Chef Michael Bennett, a Miami-based Gluten-Free cookbook Author, has departed Bimini Boatyard Executive Chef post, after a three year restructuring, to now empower a rapidly expanding Tampa Bay Gourmet Markets.

For Immediate Release
FoodBrats.com

January 1st, 2012

Contact: Rebba
954-404-0815

Tampa and Miami, Fl. | January 1st, 2012 ~ FoodBrats.com announces that our chief Author-member, Chef Michael Bennett New Year’s resolutions to changed career intent and, is now establishing what he considers an idyllic Gluten-Free, Fusion Cuisine culinary arena, being the director at a gourmand marketplace. After Chef Michael Bennett three year reshaping of the culinary remnant from the 1990’s – Bimini Boatyard, he is now undertaking the development of specialized Gourmet Markets. From the time when he directed South Beach’s – Epicure Gourmet Market’s healthy Spa Cuisine based menu expansion , Chef Michael Bennett always wanted to revisit the console of utilization the best potential ingredients to generate a superlative “home meal replacement” dining option .

He has developed and extended his healthy “Fusion-style” Home Meal Replacement cuisine with emphasis in Gluten Free dining. His culinary consultancy has stretched this past Winter between two different companies, one located in the Caribbean, on Grand Cayman and Harvest Marketplace opening on Valentine’s Day, 2012 – in the upwardly classic Tampa Bay neighborhood of Belleair Bluffs.

Chef Michael Bennett endorses his previous culinary posts – via the Social Media universe with his Gluten-Free cookbook “In the Land of Misfits, Pirates and Cooks”. It is the first of three cookbooks that he penned for FoodBrats.com albeit being the distinctly recuperative soul at the resuscitated Bimini Boatyard eatery relic. This past year after releasing his third cookbook (Culture of Cuisine- ISBN:9781450783002), Chef Michael Bennett honed and revised his first tropical-inspired, Fusion-Cuisine cookbook’s recipes to be 100 percent Gluten-Free. His revised 180 page | four color | 125 + Gluten-free recipe cookbook has been developed with an emphasis on America’s hottest healthy Fusion-Cuisine dining trend. These healthy, Gluten-Free recipes capture a distinctive and inventive 2012 tropical Fusion cookery heritage, while keeping recipes vigorously vibrant taste profile. Powerful photography, exclusive interactive design, one-of-a-kind recipe flow, helpful sidebars and QR (Quick Response) codes blend to create the perfect sampling of what this Gluten-Free Fusion cuisine has to offer.

The QR codes link you directly to the Internet so your interactive experience is as fun as it is informative. FoodBrats.com has published America’s first interactive QR code cookbook where QR codes are inlaid directly into the pages of “In the Land of Misfits, Pirates and Cooks” – ISBN: 978-0-615-29778-1. This new technology enable the recipe reader directly connect to information about recipes and cooking techniques on the Internet. Using your smart phone, just click onto the QR code and you are taken directly to these associated cookery techniques and models.

Chef Bio:
Michael Bennett, born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. to first generation Floridians, has spent most of his adult life in the food and hospitality industry. Michael’s grandfather was the family’s first restaurateur, ran several South Florida restaurants after emigrating here from Ohio in the 1940’s. Chef Michael Bennett earned critical culinary kudos as the Executive chef for Left Bank restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. Under his auspices he brought Left Bank – the 26 year culinary tour d’ force it’s first ever “Best of” (Zagat Survey), “Four Stars” (AAA) and “Four Diamonds” (Mobil) to their 20 plus year era of three star ratings. He is affiliatted with several culinary and food-related organizations. Chef Michael regularly lectures on Florida’s “Caribb-ican” Fusion cuisine.
Chef Michael Bennett is considering this move back to Tampa Bay a homecoming because he started cooking at a seafood restaurant in New Port Richey while attending college. He then transferred to the Culinary Institute of America to pursue his true professional passion. After leaving the CIA and for the next 11 years, he sought out the most exotic and chic dining network to hone his craft as his life revolved around intense periods of kitchen management followed by concentrated O.J.T. from the tutelage of Miami’s most important and well-known chefs.
Chef Michael Bennett is a well-known, award winning (Chef of the Year-1995) Florida chef whose clients are a Who’s Who of Media and Sports personalities. Some of his clientèle comprise celebrities from the entertainment and sport industries including; Wilt Chamberlin, Roger Stubb, Oprah, Jayda and Will Smith, Patrick Stewart, Andy Rooney, Michael Caine, Daryl Hanna, George Hamilton, Walter Cronkie, Morgan Freeman, Elton John, Snopp Dog, Madonna, Trina, Beyonce and others…..

About Food Brats.com
FoodBrats.com is America’s first QR code enable cookbook publisher. FoodBrats.com was founded in 1991 and as a “budding” Chef | Author PR services provider for chefs and soon to be authors. FoodBrats.com was formed to help Chefs and Authors publish food related articles and their own books on Fusion Cuisine. FoodBrats.com provides Chefs | Authors with direct and personal access to quick, quality orientated publication in trade paperback, custom leather-bound, and full-color formats.

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Chef Michael Bennett, a Miami-based Gluten-Free cookbook Author, is now consulting for Gourmet Markets.

For Immediate Release
FoodBrats.com
November 29st, 2011
Miami, Florida

Miami, Fl. | November 29th, 2011 ~ FoodBrats.com announces that our chief Author member, Chef Michael Bennett has changed career objectives and is now pursuing what he considers an idyllic Gluten-Free culinary arena, Gourmet Markets. Since his time conducting healthy Spa Cuisine based menu expansion in Miami’s Epicure Gourmet Market on South Beach, Chef Michael Bennett always wanted to get back to the console of only utilization the best ingredients to generate a superlative healthy-lifestyle cuisine.

He has developed and extended his Gluten Free culinary consultancy responsibilities among two different companies. One located in the Caribbean, on Grand Cayman (Wine Down Gourmet Market – opening next month) and opening on Valentine’s Day, 2012 – Harvest Market and Café in the upwardly classic neighborhood of Belleair Bluffs on Florida’s West Coast. After Chef Michael Bennett three year reshaping of the culinary remnant from the 1990’s – Bimini Boatyard, (BBY) he is now undertaking the development of specialized Gourmet Markets.

Chef Michael Bennett endorses his previous culinary posts – via the Social Media universe with his Gluten-Free cookbook “In the Land of Misfits, Pirates and Cooks”. It is the first of three cookbooks that he penned for FoodBrats.com albeit being the distinctly recuperative soul at the resuscitated BBY dinosaur. This past year after releasing his third cookbook, Chef Michael Bennett honed his predominately Caribbean-inspired cookbook’s recipes to be 100 percent Gluten-Free. Chef Michael Bennett’s 180 + page | four color | 125 + Gluten-free recipe cookbook was rewritten with an emphasis on America’s newest dining trend. His healthy Gluten-Free recipes capture the distinct Miami flavor of a multi-national Caribbean cookery heritage, while keeping recipes vigorously vibrant gluten-free taste profile. Powerful photography, exclusive design, one-of-a-kind recipe flow, helpful sidebars and QR (Quick Response) codes blend to create the perfect sampling of what this Gluten-Free Caribbean based cookery style has to offer. The QR codes link you directly to the Internet so your interactive experience is as fun as it is informative.

Chef Bio:
Michael Bennett, born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. to first generation Floridians, has spent most of his adult life in the food and hospitality industry. Michael’s grandfather was the family’s first restaurateur, operating a few South Florida restaurants after emigrating here from Ohio in the 1940’s. He earned critical culinary kudos as the Executive chef for the 26 year, culinary tour d’ force – Left Bank restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. Under his auspices he brought Left Bank it’s first ever “Best of” (Zagat Survey), “Four Stars” (AAA) and “Four Diamonds” (Mobil) to their 20 plus year era of three star ratings. He is affiliatted with several culinary and food-related organizations. Chef Michael regularly lectures on South Florida’s “Caribb-ican” cuisine.
Chef Michael Bennett is considering this somewhat of a homecoming because he started cooking at a seafood restaurant on Florida’s West Coast while still attending college. He then transferred to the Culinary Institute of America to pursue his true professional passion. After leaving the CIA and for the next 11 years, Michael’s life revolved around intense periods of kitchen management followed by months of O.J.T. under the tutelage from Miami’s most important and well-known chefs. During this time he sought out the most exotic and chic dining network to hone his craft.
Chef Michael Bennett is a well-known, award winning (Chef of the Year-1995) Florida chef whose clients are a Who’s Who of Media and Sports personalities. Some of his clientèle comprise celebrities from the entertainment and sport industries including; Wilt Chamberlin, Roger Stubb, Oprah, Jayda and Will Smith, Patrick Stewart, Andy Rooney, Michael Caine, Daryl Hanna, George Hamilton, Walter Cronkie, Morgan Freeman, Elton John, Snopp Dog, Madonna, Trina, Beyonce and others…..

About FoodBrats.com
FoodBrats.com was founded in 1991 and as a “budding” Chef | Author PR services provider for chefs and soon to be authors. FoodBrats.com helps Chefs and Authors publish food related articles and their own books on a regional basis. FoodBrats.com provides Chefs | Authors with direct and personal access to quick, quality orientated publication in trade paperback, custom leather-bound, and full-color formats.

Contact us for more information at
Email: foodbrat@gmail.com
Or; 305-851-3441

###

Another great review of Chef Michael Bennett’s GLUTEN FREE cookbook

Charolette Amaile Wahoo – Chef Michael Bennett

chef Michael's "deep" flavored GLUTEN FREE Wahoo dish

Char0lette Amalie Wahoo Credit: Chef Michael Bennett
Recently, I had the opportunity to read and review Chef Michael Bennett’s book on gluten free cooking. It’s amazing. So much so, that my daughter was quick to ask for it, since she knew I had just finished the review (still waiting to be published). Chef Bennett’s recipes are amazing, but his cook books are so well laid out, you will love them. Well worth the investment.
Charolette Amaile Wahoo -
a Caribbean-influenced gluten free recipe.
Serves: 6
Chef Michael Bennett says this is a simply elegant gluten free dish and its depth in taste equals that of the port for which it is named. The port of Charoltte Amaile (St Thomas U.S.V.I.) is deep enough for the Queen Mary 2 (largest steamliner in the world) to be docked.
The gluten-free recipe calls for Wahoo but, chef Michael Bennett says you can also substitute Mahi Mahi or Cobia. Both are great locally caught fish that is extremely popular in Miami. This sauce is a glaze to be “mopped” over the fillet of Wahoo as it cooks on a wood-fire grill. Chef Michael gives us this recipe to highlight some of the Gluten-free recipes in his new cookbook “In the Land of Misfits, Pirates and Cooks”.
Ingredients:
3 lbs. Wahoo, evenly divided into 6 portions
1/2 cup Caramel mop, see recipe below
As needed Salt and white pepper, 5:1 ratio-mixed
2 tbs. Thai peanut sauce dry mix, found in Asian markets
1 cup Plantain chips, found in Latino grocery markets
As needed Oil
3 cup Yucca pieces, 1/2 inch chopped, blanched in boiling salted water
1 each Red bell pepper, roasted and chopped roughly
1 each Shallot, chopped
2 each Garlic kernels, finely chopped
2 bunch Pencil asparagus, blanched in salted water
Directions:
Dust the wahoo with a little of the salt and pepper mixture. Let rest in the refrigerator, while you are doing the other parts of this recipe. Grind the plantains into a meal with a food processor. Add in the Thai peanut sauce base mixture. Mix well.
Over hot coals, grill the wahoo fillet for 3 minutes per 1 inch of thickness on one side and then flip and cook 3 minutes more on the other side, glazing with the caramel mop as it cooks. Coat with the Thai peanut-plantain mixture on the top of the fillets of wahoo after the second side is cooked. Keep in a warm oven.
Next, saute the shallots and garlic quickly, add the yucca and continue to cook about three minutes. Toss in the peppers and saute (”to jump”) to distribute them in the pan. Press the yucca into a 4 or 5 inch ring mold in the center of the plate. Remove the mold and set the wahoo on top. Encircle this presentation with more of the caramel mop sauce. Arrange the asparagus around the yucca, pointing out to the edges of the plate like the hands of a clock.

Second part of recipe:

Caramel Mop
Serves: 25
One of my favorite “mops” for grilled NY strip steaks and richly flavored fish fillets like mahi mahi, wahoo, escolar and even salmon.

Ingredients:
12 oz. Coca-Cola, reduced to a syrup
4 oz. Espresso
4 oz. Garlic, roasted, chopped
6 oz. Shallots, chopped
2 oz. Apple juice concentrate
3 oz. Kahlua liquor
3 oz. GF Soy sauce
2 oz. Balsamic vinegar
1 oz. Frangelico liquor
1 oz. Triple sec
5 oz. Pick a peppa sauce, see weblink QR code
2 tbs. Black pepper
2 tbs. Seasalt
2 tbs. Xanthan Gum

Instructions:
In a small pan, bring 12 oz. of Coca-Cola to a boil and let this volume reduce by 2/3. Add the next 10 items to the pot and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. Place in a food processor and grind well until everything is pulverized into a slurry. Add the thickener slowly to this mix and place in a squirt bottle.

To use:
Drizzle this “mop” (sauce) over top any grilled poultry, pork, beef or baby back rib and brush all around the food as it is cooking atop the grill.
Read more: http://www.thedailymeal.com/gluten-free-recipe-new-cookbook-land-misfit-pirates-and-cooks#ixzz1ZHs1Ukva

I hope to be able to share more of Michael’s recipes.

When you think about it we will never dine again, like we did a decade ago.

With the generational gap between the 70’s counter culture people (Boomer’s) – that demanded uber-chic foods from their restaurants in the 1980’s – to today’s dining public: the Y-generation; that has lived through multiple economic down-turns and, Social Revolution over the past two decades; our current dining clientele have no idea what opulent fine dining should be.
The dining populace today is looking for dwindling prices and bold flavors. They are not looking for quality products that are organized in rich visual appeal; it has to be immediate and scrumptious without convoluted service attributes. The dining public that insisted on a 2 ½ hour dining experience is now long gone. Those people are now investing their disposable income in supporting their aging parents, instead of treating themselves to an evening of culinary pleasures.
There is one avenue in culinary field that is growing in affluence and totality; it is the Gourmet Market segment. Companies such as: Wild Oats, Whole Foods and The Fresh Market are the Big Three that are more popular today than anyone could have imagined in the beginning of the 1990’s, when this groundswell was set in motion. It is mainly because if the Boomer’s are not going out to eat in fine dining venues, they are treating themselves now to superlative foods cooked at home. Their teen-age kids are being brought up expecting this should be the norm foods at home before they leave to go to college, it seems as though this trend will transverse to the next generation unlike fine dining of the 1980’s.
Are they the Future?
Gourmet markets flaunting the highest quality cheeses from Europe, olive oils from around the Mediterranean, prime-aged meats and fresh locally harvested seafood, with occasional hints of health-consciousness abound in and around South Florida. Any metropolitan area you go, you will see the big three. There are also a few exceptions to cities where the Big Three haven’t made inroads, where home-grown gourmet markets budded from long-standing family-owned local food markets. These markets over the decades saw that as their clientele gained esteem through their occupations, so did their need to live prestigiously at home. Coupled with the lack of formal dining out of the home and the need to still treat oneself metropolitan gourmet markets flourish.
Look across the Southern United States, were retiring “Boomers” are now settling for a quite retirement from the rat race and see there is an increasing demand for Gourmet and prepared food markets. Looking across Florida, Arizona and Texas, gourmet markets like: Epicure, Norman Brother’s, Gardener’s (all in Miami), Fernanda’s and Doris markets in Fort Lauderdale and Carmine’s of Palm Beach, Rice Epicurean and Eatzies in Houston and Dallas, Central Market in San Antonio, Texas, AJ’s fine foods in Phoenix, have been growing in popularity and scope. I can remember going shopping downtown to the only place in Fort Lauderdale that sells deCecco pasta, Fernanda’s with my Grand Mother in the 1970’s. This is the way it starts for generational cooking at home. The boomers have already indoctrinated their college aged kids to expect these markets to fulfill their needs for the future.
It has been a long journey for the family markets but, this segment is expanding faster than most any other segment of the food service spectrum. “We have seen the growth in sales rise ever since the Boomers started to retire”, say the gourmet store manager I interviewed. In Tampa and Sarasota area of the Florida’s West Coast, there is up and coming places like Surf and Turf Market, and Morton’s that have broken away from the Mom and Pop attitude to roasted in house gourmet coffee beans, supply in-house prepared entire Home Meal Replacements, dedicate a major part of the floor space to European cheeses and charcuteire that until recently these commonalities were unattainable in the United States. Across the southern United States, we have seen larger towns and cities where this happens. These markets have been building in reputation for the last decade.

The NEW Social Scene:
A newly unexpected social scene for Boomers, occur at gourmet markets. Not only do people linger long at their favorite markets, purchasing specialty foods for dinner, shopping has become a see and be seen sport. It has become universal rationale to go to your favorite marketplace to spend the afternoon socializing with friends. The social culture has changed from the “me generation” to the “we generation”. As the years pass into decades, the Boomer generation finds that their kids have gone to College and now they have to look outside their home-based life to reintegrate into a social path. “Boomers” are now living their “empty-nest” lives through the social and communal aspects of shopping and the Internet. Now that their lives are freer, without children at home the need to be a part of a community grows. Being seen at these markets reaffirms their place in social order of things. Using the Internet is bring the whole right to their computer screen.
The Internet and the markets are now the new Discos for the We Generation. We all want to be interconnected with others, it is a social thing. The society as a whole went through many stages. First TV generation, then it was Cable and it’s broadcasting of specific aspects of the social realm. Cable news brought us together as a country. We all know as much of what is happening in California and New York as around the city in which we live. Cable’s social aspects such as mTV quickly spread to young Americans the Urban sounds that they never would have heard locally in their own rural part of the country without it. The rapid spread of the cable’s cooking program broadcasts have led us to watching shows and their chef hosts that we would have previously read about only on books. This has brought us all to a mindset that we need even more. That is where the Internet has become the number one outlet for information and interconnect-ability.
Not only instantaneous but everyone now can be a star as long as they can reach a dedicated following. Some feel even more interconnected on a more personal basis. With the ability to choose the blogs and YouTube videos to which, the We Generation is able to pull information instead of the classic push advertising that reined a few years ago. The social connection is stronger for those who pull information. They want to know more and seek it out on consistent basis. Dining at home has become influenced by all these evolutions on a daily basis.

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 1 st., 2011
Miami, Florida
FOR MORE INFO: 305-851-3441

AUTHOR AND CHEF MICHAEL BENNETT WRITES ABOUT
MIAMI’S CULINARY CULTURE

SOUTH FLORIDA, AUGUST, 2011 ~ FOODBRATS.COM – ANNOUNCES THAT MICHAEL BENNETT, THE EXECUTIVE CHEF OF BIMINI BOATYARD IN FORT LAUDERDALE AND COOKBOOK AUTHOR, IS RELEASING HIS THIRD BOOK ON AMAZON DIGITAL PLATFORM. CHEF MICHAEL HAS BEEN A WELL-SPRING OF CULINARY IDEAS THAT HAS FILLED THE INTERNET AND HE SEEMS TO HAVE MUSTERED SUFFICIENT TIME TO POSITION ANOTHER BOOK FOR YOUR KITCHEN LIBRARY SHELF.
AFTER GOOGLING “CHEF MICHAEL BENNETT”, ONE WILL FIND DOZENS OF PAGES THAT DISPLAY AUTHOR / CHEF MICHAEL BENNETT’S LITERARY CREATIONS. CHEF MICHAEL’S CURRENT ARRANGEMENT OF WRITING FOR MIAMI’S EXAMINER.COM, HAS HELPED THE CHEF CONTEMPLATE MORE INVENTIVE INSPIRATIONS, DIVULGING TO THESE INTERNET READERS WHAT IT IS LIKE BEING A CHEF IN MIAMI. THIS AUTHOR’S ROOTS ARE DEFINITELY SITUATED DEEP INTO SOUTH FLORIDA.
HIS EFFORTS THROUGHOUT THE INTERNET’S SOCIAL MEDIA AVENUES HAVE BROUGHT THE AUTHOR RECOGNITION FROM AS FAR AWAY AS AUSTRALIA. HIS COOKBOOKS ARE SELLING IN DISTANT PLACES BECAUSE OF THE COMMONALITIES IN THE FOODS USED FOR THE RECIPES. COOKING AND THE FOOD USED IS A UNIVERSAL ANALOGUE AND ALL INQUISITIVE COOKS LOVE READING ABOUT THE USE OF TROPICAL AND EXOTIC FOODS. THIS IS PROVEN WITH SALES OF HIS FIRST COOKBOOK; IN THE LAND OF MISFITS, PIRATES AND COOKS SELLING IN INDIA, AUSTRALIA AND ACROSS EUROPE.
MICHAEL HAS FOUND THAT THE REAL EQUALIZER AMONG COOKBOOK READERS IS THE INTEREST IN THE CULTURE OF COOKING. THIS IS HOW HE DEVELOPED HIS LATEST BOOK. “CULTURE OF CUISINE” WHICH DELVES INTO WHAT MIAMI CHEFS THINK ABOUT THE IDEALS OF CUISINE. IN THIS BOOK, MICHAEL RATIONALIZES THE COMMONALITIES OF IDEALS BETWEEN OUR GENERATIONS OF SOUTH FLORIDA CHEFS. THE BOOK SEGMENTS ARE BASED UPON MICHAEL’S INTERVIEWS WITH THESE NOTED SOUTH FLORIDA IDEALISTS.
INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH THE FIRST AND SECOND CHAPTERS OF THE BOOK ARE SEPARATED INTO SUB CHAPTERS OF THOUGHT. MICHAEL THOUGHT THAT THESE CULINARY CULTURE-BASED IDEALS WERE SIMILAR ENOUGH TO HAVE BEEN CATEGORIZED THEM CONCURRENTLY YET, THE STAND-ALONE THOUGHTS SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN SECTIONING. THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS ALONE HAVE A CONSEQUENTIAL TONE THAT SCREAMS “THIS HAS TO BE A DAILY READ” FOR ALL CULINARY ENTHUSIAST.
• CULTURE A CUISINE
• HOW OUR CUISINE WAS CRAFTED
• UNDERSTANDING FOOD
• DESTINY OF INGREDIENTS
• THE PROCESS OF HOW THINGS HAPPEN
• ONE MOMENT PLEASE; YOUR MEDIA VOICE
• THE FIRST THREE STEPS
• THE INTERNET IS YOUR FUTURE
• QR CODES AND HOW THEY WILL HELP YOU

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
FORMALLY TRAINED IN THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS, CHEF MICHAEL HAS ALWAYS PURSUED ONLY ONE CULINARY GOAL, MAKING MIAMI’S UNIQUE CULINARY IDEALS VISIBLE WORLD-WIDE. CHEF MICHAEL BENNETT HAS DONE THIS MOST CONVINCINGLY THROUGH HIS TWO SOUTH FLORIDA GROUNDED COOKBOOKS. HE HAS WORKED IN NUMEROUS NOTEWORTHY SOUTH FLORIDA AND CARIBBEAN RESTAURANTS AND RESORTS HONING A SPECIFIC CULINARY LEADERSHIP STATUS THAT HE HAS EARMARKED “CARIBB-ICAN”. OBVIOUSLY THIS CULINARY TRAJECTORY HAS HIT A CORD WITH LOCAL RESTAURANT CONSUMERS. THIS STYLING HAS PLAYED OUT WELL AT HIS CURRENT POST AS THE EXECUTIVE CHEF FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. BIMINI BOATYARD WHERE SALES AND CUSTOMER COUNTS HAVE GONE FROM SLEEPY TO BOISTEROUS WAS FEATURED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES – best places in Fort Lauderdale FOR ITS BLUSTERY SALES INCREASES. SEE LINK: http://nyti.ms/hSzpNH .

BIMINI BOATYARD’S MENUS EMERGED TWO YEARS AGO AND SEGUED INTO ACCOLADES FROM LOCAL MAGAZINES AS “BEST NEW MENU” IN 2008 AND CHEF MICHAEL BENNETT WAS NAMED ONE OF SOUTH FLORIDA’S “TOP CHEF” IN 2009 AND 2010.
ABOUT CHEF MICHAEL BENNETT’S OTHER BOOKS:
CHEF BENNETT’S FIRST BOOK IS TITLED “IN THE LAND OF PIRATES, MISFITS AND COOKS”, A FIRST-HAND TASTE OF LIVING IN THE CARIBBEAN. HIS BOOK WILL ENERGIZE ONE’S PALATE WHEN YOU PARTAKE IN THE NEW METHODS OF COOKING AND EXPERIENCE BEING EXPOSED TO THE INNOVATIVE INGREDIENTS PAIRED WITH FAMILIAR AMERICAN MENU ITEMS – THE WAY CHEF MICHAEL MAKES OLD STALE DINNER ITEMS NEW AND EXCITING ONCE AGAIN. CHEF BENNETT TAKES THE READER ON PLAYFUL CULINARY JOURNEYS THROUGHOUT THE MANY ISLANDS OF THE CARIBBEAN SHOWING YOU THAT WITH A LITTLE INGENUITY YOU CAN BEDAZZLE YOUR TASTE BUDS BY APPLYING THIS TROPICALLY-INSPIRED COOKERY.
THE FULL 4 COLOR PHOTOS HIGHLIGHT BENNETT’S SIGNATURE STYLE OF PRESENTATION: “FOOD STACKING”. BENNETT CREATES TOWERS AND FOOD ASCENTS; HIS RECIPE STYLING CLEARLY CHARACTERIZES “PLAYING WITH FOOD”. YOU WILL NEVER JUST GET FOOD ON A PLATE WITH MICHAEL BENNETT; YOU WILL GET WORKS OF ART. THIS MAY SEEM DAUNTING TO THE AVERAGE HOME COOK BUT IN TRUE CULINARY TUTORING STYLE CHEF BENNETT EXPLAINS IN DETAIL “HOW TO PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD”, THIS ALONE IS WORTH HAVING THE BOOK AS YOU BECOME AN HONORARY PIRATE, MISFIT AND COOK OF THE CARIBB-ICAN STYLE OF COOKING.
IN THE LAND OF MISFITS, PIRATES AND COOKS IS 120 RECIPES, 180 + PAGES AND IS AVAILABLE FOR $35.95 AVAILABLE AT THE AMAZON DISCOUNT BOOKS SELLER SITE AND AT WWW.FOODBRATS.COM.

CHEF MICHAEL’S SECOND BOOK; UNDERNEATH A CLOUDLESS SKY FEATURES MOUTH-WATERING RECIPES THAT WILL INCITE A PANTRY-QUAKING AFTERMATH. SOUTH FLORIDA’S FIVE COOKERY HERITAGES INFLUENCED THE BOOK’S RECIPE DEVELOPMENT. THIS FULL 4 COLOR BOOK SERVES UP AN EASY TO READ 180 PLUS PAGES OF TOOTHSOME RECIPES (110+) AND AN INSTRUCTIONAL NARRATIVE ABOUT WHAT IT IS LIKE TO DWELL AND WORK AS A CHEF ON THE NEW AMERICAN RIVIERA. THIS COOKBOOK IS THE RESULT OF MICHAEL’S REFORMULATING THE LAST TWO DECADES OF SOUTH FLORIDA’S “FLORIDA’S FIVE FLAGS FUSION FOODS” COOKERY COMPONENTS. THE FIVE FLAGS CITATION REPRESENTS HIS CONCEPTUAL REFORMATTING OF SOUTH FLORIDA’S FIVE DISTINCT COOKERY HERITAGES.

“UNDERNEATH A CLOUDLESS SKY” COOKBOOK IS RETAIL PRICED AT $29.95. THE BOOK CAN BE BOUGHT AT AMAZON.COM AND FOODBRATS.COM.

AUTHOR SUBSTANTIVE:
MICHAEL BENNETT IS A WELL-KNOWN AWARD WINNING (CHEF OF THE YEAR-1995) SOUTH FLORIDA CHEF WHOSE CLIENTS ARE A WHO’S WHO OF MEDIA AND SPORTS PERSONALITIES. HE EARNED CRITICAL CULINARY KUDOS AS THE EXECUTIVE CHEF FOR THE 26 YEAR-LOCAL CULINARY FORCE LEFT BANK RESTAURANT. UNDER HIS AUSPICES HE BROUGHT “BEST OF” (ZAGAT SURVEY); FOUR STARS (AAA) AND FOUR DIAMONDS (MOBIL) TO THE LONG-TIME THREE STAR RATING. HE ALSO HOLDS CULINARY AFFILIATIONS WITH SEVERAL CULINARY AND FOOD-RELATED ORGANIZATIONS. HE REGULARLY LECTURES ON SOUTH FLORIDA’S “CARIBB-ICAN” CUISINE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT US AT:
mailto:the_professional_image@yahoo.com?subject=Inquiries
***

Fresh Ingredients, Tropical Flavors and Gluten-free dining are deliciously absorbed in a Value-Endorsed State of Mind

For Immediate Release:
The Professional Image
and FoodBrats.com

Fresh Ingredients, Tropical Flavors and Gluten-free dining are deliciously
absorbed in a Value-Endorsed State of Mind
“Food and healthy cooking has been my entire life…making it a value just seems right!”, chef Michael Bennett.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida ~ August, 2011 – Chef Michael Bennett’s current post as the Executive chef – Bimini Boatyard (BBy) that was first usher into the Fort Lauderdale dining scenescape in September of 1989. A lot has happened in the world since the time of its opening. Remember the fall of the Berlin Wall?
The reins of Bimini’s protracted journey have been taken by chef and cookbook Author – Michael Bennett; once acknowledged by the American Culinary Federation as Chef of the Year.
Today the BBY is best-known for its exciting and innovative “Caribb-ican” menu, value-based wines and the best local Happy Hour in Fort Lauderdale. Like BBY’s menu, the wine list selections are globally sourced, chosen for their value price point and a complementary taste that harmonizes with our menu. United with our casual-style of service – that is straight from the heart – referring to a sense of caring and friendliness, it is the combination of good food and this almost neighbor-like service has inspired this 21 year landmark.
Based on his culinary experiences, from a four year escapade in the Caribbean, Chef Bennett has created another “Caribb-ican“inspired menu – he refers as…”New World Cuisine revisited”. This menu feature his unique twist on this menu featuring local tropical ingredients – with a focus on seafood, complimented by: low-fat, Gluten-free “Coulis-grette’s © .
”Since the original opening of BBY, we have embarked on a new course”, says Chef Michael. “The decision was made to create a more accessible and creditable Gluten-free Caribbean slanted seafood-based menu.
Before becoming the executive chef of Bimini Boatyard, chef Michael Bennett recalls; “I lived and worked on various British, French and American Caribbean islands there were unbound by classic European cookery disciplines.” He has blended modern American food with “Caribbean” cookery techniques and ingredients invented during his four year journey through the Caribbean.
This is where Chef Michael reflected upon his culinary edification and began to write his first cookbook: “In the Land of Misfits, Prates and Cooks”. It has become The Professional Image’s first published cookbook and first Gluten-free book written by a chef for chefs.
See more below:

The first Gluten-Free Caribbean-influenced cookbook
that is enhanced with QR codes.
The Professional Image, Inc. that is touted to be the publisher for the Culinary profession, announced its first Cookbook release on September 1st, 2009. “In the Land of Misfits, Pirates and Cooks” has now been revised to be 100 percent Gluten-Free.

In the Land of Misfits, Pirates and Cooks is now Gluten-free and boasts over 125 mouth-watering Caribbean-inspired recipes. This four color book serves up an easy to read 180 pages of delectable tropical recipes each emphasized with a narrative about what it is like to live and cook in the Caribbean.

This cookbook is the result of Michael’s equating and collaborating hundreds of years of compelling Caribbean food and cookery elements. This book is overflowing with a scrumptious mix of seasoning blends and marinades, salads, appetizers and entrees written in a way where you are the aspirant chef and YOU can compose or alter recipes while atop the stove.

The modern metropolitan recipe styling captures the distinct local flavor of a multi-national cookery heritage. Vibrant photography, easy to use design, one-of-a-kind recipe flow and, interesting and helpful sidebars and QR (Quick Response) codes blend to create the perfect sampling of what this multi-cultural, Caribbean based cookery style has to offer.

The cookbook was developed as a way of thanking the many fans of Caribbean cuisine that know “curry powder” or a “jerk glaze” are not the only examples of a Caribbean chefs repertoire. Michael asserts that after working as a chef for the past four years in applaudable Caribbean dining venues, each has played an important role in the successful dispatch of this book. Michael’s travel and oeuvre throughout the Caribbean, whether on a British, American, French or Spanish island nations, has helped Michael to shape this unprecedented recipe collection.
QR CODES:
THIS IS THE FIRST COOKBOOK IN AMERICA THAT IS ENABLED WITH INSTANT-LINK QR CODES. QUICK RESPONSE (QR) CODES ARE INLAID WITHIN THE PAGES TO HELP THE READER LINK TO AND SEE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT UNTIL NOW WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO INCORPORATE INTO A PRINTED COOKBOOK.

QR CODES BRING THE READER TO WEBSITES, COOKING DEMONSTRATION MOVIES AND SUPPLEMENTARY COOKERY INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOODS YOU ARE READING ABOUT. USING A QR CODE ENABLED SMARTPHONE OR IPAD DEVICE, TAKE A PICTURE OF THE PRINTED SYMBOL AND YOU ARE INSTANTLY CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET. CHEF MICHAEL BENNETT HAS PLACE LINKS TO PRODUCT INFORMATION WEBSITE, HOW-TO AND GLUTEN-FREE FOOD PURCHASING WEBSITES THAT MAKES YOUR EXPERIENCE ONE OF A KIND.

As guests enjoy chef Bennett’s award-winning Gluten-free cooking as they are treated to the casual elegance of newly remodeled spacious dining rooms, floor to ceiling windows peering out onto the riverfront – in which BBY is perched, three expansive Bar/Lounge areas and an outdoor (riverside) dining terrace. The remodeled interior design captures the feeling that you are in a family friendly, comfortable, Cape Cod stylized restaurant.

For more information on either the cookbook “In the Land of Misfits, Pirates and Cooks” or The Professional Image, inc. “publisher for the Culinary profession”, visit:
www.foodbrats.com (initiate July ’09) | contact T.P.I. at (305) 851-3441 | the_professional_image@yahoo.com.

“In the Land of Misfits, Pirates and Cooks” cookbook is priced at $34.95 (Please add $3.50 for shipping and handling) Books can be ordered online at www.foodbrats.com as well as through the Mail to this address:

Piracy in the BVI

British Virgin Islands
Pirates & Privateers
Originally posted on:

http://www.b-v-i.com/Culture/Pirates/pirates.htm

 

Pirate tales inflame the imagination!

 

X marks the spot on ancient treasure maps; galleons leave the Spainish Main laden heavy with pieces of eight; swashbuckling characters rise from the mists of time larger than life (above: The Galleon by A.J. Rowley).
How much is true? What part did the BVI play in this historical drama from the days of sail?

Black Sam Bellamy

“He made a dashing figure in his long deep-cuffed velvet coat, knee breeches, silk stockings, and silver-buckled shoes; with a sword slung on his left hip and four pistols in his sash. Unlike some of his fellows, Bellamy never wore the fashionable powdered wig, but grew his dark hair long and tied it back with a black satin bow.” See Black Sam Bellamy: The Prince of Pirates.

Seeking his fortune, first as a treasure hunter, so as to marry a New England maiden, “Black Sam” Bellamy captured 50 prizes in a year’s time, many while based at his namesake Bellamy Cay in the BVI’s Trellis Bay.

After capturing his richest prize, the Whydah, “Black Sam” perished in a shipwreck at 29 while going back home. The Whydah shipwreck from 1717 was recently rediscovered.

Pirate Crews

Pirates came from all nations and walks of life. Fifty of Bellamy’s crew were black, including his pilot, John Julian, who survived the Whydah shipwreck only to be sold into slavery.

In many instances, pirates elected their captains and lived by a commonly agreed set of rules, although punishments were severe and included flogging, marooning and death such as hanging from the ship’s yardarm or “walking the plank.”

Golden Age of Pirates

Centered on the Caribbean and its shores, the late 17th and early 18th centuries (1680-1725) is considered the “golden age of pirates.” Once useful to the English, French and Dutch in attacking the Spanish empire, and each other, pirates and privateers flourished in this period, wreaking havoc on maritime commerce and terrorizing travellers.

Gradually equilibrium was reached between the colonial powers and the British Navy came to rule the sea. By 1725 the great age of priates ended as merchants successfully pressured colonial governors to end piracy.

Yet the seeds of freedom planted by these rebellious pirate crews, electing their own captains and practicing equality of opportunity–these revolutionary ideas–would find fruition in the French and American revolutions against the very colonial regimes that hunted them down and hung not a few.

Privateers & Buccaneers

A buchaneer was another name for a sea robber or pirate. Buchaneer came from the early French practioneers called “boucaniers.”

Columbus’ voyage resulted in the Spanish empire centered on the Caribbean shores of the Americas, known as the Spanish Main. Precious metals and other riches flowed from inland mines and Indian empires to sea coast towns and then on through the Caribbean by galleons under sail to Spain.

This wealth attracted English privateers, the most famous of whom was Sir Francis Drake. A privateer was a government sanctioned pirate given “letters of marque.” These protected him from hanging if captured.

Sir Francis Drake

Privateer and sea captain extrodinaire, the legendary Sir Francis Drake, a self-made man detested by the old noblility, rose to the rank of British Admiral and defeated the Spanish Armada.

Earlier as a privateer, Drake collected his fleet in the North Sound before sailing with Sir John Hawkins to attack Puerto Rico. Drake’s Golden Hind is shown here.

“El Draque,” as the Spanish called him, was buried at sea in a lead coffin off Nombres de Dios on the Spanish Main, where in 1573 his illustrious career began when he plundered a “silver train” of mules headed for Spain’s annual Tierra Firme treasure fleet.

“Freebooter’s Gangway”

In those days, the Sir Francis Drake Channel was called “Freebooters Gangway,” a freebooter being a term for a pirate. The nearby Anegada Passage was the entrance to the Caribbean and the protected waters of The Channel attracted merchantmen and pirates alike.

Pirate Ships

Pirates and privateers favored ships with shallow drafts, especially the Bermudan or jib-headed sloop, noted for its speed and handling. The Jamaican sloop, built of red cedar, was also well regarded for sea worthiness and speed. A sloop in the 17th and 18th centuries described various small ships of which a schooner was one variety.

North Sound

The North Sound in particular lies astride The Passage and The Channel. Fronting the North Sound is the still mysterious Eustatia Sound where local knowledge affords escape “back doors” or exits through gaps in the treacherous reefs that even modern charter captains fear. Some modern charts still show Eustatia Sound, incorrectly, as being a few scant feet deep and unsailable.

Pirate Escape Route

An alternative, but little used, entrance/exit to the North Sound, goes behind Saba Rock’s reef in an “S” transit through an opening between the islands around the back of Eustatia Island and out a little used gap in Eustatia Reef at Prickley Pear’s Opuntia Point.

This “pirate escape route” could be used to lure pursuers onto the intervening reef shallows. Fit for fantasy pirate map, now this fun route takes the adventurous snorkeling or beachcombing by dinghy.

Dead Man’s Chest

Marooning was a common pirate punishment. After a mutiny, the notorious Blackbeard is said to have marooned 15 men on Dead Man’s Chest with only a bottle of rum. Hence the ditty:

“15 men on a Dead Man’s Chest,
yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.”

Going into battle, Blackbeard stuck slowly burning matches in his hair. See On Captain Teach, alias Blackbeard, When Blackbeard Scourged the Seas and Queen Anne’s Revenge?

Pirate Priest

“As Ridge Road finally dips to the North Beach Coast, half way down to Windy Hill are the overgrown stone walls and other ruins of the18th century St. Michael’s Church, reputedly headed by a pirate priest who used this vantage to spy passing ships, now usually charter boats.”See Tour Tortola by Land.

Treasure Island

Often called Treasure Island for its association with Robert Lewis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, the BVI’s Norman Island was reputed to be a favorite hangout of pirates while legends of buried treasure still persist. See more pirate books.

Interview – Chef Michael Bennett

Interview with

Michael Bennett, Executive chef and author

What is your definition of creativity – what is it?

Taking the known and producing something totally different or umcommon. Being able to understand similar flavor profiles of different foods mix and match to create unusual or uncommon
new dishes.

But after 5000 years of cooking, it is going to be hard to do this compared to what the Chinese have done.

You need a base of culinary learning to formulate something new. You have to use what is known in techniques or ingredients and use this to go another step beyond the commonplace.

Using culinary ideals to formulate your creativity or style helps. Your ideals help you perform the next steps to innovation.

Is creativity the same as innovation?

Creative innovation is akin to being cutting edge.
Innovation is remolding or restructuring the plate or a recipe (the known) into a perceived (by the customer) better commodity. Creativity is a thought that can be perceived by the consumer or taught by enlightenment of the consumer…..by using a really good P. R. person!!!!!

Do you think it is something that people are born with (innate) or can it be learned?

Which creativity? Or talent of innovation?

Look at chef Chalie Trotter. He is perceived as a talent but if the people evaluating his food didn’t like his wild mushroom study because they don’t like mushrooms, doesn’t mean he isnt a talented cook. But the “study in mushrooms” was still innovative.

Chef Trotter was born this way. I believe creativity is something that you are born into, not with.

I think you can be taught creativity by mimicking. Other people will evaluate you from their own perspectives whether what you can create in food is creative.

Innovation comes from experimentation and having a good enough palate to judge if what you cook is good tasting. It will always be the combined that will judge you to be innovative by what is commonplace at the time.

Look at new world cuisine, circa 1992. Innovative because everyone said so. From reporters to consumers, it was judged to be an innovative. By using tropical fruits paired with common American foodstuffs.

The creativity of new world cuisine came about by finding how to pair the unknown with the known popular foods of the day. Then again if there weren’t so many Caribbean people in Miami, these chefs might not have discovered these foods to begin with. They were taught by the people who worked for them in the kitchen. So their ( perceived) creativity was taught them them by common peoples that knew how to use uncommon ( to American chefs) foods.

How important is creativity to you in your employees? How can they be creative – can you give me an example?

Very important to some of my people. The others just have to minick and produce what is needed for service that day.
My sous chef have to be able to create but they arent creative. Create for me is to do something with leftovers or extras not used from a party the day before or over purchasing.

In my previous position i had to three creativity chefs that knew how to get the most from the food available so you make better profits. Creating profits has been my requirements from my staffs
for the past decade of managing other chefs and f&b managers. Creativity in creating profits keeps all of us employed.

When you hire someone for a job, is creativity an important job requirement?

no
Creativity is honed by me. A new employee just has to have the skills to produce what I teach.

Later when they can prove their techniques – and the demand in creativity I’ll ask them for innovation.

Creativity in cooking meat dishes doesn’t work for me because we are a seafood- centric menu. So creative is cool, but great skills are more necessary.

What other things are important when you consider hiring someone (e.g., reliability, punctuality, teamwork, communication) ?

Yes, I am never late. Nor my staff. We are always under the gun so time is a commodity that can’t be wasted, so yes being on time is very important.

Skills – see above answers.

In your business, do employees work predominantly on their own, or do they work in teams?

On own after trained by co- workers. With a staff of over thrity, no one is trained by me except my second in charge.

After training we reevaluate to see if skills are proper and if any more are needed. They work together in the same areas but as individual fulfilling the needs required. Teamwork to produce plates on the line is necessary. Individual accomplishment and completion of assigned tasks is more individualistic in nature by the back of the house.

Have you ever had college students working for you? What was your experience?

yes.
One good, became my second. One not so good. Let him go because he didnt keep pace in skill development.

It is all up to the person that is hired. If they can keep up with what is demanded by me and improve to the next level they stay with me.

What do you consider important for the school to emphasize in students’ education in general (i.e., English, math, communication skills)?

for leaders very important.
For my hands on people not so much.

How important are your clients? Do they drive what you do creatively?

Of course, see my explaination about creativity and innovation above. If my menus weren’t perceieve as creative, they would not define me as a leader in South Florida cooking. I would be part of the crowd producing great food but never thought of as i creative person by most consumers.

Now if what i create is thought of as innovative then i will be set apart from the other chefs and held in high perceived esteem. So yes, my customers drive my innovation to be thought of as a creative.

How important are principles or process (skills/craft) in your profession – more important than creativity?

Principles are the culinary training or thoughts that puts us all in the same rankings as chefs. I choose to call them ideals. Skills, the amount of skills and how you can apply them to the cooking of food is what will define you as a chef and later separate you from others as those skills lead to innovation of new ideals and creative culinary works.

If you had a choice between hiring a super-talented prima donna, or a humble and reliable, but less creative, person, which one would you give preference to?

Depends on the position I hire for.

If I need an innovator, someone to bring the menu to the next level I’ll choose the primadona. His mindset will force himself to do more and better than everyone else in the kitchen. His need to succeed and be the best in the kitchen will drive him to do what I need from this position as a chef de cuisine or sous.

The lesser skilled dependable person fills almost all my other positions in the kitchen.

How can we specifically better prepare students for the work world, i.e., what would you emphasize for the employee of tomorrow to learn (math? English? Teamwork?)

Read my new book “Culture of Cuisine” (due out Summer 2011) and you will know exactly.

Ideals!

The 17th annual Bali Ha’i Party –

The event is held at The Kampong an exotic botanical oasis in Coconut Grove that offers a glorious

setting to enjoy fine wine and gourmet foods.

Regarded as one of the most important food and wine events on the Miami social calendar, Bali Ha’i at The Kampong has sold out each of its sixteen years with over 500 upscale gourmets in attendance. Bali Ha’i will entertain guests with exquisite wines, champagnes and exotic libations along with tempting culinary samplings from 25 top South Florida restaurants. Restaurant participants announced to date include: Ortanique on the Mile, Bimini Boatyard, Chef Allen’s, 1500 at the Eden Roc, 3030 Ocean, Mango Café at The Fruit & Spice Park, Por Fin, Florida International University Café and Techniques Restaurant at Le Cordon Bleu and manuy others.

Always a highlight of the event is our “People’s Choice Awards” selected by attending guests at our main event from previous year’s. Featured at our VIP “Party Under The Palms”, from 4 to 5 PM are People’s Choice Winner’s Chef Cindy Hutson – Ortanique on the Mile, Chef Marco Ferraro – Wynwood Kitchen & Bar and Chef Brandon Whitestone – Chef Allen’s Restaurant.

The event, a collaborative effort between The Kampong and the South Florida Chapter of The American Institute of Wine & Food, raises funds to maintain and expand The Kampong’s tropical botanical collection, providing a living classroom and laboratory for visiting scientists, students, and garden visitors. Bali Ha’i also raises funds to further the goals of the American Institute of Wine & Food, providing educational and nutrition based programs (Days of Taste) and scholarships to some of the finest culinary institutes in South Florida.

Best Chefs of South Florida

With South Beach’s annual 2011 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival starting up next week in Miami, South Florida is proving itself to be a global culinary destination. Distinctively, each of these chefs have been devoted Social Media Mavens.

First, Jeff McInnis hailing from Miami’s new Gigi in the retro-chic metro Miami mid-town location. McInnis a original Florida boy who was raised in a small town on Florida’s panhandle. He studied at Johnston and Wales in Charleston, South Carolina but has returned to Florida to claim his spot as one of Miami’s best chefs.

Before venturing back to Florida chef Mcinnis worked his way around the world including gigs in Charleston, in the Caribbean on St. Johns (the U.S. Virgin Island), San Francisco and in Virginia. Then getting his footing back into a Florida goove he became the chef de cuisine of South Beach’s DeLido Beach Club in the new Ritz Carlton-on South Beach. After spending countless hours stationed on the New American Riviera honing his craft he moved to his new post at Gigi. Gigi features a menu that “offers a cutting-edge, high-performance, communal comfort foods for the discerning South Floridian palate.”

The next South Florida chef on our list to watch out for is Miami’s Timon Balloo of Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill,which is also located in Miami’s Mid-town. Balloo was born in New York and raised in the culinary diverse San Francisco. Timon’s heritage is Trinidadian and being a child raised with Chinese and East Idian parents has loaned him the cookery inheritance that is distinctively Caribbean. This exotic and unique upbringing is reflected in Balloo’s food–he is widely known for his ability to ”juxtapose unlikely ingredients in interesting ways.” Chef Balloo also attended Johnston & Wales and through their international program worked at the Hotel Metropole in Belgium under French Master Chef Dominic Michou.

Our next Miami culinary honoree is Marco Ferraro of Wish at the Tiffany hotel located in the Art Deco District of Miami Beach. Born in Calabria, Italy, Ferraro has been described as “a rising star whose unpretentious, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine perfectly blends comfort and a Miami sophistication.” Boasting an impressive resume that includes being a graduate of the famed French Culinary Institute and Italcook in France, mastering classic French cooking at Le Mantel in Cannes and Le Muscandin in Mougins before coming to the United States to train and work with culinary superstar Jean-Georges Vongerichten at Jean-Georges in New York City. He then helmed Jack’s La Jolla in California for several years as the chef de cuisine before accepting his current position at Wish.

Next chef to be included into this Florida mix is Michael Beloise of Miami’s newest Biscanye Corridor row of restaurants the Great American Noodle Bar. Michael another chef hailing from a small town on Florida’s west coast. With a distinctively worldly-wise culinary roots Michael was the previous chef at Wish in the Art Deco District on South Beach. Before opening his latest great culinary adventure in Miami’s northern metro corridor, he was a private estate chef in old monied city of Palm Beach. His new address is slightly removed from the mid-town hustle and yet its positioning is prized by local business. Close enough to the business center of midtown Miami but, distinctively placed in a location that screams “locals-only”.

Like many South Florida chefs, Michael’s cookery heritage is based upon a family pedigree. Born to a family of Asian and Italian parents, his cookery-style has been composed to mimic the best of both family traits. His Asian side brings out Michael’s creative use of exotic ingredients and culinary frugality. His Italian heritage brings to bare the use of freshly harvested ingredients served in a family style. Both pedigreed traditions are the origins and composition of this new eatery.

Further to the north in Fort Lauderdale, where Miami’s Biscayne Corridor turns into U.S. Highway 1 is another archetypal South Florida chef Michael Bennett. As the executive chef of Fort Lauderdale’s heralded – 26 year culinary landmark – the Left Bank restaurant, Michael built a “Zagat Survey” and “Michelin” rated reputation for creative seafood compositions. His current post as Executive chef at the Caribbean seafood grounded Bimini Boatyard, chef Michael has grown into a local Social Media culinary personality.

Born and raised just city blocks away from Bimini Boatyard, chef and author Michael Bennett is a winsome South Floridian. Chef Bennett’s latest Caribbean themed restaurant conception follows working for a protracted four year juncture in the Caribbean. He has composed two cookbooks stemming from and detailing these Caribbean and Miami culinary adventures; “In the Land of Misfits, Pirates and Cooks” (based on a “Caribb-ican” cookery style) and “Underneath a Cloudless Sky” (an exotic (Miami) tropical cookery manuscript).

In the Land of Misfits, Pirates and Cooks

South Florida’s bedroom community – Fort Lauderdale, has produced many fine eateries including; Chef Dean Maxx’s – 3030. 3030 is your classic chef-driven restaurant placed in a tourist destination hotel that now features locally grown foods as its eponym. Quite the work-a-holic, Chef Dean has another place that recently opened on the British Caribbean island of Grand Cayman. Locally sourced tropical provisions and seafood abound across his new menu. Chef Maxx takes great pride in advising all who follow him on the Social Media savanna about the fresh picked foods that come straight out of their own nearby gardens.

Chef Dean has brought fame to the restaurants in which he works with his endevors into the Social Media vessel. He too has two cookbooks that he has written about Florida’s unique cookery heritage. The First delves into “Life by the Sea” and the second continues on where the first one stopped. Both are based upon his one true love – Food and Cooking.

These two Fort Lauderdale chefs and distinctly known culinary names like; Norman Van Aken, Allen Susser, Michelle Bernstein and new to the chef – author roster, Michael Schwartz have all found out how important being able to deploy information on various Social Media outlets like; Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and writing/producing their own cookbooks has been to boost their élan and craft. Most of these South Florida chefs have their books available at Amazon dot com.