Test Kitchen

Between gourmet chef's kitchens, spacious dining rooms, fully stocked fridges upon arrival, and private chef experiences, every time you travel with Exclusive Resorts, you have everything you need and more. No grocery shopping. No cleaning. Just spending time doing what you love with your loved ones.

Amanda Frederickson 

Amanda is a Tennessee-based chef, cookbook author, and owner of @radisheats in Nashville & Franklin, Tennessee. Her work has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, Goop, Food & Wine, Food52, Sunset, and on Cherry Bombe Radio, as well as the Williams-Sonoma YouTube channel.

TRIP DETAILS: Amanda and her family visited Costa Rica. She spent an evening cooking with our top private chef, learning how to make traditional Costa Rican dishes.

FOLLOW: amandafrederickson | 104K followers

RECIPE: Red Snapper and Pineapple Ceviche | Makes about 2 - 4 servings

Ingredients: 

• 3/4lb red snapper filet, cut into 1/2 "cubes 
• 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and small diced 
• 1 cup diced pineapple 
• 1/2 red onion, minced 
• 1/2 jalapeños, seeds removed and minced 
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro 

Instructions:  

• Juice and zest of 3 limes large pinch of kosher salt. 
• In a large bowl combine all the ingredients and mix well. Taste for salt. 
• Serve with tortilla chips or plantain chips. 

Meredith Hayden 

Meredith is an NYC-based recipe developer, influencer, and private chef for the NYC elite. She has self-published two original cookbooks, WISHBONE Vol. 1 & WISHBONE Vol. 2.

TRIP DETAILS: Meredith and nine of her friends stayed with us at Esperanza in Los Cabos, where they enjoyed cooking in their private residence, an in-residence private chef dinner, and a unique dining experience on the beach with private chefs.

FOLLOW: wishbonekitchen | 1M followers

RECIPE: Fish Tacos Al Pastor

Ingredients: 

• 2 lbs cod portioned into small filets (can substitute with shrimp)
• corn tortillas 
• limes for serving 
• micro greens for serving, optional 

Marinade

• 1 dried ancho chile 
• 1 dreid guajillo chile 
• 2 chiles de arbol 
• 1/2 tsp annatto seeds optional but encouraged 
• 1 pinch salt 
• 1 pinch ground clove 
• 1 pinch Dried oregano 
• 1 pinch Cumin 
• 1 tbsp olive oil 
• 4 garlic cloves 
• 1 tbsp orange juice 
• 1 tbsp lime juice 

Pineapple Salsa

• 2 cups chopped pineapple 
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro stems 
• ½ small red onion chopped 
• zest and juice from 1 lime 

Instructions: 

• Pre-heat the broiler setting on your oven and adjust the oven rack to the top shelf. 
• Transfer dried chiles to a bowl, pour over boiling water, and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 10 minutes or until chiles are soft. 
• To make the marinade, transfer rehydrated chiles and the remaining ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth. 
• Season cod filets with salt, transfer to a large bowl, and coat in the marinade. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. 
• Combine chopped pineapple, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, and zest for the pineapple salsa. 
• Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking oil. Transfer marinaded fish filets to the baking sheet and space them about 1 inch apart. Brush with any excess marinade left in the bowl. 
• Transfer to the oven under the preheated broiler and broil for 5-8 minutes or until fish is seared on the outside and cooked all the way through on the inside. 
• If using shrimp instead of fish, cook for 4 minutes flipping the shrimp halfway. 
• Heat up tortillas on the stovetop and store them under a kitchen towel to keep warm until you're ready to serve. 
• To plate, top warm tortillas with cooked fish, pineapple salsa, microgreens, and a squeeze of lime juice. 

Hawa Hassan 

Hawa is a James Beard Award-winning chef, originally from Somalia. She has a show on Food Network, Hawa at Home, is the author of In Bibi’s Kitchen, and founded @basbaasfoods, a CPG brand that connects global audiences to bold flavors, vibrant ingredients, and the unique cultural heritage of the African. 

TRIP DETAILS: Hawa, her new fiancé, and their friends stayed with us in Costa Rica shortly after she presented at the James Beard Award Ceremony. They enjoyed an in-residence private chef dinner and homemade family meals in the comfort and privacy of their residence. 

FOLLOW: hawahassan | 56.7K followers

RECIPE: Kachumbari (Tomato and Onion Salad) | Makes 4 servings

Ingredients: 

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed 
• 1 cup boiling water 
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons 
• 2 large tomatoes, diced 
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced 
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 
• 1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced 

Instructions: 

• Dissolve the salt in the boiling water in a small bowl. Add the onion and mix well. Let the onion soak while you chop the rest of your vegetables. This soaking will reduce the intensity of the raw onion. 
• Once the onion has soaked for at least 10 minutes, drain and transfer it to a medium bowl. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, and lime juice and stir well to combine. Season the vegetables to taste with salt if needed (it will depend on how much salt the onions held onto). Gently stir in the avocado and serve immediately. 

Rachel Mansfield    

Rachel is a recipe developer, food stylist, founder of the wellness blog rachLmansfield, and co-founder of @grtshtventures. 

TRIP DETAILS: Rachel and her family celebrated her dad’s 60th birthday in Sea Island with The Club. They enjoyed a private chef dinner with seasonal, fresh ingredients and a special celebration for her dad. 

FOLLOW: rachlmansfield | 719K followers

RECIPE: Easy Shrimp Ceviche

Ingredients: 

• 1lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined 
• 1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped 
• 1 small cucumber, chopped (about 1/2 cup) 
• 1/2 shallot, peeled and finely chopped 
• 1 jalapeño, deseeded and chopped 
• 4 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped 
• 3 limes, juiced 
• Sea salt to taste 
• 1 avocado, cubed 

Instructions: 

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat 
• Add in shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes over medium heat 
• Drain the shrimp and set aside until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. 
• Chop the shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the lime juice, tomatoes, shallot, jalapeño, cilantro, and salt, and toss to combine 
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours 
• Just before serving, dice the avocado, add to the ceviche, and gently toss to combine 
• Serve with tortilla chips or crackers

Richard Blais 

Richard Blais is a successful chef, James Beard nominated cookbook author and television personality. Widely recognized from Bravo’s Top Chef series, Richard won the inaugural Top Chef All-Stars Season. He co-hosts FOX’s Next Level Chef with Gordon Ramsay and Nyesha Arrington. 

TRIP DETAILS: Richard stayed with The Club in Lake Tahoe for his second annual Thanksgiving family dinner. 

FOLLOW: richardblais | 491K followers

RECIPE: Thanksgiving-style Baked Sweet Potatoes | Makes 4 servings

Ingredients: 

• 4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch-thick rounds
• Salt 
• 3 tablespoons sweet potato nectar 
• 1 teaspoon white truffle oil (optional) 
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 

For Topping 

• 3 tablespoons Sprouted Walnuts or roasted pecans
• Roughly chopped 2 tablespoons pomegranate arils 
• 2 tablespoons sliced scallions or fresh chives 
• Ground white pepper to taste 
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional) 

Instructions: 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 3-quart casserole dish with ghee or avocado oil. 
• Place the sweet potato rounds in a large pot of cold water with a small handful of salt. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are halfway cooked, 10 to 15 minutes. The potatoes should be able to be pierced with a knife but still have a firm center. 
• Drain the sweet potatoes and arrange them in the greased casserole dish. Drizzle with the sweet potato nectar and the truffle oil, if using, then dot with the butter. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender. 
• Remove from the oven and top with the nuts, pomegranate arils, scallions, pepper, and, if desired, the Parmesan cheese. 

NOTE: The truffle oil and Parmesan are optional in this recipe, but using both brings an elevated, mature flavor profile to the dish and plays well off the sweet starchiness of the potatoes. Omit the Parmesan to make this recipe vegetarian.