THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 13, 1994 TAG: 9410120053
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By MARK MOBLEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
EACH FRIDAY, the stars of ``Live With Regis & Kathie Lee'' discuss their weekend plans. A trip to Maine. A show in Atlantic City. A Notre Dame game.
But this week, Regis is headed to Hampton.
Feisty talk show personality, fitness maven, man about town and Letterman pal Regis Philbin is appearing at the Farm Fresh Extravaganza. From 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Friday at Hampton Coliseum, Philbin will meet some of the fans who have made his show a hit and sent his cookbook up the New York Times Bestseller List.
Philbin's meet-and-greet kicks off a weekend of such celebrities as stock car racer Kyle Petty, two of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and funkmaster and cookie magnate James Brown. The event benefits Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters.
Philbin's visit coincides with the debut of ``Entertaining With Regis & Kathie Lee,'' a collection of holiday and special-occasion recipes from ``Live'' guests and staff. Like its predecessor ``Cooking With Regis & Kathie
Lee,'' the book mixes anecdotes and photos from the show with a surprisingly broad range of recipes and cooking tips.
``We do about two or three cooking segments a week on the show, and the people really enjoy them,'' Philbin said in an interview last week. ``They've become a vital part of our show. I try to make them as much fun as we can. When is the last time you saw Ricki Lake or Jenny Jones with an apron on?''
Like the show, the book is a mixture of homey and hip. The mother of producer Michael Gelman contributes her Passsover Orange Roast Brisket. Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten of the hot Manhattan restaurant Vong supplies the recipe for Lobster with Thai Herbs.
A number of recipes are low in fat. Philbin overhauled his eating habits after a brush with a blocked artery in early 1993. ``It's changed everything,'' he said. ``It's changed my workout, the way I eat. It's an emphasis on low-fat foods. I've noticed I've become more interested in what's in these foods we take for granted.''
Philbin and his wife, Joy, eat out three to four times a week, providing fodder for the celebrated ``host chat'' segment at the beginning of each ``Live.'' Philbin's even managed to eat healthfully while maintaining a busy schedule of charity events and awards shows.
``I've noticed that the more and more awards shows you go to, they are giving you a choice and putting out more fish and chicken instead of that slab of beef. And when I'm on my own I rarely order red meat.
``Joy is a wonderful cook. She is contemplating a cookbook of her own. She makes some great pasta dishes. She makes great fish dishes. But I tell you, I am getting a little tired of chicken. I DON'T CARE!''
Philbin said he's a bad cook who just learned to make coffee two years ago. But despite his lack of culinary prowess, he is the one who leads guests through their recipes on ``Live.''
``You don't know how experienced they are until they're out there. Gelman shows them where to stand and what the ingredients are. It's not until we start the show that I meet these people.''
And when heat, sharp utensils and nervous cooks combine, there's potential for mayhem. Philbin recalled two memorable moments from a show he hosted some years ago. ``Once we had a kids' cooking champion on. He brought his recipe and cooked it. I said, `Let's taste it,' and he said, `Unh-unh, not me.' The kid said, `I never eat the stuff. I hate it.'
``We had a Playboy bunny on, making a recipe from the Playboy Club. A fire broke out. I immediately yelled, `Save the bunny! Save the bunny!' and carried her off.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Book Jacket]
Regis Philbin will appear Friday at the Farm fresh Extravaganza at
Hampton Coliseum
Recipes from Regis: Page F7
EXTRAVAGANZA SCHEDULE
[For a copy of the schedule, see microfilm for this date.]
by CNB