Ladies (and Token Male) Who Lunch
Members of the press attended a luncheon for Park Avenue Potluck: Celebrations at Le Cirque in Manhattan last week. Guests sipped South Texas watermelon margaritas, toasted cheese puffs, prosciutto and arugula salad, and warm berries with sorbet. Pictured here, left to right, are cookbook committee member Kathy Thomas, Rizzoli editor Chris Steighner, committee member Nicole Limbocker, committee member Coco Kopelman, author/editor Florence Fabricant, designer Patty Fabricant, and society president Heather Leeds. Photo credit: Rick DeWitt.
Achatz Shops Memoir
Grant Achatz—chef at Alinea in Chicago, author of Alinea and cancer survivor—is shopping a memoir… and the proposal has found its way to a few food writers. In the New York Times blog Diner’s Journal, Pete Wells notes, “Achatz... is 35, which might seem to make him a bit young for a memoirist. But he’s already one of the world’s most acclaimed chefs, and has fought back a tumor on his tongue that had spread to his lymph nodes. There are at least a couple of books there.” The memoir, tentatively titled Life, On the Line, is part memoir, part art book, integrating Achatz’s medical charts and scans with photos of Alinea’s kitchen and food.
Fired Up at il Buco
On June 15, il Buco chef Ignacio Mattos, originally from Uruguay, opened his kitchen to his longtime mentor, chef Francis Mallmann, an Argentinean chef and author of Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way (Artisan). Mallmann prepared a four-course prix fixe menu with items drawn from his new book, including empanadas de carne, grilled rib eye steak with domino potatoes and chimichurri, and a pastry layered with dulce de leche, ganache and pastry cream. Pictured here are Mallmann (l.) and Mattos (r.).
Top Chef's Stefan Writing a Memoir
Top Chef contestant Stefan Richter is also working on a memoir, reports Grub Street (although it’s nowhere near as complete as Achatz’s). First there’s that tricky matter of the title: apparently Richter wanted to called it Dirty Dishes, but chef Pino Luongo published a memoir with that title last year. Richter’s take? “Fucking go on Google and look up "Dirty Dishes." There’s 25 titles out there called Dirty Dishes. Fucking sue me, dude. I’ll call it Stefan’s Dirty Dish. Then what the fuck are you going to do?”
Miss America and Mr. Keller
Chef Thomas Keller signed copies of his most recent book, Under Pressure (Artisan), at his restaurant Bouchon in Las Vegas on June 16. Keller is pictured here with Miss America 2009 Katie Stam. Photo credit: IS Photography.
