Archive: December 16th, 2007

Polka Dot Press

Got a pal whose cooking skills need a little help? Try picking up a copy of The Little Black Apron: A Single Girl’s Guide to Cookingwith Style & Grace, $15. It compares conquering the kitchen to putting together a perfectly accessorized ensemble, and is a gem for gals who think the four basic food groups are “wine, cheese, chocolate and coffee.” With Sex and the City-like anecdotes and witty side notes (“blanch” has nothing to do with A Streetcar Named Desire!), The Little Black Apron delivers practical, nutritious recipes and answers to those questions you’re too afraid to ask (what actually is the difference between baking and broiling?). Entertaining for the holidays? There’s a chapter with menus and recipes tailored to your dwelling size — yes, you can cook a full meal in that studio apartment, so hop to it! Click here to buy a copy for yourself or a pal at amazon.com.

Stephen Shugerman/Getty; John Shearer/WireImage

House doc Jennifer Morrison has been right on the pulse of fashion this year. So how did the cute girl-next-door transform into a full-on fashionista? With some help from super-stylist duo Cristina Ehrlich and Estee Stanley, who have worked with A-listers like Jessica Biel and Penelope Cruz. “This year has been the first time I’ve been working with a stylist, and it’s just been so much fun,” Morrison tells PEOPLE at the Vogue Living: Houses, Gardens, People book signing at the Oscar de la Renta boutique in West Hollywood last week. “I’ve always loved clothes, and I’ve always admired it from a distance but not really understood it or been a part of it, and going to Paris for fashion week and sort of seeing the whole process really made me see fashion in a different way,” says Morrison, who visited Giambattista Valli’s studio while she was there. Lucky for the slim celeb, she can fit into the runway looks, as she proved at the Movies Rock event on Sunday night. The fashion-forward one-piece came straight off the Giambattista Valli catwalk!