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October 17, 2009

Bradley J. Thornton

He’s cooked for Dan Marino, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and plenty of other hungry celebrities. On Saturday, Oct. 24, he’ll cook for you! Meet Chef Bradley J. Thornton, 24, of The Cliffs at Walnut Cove near Asheville, NC, part of the Top 10 Golf Communities in America. He’s the featured hottie chef at the Carson Center’s Distiller’s Dinner!

1. I’m from Murray, Ky., the best spot on earth. I didn’t really realize it until I moved away.
   
   
2. I started working in restaurants when I was 15. I’m now 24.
   
   
3. I was born on New Year’s Day, 1985. So every birthday is truly a new year for me.
   
   
4. I have a pretty sweet record collection. I’m a sucker for vinyl, but my iPod goes everywhere with me.
   
   
5. I’ve lived and cooked in Kentucky, Florida (I graduated from the Orlando Culinary Academy), Colorado, and North Carolina. It’s been an awesome trip so far.
   
   
6. The first thing i ever cooked was, probably peanut butter cookies when I was about 5 with my grandma.
   
   
7. Golf is my favorite sport to play, but football is about the only thing I’ll watch on TV.
   
   
8. I have never had a “favorite thing” to cook. But if I did, it would be mushrooms. You can do anything with them.
   
   
9. And they are GREAT!
   
   
10. My ideal dish? Besides my grandma’s cooking it would have to be pan-roasted jumbo scallops with morel mushrooms and asparagus puree. Just to name one.
    
    
11. Hands-down — going to concerts is my favorite thing to do. I try to make as many as I can in a year.
    
    
12. Yes, I’m related to iList Paducah columnist Laura K. My mom is Laura’s daughters’ father’s first cousin.
    
    
13. My favorite bands? Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, John Scofield, Neil Young, Miles Davis, My Morning Jacket, the Black Crowes, Allman Brothers Band, Yonder Mountain String Band….
    
    
14. I’ve been lucky enough to cook for some pretty cool people: Archie Griffin, Dan Marino, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Gary Player, Chef Ming Tsai….


    
    
15. A must-have ingredient for anyone who loves to cook? Patience. Good food will follow.


    
    
16. A perfect day for me would be to play golf at Pebble Beach in the morning, have lunch in Napa with Chef Thomas Keller and then, in the afternoon, snowboard in Vail until the Allman Brothers take to the stage at Red Rocks. But that’s asking for a lot.
    
    
17. A chef must have wise hands. They make the magic.
    
    
18. Nothing beats a nice clear mountain view. Living in both the Rocky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains, I’ve grown to love the mountains, a lot.
    
    
19. Weiner dogs are the best animals. Period.
    
    
20. My two best friends were Dachshunds: Scooter and Elroy. I miss them.
    
    
21. Growing up, it was just me and my mom with our dogs in the house. I couldn’t be where I am without my mom.
    
    
22. My most embarrassing memory was when I was a sophomore at Calloway County High School, and my mother and I were with a group of MSU football fans flying to Madison for the Wisconsin/Murray State game. We knew a handful of people in the group. But on the flight back, I lost my cookies.
    
    
23. If I didn’t cook I would probably be doing something in horticulture. I dig trees and plants.
    
    
24. I grew up playing drums, but I’ve always wanted to learn to play violin.
    
    

Bradley’s Seared Scallop with Shiitake and Cipollini Onion Napolean with Baby Cilantro Vinaigrette