Sussex and Surrey based
I love a well trodden path and finding a formula which works, so going back for the fourth time to cater the summer party we were pleased to deliver some of the Angelic faves… the Moroccan Carrot Salad always goes down a storm and this year we added in a couple of new buffet dishes which have been ticking a lot of boxes all summer.. Sticky Miso Chicken Thighs and Lamb Kofte with Sumac Yoghurt, sadly not photographed but undeniably delicious!
I said I’d be mainly eating ice cream so here I am … new fave flavour orange and mascarpone ..lunch was also suitably Cornish with a little twist, Chicken Chorizo and Bacon Pasty, although it involved a moment of great hilarity/jeopardy … despite three warnings about the rudeness of the st Ives seagulls, the smallest decided to eat on the move… successful right up til the last mouthful when a gull swooped in and removed the pasty from HER MOUTH ! Actually drew blood and resulted in much hysterical laughter (and tears) no video evidence but if you were in st Ives you probably heard it😇💜🧡💜
Like many families we are trying to eat less meat so when I found this recipe in Flavour by I knew I had to try it but I played an absolute blinder and handed the reins to Boo, what a brilliant meal to come home to and I couldn’t be happier that my household now has four accomplished chefs to share the load … my work is done! And on that note I’m skipping out of office for a few days to indulge in some Angelic free-time! Still picking up messages for anything in the diary but mainly eating ice cream and kicking back!!!
Another gorgeous day for our Angelic event … probably my favourite format Canapés and Drinks, some of the old classics with a couple of new ones - great team on board - a lovely way to spend a Sunday doing what we love 😇💜😇
So exciting when a new recipe hits the buffet and ticks all the boxes … Parmesan roasted Artichokes with White Beans on shredded Hispi cabbage with a lemon, thyme and garlic dressing - lots of flavour, texture and pretty good to look at too!
When this weeks paella party was planned I’m not sure anyone imagined we would be playing Spain on Sunday - but I’m taking it as a good omen - me and my padron peppers are ready for the weekend!
party
Like a prize for enduring the cold wet days of winter this little bundle wrapped in a fittingly purple band is a herald of spring - of all the vegetables the asparagus season is to me the most poignant, we are so lucky to be able to eat most things year round but there is something so delicious about “homegrown” ,all that remains is to decide what to do with it, I think with this precious first bunch I’m going to gently steam it and dip it in salty butter…what would you do ?
Despite the continuous rain and the knock on effect of wanting comfort food I’ve been experimenting with new salads for the summer menus. A format I think works really well is “family style” eating, a choice of five or six dishes placed on the table, plenty of colour and full of flavour .. these two new additions tick all the boxes. Buckwheat with Beetroot and a Clementine dressing, torn Goat’s cheese and handfuls of herbs. A spicy Broccoli salad, hot with chilli, sweet with dates and figs, crunchy with pistachio and sharp with lime dressing..message me if you want to hear more the summer is filling up and we are set for an Angelic extravaganza!!
A really lovely birthday dinner last night although I couldn’t resist a little heart shaped shortbread as a nod to Valentines!💘 Totally forgot to take a picture of the main course which was Seared Sea Bass with fennel, braised shallots and a Pernod Sauce, but did catch the King Scallops on pea purée with crispy Speck and Basil Oil and the Lemon Posset with Raspberries …fabulous cheeses from finished the evening ..
I’m too much of a traditionalist to let pancake day, or Shrove Tuesday, pass without indulging, but the days are gone when I do breakfast, lunch and supper, crepe, fluffy and pancake… so today I thought I’d take a step back in time and re-invent the Findus Crispy Pancake. I don’t know about you but in my childhood the very occasional bit of processed food was a real treat and I loved the cheese and ham Findus….tonight I’ve made Chicken,Bacon and Mushroom in a creamy Bechamel, all sandwiched together in a lacy crepe dipped in egg and crumb…I’ll let you know if it ticks the boxes - I am of course ready with the sugar and lemon for the next round… what are you cooking up and do you still yearn for a Findus??!
When the sun comes out,the sky is blue and all the green shoots are springing up everything feels so optimistic. We are in full swing planning ahead to the spring and summer events, looking back at tables from the last few months and this one was a particular favourite - crisp white linens and silver cutlery with a mix of green and blue boho tumblers. Message me if you are planning an event, big or small and we will look after all the details …💜😇🧡
Happy Birthday AWRW.. first time in 19 years we haven’t been together but I can’t wait to see you soon and get a little snippet of your adventure …
21 years of being you..IsabellaBoo… happy happy birthday so glad to be able to be with you today …
Glimmers and Triggers… while we wait for the spring to really spring I think it is really important to keep hunting down those glimmers … these little hyacinth bulbs definitely brighten my mood every time I pass them, an example of resilience and strength in the most barren of conditions, and the smell is intoxicating …
Monday Night Ramen - always a winner in our house - a chicken broth with ginger and chilli simmmered with carrots and leek then strained and then it’s each man for himself creating a bowl of deliciousness. Noodles, greens, mushrooms, beef, egg, nori, you get the picture!!
Twixtmas.. that strange time when days are rolled into one and leftovers have lost their appeal. We are going out to lunch and I’m taking these two tarts which literally took minutes to prepare . We used to go to a little place in the 80’s in Battersea called French Tarts and these puff pastry beauties are loosely based on their menu - roasted peppers with red pesto black olives and sun blushed tomatoes and grated mozzarella and sticky red onions on creme fraiche with sultanas pine nuts and Gruyère, the perfect antidote to a turkey sarnie…
I’m going to have to admit that my choice of lights this year was questionable …every time I walk past the tree I sing “Roxanne… you don’t have to…” BUT my main message this Christmas Eve from me and Herb is a huge thank you.,, to all the clients who chose the Angelic Host, to all the Angelic crew and to all those brilliant suppliers who made it happen … I love working with independent companies and we all know how how hard it can be… but this has been a really great year and I’m so looking forward to 2024..
My life is complete .. all three smalls in the house and enough sprouts to feed an army !! Nearly all angelic jobs done and Fairytale of New York on a loop… happy Christmas one and all
Gravadlax cured for four days in Scotch Whisky and Beetroot served with a quick pickled Cucumber Salad … an amazing piece of Salmon from turned into my favourite starter ..
Prepping continues at Angelic HQ - another chicken ham and leek pie soon to be topped with a puff pastry lid and ham bubble and squeek canapés, getting ready for a big week of events in the countdown to Christmas 🎅
Unsurprisingly there are a lot of wreaths on the grid at the moment but I think I may have tracked down my favourite, with the added bonus of being able to raid it for my Sunday lunch! This one was made by the super talented for and it’s an absolute beauty .. I love my local
My house is beginning to smell very Christmassy. Even if I spend all day cooking my favourite way to relax is watching cooking shows and who can deny that Mary Berry is one of the loveliest to watch ..last night she convinced to eat his sprouts, made tortellini with and showed the nation how to really get those roast potatoes crispy - her red cabbage is a firm favourite in my house and it freezes beautifully …
Luigi - the legend … 16 years of being a very cool cat. Handsome and very aloof he certainly had his share of adventures and mishaps .. there were even a couple of years when he spent every evening ! He brought home “presents” with frightening regularity and took his job very seriously. A really hard decision to say goodbye and he definitely deserves one last tiny square - he will be missed 🧡🐈
I’ve got a lot of cook books but I rarely follow a recipe start to finish, I read them for inspiration and relaxation and one of my fears is that there simply isn’t enough time to cook ( eat) all the things I want to try! Last night we celebrated a big birthday of the very, very young and, as it was sandwiched between events I needed quick and easy, but delicious…this is where always delivers. Balinese Roast Pork and Korean Chicken with Gochugang Mayo, sweet and sour cucumber and my trusty Asian Slaw .. recipes from Simple served with a lot of laughter and trademark girls night shenanigans 💜🧡💜
Prepping one of my favourite autumn classics for this weekend’s dinner. French trim breast of chicken with a wild mushroom sauce .. banana shallots gently softened in butter and olive oil with some tarragon - sliced mushrooms cooked over a gentle heat till all the liquid has evaporated, a glass of white wine, a couple of pints of chicken stock and the soaking liquor from some dried porcini. Simmer and season and then add a pint of cream and simmer again till it has thickened - finish with fresh tarragon and check seasoning again. I’m serving it with roasted rosemary potatoes and fine beans but it also works really well with crispy gnocchi.
These dark days and short nights have got me craving comfort food and my cravings are always really specific - yesterday it was Beef Cheek Ragu. Fortunately I work at a butcher and as luck would have it I recently purchased a copy of Pub Kitchen by . A night in the slow cooker and voila craving satisfied! Another great recipe from this book and plenty more to sample!
Starters … I think the starter is my favourite course,I’d choose it over pudding every time. These are three of our classics Arancini Milanese with Arrabiata Sauce and a melting middle, Whiskey cured Beetroot Gravadlax with Celeriac Remoulade and the old fave Prawn Cocktail - tricky decision for the Bride and Groom at our tasting but I think they made a good choice, which would you choose?
As the weather turns and the nights draw in my focus has been on comfort food and hearty dishes - I’ve spent much of the week restocking freezers for customers and making sure that there are some of the family favourites . Fish Pie, Lasagne and Cottage Pie are all on the shelves and I’m taking orders for half-term “freezer food” so that you can maximise on playtime and not be stuck in the kitchen!
Back on the beach because after a really busy summer these last few smidgeons of sunshine feel so precious - my favourite beach hut with my favourite dog and the most delicious lunch Mondays after event- full weekends are the best days…
Interrupting this Indian Summer to bring up the “C” word - three to be precise
Christmas Canapé Celebrations…
I’ll leave that with you, taking bookings now😇🧡💜
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Does anyone else have a slightly off balance feeling after a bank holiday … like the whole week is playing catch up? Summer is on its way and spring is exploding in the hedgerows .. totally love this time of year.. #spring #dandelionclock #nature #sussex #whattimeisit
Just prepping meringue roulades for the weekend and so pleased to announce that the #sussexcookforukraine event on 29th March is now sold out💙💛💙💛 #sussexchef #angelic #threecourses #dinner #celebrate #pavlova
The final meal be made from the turkey crown.. a delicious minestrone soup … recipe in stories..#frugal #familyfood #soup #delicious
Tick Tock Tick Tock ... does anyone else have the sensation that time is rushing by and yet can feel like wading through treacle simultaneously? At the moment it feels like life is shifting back to some sort of (new) normal.. and yet hasn’t quite got there..we are back doing the Angelic Set Menu this weekend and bookings are being taken till 5pm tomorrow so if you fancy a treat but don’t want to sit outside and brave the pub ..#eat out in #wedeliver #dandeliontime #spring #angelic #setmenu #springlamb #familyfood #bankholiday #peasoup #chocolatemousse #theangelichost #sussexchef #surreychef #caterer #alfold #loxwood #kirdford #cranleigh
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