Shelley became a Hollywood superstar in 1979 when she joined the cast of the hit series Charlie's Angels. She was already a Supermodel when she joined the cast; she was known worldwide as THE Charlie Girl from the Revlon Charlie commercials and print ads. But becoming a Charlie's Angel was different. Shelley suddenly found herself in unfamiliar territory - rock star territory. "The thing is I haven't even done anything yet. I've been recognized before and I've signed autographs before but I get a part and suddenly find myself in the fishbowl," said Shelley. Suddenly her beauty routine, her personal and academic background, her lifestyle, and even her boyfriends were of interest to the public. Even her culinary endeavors were of interest.
A couple of Shelley's recipes was featured in Johna Blinn's column in 1979. A former food editor for Look magazine, Johna Blinn wrote a syndicated column called "Celebrity Cookbook." The column combined an exclusive interview with a celebrity with one or more kitchen-tested recipes by that featured celebrity. Along with an exclusive interview with Shelley, the column featured Shelley's Apple Brown Betty recipe and her Green Apple Pie. "I have a farm in upstate New York, where I grow my own vegetables and fruits," Shelley told Blinn. "I'm writing a cookbook about making preservatives, jams, jellies and chutneys," she added. Various celebrities were featured in the column such as Lucille Ball, Liza Minelli, Alfred Hitchcock, Kirk Douglas, Andy Warhol, Truman Capote and even Shelley's fellow Angels Farrah Fawcett and Cheryl Ladd. In 1981, the interviews and recipes were compiled in a 500-page book called (what else?) Celebrity Cookbook, which featured Shelley's Apple Brown Betty.
