It may be snowy and cool in some parts of the country but in November it's still prime golfing weather in Ojai, California making it a perfect time for the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa's Celebrity Chef Classic occurring on the weekend of November 13 - 14. The event which includes the chance to golf alongside several celebrity chefs will benefit Share Our Strength, a national organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America. This year, Ming Tsai of Blue Ginger (and the cooking show Simply Ming), Todd Gray of Equinox, Alan Wong of The Pineapple Room, Budi Kazali of Ballard Inn & Restaurant and Ojai's own Executive Chef Jamie West will play in the 18-hole golf tournament with guests on the naturally sculpted George C. Thomas-designed course.

The weekend begins with a welcome cocktail party on Friday that will highlight tasting menus presented by each chef. Saturday morning, guests will be invited to play Ojai's greens alongside the chefs followed by celebratory gala dinner. The Celebrity Chef Classic is $1,450 per person, excluding taxes (double occupancy) or $1,850 per person, excluding taxes (single occupancy) and includes two nights in deluxe accommodations, unlimited golf, Friday's welcome reception, gala dinner, breakfast, lunch and additional amenities.

Reality television shows can make a career, they can also be a huge distraction. Responding to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Gawker called celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, "the Donald Trump of Food," a phrase that could be taken as a compliment or a slur depending on how you look at it. One thing is certain is that Ramsay has had a rough time of it lately. Earlier this year when describing the news that his accountants wanted to put his business into administration and that he owed more than £7 million he called it "the worst bollocking ever" and told the London Times it was "the worst year of my life." Now in an interview with the Wall Street Journal he is similarly gloomy saying that he had "his own personal nightmare" a phrase no doubt co-opted from the many writers who've used phrases from his televisions shows "Hell's Kitchen" and "Kitchen Nightmares" to make puns about Ramsay's current financial state. In the fallout from the tumbling of his financial empire Ramsay has sold his restaurants in Los Angeles and Paris back to the hotels they are in and has left Prague behind. Rasmay says he has fired around 15 percent of the staff and is using cheaper cuts of meat. The Wall Street Journal article says that Ramsay earns around £10 million in annual revenue from television, publishing and endorsement contracts (he has published many cookbooks and has lines of kitchen and dining goods) and has put around £12 million of his media earnings into his restaurant empire.

Is Ramsay just a high-profile victim of the downturn in the restaurant world? The troubles of Ramsay seem particularly intriguing since many chefs with television careers seem to be doing okay (Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse spring immediately to mind). These days part of being a top chef includes a book or two, restaurants in multiple locations and, if not your own television show, at least a gig or two as a guest judge on a cooking competition or a slot on a morning show. So what makes Ramsay different? Is it the global expanse of his network which includes restaurants all around the world? Is it the sheer size of his empire with over one thousand employees spread out? Or is it something else. I think in many ways the expectations for Ramsay's cuisine are higher than those of the other telegenic chefs? After all, Ramsay isn't just a chef, he is a Michelin-starred chef, a designation that carries certain weight and expectations. It must also be noted that Ramsay hasn't exactly made a lot of friends in the restaurant world. He's had feuds with his old mentor Marco Pierre White, another celebrity chef Mario Batali, and his former protege Marcus Wareing. His crotchetiness isn't just a television stunt, a marathon runner and former soccer player, he's deeply competitive and it may be that desire to be the best that led him to overextend himself in the first place. He also may have lacked a firm restraining hand in the form of a business partner. Ramsay owns 69 percent of his company while his father-in-law is the chief executive of Gordon Ramsay Holdings and owns the other 31 percent.

Over at our sister blog, Daily Finance, Alex Salkever questions Ramsay's future and if he will file for bankruptcy? I think Ramsay's actually on the path to recovery. He's focusing on what he knows, opening a new version of Petrus restaurant in the Belgravia area of London that will serve the modern French fare that got him into the spotlight in the first place. And when he expands into other areas he's now doing so through agreements where he sells off his name, menu advice and expertise. By switching some of his restaurants to being licensed establishments rather than enterprises wholly owned by his company he may have lost some control but he's gained more cash and cut his total risk. In the Wall Street Journal interview Ramsay says that he's learned a lot about business in the past year. If he can surrender his ego a bit and learn his lessons then he may be in good shape for the future. If not? Well, Hell's Kitchen just got renewed for another season in the U.S. so he has that to fall back on.

Famed French chef Alain Ducasse will open his first restaurant in the Caribbean at the new W Retreat & Spa: Vieques Island this November, called "miX on the beach." At the eatery (above) Ducasse will offer a sophisticated menu, exploring "colorful Latino Caribbean flavors with an artful French twist and refreshing dishes that highlight only the finest ingredients from land and sea, expertly prepared and creatively presented." Both indoor and outdoor dining will be available with impressive ocean views on all sides. The first W Retreat & Spa in the Caribbean, the resort is located just off the Southeast coast of Puerto Rico on the peaceful 55-acre island of Vieques. In addition to miX on the beach, Ducasse's team will also manage the entire food and beverage program for the resort.

Chef, restaurateur and cookbook author Mario Batali took a turn away from the Italian fare he is famous for at an event recently to benefit his new charity, The Mario Batali Foundation at the Food and WIne Festival in Aspen. Batali prepared a gigantic batch of machaca for his friends, family and fellow chefs. The Mario Batali Foundation has a mission to educate and empower children with a goal of making sure that all children are well read, well fed and well cared for. Also on Batali's board is his longtime friend, musician Michael Stipe.

Batali's machaca is a little more labor-intensive than your standard taco meat but definitely worth the effort. For the event Batali used Strauss Meadow Reserve veal from Allen Brothers. The meat was marinated in a mixture of Worcestershire, lime juice, garlic, chipotle, cumin and black pepper overnight. After browning, onions, peppers and herbs are added. The meat is cooked for two hours until falling apart, shredded, and returned to the liquid. Then the mixture is slowly cooked down until the meat is close to dry. The result can be used in tacos, flauta and just about any other Mexican preparation. The complete recipe is after the jump.

Jamie Oliver becomes the latest British chef to succumb to economic pressure. The television host and cookbook author known as the Naked Chef, has postponed plans to open a fifth branch of the restaurant chain Fifteen at Holbeck Urban Village in Leeds in June. The Fifteen Foundation inspires disadvantaged young people to create careers in the restaurant industry and runs restaurants in Amsterdam, Cornwall, London and Melbourne, Australia.

The charity has said it may revisit its plans in the future when the economy is in better shape. Oliver joins other British television chefs Gordon Ramsay and Antony Worrall Thompson in having to adjust his restaurant empire desires to the whims of the economy.