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My friend Heather and I go back a long way. We've worked together a long time and she's known about my love for cooking, so when I created "Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet" she said, "you have to feature my cousin, World Renowned Chef Daniel Orr!" She suggested I contact him to see if he'd be willing to be featured on the blog. Well, my lip just about dropped to the floor! My thoughts were at the time: "I'm no where near the kind of cook he is!" "He's not going to want to be featured on my little blog!", "He's a professional chef, restaurant owner and I'm just a recreational cook." But Heather has always challenged me to come out of my comfort zone and she's hasn't steered me wrong before so I grit my teeth, faced my fear and typed him a note. To my amazement his buyer, Stacy Rice, contacted me and told me Chef Daniel looked at my blog and gave me permission to write about him! I was so excited and stunned! I immediately thanked Stacy and then called Heather and screamed, "He said yes, now what do I do??!!!" She just laughed at me, I never thought he'd consent to do a feature, but it just shows the character of Chef Daniel that though he's a professional chef who has been featured in such magazines as "Bon Appetit", he's also a real down-to-earth person and "approachable". I am so honored to feature him through November!
I was amazed to learn that he owns FARMbloomington. From his childhood, his parents loved food and grew apples, raspberries, black walnuts and wine grapes. His mother taught bread-making, cooking, and herb classes. Daniel developed his love for food early and chose the culinary arts to pursue as a career. No doubt that he is such a successful chef today! His career has taken him around the world, even working as an executive chef of CuisinArt Resort & Spa in Anguilla BWI. Recently, he decided to come back to his hometown Bloomington, Indiana to open FARMbloomington, a multi-faceted culinary complex, consisting of a restaurant, market, bar, and music venue. Chef Orr likes the simplicity of foods and calls his cuisine, "Real Food". He uses fresh ingredients from his farm and incorporates them into his menu items. The Farm consists of:
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FARMmarket & cafe which has a great selection of signature food products to spice up your home kitchen. Select gift cards baskets stuffed with spreads, sauces and snacks, available in-store or at the FARMmarket website for your friends and family!
FARMbar - a relaxing place to order signature cocktails, artisan pizzas, and Hoosier tapas.
FARMrestaurant is open for supper Tuesday through Saturday in the main dining room. The menu changes with the seasons and the chef’s inspiration. Each day the blackboard showcases a list of specials that has regulars showing up early for the best selection.
If you're ever in Columbus, Indiana you must visit FARMoutlet store located at 413 7th Street, Suite 5, second floor in The Charlotte Building. There you can get wonderful food products and gifts at a 5% discount. Open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
While Chef Orr is busy running his farm and restaurant, he also has time to write and his cookbook, "Real Food" just again complements his style of cuisine, "real food for real people!". In it, he presents recipes and menu suggestions for any occasion, along with tips for choosing wines and stocking a "secret arsenal" of his trademark spice combinations, homemade sauces, and more. Here's what one reader said about "Real Food"...
"This is one of the VERY few cookbooks i have ever used in which the recipes can be made, in most cases, "by the book". Most cookbooks do not give complete instructions, and most recipes if made exactly according to the book, seem to "need" something. This one hits everything right on the mark with bright, clean flavors, clear instructions, easy-to-procure ingredients (no peeky toe crab! ) and GOOD for your health components that actually taste wonderful. I was a professional cook for 20 years, and in most cases I just use cookbooks as a source for menu ideas, not actual recipes. This is one book I actually cook from. Thanks, Daniel. MORE! "
To learn more about Chef Orr's cookbook, "Real Food", visit chef-daniel-orr.com/new-books.html.
Chef Orr also created Kitchen D’Orr – a line of 10 spice blends (7 blends and a Brittany Salt) that bring big flavors to any dish without adding additional fat) perfected in his own kitchen. To view all the spices available or to purchase some, please visit his website at www.chef-daniel-orr.com/spice-blends.html.
These days, Chef Orr continues to travel, write books, and develop new products. I look forward to seeing his next project and visiting his farm in person! Be sure to go to Chef Orr's website at www.chef-daniel-orr.com. I highly recommend checking him out! He has really inspired me to want to go farther into learning new and better ways to cook and even though I'll always cook for myself and family but not professionally, I certainly relish the opportunity to learn from Chef Orr to challenge myself to present healthier and tastier dishes at my own table!
Enjoy this recipe by Chef Daniel:
Caramelized Butternut Squash with Honey and Sweet Spices
Chef Daniel Orr, FARMbloomington Bloomington, IN
Ingredients:
1 Butternut Squash
2 tbsp. Honey
1 tsp. Sweet Seasons spice blend or Chinese 5 spice powder
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Cut the butternut squash in half and then into inch half moons. Steam to the al dente stage and cool quickly. Once cold, "marinate" in the honey, spices, olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper.
Caramelize in a hot pan, plancha, or even on the grill. Serve with poussin with sage and with butter.
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A special thank you to Chef Orr, Stacy Rice, and Heather! Thanks so much!
-Kim, owner of Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet
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