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Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Kramer’s convinced that Calvin Klein has stolen his fragrance idea – “The Beach” – and marketed it as “Ocean”? It’s a plot line that’s sure to take on a peculiar resonance for author Missy Chase Lapine, whose cookbook The Sneaky Chef
Both share identical concepts and many of the recipes are oddly alike. Seinfeld’s got mashed potatoes with pureed cauliflower, Lapine’s got mashed potatoes with pureed cauliflower and zucchini; Seinfeld does tuna fish mixed with pureed cauliflower, Lapine does tuna fish mixed with pureed cauliflower and, again, zucchini! Seinfeld: Brownies with pureed spinach and carrot. Lapine: Brownies with pureed spinach and blueberry! “I want to talk to Calvin!!!”
But the similarities stop at the book sales. Mrs.Seinfeld – who knows a thing or two about networking, meeting Jerry at the gym right after her honeymoon with Eric Nederlander – was able to get on Oprah to plug her book. Now HarperCollins has six printing presses pumping out the best selling Deceptively Delicious, with print runs of 2.5 million through January. Lapine’s book? 24,000. And we're pretty sure that Lapine hasn't thanked anyone with 21 pairs of designer shoes worth $20,000, as Seinfeld did thank Oprah.
Ms. Lapine submitted her book to HarperCollins and was rejected twice; two weeks after the second rejection, HarperCollins met with Mrs. Seinfeld about her proposal “because of her name and her agent”, per HarperCollins' president. Naturally, Jessica Seinfeld denies the allegations, insisting that she – not hired chefs! – do the cooking in their deluxe apartment at the tony Beresford and that she was making mac and cheese when she got the book idea. Speaking to the Times, Ms. Lapine gave a diplomatic statement through gritted teeth: “I suppose it’s possible it’s a coincidence.”
What do you think? The Times and The Daily News have more on the developing scandal, which, given the vast amount of money involved, seems headed to court. Or at least a scathing statement from Kline's publisher next week. And maybe Jessica will update her blog?
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It's not like the entitled gold digging, social climbing, trophy wife wrote a coffee table book about coffee tables.
I don't think using vegetables in dishes that don't typically have vegetables in them is an entirely new, revolutionary idea (see this brownie recipe posted in January). But the fact that Lapine's book was rejected at Harper Collins just before they met with Seinfeld is interesting.
Also, Lapine's book has a quote from Daniel Boulud: "The Sneaky Chef is a brilliant and timely concept."
you trick Oprah you get a spanking!
It's kind of sad the way that Jerry Seinfeld went for the so-obviously-Jewish type of wife. It would have been nice to see him go for the gusto and shack up with a sultry latina -- instead he married his mother.
I see from the listings that she married Nederlander on June 13, 1998, and Jerry on December 25, 1999. Real classy.
ANY WAY YOU COOK IT
Asparagus is asparagus:
The Gospel According to Jessica;
The same with kiddie recipes–
No need to feel any stressica.
Yeah, I wouldn't say ethics are her forte.
She looks incredibly fucking annoying.
Unfortunately, it's entirely plausible that the two came up with these ideas independently of one another.
What's more telling is that publishing houses are more willing to take a flier on Jerry Seinfeld's wife than some nobody flogging her book, no matter what kind of bitch she is... and anyone who begins a new romance with Jerry Seinfeld at Reebok Sports right after her honeymoon is a social-climbing, gold-digging bitch.
Celebrity matters more than good ideas in this excuse for a culture we inhabit. And did she really need to give Oprah of all people $20k in shoes? That sounds like pure publishing payola. Where's Eliot Spitzer when you really need him?
Coincidentally, Mrs. Seinfeld's agent is Jennifer Rudolph Walsh. The same agent who had rep Kaavya Viswanathan, the precocious Harvard cribber of "How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life."
I like brownies, I like spinach, but brownies with spinach? Yuck.
You mean that a whore who cheated on her husband before they could open all their wedding presents is also a plagiarist? That’s so shocking!
On a different note, the wiki entry for Kaavya Viswanathan is great, with comparisons of various novels side by side her own hackneyed work.
shoshanna was hotter.
This book scandal is "not Watergate" according to Jerry Seinfeld. No, it isn't but then again I read an interview the other day where he minimized his wife leaving her husband of three weeks for him... "I don't understand what the big deal is,"he's quoted as saying.
Whatever universe he's living in, I sure am glad I don't live there.
Sounds like Mrs. Jerry is climbing her way up the fame ladder. Now she wants some recognition and fame for herself.
But please - like this woman actually cooks for herself.
Missy is much cuter anyway.
Speaking as a food writer myself (Oxford Dictionary of American Food & Drink), I think it's clear that Jessica Seinfeld "borrowed" the idea plus at least four of the unusual recipes.
Food recipe plagiarism has been common for centuries, but that still doesn't mean that Oprah should support it.
I guess it's good to be a celebrity.
O.T.: The 1:11 p.m. poster suggests that Jerry should have married "a sultry latina" instead, but my wonderful wife is taken.
I have a low opinion of Jessica Seinfeld. Once an adulteress, now a plagiarist. Why does she continally embarass herself?
She should apologize to Missy Lapine and settle financially with her for profiting off of her ideas. Oh, and Oprah needs to research her guests thoroughly before having them on the show! She should have learned after the James Frey fiasco but apparently Oprah is a slow learner. I'm positive that she won't have Jessica back to confront her about the accusations like she did with Frey. Oprah has a role in Jerry Seinfeld's new movie "Bee" and Oprah does not shit where she eats.
BTW, Oprah, adultery is adultery. When she had Jessica on the show, Oprah asked Jessica how she knew that Jerry was "the one" and Jessica mushed and gushed and Oprah laughed alongside with her as if it it was so lovey-dovey, never mind that Jessica was newly married to someone else at the time! So Oprah condones adultery if the adulteress committed it with a rich and famous guy.
Helping families! Yes, I am sure Jessica helped Eric Nederland's family by leaving him. He has since married a doctor who also happens to be a singer of considerable merit. True talent there.. good riddance to very bad rubbish there for Eric.