eBook
Related collections and offers
Overview
With The Pleasure is All Mine, anyone can enjoy a Steak au Poivre with Frites, Three-Cheese Ravioli, Coconut Fish Curry with Homemade Naan Bread, or a Wild Blueberry Free-Form Tart without the expense and hassle of restaurants or fussy dinner guests. The 100 uncomplicated, exquisite recipes in this collection are simple to prepare and require no fancy equipment. With just a skillet, bowl, knife, and a few perfect ingredients, Pirret makes great solo dining effortless—and she offers inspired wine and cocktail pairings, too, to make dinner complete. Edgy and bursting with personality, The Pleasure is All Mine is also filled with a wealth of devilishly entertaining stories based on her experiences living in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, and London.
“I couldn’t put this book down. Everyone will be begging to be a guest or even a dishwasher in Suzanne Pirret’s kitchen after reading and cooking from The Pleasure is All Mine. She’s infectious.” —Bobby Flay
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780061984723 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins |
| Publication date: | 12/15/2023 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 259 |
| Sales rank: | 296,359 |
| File size: | 680 KB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
The Pleasure Is All Mine
Selfish Food for Modern Life
By Suzanne Pirret
HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
Copyright © 2009
Suzanne Pirret
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9780061687129
Chapter One
The Sick Handshake
Getting a Reservation in Any Language
To some extent, restaurants did replace nightclubs, and restaurant-going became a kind of competitive sport . . . being able to get reservations in a particular place is an indicator of your position in the [Manhattan] social hierarchy.
Jay McInerney in The Observer (London)
New York City
It's 8:30 P.M. and while I'm walking into a restaurant in the meatpacking district (not my first choice), two women knock me over as they make their way to the host stand.
"But, like we just wanna couple a steaks for chrissakes! My PA just spoke to Brian this mawning who knew we'd only be in the city for like, a few ow-uz t'nite! Cuz like, I need my Learjet refueled in Teeta-burrow? I mean, like, we just flew in from Hotel dew Cap. Ever been? I didn't think so. Anyway, we gotta be in Palm Beach by, like, midnight? I mean like, I could buy this place and now, like, my driver is double-parked in front of Soho House, like, wade-ing for us? I mean, like, hel-lo? Are you kidding me, guy?"
"I'm sorry, but we're fully committed," the host deadpanned.
Fully committed? What a peculiar rebuff.Anyway, I watched the display of these poor ladies and thought to myself, "Thank the fine Lord that I have my reservation." Well, actually it was my dinner companion's reservation. She had been given the "secret reservation number" because she happened to chew on a piece of glass there one night.
"We're setting up your table now," he said to us. "It'll be a few minutes. If you'd like to have a drink at the bar, we'll find you when your table is ready." The B‑and-T ladies stormed out in a huff.
"Find" was the operative word. The bar was four-deep. We decided to hover by the stand for those few minutes. Just then, a little man with many gold chains and a giraffe-like woman draped over him walked up to the stand. Her hips were just in line with the plugs at the top of his forehead, which she stroked lovingly. He shook the host's hand for a few seconds longer than necessary as he leaned in and introduced himself. One minute later they were escorted to a corner banquette. Our banquette. We were told it would now be another thirty minutes.
Paris
Ah! Bonjour.
Good day, madame.
Uh, okay, you speak English.
Oui. How can I hewlp you, pleece?
Uh . . . great! I was wondering if I can book a table for two on the twenty-eighth of April—any time after eight P.M. would be preferable.
Non, we are compleetely sold out.
Wow, okay, but that's in two months.
Oui.
Okay, perhaps that Friday, the twenty-ninth?
Non, eet eez not possibul.
The first of May? It's a Tuesday.
Non, eet eez not possibul.
Why is it not possible?
We are very occupé at theez time. Perhaps you can telephone at another time. Au 'voir, madame. (click)
So, I tried again.
Bonjour, c'est possible pour un reservation pour le samedi, le vingt-huit d'Avril? J'adore votre chef. Je visite Paris pour le . . . la semaine et j'ai très faim comme une grosse couchon."
(pause) Oui.
J'adore le gratinée et les huîtres. Avez-vous voir La Grande Bouffe? (I love outrageous encounters and oysters. Have you seen The Big Buffet?)
Je ne peux pas supporter ce débile Mastroianni. (I can't stand Mastroianni.)
Où est Monsieur Thibault? (Where is Mr. Thibault?)
. . . Il n'ya que les minables, les refoulés, et les pourris qui partousent . . . ( . . . Only the pathetic, the repressed, and the rotten have orgies . . . )
Monsieur Thibault ouvre la fenêtre. (Mr. Thibault opens the window.)
. . . et le film a eu un succès boeuf. Alors . . . vous parlez très bien le français, madame. ( . . . and the film was a massive success. So anyway . . . your French is very good, madame.)
Merci beaucoup! (Thank you very much!)
Et bien, votre reservation? (So, your reservation?)
Oui, ce samedi. Deux personnes, à vingt et un heures? (Yes, this Saturday for two people at nine P.M.?)
Peut-être. Votre nom? (Maybe. Your name?)
Bruni. (Bruni.)
Êtes-vous parents? (Any relation?)
Non, mes parents ne sont pas ici. (No, my parents aren't here.)
Ah—puh! Très charmante. Bien, ce samedi, et combien de personnes? (You are very charming. Okay then, this Saturday, and how many people?)
I love the French. But little did I know that grosse couchon is slang for "fat whore." I went around saying that expression for a year until someone finally broke it to me. Still, it certainly opened a lot of doors.
London
Hello, this is Suzanne Pirret, and I'd like to make a reservation for the fifteenth of May for four people at nine.
I'm sorry, but we are completely booked.
Okay, well, perhaps that Friday?
I'm sorry, we are completely booked that weekend.
Oh, that's such a shame! My mother is flying in from New York and she was very much looking forward to dining at your restaurant. She's heard so much about it from me.
I'm sorry, we are fully booked.
I've been talking about it forever.
I'm sorry.
Listen, this is a big trip for her. She's very very old.
Yes, I see. I'm very sorry.
But . . . Tom is a friend of mine.
I'm so sorry, madam, but we are completely booked.
But I'm a regular customer and have spent thousands at your restaurant. And I've never stolen anything.
As I said, we are completely booked.
Another time? Six? Early-bird special?
I'm sorry, but all of our reservations have been confirmed at this time.
But I may be bringing, and please keep this quiet, Gwyneth and Chris. Maybe even Madonna.
Continues...
Excerpted from The Pleasure Is All Mine by Suzanne Pirret Copyright © 2009 by Suzanne Pirret. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
What People are Saying About This
“I couldn’t put this book down! Everyone will be begging to be a guest or even a dishwasher in Suzanne Pirret’s kitchen after reading and cooking from The Pleasure Is All Mine. She’s infectious!”