The Sexy Forever Recipe Bible

Praise for Suzanne Somers’ Cooking

“Suzanne Somers is the best cook I’ve ever known (next to my mother)! When Kari and I are invited over for one of her home-cooked meals, we never say no! Her knowledge is extraordinary. Her recipes are gastronomic magic. Not to mention, her dishes always look ‘photo-ready.’ A favorite? I guess that would be any of her phenomenal soups!”

—Dick Clark

“If Suzanne Somers wasn’t a brilliantly talented comedic actress, she would’ve been a brilliantly talented gourmet chef. Having the privilege of dining at her table is a gastronomic feast I will long remember.”

—Fran Drescher, actress, health advocate, hungry Jew

“More than any three-star restaurant in the world, an invitation for dinner in Suzanne’s kitchen is an epicurean feast. Suzanne’s cuisine is uncomplicated and of the greatest simplicity.”

—Paul Bruggemans, owner of Le Vallauris Restaurant, Palm Springs

“Suzanne’s cooking is outstanding. Every bite is a treasure. My favorite dish of yours is lettuce.”

—Don Rickles, comedian and actor

“If you ever want to see poetry in motion, hang out in Suzanne’s kitchen. Somehow, she even makes the food sexy!”

—Leeza Gibbons

“With no exaggeration, Suzanne is a master chef. From its presentation to the final bite of dessert, her cooking exceeds that of the finest restaurant in Los Angeles. My wife, Anne, and I have these favorites: lamb chops marinated in fresh herbs, garlic, and oil, pan-fried with fresh basil pesto and followed by a choice of chocolate soufflé or chocolate pot de crème. Extraordinaire.”

—Arnold Kopelson, Academy Award–winning producer

“The only food I
really
look forward to is Suzanne’s.”

—Barry Manilow

“Suzanne can take a person who’s had a lifetime of junk food and processed food (um, like me) and cook a meal so delicious, you’ll just say, ‘Thank you and more, please.’ ”

—Kathy Griffin

“You’d expect dinner with a famous health and fitness guru to taste like a porridge of tofu and library paste! But this lady can turn out a meal that will thrill your palate and be good to your body. I can’t promise you’ll look as good as Ms. Somers, but you’ll learn that great food and great health do go together.”

—Dick Van Dyke

“It’s always an exciting experience to be invited to Suzanne and Alan’s for dinner. Suzanne’s creative imagination is reflected in the superb meals she invents. She’s one sexy chef!”

—Norman Jewison, award-winning director and producer

Copyright © 2011 by Suzanne Somers

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Three Rivers Press,
an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com

THREE RIVERS PRESS and the Tugboat design are
registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
CIP data is available upon request.

eISBN: 978-0-307-95671-2

v3.1

To my Somersize and Sexy Forever family:
This little girl who loved to cook grew into a woman who somehow made a career out of it. It’s a dream come true to have all my favorite recipes in one compilation. You’ve been asking for this book for years. You pulled this out of me. Each book in the Somersize series, now Sexy Forever, has been by your request—and none more than this one. Thank you for staying with me for all these years, and for sharing a passion for food. I speak through my cooking. It’s how I show my love for my family and all of you. This book is our legacy.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Caroline Somers, the words
thank you
don’t cover enough. Caroline didn’t just
help
me with this compilation, so much of it became her total responsibility. She conceptualized and produced the look of the book as well as the photographs, she took over responsibility for laying out and testing all the recipes we had created together in the other Somersize books. On a daily basis we discussed how to move forward and then she would
do
it. Lucky me. Caroline is not only my daughter-in-law, she’s an invaluable part of our organization. She is protective of the brand, ensuring that all resonates with the messages of my books; in this case, how it applies to the food we eat. Caroline and I have cooked together for twenty years. She has an impeccable palate. I trust her judgment, I trust her taste, and I love her dearly.

Heather Jackson, my wonderful editor, now on our fourth book together. We have such an easy rhythm. I will find myself thinking about a revision and at the same time receive an e-mail from you with the exact same notion. We are in sync. Your help in organizing and coding this rather beastly manuscript was invaluable. I could not have met this schedule without your efforts. Thank you for your excellence and for doing it all while you were in the middle of a move, being a summer supermom, dodging a hurricane, and pitching my next big project! I love multitasking brilliant women and you are at the top of the list.

My team at Crown is like family. We have been together through it all; we’ve grown together through it all. I could not hope for a better, more committed publishing partner or a nicer group of professionals. We’ve accomplished so much throughout these years. This recipe bible wouldn’t have arrived in your hands without the keen eye and cool head of Christine Tanigawa, the production editor on this as well as my last three books; or Elizabeth Rendfleisch, who epitomizes calm creativity; her interior design work is beautiful and synced so nicely with my team’s vision. James Massey: thank you for your help with the cover. Thank you to Linnea Knollmueller, Luisa Francavilla, Amy Boorstein—the unseen but crucial folks behind the scenes who turn my work from words on the page into real books. And thank you to the rest of my Crown team for their hard work and evergreen support in selling, marketing, and promoting my books: Annsley Rosner, Michael Palgon, David Drake, Jill Flaxman, and Meredith McGinnis. Maya Mavjee, president and publisher, my new publisher, a great visionary with impeccable taste. I look forward to many more books in the future. Tina Constable, senior vice president and publisher of Crown Archetype, we’ve done so many books together and have become such good friends over the years. There is a trust and shorthand between us that is not only valuable but also a real pleasure.

Sandi Mendelson, my trusted publicist of many years. Most of my books are bestsellers. That doesn’t happen unless you have a great publicity plan. Sandi is the best in the business, and she’s a cool chick.

The
SexyForever.com
team at Everyday Health: this fabulous organization runs my online subscription program and encouraged me to write this compilation of recipes as a followup to
Sexy Forever.
While I have always wanted to do it, it was the push from Everyday Health that made it happen with Crown. I am so proud of what we have created at
SexyForever.com
and I know we are just beginning! Mike Keriakos, this all started as your brain child. Thank you for seeing it through. Steven Petrow, you have been my greatest cheerleader and I appreciate how you continue to champion and oversee the brand. Greg Jackson, where would we be without your commitment to advertising and marketing? Vince Errico, you conceptualize and execute each phase of development on schedule without a ruffle of your feathers. And to Sarah Hutter, Bill Maslyn, Eleanor Meyers, Margaret O’Malley, Debbie Strong, Shannon McGarity, Maggie Fabrizio, Hilary Hayward, Kelly MacDonald, and Maureen Namkoong—your daily commitment to excellence makes me proud.

Thanks to my fabulous photography team as we took off on a little scavenger hunt around Malibu for the best local ingredients. First, to the vendors who welcomed us so graciously:

Larry Thorne at Thorne Family Farms; one of my favorite times of the week is when Alan and I drive up to your organic farm to see what wonderful gifts your fertile land has sprouted. Thank you for allowing my crew to document your little slice of heaven. And thank you for the delicious food you bring to my table each week.

Nick and Stephanie Wechsler, my amazing friends with the enviable ranch that is home to llamas, cats, and Araucana chickens who lay priceless fresh eggs. Thanks for letting me feed your little babies and collect those beautiful blue, green, and pink eggs.

Malibu Seafood, our local weekend hangout and favorite spot for fresh, and I mean
fresh
seafood. I loved splashing in your crab and lobster tank. Thank you for letting us invade your store for a bit. Your energy and casual, positive vibe is as great as your fish and seafood.

Malibu Olive Company; I met Robert Jaye at the farmers’ market and fell deeply, madly in love with his extra virgin olive oil. Robert, you taught me how to taste oil in beautiful blue glass (who knew color did not really matter?) and I have been a fan ever since. And thank you to Dan Romanelli for allowing us to shoot at his spectacular Tuscan villa on the beach. Wow! Simply stunning.

Diane Kron, the owner of the luscious chocolate shop KChocolatier, opened her tiny doors and allowed us to spill in and taste every delicious morsel in sight. Oh, this was a fun day of shooting! Diane, thank you for putting out such a quality product. When I tell my readers that
good-quality chocolate contains antioxidants and that a small quantity will satisfy, I am speaking of chocolate like yours. Your 60% cocoa bars and wafers are essential for my chocolate baking needs—and my general addiction.

Thank you, Cindy Gold and her photography team—Paul Craig, John Guarente, and Bonnie Holland—my go-to source for the last several projects. I love the fast, easy way you shoot with natural light. No fussing for hours. This allows the real me to be reflected in these shots. To get all of these locations (including a cover shot!) in two days was simply amazing and I could not have done it with any other crew. And thank you for introducing me to Megan Fitzgerald. Oh, how I love your food styling, Megan! So real you can eat it. And we did. That shot of the chicken on the cover was the afternoon snack for the crew. And to Don Stewart for prop styling, you caught onto my clean look instantly. Thanks for your lovely restraint. Mooney, once again you are the master of hair. Thanks for coming back from Israel to get my mane back in great shape and tousling it just right. And thank you to Anna Branson for keeping my makeup fresh.

Danielle Shapero-Rudolph, thank you for another great cover design. You and Caroline make such a fabulous team, not only for this cover but also for everything in my brand. I trust your taste and appreciate the simplicity and elegance you bring to your work. Thank you for “my look” and for positively influencing the brand with your excellent eye and graphic designs. Thank you for your patience to get it just right. I also appreciate the way you interact with the talented designers at Crown to create a unified look from cover to cover.

Maria Arminio, for lending a helping hand with the recipe testing. With so many desserts, Maria tackled the chocolate, the custards, the meringues, and more to make sure our new All Natural SomerSweet was in just the right proportions. I think we got it right!

Marc Chamlin, my attorney, who keeps cranking out one book deal after the next. I love this part of my career, and thank you for assisting in keeping the work flowing.

To the women who run my life—Julie, Jordyn, and Jill. Yes, there is a theme if you want to work in my office—you must be incredibly hardworking, able to juggle many projects at once, have a superthick skin, and have a name that starts with
J
! You are all amazingly talented at keeping us running so smoothly, as well as being truly fine people.

Sharani and Farook: when I can’t see past the manuscript in front of me, you have me pause for a bowl of soup or a rejuvenating fresh coconut with the top carved off, served with a straw and small spoon to gather the coconut milk. Thank you for the sustenance and for taking such good care of us.

And to Alan … it all begins and ends with you. I love you.

CONTENTS

Introduction

The Sexy Forever Weight Loss Plan

Breakfasts

Soups

Salads

Appetizers, Sandwiches, and Sides

Dressings, Sauces, and Pesto

Vegetables

Rice, Beans, Pasta, and Grains

Poultry

Fish and Seafood

Beef, Pork, and Lamb

Desserts

PHOTO INSERT