Golf Kitchen Magazine, Inaugural Issue, Fall 2017

recipes created by James Simpson

COURSE TO COURSE PHOTOGRAPHY

by GOLF KITCHEN

Contact: diana@golfkitchen.com

Golf Kitchen Magazine is a quarterly publication of Golf Kitchen LLC. Copyright 2017.

Subscriptions are available at www.golfkitchen.com for $28.00 per year plus postage.

All rights reserved in all countries.

Contents may not be reproduced in any manner without written permission of Golf Kitchen LLC. Golf Kitchen LLC does not necessarily agree with the viewpoints expressed by our contributing writers of articles and advertising copy.

Golf Kitchen welcomes letters to the editor at info@golfkitchen.com or mail to PO Box 111, Unionville, CT 06085.

GOLF KITCHEN Magazine

CONTENTS THE EXECUTIVE SUITE

GOLF KITCHEN JOURNEY

LITCHFIELD DISTILLERY

Troy Albert, General Manager, Sebonack Golf Club

A delightful collection of images from the Golf Kitchen's travels.

Farm to Bottle in Litchfield, CT

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PAGE 52

PAGE 12, 32, 58

PAGE 76

DOMAINE DE MURTOLI

WHAT'S IN MY KITCHEN?

WHO IS REDVANLY?

Enjoy our visit to Corsica with

Chef's select their can't live

Meet the young and talented

Bocuse trained Chef de Cuisine,

without kitchen gear.

Golf and Tennis clothing designer Andrew Redvanly.

Jerome Dreyer..

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CLUBHOUSE COCKTAILS

FROM THE SPA

THE WINE CELLAR

What is mixologist Javier Burgos

Nirmala Narine takes us on an

An interview with Tasmanian

creating for the members at

exotic journey to discover the

wine writer Tyson Stelzer.

Addison Reserve Country Club?

benefits of the ancient therapy of Ayurveda.

A CHEF'S GARDEN IN OHIO

COVER STORY

DESSERT DELIGHT

Farmer Lee Jones

Rhy Waddington, Executive Chef, Winged Foot Golf Club

Dana Iannelli, Pastry Chef, AddIson Reserve Country Club

34 RECIPES DESSERTS COCKTAILS FROM OUR FEATURED CHEFS

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VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1, FALL 2017 Welcome to Golf Kitchen Magazine Travel has always been a large part of my life. At a very young age, I left my home on a small farm named Berrembea, in Queensland, Australia to "GALAVANT" as my mother would say. Well, my galavanting has now taken me all over the world, a story too long to tell in this tiny space. After raising a family on two continents, co-producing a culinary magazine in New York, writing two books surrounding the culinary industry in Golf, I managed to find the rest of my life in the process.

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Sometimes my career looks like it has been a bed of roses; I assure you nothing came easy, life was full of challenges that at times almost broke my spirit, but I knew in my heart that traveling the world and telling stories was where I was most likely to feel alive. The golf world has given me this privilege.

The vision of Golf Kitchen Magazine was born at Kiawah Island Club in South Carolina at the end of a Golf Kitchen dinner event at Cassique Golf Club. It was suggested to me by one of the participating chefs. A Golf Kitchen magazine made sense to me, and seven months later here we are launching the first issue with five covers already secured until Winter of 2019.

As many of you know, the Golf Kitchen coffee table book launched at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, last year, so it only seems fitting to highlight their talented and as you can see handsome Executive Chef Rhy Waddington in this commemorative issue. Chef Rhy is also producing our interview with Gary Player, which will be the cover story for the Winter 2018 issue; Rhy's talent goes way beyond the kitchen.

Some stories lead to others, and it was Chef Rhy that introduced me to Dana Ianelli, Pastry Chef at Addison Reserve Country Club, Delray Beach, Florida. Dana is an angel, and I am sure you will agree that her talent is way beyond that of her years, I know the members and guests adore her and her tasty creations!

I traveled to Corsica last year and chatted to Chef de Cuisine Jerome Dreyer, who trained for three years at Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France, Jerome has

had a dream career thus far and landed in a very idyllic place at the Domaine de Murtoli, Corsica, France.

I also visited the Chef's Garden in Ohio to chat with Farmer Lee Jones, Nirmala Narine takes us to the spa to learn about the ancient practice of Ayurveda, Chef Leo Bushey visits Litchfield Distillery and talks Farm to Bottle Bourbon, I interview General Manager and all around nice guy Troy Albert of Sebonack Golf Club, and much more.

I hope you love the featured recipes and cocktails and even try making some, please post them on social media #golfkitchen Thank you to everyone I have met on my journey in the good or bad times; you have made me into a better and stronger human being.

Thank you to all Golf Kitchen sponsors, Golf Clubs, and Resorts, members, friends, and family especially those who never dwelled on the fence. You know who you are.

I look forward to continuing to highlight and give opportunities to those with a strong passion in their culinary field in the Private Golf Club and Resort sector long into the future.

Please write to me if you have any ideas or comments or just want to tell me about some of your culinary golf adventures!

Diana DeLucia Editor

ISSUE 2 / WINTER 2018

COLLECTORS EDITION

NEW RECIPES DESSERTS COCKTAILS

SANKATY HEAD EXECUTIVE CHEF RYAN CASTRO

LEAN 18

CATE RITTER

KINGSTON HEATH

EXECUTIVE CHEF WARWICK HILLI

the wine cellar

GLENARBOR EXECUTIVE CHEF CAREY FAVREAU

THE CHEF'S GARDEN EXECUTIVE CHEF LIASON JAMES SIMPSON

GARY PLAYER FAMILY, FITNESS AND FRIENDSHIPS

WINGED FOOT GOLF CLUB

WHAT'S IN MY KITCHEN? THE CULINARY MAGAZINE FOR THE PRIVATE GOLF CLUB AND RESORT ENTHUSIAST

GENERAL MANAGER, COLIN BURNS

golf kitchen journey $6.95 WHERE SOLD

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GOLF KITCHEN FIRST EDITION WWW.GOLFKITCHEN.COM

CONTRIBUTORS Editor DIANA DELUCIA Assistant Editor NIKITA COLLETTA feature writers DIANA DELUCIA LEO BUSHEY NIRMALA NARINE director of photography DIANA DELUCIA Advertising sales DIANA DELUCIA WILLIAM JAMES special thanks RHY WADDINGTON TROY ALBERT FARMER LEE JONES JAMES SIMPSON DANA IANNELLI JAVIER BURGOS JEROME DREYER NIRMALA NARINE ANDREW REDVANLY TYSON STELZER DAVID BAKER JACK BAKER PETER BAKER LEO BUSHEY SHERI BUSHEY

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What's in my

Kitchen?

Korin make some of the best knives on the market, they are versatile, keep a great edge and have a great feel. korin.com Rhy Waddington, Executive Chef, Winged Foot Golf Club

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Sebonack Golf Club, Southampton, New York, USA Image by Laurence Lambrecht

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THE EXECUTIVE SUITE A PEOPLE PERSON AN INTERVIEW WITH TROY ALBERT, GENERAL MANAGER, SEBONACK GOLF CLUB

GK: You grew up in Minnesota.

Can you tell us more about that experience?

When I was growing up, we lived in a big farmhouse on a farm in Minnesota. My family raised about 52 foster children, and I also have five siblings.

My mother took care of us children, and my father was a bricklayer who worked in the mines. Maybe I had the right background for country clubs because I had a strong work ethic and the ability to get along and learn about so many different personality types.

When I was a student in the hospitality school at the University of Wisconsin South, I took a 9-month internship at the Registry Resort in Naples, Florida. During my stay, they invited me to work in management sales and finish up my schooling in Florida.

My night manager grabbed me and said, “Troy, don’t let them talk you into being a sales manager. You recognize hotel guests every time and call them by name when they walk in the door from a prior reference, or because they had met you as a member or a guest."

GK: Tell us about your background as a General Manager and how you found your Executive Chef, Anthony Giacoponello.

I was very fortunate to have worked at several high-end country clubs on Long Island.

Long Island has always been well-known for its five-star food at these prestigious clubs. I worked at Seawane Country Club, Fresh Meadow Country Club, and Muttontown Golf and Country Club, which all prided themselves in their food service department.

Muttontown hired me because they were aware of my culinary and hospitality experience from Seawane and Fresh Meadow.

When I first arrived at Muttontown,I was impressed that the previous three or four chefs were all extremely talented and had vast experience all over New York and around the world.

The last chef at Muttontown also owned a five-star restaurant on Long Island. When we needed to hire sous chefs to work with him, they were also required to have a variety of experience working with chefs from around the world.

TROY ALBERT

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It was also important that they be creative and open-minded, Anthony Giacoponello fitted that mold.

When Anthony came to see us, we had learned that he had unparalleled experience from restaurants like Restaurant Daniel, Alfred Portale’s Gotham, Le Cirque and many more renowned establishments. For us, it was a no-brainer, and it was an honor to give him the sous chef position.

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Our Executive Chef moved on to a different country club. We had received hundreds of resumes because the chef had been one of the most sought out chefs on Long Island at that time.

We were all in agreement that Anthony was the best fit for the position. He had proven himself, had demonstrated extraordinary recipes, delightful presentation, and he was familiar with our culinary staff. Anthony had so much experience at such a young age, many people who read through his resume assumed he had to be forty or fifty years old.

The only question was: How did he get to all these places?

Anthony had only been the Executive Chef for a few weeks, and the members were raving and were extremely excited for this new change. Anthony had, in my opinion, helped to bring the club to the next level. We already had fantastic service and food, and the members were extremely happy, but Anthony raised the bar. Being so young and motivated, Chef Anthony wanted to prove himself. He did just that, and then-some at Muttontown.

GK: What year did you start working at Sebonack?

I started on January 1, 2008, we didn’t have a clubhouse; we were still designing and laying out the kitchen. When things were near completion, we started with a couple of great chefs, but it just wasn’t the perfect match.

When the opportunity came for us to hire a full-time Executive Chef, the first person I called was Anthony. He had already been out here a couple of times helping us with the layout and the design. Anthony was ecstatic at the idea of accepting the position at Sebonack. Anthony said, “It’s the dream club, I think it's amazing what you guys are doing out here, and I’d like to be a part of your team.” I set up a lunch meeting with the owner Michael Pascucci, and his sons, Christopher and Ralph to discuss Anthony’s resume and his background. Without even tasting his food, they felt that Anthony would be the perfect match for Sebonack.

GK: How did the members react to Anthony?

At Sebonack, we have a big window outside and an open kitchen inside, where the members walk by and say hello.

We always wanted our kitchen staff to be a part of the family here, and Anthony has created a great camaraderie with the members here.

GK: There is a big difference between a club chef and a restaurant chef. Tell us your thoughts about that?

One thing that most people don’t understand is when you hire a restaurant chef; they are used to cooking the same menu items a few weeks in a row, quarterly or seasonally. In a golf club, like at Sebonack, we have a new dinner menu every single night that we open for dinner. We might have a couple of repeat items from time to time, but for the most part, the menu has to change. A country club chef has dinner menus on a regular basis, and at the same point, manage large events, such as weddings, golf outings, and other functions.

I remember when one of the former chefs had created a very nice menu for a Friday night dinner at the club. We presented

the menu to one of the members and he said “You know what? I just want scrambled eggs for dinner.”

The chef was frustrated because he had created this phenomenal menu that evening. I had said to the chef, “We are a country club, and we do whatever it takes to please the member, without question.”

So, the chef who was extremely displeased with my decision made scrambled eggs that evening, and when he served it to the member, the member not only loved his meal but was extremely pleased the chef accommodated his request.

There are not a lot of restaurant chefs out there that are willing to bend. Anthony is flexible and understands the importance of pleasing the membership.

I highly recommend to other club managers, when hiring a chef, to not only seek out an individual who can perform his culinary duties but one who also has the personality and capability to interact with the members, they must also have a kind demeanor.

When we are in peak golf season here, we work very long hours. It is crucial to have a friendly face that we can talk to, and someone who is approachable, especially when things can change almost instantaneously.

I can’t tell you how many times we have had a special menu planned; we were all set, totally prepped, and someone walked in and said, “You know what, I have these new guests that just showed up tonight, I want to change up the menu entirely.

Can we do a different menu, can you come up with some new hors-d'oeuvres?” We need someone who can think outside the box, be flexible at a moment’s notice, and be willing to change their set agenda.

At Sebonack Golf Club outdoor dining is very popular.

GK: What do you do when there’s a change, but you don’t have enough product?

Great question. There are many times when we are doing dinner

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and someone says “Troy, we would like some passing hors d’oeuvres tonight.” Instead of telling the member that we cannot accommodate them, I approach Anthony and ask him what he can do. Anthony is great at putting something together last minute. He will say “We have some steak here, we can slice it up, we’ll make some quick garlic bread, some steak tidbits and send that out, or we’ll take some lobster, and we’ll chop it up and put it on some crostinis and send it out like mini lobster bites.”

Sometimes he’ll run downstairs and go into the fridge and he’ll come up with eight different ingredients in his arms. So, he’s extremely creative in that aspect.

GK: What do you think about the newest breed of chefs coming out of the many culinary schools, and what is your advice to them?

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once every three years, and when they come in, we want everything to be perfect. We always joke around about the cheeseburger here. It better be just right, because if you have that member who only dines here every three years, he does not want to walk away with an overcooked cheeseburger when he ordered it medium rare. If so, his negative experience will linger in his memory and leave a bad taste in his mouth. Whether it’s a corn muffin for breakfast or a steak for dinner, every single dish that leaves the kitchen at Sebonack must be approved by Chef Anthony. Anthony will not allow for any meal to be served until it’s perfect for our members and their guests.

GK: How does the Pascucci family work with Anthony and the culinary team here?

It’s a different world now. The students that apply to be sous chefs do not have the vast experience, that chefs like Anthony have. They are not traveling around the world to stage; they’re coming out of culinary school, and think they can walk in and demand a position without any experience.

The nice thing is the Pascucci family makes it easy for us to do our job. They give us the best tools, all the resources, and everything that we need to succeed. At that point, it is up to the staff to provide the membership with a pleasing finished product, and something that all the members will enjoy.

My advice to the new generation of young chefs is to get out there and walk the pavement, to spend time traveling and staging at the top restaurants and clubs.

I encourage them to build up their culinary experience and to be open to learning. In doing so, they are more likely to succeed in their industry and to gain the respect as a true Chef.

GK: What is your role in the club?

GK: How do your members influence your menu?

We are a non-denominational club at Sebonack, so we have a great variety of members.

Being an extremely affluent, high-end membership, our members have dined at the best restaurants in the world, and so they understand, appreciate, and expect fine meals. We have some members that come in

staff on a daily basis, but I let him do his own job. By doing that, I think it benefits the whole club. The department heads are happier because they can do what they want. But, we still talk every day to figure out how we can make things better.

GK: Describe a day in the life of Sebonack.

A day in the life of Sebonack starts from the moment you pull into the gates. There’s a certain aura as you drive up to the clubhouse, and, from the moment you pull in, you have this special feeling that this is a magical place. We call it “The Sebonack Experience.” I’ve had so many members approach me and say, “Troy, I just left the city. I just flew in from La Guardia; I just did this; I did that. All of a sudden, I pull into the gates, and everything is just lifted.” That’s a great feeling.

“My advice to the new generation of young chefs is to get out there and walk the pavement, to spend time traveling and staging at the top

I have a couple of different roles in the club – one for the members and one for the employees. The members look for a leader in the club, the one person who will always take care of their needs.

The staff sees me as a role model on how to behave at the club and how to interact with our members.

restaurants and clubs.”

At the end of the day, am I responsible for everything? Do I need to know every single thing?

Yes. It’s very important for my department heads to inform me of any issue whatsoever. I let the department heads do their jobs, but I’m involved in every single department. The chef will go over all the menus with me; we’ll talk about buying, we’ll go over the specials, we’ll talk about his

Our members love that Sebonack offers a warm, friendly, casual environment that is all reflected in the building, the golf course, and the staff. On top of that, we have members who are the friendliest people. This is my eighth country club now, and they are the nicest membership I have ever worked with, hands down. No question about it.

GK: Please tell us about the level of service you provide the members here.

We don’t say no. And that’s the bottom line. The request can be for a Learjet, for a doctor, a dentist – whatever it is, we’re going to do it. We’re going to take care of it. You know, anyone can say, “We try and meet all member expectations,” but we’re so beyond that. We have meetings with the staff constantly – the department heads, all the way down to the dishwasher – and the theme is always how we can make it better. Every time we have an event, we get together the next day to discuss what needs changing or improvement.

Anthony Giacoponello, Executive Chef

We have many, many letters from members and charitable organizations who tell us how outstanding our customer service is.

If you put it all together – the owners, the friendliest members, and the staff that we hire based on personality – how can you go wrong? To top it all off, the owners give us all the tools we need to do it right, and they insist that we only buy the best products at all times for our membership.

It’s a pleasure to work here, and because it’s a pleasure to work here, honestly, we go out of our way to make our members happy.

GK: What sets Sebonack Golf Club apart?

Besides not saying no to anything that’s reasonable and does not interfere with another member, knowing our members is what sets us apart. We pride ourselves and focus on knowing who our members are. We study everything from what they drink, to whether they asked for extra pillows or wanted a special green tea. We have a philosophy here that says, “Eyes on the member,” and that’s what separates us from most clubs. ~ by Diana DeLucia

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Highlights from the Golf Kitchen Journey are many. Diana DeLucia traveled the USA and internationally in search of great culinary talents in the world of golf. Please enjoy some of these moments.

1. Chrissie Bennet, Sous Chef at Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, New York, USA, enjoying the sun on a sailing trip to Bowen's Island, South Carolina, USA during the Kiawah Island Club | Golf Kitchen event week.

2. Doug Blair, Executive Chef and Michael O'Shaughnessy, Chef de Cuisine at Cassique at Kiawah Island Club, South Carolina, USA chat before a Golf Kitchen photoshoot.

3. Robert Lee, Executive Chef at Bay Hill Club and Lodge, Orlando, Florida, USA prepares Arnold Palmer's Champion's Duo for the Golf Kitchen coffee table book.

4. Diana DeLucia and her sister Karen Barstow take a day trip to the Barossa Valley, South Australia during a visit to Royal Adelaide Golf Club for Golf Kitchen.

5. Rosemary Prisock, Director of Hospitality at Old Waverly Golf Club, West Point, Mississippi, USA prepares for a wine dinner being held by the Memphis Wine Society.

GOLF KITCHEN

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6. Lê Thị Duyên, mixologist at Banyan Tree Laguna Lăng Cô in Central Vietnam creates some cool cocktails for our social media campaigns.

7. Nicholas Cuomo, Executive Chef at Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, UAE preparing a Raw Tuna Slice for the Golf Kitchen coffee table book.

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8. Anthony Giacoponello, Executive Chef at Sebonack Golf Club, Southampton, New York, Amy Everett, Clubhouse Manager at Cassique, Doug Blair, Executive Chef at Cassique at Kiawah Island Club, Jose Carles, Executive Chef at Royal Isabela Golf Club, Isabela, Puerto Rico, Rhy Waddington, Executive Chef at Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, New York and Robert Valle, Sous Chef at Royal Isabela Golf Club, Puerto Rico enjoying a boat ride before their Golf Kitchen dinner event on March 30th, 2017.

9, A crow steals some fruit at Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Puerto Rico.

10. Ryan Castro, Executive Chef at Sankaty Head Golf Club, Nantucket, USA takes some time out for a photograph!

11.. Rhy Waddington, Executive Chef at Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, New York with Ming Tsai, Celebrity Chef and Entrepeneur at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, USA at the Salesforce Pro Am.

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12. Joseph Klages, Sous Chef and Anthony Giacoponello,Executive Chef from Sebonack Golf Club with Diana DeLucia at Bowen's Island, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

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1. Juan Pena, Executive Chef of Operations and Anthony Masas, Executive Chef at Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic in the garden for a Golf Kitchen photoshoot.

2. Farmer Lee Jones of The Chef's Garden, Huron, Ohio, USA giving us that magic look!

3. Leo Bushey, Director of Culinary Operations at Crestview National Golf Club, Southern Massachusetts and Golf Kitchen contibuting writer smiles after setting up for the dinner event in March at Cassique at Kiawah Island Club, South Carolina, USA. 4. A farmer at Banyan Tree Laguna Lăng CĂ´ in Central Vietnam.

5. Robert Valle, Sous Chef at Royal Isabela, Diana DeLucia with Jose Carles, Executive Chef at Royal Isabela, Puerto Rico.

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6. Colin Burns, General Manager at Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, New York, with make up artist Chansopheak Tong and Rhy Waddington, Executive Chef at Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, New York, USA during a break in our cover shoot.

7. Bryan Skelding, Executive Chef at The Greenbrier prepares a steak recipe at Prime 44 for Golf Kitchen.

8. Warwick Hilli, Executive Chef at Kingston Heath Golf Club, Melbourne, Australia takes Diana DeLucia for a game of golf in the famous Sandbelt region.

9. Renate Tietje, Jemma Colletta, Nikita Colletta, Richard Barstow, Steve Sylvia, Karen Barstow, Diana DeLucia and Don Dewitt at the Golf Kitchen Book launch at Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, New York, USA. 10. Dana Iannelli, Pastry Chef at Addison Reserve Country Club, Delray Beach, Florida, USA shows off her creation!

11. Sir Nick Faldo with young student at his golf clinic at Banyan Tree Laguna Phuket, Thailand.

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THE BEVERAGE CART FARM TO BOTTLE WITH JACK AND DAVID BAKER OF LITCHFIELD DISTILLERY

Golf Kitchen had the pleasure of touring a farm to table bourbon distillery “Litchfield Distillery,” located in Litchfield County, Connecticut in May 2017. Here is what brothers David, and Jack Baker had to tell us about their passion for home-grown bourbon, gin, and vodka.

GK: Tell us about the evolution of Litchfield Distillery.

Jack: Our family business is Crystal Rock Bottled Water Company. We have been in operation since 1914.

My brother David has always had solid background knowledge on whiskey, so we decided to footprint the brown spirit, bourbon. It’s been a four-year plan to date.

We’ve been distilling for about two and a half years now.

of distilleries out on the West Coast, and we didn’t think that trend had started here on the East Coast yet. I went out to Seattle and toured a bunch of distilleries, and came back really enthusiastic. We began looking at buildings and equipment and all of a sudden we had a building, the equipment showed up, and we thought we better learn how to do this!

GK: What’s the reception you’re getting with your products?

David: I think people, especially in Connecticut, love a local product. It’s seen as local in Massachusetts and New York as well. A lot of individuals from all over visit this part of the state, it’s a special place, and we love hearing their stories.

GK: How did this evolve into a second family business?

GK: Tell us about the process.

What makes your bourbon, gin, and vodka unique?

David: My brothers Jack, Peter and I, were looking for something to do together, and we had read some articles about the growth

Jack: For a bourbon to be considered bourbon it has to be at least 51 percent corn. We’re 70 percent corn, 25 percent rye and

LITCHFIELD DISTILLERY

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5% barley. Bourbon has to have at least 51% corn, distilled at less than 160 proof, barreled at 125 proof or less in a new oak charred container, and bottled at 80 proof or above.

Our gin base is 90% corn and 10% barley. This mix creates a high-quality neutral-flavored alcohol that is then redistilled with the botanicals to get the gin flavor. Gin has to have juniper berries to achieve that classic gin flavor.

Our vodka is 100% corn. Vodka is made from just about anything that will ferment. Distillation has to be above 190 proof so that there’s no distinctive character, taste, or color. We consider our vodka to have its own unique characteristics that make it a little bit more special.

For the gin, we make a vodka first and then redistill it with the juniper. Our unique blend of botanicals contains juniper, coriander, elderberry, and citrus, all of which creates complexity and a distinctive signature taste profile.

GK: What came first, the bourbon, the gin, or the vodka?

David: The bourbon and the gin came first, we didn’t intend to make vodka. When our brands got some high acceptance from our consumer base, they were asking when we would make a vodka. In time we gave our customers what they requested.

GK: Where do you get your corn and rye germination?

David: Our corn and rye come from Lion Rock Farm in Sharon, Connecticut, about 18 miles away. For our bourbon, 95% of it is Litchfield County grown.

We’re looking to source a local barley. The barley needs to be malted, which means it is then moistened, germinated, and dried. That creates an enzyme in the seed that converts starches to sugar. All these grains in their dried germinated stages are

starches, and they need to be cooked at certain temperatures and pH’s with the enzymes to convert starches to sugars.

GK: Do you do a steeping process with your vanilla?

David: We’re doing an extraction from the vanilla beans. We take our two-year bourbon, our straight bourbon, and we put the vanilla extraction into the bourbon to bring the flavor to a certain level, and then we place a Madagascar vanilla bourbon bean in each bottle, which is always evolving. The vanilla bean will continue to add flavor.

GK: Do you anticipate doing any other kind of flavoring after vanilla?

David: We do a coffee flavor, which goes back to our other company Crystal Rock-Cool Beans Coffee. We worked with our roaster in Hartford to develop a profile grind for it; a course ground Arabica coffee bean.

We steep for 24 hours, and we use cold brew coffee to do the dilution instead of just distilled water.

GK: The equipment is pristine.

David: Thank you. Most of it is from Germany; the main still is a Mueller. As you know, in the United States we had prohibition, and spirit-still manufacturers stopped making this type of equipment. So the European still evolved while our industry stalled for a while. German craftsmanship is second to none, the technology is impeccable, and it’s producing splendid spirits for us.

GK: Tell us about your still.

Jack: It’s a 500 L. still. They call it a hybrid still because it uses two different types of distillation together. The left side is known as the traditional pot still. That makes a great flavored bourbon.

The right side, the column, is a column still, invented in the mid-1920s. That gives us control

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over the proof of the product that we're going to produce. We do three distillations a day. We distill bourbon to 150 proof and our gin and vodka bases to 185 proof.

"There's the angel's share and the devil's cut.

We lose about 15 percent to evaporation, so the alcohol that leaves the barrels and goes to the heavens is called the angel's share. What stays in the barrel is what's called the devil's cut."

Jack Baker

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the logo. We were struggling to capture the right perspective and attitude in the illustration, so we eventually had one of our employees push a barrel across the floor and took about 200 pictures of him until we got the profile we liked. Then the agency created the icon artwork from that, which ultimately became our logo.

GK: It looks like you might be able to hold events here, do you?

David: Yes, thank you, to us, it's like no other. We give tours and tastings. We are getting astonishing acceptance from the the surrounding communities, and our guests are becoming more and more frequent.

Jack: Do you know what the angel's share is?

GK: No, I have no idea.

GK: Jack, tell us a bit about the charring process.

Jack: The barrels have to be brand new and charred on the inside. We char by igniting the barrels with coal and let it burn to our specifications. Charring brings out the smokiness. The charred coal helps caramelize the sugars on the inside of the barrel, so right behind the char, there is what's called a caramelized sap ring, and that gets dissolved by the whiskey and brings out vanilla, butterscotch, and caramel flavors.

GK: Tell us about the bottle.

David: We found a bottle that we thought would fit our image and we call that a flask-style bottle. But if you look at it, it's got a nice chunk of thick glass at the bottom, which is part of what makes it a quality product.

GK: The logo?

David: We hired Miles Finch Innovation to help us design

Jack: There are the angel's share and the devil's cut. We lose about 15 percent to evaporation, so the alcohol that leaves the barrels and goes to the heavens is called the angel's share. What stays in the barrel is what's called the devil's cut. ~ by Leo Bushey For more infomation about Litchfield Distillery: www. litchfielddistillery.com

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What's in my

Kitchen?

From purée to pâté to ice cream and sorbet Pacojet makes life easy with its ability to produce the smoothest texture and the flexibility to make ice cream and sorbet to order. pacojet.ch/en/ Rhy Waddington, Executive Chef.

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Executive Chef Liason James Simpson with Dario Torres Rodriguez.

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Farmer Lee Jones and Executive Chef Liaison James Simpson at the Chef's Garden, Huron, Ohio, USA.

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The symbiotic relationship between the chef and the farm allows us to get back to our roots and provide quality products that go directly from the farm to the plate. ~ Farmer Lee Jones

A CHEF'S GARDEN A FARMER WITH A HEART FOR HUMANITY AN INTERVIEW WITH FARMER LEE JONES Farmer Lee Jones always wears his trademark overalls and red bowtie as a symbol of his commitment to sustainable agricultural practices.

Ever since the early days of The Chef’s Garden’s creation over thirty years ago, he has remained tirelessly committed to not only ensuring that the family’s 300 acre farm remains one of the most innovative and pioneering in the world, but to fostering a nuanced conversation with the chefs in our industry who look to the farm to grow fresh vegetables that are as aesthetically pleasing on the plate as they are flavorful to the palate.

GK: Your family suffered a lot of hardship in your younger years. What were some of the challenges?

In the 1930’s, there were approximately 340 vegetable growers in Huron, Ohio, located in Erie County. Earl Lauer Butz, who was the Secretary of Agriculture in the USA in the 1970’s sent a message to all farmers, to “either

get big or get out.” At that time in America, most of the universities were financially strapped, so the chemical and pharmaceutical companies began to offer grants to the universities if they researched to help the farmers.

This research, not surprisingly, needed to encompass the use of their chemicals.

My parents were encouraged to use chemicals on their farm and were taught how to use them in a time when farming was especially challenging.

Bank loans reached rates of 21% interest, making it very difficult to make ends meet. On top of this, my parent’s farm suffered a devastating hail storm, and it completely wiped out all the crops. At 19 years old, I stood shoulder to shoulder with my parents, my brother and sister, and all of our neighbors, along with our competitors and all of those who wanted to see our farm fail. Everything my family owned was auctioned off right down to my mother’s car; we literally crawled away.

FARMER LEE JONES

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GK: How did you rebuild? How did you work with chefs to create a unified vision?

We had to start all over again. At that time, American agriculture was exploding. Mass production using chemicals had become the norm.

We met a European-influenced chef, Iris Bailin, who worked for a large brokerage firm and who eventually became the food editor for the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper. Iris was always looking for produce grown for flavor and quality without the use of chemicals.

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We were desperate to survive in farming, so, when Iris said to us " just maybe there could be a demand for the small family farmer in America," we latched on to her idea, and we would not let Iris go. When she found out that we were willing to grow for flavor and not yield, and grow the products chefs were looking for without chemicals, she introduced us to other chefs who were looking for the same thing.

She hooked us up with some amazing chefs from The Ritz-Carlton, who were heavily influenced by European chefs.

The local country clubs began to order from us, and Jean Louis Palladin, who came from France to the Watergate Hotel in DC, took us under his wing. Jean Louis then introduced us to his friends, which included Michel Richard, Daniel Boulud, Alain Ducasse, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and others. They all helped spread the word for us.

We had the support of so many incredible chefs that we knew we needed to keep up the integrity of our products. We began to work harmoniously with nature rather than try to outsmart it. We began by building healthy soil.

Our saying here is "healthy soil equals healthy plants, equals healthy people."

GK: Tell us about the Culinary Vegetable Institute (CVI) In the beginning, all we wanted was to get chefs to come here.

We put them in hotels and bed and breakfasts, and did anything we could to get them here. We wanted them to go into the fields, too, because we wanted to listen to what they were looking for.

Sixteen years ago, we had the idea to build the CVI. We wanted to build a place right here on the farm so that chefs could harvest products, bring them back to the kitchen and play, experiment and figure out ways to use the products.

The project was too big to do on our own, so I approached my mentors: Thomas Keller, Charlie Trotter, Daniel Boulud, Alain Ducasse, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Ed Brown. My wife Mary and I flew to New York with the blueprints to present our vision. They were all so excited.

I said, "I need you to lend your names to this to help us pull it off."

They were very eager to help; they went to kitchen companies on our behalf, they got them to donate equipment, china, silverware, chairs, tables and stoves.

We now have agreements with a lot of these companies that, when they have a new piece of equipment with new technology, they can take the old one out and install the new one. It makes sense to them as we have over 500 chefs visiting a year. We might get a Ritz-Carlton chef here, and he comes and plays with the newest Rational and finds out how sexy it is, then he goes back and orders three of them. The CVI has now evolved into the learning center for chefs. Chefs are under so much pressure; they have to do the hiring and marketing, entertain the clients and train staff. The more successful they become, the less they get to do what brought them to the business in

the first place. Here, they are reminded of why they came to this craft, the love of cooking.

GK: How else are you inspiring future culinarians and food enthusiasts?

We are teaching the value of seasonality; it's amazing how many people, even chefs, don't fully understand what products are available during what season.

It's hard to explain to people that, when asparagus is in season, we should eat it three times a day and, when it's out of season, we should lust for it for ten more months.

We are trying to reconnect people to local farmers markets and it is working. I believe that there are more farmers markets today than at any other time in the history of America, and there were more vegetable seeds sold in 2016 than any time in the history of America.

GK: In your opinion, when did this disconnect with our food begin?

World War II changed everything.

You couldn't buy shoes, as there was no rubber, it was being used to build equipment to fight the war. You couldn't buy a new car, as metal was in short supply.

Food was rationed. Women were tasked to leave the home and work in factories to help build machine guns and army tanks.

They were in survival mode but, as that happened, something else changed: the urgency and the priorities changed, and it became about the convenience of food rather than the integrity of the food itself.

When the war was over, and society had moved forward, women realized they could earn their own money out of the home, and that is when the frozen TV dinners came about, and convenience foods cooked in a microwave became mainstream.

The pendulum had swung too far, with the problem now two generations deep.

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Cruz Figueroa López, a skilled grower, takes great care of the many varieties of tomatoes at The Chef's Garden.

GK: How do you explain Genetic Modification? The good and the bad?

I think that genetic modification, when used ethically could and does have its place, but there are a lot of unknowns and we don’t believe in using this process. It is being used all around us, and by good farmers who are supplying the demand that exists. That demand, unfortunately, is for cheap food.

America produces food more cheaply than any other country in the world as it relates to our incomes, but here is the conundrum. We also have the highest healthcare costs in the world.

Every farmer around us is farming with genetically modified products. They don’t have any ability to control the price that they get for their produce, so the only thing they can try to do is to

control the cost of their input.

It’s all about cost reduction for them. It’s a commodity market, all about when to sell and when to hold. To take this further, the chemical companies tell them they can help by giving them a genetically modified seed. The seeds are genetically modified to withstand the chemicals, yet it’s the chemicals that have killed the soil.

an entirely smart way to do things.

There are no health issues; it's a normal way to grow and develop better products. For example, if you like the firmness of one tomato and the flavor of another and its disease resistance, you cross them. It's just genetic selection.

So here at The Chef’s Garden, we don’t and won’t use these techniques. Instead, we have found that allowing fields to sit fallow and going back to the use of cover crops to rebuild the soil works better for us.

For more information about Farmer Lee Jones, The Culinary Vegetable Institute and The Chef’s Garden please visit their website: chefs-garden.com

GK: What is the genetic selection?

Genetic selection has been around for hundreds of years.

You take the good characteristics of one plant and cross them with another. It’s just hybridization; you are crossing two plants. It’s

~ by Diana DeLucia

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TOMATO SALAD WITH TOMATO SORBET, FRIED GREEN TOMATOES, CAMPARI TOMATO FILLED TOMATO CHERRY GAZPACHO Chef Note: This salad is something that speaks to the season. When we have green tomatoes, we use them. Overripe tomatoes, the same. There are no rules to what particular tomatoes you use, just make sure that you select a wide range of varieties to present a contrast of flavors, textures, sweetness, and acidity. Our season at The Chef’s Garden extends deep into fall.

Garnish •

Assortment of Tomatoes (sliced)

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YourChoice of Herbs and Oils

PREPARATION

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS Tomato Sorbet

Tomato Sorbet Combine all the ingredients then season with salt to taste.

Churn the ingredients according to your ice cream manufacturers specifications.

•

10.5 oz. Tomato Juice

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2.3 oz. Trimoline

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1.6 oz. Simple Syrup

The ideal Measure is 28º °Bx *

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0.7 oz. Gel Creme® (cold)

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Salt to taste

Chef's Note: Consider investing in a refractometer. The various sweetnesses of ingredients change..

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Fried Green Tomatoes Fried Green Tomatoes •

1 Green Tomato (shaved thin as a potato chip)

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0.35 oz. Potato Starch

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1.4 oz. White Vinegar

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7 oz. Water

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0.07 oz. Salt

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Oil for frying

Chef Note: These are not a traditional fried green tomatoes. The addition of potato starch injected into the cell walls of the tomato allow them to fry and crisp like a potato chip. They’re wonderfully addictive.

Campari Tomato Filled Tomato Cherry Gazpacho •

6 Campari Tomatoes

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1 cup Cherries (pitted and juiced)

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6 oz. Sweet Cherry Juice

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½ cup Dashi (chilled)

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6 oz. Tomato Juice

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2 oz. White Balsamic Vinegar

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1 tsp. Salt

With an immersion blender or table top blender, combine all ingredients (with the exception of the shaved green tomato) and process until smooth.

Compress shaved green tomatoes in a vacuum bag with the starched brine and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove from the bag, drain off excess liquid and dry on parchment until dry to the touch. This can happen in a dehydrator, in a low 100ºF oven, or on the counter overnight.

When ready, fry the dried tomatoes at 320ºF until they are golden brown and very crispy to the touch.

Remove and allow to cool on a resting rack or paper towel and season with salt immediately upon removal.

Campari Tomato filled Tomato Cherry Gazpacho Bring ingredients to a boil on the stove then cool off the stovetop.

Allow the ingredients to drip through a coffee filter then set aside.

Core out the 6 campari tomatoes with a melon baller then set aside. Replace the core of the tomatoes with the cherry and tomato gazpacho.

Store refrigerated.

ASSEMBLY Arrange an assortment of sliced tomatoes, herbs, and oils in a circular pattern at the center of the plate.

Place the fried green tomatoes, and tomato cherry gazpacho filled campari tomatoes and tomato sorbet in different areas of the ring.

All ingredients aside from the sorbet and gazpacho should be served at room temperature.

WINE MATCH Beaujolais Nouveau for October. * Degrees Brix (symbol °Bx) is the sugar content of an aqueous solution. One degree Brix is 1 gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution and represents the strength of the solution as a percentage by mass. ~ Recipe by James Simpson, Executive Chef Liason at The Chef's Garden and the Culinary Vegetable Institute.

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ZUCCHINI CORNBREAD STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOMS Serves 20 (individual portions)

INGREDIENTS Stuffed Squash Blossoms

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1 cup Cornmeal

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¾ cup All Purpose Flour (plus ½ cup for dredging)

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1 Tbs. Sugar

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1 ½ tsp. Baking Powder

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½ tsp. Baking Soda

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1 cup Zucchini (finely diced)

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3 large Cloves Garlic (shaved)

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¼ tsp. Salt

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2 large Eggs (lightly beaten)

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1 ½ cups Buttermilk

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6 tsp. Unsalted Butter (melted)

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20 Squash Blossoms

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20 Chives (blanched)

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1 quart. Vegetable Oil (for frying)

Sautéed Baby Squash •

10 mixed Baby Squash (sliced)

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2 Tbs. Olive Oil

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3 Tbs. Butter (divided)

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4 sprigs Thyme

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Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste

PREPARATION Stuffed Squash Blossoms Preheat a shallow 2 qt. frying pan with oil to 320ºF. In a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, zucchini, garlic and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, buttermilk and butter.

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Pour the buttermilk mixture into the cornmeal mixture and fold together until there are no dry spots (the batter will still be lumpy).

Scoop 1 ½ Tbs. of the batter mixture into each blossom and tie with a blanched chive.

Fry until golden brown and when a cake tester or paring knife inserted into the middle of the corn bread comes out clean; about 3-5 minutes.

Remove the cornbread from the fryer and let it cool for 3-5 minutes before serving.

Chef Note: Prepare a sheet tray and a resting rack or paper towels for drying the blossoms when they come out of the fryer.

Sautéed Baby Squash Heat a heavy bottom sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the Olive oil.

When the oil is hot, add a single layer of squash into the pan, add 2 sprigs thyme then cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Uncover then flip the squash. It should be nicely browned.

Once all the squash is flipped, add the remaining thyme and cook another 5 minutes uncovered.

When it is heated through, finish with butter, salt, and black pepper to taste.

Remove the thyme and serve hot.

ASSEMBLY Begin with sautéed zucchini for texture.

Place cornbread on top.

Serve hot.

Chef Note: This is best served fresh not reheated.

BEER MATCH Saison Dupont, a Belgian style farmhouse ale. ~ Recipe by James Simpson, Executive Chef Liason at The Chef's Garden and the Culinary Vegetable Institute.

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Domaine de Murtoli, Corsica, France.

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THE CHEF DE CUISINE A YOUNG CHEF IN PARADISE AN INTERVIEW WITH JEROME DREYER, CHEF DE CUISINE, DOMAINE DE MURTOLI, CORSICA, FRANCE

Jerome Dreyer is a young and talented Chef de Cuisine, who had the privilege of working for Paul Bocuse in Lyon at the very young age of 19. His story unfolds in a fairytale-like fashion that would make any young chef envious and the guests at Domaine de Murtoli very delighted!

GK: Tell us about life before Domaine de Murtoli.

My father was a French patissier in eastern France near Strasbourg. I watched him bake and gained an interest at 15, and my first job was with Paul Bocuse for three years when I was 19 years old. After that, I went to a three Michelinstarred restaurant named Le Pont de Brent in Switzerland for two years. I thought about pursuing an entrepreneurial venture as a teacher and conduct some events, but ultimately didn’t feel like I was ready. The opportunity arose to come to Domaine de Murtoli, and I have been here for six years.

GK: Who hired you?

I was hired by the former

Executive Chef Jean Niels. I spent two years working for Jean and later with Chef Guillaume Millot, and then the opportunity as Chef de Cuisine became available.

My responsibilities include the creation of the menus, dishes, and the presentations, while Guillaume is in charge of ordering, the back office, and overall management. We work very well together, and our teams complement each other effectively.

GK: So many chefs would do anything to work at Paul Bocuse in Lyon. How did you earn your first position there?

I had a lot of contacts and friends at Paul Bocuse. Gilles Rheinhart was a chef there from the same region, and my parents were friends with his parents, so Gilles helped me get my foot in the door at Paul Bocuse.

I started as a commis, and when I finished there, I was a junior sous chef. I learned every section of the kitchen so that I would develop my passion for cooking.

JEROME DREYER

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GK: Was Paul Bocuse a mentor for you?

fisherman. I am living a chef’s dream!

He taught me to love the produce, be rigorous with my work, and love it as well. He would join us in the kitchen every day, treated us very well, and always cared about our health and wellness.

The produce we worked with there was also excellent, but not as nice as here!

GK: How do you get along with the guests?

GK: Tell about your One Day, One Chef event.

Every year we have a culinary event called One Day, One Chef where a famous chef comes to cook Corsican food with myself and my team. We have had Alain Ducasse, Pierre Hermes, and many others. I love to watch them because I learn a lot of technical cooking elements and enjoy their inspiration, and we all learn something from each other.

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GK: What motivates you?

I have a desire to continuously improve, and I enjoy working hard. My goal is to earn the title of Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MOF), a prestigious award in France, which was awarded previously to Paul Bocuse. This contest is organized and recognized as a third-level degree by the French Ministry of Labour. The President of the French Republic is granted honorary membership with the title MOF honoris causa. The awarding of medals occurs at the Sorbonne, in Paris during a large reunion followed by a ceremony at the Élysée in the presence of the President of the French Republic.

GK: Tell us about the quality of the produce here.

I have never worked with the outstanding quality of produce that I have here, and much of it comes directly from the Domaine property, so we see it born and grown. All of our fish are still moving when we get them because they come fresh from local waters from the local

We have guests that have been coming here for ten years. In Murtoli, the only star is the Domaine de Murtoli! Our clientele is amazed at the quality of the product here.

GK: Tell us about your cooking classes.

We teach our guests about the creation of Corsican recipes from farm to the table. They will go to our garden and the market, create a dish from scratch including sauces, and then they will sit down and eat their creation.

GK: What are your hobbies outside of Murtoli?

I love fishing, and we have so many places to fish in the area with an abundance of fish. I take most of the fish home and enjoy eating it for several days. (image supplied) GK: Tell us about your passion for Domaine de Murtoli.

It is the WOW factor! Everything is exceptional. I have an incredible quality of life and work, and every day is different. We may be cooking in the kitchen one day or doing private picnics on the beach the next day. Or we may be cooking in the Marquis, or at the Corsican wineries for Mr. Canarelli. The various locations away from the kitchen create different and unique cooking experiences for the staff, so we are never bored!

I love all of the big events we have here, including cooking for the celebrities and seeing their appreciation for the kitchen.

Celebrity Chef Gerard Boyer from three Michelin-starred restaurant Les Crayeres came here and took the time to congratulate me and explain how proud of me he was.

We are one of the top five businesses in France according to many. Our owner Mr. Canarelli

La Table de la Ferme at Domaine de Murtoli.

is very involved, not just in the business side of things. He knows so many people from his career, including chefs, celebrities, and business people. He also knows a lot about wine and gastronomy.

I was so surprised one day after I first started here when he just picked up the phone and called Pierre Hermes. I was impressed!

GK: Would it be difficult for you to work anywhere else?

I am jubilant here and don't want to go anywhere else at this stage. I think I would be bored somewhere else, so I don't plan to go anywhere. I want to grow with the Domaine.

GK: How do you get along with Owners Paul and Valerie Canarelli? Are they involved with the cuisine?

They are like family to me. When we create menus, we decide together as a team. He sits down with us, and we talk about all of our ideas with any new and seasonal produce we may have. I like working for a place where the boss is demanding but makes us feel like part of a family.

GK: Tell us about Chef Guillaume Millot.

He is older than me, and I consider him to be my big brother. We are very close to each other personally and have a great working relationship. If either of us is not feeling well, we are always here to support each other, and we always have each other to back up the kitchen if either of us is away.

GK: How often do you change the menu?

We travel all over Corsica regularly looking for new produce, then apply some creativity and inspiration, resulting in constantly changing menus on a weekly basis.

GK: Tell us about the livestock here?

It is from the Domaine, where every animal is free to roam.

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They are happy and healthy, and our animals eat everything from the Domaine. This environment has been very successful, so we don't plan to make any changes.

For me, it is the best meat I 've ever worked with! I love working here. ~ by Diana DeLucia

Lamb with Confit, Crushed Potato, Crispy Mushroom.

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A Suppa Corsa , a traditional Corsican soup.

What's in my What's in my

Kitchen?

Kitchen?

WhenWhen you are spending long long you are spending hours hours in the kitchen you want in the kitchen youto want to be comfortable.

Bragard jackets be comfortable. Bragard jackets offer aoffer range of comfortable a range of comfortable jacketsjackets that are light durable that areyet light yet durable and breathe in hot weather.

They They and breathe in hot weather. are sleek and add a add a are looking sleek looking and touch touch of class the to look anyof any of to class theoflook kitchen brigade. bragard.com kitchen brigade. bragard.com Rhy Waddington, Rhy Waddington, Executive Chef, Chef, Executive Winged Foot Golf Winged FootClub.

Golf Club.

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Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, New York, USA. Image by Laurence Lambrecht.

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THE EXECUTIVE CHEF AUSTRALIA TO NEW YORK AN INTERVIEW WITH RHY WADDINGTON, EXECUTIVE CHEF AT WINGED FOOT GOLF CLUB

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We eat with our eyes first. Well, at least I do, don’t you? Scroll through your Instagram feed or turn on the cooking channels, you can’t taste it, you can’t smell it but your eyes can still take you to that place where your stomach starts to rumble, your mouth waters and you’re inspired to now cook a dish you hadn’t planned on. All because someone else had a vision and laid it on a plate.

Rhy Waddington is one of those visionaries who has long been tempting our eyes with his delectable artwork. Scroll through his website or Instagram feed and tell me you can’t help but salivate at his dishes. His innovative style has had mouths watering from long ago. From back in his earlier years at his first restaurant “Waddingtons at Kergunyah,” to his stint in Southern California to now, where the lucky members of Winged Foot Golf Club are treated nearly every day to his culinary showcase. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Rhy to speak with him about where

his passion for cooking came from.

Oh, and of course don’t think I let him get away without cooking me lunch! How could I resist the opportunity!

GK: What are some of the most memorable restaurants where you worked in Australia and why?

At the very beginning of my career, I worked for Noelle Quinn at Mon Cherie Restaurant and Zillion Food Studio, both in Albury-Wodonga. Noelle was a great ambassador for local farms, and through her guidance, I became even more enthusiastic about creating new menu items and sourcing local produce.

When I returned to the North East Region after a few years away I joined the board of the Hume Murray Food Bowl, which Noelle founded and coordinated for many years. The Hume Murray Food Bowl was an initiative created to bring exposure to the regional producers, restaurants, and chefs.

RHY WADDINGTON

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Kevin Lingdren, Rhy Waddington and Nick Sorrentino at The James Beard House.

Alain Sailhac, Dean Emeritus at the International Culinary Center, with Rhy Waddington and Nick Sorrentino at The James Beard House.

In 2002, I was offered the Executive Chef position at a restaurant called The Bank, in Beechworth, Victoria, which was a regional fine dining farm to table establishment.

GK: In 2003 you opened your own restaurant, tell us about that experience?

Yes, Waddington’s at Kergunyah, which we opened on my parent’s 900 acre Hereford beef farm.

We wanted to take the farm to table experience to the next level by growing and supplying our produce. But we wanted our guests to have the authentic farm life experience also.

The farm was an actual working cattle farm, so guests were politely reminded to close the gate behind them so the cattle wouldn’t wander onto the road.

Yes – customers had to get out of the car and open the gate just to visit us!

GK: What motivated you to travel to the United States?

I was offered a position with the Bondi Group to come to San Diego, California to help open Bondi Bar and Kitchen, located in the Gaslamp district in San Diego.

Chris Behre was the consulting chef for the company, and I was the Executive Chef of the venue.

GK; How did you find your way to Winged Foot Golf Club?

A good friend introduced me to the Executive Chef at Winged Foot. After meeting the Chef, I was offered a position here in 2009 as the Executive Sous Chef and promoted to Executive Chef soon after that.

GK; What were your thoughts about working at a private golf club such as Winged Foot?

I was always a restaurant chef and had never thought about the

private club world as an option for me. But as an avid golfer, I was intrigued as WFGC is one of the best golf courses in the world.

Our members eat at the best restaurants in the world, and that is the standard of cuisine they demand here. It’s been a great experience, and I have a lot of freedom to practice my culinary visions.

“ “We always try to balance our cuisine by keeping a good mix of classic favorites and the introduction of new dishes. We like to change the menu up every week to keep it fresh for our members, and it also motivates and inspires my team to learn continually and grow.”

GK: Do the members drive your menu?

The members have put a lot of faith and trust in us over the last seven years so we can pretty much do whatever we want. We always try to balance our cuisine by keeping a good mix of classic favorites and the introduction of new dishes. We like to change the menu up every week to keep it fresh for our members, and it also motivates and inspires my team to learn continually and grow.

GK: How do you plan your menus?

There’s

always

a

balance

required when creating a menu.

We need to remember who our customer is, and as a golf club, we have a broad array of favorites and requirements. We like to use the best produce and present it in more of a modern way than you might expect at your local eatery down the street.

Only the members and their guests can dine here, so it is crucial to change our menu weekly and create new and exciting experiences. We find that frequently changing the menu also entices them to return on a regular basis, and also gives us great feedback on their likes and dislikes.

GK: How do you source all of your products, especially having the passion you have for farm to table dining?

It’s tough since we do things here on such a big scale, with as many as 400 covers a day. We have a lot of corporate functions and upscale events as well, so it’s always busy. While it makes it challenging for me to use smaller farms without the necessary infrastructure and pricing model, I have built relationships with local farmers and purveyors who jump at the chance to feature their product on our menus. We have excellent access to local quail, Hudson Valley Foie Gras, suckling pig, fresh duck eggs and a variety of other produce. We also grow a lot of herbs on site in our kitchen garden. And as you know, I have very strict guidelines on what is acceptable, and we only want the best!

GK: Tell me about your culinary team here at Winged Foot.

When I took the job, I knew we had to have a culinary team that was well respected in the industry. What I found was that a lot of chefs and culinary staff think that a golf club is where you go when you retire, and they

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have a notion that the chefs in golf clubs don’t know what they are doing, which is not the case at all.

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I have assembled an energetic team who are passionate about cooking. I have key staff who return every year, but I also utilize the student internship programs from CIA (Culinary Institute of America) as well as Johnson and Wales University.

I’m a strong believer in providing opportunities for young people, and we have such an amazing stage to start some of these kids off the right way. We have a variety of training programs to educate them both in the kitchen as well as the front of house staff.

While I am the face of the culinary team, I have some great people behind me. My Pastry Chef Katie is amazingly talented, and my Sous Chefs Chrissie and Adrien are the backbone of our culinary team. They take on the majority of the responsibility for sourcing ingredients and making sure the staff is trained on the weekly menus.

GK: You are the first golf club team that was ever invited to cook at the James Beard House in New York City. Tell us about that experience.

The events coordinator at the James Beard House invited us to cook there. We had to get it approved by our General Manager Colin Burns, as well as the members, but they loved the idea and were very supportive.

We put a menu together, and it was a superb experience and great exposure for the young kids and seasonal staff that were in the kitchen. It also provided the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) students with an extraordinary finish to their externship. It was like a celebration for the time they were here at Winged Foot.

A lot of the members whom I thought were plain eaters were blown away by the dinner. Many

had not heard of the James Beard House or realized the significance of the honor to be invited to cook there. However, after attending and doing a little research, they clearly understood how special it was. We have since participated in numerous dinners and events with them.

GK: Do you enjoy with the General Colin Burns? He has Winged Foot for over

The James Beard Foundation is an NYC based non-profit culinary arts organization with a mission to “celebrate, nurture, and honor America's diverse culinary heritage through programs that educate and inspire.” www.jamesbeard.org

working Manager been at 20 years.

Colin knows the members very well. When I came here, Colin wanted to change things up. He realized that remaining relevant with our cuisine was necessary, and he wanted to keep up to date and fresh. Before my arrival, the menu only changed three times a year, which isn’t what you would expect for a prestigious club like Winged Foot. When you have two of the best golf courses in the world and a club house that is recognized globally, you need to have a culinary program to match! That has been our goal, and Colin has been a huge supporter of our team, and we are certainly very grateful.

Rhy’s ability in the kitchen has provided him the honor of cooking at the revered James Beard House on four separate occasions making him the first Chef from a private club setting to do so.

Rhy is as an avid believer in the programs the JBF run, as he is passionate about the culinary stars of the future. His modern approach to classic cuisine continues to wow the members of WFGC with his weekly menu changes.

His superb craftsmanship of innovative and delicious dishes keeps them coming back for more and more. Each dish is a true piece of art. As I said, we eat with our eyes first. However, his food tastes even better than it looks. Trust me. ~ by Diana DeLucia

Foie Gras and Crab Apple Lollipops.

Chef Rhy Waddington cooking for the members and guests at the James Beard House, New York, New York, USA.

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SUMMER HEIRLOOM TOMATO AND PEACH SALAD Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

ASSEMBLY

Ricotta

Spread a liberal amount of the whipped ricotta on the center of the plate.

•

1 lb. Ricotta

•

¼ cup Olive Oil

•

4 large Heirloom Tomatoes

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1 cup Cherry Heirloom Tomatoes

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1 Yellow Peach (ripe)

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½ cup Strawberries

•

Salt and Pepper to taste

Vinaigrette

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•

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

•

⅓ cup Moscato Vinegar

•

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a mixing bowl add the sliced tomatoes, strawberries and peaches.

Add the basil leaves.

Dress with ⅔ of the moscato vinaigrette.

Place the dressed tomato mix on top of the whipped ricotta.

Sprinkle some poppy seeds on top of the peaches.

Garnish with basil, purslane and vinaigrette.

WINE MATCH Joseph Drouhin Poully Fuisse

Garnish •

2 Tbs. Poppy Seeds

•

¼ cup Basil Leaves

•

¼ cup Purslane

PREPARATION Ricotta Whip the ricotta with olive oil then season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside at room temperature.

Tomatoes Slice the heirloom tomatoes into random bite size pieces and cut the cherry heirloom tomatoes in half.

Thinly slice the peach and strawberries.

Vinaigrette Mix the extra virgin olive oil and the moscato vinegar then season with salt and pepper to taste.

~ Recipe by Rhy Waddington

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BURRATA AND BALSAMIC STRAWBERRIES Serves 4

INGREDIENTS Balsamic Strawberries •

⅛ cup Mint

•

¼ cup Basil

•

¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar

•

2 cups Strawberries

•

½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

•

Salt and Pepper to taste

Chef Note: We serve it with our warm house bake focaccia made by our talented pastry chef Katie McAllister.

BEER MATCH Half Full Brewery Bright Ale ~ Recipe by Rhy Waddington

Garnish •

4, 4 oz. Burratas

•

12 Strawberry Blossoms

•

12 pieces Purslane or Baby Basil Leaves

•

Pinch of Sea Salt

•

Olive oil for garnish

PREPARATION In a Vitamix blender add the mint, basil, balsamic vinegar and all but 4 of the strawberries.

Blend and slowly add the extra virgin olive oil until smooth.

Season with salt and pepper.

Thinly slice the remaining 4 strawberries.

ASSEMBLY In the center of 4 medium bowls place ¼ of the strawberry and balsamic purée.

Add 1 burrata to each plate on top of the purée.

Garnish with the 4 sliced strawberries, strawberry blossoms, basil or purslane sea salt, and olive oil.

Serve with your favorite bread.

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HAMACHI WITH PEACH, MINT, JALAPENO AND DASHI Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

ASSEMBLY

Dashi

In chilled bowls, alternate between the peach and

•

2.2 L. Water

•

¼ cup Bonito Flakes

•

1 large piece Kombu

•

1 knob Ginger

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1 cup Mirin

Garnish with finger lime pearls, mint and sliced jalapeno.

•

¼ cup Rice Wine Vinegar

Serve with chilled dashi on the side.

Hamachi •

1 Peach (ripe)

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2 Breakfast Radishes

•

1 lb. Hamachi (cleaned)

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Finger Lime Pearls

•

4 sprigs Mint

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1 Jalapeno

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½ cup Dashi (chilled)

PREPARATION Dashi Bring all theingredients to a simmer.

Turn off heat and chill for 6 hours to let all the aromatics infuse.

Strain through a cheese cloth and keep refrigerated for a week.

Hamachi On a mandolin, thinly slice the peach, radish and jalapeno.

Slice the Hamachi into 16 even slices.

radish to one side of the bowl.

Place 4 pieces of the sliced Hamachi in the center.

Chef Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

WINE MATCH Shaw and Smith Sauvignon Blanc ~ Recipe by Rhy Waddington

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WHO IS REDVANLY? MEET YOUNG GOLF AND TENNIS WEAR DESIGNER ANDREW REDVANLY.

GK: Andrew, Redvanly.

tell

us

about

GK: Tell us about your new golf short.

REDVANLY is a modern athletic wear line designed specifically for athletes, with the vision to create product enhancing efficiency and complement passionate performance

We are coming out with an elastic based pull-on golf short for the 2018 Spring / Summer season.

It is going to look just like a golf short the only difference is it will come in S-XL, and the waistband will be 100% elastic. You will be able to pull it on and then button up and throw a belt on. It will be the most comfortable short to swing in. When you think about it, golf is the only sport in which men do not compete in elastic.

I always thought to myself how great it would be to play golf in gym shorts. We are making that happen except they won’t look anything like gym shorts!

GK: What is your core focus?

Our job is to nurture consumers athletic nature, honor their core commitment to sports, secure their passion for high-level performance, and design unparalleled product aimed to enhance personal discovery with ultra-comfortable pieces that are created to compete.

GK: How have you achieved your captive audience?

We started very small and have grown the business through green grass and through our online store. Each year we have increased the business and the collection. Our first collection was a total of nine styles, and in a few months we will release our largest collection which will be well over 100. Although that is still not a large line by any means, we are proud of our growth and the response to the products.

GK: Do you consider a chef be to be athletic and the environmental component to be similar to athletic wear you have chosen for tennis and golf?

I believe many chefs would appreciate a lot of our products because of our material.

Chefs have to stay fresh and comfortable in extremely hot environments and would appreciate how our fabric wicks as much as anybody.

ANDREW REDVANLY

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GK: Have you ever tested your fabric in a steaming hot kitchen?

Yes! We have done some testing with chefs in that environment for Golf Kitchen, and I think by having done so it has given us more of an understanding on how much our products can handle by putting them to the ultimate test. We are always researching and testing unique performance fabrics, and I like the idea of doing some kitchen testing each time we release a new fabric. ~ by Leo Bushey For more information about REDVANLY go to www.redvanly.com

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Photography by Justin Boykin

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Addison Reserve Country Club, Delray Beach, Florida, USA.

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DESSERT DELIGHT A PASTRY CHEF FROM HEAVEN AN INTERVIEW WITH DANA IANNELLI, PASTRY CHEF AT ADDISON RESERVE COUNTRY CLUB

I met Dana Iannelli in 2015 when I needed Chefs and Pastry Chefs to assist with a cook book I was shooting for Rick Dees titled "Rick Dees Top 40 Desserts of All Time".

Executive Chef Rhy Waddington of Winged Foot Golf Club recommended Dana, and she flew up from Addison Reserve Country Club in Delray Beach, Florida to do the shoot. I knew immediately the talent she was, and I needed to work with her again.

GK: Tell us a little about your background.

I come from a big Italian family, that prides itself on great food.

At home, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with my mom, cooking with her recipes and my Grandmothers’, even experimenting with my own. As a child, playing Chef with my Easy Bake Oven seemed to be a strong indicator to my family that my future would lead to the food industry [laughs]. I loved watching my family react to my kitchen creations, wanting to please my “Grams” the most!

We lived in South Jersey, just outside of Philadelphia.

My mother, a talented cook herself, turned our home into a daycare center. My brother, sister, and I enjoyed being her helpers. In high school, I took extracurricular culinary classes, and my learning experiences there, along with the confidence and support of my teacher, solidified my desire to go to culinary school.

I was determined to attend the CIA (Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York) and I knew, that to be accepted, I had to gain experience and earn working hours in restaurants before I applied. I took a part time position at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City in the summer of 2001 and there I met Pastry Chef Tom Vaccaro. I had a strong desire of becoming a Chef, I was working in the savory kitchen (not thinking I would ever do pastry).

Chef Tom was on the Culinary Olympic Team at the time, and he mentored me, from showing me how to hold my knife to sharing insights about culinary school and the industry. I was determined to be accepted to the CIA (Chef Tom’s alma mater), I had entered and won cooking

DANA IANNELLI

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competitions, hosted many dinner parties for practice, and worked at the local farmer’s market bakery. In 2002, I applied to the CIA, nervous if I could make the selective cut, but was accepted!

I graduated high school June of 2002 and was at the CIA that August and enrolled in the Associates Culinary Arts degree program.

GK: Why pastry?

My past experiences have been focused on cooking, but I was required to take a three-week baking course, Baking Fundamentals, it instantly changed my direction. I had never realized just how much I enjoyed baking, and I knew that I had found my true passion for the industry.

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Upon graduating from the Culinary Associates Degree Program, I enrolled in the 30-week Baking and Pastry Program at the CIA’s Napa Valley, California campus. These classes were quite different than anything I knew of coming from the savory kitchen, but as I tempered chocolate, kneaded bread, and decorated cakes I knew I had found my calling.

Cake Designing was my desired concentration and remained so even upon my return to the CIA. After graduating Baking and Pastry at the CIA, California, I quickly went back to Hyde Park, New York to complete a Bachelor’s degree program in Hospitality Management to gain the skills I would need to fulfill my dream of having my own business in the future. To my surprise, my mentor Chef Tom was the new Dean of Baking and Pastry as well as head of the Continuing Education department; he needed an assistant in the class to help all the Continuing Education students, so I took on that role.

I graduated from the CIA in 2006 with a Bachelors in Hospitality Management, and with the support of Chef Tom, landed my

first job in the industry working with Pastry Chef Patricia Nash at Westchester Country Club, Rye, New York, to perfect my skills in large production and catering to a prestigious clientele. I never looked back. Pastry was my home.

While at Westchester Country Club, during the slow season, I emailed just about every cake designer in NYC and acquired an internship at The Cake Studio in Brooklyn with Jill Adams. I worked as an intern there for a few months; she taught me everything I needed to know about cakes and design. My internship transitioned into a job as Jill’s assistant, and I worked for her for three years.

I went on to Strada 18 (Norwalk, CT) to hone in on my management skills and plated desserts followed by The Sono Baking Company (Norwalk, CT) where I was Pastry Sous Chef and Kitchen Manager. I was then selected as the Executive Pastry Chef at Winged Foot Golf Club.

GK: Tell us about Winged Foot?

I began working at Winged Foot in 2010. This was truly my first Pastry Chef position. Winged Foot has done everything for my career in the Golf Club industry.

Having Winged Foot on my resume just opens so many doors for me. My pastry career accelerated quickly, and I didn't get to work under or be mentored by another pastry chef other than my time at Westchester. I didn't know what I was getting into taking the Pastry Chef job at Winged Foot as I was so young, it was a challenge, but with hard work, determination, colleague support, and a wonderful membership it was a success! I loved my time at Winged Foot, and I have come to love working in the Golf Industry.

I learned many aspects of Pastry and Baking due to the memberships vast palettes and the sheer amount of events that would take place.

One funny story, is that I had never played Golf, and when asked by others if I ever played Golf, I would say "Oh only a few times at Winged Foot," and they are so jealous, people would give their right arm to play golf there. [laughs] GK: What is it like working at a Golf Club as a Pastry Chef?

I think the Golf Club industry is very advantageous because it is a natural learning environment.

I bake and cook for the same people seven days a week, all day long, so it’s important for me to offer variety and new, creative desserts on my menu. I am constantly learning new recipes and practicing new pastry designs to ensure there is always something for the members to be excited about.

Working in a Golf Club allows me to excel professionally because I am not limited to one aspect of baking. I create plated desserts, design wedding cakes, and buffets. I feel lucky to have to have the opportunity to “do it all!”

GK: What was the catalyst that made you move from Winged Foot to Florida?

I was moving onto a new chapter in my life which took me to South Florida. The move to leave family, friends and Winged Foot was NOT an easy decision, but I knew my career would continue to grow in the golf world being in the country club capital of Florida.

GK: How did you get the job at Addison Reserve Country Club?

The Trattoria.

On my last day at Winged Foot, Colin Burns, the General Manager came to me and said, "look, I just got this letter from Gulfstream Golf Club, and they are in dire need of a pastry chef."

I took the job, it was a small club with about 300 members, and I stayed there for one season. I enjoyed Gulfstream, but because it is a seasonal club, with fewer members than Winged Foot and a smaller volume demand from

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which I was accustomed. I wanted to continue growing professionally, so I hoped to move to a year-round club where I could challenge myself further.

I had found out from a friend who is a headhunter, who knew that Zach Bell, Executive Chef at Addison Reserve was looking for a new pastry chef. This was a year-round club with a highly acclaimed Chef, so I knew this could be a good step in moving my career forward. I sent Chef Zach an email, I came to bake for him, and he hired me. I am now in my fifth season.

GK: Are you enjoying Addison Reserve?

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I love it here. Working with Chef Zach is great. He has been an invaluable mentor for me thus far.

He supports my desire to travel and learn by staging me with different Chefs, for example, last year I staged at Restaurant Daniel in New York for two weeks. He is very supportive and allows me to create the desserts and pastries that I like; he challenges me to think creatively, to learn it is ok to fail and gives me the freedom to excel. I enjoy working with the entire Addison team, and of course my pastry team of four.

It’s wonderful to have so much support.

GK: Tell us about working with General Manager Michael McCarthy?

I enjoy working with Michael. His dedication to the club inspires the employees. He is very supportive and wants us to keep innovating.

He provides the best equipment and product available, much that the average restaurant would not have access to. I love this!

Michael has an open door policy and is always willing to chat and share ideas; he makes me feel that I am part of the Addison family: I love my second family!

GK: Tell us some of the challenges you faced when adjusting?

I had to learn many Jewish desserts, I had never worked in a predominantly Jewish club, and was not exposed to those delights, but now after a short hazing period [laughs], I have created some favorites that the members love. I enjoy testing out new recipes and creating desserts the members enjoy. We have a great rapport, and they will often share their desires or ideas with me, and I, in turn, bring them to life.

GK: You are enjoying giving back through the non-profit JARC, tell us about that.

One of our members here at Addison brought JARC to our attention. "JARC" is a non-profit organization whose mission is to enrich the lives of people with disabilities through gentle and loving support, valued relationships, and engagement with the community with Jewish values. The purpose of the JARC program is to prepare its members for working in the field, and Addison Reserve supports this program by offering its kitchen as a learning environment.

We started working with them about six months ago, and it is has been a success. They come to the Addison pastry kitchen twice a week and perform various tasks from peeling vegetables to portioning cookie dough or making cake pops. We work together from 9:30am to 1:30pm on jobs that excite them. They enjoy it here, and I love working with them; it's very gratifying. ~ by Diana DeLucia

Dining is a pleasure at Addison Reserve Country Club.

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COCONUT CAKE

PREPARATION Cake

Serves 8 (individual cakes) Preheat oven to 350ºF

INGREDIENTS

Spray one 11x16 cookie sheet and line it with parchment paper. Set aside.

Cake

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy using a paddle attachment on a stand mixer.

•

1 ⅔ cup Butter

•

3 cups Sugar

•

2 ½ cups Egg Whites

•

3 cups Cake Flour

•

⅛ cup Baking Powder

•

2 tsp. Salt

•

2 tsp. Vanilla

•

2 ¼ cups Coconut Milk

Slowly add in the egg whites while mixing on low speed.

Add the dry ingredients.

Add the vanilla and the coconut milk.

Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure everything is mixed evenly.

Pour the mixture into a cookie sheet.

Pastry Cream •

2 Egg Yolks

•

1 Whole Egg

•

¼ cup Sugar

•

¼ cup Corn Starch

•

⅓ cup Sugar

•

1 ¾ cup Whole Milk

•

1 Vanila Bean

•

2 Tbs. Butter

Butter Cream

Bake for 20-25 minutes until light golden in color.

Pastry Cream In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, egg and first measure of sugar. In a separate bowl whisk the cornstarch and the second measure of sugar together. Set aside.

In a saucepan combine the milk and vanilla bean, then bring to a boil. While the milk is coming to a boil, whisk the egg mixture with the cornstarch mixture.

Once the milk comes to a boil, temper the milk and egg mixture by slowly adding some milk to the eggs while whisking. Once you have the milk tempered with the eggs, return the mixture to the saucepan and cook on low heat while stirring constantly.

•

4 Egg Whites

•

1 cup Sugar

•

1 lb. Unsalted Butter (soft)

•

¼ tsp. Vanilla Extract

Cook until a thick pudding comes together.

•

Kosher Salt to taste

Transfer the pudding to a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment then add the butter. When the mix has cooled the pastry cream is ready to use.

Garnish Butter Cream •

2 cups Desiccated Coconut

•

1 Golden Edible Leaf (Optional)

Prepare a double boiler. In the top of the double boiler, whisk the egg whites with the sugar and salt.

Keep this mixture on the double boiler until the sugar dissolves.

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Transfer to a standing mixer fitted with a whip attachment and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.

While machine is running, gradually add the butter and mix until smooth. The mixture will break and come back together smooth. Add the vanilla and mix to incorporate.

Set aside until ready to use.

ASSEMBLY Cut out the cake with a ring cutter to the desired circumference. You will need three ring cut outs per serving.

Using a spatula, spread the pastry cream between each layer of cake creating small individual cakes that have 3 layers of cake and 2 layers of pastry cream.

Let the cakes rest in the refrigerator until chilled; about a half hour.

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Using a small off-set spatula, ice the cakes with the buttercream until smooth.

Roll the cakes in desiccated coconut, place the Golden Edible Leaf as shown and serve. ~ recipe by Dana Iannelli

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TROPICAL PANNA COTTA Serves 1-2

INGREDIENTS Panna Cotta •

¼ cup Milk

•

1 envelope Powder Gelatin

•

2 ½ cups Heavy Cream

•

1 Vanilla Bean

Mango Gel

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•

1 cup Mango Purée

•

½ cup Sugar

•

¼ cup Gelatin

•

¼ tsp. Agar-Agar

Coconut Mouse •

1 ½ cups Coconut Purée

•

2 tsp. Powdered Gelatin

•

¼ cup Sugar

•

1 cup Heavy Cream

•

½ tsp. Vanilla Bean Paste

Raspberry Caviar •

⅔ cup Raspberry Purée

•

1 tsp. Sugar

•

¼ tsp. Agar-Agar

•

2 cups Vegetable Oil

Garnish •

Mango

•

Kiwi Fruit

•

Desiccated Coconut

•

Lime Powder

•

Dehydrated Coconut Slices

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PREPARATION Panna Cotta Pour the milk into a small bowl then stir in the gelatin powder. Set aside.

In a saucepan, stir together the heavy cream, vanilla bean and sugar, and set over medium heat. Bring to a full boil.

Pour the gelatin and milk into the cream, stirring until completely dissolved.

Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and strain.

Pour into six individual ring molds lined with acetate.

Place in the refrigerator to chill about two hours until set.

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Chef Note: Keep the ring molds on a cookie sheet in the refrigerator and pour the Panna Cotta directly into the molds in the refrigerator so that you don't need to move the tray once the Panna Cotta is in the molds.

Mango Gel In a small sauce pot combine the mango purée and half of the sugar and bring to a boil.

In a small bowl combine the remaining sugar and the agar-agar. Mix well to combine.

Once the purée comes to a full boil, slowly add in the sugar and agar-agar mixture.

Whisk and return to a boil.

Pour into a shallow dish then place in the refrigerator until completely chilled.

Once chilled, place the mixture into a blender and pulse until a smooth gel forms.

Coconut Mousse Put ¾ of the coconut purée into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface to soften.

In a small saucepan, heat the remaining coconut purée and sugar over low heat until the sugar dissolves.

Stir the purée and gelatin into the warm purée and stir to dissolve the gelatin.

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl then let the cool to room temperature.

spatula and wrap it around the panna cotta base.

Place the raspberry caviar around the plate.

In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream and vanilla bean paste to medium peaks.

Fold ⅓ of the whipped cream into the cooled coconut mixture. Fold in the remaining whipped cream until no streaks remain.

Pipe the mousse into half sphere molds and place in the freezer until completely chilled. Approximately 1 - 2 hours.

Unmold two coconut mousse domes then trim with a border of desiccated coconut and place one on top of the panna cotta and the other on top of the stencil.

Sprinkle lime powder and coconut slices on top of mousse. ~ recipe by Dana Iannelli

Raspberry Caviar The night before making the caviar, place 2 cups of vegetable oil in a tall glass or container and keep in the refrigerator for a minimum 4 hours or overnight.

Pour the raspberry purée into a small sauce pot and bring to a boil.

In a small bowl combine the sugar and the agar. Mix well.

Once the purée comes to a full boil, slowly add in the sugar and agar mixture.

Whisk and return to a boil.

Pour the raspberry mixture into a squeeze bottle with narrow top.

Drop small drops of raspberry mixture into the cold oil. The drops will slowly sink to the bottom of the container forming caviar on the way down.

Once complete, strain the oil to collect the raspberry caviar.

Rinse the caviar with water to remove the oil then set aside until ready to use.

ASSEMBLY Peel and slice allthe fruit thin and lengthwise. On a flat cutting board, place 10 pieces of mango in a line overlapping slightly where each end meets. Repeat on top of the mango with the kiwi and repeat once more with both fruits. Keep aside until ready to use.

Using a stencil of your choice, spread the mango gel onto the plate with an offset spatula. Apply pressure so the gel fills the stencil nicely.

Unmold the panna cotta and place on top of the stencil. Carefully pick up the fruit with your offset

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CLUBHOUSE COCKTAILS A MIXOLOGIST WITH A PASSION FOR CREATING COCKTAILS WITH A FOCUS ON CONSTRUCTION

Javier Burgos is a native of Honduras and moved to Miami 15 years ago to be with his family. Javier began working the restaurant scene in Miami and quickly realized that he had a passion not only also for cocktail construction but also for food.

Food inspired Javier so much that he would often create cocktails to pair with recipes that were created by his favorite celebrity chefs and while at home, he would cook meals to match his cocktail recipes.

Javier found his way to Addison Reserve Country Club three years ago, and although he travels an hour and a half to get to work daily, he fell in love with the history and the ambiance of the club. He enjoys working with like-minded professionals that allow him to challenge himself and develop his career further.

"The management at Addison Reserve Country Club allows me to make mistakes, and this helps me to grow and develop my talent, this is very important to me," said Javier.

Javier is very creative and has the ambition to learn the taste profiles of every member at the club.

The members, for the most, are astute and successful business people, sometimes they have had a bad day, are stressed, and Javier tries his best never to be discouraged instead he prefers to create something to lift their spirits. He enjoys constructing their favorite drink, with the same flavor that they love, but with a different appearance. He likes to surprise them as he feels it makes them smile and this small gesture helps them to relax from whatever the day's challenges had been.

Javier wishes to travel internationally and learn from the best in the business. "If I can spend time with the best managers, chefs, and mixologists, I can truly reveal my talents, and this will be better for myself, the club and for the members." he confides. ~ Diana DeLucia

JAVIER BURGOS

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KENTUCKY GREEN BEE Serves 1

INGREDIENTS Kentucky Green Bee Cocktail •

2 oz. Evan Williams Honey Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Green Bee MIx • •

½ mixing glass Pineapple (diced into cubes) • Green Grapes • Water Ginger or Celery (thumb size piece of peeled) Garnish • •

3 Green Grapes 1 Toothpick

PREPARATION

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Green Bee Mix Half fill a bartender mixing glass with the pineapple cubes.

Add the green grapes to fill the glass.

Add water, half way.

Place the ginger or celery on top.

Mix in a blender for 1 minute.

Strain into a mixing glass with a very fine strainer.

Kentucky Green Bee Cocktail Fill a mixing glass with ice.

Add 3 oz. of the Green Bee Mix. Add the 2. oz of Evan Williams Honey Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

Shake thoroughly.

Pour into a Martini Glass.

Place 3 green grapes on a toothpick and place on the martini glass as shown in the image. ~ recipe by Javier Burgos

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CHRISTMAS TREE COCKTAIL Serves 1

INGREDIENTS Cocktail •

• Crushed Ice 1 oz Green Apple Liquer • 3 oz. Vodka Garnish • 3-4 Raspberries • 1 Green Apple

PREPARATION Cocktail Fill mixing glass with ice.

Add the vodka.

Add the green apple liquer.

Shake.

Pour into a snifter glass.

Garnish Peel the Green Apple so that the peel is curled.

Slice the the apple so that you have only the middle section then cut that into a star shape.

ASSEMBLY Place the 3 raspberries in the glass.

Put the curled apple peel into the glass.

Mix with a bar spoon.

Place the star on top.

Serve to your favorite member! ~ recipe by Javier Burgos

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GOLF KITCHEN FIRST EDITION WWW.GOLFKITCHEN.COM

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FROM THE SPA HOW TO EMBRACE AYURVEDA IN THREE SIMPLE STEPS WITH NIRMALA NARINE Ayurveda has officially entered the modern memosphere. As a result, each week I’m inundated with a variety of Ayurvedic inquires. Each one summons tender memories of lying under the fragrant mango tree in front of the unpainted wooden house I grew up in, under the tutelage of my grandfather, Payo, in the South American nation of Guyana. He was an Ayurvedic scholar and Hindu pandit (priest), and together we passed on ancient Ayurvedic wisdom from the Sanskrit sutras of our Indian ancestors to our Amazonian fellow villagers, as well as the local indigenous Arawak tribes. Not only did we prepare traditional Ayurvedic remedies for our neighbors, but we also shared our mindful philosophy of the metamorphosing body, and how every sight, sound, sensation, aroma and flavor we ingest from our environment influences our bodies and minds.

Ultimately, Payo’s Ayurvedic teachings were designed to prevent illness and help release one’s prana (life-force) through

the body. Prana is believed to permeate everything in the world around us, as well as our own bodies. It flows in channels called nadis, similar to how the Chinese concept of chi flows through the body in pathways referred to as meridians. Ayurveda teaches us that nothing has more power to heal and transform the body than the mind.

So, what is Ayurveda? Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur = life, Veda = science or knowledge) and is well over 5,000 years old. This natural healing and meditation system influenced many cultures, including the Chinese and the Greeks, and has prevented diseases and brought a healthy and balanced lifestyle to millions of people all over the world.

In Ayurveda, it is believed that each individual is made up of the five elements: air, water, fire, earth, and ether (space).

These are all present in each of us in varying quantities, and this unique make-up, called our dosha or constitution, is what

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accounts for our individual characteristics and differences. Ayurveda teaches each of us how to make choices that are ideal for our body and mind, according to our unique dosha.

Even if you have never seen an Ayurvedic practitioner and are unfamiliar with your dosha make-up, the following simple steps can help you incorporate the sensual indulgence of Ayurvedic mindfulness into a path of pure bliss and happiness.

Increased stamina throughout the day

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Better, deeper sleep at night

To get started, you’ll need one cup of almond, coconut, sesame or neem oil. To perform Abyanga massage, simply observe the following steps: 1. Heat the oil on the stove until it’s warm, but still comfortable to the touch.

Abyanga Massage

2. Begin by massaging the body with the warm oil, starting at the head and working down toward the feet.

I refer to this luxuriously relaxing and comforting ancient wellness ritual as the act of self-love. It is performed by anointing the body with warm oil and is one of my most indelible Ayurvedic memories of my grandmother, Mayo.

3. Start with the outer folds of the ears, then massage the head and work downward. (If you don’t want to get oil in your hair, do a dry head massage.)

As children, each night before we went to bed, my three brothers and I were anointed from head to toe with homemade coconut oil warmed by the dancing flames of our oil lamp. Her eyes shining with merriment as she rubbed the warm oil into our skin, Mayo would tell us we were her shiny jewels, like the stars in our equatorial sky.

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Abyanga can be practiced daily or weekly in the comfort of your home. It serves not only to relieve pain, but aids in pulling toxins from deep within the tissues of the body and digestive system. It also opens the flow of prana, which cleanses and revitalizes the whole body. Abyanga can also be a shared experience with a bunch of friends, a partner, or your family, making it a serene bonding experience.

4. Use circular motions on the joints and a gentle circular clockwise motion over the heart and abdomen. On the torso, massage inward following the direction of the ribs. Massage straight up and down on the arms and legs.

5. Finally, thoroughly massage the feet, which contain many important marmas (Ayurvedic pressure points.)

6. Using the open part of your hand, vigorously massage back and forth over the soles of the feet.

When massaging the feet, be sure to apply the oil to the entire foot, taking care to get in between the toes.

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Increased circulation, especially to nerve endings

7. After the application of oil, sit quietly for at least ten minutes to allow the oil to be properly absorbed by your skin. Keeping a thin, almost imperceptible film of oil on the body is considered very beneficial for toning the skin and warming the muscles throughout the day. Alternately, you can take a shower using a gentle cleanser once the oils have been absorbed.

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Toning of the muscles

Mindful Meditation

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Calms the nervous system

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Promotes digestion

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Increased mental alertness

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Improved elimination of impurities from the body

Today, the effectiveness of meditation as a means of relieving stress has been accepted all around the world.

Amidst the hustle, bustle, and constant distractions of our busy lives, stress manifests in many forms. But when we’re constantly being interrupted or existing in a state of noisy mental chatter, our brains are not operating at their full capacity. This is where the practice of quieting our thoughts through meditation becomes useful.

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Enhances health of the skin, making it strong, soft and lustrous

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Oiling the scalp also causes hair to grow luxuriantly, becoming more thick, soft and glossy

Here are some of the benefits traditionally associated with regular performance of this ritual:

healthy

appetite

and

strong

One of my first experiences in the art of meditation and mindfulness was not in focusing on my posture, mantras or Sanskrit lessons, but simply by observing how the universe functions. As in most of my childhood, my classroom was the natural world around me.

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Seated next to me, Payo would say, “Look at the ebb and flow of the ocean, the movement of the planets, or the blossoming of the hibiscus flowers. None of these things of nature is forced. There is rhythm and balance in our natural world, made up of the five elements, just like the dosha in each of us.”

When the mind is turbulent, it releases messenger molecules signaling this turbulence to our tissues, organs and cells. However, if you quiet the mind, you can send messages of harmony and peace to every cell of your body instead.

Meditation can help you become a more focused entrepreneur, as well more compassionate, appreciative and attentive to everything in your life, including family and friends. Set aside all criticism, anger and stress in your home or work place for a few minutes every day and give yourself a gift. Practicing these simple steps to strengthen the bonds of spiritual love and harmony within your mind.

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One key to successful meditation is to not worry about whether you’re doing it wrong. There is no perfect way to meditate. Just allow yourself to feel happy and content that you are giving yourself this time and keep going. Observing the following principles will also aid in your growing practice of mindful meditation.

4. Come back when you’re in samsāra (wandering).

Know that your mind will wander; this is a near certainty, and it’s perfectly okay. When you notice your mind wandering, just smile and gently return your focus to your breath. You might feel some frustration, but try not to dwell on this. We all do it. Like any other new practice you take up, expect meditation to indeed require you to practice for a while before you become better at it.

5. Get to know yourself. This practice isn’t just about focusing your attention; it’s about learning how your mind works. What’s going on in there? Our own individual thought process is often murky— something that happens subconsciously rather than consciously—but by observing your mind as it wanders, experiencing and releasing frustration, and acknowledging rather than dwelling on difficult feelings, you can gain a new, deeper understand of yourself.

6. Become friends with yourself. As you come to know yourself better, approach your own thoughts with friendly attitude rather than a critical one. You’re getting to know a friend.

Smile as you give yourself the daily gift of this time to tune in.

Mindful Eating

1. Do it first thing each morning. It’s easy to say, “I’ll meditate every day,” but then forget to actually do it. Set your wakeup device to a Zen chime that wakes you up gently, putting you into the mood for meditation.

2. Reserve seven minutes for your meditation and take a seat in a chair. Sit tall, with both feet on the floor and hands in your lap. Close your eyes and take a few moments to simply breathe. Slow down your breath and lengthen your exhale.

3. Check in with how you’re feeling. As you first settle into your meditation session, ask yourself how your body feels. What is the quality of your mind? Does it feel busy? Tired? Anxious?

Don’t judge your answer. The goal here is only to observe and accept whatever you’re bringing to this meditation session.. Continue to breathe.

Take a full breath in through the nose and exhale through the mouth as you let out a long, gentle sigh. Repeat this a few times. Next, bring your lips together and breathe only through the nose.

Nostril breathing moisturizes and filters the air, and has a calming the nervous system. Make your exhale twice as long as your inhale, counting silently to three on the inhale and to six on the exhale.

In our fast-paced modern world, it’s all too easy to ignore or simply forget our bodies’ needs. Practicing mindful eating doesn’t have to mean adopting extreme diets. Rather, it’s about experiencing food and its pleasures through inward focus and being present when we eat. This can be difficult to achieve, even for someone in my profession, but as your practice of mindful mediation grows stronger, you’ll find that you also become more aware of mindful eating.

When I was a child, our dinner table was so quiet, all we could hear was the evening crickets and the clanking of eating and serving utensils. We were taught that when we eat in silence and without distraction, we synchronize the nourishment we take in with the strength of our digestive agni (fire), thus resulting in efficient digestion.

This Ayurvedic ritual of eating in silence begins with an early morning practice, by drinking a glass of warm or room temperature water, with a touch of freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice.

This stimulates the digestive system and helps to prevent or ease constipation. Drinking cold water, on the other hand, is thought to be like pouring ice water on our digestive fires.

Mindful eating is also about taking the time to educate yourself about the food you consume, minimizing the toxicity you ingest while maximizing the nourishment.

Here are some basic guidelines to help you implement Ayurvedic mindful eating.

Step 1 Start with just one meal Start your practice with a just a single meal, or even just a part of it, rather than a heaping plate.

Ultimately you can combine all the steps below for all of your meals and experience the serenity of mindful eating to nourish your body and mind.

Even so, give yourself a few weeks to become accustomed to this new practice. As they say, it takes twenty-one days to incorporate a new habit, so keep at it like a sport activity and this will become a part of your lifestyle.

Step 2 What is your body telling you?

Are you truly hungry? Learn to identify the sensation of genuine hunger and listen to your body's internal cues before you begin eating. Are you hungry, or are you simply responding to emotional triggers for mindless eating, such as the presence of favorite foods, your social surroundings, stress, or other pressures?

Avoid judging yourself. At this point, just become aware of what you’re feeling and explore this honestly. When you truly listen to your body, it will tell you if it is actually hungry and what it’s hungry for. The intimacy of learning to listen to your body and accept hunger stops us from rashly filing our bodies with toxins.

Step 3 Remove distractions Remember those days when everyone sat at the dining table without any cell phones, television, or other electronic devices, or even newspapers, books and magazines? It’s time to revisit this tradition. These things only distract you from the experience of eating. Give your full attention to the meal in front of you.

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109 Step 4 Know your food.

Unless you are a sustenance farmer, we have all become ever more disconnected from the source of our food. Consider the journey of the ingredients you’re preparing. Understanding farm to table offers us an incredible opportunity to connect humanity more deeply to the natural world, and to each other and the elements.

Start reading nutrition labels. In general, it is best to stay away from high sugars, saturated and trans fats, and highly processed or refined foods.

Step 5 Engage your senses by noticing colors, scents, sounds, textures and flavor.

Experience the tanginess of capers, the scent of pineapple, the crunch of a toasted bagel, and the buttery texture of avocadoes. Paying attention to the details of our food can be a great way to start eating mindfully. After all, when you eat on the go or wolf down your meals in minutes, it can be hard to even notice what you are eating, let alone truly savor all the different sensations of eating it. Create dishes using seasonal ingredients that strive towards a balance of textures, colors, scents,

flavors and nutrients, synchronizing the elements of our mind with the natural environment, and thus creating harmony with the elements.

Also, when we take the time to really honor your food experiences by focusing on the details, you create mental healthy eating snapshots that can last a lifetime.

Step 6 Eat slowly.

Taking the time to savor and enjoy your food is one of the healthiest things you can do for your body and mind. Chewing your food thoroughly aids in easy digestion and forces you to eat more slowly.

You’ll find that you can identify the heightened juicy sweetness of summer peaches or that burst of tartness from the red arils of a pomegranate that you might otherwise have missed. One of the fun lessons I perform when cooking with children is to see who can chew their food the longest without talking.

The introduction of smaller portions served in an Asian bowl that fits in the palm and eating its contents with chopsticks is a fun way to slow down your eating and, at same time, a gateway into another culture.

Step 7.

Savor the silence.

When we are distracted, it becomes harder to listen to our body’s signals about food and other needs. Eating in complete silence may be impossible for a family with children, but you might still encourage time for quiet reflection during family meals. If mealtime is too important an opportunity for conversation to pass up, then consider introducing a quiet meal or snack time into your day when you can enjoy it alone.

A great way to start is to simply brew some tea, engaging with its color and scent. You can even taste the dry tea and lock in that flavor profile in your mind. Then, once the tea is brewed, observed how it changes color and savor a few sips.

Observe the finished flavor and contemplated these thoughts in silence.

sought-after marketing consultant on food, fragrance, Ayurveda, and hospitality projects geared towards a sustainable and harmonious blend of spa wellness, innovation, and authenticity to local cultures. Her latest novel, Ellishiva Cinnamon, is the exciting first volume in a lush historical-fantasy series about environmental stewardship, featuring a strong and empowered young heroine and providing readers with a unique escape into New York City back during the time when it was still an untamed jungle.

Nirmala currently lives on an organic farm in New York’s Hudson Valley.

She can be reached at www.nirmalanarine.com or follow on Twitter and Instagram @nirmalanarine

Remember, Ayurvedic mindful eating does not have to be a super concentrated task, but rather a simple commitment to acknowledging, honoring and, above all, enjoying the foods you eat every day.

I truly hope you incorporate these simple steps of Ayurveda into your daily routine and, before long, mindfulness will become a way of life. This shift will improve your health, connect you with your purpose, and create greater balance, wellbeing, and transformation in your lifestyle.

Disclaimer: The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease. If you have any serious acute or chronic health concerns, please consult a trained health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. Check with your doctor before taking herbs or using essential oils when pregnant or nursing.

About Nirmala Narine Nirmala’s roots stem from a tribe of master Ayurvedic scholars who journeyed from Northern India all the way to Guyana, a small South American nation with strong Caribbean roots. Hailed as the “Indiana Jones of Spice” by Eric Ripert (Executive Chef/ Co-owner at Le Bernardin) and “the spice rack that has everything” by The New York Times, Nirmala is a global lifestyle expert, as well as the CEO of Nirmala’s Kitchen and a published author of several travel memoir cookbooks. She is also the television host of the globally syndicated show Nirmala’s Spice World and founder of Nirmala’s Global Village, an organization dedicated to empowering orphans around the world.

Nirmala has travelled to over 167 countries and is a

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THE WINE CELLAR INTRODUCING WINE WRITER AND AUTHOR OF THE CHAMPAGNE GUIDE, TYSON STELZER

GK: How did you become involved in the Wine and Champagne business?

It was quite an extraordinary change of life that took me from a high school science master on Queensland’s Gold Coast fifteen years ago to the privilege of ultimately bringing the title of International Wine Communicator of the Year to Australia for the first time.

At the age of 26, I had a growing ambition to write about wine, to tell the stories of the remarkable people and places that create this amazing beverage. And so, I set about writing my first wine book. I had a great concept; I knew there was an interested audience, so all I had to do was find a publisher. I proudly sent my pitch to every worthy publisher I could find, eager to launch a career as a wine writer!

The response was unanimously deflating: ‘If you’re not a celebrity or an established author, we’re not interested.’ My writing career was doomed before it even began, but then I put my mind to forging another way. I laid out my first book on a borrowed desktop

computer in my back room late at night. And before I knew it, I’d spent $5,000 on printing, and I was a self-published author! It was to be the first of thirteen wine books that I would self-publish, and it’s only been in the past three years that I’ve made the switch to working with a big publisher to open up international distribution opportunities.

GK: Where did your vision to create the Champagne Guide originate?

My interest in champagne was sparked during a family holiday visit to the region in 2010 and the realization that there was a need for an up-to-date guide in English. My favorite English champagne writers were retiring, and I wished that I could find up-to-date reviews in print. My first Champagne Guide was a succinct (176 page) book, but it created a much bigger stir than I ever expected. Within months of its publication, I was flying to London to be awarded International Champagne Writer of the Year in The Louis Roederer International Wine Writers’ Awards 2011.

TYSON STELZER

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Six years on, I am currently releasing the fifth edition of The Champagne Guide. I’m frequently asked why I write more about champagne than anything else. It goes without saying that I love the wine, the place, and its people.

I am thrilled by the challenge of unraveling what is probably the most complex wine style in the world, and I love the chase of discovering the real story behind the wines of its most guarded brands.

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Of all the world’s most famous and celebrated wines, less is written about champagne than any other.

There is no beverage that speaks of celebration more universally than champagne, traversing cultures and languages to toast everything from christenings to coronations. Of Europe’s most highly prized benchmarks, none is more readily available and more affordable across the globe than champagne. There is much to celebrate, much that champagne’s eager drinkers are thirsty to learn, and I count it a great privilege to bring the real stories of this enchanting place to the world, but there’s a more important reason. Wine is about connecting people, about bringing people together and building relationships. And champagne does that better than any other wine.

GK: Tell us about the research you had to accomplish to produce the Champagne Guide.

There is something of a ‘thrill of the chase’ in researching champagne quite unlike any other wine. For me, the key to communicating with champagne is to unearth and demystify the people, the places and the processes that define every cuvée as unique. To understand the soils, the slopes, the climate, the grapes, the winemaking, the aging and the personalities of each of the characters who craft every detail of this long and convoluted process.

The challenge and the chase come because volunteering these details is not traditionally the way of the Champenois.

Every year I fight my way through the froth and bubble of the most overmarketed wine region in the world. These are a guarded folk, and their promotions and communication have long circled around glamorous estates, illustrious histories, elaborate packaging, fabricated prestige, gushing rhetoric, stratospheric pricing, flirtations with royalty, sightings with supermodels, or websites with more animated glitz that you can point a cursor at!

These trite campaigns do little to communicate what makes a house style or a particular cuvée unique. My readers don’t have time or finances to taste every champagne to decide what they’ll drink, so it is my responsibility to communicate what every cuvée tastes, smells and feels like so they can quickly decide if might suit their taste and prove worthy of their investment.

It has taken years and countless visits to build relationships with the key houses and growers and for them to build the confidence to confide in me the real stories of their vineyards, their cuveries, and their cellars, to unlock the minute details that make their cuvées unique. And over the seven years since this has been my focus, it’s been encouraging to see the region beginning to open up. Back labels, web sites, and brochures are much more informative now than they have ever been, as houses appreciate that an ever more educated world of champagne lovers is thirsty to lap up this detail.

GK: You are promoting Tasmanian as well, tell us about that and how Tasmanian is connected.

I have long loved Tasmanian sparkling, though I haven’t lived there since I was four years old, I was born in Australia’s little,

southerly island state, I’ve returned there in recent times to film harvest for a television series, and I’ve watched its wine industry come of age in recent years.

After champagne became a special focus, I was approached

by James Halliday to write the sparkling reviews for his Australian Wine Companion, the most important annual Australian wine guide. In recent years, I have also published my own Australian Sparkling Report, a comprehensive review of 500 Australian sparkling wines of all kinds, free to download at www. tysonstelzer.com/articles.

Across my tastings year after year, Tasmania confidently reaffirms its place as Australia’s sparkling capital.

Australia’s isolated, cool, southerly island state is privileged to a marginal and challenging climate well suited to premium sparkling growing. Its significance at the pinnacle of Australian sparkling cannot be overstated. Most parts of mainland Australia are warmer and sunnier than northern Europe and consequently not well suited to producing great white or rosé sparkling wines. Climate change is only serving to exacerbate this situation.

Tasmania ascends to ever greater sparkling heights with each passing year. In Australian capital city wine show history, no sparkling wine has ever eclipsed all still and fortified wines to win champion wine of show.

Until now. Over the past two years, Tasmanian sparklings have been awarded the highest recognition in top Australian wine shows not once but four times, winning the trophies for the Best Wine of Show in The National Wine Show in Canberra, The Sydney Royal Wine Show, The Royal Queensland Wine Show and The National Cool Climate Wine Show. Tasmanian sparkling has finally come of age, and in the wake of such tremendous

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domestic success, it’s time for Australia to unveil its finest fizz on the world stage. This is the reason that I am traveling to New York this month to not only launch the new edition of The Champagne Guide but to showcase an invitation-only selection of my favorite Tasmanian sparkling producers, both the famous names and the smallest boutiques.

For more information about Tyson Stelzer please visit his website at www.winepress.com.au ~ by Diana DeLucia

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