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BREAKING NEWS: FRED BOLLACI’S FIRST BOOK ‘THE RESTAURANT DIET’ TO BE PUBLISHED AND ON SHELVES IN JANUARY 2018!

Posted on May 3, 2017 by Fred Bollaci

NEW YORK, NY and PALM BEACH, FL

Fred Bollaci is delighted to officially announce his first book deal today for his much-anticipated gourmet weight loss book, detailing how Fred lost 150 pounds back in 2009 and has kept it off living what most would consider a dream lifestyle of eating in gourmet restaurants, drinking fine wine, and running marathons!

Photo: Fred on his 3-mile run this morning, which was followed by a 20 minute bike ride, and 10 minutes in the pool to swim laps and cool off.

“It’s official! I have my first book deal! ‘The Restaurant Diet’, featuring my exclusive 4-phase gourmet approach to losing weight and recipes from 50 top restaurants nationwide from places like New York, Long Island, the Hamptons, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, Atlanta, Florida (Palm Beaches, Boca-Delray, Naples, Sarasota, Tampa Bay, etc.), Aspen, and California, plus 25 of my own favorite healthy gourmet recipes will be published and on store shelves in January 2018! Book 2 is already on the launch pad! This will turn everything people ever thought about dieting and healthy living upside down! I want to thank all my fans, supporters, and amazing restaurant owners/chefs and people I have met along this journey who believed in me and what I was doing from trying to lose the weight to working to build my brand and publish this book to share my wisdom with the world! Initially, I didn’t lose weight for anyone but me. I needed to save my life and was determined to find a way to do it in which I didn’t feel deprived and I could continue to enjoy eating in my favorite restaurants. After succeeding and at the request of many fans and followers, I wrote this book. I wasn’t too keen on sharing intimate details of my personal life and struggle with weight and eating with the world, but I realized this was exactly what I needed to do to keep what I worked so hard for–I needed to share it with others to motivate and inspire and to change the collective consciousness and sentiments about food, dieting, weight loss, eating out, etc. Dieting should be neither bland nor boring. People shouldn’t have to feel deprived, punished, or excluded from their favorite restaurants and social activities because they want or need to lose weight. My goal is to show you a better way, a recipe for lasting success! Please share with everyone you know and stay tuned for more exciting announcements!”

Posted in News and Interviews | Tagged book, fred bollaci, published, publishing, The Restaurant Diet | Comments Off

Recipe: La Grenouille’s “Salmon en Papilotte” (Baked in Parchment), New York, NY

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Fred Bollaci

La Grenouille’s Salmon en Papilotte, courtesy of La Grenouille, NY

Courtesy of La Grenouille

Ingredients:

Serves 4
4 -5 oz fillets of red snapper, skin/bones removed
1 medium bulb fennel, sliced thin, green fronds removed and reserved
1 cup fava beans
1 cup English peas
4 spring onions, blanched
1 cup oyster mushrooms, sliced thin
1 lemon, cut into 4 slices
4 fresh bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup good quality white wine
Sea salt/white pepper
Parchment paper

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425F. Place a sheet pan in oven. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Have a bowl of ice water ready. Add spring onions, cook till tender, 3-5 minutes. Place in ice water. Remove and pat dry. Cook fava beans in water just long enough to remove outer skin, 2-3 mins. Place in ice water. Remove outer skin.

Place one 24 inch long piece of parchment paper on a table. Fold in half. Divide all vegetables into 4 portions, 1/4 cup each. Place vegetables on bottom half of parchment. Season with salt and pepper. Season snapper fillet with salt and pepper. Then place fillet on top of vegetables. Top with 1 tbsp olive oil, thyme, bay leaf and lemon slice.

Fold parchment over top, then crimp edges, starting on the left side. Continue crimping edges until you have a small pocket on one side. Tilt papillote slightly, then pour 1/4 cup white wine inside. Seal up papillote, then repeat the process with remaining ingredients. To cook, place papillotes on pre-heated sheet pan in oven. Bake for 10-15 mins until puffed up. Serve immediately, opened in front of the guest. Beware of the steam! Top with a spoon of buerre blanc and garnish with reserved green fennel fronds.

Sauce Buerre Blanc:

Heat wine, vinegar, cream and shallots in a saucepan until the liquid boils, then lower the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced down to 2 tbsp, about 10 minutes.

Once the wine-vinegar mixture has reduced to 2 tbsp, reduce the heat to low and start adding the cubes of butter, one or two at a time, whisking rapidly with a wire whisk.

As the butter melts and incorporates, add more butter and keep whisking. Remove from heat while whisking in the last few cubes, and whisk for a moment or two more. The finished sauce should be thick and smooth.

Season to taste with sea salt.

Posted in Fred Bollaci on Dining | Tagged french, La Grenouille, new york, papilotte, parchment, salmon, seafood | Comments Off

Recipe: Henry’s Magical Split Pea Soup, Boca Raton-Delray Beach, Florida!

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Fred Bollaci

Recipe courtesy of Henry’s

Ingredients:

CORN STOCK:
Mirepoix for the soup:
3 large ears fresh corn, cut in half
6 cups large diced mirepoix (carrots, onions & celery in equal proportions)
1 cup firm-packed fresh parsley sprigs
1 medium bay leaf
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
Water (we used about 10 cups)
Directions:
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine the corn on the cob, mirepoix, parsley, bay leaf and peppercorns. Add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover and simmer 1 ½ hours. Strain, reserving the corn, if desired, for a delicious quiche, discarding the other solids and reserving the liquid.
SPLIT PEA SOUP:
Ingredients:

4 cups large diced mirepoix
1 (14-ounce) package green split peas
1 small red bell pepper (cored, seeded and cut into large dice)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 cups frozen peas
1/2 cup loose-packed fresh mint leaves
1 cup loose-packed fresh basil leaves
2 cups firm-packed fresh parsley sprigs
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:

In a large stockpot (ours was 5 quarts), combine the mirepoix, split peas, corn stock, red bell peppers and coriander. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat, partially cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until the split peas and vegetables are tender.

Add the frozen peas, mint, basil and parsley and continue to simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until the peas are well cooked. Remove from heat and let cool 30 minutes.

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or a good blender, process the soup (this may have to be done in batches). Return to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Can be served at once or covered and refrigerated up to 3 days. Reheat over medium-low heat. Makes about 12 cups.

Posted in Fred Bollaci on Dining | Tagged boca, boca raton, delray beach, henry's, pea, soup, split pea soup | Comments Off

The Golden Palate: Recipe: “Berries and Bubbles” Cocktail by Ocean Prime, Naples, Florida (Locations nationwide)

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Fred Bollaci

Berries & Bubbles is the all-time best selling cocktail at Ocean Prime, an upscale chain of supper clubs that specializes in prime seafood and steaks, owned by the Cameron Mitchell Group in Columbus, Ohio. Berries & Bubbles is a favorite of ours too! Ever since opening in downtown Naples, Florida, it’s hard to walk past during happy hour without stopping in to enjoy one! It’s a complex, refreshing and balanced cocktail – not too sweet, not too tart and lightly effervescent – you’ll want to order a second. If you haven’t tried the Berries & Bubbles yet, try one on your next visit to Ocean Prime.

Berries & Bubbles

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ ounce Belvedere Citrus Vodka
• ¾ ounce Crème de Cassis
• 1 ½ ounce sour mix
• 1 ounce Domaine Chandon Brut
• Fresh berries
• Dry ice

Preparation:

1) Combine Belvedere Citrus Vodka, Crème de Cassis and sour in a mixing tin.
2) Add ice, shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass containing a spoonful of berries and a piece of dry ice.
3) Finish cocktail with a float of Domaine Chandon Brut.

Cheers!

Posted in Florida Golden Palate Partners | Tagged berries and bubbles, cameron mitchell, cocktails, columbus, florida, happy hour, naples, Ocean Prime, ohio | Comments Off

The French Brasserie Rustique: Golden Palate Authentic French Brasserie by Charter Member Vincenzo Betulia (Osteria Tulia/Bar Tulia) in Downtown Naples, Florida!

Posted on April 16, 2017 by Fred Bollaci

Fred Bollaci, Amy Bensinger, and Chef/Owner Vincenzo Betulia.

The newest restaurant from Vincenzo Betulia, award-winning chef and leader in the Southwest Florida culinary evolution, pays homage to turn of the century Parisian brasseries. Enjoy classic country and coastal French dishes amidst a bustling, vibrant atmosphere with a romantic street side setting. The French is a slice of the Belle Epoque in the heart of Naples.

Trained in traditional French cuisine and armed with a transformative affinity and appreciation for French cuisine while working with renowned Chef Paul Bartolotta at the James Beard Award-winning restaurant, Lake Park Bistro in Wisconsin, Chef Vincenzo has long sought the opportunity to display his French cooking techniques at what he now describes to be the “perfect” location.

In 2000, Chef Vincenzo moved to Naples, Florida from Milwaukee, Wisconsin with a dream of one day opening his own restaurant. One afternoon while walking down 5th Avenue South, he stopped in front of the 365 building. He had a disposable camera in one hand and the vision of the “perfect” location in the other. He imagined how “cool” it would be for guests to be eating outside, facing the street watching the cars and people go by. Fourteen years later, his daydream of opening a restaurant at that spot materialized and became a reality. Following in his mentor, Paul Bartolotta’s footsteps, Chef Vincenzo opened a French restaurant and executed a dream menu using the French culinary technique, simple ingredients and soulful passion that epitomize who he is.

The BEST Onion Soup in Naples! Rich broth, caramelized onions, a touch of sherry, delicious!

The wine list has more than 200 labels each tasted and hand selected by Chef Vincenzo and his bar team. The wines featured on our menu vary from value-driven hidden gems produced in small, family owned wineries to more popular Domaines and Châteaux.

The French also features some amazing craft cocktails, which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone familiar with Osteria Tulia and Bar Tulia, home to some of the most amazing creative craft cocktails in Naples!

Enjoy Brasserie favorites in a stylish Parisian atmosphere with indoor and al fresco seating and a dramatic open kitchen.

A Sicilian native, Vincenzo Betulia grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin after his family emigrated there from Sicily when he was 2 years old. He began his career there at age 14 with an after-school job in Paul and Joe Bartolotta’s Ristorante Bartolotta. By age 15, he held a prized spot on the pizza line. He ultimately attained the chef position, became a Bartolotta protégé, and helped open two additional Bartolotta restaurants in Milwaukee, including the James Beard award-winning Lake Park Bistro serving classic French country fare.. While attending the Kendall Culinary School in Chicago, Chef Vincenzo further honed his skills at Bartolotta’s acclaimed Spiaggia. In Chicago, and later in Milwaukee, he worked with Michael White, a fellow Kendall alum and Bartolotta protégé, acclaimed for New York City restaurants including Marea, Ai Fiori and Osteria Morini. On a vacation in Naples, Florida, Chef Vincenzo fell in love with the area and secured a chef’s position at Campiello, a staple in the Naples dining scene. He worked his way up to head chef, a position he held for nine years, before opening his namesake restaurant, Osteria Tulia in January 2013, and Bar Tulia in December 2014.A culinary trendsetter and leader in Naples culinary evolution, Chef Vincenzo opened his third restaurant, The French, a traditional French brasserie, in January 2017.

Chef Vincenzo was the first chef in Naples to host a Friends of James Beard Benefit dinner in April 2015 and cooked at the renowned James Beard House in New York City in September 2016. Most recently, Osteria Tulia was recognized as the Best Restaurant in the Naples and Bar Tulia won Best Happy Hour, Best Craft Cockatil and Best Late Dining by the Naples Illustrated Readers’ Choice Dining Awards in 2017. Chef Vincenzo won a Best Chefs of America Award in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016, and was featured in a segment of Emeril’s Florida, which aired on the Food Network and Cooking Channel. USA Today’s 10Best recognized Osteria Tulia as the #1 Italian restaurant and #1 Lunch Spot in Naples, Florida. Chef Vincenzo also received a Naples Illustrated Readers’ Choice Dining Award 2015 for “Best New Chef.” Osteria Tulia was also recommended by Forbes Travel Guide, Peter Greenberg, The Fifty Best and Fodor’s; and awarded a Naples Illustrated Readers’ Choice Award 2015 for “Best Restaurant,” Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2015 and 2016, and an Open Table Winner’s Choice Award 2015 and 2016. In 2013, 2015 and 2016, Osteria Tulia received a Golden Spoon Award by Florida Trend magazine, which selects the top restaurants in the state of Florida.

The French Brasserie Rustique has been awarded the Fred Bollaci Enterprises Golden Palate Certificate of Excellence!