411: Get Crafty for Amy Sedaris

Amy Sedaris, the freaky man's Martha Stewart, wants you, yes you, to participate in her Craft Challenge. Here's the deal, Amy is going to be on the Leonard Lopate Show on February 9th to talk about her new (and genius, we might add) book I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence.
Alls you gots to do is, add googly eyes to any item of food, then submit a photo of your creation. Amy will pick the winner on-air. You can find out more info here.

So get on it. Those googly eyes ain't gonna end up on the braised short ribs themselves.

The Leonard Lopate Show Amy Sedaris Craft Challenge [WNYC]

411: Smoky Cheese Ball

Having survived Thanksgiving, the holiday season madness is truly upon us, which means office parties, Christmas parties, Kwanzaa parties and other excuses to get drunk and act like an asshole with friends and co-workers. But what to do if you're asked to bring a dish and aren't very kitchen savvy? May we recommend a cheese ball, courtesy of the divine Amy Sedaris. We made one recently (pictured above) and it was quite a hit.

Amy Sedaris' Cheese Ball Recipe
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese
2 cups shredded smoked Gouda1 stick butter
2 tbsp. milk, cream, or half-and-half
2 tsp. A-l steak sauce
2 cups crushed nuts, any variety
crackers for serving

Allow ingredients to soften to room temperature. Beat them all together in a mixing bowl and form into a ball, or form into several small balls to suit your function/needs. Roll in crushed nuts and refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator and allow to soften about 20 minutes before serving. Serve with crackers of your choice.

BAKING AMY [Bust via JerriBlank.com]


Amy Sedaris ;Cheese Ball ;Recipes

411: Say, Where Can We Buy a Bong and Some Gay Porn Around Here?

With You Tube purging clips, we wanted to post this for your enjoyment before it gets yanked. Once again, the delightfully loopy Amy Sedaris appears on Letterman, giving Dave a 4AM walking tour of her Greenwich Village neighborhood. Stalkers, take notes.

"This is where I come to get my breakfast burrito and my margarita."



Amy Sedaris ;David Letterman ;Greenwich Village

411: Cooking for Convicts 101

Not only is Amy Sedaris crafty, she's also strangely prescient. Watch at the end of this clip (about six minutes in) where she demonstrates for Conan O'Brien and Martha Stewart (pre-incarceration) how to make a grilled cheese sandwich if you're ever sent to prison. We hope Ms. Stewart took notes.

We like to think of Amy Sedaris as the degenerate hipster version of Martha. J'adore.




Amy Sedaris ;Martha Stewart ;Prison ;Conan O'Brien

*69: Amy Sedaris is Crafty

We're loving Amy Sedaris's new book I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, where she shares tips, tricks and recipes for being a consumate party host, dispensing wisdom on everything from inappropriate introductions ("This is Barbara, she can't have children") to things to avoid saying to the grieving ("Did she smoke?" "Was he drinking?" "Where were you when this happened?"). You can listen to her advice on having a first date in your home here (via the Village Voice)



Amy Sedaris ;Books ;First Dates

*69: Stalking Amy Sedaris

If you know anything about The Operator, you know we have a fondness for monkeys, booze, and hardcore porno Amy Sedaris. We're super excited because She's going to be promoting the release of her new book I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence with a tour.

From Publishers Weekly:

Sedaris's sidesplitting guide to throwing parties hopes to return readers to the times when the word "entertainment" was "charmingly old-fashioned, like courtship or back alley abortions." While her tongue is firmly in cheek, novice party-planners will actually find some helpful hints along the way as Sedaris offers instructions and real recipes. Her tips run the gamut from how to properly freeze meatballs (freeze them on a cookie sheet before putting them into a freezer bag so they won't stick together) and deal with the inebriated ("Better to cut them off rather than pretend it's not happening and then allow them to stay over and wet your bed"). She's a generous but crafty hostess ("A good trick is to fill your medicine cabinet with marbles. Nothing announces a nosey guest better than an avalanche of marbles hitting a porcelain sink"). Etiquette pointers include inappropriate introductions ("This is Barbara, she can't have children") and things to avoid saying to the grieving ("Did she smoke?" "Was he drinking?" "Where were you when this happened?"). Her advice is both practical and hilarious; her instructions on removing vomit stains ends with "or just toss it, chances are you've stained it before."

If you're as fanatical as we are about Sedaris, you can find the schedule for her book tour after the jump.

AMY SEDARIS: Book Tour, Sesame Street [Product Shop NYC]



AMY SEDARIS' I LIKE YOU BOOK TOUR
10/5/06 7:00 pm Philadelphia, PA 215 Festival (at Central Library)
10/16/06 7:00 pm New York, NY Barnes & Noble - Union Square
10/18/06 7:00 pm Chicago, IL Borders Books - North Michigan Avenue
10/19/06 7:00 pm Raleigh, NC Meredith College - Jones Auditorium
10/20/06 7:00 pm Durham, NC The Regulator Bookshop
10/21/06 1:00 pm Charlotte, NC Park Road Books
10/21/06 7:00 pm Asheville, NC Malaprop's Bookstore/Cafe
10/23/06 8:00 pm San Francisco, CA Herbst Theatre - City Arts & Lectures presents an evening with Amy Sedaris ***SOLD OUT***
10/25/06 7:00 pm West Hollywood, CA Book Soup - Sunset Boulevard
10/27/06 Austin, TX Texas Book Festival First Edition Literary Gala
10/28/06 8:00 pm Austin, TX BookPeople Bookstore
10/30/06 Seattle, WA TBA (An Evening With Amy Sedaris - TheWarrenReport)
11/3/06 7:30 pm New York, NY Symphony Space - Amy Sedaris & David Rakoff Plan A Dinner Party: Every audience member will receive a free cupcake made from Amy’s famous recipe. ***SOLD OUT***
11/4/06 1:00 pm Aventura, FL Macy's Aventura Mall
11/4/06 6:00 pm Fort Lauderdale, FL A Night of Literary Laughter, hosted by the Broward Public Library Foundation at Artserve (1350 East Sunrise Blvd.):
11/5/06 1:00 pm Miami, FL Macy's Dadeland Mall 11/5/06 6:00 pm Coral Gables, FL Book & Books, Coral Gables

Amy Sedaris ;Hospitality ;Books

Callsheet: Colbert Will Tumble For Ya

The appearance by Amy Sedaris on her Strangers With Candy collaborator's show has been making it's way around the interweb. Watch the interview, stay for the tumbling.




[YouTube]

*69: Amy Sedaris

Entertainment Weekly has an interview with comedy genius and frequent Letterman guest Amy Sedaris about the silver screen version of her cult TV show Strangers with Candy.

Sedaris's love of monkeys and relationship with her imaginary boyfriend Ricky have been an inspiration to The Operator: because of her, we've had the courage to pursue several imaginary relationships to varying degrees of success. And we really want a pet monkey. They just make us laugh and laugh.

In the candid interview, Sedaris confesses to losing her imaginary baby Hercules, plugs her new book, and extolls the virtues of her fat suit.

Read the whole piece here.

The Directory: A Few of Our Favorites

OperatorNYC's been thinking about the Scissor Sisters since their sold-out gig last night. As they're a favorite band here at The Operator, we decided it would be a good time to revisit some of our other favorites, the entertainers and innovators that are always on speed dial -- never far from our thoughts.

Ann Magnuson -- A virtual den mother of the performance art scene, Ms. Magnuson has conquered all media without losing her unique voice. From her downtown New York days to her work in television and movies and her music career, she's remained an inspiration.

Kiki and Herb -- The awe inspiring, sheer fucking genius of this punk cabaret duo will rip you apart. "People die, ladies and gentlemen, that's all you need to know." Long live Kiki and Herb. FYI, they're playing two "secret" shows at Joe's Pub on May 2nd and 3rd. Call for tickets.

Mike Albo -- Writer/monologist/yoga enthusiast. His book The Underminer hit so close to home it was eery. You can see him naked if you buy the latest issue of Butt Magazine.

Jonathan Ames -- Never afraid to fly his tranny-chasing, sexually dysfunctional, balding, neurotic freak flag for our amusement. And he looks dapper in seersucker.

Laura Linney -- We've loved her since her embodiment of Mary Anne singleton in Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City. Her honest work in The Squid and the Whale only made us love her more.

Michael Cunningham -- We heard a (unconfirmed) story about his tenure at the Iowa Writers' Workshop. He was told his novel The Hours was shite and that he'd never be a novelist. Jokes on them. Cunnigham continues to crystallize the human experience in new and insightful ways; the beauty of his words is unparalleled. You've made us weep openly, which is really embarrassing when you're riding the subway.

Amy Sedaris -- Sister of David, a true chamelon and freak. We eagerly await the big screen adaptation of cult hit Strangers with Candy -- all of us boozers, users and losers.

David Cross -- standing up and telling it like it is. Accept no imitations.

These are just a few of the many, many talented people who've inspired us here at The Operator. We'll feature more in the months to come.