Each week I will begin featuring a weekly chef homage so that my readers can get new ideas and share great recipes from the best and brightest chefs.  Since this is my inaugural week, I want to feature a southern chef, with whom I share a lot in common.

Don’t judge a book by its cover.  Chef Kevin Gillespie may have that scruffy, young “I don’t care” look, but he cares a lot about anything food.  In his book you’ll find not only incredibly fresh, clean, approachable delicious foods, but you’ll also read his poignant real life stories that brought him into the world of cooking.

Underneath all his tough looking guy exterior, he’s a southern gentleman at heart, who  unabashedly discusses why he started cooking during his childhood growing up in Georgia.  He courageously forwent a scholarship to attend MIT in order to stay home and attend the Atlanta Culinary Arts College.  Now that takes guts.

His cold cucumber soup is to die for!  It is the first of his recipes I have made .  I’ve made it four times already and every time it is better.  People have gone crazy over this soup.  Look at house beautiful it is.

To Die For Cold Cucumber Soup with Almonds

The recipe is posted below.  Try it!  It has no dairy,  it is great for entertaining or just to make on a hot summer evening at home, and it is healthy.  The toasted ground almonds give it a creamy taste.  I still can’t believe how easy and great tasting it is!

The best thing about this recipe is it is easy to clean up and all is done with one blender.  It is just that easy.

Here is the Cold Cucumber Soup recipe straight out of Kevin’s Gillespie’s new cookbook.