the kitchen. As you can see, Christina got rid of most of the open shelving, reconfigured the bar, and went with white cabinetry in most of the kitchen. To me it's a less dramatic look, but probably more efficient and has more storage.

According to last week's episode, she also closed off a door to the right of the fridge for more kitchen space. What do you think about the transformation?  

Christina’s new home office

To be honest, I was a little disappointed with last week’s episode that was supposed to be the “big reveal” of her newly designed home. You see, back in December, Christina and local designer Raili Clasen (pronounced Riley) both posted the finished look of Christina’s new hip coastal-inspired home on Instagram.

Raili’s the one who actually chose the décor for Christina’s new home. She was the brainchild behind this whole project. So where was Raili (or mention of Raili) in the last episode?

ZIP! Nothing, nada, not a word. We were all led to believe that Christina did it all. And you know what? I totally get it. I’m sure the producers made the call to not mention that another designer had to be called in to actually design these spaces, but I was a little disappointed.

Christina and her husband Ant, don’t hide the fact that Raili designed the home of their dreams, as seen on Instagram.   

Raili's fabric choices 

Christina's instagram 

Raili's a total rock star of design and is a huge supporter of the Newport Harbor Home Tour. She's had a home featured on the home tour just about every year since she debuted her own adorable little farmhouse back in 2013. 

Everyone loved it so much, that she began her design business shortly after that!  

It seems that Christina’s been all over the press lately with her new marriage, her new show, and now her pregnancy. Here’s a little peek at her adorable baby shower that took place at the Balboa Bay Resort, or as we locals call it, The Bay Club.

Incidentally, the Bay Club is where the Newport Harbor Home Tour’s breakfast reception took place for a couple of years, so some of you may be familiar with it!

I love the flowers!

I'll always and forever love a pretty peacock chair!

One thing I really did enjoy about Christina’s show is seeing the local sights they featured. Many of them are favorite restaurants of ours, like Zinqué, above, a fun place for breakfast on the water in beautiful Lido Marina Village.

And here they are at another one of my favorite waterfront restaurants, Bluewater Grill. They have amazing seafood and chowder, and even a New England Lobster Clambake! Ramona would be thrilled! 😁

Speaking of Ramona, who's watching the Real Housewives of New York Reunion tonight? I can't wait!

I wonder if Christina will reveal her new nursery décor tonight on the show.

I guess this final episode is focusing on the “reimagination” of the pool and backyard, which is huge, by the way.  

You can get a peek of it here at a backyard party Christina hosted a few weeks back and in this selfie.

You can see how true it looks compared to this rendering of how it was imagined.

Will you be watching tonight? I sure will be!

ciao! fabiana

By the way, this amazing book Contemporary Cottages features Christina’s current home as it was seen on the Newport Harbor Home tour designed by Shannon Wilkins and it also features a really cool beach house designed by Raili Clasen.

In fact, this new book features several homes by some of my favorite local designers. Check it out here:

photo credit: ChardPhoto, Christina Anstead, & People