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November 20th, 2009

Partying in style with Sean 'Diddy' Combs

Yesterday, Thursday, I attended, what was being dubbed in the news as ‘the party of the century.’ It was the 40th birthday party for hip hop mogul, Sean Diddy Combs, held in the Grand Ballroom at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Diddy, who is known for his extravagant parties, hired event planner, Bronson Van Wyck, and asked him to create a fantasy dreamland. The party was simply stunning and I had such a fantastic time! Please enjoy these photos.

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1 My friend, Sean Puffy Combs 'Diddy'

2 Diddy's jacket was amazing.

3 The man of the hour

4 Sean Puffy Combs's son, Justin

5 Diddy's younger son, Christian

6 Here I am being greeted by the press line.

7 The hand of each attendee was marked with a black light-sensitive stamp.

8 Ballet students from the Dance Division of The Julliard School were poised throughout the party.

9 Oh - to have a ballerina's body

10 Sarah Goldman, daughter of Amy Goldman - garden author - was my guest for the evening.

11 Holla at me!

12 I was happy to meet Rapper Nelly.

13 Designer Zac Posen, his mother, Susan, and me

14 Here I am with the Reverend Al Sharpton.

15 Comparing shoes with a guest

16 Here I am with Paul Schindler - entertainment lawyer - and his wife, Jane.

17 The plaza was decorated exquisitely - here with real ferns. The security was great.

18 The floral decorations were extraordinary!

19 Clusters of berries mixed in with the arrangements

20 Here I am with Bronson Van Wyck - event planner for this party.

21 Real apples hung from the branches.

22 Cocktails were served in this greenery-filled 'holding pen.'

23 Well-dressed bartenders - Ciroc vodka was a sponsor for the evening.

24 Another sponsor

25 Here I am with entrepreneur, Russell Simmons.

26 Candles and cattleya orchids decorated the room.

27 Here I am with Anthony Anderson - actor - who was a guest on my television show. We made beautiful stone planters together. I'm eating a delicious grape popsicle.

28 Posing with another guest who.......

29 who proudly showed me his bling.

30 Posing with a guest

31 Everyone was texting and taking pictures.

32 Body guards were everywhere.

33 Orchids mixed into the greenery

34 A body guard

35 Chocolate sticks dipped in dragée were a big hit.

36 As was the cotton candy

37 Tim and Helen Schiffter of LeSportsac

38 Voluptuous lady guests

39 This table was reserved for Diddy.

40 The crystal chandelier is the actual one in the plaza. All the others were brought in for the party.

41 Large black orbs

42 The DJ and emcee announced guests as they arrived.

43 Getting friendly with a horse lamp

44 More ladies

45 And more ladies

46 Incredible flower arrangements

47 Another view

48 Gorgeous hydrangea

49 Great shot of Diddy entering the party

50 Another guest

51 This looks like ice sculpture, however it's glass!

52 Love this jacket

53 The ballroom was furnished with giant black velvet couches.

54 The scene

55 The ceiling

56 Posing with the body guards

57 More guests

58 A very tall guest

59 Another shot of the ceiling

60 More guests

61 Part of the decor

62 Andre Balázs (left) - New York City hotelier - with a friend

63 Love the boots!

64 A closer look

65 Diddy's intern from Columbia University

66 My friend, Harvey Weinstein

67 Striking a pose

68 Guests leaving - Bono is at the front of the line, but I didn't get his photo.

69 Sassy

Posted on November 20th, 2009 in Behind the Scenes, Entertaining, Friends, Photo Gallery | direct link to this entry
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November 20th, 2009

A Puerto Rican Evening

Last Friday, November 13th, I attended the Comité Noviembre 14th Annual Gala Celebrating 23 Years of Puerto Rican Heritage Month held at the Hilton in New York City. My very good friend Carlos A. Picón asked me to attend and present him with the award he was receiving that night. Carlos, a fascinating fellow, is the Curator in Charge of the Department of Greek and Roman Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. One could only wish to have him along while exploring the ancient ruins of Greece and, to my great fortune, that is exactly what happened back in 1996. I was vacationing with a group of friends and Carlos joined the group as our informal lecturer and cultural guide to the wonders of ancient Greek history - a most memorable experience.

Established in 1987, the mission of Comité Noviembre is to commemorate and acknowledge all aspects of Puerto Rican life from the social and cultural to the educational, economic, and political. This organization strives to create an awareness of the rich culture, language, and heritage of the Puerto Rican community. The gala last week was a benefit to raise funds for its scholarship awards program. The event is known for the exciting musical entertainment it draws, and I must say that it was certainly a lively and fun evening. Thank you, Carlos, for inviting me and congratulations to all who were honored!

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1 At the Gala Benefit - a good photo of me and Carlos - Curator in Charge, Department of Greek and Roman Art Metropolitan Museum of Art

2 A 1996 photo taken of me and Carlos during a cruise around Greece. Carlos was a fabulous tour guide.

3 Before the festivities began - the sound check and pre-dinner preparations

4 This is in the ornate Trianon Ballroom at The New York Hilton

5 There was very lively dancing by Bomba Y Plena Extravaganza.

6 Whirling around the ballroom

7 Vibrant swirls of color

8 Frankie Negron - International Recording Artist - performed two National Anthems - The Star Spangled Banner and La Borinqueña

9 A dinner entree - New York strip steak, spinach and wild mushrooms, gruyere potato au gratin

10 Laura Posada - wife of baseball legend, Jorge Posada - Co-Founder & President of Jorge Posada Foundation

11 Here I am with Jesus Omar Rivera - aka El Boricuazo - historian and author - 2009 Spokesperson

12 With my good friend Kathy Sloane

13 An adoring fan who wanted her picture taken with me

14 A friend of Frankie Negron, who performed that evening

15 Here I am with Carlos Picon and Benefit Committee members - Lourdes Torres, Suleika Cabrera Driane, and Teresa A. Santiago

16 Choco Orta - salsa diva and awards presenter

17 The Master of Ceremonies - Jorge Ramos - Anchorman, NBC/Telemundo

18 Teresa A. Santiago - Chairperson

19 Presenter - The Honorable Sallie Manzanet-Daniels - Associate Justice of the Appellate Division First Department

Posted on November 20th, 2009 in Friends, Photo Gallery | direct link to this entry
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November 19th, 2009

Meredith Vieira and I have a baking contest

With the holidays approaching, I've been all about pies lately. We held a pie contest on my television show on Monday and invited the winner, Marjorie Johnson back to the show on Tuesday to demonstrate her recipe for English Toffee Pecan Pie. Yesterday, on the Today show, co-host Meredith Vieira and I decided to have a little contest of our own baking apple pies. Meredith brought her mother's original recipe in and I came prepared to make one that I call the 'Mile High Apple Pie.' Co-host Matt Lauer was the judge, a position that made him a little nervous, I think.

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1 For my pie, I used Empire and Granny Smith apples. Other good pie choices include Golden Delicious, Macoun, Crispin, Cortland, Winesap, and Rome.

2 The finished pies - Meredith's delicious apple pie of her mother's is behind my mile-high apple pie.

3 Matt was a very cautious judge.

4 Instead of choosing a winner, he tossed up the ribbon - Meredith caught it!

5 After tasting Meredith's pie, I was very impressed with its flavor and texture.

6 Here I am backstage with Kristen Stewart (no relation) star of "Twilight" and the new "New Moon."

7 We had a wonderful conversation.

8 Backstage with Jon Bon Jovi who was on the show promoting 'The Circle,' his new CD and 'When we Were Beautiful,' his new book.

9 Katie Goldberg - my AVP Public Relations - posing for her latest prized photo with Bon Jovi

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Mile High Apple Pie

INGREDIENTS

Pate Brisee

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 8 ounces (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Mile High Apple Pie

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

• Deep-Dish Pate Brisee

• 5 1/2 pounds firm tart apples (about 14), such as Empire or Granny Smith

• Juice of 2 lemons

• 1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 3 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

• 1 large egg yolk

DIRECTIONS

Pate Brisee (makes enough for 6 double-crust 4-inch pies):

Pulse flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add water in a slow, steady stream until mixture just begins to hold together.

Shape dough into 2 disks. Wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour to 2 days (or freeze for up to 1 month; thaw in refrigerator before using).

Mile High Apple Pie:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the smaller piece of pate brisee into a 15-inch round about 1/8-inch thick, dusting surface with flour to prevent sticking, as needed. Brush off excess flour. Roll dough around rolling pin, and place over a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate. Line plate with dough, pressing it into the corners. Trim dough to within 1 inch of the pie plate. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate.

Roll out remaining piece of dough into an 18-inch round. Transfer round to a baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

Peel and core apples, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place slices in a large bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent discoloration. In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon; toss with apple slices.

Remove remaining dough from refrigerator; place apple mixture into prepared pie plate, mounding it in a tall pile. Dot filling with butter. Place dough round over the apples. Tuck edge of top dough between edge of bottom dough and rim of pan. Using your fingers, gently press both layers of dough along the edge to seal, and crimp as desired.

Using a paring knife, cut several vents in top of dough to allow steam to escape. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk with 2 tablespoons water to make a glaze. Brush surface with egg glaze; sprinkle with sugar. Place on a baking sheet; this will catch any juices that may overflow during baking. Bake until crust is golden, about 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool completely before serving.

Posted on November 19th, 2009 in Food & Recipes, Holidays, Miscellaneous, Television | direct link to this entry
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November 18th, 2009

A Pie Contest

Last Monday on my television show, we had our first annual pie contest, where we asked members of the audience to share their favorite pies with us. It turns out that many were eager to impress us with their baking skills because amazingly, a total of 161 pies were transported into the studio that morning. To judge all those pies, we asked Karen Demasco, pastry chef at Locanda Verde in New York City; Sandro Micheli, pastry chef at Adour Alain Ducasse in New York City; John Barricelli, host of "Everyday Baking from Everyday Food" and owner of SoNo Baking Company and Cafe in South Norwalk, Connecticut; and Sarah Carey, host of "Everyday Food" and food editor of Martha Stewart Living.
As you can imagine, there was a whole lot of tasting going on. It was a pie lover's extravaganza! The judges narrowed it down to five choices, leaving me with the final judgment. The winner was Marjorie Johnson with her most delicious English Toffee Pecan Pie. Enjoy these pie photos taken that day and try not to drool!