Hollywood dish! Caterer to the stars serves up sizzling scoop of tidbits and recipes

Being a caterer in Hollywood is like diving into shark-infested waters -- . . . most don't last for long. "Everybody's party is special and should be fresh, awake and new," celebrity caterer Nick Grippo explained during a telephone interview from his Hollywood home. In order to "make it," he says, you've got to present unique, diverse and delicious events, individually tailored to each client's taste. And you must use the best of everything -- while arming yourself with a million dollars worth of liability insurance. And he should know -- he's presented thousands of fetes to thousands of folks. Grippo has not only survived swimmingly for three decades but remains a popular Tinseltown event arranger. And he basically does it himself -- except when he employs a seasoned "skeleton crew" to help serve at huge parties. His "spill the beans" (literally) cookbook was a natural progression for him . . . another big gig helped along by Jane Russo, a media specialist and columnist. "HOLLYWOOD DISH! Recipes, Tips and Tales of a Hollywood Caterer" (with Jane C. Russo) is Grippo's culinary diary. It's packed with dishy tales -- an insider's narrative of Who said What to Whom, and When and Where. It's tasty reading -- the stories surrounding the recipes are as delicious as the dishes. An explanation: "dish" can hold several meanings: 1. A platter on which food is placed. 2. A particular recipe (i.e."today's dish features prunes and pomegranates). 3. A label, used by ogling soldiers, for a Betty Grable-ish woman . . . "Hubba hubba . . . she's a real dish!" 4. To tell someone the gossipy details about someone of interest ("dish the dirt"). Entertaining tips taken from Grippo's legendary cooking classes allow the reader to invisibly stroll right into the kitchens of celebrated actors for a posh nosh. Carrie Fisher, the memorable "Star Wars" princess who wore a cinnamon bun over each ear, was and is a regular client. She says that Grippo is "the finest cook on this planet or any other." About Fisher's get-togethers, Grippo recounts, "There was no telling which stars would cross her threshold and be transformed into a cooking student! Never did I imagine I'd be feeding Meryl Streep, Robin Williams, Richard Dreyfuss, Woody Harrelson, Angelica Huston and Barbra Streisand from Carrie's kitchen." With dreams of stardom similar to most aspiring actors, Grippo arrived in Hollywood more than 30 years ago. Determined to get into show biz, Grippo enrolled in acting classes. Fellow students who eventually "made it" include Ted Danson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Patrick Swayze, Cindy Williams and Donna Mills. "I worked on many forgettable films: I was associate producer on 'You Light Up My Life,' which didn't light up mine," he says. During his acting school days, Grippo often cooked for his actor friends, "maybe celebrating one line in a TV commercial or simply for a cheer-up diversion when we were out of work." Friends were welcome at Grippo's place -- a penthouse atop a vintage Hollywood mansion. By and by, his little suppers grew into fabulous dinner parties, which he gladly catered for a growing number of "show-biz insiders." "Eventually, I realized I was more of a success at putting together these evenings than at making movies. I was soon doing lots more dinners for Elizabeth Taylor, a birthday party for Harrison Ford, a celebration party for Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman . . . things just took off." The acting lessons weren't a total loss, says Grippo. Having catered several thousand events, he thinks that cooking is a little like acting and producing. "It requires good materials (the finest ingredients are just as important as the best dialogue). It demands preparation. It calls for careful rehearsals. Once we know our 'lines' we can improvise." We learn that a caterer must be flexible in order to pull off events -- from formal to a bit more casual (we'll gallop to that in a bit . . . ). He did private dinners for Taylor; wrap parties, like the one for Steven Spielberg's "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial"; weddings, including Cindy Williams'; birthday parties, like the aforementioned celebration for Ford; Thanksgiving dinner with Barry Manilow, Christmas for Danson . . . and just about any other occasion out there. Speaking of "out there," Grippo once catered a tea party for Swayze's Arabian horse -- and a "mare" 2,500 guests. His catering business doesn't prepare every single edible from scratch, and he defends it this way: "(I have) yet to come across a ham equal to the taste of HoneyBaked Ham." He orders specialties from the best local bakeries, pastry shops, butchers . . . When entertaining the "stars" in our own lives, Grippo recommends reading a new recipe twice. And then locating the sources of items you'll need for the event. "Don't be afraid to experiment; allow yourself the necessary time for preparation and take advantage of the best local resources that you have," he says. So . . . wanna dish? Go Grippo . . . "In Hollywood, everyone knows somebody famous. As it happened, my friend Arthur Bruckell was Elizabeth Taylor's hairdresser. In 1973, my wife and I had just separated, and Arthur, wanting to cheer me up, suggested a trip to Mexico. "Elizabeth insisted that we stay at her guest house in Puerto Vallarta. This vacation was much needed by all. Arthur had permed one too many heads. I was afraid I'd never see my infant son again. Elizabeth was recovering from surgery, and Richard said that he had just completed an alcohol recovery program . . . ." Tasty tidbits! Taylor, who has been Nick's loyal client and friend for 25 years, wrote the foreward to "HOLLYWOOD DISH! . . . " "Life is a journey. If we're lucky, we experience it accompanied by good friends and good food. Both play an important role in helping us celebrate the good times, console us during the bad, and simply enhance the joy of everyday living." Our favorite simple-as-you-get recipe is one Grippo custom-cooked for Nancy Reagan. "She's svelte," he notes, "because she's a light eater." One summer he was catering an event for Taylor, who was renting a house in Malibu. His menu included ribs, burgers, buns, fried chicken, potato, Greek and Caesar salads, chili, baked beans and strawberry shortcake. The only thing the former first lady ate was the hot dog he grilled for her. Here's Grippo's no-brainer recipe for the Reagan-tested hot dog. HAUTE DOG (Serves 1) 1 hot dog 1 hot dog bun (from bakery top-notch) Condiments (mustard, sweet relish, chopped onions, tomato wedge, pickle spear. Allow grill to get very hot before placing dog on the grates. Cook. Place cooked dog on a very fresh sesame seed bakery roll. Garnish with the works: mustard, sweet relish, chopped onions, tomato wedge, pickle spear. We'd like to add an addendum to the above-mentioned hot dog instructions . . . After sampling a plethora of similarly smothered hot dogs, we suggest you heed this warning: Firmly grasp the loaded down bun and carefully hold it in a position so that the bun's opening is upright. This should reveal a hot dog resting comfortably under a yellow, green and red blanket. You'll immediately know you've failed to handle the dog properly if, after ingesting it, your shirt/blouse resembles a faux Picasso. Ta Ta dahling . . .