Andy Baraghani Hosted Not-Your-Average-Book-Party for His Cookbook, “The Cook You Want to Be”

Andy Baraghani knows how to party. The former Bon Appétit editor and newly-minted New York Times bestselling author spent his twenties out almost every night in New York City, taking a traditional book party off the table for his press tour homecoming. 

Ahead of New York’s Pride celebration weekend, Baraghani filled the Georgia Room with friends and former colleagues from his 14 years of living in New York for a late-night dance party celebrating Pride Month and the release of his cookbook, The Cook You Want to Be. “It really did feel like a homecoming,” Baraghani told Vogue. “This was the only dance party for the tour. I’ve had smaller events, a cocktail party just before the book release, and a dinner at Flamingo Estate in L.A., but I knew I wanted a dance party in New York. I wanted to throw a dance party to celebrate the book and Pride month.”

Unsurprisingly, and to my delight, Baraghani served small adaptations from his book, including the spicy, citrusy olives, the nuts to drink with, and melon with nori sprinkles. “I love potato chips and caviar and Pointy Snout caviar is my favorite. I love those two textures paired together,” he added. 

Good-looking foodies lined up to take selfies with not only Baraghani but the tiered lemon tahini cake by Yardy World, all while sipping mezcal cocktails and Aplós mocktails that went down like summer. “I tend to crave bright, citrusy cocktails,” said the author. “The Madre Mezcal Spritz had Madre Mezcal, grapefruit juice, Aperol, and a splash of sparkling wine. The Madre Mezcal Negroni had Lillet Blanc and dry vermouth.”

The author has been on a nationwide press tour over the past few weeks, in the middle of which he earned another accomplishment to celebrate: making The New York Times bestseller list. Adding to his marathon of culinary fêtes, Baraghani honored his latest achievement with emotionally overwhelming phone calls to his parents and partner, Keith, “and smoked a generous amount of Parliaments and drank plenty of natural wine at Tofino in San Francisco that evening.” A pairing for champions.