James Beard House
Executive Chef Hector Morales recently worked his magic at one of the world’s most respected houses for fine dining, the James Beard House in New York. James Beard was one of those larger than life personalities that left a lasting impact on fine cuisine in the United States and his house was a fitting location for our chef’s creations to be prominently displayed and enjoyed.
James Beard’s first career desire was to work in the theater. He left college to join a traveling troop, singing and dancing his way around the world. At each location he would sample and enjoy the local foods. While in France, he particularly fell in love with French cuisine. In 1937 he moved to New York City, hoping to catch his big break in the Broadway theaters. Fate would there intervene and unable to get work in the theater, James Beard and a partner started a catering company, which then led to the publication of his first cookbook, Hors D’Oeuvre and Canapes. Rationing difficulties during World War II brought his catering business to a halt but not his love for food and his desire to share the best in fine dining with others. 
He established the James Beard Cooking School in 1955 and he continued to teach and celebrate the art of fine dining for the rest of his life, which ended in 1985. He was 81 years old.
After his death, Julia Child had the idea to preserve his home, which had been the focal point of James Beard’s most elaborate and coveted celebrations of life and fine dining. Located in the heart of Greenwich Village, this facility is considered to be North America’s only historical culinary center.
A few times a year, top chefs from around the world are invited to prepare dinners as part of charity fundraising events. Recently, Hector Morales, Executive Chef for Turtle Bay Resort and its signature restaurant 21 Degrees North joined four other executive chefs from Benchmark Hospitality International, including Peter Csikos, executive chef, The Heldrich Hotel & Spa and its signature restaurant, Christopher’s, David Rodriguez, executive chef at Costa d’Este Beach Resort and the property’s acclaimed restaurant, Oriente, John Billings, executive chef for Eaglewood Resort and its restaurant Burnham’s, and Francisco Aceves, executive chef of Stonewall Resort and Stillwaters Restaurant. Mary Watson, Benchmark Hospitality’s Chief Wine Officer, paired each course with 
fine wines, including her Signature Blend, “Mary’s Cuvée,” produced by the award-winning Corcoran Vineyards, located in Loudoun County, Virginia. Tickets for the event were $125 for James Beard Foundation members and $165 for the general public. The event was completely sold out.
Chef Hector’s first dish was an hors d’oeuvre that was served at the pre-dinner reception. It had all your basic food groups artfully stacked together in a one-bite portion. It was lomi salmon and tomato atop kalua pig atop a mango and Waialua sweet onion compote atop a piece of Molokai purple sweet potato brioche. His entree was served as a second course: pan-seared opakapaka topped with microgreens and diced tomato and onion served with an organic Meyer lemon citrus butter and a brilliant magenta dragon-fruit emulsion. The kitchen at the James Beard House is small, so much of the food prep work was done at a The Heldrich Hotel and Spa in nearby New Brunswick, N.J.
Dinner was skillfully prepared for a full house of over 80 guests, including James Beard Foundation members, several members of the national press, executives from leading New York-New Jersey-Connecticut corporations, and Benchmark Hospitality International’s invited guests.
Congratulations to Chef Hector and the rest of the team for receiving such a high honor as being able to work in the James Beard House and for a job well done!
