Heirloom for Improvement

Our September Kitschen Ckaos recipe is Salted Toffee Heirloom Carrots. Our 2016 calendar combines our love of food, photography and design. This year our mouthwatering recipes focus on the delicious world of Hors d’Oeuvre, so join us on our gastronomic journey of discovery.

Salted Toffee Heirloom Carrots

Makes about 20 carrots

2 cups caster sugar
2 bunches heirloom baby carrots, scrubbed of excess dirt
1 tablespoon sea salt. 

Heat 1 cup caster sugar in a heavy based frying pan over high heat. As sugar begins to melt, rotate and swirl the pan to ensure the sugar melts evenly. Do not stir. Continue cooking until sugar has turned golden brown. Working quickly, dip each carrot into the toffee, turning to ensure they are well coated. Transfer to a baking-paper lined tray. Sprinkle with salt.

Repeat process again to complete carrots.  Serve.  

Freaky Shakes

So, someone in the studio, (we won't be mentioning any names) has embraced the trend of freakshakes.  We're just going to leave the evidence here...

What a Gas!

Alethea has moved on from her Drag Bingo adventures to a little more sophisticated viewing recently visiting the Degas exhibition at the NGV.

Edgar Degas is one of the most celebrated artists associated with French Impressionism. The art he made over more than fifty years of constant creativity and renewal embraces painting, drawing, printmaking, monotypes, sculpture and photography, and has had an immense impact on modern and contemporary art.

You had better get your skates on the exhibition closes on the 18th September.

A foodies tour of Europe

For all our foodie friends, feast your eye's on Laura's foodie tour of Europe.  Please try not to drool on your screen!

Not a Roast of a Chance

Our August Kitschen Ckaos recipe is Roast Duck, Cucumber and Hoisin Sauce. Our 2016 calendar combines our love of food, photography and design. This year our mouthwatering recipes focus on the delicious world of Hors d’Oeuvre, so join us on our gastronomic journey of discovery.

 

Roast Duck, Cucumber and Hoisin Sauce

Makes 12

Ingredients

1 Lebanese cucumber
1 yellow capsicum, cut into 12 small wedges
1 roasted peking duck breast or 12 slices of roast duck
2–3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
24 garlic chives or onion flowers, trimmed, to garnish

Cut cucumber into four short lengths (about the same size as the breast pieces). Trim the sides of the cucumber to make it rectangular and then cut into three to make rectangular slices. Top each slice of cucumber with yellow capsicum, duck breast, hoisin sauce and garnish with garlic chives. Serve immediately.

Keeping up with the comings and goings

Things have been a little hectic in the studio this month as we welcome our newest Swinburne industry placement student, Lucy Murray. 
Lucy is loving life in the Ckaos studio... but not so much loving the sneaky photo taking!

 

Salt and Sky

Laura wasted no time once she was back from Europe to see the latest exhibition in town! She visited photographer Brooke Holm’s Salt and Sky exhibition in Fitzroy with an included Q&A session. 

Salt and Sky bought together a series of stunning aerial shots captured at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Shark Bay, in Western Australia. It was Brooke’s intention to share how man-made structures can impact nature while shooting the series. Some of her stunning work can be seen on her website here: http://www.brookeholm.com/places/

Found and Kept

Alethea and Lucy have also been out and about, both recently attending the Melbourne Finders Keepers Market at the Royal Exhibition Centre. The Finders Keepers market is a massive three day event featuring over 250 independent art and design stalls.

Alethea was also the lucky winner of 'Drag Bingo' recently. In case you were wondering, the theme was Christmas in July — we're not that far behind what's going on!

 

Ms Monroe was in town

Lilly and Laura took a day trip out to Bendigo to check out the Marilyn Monroe exhibition along with everyone else in Melbourne. 

Marilyn Monroe remains one of the most celebrated and enigmatic film stars in history. She transformed herself from ordinary girl next door, Norma Jeane Baker, into a glamorous and universally recognised screen goddess. This fascinating exhibition has now closed.

 

Stay Tuned...

With so much going on this month we've decided to hold Laura's Europe foodie tour until next month. Let us leave you with just one mouth-watering photo to whet your appetite! 

For Goat's Sake

Our July Kitschen Ckaos recipe is Beetroot Blini with Goat's Cheese and Fresh Black Pepper. Our 2016 calendar combines our love of food, photography and design. This year our mouthwatering recipes focus on the delicious world of Hors d’Oeuvre, so join us on our gastronomic journey of discovery.

BEETROOT BLINI WITH GOAT'S CHEESE and Fresh Black Pepper

 Makes 32

 Ingredients

¾ cup plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
30g butter, melted
½ cup milk
1 cup purple beetroot, thickly grated or julienne
50g butter, extra for cooking
100g soft goat's cheese, rolled into a 3cm thick log
2 medium candy beetroot, thinly sliced
fresh black peppercorns or black caviar, to serve
micro herbs, to serve

Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Mix together egg, butter and milk and pour into the well and whisk until just smooth. Stir in the beetroot.

Heat butter in a frying pan. Drop tablespoons of batter into the pan and cook over medium heat until the underside is golden. Turn the blini over and cook the other side. Keep warm while cooking remaining batter. 

To serve: Top blini with goat's cheese, slices of candy beetroot, peppercorns and herbs. Serve.

Tips: Candy beetroot and fresh black peppercorns are available from select green grocers. If candy beetroot is unavailable, use regular purple beetroot. 

 

ALL ABOUT LAURA

So Laura has some exciting news! It involves a trip to Europe, a handsome pilot and some beautiful bling.

That's right, Laura and Mitch are now engaged. She has shared with us some of her awesome photos from her trip. We are going to ration her photos over the next couple of blogs — they are that good! Next month we feature her food journey, and trust us, it's worth checking out.

 

Here Kitty, Kitty...

Ckaos is known for having the odd visit from Zoe, Cam's hyperactive Staffy, but a visit from Gatsby the cat (@gatsbythecattt on Instagram ;) ) was unexpected! He made himself at home in the studio, as our door guard, staring down any unexpected visitors. 

 

Alethea and Henry

Alethea recently brushed up on her 1960's fashion when she visited the NGV for the Henry Talbot exhibition. This exhibition runs until the 6th of August — so you had better get in quick so you don't miss out. More info here.

Tarted Up

Our June Kitschen Ckaos recipe is Cherry Tomato Tarts with Green Olives. Our 2016 calendar combines our love of food, photography and design. This year our mouthwatering recipes focus on the delicious world of Hors d’Oeuvre, so join us on our gastronomic journey of discovery.

Cherry Tomato Tarts with Green Olives

Makes 18

Ingredients
18 vol-au-vent or savoury pastry cases
100g soft goats cheese, softened
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme
125g punnet mixed cherry tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped green olives
1 tablespoon olive oil
 baby basil microherbs, to garnish

If required, heat or bake the vol-au-vents according to packet instructions. Combine goat’s cheese, red onion and thyme in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine tomatoes, green olive and oil. Season to taste. Spoon or pipe goat’s cheese mixture into cases and top evenly with tomato mixture and garnish with baby basil. Serve.

Tip
You can make the vol-au-vent cases using good-quality store bought puff pastry. Cut a 5cm round for the base and top with another 5cm round with a 3cm round cutting out the centre. Prick the centre of the circle with a fork. and brush with beaten egg yolk with a dash of water. Bake at 200°C for 8 -10minutes or until golden brown. You may need to push the centre of the pastry down during baking if they become unruly and bake off centre.

Goat’s cheese mixture can be prepared the day prior. Assemble up to 1 hour before serving.

Winter is here & it's exciting times in the studio!

So, we have a bit of a tradition in the Ckaos studio, it happens at the start of winter and the start of summer. It involves everyone moving from one side of our studio desks, to the other. We know... exiting times in Studio Ckaos!! So now everyone is rugged up, away from the front door, which is really cold when it opens, and ready to deliver some delicious winter design.

All the world's a stage

Being a lover of theatre, Cameron recently visited an exciting exhibition at the Melbourne Arts Centre called Stage Presence. 

The creative process behind some of Australia's most innovative productions is brought to life through concept sketches, research files, set models, 'finished' designs and technical drawings, showing the story of performance design in Australia.

This free exhibition is running until the 4th September 2016 at the Melbourne Arts Centre Gallery in Hamer Hall.

A photo journey

Emma recently took a short break to the Phillipines and Malaysia, and made us very jealous with her beautiful photos. 

On the Quail

Our May Kitschen Ckaos recipe is Thai-inspired Pork Larb with Quail Eggs. Our 2016 calendar combines our love of food, photography and design. This year our mouthwatering recipes focus on the delicious world of Hors d’Oeuvre, so join us on our gastronomic journey of discovery!

Thai-inspired Pork Larb with Quail Eggs

Makes 12

250g pork mince
2 golden shallots, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander
1 tablespoon mint, finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon chilli flakes, to taste
12 quail eggs
12 red amaranth or betel leaves
golden shallots, thinly sliced, extra, to serve
fresh red chilli, thinly slices, extra, to serve
baby coriander leaves, to serve

Heat a wok or frying pan over high heat. Add pork and cook stirring continuously until cooked through. Remove from heat and add shallots, lime juice, coriander, mint, garlic, sugar and chilli flakes. Stir until well combined. Set aside.

In a separate frying pan, fry quail eggs over medium to high heat until just cooked through. Top each leaf with a spoonful of pork larb mixture and fried quail egg. Top with extra golden shallots, red chilli and coriander leaves.

POP UP COWS

Laura and Lilly took a little time out the other week to check out the new Milkcow pop up store. With 60 stores worldwide, Milkcow has landed in melbourne. But you'd better be quick if you want to check out some of their delicious soft serve creations.

The Milkcow pop-up will run from Friday, April 1 until Tuesday, May 31 at Driver Lane, The Strand in the CBD. It's open from 11.30am until 10pm daily. For more info, visit milkcow.com.au.

Beautiful Melbourne

Cameron captured this beautiful picture of Melbourne on his way home from the Ckaos studios recently.