The Perfect Wedding Gift!!

The date was set and the menu was selected.

I always try and start off with a little alcohol just to get everybody relaxed. For this evening we started off with a glass of champagne. Not too much as we still needed to get everybody cooking, which we did.

We started off making the puff pastry, as we needed it for the Beef Wellington and Apple Tarte Tatin and as you all know pastry needs to rest. The rest of the menu included Tuna Carpaccio for the starter followed by Beef wellington with seasonal vegetables.

For dessert we first had to make the crème anglaise so it would be cool before serving it, we then got started on the Chocolate Fondant and I think everybody would agree that the Apple Tarte Tatin was perfect.

Once dessert was done we still had some Crème anglaise, so I thought what we could do with the remanded crème anglaise. I thought it would be nice just to show them one more thing you can use with the crème anglaise, which is a Dom Pedro, which is like an adults version of a milk shake. Although everybody was very full they all tried it and gave it the thumbs up.

Once again thanks to everybody for making the night a great success.

[View with PicLens]

Dom’s Hens Party!!!!!

I did this hens party at the end of 2009 but only recently got the photos sent to me, so that is why the blog is only going up now.

I was called by Leanne Steward to help her out as she was organising Dom’s hens Party and she was told about Spencer Barlow from a close friend of hers and mine Rudy Sargo.

The day was set, the menu approved and everybody looking forward to the party.

I arrived just before the hen did so I could set up without her knowing what was going on. Leanne did very well in keeping the surprise, but one by one the ladies started to arrive. All made their way to the roof terrace for some snacks and a glass of champagne.

Dinner was served shortly afterwards, where they were going to have a starter, mains and dessert (which I was going to teach them how to make)

Starters went off very smoothly and the ladies were well behaved. And another surprise was in store for the ladies as just before the main coarse went out, their Butler (in the buff) arrived to help. I got him into the kitchen without Dom seeing him, plated the mains and sent him out to the wolves…er I mean ladies.

When he walked into the room I am sure I heard silence for about 5 seconds until the room erupted with excitement. Needless to say I could not put most of the photos up on the blog.

Like always I am going to let the photos do the talking. I did eventually get the ladies into the kitchen to make dessert. It was not easy, as I think some of the ladies attention was elsewhere for most of the night

[View with PicLens]

Cooking at Kate’s

I was recommended to Kate by one of her good friends Janet, who I had cooked for a couple of months back.

Janet thought it would be nice for Kate to just enjoy the evening and be spoilt rather than being the one spoiling everyone else, as is normally the case. So Kate got hold of me and we arranged an exquisite menu, organised a suitable time and a place for the dinner, which was to be held on the 5^th of December.

The menu that Kate had decided on was a lovely Marinated Salmon and Crab followed by Coq au vin and then to finish of with was a lovely warm Christmas Chocolate Fondant with Vanilla ice cream, and for coffee, some lovely mini stolen.

All guests arrived at about 17:30 for a lovely glass of champagne before getting ready to start cooking their meal for the evening.

I am not going to go too much into details about the evening, but all went well and everybody had a good evening, it is always a good sign when the plates come back and they are clean.

I left at about 23:30 and they where still all enjoying themselves and drinking some great wines and talking about next years world cup.

[View with PicLens]