SMALL TALK
1. What Royal Baby the Second will be named. Challenge: Make a convincing
argument for “Jaxxxon.” The Polar Vortex 2.0. Related: the tropical island on which you’ve applied for refugee status. 3. The Jay-Z and Beyoncé split situation. But not in front
of Blue, okay? h
What to talk about on the cocktail circuit:
Problem The soufflé has collapsed, the rice is boiling over and your guests’ arrival is imminent. Solution “Make a schedule for the entire menu. Say I’m doing filet of beef and roasted vegetables...I figure out what time I should turn on the oven, when the filet of beef has to go in, when the vegetables go in and when the filet comes out. I also factor in how many ovens and pots I have because sometimes a menu sounds wonderful, but you need three ovens and only have one.” Problem You’re terrified of carving a turkey in front of your mother-in-law. Solution “Roast the turkey ahead before anyone gets there, and slice it in the privacy of your own kitchen. I pour gravy in the bottom of an ovenproof serving dish and put the turkey on top. Just before I serve it, I put the whole dish back in the oven to reheat it. The gravy actually keeps everything so moist!” Problem You’re handling dessert for a potluck you’re hosting, but you have no time to prep anything immediately before (#mallparking lotgridlock). Solution “Make the dough for my Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies ahead of time and freeze it. Then, just scoop it out onto a baking tray and have fresh cookies baking anytime guests arrive.” For a mouth-watering make-ahead recipe from Garten’s new book, hop to “Are you still doing that whole gluten-free thing?” Unless my small intestine has suddenly overcome its lifelong allergy to delicious, glutinous
carbs and forgotten to tell me, then, yes, it’s still on. 2. “Can you eat around it?” If you can show me how to successfully eat around a pizza crust/chicken wing/Timbit, I will gladly oblige.
3. “Do you want bread with that?” No. Just no. ■
Having a gluten-free guest over? ELLE’s resident intolerant, Ava Baccari, sounds off on the questions that, for the love of carbs, you must never ask.
wunderkind designer Zac Posen rose to rapid fashion fame with his ladylike designs, which are favoured by everyone from Coco Rocha to Rihanna. Now, the 34-year-old designer is becoming as beloved for his Instagram account, which reveals his entertaining obsession, as he is for his role on Project Runway. (#cookingwithzac has become a mini Internet phenomenon, and he is friends with Martha Stewart.) We sat down with Posen—over a steaming bowl of Momofuku ramen, natch—to get the scoop on how to entertain like fashion elite.