James Beard Chefs and Champagne

From left to right: Susan Ungaro, the James Beard Foundation president,
two recipients of other scholarships, me, and Emeril!

Yesterday night I went to the James Beard Chefs & Champagne Event at the Wolffer Estate in the Hamptons! I was invited to attend because I won the James Beard Wolffer Scholarship for Food and Wine Studies. It was AMAZING!

Emeril Lagasse was being honored, so I got to meet him! He was really nice! I kind-of expected that, because he always seems nice on his cooking shows, but still, he was busy and it was really, really hot out (and the event was in a tent with only a few large fans) and I'm just a random scholarship recipient while he's Emeril. I have to say, I have always wanted to meet Emeril ever since he signed books at my local Barns and Noble on a school night, so I couldn't wait to meet him. (I did get a signed book though.) So this was especially special because I've been waiting to meet him for about 14 years!

Last year, they honored Martha Stewart (a fellow Barnard aluma). She was here this year, and I got to meet her as well. I love Martha! Anyone who knows me, knows I love baking, organizing, jewelry making, color coding, knitting, and general crafting. So I think Martha is just amazing, because somehow she makes crafting and organizing cool--well not cool, but something! She was quite nice too, which I suppose given her slightly aloof persona was more of a surprise than Emeril being nice.

In addition to meeting two people who I am in awe of, I also got to eat some amazing food! There were about 40 chefs there, each making one special dish. I had amazing creole shrimp (which Emeril handed to me!), a lobster sandwich and homemade potato chips from Per Se, a great chocolate and cherry cake from Epicerie Boulud, and much more. Not to harp on the star spotting, but I also saw Daniel Boulud, who I tried to talk to but never got to, and Richard Gere and Carey Lowell, because their restaurant was one of the ones that sent a chef. In case you were wondering, Richard Gere looks even better in person!

My mom and I had an absolutely amazing time last night. And of course the night is made even more special by the fact that I did actually go because I won a scholarship! I'm honored and thrilled to have won the Wolffer scholarship. And I got to go to a soiree in the Hamptons and meet Emeril and Martha!

Me, Martha Stewart (I love what she was wearing)
and the two other scholarship recipients.