D.C.'S OLIVIA WILDE has tackled the teen market (as Alex on "The O.C."), the prime-time drama (as Thirteen on "House") and the Hollywood blockbuster (next year's much-anticipated "Tron"). But she takes an indie turn with her new film, "Fix," directed by and co-starring her husband, Tao Ruspoli. The actress — and daughter of veteran news journalists — chats about working with a spouse and coming home for the holidays.
» EXPRESS: Tell us about "Fix."
» WILDE: I like to describe the film as a dark comedy, a road movie and a story about a family. It's about two brothers, one of whom has 12 hours to get his brother to rehab, or else he'll have to go to jail for seven or eight years. It involves this wild odyssey through Los Angeles, where they encounter all these different characters.
» EXPRESS: Was it difficult to work alongside your husband?
» WILDE: It was fun! The great thing about working with someone that you're involved with romantically and whom you respect and admire is that you trust them. I really felt very safe in Tao's hands and very free to take risks. I think that's when actors can really thrive.
Continue Reading "Actress, Washington Native: Olivia Wilde" »
IF PAULA DEEN is the Dolly Parton of Southern cooking, showily turning out homey dishes, then food-missionary brothers Matt and Ted Lee might be its brainy, alt-country house band a la the Old 97's or Son Volt. The Charleston, S.C., natives, cookbook authors and proprietors of food store Boiledpeanuts.com have won fans (and a James Beard Award) for their respectful riffs on below-the-Mason-Dixon-line fare. The kings of Dixie cuisine have a new cookbook, "The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern" ($35, Clarkson Potter).
» EXPRESS: How do you tweak old recipes without trashing them?
» TED LEE: We try to pay homage to the traditions, not turn recipes into caricatures. We won't ever do foie gras grits. We're interested in preserving an idea. In the book, we've got shrimp and deviled egg rolls, which end up like Low Country lobster rolls. And we made a potato gratin with pimento cheese. MATT LEE: Re-appraise your family recipes, and think about where you can adapt them to how you cook now. Maybe swap olive oil for canola oil in a biscuit recipe.
» EXPRESS: Isn't part of your foodie mission lightening up what some think is a heavy cuisine?
» ML: Yes, and it's easy. There are things that add flavors which fool you into thinking a dish has more fat than it does. Buttermilk adds acidity and a creamy roundness. TL: And when I think of Southern flavor, I think vinegary, which you can get from pickles, whether they're sweet or sour.
GEORGETOWN RESIDENT Walker Lamond wasn't yet a parent when he launched his blog, 1,001 Rules for My Unborn Son (Rulesformyunbornson.tumblr.com) a couple years ago. But his pearls of fatherly advice — "There is never an excuse for stealing someone's cab," "Don't date the bartender"— found an instant following. Now, the father of two has compiled a selection of his charming snippets into a book, "Rules for My Unborn Son" ($15, St. Martin's Griffin).
» EXPRESS: The book was born from your blog, but how did the blog start?
» LAMOND: The whole thing began as a personal project of sorts, long before I was even online. I was just trying to keep track of all the things my dad had taught me growing up. It was as simple as that. I compiled them on the back of bar napkins and in a notebook, and then one day, decided to put them online. It grew from there.
Continue Reading "Filmmaker, Author, Dapper Dad: Walker Lamond" »
HOLLYWOOD GLAMAZON Dita Von Teese is best known for bringing back the art of burlesque (OK, and her short-lived marriage to goth-rocker Marilyn Manson). The surprisingly down-to-earth star talks about her new book, "Stripteese" ($30, It!), and how long it takes to put together her throwback Hollywood look.
"Stripteese" is actually a package of three flip books showing you performing. What was the idea behind it?
I love that flip books are very old-fashioned, but I also thought it was a great way to show people what I do without a video. My favorite is the "Classic" book, which shows me up close. In some ways, it's even more intimate than seeing me onstage.
» EXPRESS: What else are you up to lately?
» VON TEESE: For the first time ever, I've put my burlesque performances from the Crazy Horse in Paris on DVD, which is coming out in mid-November. It includes a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as the show. The DVD won't be available in the U.S., but it's not too hard to get. I'm just too hot for America, apparently.
Continue Reading "Burlesque Star, Secret Hoarder: Dita Von Teese" »
DOES CHOPPING AND dicing with the boy's club get old for "Iron Chef America" star Cat Cora? Nah. She relishes going cutting board to cutting board with Morimoto, Bobby Flay et al. Still, eventually, the hit show will probably get another fairer-sex star. And she could arrive shortly. A new face, gender currently undetermined, will join the show soon, with the competition series "The Next Iron Chef"currently airing on the Food Network Sunday nights at 9. Cora dished about secret ingredients and what it takes to hang in Kitchen Stadium.
» EXPRESS: The competitors on "The Next Iron Chef" are good cooks, but what will make one of them win?
» CORA: They have to wear a lot of hats. They have to be a great chef and an entertainer. We have to be able to cook under pressure but also talk on camera and talk to Alton [Brown] and direct the sous chefs. It also has to be someone with media skills — someone who has an overall great persona.
» EXPRESS: If you could give an aspiring "Iron Chef" any other tips, what would they be?
» CORA: Come in with some fantastic ideas. If one cuisine is your strong point, that's great, but bring it in fresh every single show. Try to do something new and different and exciting. And then, put tennis shoes on. You can't wear clogs and be an Iron Chef! Put sneakers on, because you're going to be running.
Continue Reading "Iron Woman: Cat Cora of 'Iron Chef America'" »
IN THE '60s, Andy Warhol muse Edie Sedgwick and Velvet Undergrounder John Cale sported wild-child clothes by Betsey Johnson. In the decades since then, the New York designer has given the world tutu skirts, leopard-print shoes and pink-walled boutiques, all of which seem two parts rocker, one part Vegas showgirl. We caught up with the big-haired, big-hearted, 67-year-old icon last week in her Georgetown store.
» EXPRESS: Why is D.C. a good spot for your designs?
» JOHNSON: It's a place that's very creative, kind of like SoHo. There's room in D.C. for a little frivolous dress-up. The town is driven by parties and lots of special occasions.
» EXPRESS: Well, party dresses are pretty central to your brand.
» JOHNSON: Yeah, they've been a real thing over the years. In the beginning, I was more about Lycra and stretch, kind of Jane Fonda leotard-y wear. But those ballerina tutu dresses caught on. Now we're trying to add casual stuff back, T-shirts and stuff, so we have a balance.
ALICIA SILVERSTONE'S CHEERFUL, lispy voice immediately conjures up Cher, the uber-fashionista she played in the 1995 teen flick "Clueless." But in real life, the amiable actress' main passion is veganism, not, like, totally important designers. Her new lifestyle book, "The Kind Diet" ($30, Rodale), doles out practical suggestions on why adopting a plant-based diet can make you look and feel better.
» EXPRESS: What do you hope readers will take away from the book?
» SILVERSTONE: What I want is for people to realize you can be happy, look amazing and be kind to the planet all at the same time by following [a vegan] diet. I want to reach the people who take aspirin all the time for headaches, or reach for coffee in the morning for energy, or want to lose some weight. There is another solution.
Continue Reading "Actress, Vegan, Author: Alicia Silverstone" »
MANY PEOPLE PAY A lot of money to jet to exotic locales and browse crafts souks or rifle through flea markets. But Keith Johnson, buyer at large for boho boutique chain Anthropologie, gets to globe-trot and shop for a living. In Sundance Channel's new six-part series, "Man Shops Globe" (premiering Wed., 10 p.m.), those envious of Johnson's job (or just his frequent flyer miles) can trek and browse with him in locales from the South of France to South Africa.
» EXPRESS: How did you get such an awesome job?
» JOHNSON: My partner, Glen Senk [CEO of Urban Outfitters and former president of Anthropologie], had started to assist in one Anthropologie store. There were a lot of props there, but customers were disappointed they couldn't buy them. So, he asked me if I could start shopping for the stores, picking up unexpected pieces.
» EXPRESS: Is it hard to find cool furnishings and crafts?
» JOHNSON: The hardest thing is finding something that'll really surprise me, something that'll delight customers. There has to be a certain level of delight, whether an object is from India or Bali or the U.S. Recently, I found a whole French pharmacy that we turned into a section of a store.
Continue Reading "Anthropologie Buyer, Globe-Trotter: Keith Johnson of 'Man Shops Globe'" »
WHEN SHE WAS growing up in Birmingham, Ala., Jodi Arnold loved sewing her own clothes — even if that meant she stood out in the crowd at school. Now, as the designer for womenswear line MINT Jodi Arnold, she specializes in similarly statement-making print dresses, shapely sweaters and embellished tops. She'll be in town today from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at a trunk show of her fall and holiday line at the Georgetown boutique Wink (3109 M St. NW; 202-338-9465).
» EXPRESS: What kind of women wear MINT?
» ARNOLD: I think they're most likely in a creative field. They're thoughtful and want to hear what the story is behind a product, what gives it soul.
FOR HIS EMMY-WINNING wildlife adventure shows, Jeff Corwin has snuggled with black bears, waded with restless alligators and been whipped around by a playful elephant. Which might explain why the Food Network tapped the amiable, up-for-anything TV host for its newest show, "Extreme Cuisine With Jeff Corwin" (Thu., 9 p.m.).
» EXPRESS: Your new show has you churning fermented sheep's cheese in Greece and diving for sea cucumbers in Washington state.
» CORWIN: It's really been an epicurean journey that has taken us from Morocco to the U.K. to the Pacific Northwest. What we discovered is that, while each location is unique, there really is a common thread of these stories. Food is the glue that binds culture, that celebrates community and, often, is a way to share the history of the region.
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