Olga Valentina may be relatively new to Hollywood, but she has certainly not let any grass grow under her high-heel clad feet since touching down in Tinseltown.  In the space of a few short years, the self-proclaimed ‘beauty from Moscow’ has completed a year-long conservatory program at the acclaimed Lee Strasberg School in West Hollywood and  scored supporting roles in Freelancers, opposite 50 Cent and Robert De Niro, and The Frozen Ground, with Nicholas Cage, John Cusack, and Vanessa Hudgens. In addition, she has also launched her own production company, Valentina Films, and begun developing a clothing line in collaboration with celebrity style maven Marina Monroe of Stylehaus. Somewhere in between all of that, the industrious Miss Valentina  has also somehow found time to develop and launch OlgaCooks.com, an online cooking series and blog  where she showcases her favorite recipes and kitchen tips. It was because of the latter that I shared a bit of holiday cheer with  the Russian bombshell last week.

Olga invited myself and a few other guests to her home for a holiday meal that began with Blueberry Kir Royales, Pink Panther Cocktails and an array of bruschettas complemented by Spicy Tomato Soup and Mini-Grilled Cheese Sandwhiches. Dinner continued  on with Wild Arugula Salad with Shrimp in a strawberry dressing, Cobb Salad, Roast Duck with Mandarin Sauce,, Filet Mignon, Broccolini  and Creamy Mashed Potatoes made with lots of cream and  Russian flair. All in all, it was as stellar evening made all the more festive by the fact that Olga was kind enough to send a limo to transport us to and from her home. A very nice touch as I always find that a car and driver always add a lovely patina to an evening out.

Below is a gallery of photos from that night. Watch Olga’s newest holiday episode and check out more of her recipes and tips at www.olgacooks.com.