Fat people eat a lot of pie, why shouldn’t you? Bless those merciful souls at the French Culinary Institute, who have devised “A Day of Dessert,” featuring pastry chefs from Daniel, Gramercy Tavern, Kyotofu, and other fine eateries. Judiaann Woo, editor of Pastryscoop.com, the FCI’s pastry Web site, told us: “All the workshops have tastings, and in between, the students make chocolates and cookies and pies. So by the end of the day you’re buzzing on sugar. That’s why we have a little cheese around.” Make our cheese cube a double, Miss! After you cozy up with your Camembert, yell “Mush” to your sled dogs and head north to the Bronx for, in our humble opinion, the most important event of our time, the Blessing of the Animals in Van Cortlandt Park, where hundreds of puppies and kitties will gather to be blessed by all manner of clergy (past years have included Tibetan Monks and American Indians!). Bash Dibra of Paws Across America said to expect mostly doggies, but that “someone brought a weird iguana last year. It was very bizarre. It had horns, a big tail. The dogs were like ‘What kind of dog is that?’” Oh, those silly dogs! The event’s religious pluralism, he said, reflects that “it’s not related to a religion, it’s just related to a love of animals.” Events like 9/11 and Katrina, he said, have made us “pull together and realize how important we are to each other and that our pets are also part of the equation.” Later, Common, our favorite “rapper with a conscience” (leaves out all the bitches and ho’s stuff, we bet) performs at the Nokia, which would be a great place to watch live music if it weren’t located in Times Square. Help!
[“A Day of Dessert,” the French Culinary Institute at the International Culinary Center, 462 Broadway, 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Blessing of the Animals, Canine Court at Van Cortlandt Park, The Bronx, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.; Common at the Nokia Theatre, with Q-Tip and Percee P, 1515 Broadway, 9 p.m., www.ticketmaster.com]
