Fessparkers doubletree resort, santa barbara

Executive Chef Peter Gennaro

Executive Chef, Peter Gennaro

Before leading the team at Fess Parkers Doubletree Resort, Chef Peter Gennaro was part of the management team for "Destination Hotels & Resorts” serving as Executive Chef at Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, California; and prior to that, as Assistant Executive Chef at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego where he represented the property at the James Beard House in New York City in 1998. Chef Gennaro has over 20 years of diverse culinary experience including positions at La Costa Resort & Spa, Fairbanks Ranch in Del Mar, The Ritz Carlton Laguna Nigel and the Marina Beach Hotel. He began his career as a chefs apprentice at the Las Vegas Hilton.

Chef Gennaro graduated from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas with a Bachelors degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management. He is an active member of the Chefs de Cuisine Association and the James Beard Foundation.

Chef Peter shown brightly two segments on our show. He came terrifically prepared both times and ready to start production even before we were ready with lighting! His pre production set up was as beautiful as the dishes he created as one can see from some of the images below. Keep scrolling down for pix and yummy recipes for both shows.

SECOND SHOW - Recipes

HOLIDAY FARE

Clockwise......Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Gruyere Cheese and Sweet Braised Cippoline Onions; roasted squash hot out of the oven; the perfect ingredients; and the "Genie and the Chef"

Creamy Pumpkin-Cheese Soup with Sage

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 lb pumpkin

¼ lb butter

2 cup diced onion

2 tsp minced garlic

1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

6 cup chick stock

1 tsp fresh thyme

10 chipoline onions

Salt and Pepper

METHOD:

Quarter and de-seed pumpkin

Bake in 350* oven for about 30 minutes, or until tender. Allow to cool

In a heavy stock pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add in diced onions and garlic and cook about 10 minutes.

Scrape flesh from cooled pumpkin. Add pumpkin flesh into the pan with the onion and garlic mixture. Continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add 4 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper

Peel chipoline onions and cut lengthwise. Using a heavy pan sauté onions over high heat and add 1 tbls. Olive oil and cook until onions are browned on both sides.

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish each with 6 halves of browned onion and shredded Gruyere cheese.

Bourbon-Wild Morel Mushroom Stuffing.....

INGREDIENTS:

½ lb ½ inch cubes of crusty white bread

½ cup butter

2 cup diced small onion

2 cup diced celery

½ lb breakfast sausage

½ cup large diced shitake mushroom

½ cup large diced morels

½ cup large diced white mushrooms

2 tbls fresh chopped sage

2 tsp fresh chopped marjoran

1 tsp fresh chopped thyme

1 qt chicken stock

¼ cup wild turkey

salt and pepper

METHOD:

Using a heavy sauce pan at moderate heat add in butter, onions, celery, sausage and mushrooms. Continue to stir to break up sausage. Cook about 10-15 minutes until sausage is cooked. Add 2 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add in fresh herbs. Place diced bread in a large mixing bowl and pour liquid mixture over the bread and gently mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Butter shallow baking dish and spread stuffing evenly into the dish. Add remaining stock and drizzle the wild turkey over stuffing.

Bake in a 350* oven for about 35-40 minutes

Traditional Cranberry Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

Cranberry Sauce

1 lb cranberrys

2 cups sugar

2 cups apple jucie

1 cup large diced apples

1 cup large diced pears

1 cinnamon stick

METHOD:

Using a large sauce pan bring apple juice and sugar to a boil and add apples, pears and cinnamon stick

And bring to boil. Add cranberrys and cook for two minutes. Place in refridgerat

Gingered Cranberry Chutney

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. cranberries

2 cups brown sugar

½ cup dried mango largely diced

½ cup dried pears largely diced

½ cup dried apricots largely diced

½ cup white raisins

½ cup diced onion

1 ½ cup papaya juice

¼ cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh chopped ginger

METHOD:

Combine all ingridents using heavy saucepan. Bring to boil simmer 20-25 minutes

Cranberry Pecan Cornbread Stuffing

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup butter

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced apple

1 cup diced pecan

1 cup diced cranberry

½ lb crumbled corn bread

½ lb crusty white bread cubs

1 ½ cups of toasted pecans

3 cups chicken stock

1 cup apple juice

1 tbls sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

2 eggs lightly beaten

salt and pepper

METHOD:

Using a heavy sauce pan melt butter and add in celery, onions, apples, pecans and cranberries. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender. Add salt and peppper.

Stir cornbread and remaining ingredients into vegetable mixture.

Spoon mixture into a lightly greased baking dish.

Bake at 350* for about 30-45 minutes, or until lightly browned

Cranberry Muffins