Club + Resort Chef’s annual Cookbook, published each January, showcases recipes written by and for club and resort chefs. In 2025, our cookbook spotlights banquet and event chefs from properties across the country—from Florida to Louisiana to Connecticut and beyond.
Banquet chefs play a critical role in the success of a club culinary operation, balancing the demands of high-volume service with the delivery of exceptional experiences. These culinarians strive to make every event, from a large wedding reception to an intimate wine dinner, leave a lasting impression on members and guests. Their expertise in turning complex logistics into seamless, memorable moments sets them apart.
The chefs in this issue took time out of their busy holiday season to share recipes they’re proud of, which represent their clubs, as well as their own skills and experience as banquet chefs. Their dishes are complex in flavor and presentation, like Brittany Seymour’s honey walnut shrimp mousseline or Jesus Aguilar’s pan-seared duck breast with parsnip purée, duck fat Parisienne potatoes, wilted Swiss chard, roasted maitake mushrooms, and blackberry red wine sauce. Others take inspiration from their club’s region, like Zachary Fitts’ roasted Florida wild boar tenderloin with confit root vegetables, smoked buttermilk and strawberry demi-glace, or from their own background, like Michelle Ruiz’s chiles en nogada.
Several of these chefs are also members of C+RC’s 2024 class of 40 Under 40, including cover star and Cosmos Club Banquet Chef Yafreicy (Yaya) Rodriguez, whose lightly smoked prime dry-aged strip loin is a modern, balanced complement to a California wine dinner.
Thank you to the chefs in this year’s cookbook for their contributions—not only to this issue, but also their daily contributions to their clubs, teams, members, and the culinary craft.
