Chef of the Month Club: Katy Keck

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Recognized by her Peers

During the Month of June 2000, Katy Keck was recognized by the folks that really know - her fellow Chefs - and moved in the TOP100 Chef Rankings from position #100 to Position #4. Congratulations from the Staff at Chef2Chef!

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MANGO PEPPER RELISH

1 cup finely diced fresh mango
1/3 cup finely diced red pepper
2 Tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons grated fresh coconut
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1/2 small jalapeno, seeded and ribs removed, minced
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 Tablespoon chopped mint

Combine all ingredients, except mint. Chill until ready to use. Add mint before serving.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

KATY KECK began cooking at the age of 5 on an Easy Bake oven and soon moved on to such great successes as a blue ribbon in the Butter Cake division at a local Indiana 4H Fair. But only after surviving a University of Chicago MBA and a career in marketing and finance on Wall Street did cooking became a serious career option.

In 1986, Keck won an apprenticeship at Le Grand Monarque in Chartres, France as the grand prize in the Flavors of France contest for her Marie Brizard chocolate torte recipe. This stage was followed by a year of internships in three other Michelin-starred restaurants. On returning to the United States, Keck created Savoir Faire Foods, a free-lance consulting business with primary projects in recipe development, new product development and marketing, food and demo styling, and culinary special events. Ms. Keck has styled segments for The Rosie O'Donnell Show, The Today Show, Late Show with David Letterman, Linda McCartney, Antonio Banderas, and former Yankee second baseman Steve Sax, spokesman for the US Rice Council.

In 1993, Keck & partner Richard Barber, opened
New World Grill
a glass-enclosed gazebo-like structure on the southern end of the plaza at Worldwide Plaza. Keck's menu is a new world mix of styles - some Asian, some Southwestern - and represents a healthy approach to eating out. New World Grill has received glowing reviews from The New York Times, New York magazine, Zagat's, and The Healthy Guide to New York Restaurants. Ms. Keck has been honored as one of seven national finalists in the Gourmet Magazine/Evian Healthy Menu Awards and is a James Beard Foundation chef, a member of New York Women's Culinary Alliance, International Association of Culinary Professionals, Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, and American Institute of Wine and Food.

She is the restaurant critic for Skiing America, and is featured in Great Women Chefs, New Classic Cocktails, and A Woman's Place is in the Kitchen. She is proud to support Women of Taste - A Collaboration Celebrating Women Quilt Artists and Chefs - and Girls Inc. Ms. Keck was honored by the 1998-1999 Daytime Emmy Awards for contributions to the Rosie O'Donnell show.

NEW WORLD GRILL

Contact & Owners: Katy Keck, Richard Barber, Telephone: 212-957-4745

General: New World Grill is a charming American bistro

Description: with a new world mix of styles - some Asian, some southwestern - in an off-street plaza setting.

Location: The restaurant is located on the Plaza at Worldwide Plaza (329 West 49th St between 8th and 9th Avenues) Telephone: 212-957-4745, Fax: 212-957-4758

Hours: Daily from noon until 11:30pm.

Dining Room/Decor: The building is a bright gazebo-like structure opening onto a pleasant terrace. The half-moon dining room - 35 seats wrapped around a handsome copper-topped bar, with cool yellow walls and comfortable green banquettes - is an oasis with plaza views. The terrace, with it's fountain centerpiece, stretches around the dining room and is divided into a bar area and a full-service dining area.

Menu: The food is contemporary American with Asian and Southwestern influences. It's brightly seasoned flavor relies on dry spices and fresh herbs, with little use of butter or oil.

Wine/Beer List: The list is a brief, but well chosen, selection of wines and specialty beers at reasonable markups and offers most choices by the glass.

Executive Chef: Katy Keck

Reservations: Recommended (Reservations are fair weather only for outside tables)

Credit Cards: American Express, Mastercard, and Visa

Quotes: Eric Asimov - The New York Times: "simple, superbly prepared"
"New World Grill...it's not a mirage" Gael Greene - New York magazine: "zesty", "a small paradise" Florence Fabricant - The New York Times: "brightly seasoned food"

Keck's Food Philosophy: "I want to create a cuisine that people can enjoy every day and feel good about eating. While chosing the leaner cuts of meat and relying on low-fat grilling as the primary cooking technique, I also use the bright, bold seasonings found in Asian and southwestern cooking. This allows me to create a lower fat menu alternative while still providing full flavor.