Author Archives: Chantal's Kitchen

Exquisite Canapes and Catering in London

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The best kept secret – are our canapes
After popular demand, I am now focusing quite a lot of my time on providing delicious, clever, never-been-seen before canapes at events. It’s great fun to be creative and really push the boat out with some flavours.

Exquisite canape smoked salmon blinis with a twist from a canape event in London

Exquisite canape smoked salmon blinis with a twist from a canape event in London

Nothing is what it seems with our canapes
It’s all about surprise! Who wants the usual, when you can savour delicious bite size canapes. We have spent countless hours making bite size pieces that look like one thing and taste of something very different. Our tomato and parmesan marshmallows are a real hit. I can’t stop eating them. Surely it is one of my 5 a day of vegetables?

Most of our canape events have been in London, call us to book your next canape event.

Stolen Gauguin and Bonnard Art Recovered after Hanging on a Kitchen Wall

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Fruits on a Table or Still Life with a Small Dog

Fruits on a Table or Still Life with a Small Dog

Two stolen paintings by the French artists Paul Gauguin and Pierre Bonnard hung on an Italian factory worker’s kitchen wall for almost 40 years – un/fortunately without his knowing that they are probably more valuable than the whole factory. The Gauguin painting, titled “Fruits sur une Table ou Nature au Petit Chien” i.e. “Fruits on a Table or Still Life with a Small Dog”, (painted in 1889) are probably worth between 10 million and 30 million euros. My guess for the actual value of the fruit is less than a couple of euros unless they’re organic.

Drawing your favourite food lifts your mood….

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Junk food

Junk food

Did you know that drawing your favourite food can lift your mood, as featured in Delicious Magazine.

In a study published in the Journal of Behavioural and Brain Science, 28 per cent of participants who drew a pizza experienced a boost in their mood compared to just one per cent of people who drew a red pepper. Perhaps we should all draw food on the way to work on a Monday morning?

Welsh Cakes

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Welsh Cakes

Welsh Cakes

Tonight Wales are playing France in the Six Nations and I found my mind turning to Welsh Cakes. Have you ever had one? They are little bitesize portions of heaven. They are sweet but not too sweet, more than moorish, easy to munch and are usually consumed on top of a mountain (or is that just me?!) but I think they should just be eaten when you feel GOOD! Guess what, they only take 15 minutes to make and that includes cleaning up after yourself in the kitchen too!

The first time I ever had a Welsh Cake was on Hadrian’s Wall and the second time – a few weeks ago, I was in Wales near Barafundle Bay feeling windswept but so very very happy and hey presto, these little fella’s were brought out of a backpack and munched looking at a magnificent coastal view.

You will love these because they are so easy to make and you can experiment with flavours, or just keep it traditional. I made a Manuka honey and ginger, a dark chocolate batch and also a traditional version too.

Ingredients
350g self raising flour
2 level teaspoons baking powder
175g butter
100g good quality chocolate (broken into small pieces)
125g caster sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon of milk

To finish
Caster sugar for sprinkling

1. Use a griddle or heavy-based frying pan, grease lightly with oil and heat gently.
2. Measure the flour and baking powder into a large bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and chocolate pieces.
3. Beat the egg with the milk, then add this to the mixture and mix to a firm dough. If you need to add a splash more of milk, do so but don’t add too much.
4. Roll out the dough on to a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 5mm (1/4 inch) then cut into rounds with a 3 inch round cutter.
5. Cook the Welsh Cakes on the hot griddle on a low heat for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Cook gently otherwise the sides will burn and the middle will be uncooked.
6. Cool on a wire rack, then sprinkle with caster sugar. Consume in the next 24 hours.

Welsh cakes - gift

Welsh cakes – gift

For the Manuka honey and ginger version – omit the chocolate and add a teaspoon of ground ginger and a generous teaspoon of Manuka Honey before adding the egg and milk. You might need to add less milk because the honey does a good job of binding all the ingredients together.

Traditional version – replace the 100g of chocolate with 100g currants and also add 3/4 level teaspoon ground mixed spice at this stage.

I’ve bagged mine all up and will be giving them as gifts. Fingers crossed Wales win the Rugby!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just when you thought Christmas was over

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I love Christmas and this year, I was working for a lovely family in Central London up until Christmas day, so the season started on the 25th December! Still, this weekend was a festive one and these little fella’s were made as a team effort. I hadn’t realised quite how time consuming it could be – mostly because brown icing sugar was nowhere to be found but I think these look wonderful. They just make me smile! Forget leaving carrots and mince pies for Santa and his reindeer, leave these instead.

Happy New Year! May 2014 be full of happiness and little reindeers with cinnamon pretzel ears to make you smile.

Christmas Rudolph cupcakes

                             Christmas Rudolph cupcakes

Lovely to meet you

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Chantal cooking

Chantal cooking

Welcome to my kitchen.
It’s a homely place with brimming cupboards and a constant source of freshly brewed tea in oversized mugs, that can only be held with two hands. I love food. I enjoy thinking about it, preparing it and eating with loved ones. I’ll happily share the good times, the triumphs, the tasty tit-bits and the adventure of my alchemy on this blog. Hopefully it will inspire you to explore the culinary world within our reach.

From city banker to cook
 I’ll tell you something few people know – I’m fairly new to this cooking mischief. Five years ago, when I worked in the City, I would avoid the kitchen at all costs. I LOVED food but cooking it – well, let’s just say there were always other people close to hand who seemed better, faster and had a natural flair. The turning point came silently and like a thunderbolt, it transformed my way of thinking and prompted me to train formally and set up my own catering company. Nothing is more exciting than a new recipe or a different way of thinking about ingredients.

Put your apron on
I’m hooked. I’m sold. I’m all-in! There is room for all of us out there – from the Michelin starred chef, to the novice cook. So, now that we have the formalities out the way and ‘yes, it is lovely to meet you…’ we  had better get cracking, we have a blog to cook!