Shecky’s

We love finding new recipes to test out in our kitchen (some more successful than others!), so we always stock up on cookbooks to get new ideas and inspiration. Sure, there are our tried-and-true tomes like Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking and Irma Rombauer’s kitchen classic Joy of Cooking, but we’ve got a few newer cookbook faves from a seemingly unlikely source—celebrities. No, we’re not talking about celebrity chefs like Giada, Ina or Rachel, but A-list stars who happen to work the kitchen as well as they do the stage and screen. In honor of National Cookbook Launch Day, here are seven celebrity-penned cookbooks that we always have on hand in our kitchens!

-Christina Izzo

Eva Longoria

She may be known for playing the hot ‘n’ spicy Gabby Solis on “Desperate Housewives,” but Eva Longoria brings the real spice in the kitchen with her cookbook Eva’s Kitchen: Cooking with Love for Family and Friends. In her debut cookbook, the Mexican-American actress offers up the flavors of her childhood spent in Corpus Christi, TX, passed-down family dishes and recipes she’s picked up through her world travels, like Argentinian Empanadas (on food.com), a great Chunky Guacamole with Serrano Peppers she shared with “The View” and a family favorite, Pan de Polvo (Mexican shortbread). Forget Taco Bell and lose that Mexican takeout menu—if you have a hankering for delicioso south-of-the-border bites, take a page (or two!) from this not-so-desperate housewive!

Image credit: livinginthekitchenwithpuppies.blogspot.com