Palma Bellinghieri is a second generation culinary artist and chef. Born in Mexico City, she is a graduate of the Pierrefeux Institute and Glion Hotel Management School in Montreaux Switzerland. A founding member of the Mind/Body Health Initiative, Palma specializes in converting nutritional guidelines into a delicious lifestyle of eating to improve health and longevity, as well as reversing chronic and degenerative conditions. Daughter of world-renown Sicilian chef and restaurateur, Alfredo Bellinghieri ("Alfredos" and "La Trucha Vagabunda" restaurants in the Zona Rosa), Palma fuses generations of family and Bellinghieri-restaurant recipes and upbringing into nutritious and delicious foods. For the past 15 years, Palma has specialized in vegetarian cooking, and her hands-on workshops and parties celebrate delicious and healthy eating, in addition to an in-depth understanding of products in the marketplace, with an eye to shopping for novel products and best values.

The results are passionate dishes and tantalizing flavors, with warm and knowledgeable hospitality that makes for an unforgettable educational and culinary experience. (over) In addition to her varied culinary activities, Palma is the Demonstration Chef at the Vegetarian Cooking School of the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine. At the Center, she teaches food preparation skills, delicious international recipes and healthy eating to adults and general public; assuring us that thoughtful choices can be made, leading to prevention and reversal of many chronic conditions including cardiovascular disease, chronic pain and fatigue, allergies, obesity, and diabetes. Across the curriculum, her teaching demonstrates how to choose health-promoting ingredients, avoid common harmful food additives, and how to become a sophisticated consumer. Techniques are presented in order to make healthful choices, create quick, easy, delicious and healthy meals, including how to store and prepare foods in advance.

Additionally, the programs teach how to substitute unhealthy ingredients and products with healthy alternatives we may not be familiar with, so that every meal becomes both enjoyable and healthy! Chef Palma has being invited to be the demonstration Chef for Scripps Health and their outreach program throughout the year. To further promote healthy eating and lifestyles in the family, Palma conducts at-home programs teaching how to buy, prepare and store foods, as well as catering delicious healthy food for special events and parties.

During the summer months, she also directs and teaches the popular camp series “For Young Chef’s,” teaching healthy eating, food preparation and cooking to kids 9 to 15. We invite you and your friends to discover and enrich yourself with the knowledge of a wide variety of flavors that can become part of your lifestyle for many years to come!

Martin San Román
Chef and Owner, Candelas Restaurant

Former owner of the well known restaurants in Tijuana,Tour de France and Rincon, Chef Martin San Román graduated from the Ecole Lenotre in Paris, France. His cuisine is a French and Mexican fusion. He has been the ambassador of Mexican cuisine in countries throughout Central and South America, Asia, Europe, and North America. He has had the honor of being executive chef for the presidential dinner of Mexico at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland for two years. He was part of the Mexico culinary team at the Bocuse d’Or in Lyon, France in 1995, 1997, and 1999.

He was the consulting chef at the 2004 Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany for Grossmont College. In 1999, he received the honor medal from the American Institute of Hospitality and Science as one of the 120 recognized chefs in the world. He is one of the very few Latin American chefs to be a member of the Academie Culinaire de France. He is also the only Mexican chef to be a member of the Societe des Cuisiniers de Paris. He is a member of the Vatel Club de Mexico and the American Culinary Federation. Currently, Chef San Roman is the chef and owner of the restaurant Candelas by Martin San Román in San Diego, California.

He is a dear old friend of Rancho la Puerta and will feature spa cuisine with Mexican and French flair.

Executive Chef Eric Bauer brings over 13 years of fine dining and culinary experience to Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa. After completing training at the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College in Chicago, Bauer began his culinary career at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Chicago. Bauer then ventured to California after several years in the Midwest to serve as Executive Sous Chef at the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village and the Four Seasons Aviara, followed by the Four Seasons Resort at Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica. Upon his return to the states in 2006, Bauer took on the role as Executive Chef at Morel's French Steakhouse & Brasserie at The Palazzo in Las Vegas, before returning to Southern California to serve as Executive Chef of Anthology in San Diego prior to settling at Rancho Valencia. Chef Bauer's passion for utilizing local produce is second to none, as he takes the time to communicate with nearby farmers and taste vegetables to pinpoint the optimal time of the season to use each ingredient for his ever-changing seasonal menus.

He prides himself in creating dishes made with the best ingredients and freshest flavors possible, and feels fortunate to be located near some of the country's most notable farms where he can source these elements for his cuisine, such as Chino Farms, just 10 minutes from the resort's kitchen.

Bauer has been recognized with culinary awards for his extraordinary attention to detail including being named 'Best Young Chef,' by US Chaine De Rotisseurs in 2003, in addition to several other accolades and awards for his excellence at restaurants and hotels.

Bauer's belief that the best dishes are kept simple allows the true flavors of seasonal ingredients to take center stage and creates a casual setting for guests to enjoy simple straightforward cuisine. Inspired by Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa's concept of health and wellness, Bauer designed the new Veladora menu to exude a blend of "Coastal Ranch" featuring locally grown produce in a unique combination of flavors paired with seafood, poultry and a variety of meats.

Kitty Morse | Private Group

Kitty was born in Casablanca and is the author of nine cookbooks, including "Cooking at the Kasbah: Recipes from my Moroccan Kitchen," "The Scent of Orange Blossoms," and "The California Farm Cookbook." Her career as a food writer, author, and traveling cooking teacher specializing in the foods of Morocco and North Africa spans more than twenty years.

Amanda Baumgarten, Executive Chef of Herringbone

A passionate and celebrated chef, Amanda Baumgarten has joined Enlightened Hospitality Group as the Chef of Herringbone, the fifth culinary installment by Celebrity Chef Brian Malarkey and Partner James Brennan, which will serve “Ocean Bazaar” cuisine.  Baumgarten, a contestant on Top Chef Season 7, brings a passionate and innovative dynamic to the Enlightened Hospitality Group. Leading the kitchen as Chef, Baumgarten’s culinary offerings will be “fish meats field” featuring an array of ocean specialties from across the globe, as well as an emphasis on innovative and unique surf and turf dishes.  Her dynamic style and sense of flavor will enable her to create lively, seafood-inspired dishes while enhancing Herringbone’s menu.

Amanda Baumgarten earned a culinary diploma from Le Cordon Bleu in London, UK. During her time at culinary school she took an apprenticeship at La Tante Claire in London, a Michelin-starred restaurant.  Following graduation from Le Cordon Bleu she took the position of Chef de Partie at Le Gavroche in London, also a Michelin-starred restaurant.  In 2003 Baumgarten relocated to Los Angeles, where she entered the diverse culinary scene as a line cook at Melisse.  In 2005 she took on the role of Executive Sous Chef for Patina Restaurant Group before joining Ford’s Filling Station as a Sous Chef. Prior to joining Enlightened Hospitality Group, Baumgarten was the Executive Chef at Water Grill in Los Angeles.  Baumgarten, who has a strong background in classical French cuisine, believes that seasonality is at the forefront of her food and often feels that less is more.

Trey Foshee, Executive Chef and Partner
Georges at the Cove

“To make really good food, you have to be completely aware of what’s going on with the ingredients…it’s about combining them in ways that bring out the individual flavors yet allow them to bounce off each other.” Trey joined George’s at the Cove in the spring of 1999. Since then he’s been perfecting the art of highly seasonal cuisine made from the freshest, local ingredients.

As a classically trained graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Trey blends the nuances of technique with trial and innovation. Most recently, he asked himself, “What would happen if you took a fish taco and turned it kind of inside-out?” So he tried it. And a few versions later, small slices of buttery raw yellowfin became the “tortilla.” They wrapped around fried pieces of avocado with a cool crème sauce. And for a little toasted corn flavor and crunch, they were dusted in corn nuts.

That’s Trey’s style of California Modern cooking.