peanut butter semifreddo with Chocolate Brownie, Chocolate Fudge, Sea Salt and Caramel Corn6/11/2019  Recipe by Matthew O'Connor, Executive Chef, Bonnie Briar Country Club, Larchmont, New York, USA Ingredients
Peanut Butter Semifreddo (Yields 10 4oz Portions) • 9 Egg Yolks • ½ cup plus 2 tbsp Sugar • ¼ cup water • ¾ cup Peanut Butter • ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt • ¾ teaspoon Vanilla Extract • 1 ½ cups Heavy Cream (whipped to soft peaks and kept cold) Double Chocolate Brownies (Yields 10, 3 inch round cut outs) • 4 ounces Unsalted Butter • 6 ounces Valhrona Dark Chocolate • 1 ½ cups Sugar • 3 Eggs (large) • ¼ cup Cocoa Powder (unsweetened) • ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt • ½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour Chocolate Fudge Sauce (Yields 2 cups) • 2 ¼ ounces Valhrona Dark Chocolate • 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter • 1 ½ Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup • ¾ cup Heavy Cream • 1 ⅓ cup Dark Brown Sugar • ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract • ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt Garnish • 1 bag Cracker Jacks (or any caramel popcorn) • 3 ounces Crispy Gold Chocolate Pearls • Edible Gold Leaf Preparation Peanut Butter Semifreddo In a standing mixer with the whip attachment, whip the egg yolks on medium-high speed with 2 Tablespoons of the sugar. Combine the remaining sugar and water in a pot, and cook the sugar to the soft ball stage (234-240 °F) measuring this with a candy thermometer. Once the syrup is at the proper temperature start to whip the egg yolks again and slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the whipping egg yolks. Once all the syrup is added, continue to whip until the bottom of the bowl feels entirely cool to the touch. Combine the egg yolk mixture with the kosher salt, vanilla extract, and peanut butter. Stir ⅓ of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture and then fold the remaining whipped cream in gently so that the mousse stays fluffy. Portion the semifreddo into round 4-ounce flexible silicone molds, wrap tightly and freeze for service. Double Chocolate Brownies Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line a 9-inch round baking pan with parchment paper. Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler stirring until smooth. Remove the mixture from the heat, whisk in the sugar, eggs, cocoa, and salt. Fold in the flour gently until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until set. Check doneness with a toothpick or knife about 35 minutes. Let cool in the pan and then remove. Chill for 1 hour before cutting. Cut the brownies with a 3 inch round cutter and store at room temperature for service. Chocolate Fudge Sauce Melt the chocolate, butter and corn syrup over low heat. Add the cream and sugar and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes until it thickens. Remove the sauce from the heat and add the vanilla extract and kosher salt. Let the sauce cool slightly, place into a squeeze bottle and hold in a warm place for assembly. Assembly Place a round brownie in the center of each plate. Unmold the semifreddo and place on top of the brownie. Sprinkle the top of the semifreddo with sea salt. Drizzle some of the chocolate fudge sauce over the top of the semifreddo and then a nice round of sauce at the base of the brownie. Top the semifreddo with the gold chocolate pearls and cracker jacks, sprinkle a few more cracker jacks into the chocolate sauce on the base of the plate. Lastly, top with edible gold leaf and serve immediately.
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 Recipe by Warwick Hilli, Executive Chef, Kingston Heath Golf Club, Melbourne, Australia. Image courtesy Kingston Heath Serves 8-10 CHEF NOTE: Why not show off this lovely aged eye fillet, with our own native spice mix. It’s a surf and turf served with some succulent grilled Australian prawns and beetroot relish. We serve it to our guests with a tossed salad, steak fries and condiments. Ingredients Bull Ant Spice Rub
Beetroot Relish
John Dee Aged Eye Fillets
Seared Prawn Cutlets
Vine Tomatoes
Preparation Bull Ant Spice Rub Grind pepper berries in mortar and pestle, then pass through a fine sieve until only the husk is remaining. Combine with all the remaining ingredients. CHEF NOTE: The bull ant spice rub makes quite a lot, but will last for months in an air tight container in the fridge. Use only enough to lighly marinate your steaks, if you like it add more! Beetroot Relish Trim the beetroot stems, wash the beetroot and place into large saucepan. Cover with cold water and place over medium heat and cook until just tender. Wearing gloves, peel the beetroot and coarsely grate. Meanwhile combine the onion, apple, sugar, vinegar, star anise and cloves in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil stirring to dissolve the sugar, reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes or until the apple is tender. Add the beetroot to the apple mixture and simmer for 45 minutes or until the mixture is syrupy, then cool down. John Dee Aged Eye Fillets In a large bowl rub the bull ant spice mix all over the eye fillets. Add in some extra virgin olive oil and mix again, cover and set aside. CHEF NOTE: We marinate the day before, so the flavors really get in, the marinade gives it a gamey flavor. Sear the eye fillets in a pan with olive oil or on the grill until well browned. Cook in oven 185 °C for 8-10 minutes, or longer if you prefer your steak cooked longer. Rest for 10 minutes before serving. Seared Prawn Cutlets Sear the prawns in a pan on high heat, quickly coloring both sides. Remove and place on wire rack on a tray in a pre-heated oven 200 °C / 400 °F for 3 mins, while steaks are resting. Vine Tomatoes Drizzle olive oil generously over tomatoes, rain pepper and sea salt flakes over them. Roast at 200 °C / 400 °F for 4 -5 mins. Remove and leave in a warm area ready for serving. Assembly In the center of the plate, place the beetroot relish, Place the rested steak on top. Garnish with the seared prawns and the vine tomatoes. Wine Match Mount Langi Ghiran Mast Grampians Shiraz 2015    Zach Bell, former Executive Chef at Addison Reserve, Delray Beach, Florida, USA. Image courtesy Addison Reserve Zach Bell is a deeply passionate Chef trained by culinary giants Andrew Camellini and Marc Poidavin. Zach has applied and blended his classical French training to the member owned country club Addison Reserve and excelled with many accolades from the members and guests. Zach has recently moved on to a new adventure, but he left a stamp on the industry. ~ Diana DeLucia Gk: Where did your interest in the culinary arts begin? I was born in Orlando and spent my formative years in Clermont, Florida; a small town about 25 miles west of Orlando. I am not sure if it was my love for food that led me into the kitchen, or my greater need for pocket change as a teenager! Washing dishes and then making sandwiches at a local restaurant in Clermont provided me with not only that spending money, but also with my newfound need for the action, debauchery and adrenaline rush that a restaurant kitchen could provide. As I moved through the kitchen and gained more experience, that original drive evolved into the satisfying feeling that hospitality provides as you connect with your peers and guests through food and good times. My first mentor, a former chef at Disney, recognized the spark in my eye and began to coach me and bring me classic and technique cookbooks to further awaken my interest. Even though I taped every episode of Great Chefs I could, and tried as many recipes as I could get my hands on, cooking never seemed an option to pursue as a career to my family. I had started on a physical therapy track in college in Orlando, and I needed to move to a job closer to school. I wanted to stay in the kitchen as I truly enjoyed going into work every day. I was hired at Marriott’s Orlando World Center near Disney, which opened me up to a whole new world of corporate and kitchen structure. As I immersed myself in the job, I discovered that I was becoming pretty competitive: I had a strong need to do my best. This need became satisfied only by learning and succeeding in the kitchen, soon overtaking any desire to continue in my Physical Therapy studies. It was spurred on by my Sous Chef at the Marriott at the time, Chef Jon. He sat me down and said, “Why are you going to school for Physical Therapy? Why don’t you go to Cooking School….it’s clearly where your passion lies?” I started to think about it seriously, there was a school in Orlando, New York, and Miami. I followed his recommendation and changed course. In 1994 I enrolled in the two-year program at Johnson and Wales in Miami. I had to do work-study to help finance school and strategically elected to work in the Career Development Office, where I assumed I would be exposed to job opportunities. It paid off, and when Chef Marc Poidevin, formerly of Tavern on the Green and Daniel’s Sous Chef at Plaza Athénée, opened up shop in Miami, naturally I sent four of my resumes for every one of other kids’. I got the job. It was my first exposure to real French cooking and I loved it. I loved the nuance of technique, I loved the difficulty, and I loved the pursuit for perfection. I was paid peanuts, but it didn’t matter – I was learning so much. My internship was about a year later, and after it was completed – the internship site offered me more than double what I was making. I turned it down to go back for peanuts and a few months later, I found myself selling everything I had and moved with Marc to Manhattan for the opening of Le Cirque 2000. GK: What was that experience like? Opening Le Cirque was insane! It seemed like we started with about 70 - 80 people in the kitchen and I had flashbacks of soccer tryouts as a kid. You’d get on the train in the morning hoping that when you got to work that your name would still be on the list hanging in the kitchen. If it wasn’t; then you didn’t get the job….in a word – nerve-wracking! Thankfully my name somehow stayed on the list and although it was a very difficult learning experience, it was also a period in culinary history that will never be repeated, and I am blessed to have been a part of it. GK: How did you come to work for Daniel Boulud? Andrew Carmellini was the Sous Chef at Le Cirque 2000 and I was assigned to him. Andrew saw my passion and he drove me harder than anyone had. When Andrew left Le Cirque 2000 in 1998 to open Cafe Boulud on 76th street, I followed him a couple of months later. When we started – it was nuts as both teams from Restaurant Daniel and Cafe Boulud were working in the same space as the new Restaurant Daniel was being finished and a lot of the guys were competing for spots at Daniel…. It was just as nerve-racking being on the opening team at Cafe Boulud as it was at Le Cirque 2000. The first three months were crazy, it was some of the highest -pressure cooking you could think of, you never knew who was going to be in the dining room that night from Jean Louis Palladin to Gray Kunz to Micheal Guerard; you name the chef – they came through! Tasting menus were different for every person for every course for these guys - the number of notebooks I filled is amazing. I put my head down and soon became Andrew’s Sous Chef. GK: When did you come back to Florida? As Daniel was planning Café Boulud Palm Beach in the Spring of 2002, my hard work paid off and he offered me the opportunity to open his first restaurant outside of New York! Moving to Palm Beach in early 2003 during the final phases of construction, setting up a restaurant from the ground up and teaching Daniel’s vision to the staff was the single hardest and greatest test and experience of my career. We won over the local crowd after proving ourselves and became an active partner in the community. Working with the high caliber chefs over the years allowed me to experience ingredients, techniques and kitchen cultures that I would never have known had I not made the right choices in the pursuit of my career. I relish every minute of it – good and bad. GK: How did you get the position at Addison Reserve? I was tricked. I wasn’t looking for a job at all. A “friend of a friend of a friend” called me and wanted a reservation. I remember, they told me who he was – and I had no clue. I set them up with a nice table, put a good waiter on them, and then gave instruction to the kitchen to throw down a middle course. I was tied up on a VIP tasting dinner in the private room and had no idea what they had. Michael McCarthy introduces himself later as I was in the dining room and asked me to come to see his construction project. I always loved kitchen design, and it was slow, so I said sure. Of course, being from a small town in Central Florida, I had never set foot inside a country club before, so I threw on the off-duty chef uniform of jeans and a casual shirt and road on down to check it out. Apparently, I should have dressed for an interview, as the next day a headhunter called me to follow up and mentioned so….seems like I found myself in the middle of a job offer. Anyway, after a little dancing around – I found myself in a new adventure. I was excited at the prospect of doing something I had not experienced before, I had done a lot of openings, building teams and I really enjoyed teaching the old school brigade style of operating under Daniel but I was looking forward to a new experience. GK: So how did you adjust to being here? The first year was rough! Fortunately, we were closed when I started and I was able to build the team and structure the environmental style that I was used to. If I was walking into a fully functional operation and trying to change systems – I would have had a very different experience. Once construction was completed and we opened in the height of the season, I realized how much of a monster this operation really was…so many moving parts, tough members, very different expectations than I was used to, a real challenge….not the cushy country club job I always thought it was from the outside looking in! I had nightmares of being shitcanned or storming out after continuous orders of burnt broccoli wore me down. But….. I’m a line cook…so I adjust quickly. I began to readjust and fine tune everything. The members were vocal, and they were not afraid to say what they wanted or to tell me how they felt. Having the feedback, good or bad, enabled me to fine-tune the menu to their needs. I wanted to succeed in making them happy. I tweak things every day, week, month and year. The members here are residents and don’t cook at home and we must make them happy. There is no escaping if I screw up their dinner at night as I am going to see them the next day! GK: How do you feel now that you have recreated the culinary culture here at Addison Reserve? Now that I have established myself here, on a club level, I feel that I am very fortunate to work with Michael McCarthy and the supportive membership here. They have full faith in me that I will do my best to provide the best culinary program that I can, and to that end am allowed to work quite autonomously. Their approach is to hire the best people to do the job and then let them perform unhindered. Addison Reserve is a residential private golf club. From my perspective, the private club business is by far THE truest expression of ‘hospitality’ that there is within the many genres one could choose from in the culinary world. You are in their house…cooking for their family, their friends, and neighbors daily. The pursuit of perfection is constant and omnipresent, and this is what makes me thrive. GK: In addition to being a finalist four times for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef, your list of awards is long and impressive. Which has meant the most to you? Well, just being on that shortlist four times was a win for me – to be among the amazing chefs we have in the South was an honor. I do appreciate recognition when it comes, but truly it is the whole team that earns and deserves those credits as well. The greatest reward for me is seeing the many guys and gals that have worked for me succeed and do well, hoping that I was able to contribute to that in some small way. GK: In 2010, Share Our Strength honored you with a National Community Leadership Award. How did you become involved in this organization, and what about it do you find most rewarding? I became a host for the Tasteful Pursuit Dinner in Palm Beach (now No Kid Hungry Dinners) at Café Boulud. It started there, hosting annually, then traveling to other cities to participate at other chefs’ dinners. When I left Café Boulud, I knew I wanted to stay involved and had the opportunity to breathe life back into the Palm Beach Taste of the Nation which had long gone defunct. I gathered together a great group of chef and community chairs – and we’ve been off to the races ever since, growing the event each year and making it more special as we evolve. Working around guests that can afford to eat out several times a week, we all feel there is a huge disparity looming over our area when kids are going to bed and to school hungry on a daily basis. In an area such as ours, with such vast resources, we don’t feel that this is acceptable and frankly is downright embarrassing. Our goal is to help our local organizations get the tools and outreach they desperately need to be effective in combatting childhood hunger. Note: Zach is a dedicated member of the Palm Beach community participating in several local charitable culinary events. His work with No Kid Hungry takes him to Capitol Hill several times lobbying for Child Nutrition. In 2010, Share our Strength recognized Zach with a National Community Leadership Award for his work with the No Kid hungry campaign. Zach continues his work with Share our Strength as Chair of Palm Beach’s Taste of the Nation event and No Kid Hungry dinners. We all wish Zach all the best in his new adventures.  Pappadelle with Manilla Clams and Porcini   Imagine a taste that when played in balance with salty, sweet, sour, and bitter, work harmoniously to bring the height of flavor and pleasure out of a dish. The fifth element of taste has created a breakthrough for chefs, food manufacturers and health professionals alike: umami. While still a relatively new discovery in the new culinary world, its usage in numerous cuisines, notably through the use of sea vegetables such as sea spaghetti (Himanthalia Elongata) and phytoplankton (Nannochloropsis Gaditana), highlight why umami translates to: “deliciousness”. Dating back almost 3,000 years in Greece and Rome, what is now known as umami was being utilized in foods with fermented fish sauces. In 1825, French gastronome Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin presented the word “osmasome” to describe rich, meaty tastes, foreshadowing future science discovery of what triggered the taste. Finally, 20th century Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda determined the source of the taste, by replicating a soup from boiled bamboo, with the commonly known ingredient, seaweed, and dried tuna. By isolating the substance that gave his broth its distinctive flavor, it was discovered that glutamate, one of the 20 amino acids that make up proteins, along with inosinate and guanylate were responsible for the unique flavor(s), and the defined taste of umami was born. It is often described as a taste that is slightly savory, but not salty. In order to achieve umami, it is crucial to understand the science behind the taste. Umami is defined as the taste of salt combining with glutamate, also known as glutamic acid, an amino acid necessary for the synthesis of proteins, along with inosinate and guanylate, both natural flavor enhancers. Human’s ability to differentiate tastes is a vital skill in our evolution and survival, allowing us to avoid dangerous foods and at the same time obtain essential nutrients for survival. Receptors in taste buds respond specifically to the taste of umami, which signals our bodies that we have consumed protein. Consuming whole proteins requires the digestive system to burn a lot of energy in order to break them down into amino acids. Amino acids in umami rich foods are in a free state, meaning they are more quickly and easily digested than complete proteins, due to the disintegration of the amino acid chain. Food rich in the umami taste is the taste of glutamates ready for our body to use to fuel the digestive process. With the increased popularity of umami in recent decades, global cuisine has worked to achieve umami synergy (when glutamate is combined with inosinate or guanylate), as the taste of umami is sensed far more strongly when the substances are combined, rather than individually. Dishes in glutamate rich vegetables, combined with inosinate, (dishes rich in fish and meat), contribute to what the Japanese refer to as うま味がある, (“to have umami”). The ocean provides two main sources for the taste of umami: seaweed and phytoplankton. Both Sea Spaghetti and Marine Phytoplankton provide a concentrated natural source of glutamic acid to heighten one’s taste of umami. The versatility of the sea vegetables provides chefs and culinary experts the opportunity to explore and create full-flavored dishes. Sustainably hand harvested off the Galician Coast of Spain, organic Sea Spaghetti represents one of the most versatile products, dried at low temperatures to preserve maximum nutritional benefits. Common in coastal depths and rough waters, the flavor of Sea Spaghetti is similar to that of cuttlefish. As sea vegetables have emerged as a new superfood, Sea Spaghetti proves its benefits, notable in nutrients such as the concentration of fiber and iron, ideal as an addition into a vegan or vegetarian diet, in order to provide plant-based source of nutrients, many times found in larger percentages in animal-based products. Adding into salads, broths, or as an alternative to a traditional pasta provides a versatile, medium intensity ingredient to transform the dish. Phytoplankton is another example of achieving the taste of umami. A unicellular organism harvested in Northern European by utilizing oceanic currents and isolated water bands free of contaminants and heavy metals, Marine Phytoplankton powder provides innovative chefs a natural product rich in minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, as well as vitamins E and C. In its original powder form, Marine Phytoplankton, also may be used as a natural preservative, adds an intensely fresh, clean oceanic flavor to dishes such diverse dishes as bread, pasta and popcorn, seafood, or paella and many rice dishes. Once rehydrated with water, Marine Phytoplankton powder transforms into a spice that delivers a new intensity of flavor for marinades, dressings, or dips. Sea vegetables represent one of the world’s greatest renewable and ecological resources for cuisine. Diverse in their usage, Sea Spaghetti and Marine Phytoplankton provide a palatable, nutrient packed flavor to attain the full umami experience.   Top left: Winners of the Golf Kitchen Golf Cup, Ricardo Trueba Jr, eleven-year-old sensation and his father Ricardo Trueba, with Diana DeLucia. Top right: Winner of the Golf Kitchen Chef Challenge, Jose Carles Fabregas and his wife and partner Magda Toro CPA. Bottom: Golf Kitchen Punta Mita featured guest chefs from some of the most prestigious international golf clubs and resorts and a two-day golf tournament on Punta Mita’s two Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf courses, both ranked among Golf Digest’s “Top 100 World’s Greatest Courses.” Images by Pedro Arias, Ulises L. Guerrero and Favia Cruz Mercado. PUNTA MITA, MEXICO (May 5, 2019) Golf Kitchen’s Diana DeLucia and Punta Mita developer DINE, collaborated again to host the latest edition of Golf Kitchen Punta Mita April 25th–28th. The four-day special event created a unique experience for golfers and foodies alike. Members and guests were delighted to meet, dine and golf with private golf and country club chefs from the United States, Uruguay, Argentina and Mexico. “The second edition was a hit from start to finish with a great crowd of locals and visitors creating many memorable moments and flavors on the golf courses and off,” said Carl Emberson, Director of Marketing and Operations at Punta Mita. Pato Pérsico, Punta Mita’s Beach Clubs’ Executive Chef, welcomed guest and resident chefs from some of the most prestigious golf clubs and resorts in the world who shared their culinary skills at this unique event. They included:
The opening Cuisine of the Americas dinner at the recently relaunched Pacifico Beach Club provided a beautiful setting. Audible sighs marked the moment a brilliant sun slipped slowly into the sea. Off the chart stations presented by chefs Michael Ruggiero, Joseph Klages, Damian Gilchrist and Doug Blair took center stage. Mixologists’ cocktails and live music added to the festivities making for fun and an upbeat eventing. The following day, Bahia was a resplendent field of play for the first round, a scramble format of a two-day tournament for 38 two–player teams competing for the overall Golf Kitchen Cup. Views of the Pacific Ocean and Banderas Bay escorted players along the undulating terrain and meandering routing. A luncheon was prepared and served by Tony Villanueva, Ricki Motta, Jose Carles and Yasuo Asai along with Chefs Jorge Gonzalez, Alicia Barajas and their Four Seasons team. Guests enjoyed one of three sensational melt-in-your-mouth dinners that evening at their choice at one of three Punta Mita beach club restaurants that evening:
The second day of the tournament, a best ball format was contested on Pacifico, a course best known for “The Tail of the Whale”,the world’s only natural ocean island green. Congratulations to the winning team: Ricardo Trueba and son, eleven-year-old sensation Ricardo Trueba Jr.who played off the men’s tees and astounded all. Following the tournament, golf awards were presented and a delicious luncheon at the 18thhole prepared by Michael Ruggiero, Damian Gilchrist, Anthony Giacoponello, Doug Blair and Marcelo Pereyra along with Chefs Jorge Gonzalez, Alicia Barajas and their Four Seasons team was offered. The closing gala was celebrated at the Kupuri Beach Club, where guests took a culinary tour of the regions and styles of guest chefs Anthony Giacoponello, Tony Villanueva, Yasuo Asai, and Pato Pérsico created an extraordinary 4-course menu. A silent and live auction sponsored by GrandStand Sports raised funds for Peace & Fundacion Punta de Mita. The wrap-up Sunday brunch of this splendiferous second annual 2019 edition of Golf Kitchen Punta Mita took place at Kupuri Beach Club. Host chef, Pato Pérsico, and guest chefs Lalo Palazuelos Ricki Motta, Gaston Yelicich and Marcelo Pereyra placed the closing exclamation on this remarkable event, a perfect finish to a fantastic weekend in Mexico’s premier luxury resort destination. An enormous thank you to our sponsors Riviera Nayarit Visitors and Convention Bureau, St Regis Punta Mita Resort, Grey Goose, Tequila Patron and Copa Airlines. Golf Kitchen Punta Mitais now an annual addition to Punta Mita’s offerings. MEDIA CONTACTS: Golf Kitchen Diana DeLucia CEO diana@golfkitchen.com Tel: 860-406-1782 Mexico: Jorge Patino Punta Mita Resort Jorge.Patino@puntamita.com Tel: 52 33-11-33-21-64  Francis Mallmann, image courtesy of The Garzon Club and Restaurant Garzon Public Relations. The Garzón Club is a genuinely privileged environment with an exclusive range of unparalleled experiences in a beautiful private setting ideal for reflection, learning, inspiration, celebrations, and enjoyment. Many options exist — the opportunity to handcraft your own wine, take advantage of a private cellar to store a part of your collection or bring wine to the elegant dining room to enjoy with your guests. Everything is available to you at the club. Sustainable facilities, breathtaking landscapes, exceptional culinary products, food pairings, and wine tastings. You can play golf at the Garzón Tajamares: the first International PGA Preferred Golf Course. There are outdoor activities and a Wellness Spa and Lodge. You can enjoy private residences, the beach club, and an active social life. Private events at the winery and other international locations are all a part of the Garzón Club experience. This is the vision of Alejandro P. Bulgheroni, Global Entrepreneur.  The entrance to the Bodega Garzon. Image courtesy, The Garzon Club. I recently returned from Uruguay, and I was taken aback by the country. With so much global turmoil it seems this little slice of historical paradise in South America has somehow escaped it all. My hosts at The Garzón Club took me on an nostalgic tour of José Ignacio, a lively fishing village in Punta del Este to experience the arts, dine at the local restaurants, tour the stunning Bodega Garzón, the extra virgin olive oil mill, and the state-of-the-art clubhouse and much more. I definitely was not prepared for where I would find renowned Argentinian Chef and The Garzón Club’s Ambassador, Francis Mallmann. The town of Garzón is a historical, rural village in the province of Maldonado, Uruguay. The population is maybe 100 people, unspoiled, peaceful and the location of Mallmann’s restaurant El Garzón. About a mile to the east is The Garzón Club. I was enthralled to have 30 minutes to sit down with Francis Mallmann. — Diana DeLucia GK: Why Garzón and Uruguay? Uruguay is a significant part of my history, my mother is Uruguayan, and although I wasn’t raised here, I spent a lot of my childhood vacations with her family in Montevideo. In 1978 I started to work in my first restaurant Posada del Mar in José Ignacio, at that time the town had no roads or electricity, and water was delivered via donkeys, but despite the challenges, we opened the restaurant by the ocean and stayed in operation for over 26 years. In the beginning, the restaurant was not mine, but I eventually took it over and opened a second restaurant in José Ignacio, named Los Negros. In 2000 I had the idea to open a restaurant and hotel in Garzón at the old general store.  Restaurant Garzon. Image courtesy The Garzon Club. Everyone thought I was crazy because, you know, it was a tiny phantom town, abandoned and quite a drive from José Ignacio and Punta del Este. RegardlessI bought this little corner store in 2003 with my friend who became my business partner. In 2006 I closed my beach restaurants Posada del Mar and Los Negros in José Ignacio and moved indefinitely here. My friend sold his share to Alejandro Bulgheroni, who is my business partner. We refurbished the building, being careful not to change the heritage. We built the kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms. I have everything as I like it now. There are five bedrooms, and the kitchen is magnificent. We only cook with fire here, we don’t use propane or electricity in the kitchen, soif you want a cup of tea, you have to start a fire. That is the credo of our cooking here. GK: Tell us how you came to meet and partner with Alejandro Bulgheroni. Alejandro Bulgheroni and I came here to this area around the same time; we didn’t know each other at all. He was producing olive oil, and I had opened this little restaurant. Over the years we met a few times. It was a very slow thing. Food and wine are one of the things that we both embraced, so when he built the winery, we started to talk about doing a restaurant there together. It was a very organic relationship that developed over many years. Mr. Bulgheroni is an engineer, and he comes from the oil world, we have such different upbringings, you know. I am more of a bohemian chef, but we merged our ideas andthoughts, very slowly, and I emphasize this because it’s nice, we met many times, talked extensively and then had more lunches and meetings. Eventually, we began to merge, first with the olive oil, and then with the winery.  One of the woodfire ovens at The Bodega Garzon. Image by Diana DeLucia. GK: Tell us about your wood-fire Domos and Christofle carts. I have them in four of my restaurants, France, Chile, Mendoza, and at The Garzón Club. It is a beautiful and delicious way of cooking. The use of energy is excellent, with one fire you can do many, many things. At The Garzón Club at the Bodega, which is about a mile away, we have what I like to call the restaurant of fires. The cooking style at The Garzón Club is quite elegant as opposedto here at El Garzón where the cooking is more brutal, rustic and unstyled. At The Garzón Club, we have the most incredible equipment. We have the entire collection of Christofle carts, and we use them to present roast meat, cheese, ice cream, desserts, and Armagnac. There is such a beauty to those dining rooms. A member could be sitting in the living area reading a book with his wife and children, and then suddenly we show up with these five Christofle carts and they can eat right from that, or they can have a very formal lunch or dinner upstairs, whatever pleases them. GK: You have a lot of guest chef visits, what can they expect? When we bring in a guest chef; we support themwith a concierge, provide them with everything they need so they can experience cooking here successfully. I am very proud of the combination of incredible equipment, elegant buildings, and striking views. GK: How do you observe the difference between cooking in a restaurant and cooking in private golf or country clubs? Working in a club of members, [pauses] the beauty is everything about it. The food and wine is half of it, and the service is the other. I make a definite boundary between the two because cooking to me is a craft, but the service is an art, they are two different worlds. The beauty of the art of service in a private club where you have the resources as we do at The Garzón Club, you can do the most incredible silent things for your guests. That’s the most significant ingredient in a member club; the silent ingredients. Respecting intimacy is very important, you have this incredible possibility to deliver food and service then step back and let the members lead. You don’t need to have the arrogance to explain every dish. They already know aboutthe culture of food and arts, if they ask that’s fine, but after that leave them alone with a silence that they will never forget. Maybe it sounds weird, but the message should be wrapped in a beautiful mystery. The privacy and the silence should be so delicately executed that they want to know more, but they can never know more as it is unexplainable in words, that’s the way to touch a members heart, he will go back home and say, “What an incredible day I had but I can’t explainit. “If I were working in the private club world, that would be my aim. GK: Tell our private golf and country club chefs what they could expect with a collaboration at The Garzón Club. We have the most beautiful tools, fire in every way — domo, plancha, grill, and ashes. The beauty of collaboration is they can think about what they want to do with these tools. I want them to come here with a dream, and then we can help them with our knowledge of fire and how they can achieve creating their recipes using new techniques with our fires. With the assistance of Executive Chef Ricki Motta, we would station some chefs in the kitchen, some in the fires kitchen and some outside using the special tools and grills we have out on the terrace. There would be lots of planning, and we would offer them a concierge list of products and ingredients so they can start thinking about what they can use and then we can work with them on how to create their recipes using new techniques with our fires. Diversity is the most beautiful thing, we all come from all corners of the world with different training, if we come together with our diverse mix of cultures in collaboration, this could produce incredible results. GK: It means a lot to me as the founder of Golf Kitchen, to watch the chefs continue to have opportunities to collaborate and advance the knowledge and talent in the Private Club Industry. Many thanks and we look forward to working with you in the future. ~ Diana DeLucia   The award-winning, Mark Finlay designed, 33,000 square-feet clubhouse, which overlooks the 1st and 18th fairways. ANNOUNCEMENT - April 15th 2019, Avon, CT: The second annual Golf Kitchen Culinary Excellence Awards will be held at GlenArbor Golf Club, Bedford, New York on August 19th, 2019. Michael Ruggiero, Executive Chef, GlenArbor Golf Club along with Chefs from some of the most prestigious Private Golf and Country Clubs in the USA and abroad will cook up an elite, fine dining feast paired with exceptional wines selected by GlenArbor's esteemed Wine and Beverage Director Fernando Silva for the members and guests of this invitation-only event. "We are honored to partner with GlenArbor Golf Club for this important yearly event in the industry. Illuminating the culinary talent has been my vision for Golf Kitchen since its conception and alongside GlenArbor I envision the awards will continue to develop well into the future,” said Diana DeLucia. "We are honored to host the “Golf Kitchen Culinary Excellence Awards” that recognize executives at the forefront of providing the highest caliber experience for members and guests. The creativity, attitude, and thinking of club chefs has significantly progressed in the last decade, and we are encouraged at the direction the industry is moving. Diana and Golf Kitchen are at the forefront of this movement, and I applaud the notion that many public and private facilities are finally getting recognized as having some of the best minds and leaders in the culinary industry. It's not often that one team within a club can influence so many human emotions in a single seating.. sight, smell, touch, and taste.. what a gift.." remarked Morgan Gregory, President, GlenArbor Golf Club. Stay tuned to learn about our culinary team lineup and award recipients in the coming months. About GlenArbor Golf Club Providing a collegial combination of golf, fine dining, and camaraderie, the GlenArbor Golf Club was founded in 2001. The Club is located on 200 acres of land in northern Westchester County, on grounds that were originally developed in 1917 as the White Estate – one of the largest, historic estates in Westchester. GlenArbor’s master plan preserved the property’s historic roots as benefitting its heritage. The award-winning, Mark Finlay designed, 33,000 square-feet clubhouse that overlooks the first and eighteenth fairways, and offers stunning views of the course and the surrounding landscape. Formal and informal dining options are available along with a number of private dining and meetings rooms in which to host intimate and larger member events. To learn more about GlenArbor’s rich history and culture, and why it is the leader in the metropolitan area for membership satisfaction, please visit the Club’s website: http://www.glenarborclub.com/History-Culture.aspx Gary Player was carefully selected to design and transform the land while preserving its native beauty into a world-class golf course, proudly calling it “his masterpiece.” The Par 72 course measures 6,981 yards and hosts under 10,000 rounds annually. The 9-hole short game facility also designed by Player is part of the Club’s renowned teaching program. The State-of-the-Art Teaching Center is open year-round and operated by passionate teaching professionals that truly customize the experience for the membership. GlenArbor hosts the Gary Player Invitational yearly in October. The Club is dedicated to conservation and recognized for its leadership in bluebird research and its farm garden initiatives. The dining experience is further enhanced by produce from GlenArbor’s organic gardens. The Club is open from the middle of March until Christmas Eve. The indoor Teaching Center remains open for lessons throughout the winter. During the season, the Club is open six days a week (closed Tuesdays for golf outings). Lunch and dinner are served six days a week. About Golf Kitchen The Golf Kitchen concept was initially born at a meeting at Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton in 2010. With some solid ideas, Diana DeLucia, created her first book and proof of concept titled Golf Club World, Behind the Gates which published in 2013. The recipes and culinary stories proved to be very popular and thus the Golf Kitchen book concept was realized. DeLucia traveled the USA and the world to uncover some of the finest Private Golf and Country Club and Resort teams. The first Golf Kitchen book was launched at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York and hosted by Executive Chef Rhy Waddington and a star-studded line up of Private Golf and Country Club Chefs from the USA and abroad cooking a food and wine tasting menu for the members and guests that will always be a night to remember. A similar event quickly followed at Cassique at Kiawah Island Club, South Carolina which was hosted by Executive Chef Doug Blair and once again included a collaboration of an elite group of chefs from Private Golf and Country Clubs from the USA and abroad. It was at Cassique that the magazine concept was born, and Golf Kitchen Magazine is now in its second year. Golf Kitchen Punta Mita, a four-day golf and culinary extravaganza followed and was hosted in Punta Mita, Mexico - which boasts both Four Seasons and St. Regis resorts on the property and two renowned Jack Nicklaus Signature-designed golf courses, Pacifico and Bahia – on April of 2018 and 2019 with the help and support of Punta Mita, featured Golf Kitchen chefs and private golf and country clubs, friends of Golf Kitchen chefs and restaurants and residents and guests. The Golf Kitchen Culinary Excellence Awards launched its inaugural event at Edgewood Country Club in New Jersey on October 4th, 2018 and now has a new home at the prestigious GlenArbor Golf Club, in Bedford, New York USA. The second book in the Golf Kitchen series is titled Golf Kitchen Americas and will launch in the fall of 2019. For more information about Golf Kitchen Americas, please contact the author, Diana DeLucia. For Sponsorship opportunities: Diana DeLucia Golf Kitchen Email: diana@golfkitchen.com Cell: 860 406 1782 Media Contacts Diana DeLucia Golf Kitchen Email: diana@golfkitchen.com Cell: 860 406 1782 Morgan Gregory President, GlenArbor Golf Club Email: mgregory@glenarborclub.com  Recipe by Adam Beattie, Food and Beverage Director at Mayacama Golf Club, Sonoma County, California, USA. Image by Diana DeLucia. Ingredients
Garnish
Preparation Pour all ingredients into a double rocks glass and stir with a bar spoon. Garnish with the blood orange wheel. Enjoy!  The 18th fairway and the Mayacama Clubhouse. Image courtesy Mayacama Golf Club.
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