15 Of Elizabeth Taylor's Favorite Foods And Drinks

There are plenty of celebrities with weird food habits, in part because their wealth allows them to experiment with expensive ingredients. However, some famous folks never truly abandon their pedestrian taste buds. Elizabeth Taylor is among this crowd. She may be a beloved actress who had a huge impact on Hollywood, but food is also a fascinating part of her legacy.

Nowadays, society tries to be more polite when it comes to commenting on people's bodies, but Taylor's fluctuating appearance was unfortunately a staple in the tabloids. Taylor herself was an outspoken foodie, so it's clear that the public couldn't hear enough about her dietary preferences. She even published a book in 1988 called "Elizabeth Takes Off," where she not only detailed her diet, but also shared juicy stories about her life. Anyone interested in celebrity culture was hooked.

Despite being rich and welcome at exclusive restaurants around the world, Elizabeth Taylor ate a lot of foods that the average person would love even today. Read on to explore 15 of her all-time favorite foods and drinks so you can see what you have in common.

Beluga caviar was possibly the fanciest food that Elizabeth Taylor enjoyed. Vicky Tiel, an American fashion designer who worked with Taylor for many years and developed a close friendship, shared that caviar was a must-have for Taylor on New Year's Eve. Her favorite beluga caviar came from Iran, and she lovingly nicknamed them "Grey Babies."

Taylor was happy savoring caviar by itself, but Tiel said that she also made sandwiches with it. You may suspect these sandwiches were made with bread, but potatoes were actually the main ingredient. Taylor baked Idaho potatoes, halved them, scooped a good amount of potato out, and filled the skins with crème fraîche and three heaping tablespoons of beluga caviar. She then placed the other hollowed half of the potato on top to seal all of that goodness inside.

Beluga caviar happens to be the most expensive caviar on the market. Nowadays, a single ounce of it can set you back $200 or $300.

When you're in the mood for comfort food, nothing hits the spot quite like a big, juicy cheeseburger accompanied by french fries right out of the fryer and topped with salt. Elizabeth Taylor frequently fueled herself with this classic American staple. One of her favorite places to grab a cheeseburger was a restaurant on the Sunset Strip called Hamburger Hamlet, which catered to the Hollywood elites. While you could see Albert Hitchcock, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and many other A-list celebs, regular folks who lived in LA also flocked there.

Hamburger Hamlet was certainly more upscale than a fast-food chain, but it also had a reputation for being fairly laid-back. There was no dress code, and everyone in the community came together to chow down on some high-quality American favorites. Taylor likely enjoyed being able to grab an alcoholic beverage and walk around the restaurant to schmooze with other celebrities who were there after finishing her cheeseburger.

Spreading luscious dollops of peanut butter on bread and topping it with a stack of bacon may make you think of Elvis Presley, but Elizabeth Taylor also loved this sweet and savory sandwich combo. While most actresses of her time may have eaten light meals and snacks while shooting scenes, Taylor wasn't afraid to sink her teeth into this greasy, hearty sandwich. An interview reported seeing her carry the sandwich around the set gleefully while fondly reminiscing about how good her breakfast and lunch were earlier in the day.

White bread, bacon, and peanut butter may not have been the healthiest choices for getting her daily intake of carbs, protein, and fat, but this sandwich definitely would've stuck to her ribs and given her enough energy to film. Who wouldn't be able to deliver a stellar performance after enjoying such a fun meal?

Elizabeth Taylor could have been the life of any party since she both loved eating all kinds of normal junk foods and finer foods. In addition to beluga caviar, the other luxurious item she'd treat herself to was the most expensive wine on any restaurant's menu. The only catch was that she made her husband, Richard Burton, pay for it. She certainly could've afforded it herself, but she loved teasing him in this way.

During an interview at a restaurant, Burton was kind enough to order a bottle of wine for the table. Taylor seemed suspicious of it and accused him of buying cheap white wine. It's unclear how much that bottle cost, but Taylor loved it anyway after taking a sip. She clearly appreciated alcohol at any price point, as long as she could share a laugh about it with Burton. She also shared that the two of them had discovered a fantastic wine by choosing the priciest one on the menu, a bottle that cost $150. Considering the fact that Costco sells a wine set that costs $85,000, Taylor's game doesn't seem too extravagant.

If you consider yourself a fan of Elizabeth Taylor, chances are high that you've already heard about her deep devotion to the chili from Chasen's. The restaurant was founded in 1936, and it earned such a flattering reputation in Hollywood that it catered the Academy Awards afterparty for many years.

Taylor didn't casually swing by for a bite to eat once or twice a week. She had an obsession. Her glamorous life as an actress allowed her to travel around the world and try some of the finest cuisines, yet she preferred to have Chasen's chili sent to her overseas instead. Most of us dream of having the chance to eat our way through Italy and gorge on Neapolitan pizza, pasta, bread, seafood, cured meats, and fresh veggies. When Taylor was filming "Cleopatra" in Rome, she dined on reheated Chasen's chili that flew across the Atlantic.

What made this chili so darn tasty? Apparently, it got its flavor from both beef and pork, and the base was made with chiles. Pinto beans also added bulk to create a succulent and satisfying bite.

Elizabeth Taylor has rubbed elbows with so many fascinating characters throughout her lifetime. Imagine being able to sit down with her and listen to her gossip while digging into a big hot fudge sundae. If you were her friend back in the day, you would've had the chance to do just that, since she could never say no to ice cream.

Of course, Taylor had a go-to spot that tons of other Hollywood celebs adored as well. Wil Wright's was a fancy ice cream parlor that opened in 1949 and was a booming success, until eventually closing in the 1970s after an acquisition from another company. Staying true to her taste buds, Taylor flew Wil Wright's ice cream sundae supplies to wherever she was filming. It's not clear if she always washed down her Chasen's chili with a refreshing bowl of ice cream, but it seems likely that she must have tried the combo at least once since she always had both on hand.

For sweet tooths, there's no better way to start the day than with a giant stack of fluffy pancakes. They're the ultimate vehicle for all kinds of fabulous toppings. Syrups, jams, spreads, butter, chocolate chips, fresh fruit, whipped cream, sprinkles, crushed cookies, and nuts are just a handful of mouthwatering options.

It should come as no surprise that Elizabeth Taylor spent many of her days fantasizing about and indulging in pancakes. One of her favorite ways to eat them was to drown them in strawberry syrup and serve them with a side of bacon. It's the ultimate sweet and salty duo.

Richard Burton even shared with an interviewer that food was all that he and Taylor talked about while traveling. They surely loved their friends and family, but he said that food was at the top of their conversation topics. They didn't even talk about movies or plays! When the interviewer had a peek inside the couple's kitchen, she made note of the boxes of Aunt Jemima pancake mix. This beloved mix is now rebranded as Pearl Milling Company, a move that upset Aunt Jemima's relatives.

Elizabeth Taylor often joked with reporters about how awful it was to maintain her weight. To indulge her inner foodie, she gave herself one "pig out" day a week, where she could eat anything she wanted. She claimed that she was extra mindful for two days afterward to help balance her calories.

So what was on Taylor's dream pig out menu? Fried chicken was the star of the show, but of course, it didn't stop there. She recruited mashed potatoes with lots of gravy, lima beans, and corn as her dazzling sides. And the day couldn't end without a nice slice of chocolate cake. If a Southern family invited Taylor to their Sunday dinner with a menu like that, she'd be over in a heartbeat.

Although she probably had her fair share of fried chicken in restaurants, Taylor was a talented cook as well. There are even photos of her cooking fried chicken at her humble farm in Virginia. Since fried chicken was one of her all-time favorite dishes, you can trust she knew what she was doing when she whipped some up.

Most people save Champagne for special occasions, but Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton drank Champagne as often as they wanted, no reason to celebrate needed. Their favorite brand was Dom Pérignon, and they enjoyed sipping bottles from 1961 and 1964. Their top pick was from 1959, but that vintage was harder to find.

In 1970, Burton and Taylor appeared on an episode of "Here's Lucy" starring Lucille Ball. Their episode, titled "Lucy Meets the Burtons," highlighted Taylor's humor and zest for life. When Ball's ring got stuck on her finger, Taylor leaped into action and confidently stated that they should pour Champagne over her finger to get it loose. She exclaimed that Champagne helped with everything and that she even used it to wash her hair. Ball riffed on this and retorted that she washed her hair with beer. It was a hilarious moment in television history that nodded to Burton and Taylor's reputation for being heavy drinkers.

It's safe to say that Elizabeth Taylor was ahead of her time, because she came up with so many incredible culinary concoctions. Surely there were plenty of dishes that she played around with and never shared with the world. One dish that Taylor loved making was grilled chicken breast with a special sauce she invented by mixing cream, avocado, and cognac.

In 1993, The Roanoke Times published her recipe so others could have the chance to make it. The sauce included cubed avocado, lemon, butter, cognac, dry white wine, shallots, mushrooms, heavy cream, and chicken stock. She instructed others to cook the sauce in the same pan they grilled the chicken in so it could benefit from the extra flavor and richness.

Pouring this decadent sauce over a grilled chicken breast was an easy way to ensure every bite would be succulent and heavenly. If there was extra, it would've also paired beautifully with some steamed rice or baked potatoes. This dish was tasty enough to earn a stamp of approval from Richard Burton, and the two feasted on it regularly.

When most people think about hollandaise sauce, they get hungry for some eggs Benedict. That velvety, slightly tangy sauce is divine when you pair it with poached eggs, salty Canadian bacon, and toasted English muffins. Elizabeth Taylor's favorite way to eat hollandaise sauce was to drizzle it on top of a juicy steak.

We're all familiar with how closely foods can be tied to our memories. Chocolate chip cookies may remind you of happier times during your childhood. Maybe there are certain dishes you're averse to now since they're associated with an unpleasant event, even though the food itself still tastes good.

Steak with hollandaise sauce was likely a bittersweet comfort food for Taylor by the end of her life. She spent some of her happiest moments dining on this dish with her husband Richard Burton at a restaurant called The Cellar. It's where he proposed to her again after their first of two divorces. The couple also loved sharing escargots and chocolate mousse during these visits when their relationship was going well.

Sara Lee has a fascinating history that has had a major impact on American kitchens and our attitudes toward premade goods. The company itself began in 1935, but it wasn't until 1953 that it started producing frozen baked goods that were shipped across the country. The team developed a careful method for freezing the products to maintain softness and freshness after thawing.

Since then, families have been able to buy a wide range of frozen treats and thaw them for a simple but satisfying dessert. Even single folks buy the large cakes and pies and challenge their restraint to avoid eating them all in one go.

During the same interview where everyone got to learn that Elizabeth Taylor cooks pancakes with Aunt Jemima mixes, we also discovered that she always had not one, but several Sara Lee cakes on hand. While it's unclear which cakes Taylor craved, some of the top-sellers featured in vintage ads were the chocolate and butter cake, along with the original cheesecake.

Espresso Martinis have been in the spotlight recently. Folks are on the lookout for fun cocktails, and an Espresso Martini fits the bill for coffee lovers. Plus, with Sabrina Carpenter's mega-hit "Espresso," along with more boutique coffee shops popping up nationwide, it's clear that Americans have espresso on the brain. There are so many other vintage martinis that are worth trying, though.

A cocktail that was all the rage during Elizabeth Taylor's heyday was one that she actually invented: the Chocolate Martini. She got creative with her "Giant" co-star, Rock Hudson, while filming in 1955. The cocktail simply combined vodka, Hershey's chocolate syrup, and chocolate liqueur. The two friends were just hanging out and relaxing after filming earlier in the day, and they never would've expected their creation to blow up. The world may not have even known about this experiment if it weren't for the studio's marketing team publishing their recipe with photos from the set. Everyone wanted to drink like a celebrity, so the Chocolate Martini became an overnight sensation.

Spaghetti with tomato sauce may not sound very glamorous, but we have to trust that Elizabeth Taylor would never lead us astray. With enough care and high-quality ingredients, this simple pasta dish can be dreamy. Taylor ordered spaghetti with tomato sauce often enough that one restaurant named the dish after her. It's true that Taylor was eating tons of Chasen's chili while filming in Rome, but she needed a bit of variety. When she felt like branching out, she would go to Splendido for spaghetti.

Italians take pasta seriously, so executive chef Corrado Corti created a special sauce that contained three kinds of tomatoes: San Marzano, cherry, and datterini. Of course, no pomodoro sauce is complete without extra-virgin olive oil, crushed garlic cloves, and fresh basil. He also included lemon zest and brown sugar to build depth. The dish may be simple, but the fresh ingredients truly shine. There's no doubt that digging into a mountain of spaghetti after filming scenes for "Cleopatra" was soothing for Taylor.

Elizabeth Taylor enjoyed drinking so much that she often started each morning with some cognac. Apparently, she and her husband, Richard Burton, developed a routine of drinking cognac in the morning, vodka and tonic around lunchtime, and scotch and vodka in the evening. Most folks would get queasy at the idea of drinking before noon, but Taylor had a cast-iron stomach. In fact, one journalist who had the pleasure of sharing a drink with her spread the word that despite her petite build, she could easily outdrink any man.

This habit eventually caught up with her, though. She sadly developed an addiction to painkillers that she relied on for health issues, and the side effects of alcohol hit even harder when paired with the pills. She ended up going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and attending the Betty Ford clinic in the '80s, yet she never seemed to quit drinking entirely. One of her favorite spots to grab a glass of cognac toward the end of her life was at one of West Hollywood's most iconic gay bars, The Abbey.