I'm not sure why all my celebrity sightings involve chefs (Mario Batali, Bobby Flay), reality TV shows (Fern Mallis -- not even a contestant but a guest judge -- from Project Runaway), or chefs from reality TV shows (John Besh from The Next Iron Chef, Dale from Top Chef Chicago). I never seem to spot "real" celebrities; apparently I was sitting right next to John Turturro in a restaurant one night and didn't even notice. Go figure.

Anyway, this happened to me at last week's Culinary Pas de Deux benefit thrown by the American Ballet Theatre here in New York. As soon as I walked in, the first person I spotted was Christian Siriano, winner of Project Runway season four. It turns out that he had donated a dress for the silent auction that evening.

 But I wasn't there to ogle celebrities -- I was there to sample the food. Some of the city's top restaurants and bars had set up tasting stations that night, serving everything from a whole roast pig to mini cupcakes to shots of limoncello garnished with absinthe gummy bears (yep, those are gummy bears made out of absinthe from the cutting-edge restaurant/bar Tailor, and they pack quite a punch). Restaurant Toqueville was serving up beautiful little bowls of creamless potato leek soup with just a sprinkle of caviar; Landmarc had these fun mortadella-mozzarella-focaccia skewers with a tomato caper vinaigrette; and the whole pig from Nello that was carved on the spot was tender and well-seasoned.