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Show food A match madein chef heaven A couple of New York’s hottest cooks share their recipefor romance — andbreakfast “When am I going to meet Debbie?” But even though thekitchen was justa fewfeet away, Pierpoint never produced her. “He’s just a little protective,” Ponzek says. Then, about a year ago, at a charity event for Meals on Wheels, a mutual friend introduced the chefs, It was not love atfirst sight “| thought he was nice,” Ponzek says “| didn’t drop dead.” Nevertheless, a monthlater, when e cooks Southwestern; she cooks modern French. But it’s their shared passionfor titillating, then satiating, the palate that brought together two of the nation’s most-talked-about young chefs, Debra Ponzek and Bobby Flay Today he feeds the trendettes who frequent the Mesa Grill, and she tends to the well-heeled whovisit the highly regarded Montrachet, including such Flay came back to Montrachet, Ponzek feted him with foie gras, followed by red snapper with a pepper sauce, fol- high-flying clients as Robert De Niro, Barbra Streisand and Robin Williams Butit is Bobby Flay who mayyet become a household name: He hopes to lowed by pompano. For dessert, she sent out hot and cold chocolate — a specialty consisting of soft chocolate coating hard chocolate — and berry soufflés. Flay called to say thanks the next day and made date. open other Mesa Grills around the country, beginning in San Francisco. In the food world, the Flay-Ponzek union is rare, if not unique, for one simple reason: Female chefs of the stature of the 29-year-old Ponzek are For two weeks, Flay wined and dined Ponzek. By the time the couple arrived for lunch at An American Place, where the chefstarted them off almost nonexistent. So such matched pairs of chefsare all but impossible. Then, too, although food brought the couple together, they hardly ever with oysters and crab soup, “we were talking about marriage,” Ponzeksays. “He wasn’t on his knees, but,” she do it (cook, that is) at home. When they knock offwork at 11 p.m. orlater, they leave their steamy kitchens to sample the handiwork of talented friends and acquaintances. Still, the redheaded, freckled-faced Flay, 26, reveals his all-time favorite chef with undisguised pride: “Debbie.” It’s a Tuesday morning, and Flay and Ponzek have just returnedto their one-bedroom Manhattan apartment from LongIsland. There, heplays golf and she takes the sun. Together, they read cookbooks. Oneofher favoritesis Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Simple Cuisine. He swears by Anne Lindsey Greer’s Foods of the Sun — “mybible What they whip up at home What do two hard-working, highly trained chefs — Debra Ponzek and Bobby Flay — cook at home? We imagined they would keepit simple, but we never imagined this. The only thing they eat at home is the pancakes Ponzek some- times makes for breakfast (“I get up earlier”). “I've tried every grain imaginable,” she says, laughing. “We've settled on Bisquick and blueberries.” She's joking about the Bisquick; actually, she has adapted a recipe by chef Jim McNair. But she isn't joking about keeping things simple. We checked the fridge. The contents: Diet Coke, Perrier, milk. And a basket of blueberries. at work.” They go out a lot, too. To dinner, of course. “We go to Nick & Toni’s at least once a week,” Flaysays, referring to a popular Italian restau- rant that attracts the glitterati, including the likes of Calvin and Kelly Klein, Billy Joel and Jann and Jane Wenner of Rolling Stone magazine. In this well-spiced pas de deux, Cupid’s arrowshit the taste buds first. “T used to go to Montrachet a lot,” Flayrecalls. “I’d take dates there. I just loved the food.” He even asked Montrachet’s owner, DrewPierpoint, 8 USA WEEKEND * September 27-29, 1991 Blueberry Corn Pancakes 2 Ths. honey 2 Ths. safflower oil 2 cups low-fat buttermilk '/, cup whole-wheat flour 1 egg, lightly beaten '/tsp. salt 1'/, cups blueberries 11/, cups yellow cornmeal 1 tsp. baking soda Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Reserve. Combine the honey, safflower oil, buttermilk and egg. Stir well, and quickly mix into the dry ingredients. Let stand for 10 minutes to soften the cornmeal. Gently stir in the blueberries. Lightly grease a preheated skillet. Allow about '/, cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbly, turn and cook until golden brown.Serves2. says, looking at Flay, “you keptsaying we should get married.” In June the couple finally tied the knot at the Rainbow Room,high over Manhattan, with a virtual Olympic pantheon of chefs present to witness the event. Befitting the marriage of two chefs, Rainbow Room chef An- drew Wilkinson kicked off the nuptial meal with grilled portobello mushrooms with watercress, moved on to lobster in consommé, squab and veal with roasted shallots, and wound down with a goat cheese terrine and walnut bread. Wedding cake specialist Sylvia Weinstock whipped up the vanilla-and-blackberry extravaganza that was sliced up for dessert. Ponzek says they deliberately kept the meal “simple.” And for Flay,at least, the banquet was easily outdone f by Ponzek in her white Bob Mackie wedding gown. “She looked great,” he says enthusiastically, savoring the memory and nudging herto pull out the photographs. Proof that two very sophisticated chefs have some rather old-fashioned, homespun tastes. By Diane Goldner Photograph by Kevin Knight |