couture cuisine

Last week, Couture Cuisine’s Chef Arpi Magyar was a guest on the CBC Radio 1 program Fresh Air with Mary Ito.

Three experts were tapped to discuss film and food.  Specifically, each guest was asked to name two favourite food-related movies, and design a menu to match each.  Along with fellow guests Alison Fryer, manager of The Cookbook Store and Doris Miculan Bradley, chef, sommelier and professor in the school of Hospitality and Tourism Management at George Brown College, Chef chatted about his favourite movies and concocted brilliant menus to match each.

Arpi spoke of two films: Who’s Killing the Great Chefs of Europe, a cult hit from the late 1970s, and the more recent Julie & Julia.  For the latter film, Arpi has a very personal story: he actually cooked for the great Julia Child in 1998 and recounted the menu he served during the radio interview.   

Meeting Julia Child was “very special” for Arpi, and he was especially taken with her zest for life, food, and a stiff martini, which she enjoyed during the luncheon along with specially paired wines.  “Smitten,” Arpi fondly recalls the butter-laced menu he presented to Ms. Child:

Triple butter mash potato martini with American sevruga caviar , quail egg ‘olive’ chive skewer

 
Blond frisee salad and soft poached egg, double smoked bacon , grainy mustard dressing, charred baguette with sea salt and olive oil

blonde frisse salad

Beef cheek stew , tomatoes and peppers with sautéed spaetzle , toasted caraway seeds, sweet and sour cucumber, sour cream and paprika

Strawberry and rhubarb fool

Chef Arpi Magyar & Julia Child

Working alongside the tremendously talented Melissa Haggerty of Spectacular Spectacular, we took part in a one-of-a-kind wedding at a virgin event space: The Canon Theatre in Toronto. 

While The Canon has seen its fair share of large-scale theatre productions (Phantom of the Opera, anyone?), it had never been host to a wedding.  In truly Spectacular style, Melissa created a magical, breathtakingly beautiful production.  The wedding guests were the audience, the suppliers the crew, and the stars, of course, were the bride and groom. 

The wedding menu incorporated the couple’s favourite foods, which meant plenty of seafood hors d’oeuvres following the ceremony, along with pink champagne in custom-ordered crystal coupe glasses. 

prologue: pink champagne in crystal coupe glasses

After cocktail hour, the curtains parted and revealed crystal chandeliers, an enormous, hand-painted backdrop, and stunning florals (by Lidia of Fiori); audible gasps were heard as each new element was revealed. 

Following some heart-warming speeches, guests were presented with a colourful first course of imported buffalo mozzarella with roasted tomatoes, beets, micro herbs, olive oil juice, and warm olive toast. 

act one

For the main course, guests were offered the choice of roasted provimi veal rack with rosemary cracked pepper crust, or black cod with miso maple glaze.  Keeping the evening theatrical, Couture Cuisine’s team of wait-staff carried plates covered with old-fashioned silver cloche covers and lifted them with a flourish as each table was served.

silver cloche cover each guest's entree selection

The final act was a fully customzed dessert, designed to replicate the wedding’s colour scheme of gold, coral, and seafoam green.  Together with the clients and Melissa, Chef Arpi Magyar created a playful mini “wedding cake” presented on a gold-leaf plate.

mini "wedding cake"

The creative couple, accustomed to celebrating into the wee hours, requested a very unusual late night snack. Instead of ubiquitous mini-burgers and fries, wait-staff circulated platters of miniature breakfast treats such as mini blueberry pancakes with chantilly creme and maple syrup, tiny hash browns and petite “egg mcmuffins” complete with customized wrappers.  Of course, no breakfast would be complete without coffee, and so Couture Cuisine provided an elaborate espresso bar, attended by a professional barista. 

Video clips of the event in progress by the inimitable Cloud Nine Creative can be found here and here, and for a backstage look at the crew creating this incredible day, prepare to be stunned by the jaw-dropping timelapse video.

Special thanks to Storey Wilkins for sharing these beautiful photos with us!

The conclusion of an evening wedding reception is obvious.  The crowd thins, the bar closes, the final dance is announced.  But what about a daytime reception?  How will guests know when to say their goodbyes?

We have a few suggestions to end your fête fabulously, adding a flourish to your final goodbye, and clarifying the end of the party for guests.

If time is limited (and a daytime venue booking can be a bit shorter than an evening one), skip a plated dessert in favour of circulated sweets or an over-the-top sweet table.  This will encourage guests to spend more time exploring your venue, mingling, and posing for photos while they nibble on something sweet. 

an over-the-top sweet table

Orchestrate a truly grand exit: rent an historic car or sporty convertible and invite guests to wave goodbye as you zip away on your honeymoon.  For a truly vintage touch, change outfits before departing…Mad Men-inspired suits and pillbox hats perhaps?  Once the guests of honour have said their goodbyes, the guests will too.

There are plenty of ways to encourage guests to take part in your exit; playful bubbles, rose petals, or colourful paper flags can be handed out and used to send the couple off in style. 

Can you imagine a nicer way to begin your day than with delicious food & freshly brewed coffee? 

Sunrise events are rarely considered for parties, but we’ve borrowed the idea from the boardroom and applied it to the social scene. 

Business folks know that the pre-9am hours are ideal for those with jam-packed schedules.  So long as the guests are offered a cup of coffee and a wholesome breakfast such as steel-cut oatmeal with organic honey & toasted walnuts, they will have much to contribute to a meeting, and still have time and energy to accomplish a day’s work.

But a breakfast party isn’t just for corporate functions.  Consider your guests – are they families with young children?  If so, they might welcome an early celebration, when children are in their best moods.  For this reason, we love the idea of a pancake social for a family gathering or young child’s birthday party.  We would offer silver dollar pancakes with maple syrup, blueberry compote, and chantilly crème.  Add easy-to-eat fruit skewers and an interactive smoothie station, and children and adults alike will be entertained and well-fed.  Best of all, this timing ensures the birthday boy or girl has a full day to enjoy at the park or zoo after guests depart.

easy-to eat fruit skewers

Perhaps the morning hour appeals because you’re simply looking for a completely unique style of wedding.  We can’t imagine anything more romantic than an intimate sunrise ceremony followed by a Champagne breakfast.  We would serve salmon tartare with cucumber salad and salmon caviar to begin, followed by an entrée of traditional eggs Benedict with creamy hollandaise and local organic greens in a white balsamic vinaigrette.  For a light dessert, fresh fruit and cookies served on platters to each table would offer an elegant yet relaxed finish to the meal. 

Good morning, sunshine!

a romantic sunrise ceremony

Welcome guests with a rustic cheese plate, breads, and a zippy cocktail such as the Ginger-basil Bash, which combines muddled lemon, ginger, & basil with chilled vodka & ginger beer.

Our ideal 100-mile menu for such an event would begin with a traditional Hungarian soup, prepared over an open fire in a cast-iron pot.  Slowly braised beef from the shank would be prepared with potatoes & root vegetables; serving this rustic soup in a clean-lined white bowl would be a beautiful contrast.  For the entrée, breaded provimi veal from a farm in Cambridge would be served with a local arugula, tomato and onion salad with caramelized sweet potatoes.  A sweet ending to the meal would be a trio of lemon panna cotta, warm chocolate cake, and vanilla crème with freshly picked berries.

antique-style amber tumblers

Set the table with coloured, antique-like glassware; we love these amber tumblers from Anthropologie for water or wine.  With the above menu, we would serve local bottles such as Norman Hardie’s 2007 Pinot Noir and Cave Spring’s Off-Dry Riesling.

A dinner under the stars sounds perfectly romantic … until you trip over a tree stump.  Light the way with these vintage-style string lights from Restoration Hardware…and then enjoy them after the wedding in your own garden.

vintage-style string lights

Early summer evenings can be a bit chilly; keep your guests warm & happy with hand-made quilts.  We love trolling through the listings on Etsy to find bright & playful designs. 

a cozy & comfy quilt

Need more ideas?  Please call us at 416.449.5432 to create your own shabby-chic affair.

Planning a spring party?

Savour the season with a fresh, local menu.  We’ve been daydreaming of farm-fresh asparagus, peas, and herbs since the first cherry blossom appeared.   We imagine serving this menu along with local wines at a table adorned with white tulips, curly fiddleheads and delicate lilly of the valley…

to begin

roasted local asparagus, fennel, tomatoes, onion and olive salad in a cider vinaigrette

to follow

spring pea risotto with mint and crispy pancetta

main course

slow roasted spice crust salmon with creamed corn and tabbouleh & herb salad

dessert

mini goat cheese tart & rosemary chocolate truffle with frozen olive oil

a fresh spring table setting

What are we eating for our Earth Day dinner?  An all-green menu, naturally.

We plan to set the table with reusable hemp linens, natural beeswax candles, and spring tulips in curvy recycled glass vases.   As guests arrive, we’ll pour an Ontario sparkling rosé,  and nibble on antipasto presented on a reclaimed wood platter.

to begin…

house-cured duck proscuitto with balsamic reduction, organic fig slices & homemade blini

entrée…

roasted rack of Ontario lamb, mango honey mustard crust; potato pancake, baked organic eggplant, cucumber yogurt salad with artisanal feta

sweet endings…

vanilla-lemon panna cotta, preserved fruit compote

panna cotta, preserved fruit & organic micro herbs

After dinner, we’ll enjoy a glass of Niagara ice wine with an incredible local cheese plate from one of our favourite producers: the LEED-certified Fifth Town Cheese. 

Plan your own green party by emailing us at yummy@couturecuisine.com.

Springtime symbolizes all kinds of new beginnings; as such, it’s a natural season for wedding & baby showers.

a wedding shower at Graydon Hall

For a baby shower, we love to play upon the theme by offering “baby-sized” portions.  When our own Managing Director selected a menu for her baby shower, she chose to welcome guests with smoked salmon on mini croissants and tiny, buttery danishes.  We also love bite-sized brioche with whipped mascarpone, orange marmalade & orange zest, or perhaps mini blueberry pancakes garnished with chantilly crème.  For dessert, tiny rainbow-hued mini mousse cakes are adorable; for a bigger impact, we think a customized cake featuring teeny baby details like this one from Papillion Cakes is completely perfect:

a baby shower cake from Papillion Cakes

Wedding shower fare is typically light and feminine, featuring plenty of fruit, tea sandwiches, and prettily garnished cocktails.  However, many modern showers include both women and men.  Without straying too far from convention, we think it’s fun to include something for the boys.  For example, skewered beef tenderloin with roasted tomatoes & pickled pearl onion could be passed as guests arrive, and a dessert buffet could include such manly options as beer-infused cupcakes and maple-soaked cake with crispy bacon crumble.  The perfect final touch would be an old-school cocktail, sure to be enjoyed by ladies and gents alike.

We think it’s finally safe to say that winter is over: buds have appeared on lilac bushes, birds are chirping, and local produce is finally starting to reappear in the market.  Before leaping head-first into spring & summer events, it’s time to review everything we loved about the winter weddings we created this year.

a wintry bouquet by Stemz

Flowers in wintertime are such a special treat.  We loved seeing traditional cream & white blooms like the ones pictured above, as well as a bit of colour here and there – say, soft pink roses with a collar of blue-grey Dusty Miller.  Grey is our current favourite colour – sophisticated, soft, and pretty, it makes a beautiful accent to a table setting, floral arrangement, or even bridal attire:

photo courtesy of Ikonica

While we can’t wait for local asparagus, radishes, leeks, and fiddleheads, we fondly remember the warming, comforting winter fare we enjoyed over the past few months.  One of our favourite winter wedding menus began with cauliflower soup dotted with provimi veal meat balls and potato gnocchi, topped with herb cream.  The entrée was a succulent, generously-portioned braised lamb shank with creamy risotto milanese and three-colour heirloom carrots with oranges.  To finish, guests were presented with a filo pastry wrapped-pear with warm crème anglaise and a diminutive scoop of blackcurrant sorbet. 

For more photos of winter weddings, please visit our Facebook fan page.

The design team at Couture Cuisine recently discussed a few of our favourite things – not as designers, but as guests.  It’s important to look at a party from the perspective of those attending it to really ensure that every last detail is perfect, and every guest feels special.  In no particular order, our favourite things are:

1. Valet parking.  Arriving at an event wind-blown, cold, and covered in slush because you had to park blocks away is no way to begin the evening.  For formal events when ladies will be in heels, and when parking is not easily accessible, valet parking is a wonderful way to help your guests make a glamorous entrance. 

2. We came up with a whole slew of napkin-related favourites: crisply pressed linen hemstitch napkins, folded just so at each place setting; customized menus tucked into a pocket fold; having your napkin folded and hung on the back of your chair when you leave the table…

a customized menu is placed atop a folded napkin

3.  We unanimously agreed that specialty coffees are a yummy treat, and a great way for guests to perk up after dinner and get ready for dancing.  It’s especially fun to have a live-action espresso station with a variety of coffees, teas, biscotti and chocolate-covered coffee beans, attended by a professional barista. 

4.  Luxurious washrooms.  Nothing mars an otherwise elegant event than finding yourself in a dingy, dirty space when it’s time to freshen up.  We love to see well-appointed washrooms with full-length mirrors, cloth hand towels, and high-end hand soaps and lotions. 

5.  Flattering lighting.  Every woman knows the power of good lighting; it makes the venue and the guests look their best!

 6.  When we have been fortunate enough to be invited to a destination wedding, there is nothing sweeter than opening the hotel room door to find a beautifully packaged welcome basket filled with helpful amenities such as a spare toothbrush, a few snacks, and a list of local attractions.  Such details make a world of difference to weary travellers.

7. Late night snacks.  As good guests, we consider it our personal duty to spend as much time as possible mingling, dancing, and otherwise working up an appetite.  Even after a multi-course meal, we sometimes find ourselves in need of refuelling as midnight approaches.  A playful treat such as mini burgers or gourmet frites will keep us energized all night long!

gourmet frites & aioli re-energize guests