Geoffrey Lanez, MBA, CEC, Executive Chef of The Patterson Club

Geoffrey Lanez, MBA, CEC, Executive Chef of The Patterson Club (Fairfield, Conn.), says his polenta cake recipe has held many forms over the course of his culinary career, starting with his first competition on the Johnson & Wales student team.

“It began with a simple polenta cake,” he says. “Then it evolved to stuffed, then to stenciled and stuffed piece, then adding garnishes and a cracker on top.”

This perfectly parallels his career, he says.

“I began as a student with no knowledge of the culinary world,” he saya, “but as I grew and experienced more of it, I was able to learn from various mentors, adapt to different environments and learn from many different situations. Through this, I am now able to tackle difficult decisions based through all of these experiences.”

Polenta Cake Stuffed With Wild Mushroom Ragout
Click here for the recipe.