Gathering of friends

Friday night we were invited to a friend's house for a small get together. We arrived at 8:15 p.m.
When we walked in, we were introduced to someone we had not met before. He is good friends with a friend of DH's friend's wife.
Come to find out, he is a world class Chef.
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Executive Chef
Paul Carter is the Executive Chef at The Phoenician, a 654-room luxury resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. Chef Carter supervises a staff of over 150 and nine kitchen operations including Windows on the Green, The Terrace, The Phoenician Café/ Ice Cream Parlor, The 19th Hole, Oasis Grill, Canyon Oasis, In Room Dining, and all the Banquet kitchens. He also oversees pastry, bakeshop, butcher shop, pasta shop and garde manger operations. As the resort’s Executive Chef, he takes charge of all menu creations and preparations, overseeing daily supervision and training of restaurant staff. According to Carter, “Perfecting simplicity, is the essence to great food.”

Chef Carter’s worldwide background has provided him with a culinary expertise that far exceeds his 17 years of cooking. His love affair with the kitchen dates back to his early teens. A native of London, Carter attend Colchester Institute of Culinary Arts in Essex, at the young age of 15 yrs. Upon earning a three-year culinary degree, he began his cooking career at the Hotel Sonnenhügel in Bad Kissingham, Germany where he held the title of Commis de Cuisine. He later served in the same capacity at Chateau de Montreil in France for three years. After rising through the ranks in the kitchens, he moved to the venerable Connaught Hotel in London where he held posts in all kitchen operations from butcher, to garde manger, saucier of fine dining, to banquets. In 1992, Carter moved to the United States to head up kitchens at world class resorts including Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, California where he held the position of “Saucier” for the fine dining restaurant. He held the position of Executive Sous Chef at the Ritz Carlton, Naples, Florida and also the Executive Chef at the exclusive Vinings Club in Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to joining The Phoenician, he was Executive Chef at the Ritz-Carlton Cleveland, Ohio.

Carter is the 1991 recipient of the coveted William Heptionstall award, an honor given to “The Most Enterprising Young Chef in the U.K.” He also received the Maitrise Culinaire Diplome by Palmes Culinaire in 2002.
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We had a great time with everyone. One of DH's co-workers made what are known as "Tony's Nacho's". They're made with the "SCOOPS" you buy in the store. They consist of filling each and every "SCOOP" with blended beans, beef, and many other fixens. You place them on a cookie sheet and arrange them to stack on top of each other as a pyramid. You sprinkle assorted cheeses over each layer, then keep layering until the structure threatens to tip over. Then you place in the oven to melt the cheese and enjoy! It's a great idea and every "SCOOP" you get has everything in it. Brilliant idea! He owns the rights to this.

Chef made a treat for all of us for dessert. "Tequila Chocolate soufflé". We each had our own individual soufflé and believe us, they were to die for! Perfect melty chocolate with a warm gooey center and the best vanilla bean ice cream ever!
This was the BEST dessert we've ever had. We hope sometime in the future we can have a lesson in cooking from him to step up our cooking knowledge.

We hope all is well with each and everyone of you! We miss you all!