Reality TV star Bethenny Frankel and husband to separate

Reality TV star Bethenny Frankel and her husband Jason Hoppy are separating, Frankel announced on Sunday. "It brings me great sadness to say that Jason and I are separating. This was an extremely difficult decision that, as a woman and a mother, I have to accept as the best choice for our family," Frankel said in a statement confirmed by her representative. "We have love and respect for one another and will continue to amicably co-parent our daughter who is and will always remain our first priority. This is an immensely painful and heartbreaking time for us." Frankel, 42, and Hoppy married in March of 2010. They have a daughter, Bryn, who was born in May of 2010. On Sunday, Frankel tweeted, "I am heartbroken. I am sad. We will work through this as a family." Frankel first attracted attention in 2008 on the reality show "The Real Housewives of New York City," which chronicles the exploits of wealthy New York women. She went on to star in two other reality TV shows, "Bethenny Getting Married?" and "Bethenny Ever After...," both of which centered on the couple's marriage and child-rearing. Frankel also founded the Skinnygirl line of cocktails, and has written several diet and self-help books. In 2012 she launched a talk show, "Bethenny," which is set to air nationally in 2013.

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World Chefs: Keller shares memories, spotlight in latest book

Thomas Keller, one of America's most respected chefs, shares the food memories of his childhood and his time in France in his new book "Bouchon Bakery," which is also the name of his chain of pastry shops in the United States. Keller is the only American chef who owns two three-Michelin-star restaurants - Per Se in New York City and The French Laundry in the Napa Valley wine region in California. Earlier this year, Britain's Restaurant Magazine named Per Se, which opened in 2004, the world's sixth best restaurant. Keller also earned the magazine's lifetime achievement award. Like his four other books, his latest effort is a collaboration. He co-wrote it with his top pastry chefs Sebastien Rouxel and Matthew McDonald along with food writers Susie Heller, Michael Ruhlman and Amy Vogler. The 57-year-old spoke to Reuters about the book, his pastry chefs and his place in the culinary world. Q: Why did you collaborate with the leaders of your pastry team with this book? A: "If you look at my other cookbooks, it's always been a point with me to share these opportunities with those who share their skills and expertise with the general public. That was the reason why I did the book. Sebastien is one of the best pastry chefs in America. His techniques are unparalleled. I'm not trying to pretend that I'm a pastry chef by writing a book about baking and pastries. Nor am I trying to be a bread baker. I have Matthew McDonald, who is one of the best bakers in America. To be able to highlight his skills in the bread section was very important as well." Q: How did your time in France change your view about pastry and bread-making? A: "When you are in France, especially in Paris, there were three or four boulangeries of different significance just on the block where I lived because they had pastry chefs with different levels of skills. You went to different ones for different things. To have a fresh baked baguette everyday was extraordinary. Anyone who lived in Paris for any length of time would say eating a fresh baguette is pretty special. Bread plays a real important part in the experience of the diners. To make sure we have the opportunity to significantly impact the experience by controlling the production and style of the bread was very important to me." Q: Do you have a favorite dessert? A: "It depends on the day ... There are so many things I love. I think anything that's done really, really well. For me, that's really something I really appreciate. I think one of the things that really resonate with the individual is that idea that eating, and eating through that experience, they have a memory. We are always trying to do something that's good. Why put something on the menu that's not very good?" Q: The book emphasizes weighing ingredients over measuring with cups and spoons. Could that be difficult for home cooks? A: "One of the things about pastry ... it's such an exact process. The most exact thing you practice is with weighing. There is an exactness to the execution, which gives you every opportunity to be successful." Q: French Laundry and Per Se are among two of the best restaurants in the country. Bouchon Bakery is a success. What more would you like to accomplish in the culinary world? A: "I have accomplished today everything I wanted to accomplish, more than I ever dreamed was possible. Right now, I'm just focused on the restaurants we have and the book I just wrote. Let me enjoy this moment before you ask me what I'll be doing tomorrow." Pecan Sandies for my mom (Makes 1-1/2 dozen cookies) 1 ¾ cups + 1 ½ teaspoons all-purpose flour (250 grams) ¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans (80 grams) 4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature (170 grams) ¾ cup + 1 ¾ teaspoons powdered sugar (90 grams) Additional powdered sugar for dusting (optional) 1. Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F (convection) or 350°F (standard). Line two sheet pans with Silpats or parchment paper. 2. Toss the flour and pecans together in a medium bowl. 3. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium-low speed until smooth. Add the 90 grams/¾ cup plus 1¾ teaspoons powdered sugar and mix for about 2 minutes, until fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, until just combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate any dry ingredients that have settled there. 4. Divide the dough into 30-gram/1½-tablespoon portions, roll into balls, and arrange on the sheet pans, leaving about 1½ inches between them. Press the cookies into 2-inch disks. 5. Bake until pale golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes if using a convection oven, 22 to 25 minutes if using a standard oven, reversing the positions of the pans halfway through. (Sandies baked in a convection oven will not spread as much as those baked in a standard oven and will have a more even color.) 6. Set the pans on a cooling rack and cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely. If desired, dust with powdered sugar. Note: The cookies can be stored in a covered container for up to 3 days.

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"Hobbit" actor McKellen has prostate cancer

The Hobbit" actor Ian McKellen said in an interview published on Tuesday that he had had prostate cancer for the last six or seven years, but added that the disease was not life-threatening. McKellen, 73, played Gandalf in the hit "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy, and reprises the role in three prequels based on J.R.R. Tolkien's novel "The Hobbit". The first of those, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey", recently had its world premiere in New Zealand, where it was shot under the directorship of Peter Jackson. "I've had prostate cancer for six or seven years," McKellen told the Daily Mirror tabloid. "When you have got it you monitor it and you have to be careful it doesn't spread. But if it is contained in the prostate it's no big deal." His representatives in London were not immediately available to comment on the interview. "Many, many men die from it but it's one of the cancers that is totally treatable," added McKellen, one of Britain's most respected actors who is also well known in Hollywood for appearances in the X-Men franchise. "I am examined regularly and it's just contained, it's not spreading. I've not had any treatment." He admitted he feared the worst when he heard he had the disease. "You do gulp when you hear the news. It's like when you go for an HIV test, you go 'arghhh is this the end of the road?' "I have heard of people dying from prostate cancer, and they are the unlucky ones, the people who didn't know they had got it and it went on the rampage. But at my age if it is diagnosed it's not life threatening." "The Hobbit" opens in cinemas later this week.

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Actress Jennifer Lawrence named 'most desirable' woman

Jennifer Lawrence, you are the world's most desirable woman, according to an international poll released on Tuesday by the website AskMen. "The Hunger Games" star rose to the top of the list from No. 47 last year on the heels of the box-office smash while buffing her credibility as a quirky, sex-mad young widow in the independent film "Silver Linings Playbook," AskMen editor in chief James Bassil said. "Overall, there's a sense that she's a little more authentic than other actors," Bassil said, adding that the public still knows too little about the 22-year-old actress to form a negative opinion. "She's fresh because we haven't seen her all over the gossip pages for the past three or four years," Bassil said. Lawrence bumped last year's winner, Sofia Vergara of "Modern Family" fame, down to No. 12, while reality star Kim Kardashian plummeted to No. 98. The poll surveyed 2.4 million readers asking them to vote on which celebrity they would choose as a prospective partner, according to the website, which is a unit of News Corp. The top 99 are then compiled into the annual poll. Rounding out the top five were actress Mila Kunis, model Kate Upton, R&B star Rihanna and "Crazy, Stupid, Love" actress Emma Stone. AGE NO ISSUE Bassil said that lots of publicity often correlates to higher desirability ranking from men, but too many headlines can leave men looking elsewhere. The most notable drop was socialite Kardashian, who fell 90 places from last year's No. 8 ranking. "Kim Kardashian is petering off and basically dropping off the list at this point even as she's become more visible," Bassil said. Youth also appears to have taken a backseat in men's tastes as this year's rankings feature a handful of women over 40. "We've seen that increasingly over the past two or three years," Bassil said. "Like most things in life, attractiveness is extending into middle age ... Who knows? In 20 years we could see 60-year-olds on the list." Those over the age of 40 on the list include U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, 48; comedienne Sarah Silverman, 42; actress Lucy Liu, 44; and British actress Rachel Weisz, 42. New Yahoo! President and Chief Executive Marissa Mayer was the only business executive to make list at No. 59. The full list can be seen at www.askmen.com.

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Australian DJs break silence over UK royal prank tragedy

Two Australian radio announcers who made a prank call to a British hospital treating Prince William's pregnant wife Kate broke a three-day silence on Monday to speak of their distress at the apparent suicide of the nurse who took their call. The 2DayFM Sydney-based announcers, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, said the tragedy had left them "shattered, gutted, heartbroken". Greig and fellow presenter and prank mastermind Christian have been in hiding since nurse Jacintha Saldanha's death and the subsequent social media outrage at their prank. Their show, "Hot 30," has been terminated, the station's parent company, Southern Cross Austereo (SCA), said in a statement on Monday. SCA also announced a company-wide suspension of prank calls. Greig told Australian television her first thought when told of Saldanha's death was for her family. "Unfortunately I remember that moment very well, because I haven't stopped thinking about it since it happened," she said, amid tears, her voice quavering with emotion. "I remember my first question was 'was she a mother?'" "I've wanted to just reach out to them and just give them a big hug and say sorry. I hope they're okay, I really do. I hope they get through this," said Greig when asked about Saldanha's two children, left with their father Ben Barboza. Saldanha, 46, was found dead in staff accommodation near London's King Edward VII hospital on Friday after putting the hoax call through to a colleague who unwittingly disclosed details of Kate's morning sickness to 2DayFM's presenters. The nurse's family travelled from their home in the western English city of Bristol to meet with politician Keith Vaz in London on Monday. British Prime Minister David Cameron said news of the Saldanha's death was "shocking". "I just feel incredibly sorry for her and her family. It's an absolute tragedy this has happened, and I'm sure everyone will want to reflect on how it was allowed to happen," he said. The hospital at which Saldanha worked told the BBC it had not disciplined her for taking the prank call. On Monday, it announced the launch of a memorial fund in Saldanha's memory to benefit her family. A post-mortem examination would be conducted on Tuesday, police said. FIRESTORM A recording of the call, broadcast repeatedly by the station, rapidly became an Internet hit and was reprinted as a transcript in many newspapers. But news of Saldanha's death sparked a firestorm of vitriolic comments towards the DJs on Facebook and Twitter. Christian said his only wish was that Saldanha's grief-stricken family received proper support. "I hope that they get the love, the support, the care that they need, you know," said Christian, who like Greig struggled to talk about the tragedy. Both Greig, 30, and Christian were relatively new to the station, with Greig joining in March and Christian having been in the job only a few days before the prank call after a career in regional radio. Greig said she did not think their prank would work. "We thought a hundred people before us would've tried it. We thought it was such a silly idea and the accents were terrible and not for a second did we expect to speak to Kate, let alone have a conversation with anyone at the hospital. We wanted to be hung up on," she said. SCA, 2Day's parent company, has received more than 1,000 complaints from Australians over the actions of the popular presenters, who have both been taken off air during an broadcasting watchdog investigation. "SCA and the hosts of the radio program have also decided that they will not return to the airwaves until further notice," SCA said in a statement. Shares in SCA fell 5 percent on Monday after two major Australian companies pulled their advertising with the radio station in protest and other advertising was suspended. The station said it had tried to contact hospital staff five times over the recordings. "It is absolutely true to say that we actually did attempt to contact those people on multiple occasions," said SCA chief executive Rhys Holleran. "No one could have reasonably foreseen what has happened. I can only say the prank call is not unusual around the world." Australia's Communications Minister Stephen Conroy sought to deflect calls for more media regulation, telling journalists that a looming investigation by Australia's independent regulator should be allowed to happen without political interference.

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