Photo credit Ellen Silverman
FOOD-OBSESSED ACTOR FREDDIE PRINZE JR .
WOOS OVER EVERYONE IN THE KITCHEN !
What happens at dinner time when busy Hollywood stars have to figure out healthy , delicious food options to please the entire family ? Mealtimes can quickly turn into a recipe for disaster . Some families manage quite nicely with the help of personal chefs , restaurants that reserve tables on a moment ’ s notice , or trusty home delivery services on speed dial . However , none of these options describe the Prinze household , where actor and producer Freddie Prinze Jr . whips up home-cooked meals every day for his wife , actress Sarah Michelle Gellar , and their two children . Family favorites such as Gazpacho Salad , Spicy Fish Tacos and Zucchini Parmigiana are the inspiration for his newly-released cookbook Back to the Kitchen ( Rodale 2016 ), a labor of love that aptly describes his first passion .
“ I was set to go to Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Pasadena ,” said Prinze , who grew up cooking fiery dishes with his mother in Albuquerque . “ Before I was ready to leave , I got my first acting job and moved to Los Angeles . But cooking was always my first passion .”
Although starring in films and television shows commandeered much of his time , Prinze could always be found near a stovetop or a grill when he wasn ’ t behind the camera . As a famous teen actor in the
1990s and 2000s whose credits included She ’ s All That , I Know What You Did Last Summer , and Wing Commander , he was the guy on the set who routinely lured fellow cast members away from bland craft services food to sample homecooked fare in his trailer . And thanks to his mother ’ s insistence on always cooking with fresh herbs and her knack for improving recipes 100 different ways with New Mexican green chiles , his meals earned consistent praise from family and friends . While he honed his craft as an actor , traveling all over the world on film locations piqued his curiosity for exotic cuisines and expanded his culinary skills .
Vol 28 • Extraordinary Health ™ 21