Reality Sells—But Can It Last?

It was a good morning for People reporter, food blogger, and celebrity chef's steady Alyssa Shelasky. "Wanted to share the happy news," she tweeted. "APRON ANXIETY is becoming a book. I'm writing it, published by Clarkson Potter. I'm beside myself with joy!" And her good news marks an interesting moment for reality television in Washington. Said celebrity chef is Top Chef alum Spike Mendelsohn, who runs Capitol Hill's Good Stuff Eatery and We, The Pizza. His star power is apparently enough to make an intriguing hook in a book proposal.

While the book may be based on her blog, there's no question that Mendelsohn is a major part of the story. The proposal Shelasky's circulating describes her book as "a memoir with recipes about the journey of learning to cook and finding herself, after falling in love with her tv crush-turned-fiance, chef Spike Mendelsohn."

But is the story going to turn out that way? In an October 18 blog post about trying out Eataly in New York, Shelasky wrote: "I can't choose whether to get married or not, forget which mouthwatering and intimidating and dizzying food station to lay down and die for." And six days later, she wrote again:

Clearly I'm not living in DC much these days – that's another story for another blog on another day. For now, just know, I'm basically in New York full time. Until the wind blows to me…I'm not sure…London? Sydney? Springfield? Drifting suits me in many ways and despite all the changes in my life, I'm doing fine. 

So what are your bets for the final manuscript, folks? Tender love story? Or juicy break-up book?

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Alyssa Rosenberg