Bij Audrey Hepburn Thuis: Herinneringen aan mijn moeders keuken

by Luca Dotti, Luigi Spinola

Enter Audrey Hepburn’s private world in this unique biography compiled by her son that combines recollections, anecdotes, excerpts from her personal correspondence, drawings, and recipes for her favorite dishes written in her own hand, and more than 250 previously unpublished personal family photographs.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Cookbooks, Food, Cooking, Biography Memoir, Memoir

256 pages, Hardcover

First published June 16, 2015

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very enjoyable one to read. Audrey Hepburn has been one of my favorite actresses. I also admired her as a person. This book is from her youngest son, Luca Dotti. It is part biography, and part cookbook. Luca Dotti offers an inside look of his memories of his beloved mother. She was not a "movie star"at home. She was just "mum". and a wonderful one at that. This book has snippets of Audrey Hepburn's. Life, her friends, raising her sons. and her love of food and cooking. I loved getting to read about Audrey in her home and her charity work with Unicef. There are a lot of recipes to try here. all of them dishes that Audrey Hepburn loved to eat. I really enjoyed getting the chance to read a bit more of this wonderful woman's life. I really appreciated that her son was willing to share with the readers what it was like to have her for his mum. anyone who is a fan of Audrey Hepburn may enjoy reading this book as much as I did.

[Bloodorange · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice, uplifting, undemanding, quick read, filled with photos of Audrey, details of her life - in which she worked hard to be happy and give happiness to others - lots of recipes (esp. for comfort food), and some interesting cultural information about food.

[Eleonora Bastiani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non è una biografia, ma neanche un semplice ricettario.
È un pezzo della vita più semplice e privata dietro al personaggio di Audrey.
Super interessante!

[Gina House · Rating 5 out of 5]

The BEST Audrey Hepburn book! 🤩 Although I absolutely love and enjoy the large, glossy hardcover books filled with professional photos of the lovely Audrey Hepburn, this book just steals my heart with its warmth and charm.

I think this memoir is so special because it's written by her youngest son, Luca. His writing style is not only fascinating and slightly humorous, but it's also easy-to-read and full of personal facts about his famous mother (who he always thinks of as "Mrs. Dotti", not the actress, Audrey Hepburn.)

Audrey at Home gave me an extended glimpse inside their family life and, more importantly, into the reality of this talented, compassionate and lovely woman as a person.

Here's why this book is a must-have for any fan of Audrey Hepburn:

❤️ The book itself (especially the thick, matte pages) is beautifully constructed.
❤️ Full page (and mostly full color) family photographs...very few, if any, are professionally taken, so it adds such a friendly vibe to the book.
❤️ Many intriguing recipes that not only sound delicious, but are accompanied by a memory, story or event that happened in the family's life (or for Audrey, specifically).
❤️ Her son does not make her into a "perfect" person, but gives an honest account of her as a mother from his point of view.
❤️ A super helpful timeline at the end of the book detailing all of the most important dates/events of Audrey Hepburn's life
❤️ My favorite photo is right before the introduction section—it shows Audrey on the couch resting with her two dogs. So sweet and beautiful!

This is, so far, my favorite AH book and I could never part with it. I hope to try out some of the recipes, too. This memoir/biography is also a great choice for dipping in and out of during the week. The chapters are short and the book is very well laid out. HIGHLY recommended!!

[Jill Bagley · Rating 3 out of 5]

My true rating so more like 3.5. The writing isn't spectacular, but it was an interesting read. I really enjoy reading the biographies written by Audrey Hepburn's sons. Reading them makes her more human and relatable. Since Luca Dotti was born later in her life this is a glimpse into her life that most biographies just skim over due to her not being involved in films much anymore. I liked seeing what she was like as a mom and not just what she's like behind a camera. There were a few recipes in here that I want to try, such as her flourless chocolate cake recipe. But there were many that I really have no desire to try. Although this was the 70s and 80s and many recipes from this time are not my type of food. I would recommend this book to any avid Audrey Hepburn fan.

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dear, witty, and poignant food-opic. I am rather a sucker for stories that intertwine life, love, and food. Audrey Hepburn is one of my favorite actresses--this particular book shows a side of her life rarely seen. She loved being a mother, dinners with close friends in cozy spaces, and flowers.

She was a survivor, in the truest sense of the word, as she nearly perished in Holocaust, living in Holland as a young teenager.

Elegant. Classy. Fun. Loving.

[Barbara Lohr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who admired Audrey Hepburn and appreciates simple but tasty food will enjoy this book. With her son Luca Dotti as author, the cookbook has interesting anecdotes and pictures. Who knew that she was good friends with Yul Brynner's wife? Good friends, good food.

[Anna Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore all things Audrey Hepburn, and I love that this is both a biography of Audrey written by her son Luca and also a recipe book with some of Audrey's favorite dishes to make. Two for the price of one!

[SilveryTongue · Rating 4 out of 5]

0,4 estrellas

"Soy una ama de casa romana, justo lo que quería ser... a pesar de lo que se puede leer a veces, mi matrimonio funciona muy bien y ver crecer a mi hijo es una maravilla. Ahora soy completamente italiana. Nunca forme parte de Holywood o de cualquier otro lugar, y finalmente he encontrado un sitio al que puedo llamar hogar."

Audrey Hepburn

[LuanaB04 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just amazing. I love Audrey Hepburn so much, and the fact that her own son wrote this book, made me feel closer to her and know her on an intimate level. One of the most inspirational people ever, for sure.🥰

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun- I didn't know all this about Audrey.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolute delight. It's a beautiful, heartfelt tribute of Audrey by her son Luca. I can't wait to try her recipes for Chocolate Cake and Spaghetti al Pomodoro. But the most important recipe is the last recipe:
Oral Rehydration Therapy
8 teaspoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt dissolved in 1quart of drinkable water.
Audrey learned this recipe as Envoy for Unicef. Since its first use in 1968 it has saved over 50 million people most of them children.

[Laura Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming book loaded with intimate family and friends photos. Wonderful, fairly simple yet often elegant recipes. My only problem with Audrey at Home is with the book design. I wanted to purchase one for myself and one as a gift. But this hardcover is created without a dustjacket and the cover is light colored. There were smudges covering every book in the store I picked up. Clearly a popular browse, but not many would spend $35 on a dirty book.

[Cynthia Buck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Audrey Hepburn, and this part biography/part cookbook is a wonderful look into the amazing life she led. It's filled with stories and photographs, and of course recipes, and I enjoyed learning things about her that I had not previously read in other books. Written by someone close to her, her second son Luca, I got a glimpse of Audrey and the kind of person she really was, and my admiration for her has grown.

If you love all things Audrey like I do, I highly recommend this book!

[Annalisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un libro delizioso che ripercorre la vita di Audrey Hepburn attraverso alcune delle ricette di famiglia. Emerge molto della Audrey donna, individuo, accantonando la Audrey diva. Il tutto è corredato da una serie di foto inedite che la ritraggono nella vita di tutti i giorni, una vita semplice e famigliare che aveva abbracciato dopo gli anni dei successi ad Hollywood

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this intimate peek into Audrey Hepburn's life from her younger son, Luca Dotti. His recounting of her early life and her five years under German occupation in Holland is fascinating. After the war, she continued studying ballet and hoped to make it a career. Sadly, this was not to be. But she did start getting film roles in 1948. Her first role was as a KLM air hostess. With her beauty and irresistible personality and zest for life, she soon became a big star. She starred on Broadway as Gigi and in the film in Roman Holiday, both in 1952. And as they say, the rest is history. The better part of the book is centered around the family's social life, Audrey's marriage to Dotti's father, their homes, and their many friends, and Audrey's recipes. Audrey's three best friends were Connie Wald, Dorothy Brynner, and Cappucine. Connie's home in Beverly Hills was their home away from home whenever they were in California. The Brynners lived near Audrey's home in Switzerland. Cappucine and Audrey met when they both were modeling together and remained friends for the rest of their lives. There are loads of photos to accompany the stories which add to the enjoyment of the book. Pure pleasure!

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book written by Luca Dotti, Audrey's youngest son. It's more of a "food biography" than a regular biography. It's filled with wonderful pictures and recipes (I can't wait to try some!) as well as touching moments. Highly recommended for every Audrey fan!

[Rosssalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hermosa historia familiar , es increíble conocer un icono desde la cotidianidad, humanizar tiffanys y ver que lo más auténtico es moon river y no Paris.

[Kornelia]

żałuję że nie żyje w tych samych czasach co ona i nie mogę jej poznać…

[FabAudrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Years and years ago, in the beginning of the 2000s, I was sitting in the offices of The Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund. I remember looking up at a shelf above Audrey’s son Sean’s desk, and seeing a white binder with the word RECIPES across the spine. Were those really Audrey Hepburn’s recipes? Yes. Would they ever be released to the public? I think there was a look of puzzlement for a response.

Well, many years later, we finally have a collection of Audrey Hepburn’s personal recipes. What’s more, we get the stories that go with each recipe shared, and why they were special – not just to her, but to her younger son, Luca. This is not a formal cookbook; nor is it a formal biography. Instead, we get a more casual look at Mr. Dotti’s dear mum, something he would share with you across his own kitchen table, sleeves rolled up.

I really appreciate that Luca has also shared recipes from the women Audrey employed to help run the house, and his fond memories of them. There is so much warmth in these pages, and even if there’s only one recipe in some chapters, the memories and pictures that go along with them are an absolute treasure. (Personally, I loved Luca’s stories of scandalous Nonna Paola. Is there a chance she could get her own book?)

In some ways, this book gives you the truest form of Audrey Hepburn: a doting and thoughtful person who would have been more than happy to spend all her days catering to others. From quitting glamorous film work to raise her children, to the secret comfort food she relished after returning home to Switzerland from her travels, to her greatest weakness (flourless chocolate cake), here is who Audrey was when the walls came down and she was safe at home. Here are the memories she left to her child, and they are wonderful.

This review was originally written for The Fabulous Audrey Hepburn.

[Julie Galvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad I bought and read Audrey at Home. Written by her son, it is a great tribute to Audrey. Full of stories from her life and his childhood, great recipes she loved to prepare and enjoy, and pictures I wouldn't have seen had I not opened this book. And it is a good think I have a new bar of dark baking chocolate at home because I'm so going to make Mousse au Chocolat from pg 235 today!

[Irka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cóż, to książka inna niż "Oczarowanie" bo jest wspomnieniami syna o matce, a do tego zawiera przepisy kulinarne. Dla mnie to 2 w 1 podane tak przystępnie, że już mam listę przepisów do spróbowania.
---
A book one of it's kind. It's a memoirs about mother and her cook book. After reading it I have a list of things to try.

[Jo-anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time spent around the family table, favourite recipes and foods bring back such powerful memories of my own life. It was lovely to be part of this love story from a son honouring his mom, not as a Hollywood idol but as a caring, loving mom.

[Liselotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely beautiful book, definitely one to read if you are an Audrey fan! The only downside I have to this book is that it kept referring to the Netherlands as Holland, which isn't the same thing at all, but apart from that, absolutely worth it!

[Tonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love biographical recipe books, and this one was a joy to read! A sweet tribute from a son to his mother, the book is full of beloved recipes and stories.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a beautiful tribute to his mother in sharing many details of her life in stories and photos and food...lovely

[Ronja · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️

What a wonderful book! I'm going to be honest here, I didn't know much about Audrey Hepburn before going into this book, besides her films and that she worked with UNICEF. But I don't think me knowing so little really mattered, since the book doesn't really focus on Audrey Hepburn the movie star but rather on Audrey Hepburn the person – and that really, really stood out to me. Of course, it was written by her son, so I knew it would paint a more personal picture of her, but reading this book really felt like getting to know her deeply. The slight nostalgia of this book seems omnipresent and goes hand in hand with the reader getting to know who Audrey was at home, with her family, in more peaceful moments. The whole book felt like a warm hug or a calm summer evening. The combination of pictures, stories, and recipes felt more like a family photo album rather than anything else. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who is already a fan of Audrey Hepburn or simply wants to know more about her – it's definitely worth a read! Oh, and all of the recipes sound just delicious, though I didn't have time to recreate any of them yet.

- - -

Ein ganz wunderbares Buch! Um ehrlich zu sein, wusste ich vor diesem Buch nicht besonders viel über Audrey Hepburn, abgesehen von ihrer Zeit als Schauspielerin und der Zusammenarbeit mit UNICEF. Das war aber gar nicht so relevant, denn das Buch konzentriert sich nicht wirklich auf Audrey Hepburn den Filmstar, sondern auf Audrey Hepburn als Person – und das konnte mich wirklich sehr beeindrucken. Da das Buch von ihrem Sohn geschrieben wurde, bin ich zwar davon ausgegangen, dass es ein persönlicheres Bild von ihr zeichnen würde, aber beim Lesen dieses Buches fühlte man sich wirklich, als würde man sie persönlich kennenlernen. Die leichte Nostalgie im Buch scheint ebenfalls allgegenwärtig zu sein und geht Hand in Hand mit der Tatsache, dass der Leser eben vor allem erfährt, wer Audrey zu Hause, im Kreise ihrer Familie, in ruhigeren Momenten war. Das Buch liest sich einfach wie eine warme Umarmung oder ein ruhiger Sommerabend. Die Kombination aus Bildern, Geschichten und Rezepten fühlte sich außerdem mehr an wie ein Familienfotoalbum als irgendetwas anderes. Ich würde das Buch auf jeden Fall jedem empfehlen, der bereits Fan von Audrey Hepburn ist oder einfach mehr über sie erfahren möchte. Außerdem hören sich die enthaltenen Rezepte alle wunderbar an – leider hatte ich noch keine Zeit, eines davon nachzukochen.

[Jack Hedquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

“AUDREY at home” is a slightly oversized book with large family pictures, handsome binding and heavier paper stock than usual. It would look good on a coffee table, if that’s something you like.

In between the recipes are Luca’s commentary on his memories of his mother, and the events of their lives. If you read my review of "Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II" by Robt. Matzen here in goodreads, or you’ll see what I mean. Ms. Hepburn’s relationship with food was shaped by her experiences in the War, in the Hunger Winter in 1945, when the Dutch people in her town (Arhnem) were cut off from shipments of food or coal, and many died in their own homes of hunger and cold. It’s possible that this experience with extreme hunger actually altered her physically, contributing to the sylph-like line of her body that was so enchanting.

Her “Mousse au chocolate”, has only 3 tablespoons of sugar in it. In one of these books it is stated that chocolate bars were the first food Allied soldiers gave her when liberation finally came, that she ate them quickly, and that because she was so severely starved, they didn’t stay down. None the less, she prized the smell of cooking chocolate all her life, it was a pick me up for her. Can’t wait to try that one.

I may skip “Penne with Ketchup”, or substitute a different tomato sauce.

The story of how Beef Carpaccio was invented (in Harry’s Bar, in Venice, in 1950) is an anecdote worth reading. I never knew it was named after the artist!!!

The last recipe in the book, is called "Oral Rehydration Therapy" , which is composed of water, sugar , and salt. The comment is made that "No other single medical breakthrough of the 2oth century has the potential to prevent so many deaths over such a short period of time and at so little cost".

Ms Hepburn would have approved.

This book just warms my heart.

Jack

[Katie Marquette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming, heart-warming book. I imagine all Audrey Hepburn fans will find it delightful. Written and assembled by her son, Luca, this "kitchen table biography," as it is aptly called, is filled with personal reflections, family photographs, and recipes from different 'eras' of Hepburn's life. While Hepburn was proud of her work as an actress, her real loves in life were much simpler - a child of war-time deprivation, she considered any of life's 'extra' blessings (beyond basic necessities) a sheer gift. She loved gardening, flowers, fresh vegetables, skiing, dinner parties, and being a mother to her two sons. And of course it was her work with UNICEF near the end of her life (when she discovered a "useful" application of her celebrity status) that she wanted to be her most enduring legacy. I find much of her life philosophy inspiring and beautiful. The book is filled with charming quotes and anecdotes. The recipes are largely quite simple. I made Audrey's penne alla vodka and it was completely marvelous. Hepburn loved pasta in the way only a naturally petite woman can love pasta - without restraint. Most of the dishes are pasta based, which is fine by me, but gluten-free fans may be disappointed. A wonderful, uplifting read (and still so many recipes left to try!).

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has become a cherished addition to my living room, the kind of coffee table book that invites you to pause and appreciate its beauty. The photographs of Switzerland are absolutely breathtaking, capturing Audrey Hepburn in both glamorous skiing moments in the Alps and serene, intimate moments at her home in the Swiss countryside. The visual story of her life is intertwined with touching narratives about her experiences across the many places she lived and worked—whether it was her iconic film career or her deeply impactful humanitarian work with UNICEF.

If you're someone who admires Audrey not just for her iconic roles but for the quiet grace with which she lived, this book offers a lovely blend of beauty, history, and delicious food. It's an absolute gem.

Where I Bought It: East Village Books, New York, NY

Why I Bought It: My mom saw it in the cookbook aisle and said she instantly thought of me because I love Audrey and wanted to give it to me as a gift.

Dishes I am Most Looking Forward to Making:
- Red Chicken
- Gnocchi alla Romana
- Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
- Apple Crumble
- Pears in Wine
- Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino