No Perfume in PER SE Kitchen

I had to shelve the Kiehl’s musk and forego the scented lotion. A manicure was beside the point and clogs were much preferred to my usual high heels. You see, there are many unspoken rules when cooking with—or gawking at— top chefs. And I was about to spend the afternoon with one of the world’s best.

Chef Jonathan Benno, the rising young star and daily culinary force behind Per Se restaurant (Thomas Keller’s 3 Michelin-starred wonder), manned the burners of the Beard House and showed me how to make a smoky, creamy, soul-satisfying chowder. If you don’t have a honey, occupy yourself with this on Valentine’s Day. I promise it’ll keep you warm.

The other recipe? A fabulous, five-hour pasta affair. Make it just for your Mamma because she’s the only one who deserves it. (Recipes and video in below link)
ABC NEWS: The [Per Se] Chowder Dreams Are Made Of…
(Above pic: Last year, on my way to my first dinner at Per Se. I look a little scared, don’t I?? And I had nothing to fear–Chef Benno is a stoic sweetie!)

Smiling, Eyes Wide Shut

The picture at left says it all–smiling, eyes wide shut. Who needs reality when the world of my making looks so darn good? I’m my Mamma’s child, through and through… 
These pics were taken by my ABC producer during this week’s Eat & Greetshoot. My little apartment is transformed into a studio for three hours–Klieg lights, wires, producers, cameraman, audio and interns– and I get paid to cook and eat. I sautee, sear and dice and thank my lucky stars. ”Dream job!” my thought bubble screams. I forget that I have no savings account, no mortgage, no husband–no security to speak of. It’s just me and a glass of Sancerre at the end of the day. And, you know what? I climb into bed and fall asleep smiling.
(yes, barefoot cooking is best…)

Meet Your Meat

Like a kid in a candy store… or a downtown girl in the ”Jeffrey” shoe department…

I just can’t get enough of Pino Cinquemani and his Sullivan Street butcher shop! I feel like I’m always wiping sawdust off of my heels. Is it a crush on the big boy from Castofilippo, Sicily? Has my palate officially been spoiled by the grass-fed sirloin and lean bison? Anyone, anyone?

Check out my latest episode, MEET YOUR MEAT, to get acquainted with the man behind the chopping block and all of his best cuts of meat. Come back tomorrow and Wednesday to learn how to pair your stellar sirloin with a boldly flavored, Catalan salad. Lean meat and deconstructed romesco… mmmm… makes a girl smile. I’m feeling that B-vitamin rush all the way down to my fingertips. Wait, or is that Pino?

Two Lives

Riding the subway to Per Se . Mmmmm… love the duality of my New York City life… 

Chef’s Tasting Menu for Belle

“Oysters and Pearls”
Salad of French White Asparagus, Hop Shoots,Green Almonds
Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Poached Brooks Cherries, Frisee
Crispy Skin Fillet of Dorade, Garbanzo Beans, Confit of Cuttlefish
Pan Roasted Maine Sea Scallop, Globe Artichokes, Sweet Carrots
Liberty Valley Pekin Duck Breast with California Strawberries
“Cervelle de Veau,” Laurel-Scented Pain Perdu
Rib-eye of Veal “Roti a la Broche,” Potato Gnocchi, Cepe Mushrooms
Hoja Santa Cheese with English Cucumber and Grilled Tomatillo Salsa
Apricot Sorbet
Per Se “Tarte au Chocolat Noir”

(Back to PluckU wings and a thrifty Sicilian red tonight?)

The Instant American Dream

Donny Deutsch thinks I’m living the “instant American Dream.” At least that’s what his producers made him say last night as we squared off on his CNBC program, the “BIG IDEA with Donny Deutsch.” Booming, baritone Voiceover Man declared,

“A Southern girl next door learns how to make it in the Big Apple and take her dreams out into the wo-o-o-o-rlddddd.”

B roll: Me in a big white dress, armful of roses at my debutante ball. Granddaddy and I enjoying an aperitif at Casa Botin. An aerial shot of the Northeastern United States…what? It was all very dramatic.

Donny quizzed me about my book (“Belle of New York, 2008), “the biggest talent show on earth” (the internet) and how I got started (a little site called “Wonkette”). I wasn’t shy about declaring my admiration for Nick Denton, internet genius and founder of Gawker Media. A handful of his editors—okay, the majority of them—may love to hate me but I respect the operation and Nick’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Who else took their turn on the couch? What other “instantly famous” web celebs had the pleasure of gazing into Donny’s eyes, inadvertently licking their coffee and red wine-stained teeth as they stared at his BriteSmile? The illustrious cast of characters included a Yale grad who creates Mento and Diet Coke fountains, a stand-up comic who sings about shoes and a hot little lady by the name of Amanda Congdon who has her own ABC News webcast and a production deal with HBO. Indeed—a motley crue.

Above picture is meant to redeem last night’s “trekkie hairdo” (observation courtesy, Mamma) and overall ghastl

Gawker Pinup Gallery: Julia Allison and Brooke Parkhurst

Julia Allison. Brooke Parkhurst. As authors, diarists, fashion darlings and long-time spiritual counselors, they each serve as the Edith Wharton, the Judith Martin, the May Sarton and possibly even the Virginia Woolf of our time. But these ladies already have a room of their own. It's a very sexy, sexy room. And when we think of them, we think of all the feminist heroes that have gone—and gone down—before them.

Julia got her start as a sex columnist in Georgetown, and now writes the "The Dating Life" for AM New York. Brooke is a former Fox News Channel gal turned blogger and novelist.

As a Valentine's Day love letter from us to each of you, we took Gawker photographer Nikola Tamindzic and sequestered them for an afternoon of delicious pinup photography. These are the women of today, the daughters of Helen Gurley Brown and even Andrea Dworkin. Please enjoy them.

Gawker Pinup Gallery: Julia Allison and Brooke Parkhurst (Gallery)

Cupid’s Majestic Pinup

Because Valentine’s Day means distinguished gentlemen suitors and…

“…the Gawker Pinup Gallery, a recurring feature that is in no way tongue-in-cheek, but is, in fact, a serious testament to the massively important figures who have gained entry into the charmed circle that is New York new media society, shot in a style that best reflects their majesty.”

Cheers to new media, majesty and my dear, anonymous “Gawkie” commentors. They deserve love too…

Click HERE for the photo gallery.

Typical

Just a typical Saturday afternoon…

(Is that a tease? I hope so! Check back on Valentine’s Day for more…)

Daniel’s Disciple

I adore the guinea hen stuffed with creamed spinach,carefully wrapped in tin foil. I love the little cups of chocolate souffle that rest on the top refrigerator shelf. I hate his hours.

(Chef’s whites and clogs tucked away in his bag, Jamie leaves for his first fourteen-hour day at “Daniel”)

On the Fashion, RADAR

"South of 14th Street, West of 8th Avenue, north of 57th Street, east of 2nd Avenue—the list of Manhattan fashion fault lines is longer than Darya Werbowy’s limbs. You move from leg warmers to clam diggers, stove-pipe jeans to bespoke trousers, polyester tunics to cashmere turtlenecks in a matter of miles. So how does a newbie pilot the perilously unpredictable New York terrain, full of switch backs and blind corners?"

As RADAR magazine's newly annoited style contributor, I will be composing other groundbreaking, life-altering pieces like the one above. At left, your intrepid reporter and blogger trying out Upper East Side fashions south of Houston.

Now, to pull a Gael Greene and turn a life of delicious excess and crazy hats into a viable career...

Stop laughing.

Indecision over at "Gawker" (as of 8/24/06)

--Common Blogger-Come-Fashion Writer or

--Ample-Busted Vixen-Come-Siren of Style

Four Stars

My Honey, forging his way up, up and away into the culinary stratosphere…

PRIMETIME.COM

Candace Bushnell, Stephanie Klein, Jessica Cutler... and Belle? That's right. According to today's New York Post article, PRIMETIME.COM, we're the ladies filling up the evening television slots with our tales and tell-alls about Big City life. Producers are eyeing our works--and our lives--for dishy, sexy, universally appealing television shows and silver screen adaptations.

Who would I cast as my feisty and determined yet naive and vulnerable blonde protagonist? The ultimate steel magnolia--Reese Witherspoon, of course!

After y'all check out Mandy Stadtmiller's fun "New York Post" article, skip on over to (what will soon be) my new home: Belleinthebigapple.com. Stick with me, y'all--I promise we're goin' fun places...

Distractions

Chef and champagne have been my distractions...

A post to come later in the day...

White Sunday, Waiting

White Sunday,
Waiting.

Where is my Jamie?

Lingerie and Laptops

I  am one of six ladies featured in yesterday’s “Fashion Week Daily” Blogger Pajama Party photo spread. Just to fill y'all in a bit, "FWD" is one of the bibles of fashion big wigs and well dressed New Yorkers during the Big Apple's Fashion Week. The mag also just happens to be the in-house hot read at Conde Nast’s 4 Times Square building—home to such fabulous magazines as “Vogue,” the “New Yorker,” “Gourmet,” “Vanity Fair,” “Glamour” and “Esquire”…just to name a few.

While my picture is absolutely horrendous (I'll placate my wounded ego by posting a nicer picture here), the shoot was a fabulous foray into a New York City that had heretofore only existed in my dreams. Champagne, room service, handsome fashion photogs--who couldn't get used to that?!

In the article, we divulge such little tidbits as why we began blogging, what we nibble on while typing away our thoughts, the perks we’ve received (ooh la la… ummm, actually, no perks at all) as a result of our Z-list celebrity and where we like to kick back, unwind and have a glass of over-priced bubbly (I’ll take a “Cipriani’s” bellini any day of the week).

Thank you to my wonderful audience, for caring and reading about this Southern gal's misadventures in the big city!

Agent Provocateur

My sexiest Valentine's Day? I'll have to look back in my files... Though, this year isn't shaping up to look too bad.
(I don't think they do store windows like this down South...)

In The Paper, On The Page...

In the paper, on the page, on T.V.,
Last year's headshot when I wasn't sure what I wanted to be...

(In the end, love--and a little luck--pushed me in the right direction.)