I used to play action figures with Nate Appleman.

You could also put this on your coffeetable, its that beautiful.

Yes, its true. The increasingly famous, Nate Appleman, former executive chef and owner of A16 in San Fransisco, a 2009 James Beard Foundation Award Rising Star Chef winner, and a star in The Next Iron Chef (premiering October 4 on Food Network!), used to be a playmate of mine when we were tots. Yep, I may even have seen him in his Underoos.

Our parents were good friends and colleagues and so we spent many a play date together. His older brother is my age, and was actually more of my partner-in-crime, but Nate was always around… and always had something up his sleeve. As you can see, this characteristic has stuck.

I recently picked up his book, A16 Food+Wine, and can’t wait to read it. Yes, READ it. If you’ve always just looked up recipes and never bothered to read a cookbook, I highly suggest starting now. In a well-written, well-designed cookbook  you can get amazing instruction on how to use culinary tools, how to blend flavors and the history behind the food you are about to cook. From my brief skimming, this book does it all, along with background and discussion on the southern Italian wines that complement the cuisine.

On top of all that, we’re back in the same hood! (Well, it WAS my hood… LES I miss you.) After leaving A16 in July, Nate has relocated to the Big Apple where he will be partnering with Keith McNally to open Pulino’s Bar and Pizzeria on the Bowery. Piiiizzzaaa…you don’t know how excited this makes me. Now I just have to get on a bridge, or go through a tunnel to get back there… you don’t know how sad this makes me. Ahh, suburban life.

Doesn’t matter.  I’ll be there to try out this amazing pizza, at this new restaurant with a guy I used to know who is now famous, and who I couldn’t be prouder of. It really is a small world, isn’t it?