First Step Inside the Kitchen
With a career as an analytical chemist behind him, chef James Slattery of A Land Remembered restaurant at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort received his formal training from celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse. For eight years, Slattery studied under Lagasse at his Orlando restaurants, Emeril's Orlando and Emeril's Tchoup Chop, beginning as a sous chef before making his way up to executive sous chef while at Tchoup Chop. Slattery takes cooking as seriously as he did chemistry: with extreme precision.
BASIC STATS:
Executive chef: James Slattery
Company: A Land Remembered at Rosen Shingle Creek
Years in the industry: 9
You are an accomplished chemist. How does that make its way into your industry?
I have a master's degree in analytical chemistry from the University of Central Florida, but that is just part of my foundation for cooking. After all, cooking is simply weights and measures, mixing items to create something new, and seeing the reactions between them. I think that it's my intimate knowledge of how ingredients thicken, or how different acids-such as lemon juice or vinegar-enhance the flavor of a soup that has helped me become a good chef, something I didn't begin to pursue until I turned 30. I have taken my knowledge from being a chemist and my passion for cooking and put them together to do something I love-serve others great food.Tell me something about your company that most event planners wouldn't know.
Our owner, Harris Rosen, is very much involved in the day-to-day operations. He has a hands-on philosophy of business, believes in the customer's positive experience, and does whatever it takes to make that happen. All of those elements added together, I believe make events-both the planning and execution-a much more pleasant experience than it can be at other venues.
What kind of events do you normally cater for at the resort?
We really cater to all size groups, large or small, as they are all important to us. We've done parties with as few as 10 guests to our largest with 7,400 attendees. For that event, it was part of a general session during a convention in our 95,000-square-foot Gatlin Ballroom, which was followed by a cocktail reception and dinner on the terrace and two of the three pool areas. Though the logistics were a bit challenging on our end, as far as figuring out the positioning of the food stations and how our staff would serve people-since it was so spread out-it really turned out to be an unbelievable event.
What type of cuisine do you traditionally serve at events?
It depends on several variables. First, a group might have a specific theme for their event, in which case we'll customize the menu to coincide with that theme. We also like to find out the history of the group and the type of cuisine they've had at their previous events or conferences for the company. Since the event planner usually knows the profile of the attendees best, we always consult with them prior to creating menu proposals. Plus, different cuisines cater to different types of groups, from healthy to more hearty dishes, as well as international flavors.
Any advice for planners when working with caterers?
Be sure to convey accurately to the catering staff what type of clientele they are cooking for. Also, ask about what dishes can be created that can be served buffet-style in chafing dishes. In addition to giving your guests more options, less production is required from our end, and since attendees-and schedules-are not always on time, chafing dishes allow food to last longer without losing flavor or form. The most important thing to us is for guests to leave saying the food presentation was superb and the service impeccable.
With a career as an analytical chemist behind him, chef James Slattery of A Land Remembered restaurant at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort received his formal training from celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse. For eight years, Slattery studied under Lagasse at his Orlando restaurants, Emeril's Orlando and Emeril's Tchoup Chop, beginning as a sous chef before making his way up to executive sous chef while at Tchoup Chop. Slattery takes cooking as seriously as he did chemistry: with extreme precision.
BASIC STATS:
Executive chef: James Slattery
Company: A Land Remembered at Rosen Shingle Creek
Years in the industry: 9
You are an accomplished chemist. How does that make its way into your industry?
I have a master's degree in analytical chemistry from the University of Central Florida, but that is just part of my foundation for cooking. After all, cooking is simply weights and measures, mixing items to create something new, and seeing the reactions between them. I think that it's my intimate knowledge of how ingredients thicken, or how different acids-such as lemon juice or vinegar-enhance the flavor of a soup that has helped me become a good chef, something I didn't begin to pursue until I turned 30. I have taken my knowledge from being a chemist and my passion for cooking and put them together to do something I love-serve others great food.Tell me something about your company that most event planners wouldn't know.
Our owner, Harris Rosen, is very much involved in the day-to-day operations. He has a hands-on philosophy of business, believes in the customer's positive experience, and does whatever it takes to make that happen. All of those elements added together, I believe make events-both the planning and execution-a much more pleasant experience than it can be at other venues.
What kind of events do you normally cater for at the resort?
We really cater to all size groups, large or small, as they are all important to us. We've done parties with as few as 10 guests to our largest with 7,400 attendees. For that event, it was part of a general session during a convention in our 95,000-square-foot Gatlin Ballroom, which was followed by a cocktail reception and dinner on the terrace and two of the three pool areas. Though the logistics were a bit challenging on our end, as far as figuring out the positioning of the food stations and how our staff would serve people-since it was so spread out-it really turned out to be an unbelievable event.
What type of cuisine do you traditionally serve at events?
It depends on several variables. First, a group might have a specific theme for their event, in which case we'll customize the menu to coincide with that theme. We also like to find out the history of the group and the type of cuisine they've had at their previous events or conferences for the company. Since the event planner usually knows the profile of the attendees best, we always consult with them prior to creating menu proposals. Plus, different cuisines cater to different types of groups, from healthy to more hearty dishes, as well as international flavors.
Any advice for planners when working with caterers?
Be sure to convey accurately to the catering staff what type of clientele they are cooking for. Also, ask about what dishes can be created that can be served buffet-style in chafing dishes. In addition to giving your guests more options, less production is required from our end, and since attendees-and schedules-are not always on time, chafing dishes allow food to last longer without losing flavor or form. The most important thing to us is for guests to leave saying the food presentation was superb and the service impeccable.
Chef James Slattery of A Land Remembered restaurant at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando.
Courtesy of Rosen Shingle Creek
Oregon blue cheese-crusted ribeye steak.
Chef James Slattery
Chef James Slattery of A Land Remembered restaurant at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando.
Courtesy of Rosen Shingle Creek
An heirloom tomato salad.
Chef James Slattery
Fried frog legs with a mango rum glaze.
Chef James Slattery
