Chef Reilly Meehan is known on social media for giving you a behind-the-scenes look at his work as a private chef, sharing dishes that rely on flavor-boosting tricks and special touches. Now, he's helping you make every meal A Little Bit Extra by letting you in on the secrets he relies on to impress his clients, meal after meal. These dishes lean on popular flavors and ingredients, but always feature a twist that enhances their color, flavor, or texture, taking take them from really good to exceptionally awesome.
Sure, happy hour with Gruyère and Parm Cheese Puffs sounds great, but wait until you plop some pimento cheese dip on top. Everyone loves avocado on a Crab, Grilled Corn, and Butter Lettuce Salad with Avocado, but frying your avo wedges adds a pop of crispy, golden flair. Ever had pasta fresh from your own kitchen? Two Pork Beer Ragu with Papardelle is your chance. These chapters that serve up everything from cocktails including Reilly's Instagram-famous Dill Vesper Martini to sides, salads to soups like Garlicky Bread Soup (because sometimes simple is best), and mains to sweet treats like a Black Sesame Tahini Swirl Cake with Sautéed Cherries.
A Little Bit Extra is the next best option when you don't have a private chef in your kitchen, but want every meal to taste like you do!
Reilly Meehan grew up in food, foraging blackberries on the California coast and learning the ropes in the kitchen of his father's restaurant in beachy Santa Cruz. Following formal culinary training, Reilly honed his skills in the competitive cooking world, competing (and kicking butt) throughout the US and internationally. He was named the 2011 Chaine de Rôtisseurs "Best Young Chef in the World" Winner, 2019 American Culinary Federation's Chef of the Year, and 2022 Americas Global Chef's Challenge Winner.
After cooking his way through San Francisco and running his own bougie doughnut pop-up, he began private cheffing-and sharing a behind-the-scenes look at his work on social media. He spends summers in the Hamptons with his clients, but calls Phoenix home with his husband and pup. Reilly's mantra is simple: bring as much good food to as many great people as possible. "This book is everything. Reilly brings his effortless charm and style to every page, with recipes that are approachable, yet refreshing and new, reminding us that life tastes better when you add just a little something extra. With cocktails, dinner, advice, tips, and tricks, this book is a love letter to good taste in every sense of the word." -Venita Aspen, model and lifestyle content creator
