On the heels of its much-anticipated March 31 grand opening gala, the new B Ocean Fort Lauderdale is turning up the heat with an exclusive opportunity for food and wine enthusiasts. June 24-26, 2011 will officially kick off a quarterly Fire & Spice Cooking Series with the hotel’s Celebrity Signature Chef Holli Ugalde, winner of Hell’s Kitchen Season 7. As part of this new series, Chef Holli will host three 1 1/2 –hour cooking classes on Saturday and again on Sunday. Each class will feature a different menu, allowing travelers and locals alike to learn tips, tools and recipes firsthand while mixing and mingling with the celebrity chef. At the end of each session, participants will have the opportunity to savor and enjoy the dish she has prepared in B’stro on the Beach.
Sessions can be purchased individually for $50 or as a complete set. Each session is $50. A bundle of one full day of classes – three in total – is only $125. Those looking to participate in this exciting series can also stay at B Ocean Fort Lauderdale with the Fire & Spice with Chef Holl irate of $129 per night for a Captivating Room. Class reservations are on a first come/first reserved basis and must be made by calling the B Experience Manager at 954.564.1000 x5216. Room reservations can be made by logging onto www.BOceanFortLauderdale.com and entering the promo code Chef Holli.*
As part of her role at B Ocean Fort Lauderdale, the first hotel of the new B Hotels & Resorts™ brand, Chef Holli has created ten unique Signature Items that can be found at B’stro on the Beach, as well as on the hotel’s banquet, catering and in-room dining menus, including:
- · Hand-Made Sweet Potato Gnocchi ($18) – Hand-made gnocchi with mascarpone and cinnamon; tart, diced green apples; dandelion greens and shaved reggiano
- · Beef Filet & Black Pepper Tagliatelle ($24) – Scrumptious filet with garlic peppers; roasted sweet corn; basil; parmesan and hazelnuts
- · Spiced Baramundi ($26) – Moroccan-spiced fish; house-cured pancetta; leeks and English peas
- · B’stro Salad ($12) – Frisée lettuce; Chef Holli’s own pomegranate balsamic vinegar; pancetta; peppered sickle pears and organic crispy egg
“I am so thrilled to be part of the B Ocean Fort Lauderdale team and excited to welcome the local community, as well as hotel guests, to participate in my new Fire & Spice Cooking Series at B’stro on the Beach,” said Chef Holli. “Each weekend of classes will be a unique experience for attendees but also for me, with the chance to spend time with fellow foodies.”
Graduating from the prestigious Le Cordon Blue at an early age, Holli Ugalde went on to become a pastry chef for three years before starting her own company, Chef Holli Enterprises (www.ChefHolli.com). Realizing that there are many avenues to pursue culinary beyond being in a restaurant kitchen, her self-titled business facilitated the development of a signature cookware line, a line of olive oil and balsamic vinegars, the production of her new cooking/travel series, Fire & Spice, and her partnership with B Hotels & Resorts™.