 New England Clam Chowder Recipe by Michael Ruggiero, Executive Chef at GlenArbor Golf Club, Bedford Hills, New York, USA I have been a professional food photographer for over 15 years and Ripert, Thomas Keller, Charlie Trotter, Joel Robuchon, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Anthony Bourdain, Alain Ducasse, and many more world class restaurant chefs. Most of them are now hugely successful entrepreneurs and celebrities'. This elite group has always understood the importance of excellent food photography. Why spend all your time creating gorgeous recipes for your menu only to ruin them with less than flattering food photographs? I remember when the first iPhone was released, and the cell phone photography was so unflattering that some restaurants banned their use! Of course, that has changed now, and thankfully some cell phone photographers are getting much better than the early days, still ugly food shots convey the wrong image of your food and are a turn off to many potential diners. When I entered the private golf industry, I quickly realized there was a great need for high-quality food photography whether the golf club, country club or resort was serving hamburgers or haute cuisine. Why spend thousands on your golf course photography, clubhouse, interiors, and exteriors and skip the kitchen? Food is not and should never be an afterthought. When I look for a club to feature in my books or Golf Kitchen Magazine the website is the first place I visit. I can usually tell if the club values the culinary side as they will highlight and compliment their chef, culinary team and services, often displaying the menus and excellent food imagery. However, the website is not the only place a club needs high-quality food photography; there are many places. Food photography draws attention everywhere from social media, newsletters, advertising, magazine and news stories, club banners, posters and more. How to find a great food photographer. Food photography is an art form and challenging to learn; more often it is an inborn skill. The golf course photographer is likely not a skilled food photographer and vice versa. I have never been hired to shoot a golf course, while I might be able to take good enough landscapes, I am by no means a golf course photographer as I do not know the game or what golfers are looking for in a great image. I leave that up to specialized golf photographers like Larry Lambrecht, Jacob Sjöman and Evan Schiller. Look for photographers that specialize in food photography and do your homework. Find out if their clients are happy with their services, word of mouth is essential. Local does not always mean better, hire for talent every time. Reasons to hire a great food photographer to support your great culinary team. 1. Members of upscale private clubs can eat wherever they want. Their palates are advanced. When you produce low-quality food imagery that can be enough for them to go off property to eat, or worse, join a club that values the food and beverage department as much the golf and other facilities. 2. Younger golfers demand higher quality cuisine. This means that you need to hire executive chefs and other culinary team players who match this demand to attract more members to the club, and you will need to support your team by showing off their work with great food photography.  Raspberry Chocolate Pavé Recipe by Dana Iannelli, Executive Pastry Chef at Addison Reserve Country Club, Delray Beach, Florida, USA 3. My first impression as a non-golfer was how do clubs attract new members, especially the ones who have never played golf? Golfers already play so there is no point preaching to the choir; you need other avenues to get them to the club. Food is one of them. If they feel that a club has an excellent food and wine program and a great golf program and other facilities, that could be the drawcard that brings the club to their attention and then they might also take up the game. More reason to hire a skilled food photographer. 4. Food is a conversation topic. The last thing you want as a private golf or country club is to have members, guests, and media trashing the club's choice of cuisine. Poor food photography can be a bad choice as it shows lack of attention to the food and beverage department.  Deviled Eggs with Crispy Leeks and Candied Bacon Recipe by Jason Voiselle, Executive Chef at Naples National Golf Club, Naples, Florida, USA 5. Hiring a reputable food photographer has many other perks. Savvy food photographers are very good at marketing, you will likely have your club featured in their marketing and online social media campaigns as well as your own at no extra cost. About the Author: Diana DeLucia is Founder, President and Editor in Chief of Golf Kitchen Magazine and Golf Kitchen cookbooks. She began her culinary photography career in New York when she photographed for Restaurant Insider Magazine. DeLucia's work was recognized by industry leaders, and she became the food photographer of choice by many. Diana discovered the private golf and country club industry in 2010 and created an entire business surrounding the culinary talent in the industry. DeLucia launched the Golf Kitchen Culinary Excellence Awards on October 4th, 2018 at Edgewood Country Club in River Vale, New Jersey which is in its third year and has a new home at GlenArbor Golf Club. In 2020, she launched the first of its kind Golf Kitchen Certification of Culinary Excellence with 9 Inaugural members.  Honeycrisp Apple And Butternut Squash Salad with Whipped Ricotta, Zhoug, and Pomegranate
Recipe by Jonathan Hancock, Executive Chef at Richland Country Club, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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 Recipe by Phil Iannucilli, Executive Chef at Greenwich Country Club, Greenwich, CT, USA Chef Note: Quite often, I like to imagine the best qualities of several dishes and combine them to create a new one. Here, I started with the classic brown butter sage (Cappellacci di Zucca). I added walnuts (Pansotti alle Noci). Then I finished it with cream (Fettuccine Alfredo – although originally without cream) and the black pepper from Carbonara fame (Coal Miner’s Pasta). The spinach and nutmeg are perfect team players in this scenario. Ingredients Handmade Agnolotti (Yield - 1 Serving)
Fresh Pasta Dough (Yield - 1 1/2 lbs.)
The Filling (Yield - 2 Cups)
Brown Butter Cream (Yield - 2 Cups)
Preparation Fresh Pasta Dough Start the dough in a mixer with the dough hook attachment. Blend the flour and salt. Then add all the wet ingredients. Mix for 5-10 minutes until a strong dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Finish kneading by hand, while incorporating flour until very stiff. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. The Filling Mix all ingredients with the paddle attachment until fully incorporated. Roll the pasta dough through a machine, progressively thinner, until almost translucent. Line Tablespoons of filling along the middle of the pasta, approximately 1-1/2 inches apart. Brush the edges and between the filling with a touch of egg wash. Fold the pasta over the filling longways. Roll and cut the agnolotti with a fluted pastry wheel. Set aside for cooking. Brown Butter Cream Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Swirl the butter until it slowly and evenly starts to brown. Add the walnuts and then the sage. Add the cream and lower the heat. Simmer gently for 3-4 minutes. Add the cheese and salt, whisking until just melted. Quickly remove from the heat. Assembly Spoon the sauce onto the plate. Arrange the cooked agnolotti in a circle on top of the sauce. Pile the spinach high in the center. Carefully place the walnuts around. Garnish with the fried sage leaves and finish with cracked pepper, olive oil and freshly grated nutmeg. Wine Match Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay, Sonoma County, California 2016. ~ Jessica Terry, Food and Beverage Manager.   The 18 green overlooking the back of the clubhouse.
Image by Henry Cardenas.  Recipe by Juan Pablo de la Sota Riva, Executive Chef at Royal Poinciana Golf Club, Naples, Florida, USA Image by Stephanie Starr Serves 6 Ingredients Vegetables and Greens
Banyul’s Vinaigrette
Preparation Vinaigrette Preparation Put the honey, mustard, black garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add half of the vinegar and mix with a hand blender. Add half of the oil slowly and then the rest of the vinegar. Finish with the remaining oil, verify seasoning and reserve in the fridge. Preparation Carrot Ravioli Peel the carrots and slice in the mandolin very thin. Blanch the carrots for 20 seconds and shock in cold water. Cut the carrots into 3 inch-long pieces and trim the sides to form a perfect rectangle. Cut a piece of the O’Banon cheese and place it in the center. Add one dot of honey on the cheese and fold all the sides until form a square ravioli shape. Reserve on the fridge. Vegetables Preparation Slice the cucumbers in the mandolin, roll them and reserved. Sliced the jicama in the mandolin, roll it and reserve. Pull the leaves off the chervil and dill and reserve. Cut 2 of the peppers with a small ring mold. Blend the rest of the roasted peppers, strain in a china cap to remove seeds or burned parts and extended the puree in a silpat , dry in the oven at 155 °F for 55 minutes and leave at room temperature. When cold, cut the pepper paper into different shapes and use to decorate. Slice the eggplant, marinate with EVOO, salt and pepper and keep chill in the refrigerator. Assembly Place the carrot raviolis next to the roasted peppers. Add the cucumber and jicama rolls onto opposite sides of the plate. Place 3 of the lettuce in between the vegetables. Add the eggplant fold in between the lettuces. Garnish with the fine herbs and the red pepper paper. Finish with the vinaigrette before serving. Wine Match The Knights Bridge, Pont De Chevalier, Sauvignon Blanc. Region: Knights Valley, Sonoma County California, USA   Royal Poinciana Golf Club.
Painting by renowned Golf Course photographer Graeme Baxter.  Left: Christina Ferraiolo, Pastry Chef at Edgewood Country Club, Rivervale, New Jersey, USA. Right: Oreo Crusted White Chocolate Cheese Cake GK: Tell us where you are from and how you develop your interest in cooking? I grew up in Belleville, New Jersey. My passion for cooking started at a very early age. I can vividly remember my grandparents and my parents always preparing lavish dishes. Food was always the focal point that brought the family together. As a child, I recall being inspired by all of my family members, particularly my two grandmas, Angelica, and Guilia. They always made these amazing, authentic Italian dishes that to this day I still recreate. They both had beautiful gardens and were able to create fresh dishes from the vegetables that they grew. I always admired how they were always able to make anyone who tasted their food feel the love they put into it. I strive to reciprocate that same feeling when people try my dishes. Food has also been a part of my life and I am grateful to my family for always believing in me and inspiring me to fulfill my passion. GK: Tell us about your journey to Edgewood, why work in a Country Club? Three years ago, I worked in New York City as a Sous Chef and came across the job opportunity at Edgewood Country Club. I applied and was in contact with Executive Chef Anthony Villanueva, who offered me the position here. Ever since, I have been the pastry chef, and I handle the Garde manager department. I am thankful for my two mentors Chef Anthony and Ivan Villanueva, who have supported me along this journey at Edgewood. At Edgewood, all of the chefs and kitchen staff treat each other like family. I love to bring Executive Chef Anthony and my Sous Chef Ivan’s ideas to life. I am so grateful that my bosses trust me to bring my visions to life and push me out of my comfort zone. Although I am the only female, I have never felt unwelcome in any way, and hope to encourage other young females to enter this field. GK: Do you enjoy working with Executive Chef Anthony Villanueva, does he give you the freedom to be creative? At Edgewood, all of the chefs and kitchen staff treat each other like family. I love to bring Executive Chef Anthony and my Sous Chef Ivan’s ideas to life. I am so grateful that my bosses trust me to bring my visions to life and push me out of my comfort zone. Although I am the only female, I have never felt unwelcome in any way, and hope to encourage other young females to enter this field. GK: Tell s about your interest in pastry. What is your process when creating a recipe? Edgewood helped make my dreams of making unique pastries a reality. I always had focused on hot food prep in the past, but I wanted to expand my skill set. Edgewood Country Club allowed me to break out of my comfort zone, and I love baking new pastries regularly. GK: What are your plans for Edgewood in the sense of programs you might wish to develop? For example cooking classes, create a pastry shop within the club? I hope to one day have the opportunity to expand the pastry shop. It would be awesome to specialize in our own wedding/specialty cakes and cater to our client’s needs. I love your cooking class idea for members and/or their children and that is something I am going to look into. It would be cool to have these cooking classes around the various holidays and teach members how to bake different dishes. GK: Do you play golf? I am not very athletic and do not officially play golf, but I have some lessons planned. I do enjoy watching the members play and hope to learn a few things. GK: What advice would you give to other young people about the benefits of working at a Country Club. Explain the positive aspects it offers compared to a restaurant? Working at Edgewood Country Club has been a great experience. I enjoy catering a client’s major life event (wedding, party, etc.) and how we can individualize every event to the client’s needs. Weddings are my favorite! It is such a special moment in a person’s life, and I get to be part of it. I am grateful for this opportunity to work at Edgewood Country Club, and look forward to what we cook up next! A note from Anthony Villananueva, Executive Chef I interviewed Christina three years ago for a possible position with us here at Edgewood Country Club. Christina was a graduate of my School at Hudson County Community College in Jersey City New Jersey. She wasn’t very happy at her current position. From the moment I met her I knew she was very special and extremely passionate about her work. I felt she would be a great addition to our team and after several interviews decided to offer her the job. She more than delivered on our investment in her. She brings a certain professionalism and sophistication to everything she does. She has really elevated everything we do here at the club. She is a bright hard-working chef with a tremendous future in front of her. Me and Ivan the Sous Chef have worked together for over 20 years and once we collaborated with Christina, we knew we had a great team together. I always tell her she is great, and she will be famous one day. Her immediate response is always “No Chef We Will Be Famous One Day!” She is a great team player and her drive is second to none. She has the role of Pastry Chef here at the club but is so capable of much more. She currently runs the Pastry and Garde Manger Departments at Edgewood Country Club. Her quest for knowledge and willingness to try new things makes us all better. She hopes to attain the Sous Chef position soon. She will no doubt easily accomplish that goal. Last year we started making our own pasta in house and Christina quickly rose to the challenge by Making fresh pasta at home with her grandmother then bringing her technique and flavor to the kitchen team at the club. All her efforts have been nothing less than sensational and I am very fortunate to be able to work with her and have her on my team. The successes in my career have always been attributed to the fact that I instill freedom in my kitchen team members to practice and try new things. This helps us stay relevant and continually evolving. My philosophy has always been that work should always be productive but more importantly it should always be fun! I am always asked as a chef “What is your favorite dish? My happy response is always to say, “The one we have yet to create!” Onward Creativity!  The popular, award winning ballroom at Edgewood Country Club, Rivervale, New Jersey, USA
Image courtesy Edgewood Country Club  Recipe by Jason Voiselle, Executive Chef at Naples National Golf Club, Naples, Florida, USA Serves 4 Ingredients Tartare
Garnish
Chef Note: Garnish supplied by The Chef’s Garden, Huron, Ohio Preparation Tartare Chef Note: Chill beef thoroughly ahead of service time. Cut beef into approximately 1/8 inch dice. In a small stainless-steel bowl, combine capers, shallot, Dijon and olive oil, mix well. Fold in the diced beef, mix well, and season to taste with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Assembly Place 1/2 cup microgreens in the center of the plate and set the marrow bone over the nest of greens. Gently spoon one-quarter of the tartare mix evenly into marrow bone. Using a small spoon, place a divot into the tartare mixture and place a quail yolk in the hole. Using a microplane grate the cured egg yolk over the tartare. Top the tartare with the freshly shaved truffle. Arrange the flowers and nasturtiums on and around the tartare. Serve immediately. Wine Match Carte Blanche Pinot Noir 2017. ~ Dan Ano is the Food and Beverage Manager/Wine Consultant at Naples National and has developed one of the leading wine programs in the private golf club industry.   Naples National Clubhouse
Image by Evan Schiller, courtesy Naples National Golf Club  Peter Zoole, Executive Chef at Addison Reserve Country Club, Delray Beach, Florida, USA Image by Gideon Heller I initially interviewed Chef Zach Bell at Addison Reserve in 2017 when I first began producing the second Golf Kitchen book. At the same time, Golf Kitchen was growing quite quickly, and I had many dreams of what I wanted Golf Kitchen to be as a business. Since 2017, we have introduced a magazine, events, and a culinary awards program specifically for the Private Golf and Country Club industry. Fast forward to 2020, after many delays, Peter Zoole has taken the helm at Addison Reserve. I have enjoyed the journey and getting to know Peter as much as I enjoyed getting to know Zach. ~ Diana DeLucia GK: When did your interest in cooking arise? I was born and raised in Greenville and Spartanburg, South Carolina, and I wasn’t interested in cooking at all. We had a structured family dinner, but it was meat and potatoes, and I didn’t give it much thought. GK: How were you introduced the the culinary world? I got into the food business in high school at a place in Spartanburg called Heavenly Ham, and I was washing dishes, nothing exciting. When I went off to college at Francis Marion University (FMU) I returned to Heavenly Ham on my summer break. One of my coworkers, Laurel Phillips was opening a restaurant and said that if I wanted a summer job the following year to please come and see her. The following summer break, I worked for her in the front of the house bussing, answering phones, waiting tables, a bit of everything. I fell in love with the whole thing, the pace of service, and the excitement of entertaining guests and everything that comes with it. I was intrigued by what the chefs and the cooks were doing in the kitchen. I was 19 or 20 at the time and had realized my passion. I didn’t want to go back to college; I was not a good student and my grades were poor. I wanted to pursue a career in the culinary field, I needed to tell my parents. My father has a law degree, and my mother has an MBA, I felt that was expected of me. When I told my father I wanted to pursue a culinary career, he was surprisingly supportive, and it was a significant relief. GK: Which culinary school did you attend? I intended to enroll in Johnson and Wales in Charleston, South Carolina, and moved there shortly after making my decision. I needed a job to support myself and got a job at a restaurant called The Library at Vendue, once again washing dishes. I was so fast at washing dishes that the sous chef Chef Brian Kleinbub took me under his wing. I worked my way up the ranks, and the Executive Chef Paul Tinsley, who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), told me that I didn’t need to go into debt. I could learn more working for him than from textbooks, and not have a massive liability at the end of it. I was able to work as a waiter several days a week and in the kitchen on other days. I knew both the front and back of the house, which was very advantageous. In 1995, Chef Paul Tinsley had the opportunity to open a new restaurant at Kiawah Island called the Sweet Grass Cafe, and he asked me to work for him there. It was being built from the ground up. I was learning from the consulting chef’s operations, such as purchasing equipment and menu creation. I stayed there for the season and then I had to find work in the offseason. I was on unemployment as I wanted to return to Kiawah the following season, but I was offered a job as a line cook at a restaurant at Folly Beach called Cafe Suzanne, which was owned by Lee and Susan Chewning. It was a casual place and a lot of fun; however, I wasn’t learning much and had much desire to advance. The chef ended up leaving and that is when I got a big break, Lee and Susan offered me the Executive Chef position! GK: That was fast. Tell us about that. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I took the job regardless. I figured the first thing I would do is organize the kitchen and make sure it was nice and clean. I started buying cookbooks and searching for recipes and inspiration. I had a good run at the cafe. I stayed for almost three years and left with a fair amount of knowledge. A friend of mine, Boyd Rose, was working at the Penninsula Grill, which was one of the founding father restaurants in downtown Charleston and one of the best. Boyd and I used to hang out often and talk about anything and everything to do with cooking and kitchens. One day he called me as said, “A position has opened at Penninsula Grill, I am leaving.” He offered to introduce me to the Bob Carter, the Executive Chef. I got the job, and it was big-time for me, it was fancy and expensive. I started out making salads and I began to learn about chefs, chef de cuisine, and sous chefs positions. I worked with Sean Brock, who is a very successful Chef today. We were good friends, and he’s a couple of years younger than me, and he started at Penninsula after me, and I trained him at the salad station. Jacques Larson and Tyler Brown also worked that line, we were all in our mid-twenties, and we challenged each other a lot. Many celebrities and famous football players would dine there - George Clooney, Robert Redford, Martha Stewart, Jimmy Buffet, Dan Marino, John Elway, and Chief Justice Clarence Thomas. It was the hot spot to be, and it was always exciting. My now-wife Jennifer was attending Johnson and Wales and working at Penninsula in the pastry section. We got along really well and began dating. It was about five years since I had made the decision not to go to culinary school. I had learned a lot, but I started thinking that I needed to have that piece of paper to validate my career and keep moving up the culinary ladder. I started looking at different schools like the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Johnson and Wales, and then Le Cordon Bleu in Paris caught my attention. It was a year-long course, very reasonably priced and the best thing it was in Paris. I applied and was accepted. My parents scraped together the money, and I moved to Paris with my wife and my Labrador retriever Jed. We didn’t know what we were expecting, the apartment was tiny, just 10 square meters. GK: Tell us about Le Cordon Bleu? The classes at Le Cordon Bleu were a very different experience from what they have here in America. There were no textbooks or computers, it was all chef demonstrations that were a couple of hours long, they would show us various techniques, and then we would have to attend small kitchen classes with maybe 10-15 students. We all had a stove and oven workstation, and we would make the dishes that were assigned, and the chef would critique them at the end. It was hands-on learning, they were older teachers, but they were terrific, the techniques that they demonstrated I had never seen before. GK: Did you enjoy Paris? We were relatively poor during that time, but Jennifer and I would go on marathon walks and try to get lost in Paris, we explored every inch of the city on foot and the metro. Halfway through my course, Jennifer was getting homesick, she wasn’t working, and we decided for her to live with her grandmother in California. I would stay in Paris with the dog to finish the year. After I graduated, I moved to California to be with my wife. When I returned, we decided that we wanted to live in San Francisco. Everything we owned was in South Carolina, so we flew back, booked a truck, and drove it to San Francisco. Once we were settled, I hit the bricks looking for a new position. I went to Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant, Gary Danko’s, and a few others. I walked past Aqua Restaurant, and I had heard all about it, so I stopped in to drop off my resume. The receptionist told me that they were not hiring, and I begged her if she could give my resume to one of the chefs. Before I even got home, I had a message asking me to return for an interview as soon as possible. I was super excited to be starting the next phase of my career at Aqua, one of the most excellent restaurants in San Francisco! They asked me what my goals were, and I said, "I didn’t drive a truck 3000 miles to make salads all day. I want to learn.” They put me with sous chef Ben Jenkins that was on loan from the Bellagio in Las Vegas. He was one of the most talented sous chefs I had worked with. I will never forget when I had to make a scallop dish, he grabbed the pan out of my hand and said, “Where the heck did you learn how to cook? Don’t touch anything, just watch, OK?” I was instantly humbled. The Chef / Partner at the time was Michael Mina, who had several restaurants, and the chef and sous chefs would tell me in advance if he was going to be in the kitchen. They warned me not to screw up when he was there. I was terrified as my station was right near where Michael Mina stood, it was so humbling, but I didn’t quit and kept moving up the ladder, each day thinking I was going to be toast, but I figured it out and did very well, and within a year I became the sous chef, I was 29. The restaurant group that owned Aqua had a falling out and parted ways. Some staff followed Michael Mina, and some stayed. I stayed, and a well known French chef Laurent Manrique took over. I was doing very well at Aqua, and during that time, we were awarded two Michelin Stars. The owners wanted to take over a steakhouse that was not far away, the chef who was well known was leaving, and I got offered the job. They called the restaurant C & L Steakhouse. This was a massive deal for my career, Michelin even mentioned C & L in the guide, although we didn’t have the stars there. After a few years I returned to Aqua, I was burnt out and longed for the East Coast. I asked my wife what she thought. She was all for it, and we moved back to Charleston, and I took a job with Mike Lata, who was a James Beard Award Winner. During that time, I had a sidekick job as a restaurant consultant in the Bahamas. That fizzled out, but it was fun flying to the Bahamas in a private jet with designers and engineers! I stayed with Lata for about a year and then began working for the Lowery Group in Hilton Head, South Carolina, with Chef Eric Sayers at the restaurant CQ’s. Eric and I got along great, and we did all kinds of experimentation. It was when sous-vide was becoming popular. We didn’t have a circulator. We didn’t have a fancy cryovac machine or a vacuum sealer, so we made our version out of cheap goods from Target! I called it the hillbilly circulator on the stovetop. We challenged ourselves, and it was a great experience all around. I was working seasonally at CQ’s and would switch to one of the other restaurants in the group in the offseason. I was settling down and needed security, and this is what brought my attention to private clubs. I had always believed that club chefs were making powdered mash potatoes, but was soon to learn differently. I interviewed at Colleton River Club in Bluffton. It was hard to leave the Lowery Group, but we wanted to start a family, and the clubs had many of the health insurance and perks that restaurants didn’t have. I was the interim chef, and I had the opportunity to hire my boss, Chef Robert Wysong. We had the best time in the kitchen there; we got along very well. I desired to become the Executive Chef at a Club, and I knew Robert wasn’t leaving anytime soon, so I hired a chef agency to find me an Executive Chef position. They contacted me and said, “This isn’t an executive chef role, but it’s an executive sous chef job. The club is Addison Reserve Country Club down in Florida, and it’s the best there is. This is better than having an executive chef job right out of the box. I asked the General Manager at Colleton, and he said, “Addison is one of the best clubs there is, I know the GM Michael McCarthy very well.” I told the chef agency that I was interested in the position. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but after doing some research on Google about Zach Bell, the executive chef and Michael McCarthy, and the club, I got fired up. Angela Rodriguez is the head of human resources at Addison Reserve and she called me up, and she said, “I have to tell you that I got your resume from Charlie at the agency, and then five minutes later, my boss, the CEO of the club comes in with your resume in his hand. So I had to call you right away.” One thing led to another, and I did several phone interviews and Skype interviews with Zach. I came down for a weekend and toured the property and cooked for everybody and got hired! Zach and I discovered that our backgrounds were pretty similar. We were the same age and kind of came up through the ranks the same way. He worked for Daniel Boulud and, I was in San Francisco working for Michael Mina and Laurent Manrique. I moved the family down here in September of 2014, and it was right before the season started. I had towards the end of September to get settled, and then it started to get busy into October, I had just a few weeks to get acclimated. Before you know it, it hits hard! We got a lot of interns from overseas to work for the season. There were over 20 cooks that dropped in one day, and I had to figure out what their skill levels are and what positions they can fill. The first season for me was a blur. There was so much going on, the volume, with the banquets, the regular dining, everything, it went by quickly. Zach was great to build and grow with. He is one of the most, if not the most incredibly talented chefs I’ve ever worked with and has a wealth of knowledge. Whatever project he works on, he excels. If he is buying a refrigerator, he becomes an expert in that fridge. He learns how to pull it apart and put it back together. He is that detailed. He pushes himself, and he’s incredibly driven. He pushed the rest of our sous chefs and me; he sets the bar high for everybody. He questioned and challenged us to create and come up with new and crazy ideas. Although he was tough on us, it was for our progress. I respect Zach immensely. When Zach left Addison in 2019, I got promoted to Executive Chef; I was nervous. Zach’s gone, and nothing’s ever going to be the same and it’s been quite the opposite. I’m very grateful and very vocal about about his achievements but we were excited for the change, eager for something different at the same time. The members asked, “You’re still going to do The Vault, right?” Of course, we wouldn’t be changing the Vault anytime soon, but I wanted to put my mark on things and my ideas about menus, food, and cooking. When Zach left, it was not widely known that he was resigning, they sent a newsletter out to the members announcing Zach has left, but Peter is here, and Peter Zoole will be the new Executive Chef, and everything is going to be great! GK: What plans do you want to execute on the culinary side that’s coming from your heart and soul and your palette? I typed this long email to all my chefs. It started with accolades to Zach, and I explained that we all agree he was our hurricane force and how great he made us through all of his hard work. I wanted to reach out to the team and explain what his original mission was, as you tend to forget over the years. I wanted to reset that. The next phase of the operation for me was to slowly start to roll out some new menu ideas that were my own. I would run them as specials to start and see what feedback I would receive. At the time, we were also developing menus for our brand new restaurant that was still under construction. Using the membership for a sounding board was how we were going to see the future, mainly working on the menus, and the expectations were extremely high for the new restaurant. GK: How have you grown as a Chef since your became the Executive Chef? In my first season as Executive Chef at Addison Reserve, we had a close brush with Hurricane Dorian, and we opened a brand new restaurant where the expectations were very high. The project was super delayed due to construction issues, opening the week before Thanksgiving was the height of our high season! The restaurant has been wildly successful, exceeding my wildest dreams! We bulled through the rest of our 2019 Season and into 2020. Throughout the season, I kept telling myself that I couldn’t wait until this time next year-there were so many things that I learned on the go. I saw an opportunity for improvements the whole way and I made copious notes, and planned a major overhaul of events, all of which could be structured over the Summer. GK: And then Covid-19 hit. What now? In the beginning of March, we started seeing the first effects of COVID-19. In just a few short weeks we were forced to dramatically overhaul the entire way that we do business here at the club. No department has been unaffected. We quickly shifted our operations to a touchless food delivery within our gates. In addition to a la carte delivery, we offer so much more: from groceries to Trivia night, and live music events via Zoom. As we slowly open our dining rooms to our members, we have learned that our delivery service is here for good. We have been tirelessly working on all new programming that includes exciting and fun events that our members can enjoy while staying safe and practicing proper social distancing. Not only that, but we have also rewritten the book on keeping our staff safe and healthy. Our upcoming season here will be different than anything we have done before. I am fortunate to be surrounded by positive and intelligent leadership that contribute daily to our progress in this new landscape that we all find ourselves.  The lifestyle complex pool at Addison Reserve Country Club, Delray Beach, Florida, USA
Image by Gideon Heller  Left: Phil Iannuccilli, Executive Chef at Greenwich Country Club, Greenwich, Connecticut, USA. Right: Prosciutto, Figs & Biscotti prosciutto-figs-biscotti.html I am an Australian ex-pat, and I have lived in Connecticut for 18 years and have traveled to over 48 countries covering chefs in private golf and country clubs. It comes with great joy that I am featuring my first home state Executive Chef Phil Iannuccilli, and the prestigious Greenwich Country Club ~ Diana DeLucia GK: Tell us about your upbringing? I grew up on Long Island. As a kid, I never thought being a professional chef was even something to consider. My father was a New York City detective, and my mom was a homemaker, or “nurturer”, she liked to say. I attended Chaminade high school and worked part-time at a local restaurant. At some point, I realized that I liked the restaurant business. I liked the interaction with the customers. I enjoyed the mechanics of it, from open to close, every aspect. So, I decided to study management and continued working. When I was nineteen, I was trained, and became a manager. I did everything, from scheduling, to purchasing, to mopping the floors at the end of the day. I learned how to control costs. I learned how to motivate people. At one point, they decided to put in a salad bar, and the cooks didn’t really know what to do. The boss said to me, “go get a book, and make some salads.” I went to the bookstore, I bought a book and started making salads. There were eighteen holes in that salad bar. Every day, I made eighteen distinctly different, perfect salads… and they were always delicious. I was meticulous about it. I had exact quantities, rotating backups, and it was impeccably clean. I had a friend, who left the restaurant to go to culinary school at Johnson and Wales. He stopped in to visit and saw what I was doing. He was visibly surprised. He watched for a while. Then he said, “you have talent, you should go to culinary school.” Almost immediately, I switched gears and was studying at The Culinary Arts Center at New York Tech. GK: What led you to Country Clubs? When I started culinary school, I didn’t have any professional cooking experience. My first instructor said, “I have a friend you can work for at Cold Spring Country Club. You can get some hands-on experience while going to school.” So, I worked there, and I learned a lot. The beauty of a club is that you gain experience in every area. I worked breakfast, lunch, dinner, weddings, barbecues, social events and holidays. You gain experience in both a la carte and buffet styles of service. It’s all good. Eventually, I got to the point where I had to choose a place to do my externship. I wanted to learn from the best. GK: Where did you decide to go? My school was celebrating Bastille Day, and I was in the kitchen. There were lots of local celebrities in the dining room. There were a few politicians and well-known chefs at the time. I said to my instructor, “who’s the best chef out there?” He opened the door so we could peek out, and he said, “you see that guy, that’s Guy Reuge from Mirabelle, he is by far the best chef on Long Island!” I snuck over to him, when no one was looking. I crouched down next to him, introduced myself, and said, “I need a place to do my externship, and I would really love to work for you.” I gave him my resume, which had almost nothing on it. He called me the next day and said, “you come Tuesday, and we’ll do pastry”. I’ll never forget it. Mirabelle was in St. James, New York, and it was a true temple of gastronomy. The whole time, I couldn’t believe I was working for a real French Chef - a great one! It was amazing. I did my apprenticeship, and then I stayed longer. I learned so many things. I learned, to be a great chef, you must know how to do everything. At Mirabelle, I made ice cream and sorbets, I made puff pastry and hot soufflés. I made duck confit, duck rillette and duck prosciutto. I worked every station. I learned how a real, reduced veal stock should taste and feel on your tongue. I have so many memories, and throughout my career, I’ve often thought back to how we did it at Mirabelle. GK: What happened after that? I reached a point in my curriculum where I could no longer stay at Mirabelle. I had a friend who had just started working for Brendan Walsh at Coyote Grill. Brendan was a rock star chef. He was nationally recognized, and one of the best chefs of his generation. I walked into his kitchen and introduced myself. He was cutting up a fruit. He said, “do you know what this is?” I said, “it’s a papaya.” He then told me how no one in my life will ever understand or appreciate the path that I chose. Then I went to work. Brendan was a bold American chef and what I learned from him was that an American chef can be just as good, if not better, than any other chef in the world. I’ll always appreciate that. I worked on the line, while still in school. I graduated with honors, first in my class. Almost immediately, they offered me the pastry chef position. I could now work full time and I was supplying two busy restaurants with all their breads, pastry, cakes, pies and plated desserts. I stayed for more than a year, but I still wanted to learn more. GK: So, what did you do next? I went to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) for some continuing studies. I traveled the west coast and landed a job at Square One, in San Francisco. After returning to New York, I took the pastry chef position at a two-storied supper club on the upper east side of Manhattan. Soon after, they fired the chef and said, “We want you to be the chef.” I knew I could do it, so I said yes. In Manhattan, I held several Head Chef and Pastry Chef positions at various New York City Restaurants - Oceana, One If By Land, Two If By Sea and Sutton Grill, to name a few. This became a pattern going forward - I could work in any capacity. I could work as a full-time pastry chef or as a head chef and train other people to do pastry. As a matter of fact, I’m certified by The American Culinary Federation as both a Certified Executive Chef and Certified Executive Pastry Chef, which is quite rare. GK: Can you tell us a highlight of your career? After I got married, I met a real pro. He had worked all over the world. He spoke five languages. He and his wife were relocating and rebuilding their restaurant in Nassau County. It was called Maxxels. It had great style. He told me, “you can showcase your talents, you can do whatever you want”. I was sold. I remember, it started off a bit slow. Then, out of nowhere, someone spotted the food critic from The New York Times, in the dining room.. I began pacing like a lion, waiting for that ticket to come in. I was all over it. I made every dish myself. She returned two more times, for a total of three visits. Then I received a phone call. We talked for quite a while. She asked me lots of questions. She ended by saying, “you better get ready, I’m giving you an excellent rating”. When the review came out, it said, “The genius in the kitchen sending out this United Nations of tastes is Phil Iannuccilli”. That day, the phone started ringing and it didn’t stop for two full years. We were packed every single night. We did two hundred and fifty dinners, every night, off a three-man line. It was glorious! GK: You got the international travel bug, tell us where that began. I always wanted to see the world and work overseas. My wife is from Indonesia and I wanted to see where she grew up. My son was one, and I figured I could go for a few years before he had to start school. So, we packed up and landed in Jakarta. I secured a two-year contract at a five-star hotel, as chef de cuisine of the fine dining restaurant. During this time, we traveled all over Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong and Vietnam. After successfully completing my contract, we flew directly to London. There I had the great pleasure of working at The Duke of Cambridge, London’s first and only certified organic pub. After London, I worked at Comerç 24, in Barcelona. There I got an inside look at traditional Catalan cuisine and the Michelin starred wizardry of present-day Spain. GK: You’ve been at Greenwich Country Club for five years. What do you love most about it? I’ve had a great deal of success here. What I love most about the club is that it provides endless opportunities to do great things. You can design a great market table, or a themed flight of dishes, you can do down home rustic cooking, at the same time you’re plating Michelin starred works of art. One member might go to the pool and tell me how much they loved the fish taco. Another might go to a wine dinner and tell me how much they loved the stuffed rabbit loin. There are so many opportunities to cook at different levels, in different styles, from casual to spectacular. GK: Tell us about any new plans you have at Greenwich Country Club? We recently started an in-house dry aging program. We assigned a specific walk-in, just for that purpose. It’s a perfect environment. We’re currently serving 30-day dry aged ribeyes. We have an extensive amuse-bouche collection, and we bake our own breads. Our dessert and pastry offerings continue to change. We just added a coffee house semifreddo, with a chocolate fudge center and a roasted banana rum caramel. We also added my famous “Nuts of Dough”, which are fresh-fried beignets, served with two dipping sauces… perfect for sharing. Our house-made petits fours include chocolate truffles, Florentina, candied orange and designer marshmallows. All a la carte pastas are made by hand. We’re currently working on fresh-made whole wheat and gluten-free pasta. We’re playing around with our pizza crust to offer a variety of alternatives. We’re building our salumi and charcuterie offerings. Currently, we make our own hot dogs, terrines, pâtés, rillettes, jerky… this will continue to develop. We’re also doing more and more wine dinners, popup restaurants and dining excursions. GK: What programs have you introduced, during COVID-19, that will continue? We started creating market baskets with high- end grocery items that our members can pick up and take home. This also included hot and cold prepared foods. It became very popular. Eventually, it will evolve into gourmet baskets of our own proprietary products. Every week we do a new take-home kit. At the moment, most of them are outdoor friendly. They change every week and have quickly become a club staple. We also just added weekday family meal plans, which are a take-home three course meal of comfort food favorites. The 18th green overlooking the back of the clubhouse at Greenwich Country Club, Greenwich, Connecticut, USA
Image by Image by Henry Cardenas  Recipe by Jason Voiselle, Executive Chef at Naples National Golf Club, Naples, Florida, USA Serves 4 Ingredients Lobster Salad
Garnish
Chef Note: Garnish supplied by The Chef’s Garden, Huron, Ohio. Preparation Lobster Salad In a small stainless-steel bowl, combine lobster meat with mayonnaise to the desired consistency, mix well and season to taste with salt and white pepper. Reserve in refrigerator for service. Truffle “Ganache” Season the truffle stock and in a blender shear in the Gellan Gum. Transfer to a saucepot and bring to a simmer while stirring continuously, allow to simmer for one minute. Transfer to a container. Allow to cool and set. Transfer to a blender and purée, adjusting consistency and seasoning. Assembly Generously fill cone with lobster salad. Top lobster salad with 1/4 teaspoon Kaluga. Garnish with a Egyptian Starflower and Pea Tendril. Serve immediately. Wine Match Freeman Pinot Noir 2017. ~ Dan Ano is the Food and Beverage Manager/Wine Consultant at Naples National and has developed one of the leading wine programs in the private golf club industry.  The Clubhouse at Naples National Golf Club. Image by Evan Schiller.
 Left: Jason Voiselle, Executive Chef at Naples National Golf Club. Right: Lobster Cone When I met Jason Voiselle, it was just before the Covid-19 shutdown began in New York. I spent an incredible five days at the club learning about the impressive dining scene as well as the advanced wine program at the club. On Saturday night, I was to have dinner at the club with guests from Outlier Jets, and we were all blown away by the evening menu, wine program, and service. My guests had a hard break to leave at 8.30 PM. However, they were so impressed with the evening they stayed until 11 PM! ~ Diana DeLucia GK: Where were you raised? I grew up in a restaurant family. My grandfather owned restaurants and steak houses, and my family worked for him. When I was very young, I was already prepping and making hamburger patties. The kitchen was home to me. By the time I was 14, I had worked as a busser, then in the dish room. When there were no dishes, I’d help with prep work, and that is when I felt gravitated to cooking in a more significant way. During high school, I worked at a restaurant called The Trolley Station, where we made soups and sandwiches from scratch. It was in Venice, Florida, and it was trendy. The menu showcased familiar, comfort foods, but they were famous for their soups. When I graduated high school, I was the lead line cook, and I would continue to work there during the summer breaks in my college years at Florida State University (FSU). GK: What were you studying? I was initially working towards a pre-med major, but I soon discovered that it wasn’t what I wanted to do, so I took a year off to figure out what I desired to become. During this time, I worked during the day doing lawn care and the evenings at The Trolley Station. When I returned to FSU, I took a job at the Ramada Hotel in Tallahassee. The hotel had a full-service restaurant, and it was a step up from what I had been doing at the Trolley Station. It wasn’t fine dining by any means, but I was learning a different business aspect. For personal reasons, I left FSU during my Junior year, I moved to Brevard, North Carolina, as my dad was building a house. I helped him complete the home over the next two years. After that, I took a job at Connestee Falls Country Club, and it was at this time that I decided that if this is what I am going to do, I need to take it full steam. I looked at several culinary schools such as Johnson and Wales and the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), but I didn’t want to leave Asheville. I started looking for a local school and found that Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (ABTECH) had a culinary program that was well regarded. I applied and started shortly after. Two years later, I graduated at the top of my class. One of the most memorable experiences at ABTECH was competing in the Junior American Culinary Federation (ACF) competitions. GK: Where did you do your internship? They had excellent administrative staff at ABTECH, who encouraged us to find internships in places away from our hometown. I took my training at Bacchanalia, a highly regarded restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia; it was the first time they had an intern as no one had ever approached them before. I had a second internship at 1848 House, a restaurant in Marietta, Georgia, on Sundays. I was working six days a week, trying to soak in as much as possible from these two very different restaurants. After I graduated in August of 2001, I moved back to Southwest Florida. I took a job at The Colony Golf and Bay Club in Bonita Springs. I only stayed for a short time as unforeseen circumstances took us back to North Carolina. I took a job at an Italian Restaurant Chianti’s to help the owner get the restaurant established as he wasn’t experienced in menu creation and things of that nature. My family had a five-year plan to open a restaurant, but a space became available near where I was living. It was a large area of an old furniture store. My parents and I pulled the trigger, and we did it, we signed a ten-year lease and built a restaurant. I was 27, and it took six months, and we opened in December of 2002, and it was named Jason’s Main Street Grill. I ran the restaurant for almost seven years and decided to sell it in 2008 as the recession was taking its toll. I moved back to Florida with my wife Corey in 2009, we have been married for 11 years, and I adore her. I needed a break from the food industry, so I helped my father out with his business dealing in imported architectural stone. In 2012 we decided to move to Fort Myers. I had stayed in touch with my old boss Jim Iacovino over the years. I initially called him to see if he knew of any positions available in the area, and he hired me back at the Colony Golf and Country Club. I had a large gap from cooking, so I had planned to use this job to get my feet wet again. Three months later, he was promoted to the General Manager position, and I took over as the Executive Chef. It was the right timing. I stayed for six and a half years. GK: Where did you land next? I worked at several places for short periods, but I wasn’t content with them. In the fall of 2018, I was approached about a position at a place called The Club at The Dunes. The Dunes is a substantial resort-style community with seven condominium towers and a vast swimming pool. They were building a brand new clubhouse when I arrived. We opened two modern kitchens in the 11 months I was there. It was a great job. We had the Tiki Bar, casual fare, and a fine dining restaurant in the main clubhouse. It was great having the two different styles of dining and kept us busy. I have over 100 cookbooks and am continually searching for new trends online, and having two different dining venues was an excellent way for me to bring new menu items. I feel I left them with a great dining program. GK: How did you go from The Dunes to Naples National Golf Club? I had spoken to Dan Ano, the Wine Director at Naples National over the years, but I had never actually met him. He called me one day out of the blue and asked me if I’d be interested in taking the Executive Chef role. I went to interview with the General Manager Scott Garvin and Dan, I was thinking of the future, and having the ability to excel as a chef and also be able to spend quality time with my family. I took this position in 2019, and it has been an excellent fit for us. GK: Tell us about your menu process at Naples National. The menus at Naples National Golf Club are what we like to call a “living” menu. We make changes to it often, but nothing drastic. We observe what is in season as well as what the membership desires and try to build from there. I work closely with my sous chef Zac Schatzman to try to walk the line of comfort and cutting edge. Zac and I have worked together for the last seven years so we seem to share the same vision for what we are trying to achieve. GK: How has Covid-19 affected the dining scene at the club? We had to shut down our clubhouse in mid-March as well as all operations for about six weeks. In May, we opened our Tern snack bar for carry-out deli sandwiches and snack items as our golf course was still open throughout the season. Our facility closes for the season after Memorial Day every year though mid-October, so we have plenty of time to develop a plan for the following season. GK: When the season opens, what plans do you have in place? We will be following the restaurant guidelines set in place by our county. We will also be adjusting our events as needed, such as our buffets will be more chef operated action stations trying to minimize the potential for cross-contamination. It will be a learning process for sure. The Naples National Clubhouse. Image by Evan Schiller.
 Recipe by Leandro Jaszchuk, Restaurant Chef at Royal Poinciana Golf Club, Naples, Florida, USA Image by Stephanie Starr Serves 4 Ingredients
Ricotta Spinach Filling
Fettuccine Truffle Butter
Orange and Balsamic Beurre Blanc
Garnish
Preparation Dover Sole Debone the Dover sole and portion into four filets. Ricotta Spinach Filling Blend in a robot coupe, the spinach, ricotta, parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper. Put the mix in a pastry bag and save it in the refrigerator. Fish Stuffing Place Ricotta Spinach filling on one end of the filet and roll until you get a cylinder. Bake for 5 minutes at 400°F. Pasta Boil salted water in a pasta pot. Cook the pasta for about six minutes Heat a pan with butter, add the truffle slices, salt, pepper, and white wine, place the cooked pasta in the butter and finish with pecorino cheese. Orange and Balsamic Beurre Blanc Reduce 1 cup of white wine with chopped shallots, oranges, and balsamic vinegar. Add little by little the 1/2 pound of butter. Assembly With a brush, draw two crossed lines with the squid ink; at the crossroads, place the fish and face the pasta aside from the sauce. Decorate with microgreens, edible flowers, and broccolini. Wine Match Chane Bleu, Rose, Rhone, France.   The Royal Poinciana Clubhouse. Painting by Golf Artist Graeme Baxter
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