Per Jessica Seinfeld, you can have your cake and eat it too. Ahead of the holidays, Seinfeld’s closest friends threw a cocktail celebration in her honor, inviting folks to join them at Coco’s at Collette to toast to the season and get a glimpse of her latest cookbook, Not Too Sweet: a blueprint for making better-for-you desserts.
In a festive red mod mini by Sportsmax and Saint Laurent stilettos—“I’m obsessed!”—Seinfeld was filling everyone in on her holiday plans, which include making lots of latkes and traveling to a far-flung destination over the break. “We always like an adventure, and of course, it has to be somewhere where the food is amazing,” she told Vogue.
Conscious that everyone’s end-of-year schedules are jam-packed, the party took place at a convenient location—Midtown—during an even more convenient time frame—cinq à sept, to be exact. Derek Blasberg stopped by ahead of hosting an event in Soho, and Charlotte Groeneveld had popped in for a martini before a dizzying number of commitments on her calendar later that night. Within the next window of time, the room buzzed with designers, actors, editors, fashion executives, and many more, including Tory Burch, Huma Abedin, Amy Schumer, and Wendi Deng.
Ensuring everyone had the fuel to get them through the penultimate Thursday before they skip town, waiters were on hand with silver platters brimming with dishes from the new tome. Think: lemon pistachio cookies, spice cake with whipped apricot frosting, chocolate peanut butter pudding with oat clusters, and plump dates jazzed up with a zesty orange belt. The concept of the book is about “enjoying sugar responsibly,” as Seinfeld told Vogue with a wink. A grazing table of meats, cheeses, bread, and crudité also served as the de facto place to hold court and swap notes on New Year’s Eve dos and don’ts.
Seinfeld’s husband, Jerry, introduced the “bridesmaids” of the party—Amy Griffin and Alexandra Wentworth to give some remarks to the room. “We’re so proud of you,” Griffin said. “The best part of Jess’ cookbooks isn’t just the gatherings, it’s when she’s [developing recipes], I say, ‘I want that thing you’re making on Instagram’ and she sends it to my apartment that night and I eat the entire thing.’”
Actress and comedian Wentworth wouldn’t eat brownies laced with spinach for anyone, but Seinfeld has long since convinced her. “I have watched her in the kitchen baking and cooking for almost 30 years,” she said. “Now, in a world that’s slightly on fire, we need people and communities to come together, and they tend to do that over food. Baking isn’t just a great holiday tradition; it’s a way to come together with family and new friends.” Exercising her comedic timing, she added: “This is a person who has a documentary that’s probably going to win the Oscar, a charity, a very high-maintenance husband, and she still has time to write another cookbook…so you really can do it all.”
As a holiday gift to all, Griffin had graciously purchased the copies of the book that were dotted around the room so that everyone could take one home with them and bake for their own nearest and dearest in the coming weeks. With signed editions in their arms, attendees headed out to their respective dinners, fetes, and gatherings across the city. Thankfully, without a sugar crash on the horizon.
