Chocolate marshmallow bar

You cook the chocolate brownie base, put marshmallows on and put it back in the oven to melt, then a chocolate, peanut butter and rice krispie topping. Too much chocolate? @Relishthetaste thought not - right too!

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Gift voucher for a dinner party cooked in your home (2)

"I was looking for an unusual gift voucher..... and found yours...."  That was 4 years ago. The lady buying the voucher was buying it for her sisters birthday - you can see the meal we cooked for her here. She enjoyed it so much she in turn brought a gift voucher for her brother which I served a month ago near Bath. Keep it in the family!

Blacksticks Blue cheesecake and the ever popular smoked salmon blinis

When you live in Britain you have to make the most of those balmy evenings - and this was one! The guests gathered outside on the terrace for drinks and canapés while they watched their meal come together in the kitchen.

Trio of smoked trout - Ballottine of salmon wrapped in smoked trout, smoked trout tartare and smoked trout fillet on courgette carpaccio

Smoking the trout fillet before I left - this is something you can't do at the venue - who wants the smoke billowing through their house?

Honey and lavender marinated leg of lamb

Leg of lamb for the main course - marinated in honey, lavender, soy, grain mustard, five spice and a few secret ingredients. Served with crushed Jersey royals - just coming into season at that time

Salad of grilled butternut squash, asparagus, feta and pomegranate with lime and olive oil dressing 

The good thing about large desserts you can serve yourself at the table is you take as much as you like! And of course you get left overs for the next day - they had a barbecue the next day.

Large passionfruit panna cotta - see 'recipe' here

Large apple tarte tatin - it was virtually demolished!

 See more info on our gift vouchers here.

Related posts

Gift voucher for a dinner party cooked in your home (1)

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Fillet steak provencal with thyme and anchovy crust

Marinading in tomato provencal base with basil. We sear the steak, so still raw inside. Crust is made with fresh breadcrumbs, thyme from the garden, anchovy etc. (for some people who aren't fans we do it without).

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Lobster Newburg & Cherry tomato tarte tatin

Six years on and I've cooked at some amazing houses - add to this now The Folly, Didmarton near Tetbury - such a lovely country cottage!
Get the angles of the butchers block in the kitchen - 'interesting' to work on.....

This is taken from the dining table so it's one of those open kitchens where you watch it all happening in front of you while you eat - quite good when lobster is on the menu!





The host had chosen all her favourite dishes, unfortunately before her nutritionist had put her on a special diet, so she wasn't able to eat 2 out fo the 3 courses and I prepared something special for her (future post on dietary & allergy cooking coming up).

Cherry tomato and wild nettle tarte tatin with nettle pesto

"What's next chef?"

Lobster Newburg with roasted purple sprouting broccoli  with sides of new potatoes and kale with pomegranate and cashews 

Last year one of the clients we cooked for asked for lobster Newburg - her son's favourite dish. I realised how good it was so offered it to more people - the way most things take off really. It's all in the sauce - a brandy and sherry cream sauce with a little cayenne whisked into egg yolks just before serving to thicken. It's a slice of luxury! This was a half lobster, made slightly larger because one of the guests had had to return home to London early. You can also do this with a whole lobster.
You can see more on cooking lobsters here.

Freshly cooked while you're eating your starter

The chalkboard wall in the kitchen is a great idea - especially for the children!

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Caramelised satsuma cake, raspberry and blueberry meringue layer cake and chocolate tart

All these cakes made yesterday - and none were to celebrate our business's 6th birthday - they were all for a  buffet lunch delivery along with a host of savoury items at which our local mayor was one of the guests.

Caramelised satsuma cake

This caramelised satsuma cake is just another time when I really wanted to be one of the guests at the lunches we do rather than being on the other side - it just smelt sooooooooo good. Should make a second smaller one next time for us. Used this recipe - but forgot about the satsumas being on the top and layered them in the bottom of the tin - works for me though!

Raspberry and blueberry meringue layer cake pt 1

 Possibly not the most photogenic once the lid is on, but the one that made the most lasting effect on the guests - the first thing that was mentioned when I went back later to collect the dishes. Another variation on this recipe - I made a long one as it had to go round 20 people.

Raspberry and blueberry meringue layer cake pt 2

Chocolate tart - with chocolate ganache filling and white chocolate  piped on top

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