CHEF GAVIN BAKER / perfect spa lunch at Talisker Club

Try this RAW dairy-free recipe from Executive Chef Gavin Baker of Tuhaye Table Cafe at The Talisker Club:

ZUCCHINI “ALFREDO”
(serves four)
noodles:
4 organic zucchini, unpeeled
sauce:
1 cup raw macadamia nuts
1 1/2 cups raw pine nuts
2-inch section unpeeled zucchini, chopped
2 TBS lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups plain soy milk
2 TBS fresh thyme
1/4 of small red hot chili pepper
1 TSP Sea salt
Fresh ground white pepper to taste
method:
1. Trim the ends of the zucchini and pass over a mandolin set with a fine julienne blade. The result will be zucchini that looks like noodles. Spread the noodles out on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and allow to dry slightly at room temperature for one hour.
2. Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a blender and process until smooth.
3. Pass through a chinoise and reserve until needed.
4. When ready, toss the “noodles” with the “alfredo” and divide into four equal portions.
5. Garnish with the sun-dried tomatoes and basil tops.
For more information about The Talisker Club, see OUT AND ABOUT.

DESTINATION Park City / surreal beauty at Talisker Club

I felt like I arrived on another planet when we rolled into the Talisker Club at Tuhaye. Nothing could prevent me from stopping to take some photos. There, the mountains went as far as you could see in a major panorama. This heavenly place will be home to the few who can afford to buy a piece of paradise, and is outfiited to be so. Lunch at the Tuhaye Table Cafe turned out to be THE perfect spa lunch. Chefs John Murcko and Gavin Baker, prepared a top notch amuse bouche of radish, cucumber and creme fraiche, a raw “fettucine” in a “cream” sauce (see recipe in SCOOP), a couple of ultra thin crust pizzas and one of the most delicious and light desserts that I have ever tasted: a pineapple soup by Pastry Chef Aimee Altizer. You could tell at first glance that the cafe was luxuriously and lovingly designed with its beautifully embroidered curtains and other fine appointments, but it still maintained an exceedingly relaxed vibe. It overlooked a swimming pool with those gorgeous mountains as a backdrop, and was just breathtaking. The spa was a private oasis, complete with individual bathrooms with showers, so that après treatment felt like being at home. I had the Raindrop Ritual massage. This treatment is based on Native American traditions and uses pharmaceutical-grade essential oils, each with a myriad of benefits. First, the oils were dropped and massaged into your feet, followed by a sequence of eight different oils dripped from the bottom to the top of your spine. Then the rolling massage techniques of Tibetan reflexology were put into play. The massage is designed to boost the immune system, while releasing muscle spasms and reducing inflammation. The masseuse was so incredibly earnest and serious about her craft, that I fell into an extremely deep state of relaxation, so much so, that I felt like I was coming back from a million miles away when she spoke. The Talisker Club is truly out of this world.

CHEF AIMEE ALTIZER / adding flower power

Pastry Chef Aimee Altizer makes wonderfully light and pretty desserts, as seen in the photo of her pineapple soup. She's part of the culinary force at the Tuhaye Table Cafe at Talisker Club in Park City, Utah, an exclusive new development that had me gaping in awe the whole time I was there. I asked her for some creative ideas for using edible flowers, and here's what she said:
• Snip off the florets on your home-grown chives, sage, or basil, to add a milder herbal flavor to your salads, soups or pasta. Makes for a prettier tomato, basil and mozzarella salad.
• Jasmine flowers are great with summer red fruit and make a heavenly cake/tart garnish.
• Grind a small amount of dried lavender for a great addition to a lemon pound cake.
• Try fresh rose petals to garnish a buttermilk vanilla panna cotta with fresh raspberries and rose syrup. This is what Talisker served on Mother's Day.
• Always make sure your flowers are from a reliable source.
You can find out more about my visit to the Talisker Club in OUT AND ABOUT.