Patrick O'Connell is a self-taught chef who has pioneered a refined, regional American cuisine in the Virginia countryside using fresh local produce. He has been referred to as 'the Pope of American Haute Cuisine' and is recognised by the World Gourmand Society. Selecting the Inn at Little Washington as one of the top ten restaurants in the world, Patricia Wells hails O'Connell as 'a rare chef with a sense of near perfect taste, like a musician with perfect pitch'. O'Connell ruminates on favourite American food and offers his vastly refined versions of these recipes - from appetizers like 'Macaroni and Cheese with Aged Gouda and White Truffles to main courses like Scaloppine of Chicken with Grapefruit and Pink Peppercorns. Mouth- watering desserts include Chocolate-Mint Fantasy. All the recipes use fresh American ingredients to make delicious dishes that rival the finest French and Italian food. The Inn at Litlw Washington has been the recipient of three James Beard Foundation awards including Restaurant of the Year and Patrick O'Connell himself has received two - Outstanding Chef 2001 and Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic refion. The Inn is also the first in Mobil Travel Guide's histo