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"  If you imagine the human brain as a cartoon in the style of one of those old medical illustrations, with each region representing certain thought processes, the labels would read like this: Stop being online so much. Should I move to Portland? When is lunch? Find a soul mate. Should I start my own bakery or vintage store or restaurant? New Yorker Kerry Diamond managed to nail the last two in one fell swoop, which has pretty much remapped her whole mind. Two and a half years after she and the chef Robert Newton met on Nerve.com (&amp;quot;I almost canceled our first date,&amp;quot; Diamond says, &amp;quot;because friends warned me about dating chefs&amp;quot;), the two of them took the big leap of faith\u2014not into marriage, but into that other joint venture with big emotional and financial risks: opening a business. Last June, they launched Seersucker in the once working-class Italian, now gentrified Brooklyn neighborhood Carroll Gardens, serving cozily refined southern food that blends Newton&amp;#039;s Arkansas upbringing with his professional past behind the stoves at Le Cirque and Tabla in NYC and at Simon Pearce in Vermont.  Now, other than the large chunk of Diamond&amp;#039;s brain devoted to her day job as a public relations VP for the beauty brand Lanc\u00F4me, her thoughts are dominated by her prized waitstaff&amp;#039;s fortunes (will they wander when they land their dream acting gigs?), the financials of adding muffins to the breakfast menu, and schemes to move the ugly trucks blocking the view to the park and Sunday greenmarket outside Seersucker&amp;#039;s picture window. &amp;quot;You know how hard everyone says it is?&amp;quot; Diamond says. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s harder.&amp;quot; But there&amp;#039;s also the Saturday-night high when every table is full of people who were, or have become, neighborhood friends.  Being in the fashion and beauty world gave her a built-in customer base, and the whole gang, by happy coincidence, seems to live in the neighborhood. Seersucker was quickly abuzz with indie designers, fashion publicists, photographers, set designers, and boutique owners who, along with Diamond and Newton, define an of-the-moment demographic: Call it the mellowly ambitious grown-up bohemian. You know the men by their wittily quasi-formal dress (a tie, a cardigan, a beard); the women by their tossed-on deconstructed, flowy dresses and tops; their adorable toddlers by their mini leather jackets and rock &amp;#039;n&amp;#039; roll haircuts; and the whole group by its devotion to walking culture\u2014and an unusual appreciation for good local food.  To celebrate their first months in business, and in gratitude for the enthusiastic patronage, Diamond and Newton threw an early Valentine&amp;#039;s Day supper for the regulars and their sig others: designers Maria Cornejo; Sophie Th\u00E9allet; Robin Renzi, the Ro in Me&amp;amp;amp;Ro jewelry; Jeffrey Costello and Robert Tagliapietra of Costello Tagliapietra; Jen Mankins, owner of the three style-setting Bird boutiques, one of which is up the block; Carrie Ellen Phillips, cofounder of famous PR firm BPCM (which reps Aldo and Suno, to name but two); and Sylvie Picquet-Damesme, partner in PR Consulting (Proenza Schouler, Yves Saint Laurent).  The meal featured Seersucker&amp;#039;s rhapsodized-over biscuits (lard lightened and topped with local honey butter), homey but elegantly clean-flavored chicken and dumplings, divinely melty braised pork shoulder, collards, and, for dessert, sweet but not cloying double buttermilk mini pies and red velvet macarons. During the party, French and English alternated with urbane ease. Children with sitters wandered in for visits and kisses, without turning things irksomely parenty. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;ve lived here for six years,&amp;quot; Phillips says, &amp;quot;and seen restaurants come and go, without ever feeling like part of the culture, but Kerry and Rob really live here. They have an incredible knack for bringing fun neighborhood people together and feeding them well.&amp;quot; &amp;quot;I sort of have to be here all the time if I want to see Rob!&amp;quot; Diamond says, laughing, though she has no regrets about dating a chef.   Black Pepper-Coriander-Crusted Pork Serves 8 to 12  1 c whole coriander seeds 1/3 c whole black peppercorns 3 tbsp kosher salt 1 pork butt, 4 to 6 lb   1. Using a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder, grind together coriander seeds and black pepper into a coarse rub.2. Combine this with the salt and thoroughly coat the pork butt with the mixture.3. Place it on a sheet tray lined with aluminum foil and put into a 275\u00B0F oven.4.  Cook for six hours or until fork tender.5.  Let the meat rest for at least 30 minutes under an aluminum foil tent, then carve.   Seersucker Biscuits and Honey Butter Makes around 20  7 c cake flour (plus more for rolling out the biscuits) 3 tbsp baking powder 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 c lard 3 c cold buttermilk 4 tbsp melted butter for pan and tops of biscuits Fleur de sel for tops of biscuits   1.  Sift together all the dry ingredients. Cut in the lard, using a fork or pastry cutter.2. Add the buttermilk and mix well with a wooden spoon.3. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead gently.4. Keep more flour nearby, as this dough is wet. Add as needed until the dough is no longer sticky and you can begin using a rolling pin.5. Roll the dough out until it&amp;#039;s an even half-inch thickness.6. Using a biscuit cutter (try a square cutter for less waste), cut out the biscuits. Line a sheet tray with aluminum foil (shiny side up) and brush with butter.7. Arrange the biscuits on the foil so that they are just touching.8. Brush the tops of the biscuits with butter and sprinkle with fleur de sel.9.  Bake at 425\u02DAF for 10 to 12 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Serve with honey butter or your favorite jam, jelly, or preserves.  For honey butter: 1 lb unsalted high-quality butter, left out for one hour 3 tbsp honey Combine butter and honey with a food processor. If mixing by hand, use very soft butter. Double-Buttermilk Pie Filling   1/2 c butter 1 1/3 c sugar 3 eggs, separated 3 tbsp flour 1 1/2 c buttermilk 1 tbsp lemon juice  1.  Cream butter, sugar, and egg yolks until combined.2.  Add flour, buttermilk, and lemon juice. Mix well.3.  Stir the egg whites until soft peaks form.4.  Gently fold whites into the egg, flour, and sugar mixture. Crust   2 1/2 c all-purpose flour 1 tbsp sugar 1 tsp salt 1/2 c butter, cut into small pieces 1/2 c lard, cut into small pieces 6 tbsp. buttermilk  1.  Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl.2.  Cut lard and butter into flour with a pastry cutter or fork.3.  Add buttermilk to the mixture and mix with your hands until combined.4.  Once it&amp;#039;s combined, coat the ball of dough with extra flour, wrap it with plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for an hour.5.  With a rolling pin on a well-floured surface, roll the dough out to approximately 10 inches in diameter so it will fit in a 9&amp;quot; pie pan.6. Spray the pie pan with nonstick spray, then gently arrange the dough, crimping the top with your thumb and index finger. Using a fork, prick the dough at the bottom of the pie pan several times.7. Bake without any filling in a 375\u02DAF oven for 8 to 10 minutes.8.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.9.  Add the prepared buttermilk batter, return pie to the oven, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until top is slightly golden.10.  Allow to cool.11.  Cut and serve with homemade whipped cream. Stone-Ground Grits   3 c water 1 c milk 1 c stone-ground grits (we use Carolina Plantation grits) Salt and pepper 1/2 c cream (optional)  1.  Combine milk and water in a heavy-bottom pot. Bring to a simmer. Slowly add the grits.2.  Stir frequently using a whisk. The grits will slowly begin to thicken. After 20 minutes, remove whisk and use a wooden spoon. Stir every 10 minutes, scrapping the bottom of the pan so the grits don&amp;#039;t burn.3.  Cook grits over a very low flame for an hour and a half.4.  Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Finish with cream if you prefer. Braised Collard Greens with Country Ham   1 lb country ham, diced 3 shallots, finely diced 4 bunches collard greens, stemmed, cleaned, and cut into 2&amp;quot; by 2&amp;quot; pieces 3/4 cup water or chicken stock Salt and pepper  1.  Add country ham to a heavy-bottom pot and cook over medium flame until the ham releases some of its fat and moisture. (If the ham isn&amp;#039;t releasing any fat, add three tablespoons canola oil.)2. Once this is cooking nicely, add the shallots and cook for two minutes.3. Next, add the collard greens.4.  Mix well to combine. The moisture from the collard greens will release all the browned bits of ham from the bottom of the pan.5.  Add water or chicken stock and mix well. Cover and let cook for an hour over a very low flame. Check and stir halfway through.6.  After an hour, stir again. Take a bite of the collard greens. They should be tender and soft. If not, cook for another 20 minutes.7.  Season with salt and pepper if necessary, but be sure to taste first, because the country ham will probably add enough seasoning. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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