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The first thing that might come to mind when you think of Pamela Anderson is C.J. Parker, the quintessential blonde bombshell in a red bathing suit on the '90s hit TV show _Baywatch_.

However, those who have more closely followed her career and life since then know that the actress, model and activist, 57, is firmly in her bohemian, nature-loving era. That earthy, relaxed

ethos is on display in Anderson’s new cookbook, _I Love You: Recipes from the Heart_, which she co-authored with Maria Zizka. The book has been a labor of love spurred by Anderson’s sons,

Brandon, 28, and Dylan, 26, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Mötley Crüe rocker Tommy Lee, 62. “I made a recipe card box for my sons when they moved into their new home together, and

wrote ‘I Love You’ on the box,” she says. “My boys are business-minded and thought it would make a great cookbook. They ran it by a few interested publishers — and it became a two-year

adventure! I’m so delighted that it’s now out in the world.”  COMPASSION FUELS HER PASSION FOR FOOD Anderson's cookbook, "I Love You," began as a box of recipe cards for her

sons. Veracious/Little, Brown and Company COOKING WITH PAMELA Anderson shared three recipes from _I Love You_ with AARP members: BUDDHA BOWLS WITH CRISPY SESAME TOFU This hearty, flavorful

bowl is packed with plant-based protein. CRISPY SAFFRON-SPINACH RICE CAKE Crunchy texture and vibrant flavors make this a worthy main course or side dish. STONE FRUIT CLAFOUTIS This dessert

looks like a work of art and takes less than 10 minutes to put together (plus baking time). With 80 plant-based recipes, _I Love You_ showcases her longtime commitment to a vegan lifestyle.

Animal welfare is also a major driver of Anderson’s activism. What pop-culture watcher could forget her strategically nude “Give Fur the Cold Shoulder” billboard in Times Square in 1997,

in partnership with the animal rights organization PETA? Still, she maintains that the book’s flavor-packed recipes will appeal to a wide variety of home cooks, no matter their preferred

style of eating. “I became vegan for compassionate reasons in my youth, but always felt a little left out of the food scene until I started cooking more for myself,” Anderson says. “The

challenge of creating plant-based meals became such a fun activity for me in the kitchen. With all the options available to us now, I’d like to encourage anyone skeptical just to try it

once and see what they think of the taste, and focus less on the ingredients.” Cooking has long been a focus for the Canadian-born star, who will debut a series called _Cooking with Love_

for Flavour Network (formerly Food Network Canada) in 2025. It will feature food personalities such as David Zilber, Nancy Silverton, Gregory Gourdet, Michael Solomonov and Andy Baraghani.

The show will also provide a peek into Anderson’s life on the six-acre Vancouver Island homestead she calls Arcady, the Viking word for peace or rustic contentment. There, she grows her

favorite vegetables and fruit, cans peak-of-freshness produce, cooks from scratch and nurtures a century-old sourdough starter she's named Astrid. The home and surrounding farm belonged

to Anderson’s grandparents and was refreshed in 2020, a process she documented for HGTV Canada. OTHER ACCOLADES ARE POURING IN, TOO Though Anderson is embracing a barefoot existence away

from the glare of Hollywood, she’s not really out of the spotlight. This year, she stars in the Gia Coppola-directed _The Last Showgirl_ alongside Jamie Lee Curtis and Dave Bautista. She

plays Shelley, the title character who is forced to consider next steps after her 30-year-long Las Vegas show suddenly closes. The film, which has garnered critical praise for

Anderson's performance, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and will hit U.S. theaters in December.