‘Pop Life: The Ultimate 80s Kitchen Encore’

Tiffany Releases Her First Duet, a Cookbook With Celebrity Chef Alicia Shevetone

By Stacey Gualandi

When pop icon Tiffany and Las Vegas-based celebrity chef Alicia Shevetone first bonded over baking, basting and braising, little did they know they would give birth to a bodacious book of 1980s-inspired dishes.

If you think they’re alone now in the kitchen, you better think again! As if!

“Pop Life: The Ultimate 80s Kitchen Encore” is a totally tubular time machine back to mall food, comfort classics and late-night bites, but with a tuned-up twist.

The official launch recently took center stage at Petite Boheme in downtown Las Vegas, where the duo was surrounded by fans, foodies and folks dressed in 1980s fashion (ahem, like yours truly)!

Guests sampled beef Wellington bites, glam-rock veggie charcuterie skewers, and spicy chèvre and pistachio balls. It was just a sneak peek, but I can honestly say the crowd wanted more — or shall I say, an encore?

Both California-raised creatives say the book is not just a cookbook but “part reference manual and part backstage pass.” Tiffany serves up lead vocals, while chef Shevetone brings in the harmony with liner notes of tips and takeaways.

As they hit the road on the “Tiffany Tunes” meet-and-greet cookbook tour, they took five backstage to talk recipe set lists, bonus tracks and their dream taste testers!

Get ready to rock — I mean, pop!!!

Chic Compass: Tiffany, you’re a pop icon; Alicia, you’re a corporate executive-turned-chef. The two of you seem like an unlikely match made in culinary heaven.

Tiffany: Honestly, I believe in meditation and prayer, and I was praying to meet more people who could be mentors to me. Alicia is one of those people. This is something I feel led to do. I want food to be part of my career. I want to feed people and then rock their faces off after!

Chef Alicia Shevetone: If you had known corporate me before I got into culinary [six years ago], I would be the last person you’d think would be doing something like this. I was very familiar with Tiffany, but not as familiar with the food stuff that she had done. Although I was and still am an avid Food Network fan, I had seen Tiffany [appearances] on “Rachael vs. Guy.”

Chic Compass: We first met you, Tiffany, as a teenager on your 1987 “mall tour.” You’ve never stopped touring, and a “cooking hobby” [with your family and band] has always been part of the ride. Why was it important to focus on 1980s dishes?

Tiffany: The 1980s were so much fun. Gathering was fun. Having parties — impromptu parties. It’s called an Insta party. Don’t be afraid! You’ll see that in the cookbook. It’s like, “No, have them do the skewers together. You can do it with your kids!” But that’s what the 1980s were all about. Put on a soundtrack, have fun, have a couple of cocktails and live the pop life. We’re just bringing happiness back, which we are really hungry for again — literally. The 1980s were fun and really simple.

Chic Compass: Are the recipes traditional 1980s fare?

Chef Alicia Shevetone: We realized we had a shared experience: these are foods we both ate in the 1980s. My mom is a gourmet cook, so I grew up eating a lot of party food with diplomats and politicians at home. But I also loved McDonald’s. Now Tiffany and I are very health-conscious, so we’re constantly thinking about how to make something a little healthier. Not to make it less accessible, just more balanced.

Chic Compass: What’s your favorite recipe?

Chef Alicia Shevetone: I’m a big fan of the Popping White Chocolate Candy Bark with Pop Rocks. Oh my gosh, it’s so good. And so, so easy.

Tiffany: I love the Puffy Cheeseburgers. They’re mini bites that are guilt-free. A lot of my friends and bandmates are plant-based now, so you can make them plant-based or with turkey!

Chic Compass: What do you both make of this moment?

Tiffany: I knew we would get to this point, but it’s better than I expected, to be honest with you. Just having it all come together and finally being here and living in the moment. I cried last night. I was looking through the book, crying, thanking God and just thanking everybody.

Chef Alicia Shevetone: It’s exceptionally rewarding to find this moment now. Tiffany is so kind. She calls me her mentor in food, but she’s my mentor in creativity and entertainment. Her fan engagement is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and I think about her when I’m doing events. I don’t want to get teary, but how wonderful it is to have someone like Tiffany be an inspiration for me.

Chic Compass: Final thought: Who would you most like to cook for from “Pop Life?”

Tiffany: Well, of course, Stevie Nicks. I’d be so nervous! She’s always been an inspiration to me as a woman in music and songwriting. I mean, she’s everything. I definitely want to cook for Guy Fieri. I’d love to get “Pop Life” in his hands for sure because he really encouraged me to keep going with my culinary career.

Chef Alicia Shevetone: James Hetfield, the lead singer of Metallica.

Chic Compass: I’ll try to make that happen! Thanks, ladies, and I hope to make one of your dishes “sing!”

To learn more, visit tiffanytunes.com, where you can order “Pop Life” and get an exclusive new Tiffany single to download.