Congrats Todd Kelly !

Good morning, happy Thursday! Katy here… and do I have a Christmas gift idea for you! Yesterday evening, Frank and I had the pleasure of attending an event at the Hilton to honor their executive chef, Todd Kelly. Todd just finished his cookbook, which features a behind the scenes at Orchids at Palm Court and some of his favorite recipes. Frank and I were able to sample some of the dishes last night, and let me tell you, he is the best of the best! Todd was recently named the 2011 American Culinary Federation’s Chef of the Year and it shows within his cookbook.
From minestrone soup and Maine lobster salad to filet minion and yellowtail snapper, every recipe is thought out, with real-world restaurant technique. Plus, the pictures of each dish are amazing! It makes me want to go home and cook them all! In addition to the starters and entrees, the back features a dessert section with the help of executive pastry chef Megan Ketover. Realistically though, I think my husband will end up tackling the entrees, and I’ll tackle the dessert. He’s much better at cooking than I am.
Frank and I had a great evening though, talking with Chef Kelly and Chef Ketover, and sampling some of the dishes within the cookbook. Among our favorites, was the braised beef cheeks with spinach gnudi, shimeji mushrooms and roasted tomatoes, and blue cheese beignets with local honey frisee. In the cookbook, Chef Kelly explains that the honey is harvested from their rooftop beehive. I think that’s the thing that impressed me the most. Chef Todd Kelly uses fresh local ingredients when cooking up his recipes.
Be sure to check out the book! You won’t be disappointed…