Chef Biography
Ted Fondulas started his restaurant career at the age of five, frying baloney and cooking Minute Rice on the radiator. He learned by hanging around the kitchen of his uncle’s restaurants in New York and until age 12, assisted his grandmother, a culinary whiz, who implicitly understood the power of food. He then continued his education and graduated with a degree in literature from Syracuse University.
He and his wife then took an extended trip to Europe for a root tracing of their backgrounds, renewing an interest in food and wine. They returned to the United States and began working in hotels and restaurants in New York, California and New England, developing and balancing both kitchen and dining room skills.
In 1982, they purchased a defunct French restaurant in Killington, Vermont and opened it as Hemmingway’s, bringing classy dining to the countryside. Ten years later in 1993, the Great Chefs television team showed up to tape Chef Fondulas for the Discovery Channel’s television series, Great Chefs of the East (episodes 4 and 12).
Hemingway’s continued on for twenty more years, and finally closed in 2012 after the 2008 economic collapse and Hurricane Irene in 2011. The building was auctioned off in 2013. Ted and his wife, Linda, went on to continue promoting the “farm to table” concept, directing the Newhall Farm and restoring a heritage breed of cattle.
Recipes
Pheasant and Cheese Polenta
Serving: 8 Print Pheasant and Cheese Polenta By Great Chefs November 18, 2015 A medley of wild mushrooms, cooked separately to keep their own character is a woodsy garnish for the tender pheasant; creamy polenta flecked with Cheddar cheese completes the presentation. The stock may be prepared up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated, […]
Maple Ice Cream in a Maple Caramel Cage
Serving: 8 to 10 Print Maple Ice Cream in a Maple Caramel Cage By Great Chefs November 10, 2015 How can you make a simple dessert of maple ice cream even better? Serve the ice cream in tiny scoops on plates decorated with coffee crème anglaise, raspberry puree, and chocolate, and cover them with a […]
Halibut and Lobster with Vanilla and Sweet Corn
Serving: 8 Print Halibut and Lobster with Vanilla and Sweet Corn By Great Chefs November 10, 2015 This dish is as colorful as it is delicious, with a medley of vegetables forming a bed for browned succulent fillets of halibut topped with New England lobster. The scent of vanilla in the beurre blanc heightens the […]
Pheasant and Polenta
Serving: 8 Print Pheasant and Polenta By Great Chefs November 10, 2015 A medley of wild mushrooms, cooked separately to keep their own character is a woodsy garnish for the tender pheasant; creamy polenta flecked with Cheddar cheese completes the presentation. The stock may be prepared up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly […]