GREAT FINDS
FALL 2011
celebratedliving.com
20
A
nyonewho's everwatched
a cooking show knows
how important timing is to the
preparation of a successful
meal. “Timing is something
wedeal withboth consciously
and unconsciously on a daily
basis,” says chef Eric Ripert
of NewYorkCity’sMichelin-
starred LeBernardin andAvec
Eric onPBS. “Sometimes, we
have tobe very patient and
let things cook for a long
time. Other times, we have
tobe very fast, because if
something cooks too long, the
flavors die.” Thepace of the
service is also crucial to any
finedining experience so that
youdon’t feel either neglected
or rushed.With somuch
attention focusedon the clock
in restaurants, it’s nowonder
that A-list chefs aredrawn to
finewatches.
Reflecting his appreciation
of premiumquality, Ripert
(pictured) favors
VACHERON
CONSTANTIN
, one of Geneva’s
oldest andmost prestigious
watch houses; AlainDucasse
and Sam Talbot admire
AUDEMARS PIGUET
, another old-
guard Swissmanufacture; and
PANERAI
counts among its fans
Daniel Boulud,WolfgangPuck,
and Thomas Keller. “It’s about
craftsmanshipmore than
anythingelse,” explains Ripert.
“You see artistry inwatches
when thewatchmakers
create thedesign, put the
pieces together, anddevelop
different complications for
calculating time. For chefs,
the artistry is in theway
we createdishes and craft
flavors by combining various
ingredients.We control flavors
likewatchmakers control time,
and that similarity connects us
in someway subconsciously.”
Cooking
Time
Top chefs and their timepieces.
—
LAURIEKAHLE
Tucked in the sereneBalconesCanyonlandsPre-
serve inAustin, Texas, the
TRAVAASAAUSTIN
resort
envelops itsguests innature. But avisit to this
quiet, calm resort isanythingbut boring. Itsdaily
menuof activities includesyoga, hiking, equine,
zip-lining, core fitness classesonamechanical
bull, anda challenge course.And for thosewho
want tonot only tastehill country cuisinebut
learnhow toprepare it, chefBenBaker’sclasses—
themesand topics changedaily—will have
youwhippingup (and
sampling, of course)
flourless chocolate chipotle
cakeandotherTexas treasures in
no time. travaasa.com/austin —
L.S.
HillCountryHaven
W
hen you thinkof theSouth, certain comfort foods
come tomind. The
RITZ-CARLTONLODGE, REYNOLDS
PLANTATION
, situatedonbeautiful LakeOconee, just east
ofAtlanta, offersguests a trueflavor of theSouth. Dedi-
cated to sourcing local high-quality ingredients, chef
JamesBalster has createdamenuat
GEORGIA’SBISTRO
, the
resort’s signature restaurant, that featuresmany region-
al favorites including roasted-tomato-cheesegrits,
bacon-wrapped lamb sirloinwith yellowgrits soufflé,
creamof Vidaliaonion soup, bourbon-molasses-glazed
chickenbreast, spoonbread, andof course, friedgreen
tomatoes.Mix inGeorgiapeaches throughout themenu
and youhavea culinaryexperience that is spot-on
Southern. ritzcarlton.com/reynolds
—M.W.
Southern
Flavor
