Chef Kenny Gilbert is best known for his appearance on &ldquo\;Top Chef&rdquo\; Season seven\, where he displayed a big personality and instantly became one of the most likable cheftestants to date. An award winning-chef and restaurateur\, Gilbert&rsquo\;s career spans over two decades and has graced him with opportunities to travel ar ound the world and learn the authentic techniques and flavors of global cu isines. He has always had a love of cooking. Growing up in Cleveland\, but with roots in the South\, his father was an avid BBQ man with his own rub s and sauces while his mother was a fantastic home cook.
\nGilbert h
as been featured on a number of cooking shows\, competitions and segments
on national television including\, winning Beat Bobby Flay\, Midnight Feas
t and Cutthroat Kitchen\, serving as a judge on Chopped Junior\, and has b
een featured on CBS Saturday Morning\, The Today Show\, and HGTV. He and h
is recipes have been published in a multitude of national magazines and bl
ogs including Food &\; Wine\, Coastal Living\, Ga
rden &\; Gun\, Men&rsquo\;s Journal\, Playboy an
d in O Magazine. Oprah Winfrey often taps Gilbert to cater her ho
liday festivities as one of her preferred personal chefs. His food has als
o been featured in numerous cookbooks such as Oprah Winfrey&rsquo\;s F
ood Health and Happiness: 115 On Point Recipes for Great Meals and a Bette
r Life\, Art Culinaire\, Top 100 Toques of Black Chefs\, Adrian Millers Black Smoke\, and Beat Bobby Flay.<
/p>\n An entrepreneur\, Gilbert launched a product line of spices in 201
4\, and then added on sauces in 2022. His restaurant Silkie&rsquo\;s Chick
en &\; Champagne Bar in Jacksonville\, Florida showcases a global take
on the iconic Southern chicken and biscuits. In addition to Silkie&rsquo\;
s\, Kenny joined Grove Bay Hospitality in the Fall of 2022\, where he serv
es as the VP of Culinary\, overseeing all culinary operations. In April of
2023 Kenny released his very first cookbook\, Southern Cooking\, Glob
al Flavors \;from Rizzoli. This Lit Chat Interview is spo
nsored by the Friends of the Mandarin Library. A limited number of
books will be available for sale from San Marco Books and More. Guarantee
your copy by pre-ordering it from the San Marco Books website. Registration is required for this
event\, and must be completed two hours prior to the start time. A library
card and PIN are required for registration. If you do not have a card\, c
lick \;HERE \;to obtain one. Pursuant to the Americans with Dis
abilities Act\, accommodations for persons with disabilities are available
upon request. Please allow 1&ndash\;2 business days to process. Last-minu
te requests will be accepted\, but may not be possible to fulfill. Please
ask for Learning Services at 255-2665 or email JPLPrograms@coj.net.