The Colour Purple

Our November Kitschen Ckaos recipe is Raddichio leaves with Orange, Fennel and Black 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.

RADDICHIO LEAVES WITH ORANGE, FENNEL AND BLACK OLIVES 

Makes 12

Ingredients
1 fennel, thinly slice
2 small oranges, segmented  
¼ cup good-quality vinaigrette
12 radicchio leaves  (approx. 1 head of radicchio) 
36 mini black olives
¼ cup toasted flaked almond
micro herbs, to garnish

Method
Combine fennel, orange and vinaigrette and toss until combined. Spoon into radicchio leaves.  Top with olives, almonds and garnish with herbs. Serve.

In case you missed it...

In case you missed the awesome PFD Seafood launch campaign Ckaos has been working on over the past couple of months, check it out here. Ckaos worked closely with the Seafood team at PFD Foodservices on a complete launch campaign for PFD's national fresh seafood range. This campaign was designed to communicate PFD's ability to delivery fresh seafood across the country...from coast to coast.

Green Cuisine

Our October Kitschen Ckaos recipe is Green Pea Soup with Parmesan Custard Sandwiches. 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.

Green Pea Soup with Parmesan Custard Sandwiches 

Makes 12

Ingredients 
Parmesan Custard Sandwiches
½ cup pure cream
½ cup milk
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, extra
Green Pea Soup
20g butter
½ brown onion, finely chopped
250g frozen baby peas
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
balsamic glaze, to serve
micro herbs, to serve

Method
In a small saucepan combine the cream, milk and parmesan. Season to taste. Heat over medium-high heat until mixture almost reaches boiling point. Remove from heat and allow to stand for 20 minutes. Whisk in eggs and pour into a 20 x 12cm baking dish. Place dish in a water bath (a larger baking dish half filled with boiling water) and bake at 160°C for 30–40 minutes or until just set. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Chill for one hour.

Increase oven to 180°C. Place a 5cm cutter on a baking tray lined with paper. Drop heaped teaspoons of grated parmesan into cutter and spread until cheese is even. Carefully remove cutter; a perfect round of grated cheese should remain. Repeat to make 16 circles. Bake for 5–10 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and melted. Allow to cool before removing from trays.

Heat butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add onion and cook over heat for five minutes or until soft. Add peas and stock. Bring to the boil then simmer over low heat for three minutes. Process with a stab blender or blender until smooth. Chill for 1–2 hours or until cold. 

To Serve: Using a 5cm cutter, cut rounds of parmesan custard from baking dish. Lift each round out carefully using a spatula or egg lift. Sandwich custard between two parmesan cookies. Pour pea soup into serving glasses and top with droplets of balsamic glaze and serve with parmesan custard sandwich cookies scattered with micro herbs. 

Tip
If your baking dish isn’t exact size — no need to worry. You just need the custard to be approx. 3cm deep in the dish.

Things have been flat out in the studio, so we haven't managed to get out and about as much as usual. We did celebrate some birthdays, checked out dinosaurs and visited Harry (Potter, not the Prince!).

It's Birthday Month!

September is birthday month at Ckaos with Cameron and Alethea celebrating recently with custard doughnuts and a whole lot of love. Not to miss out, Laura's cat Gatsby also turned one, just in case you were wondering!

Dinosaurs Galore

Laura and Emma both checked out Jurassic Park: The Exhibition at the Melbourne Museum recently. Unfortunately it is now closed but here are some pics to enjoy. Ok, so maybe not strictly design related, but... DINOSAURS! ROAR! 

Harry Potter Bar

Alethea got all wizard-y recently... well to be honest, she just went because they had cool drinks. Good Things Bar in South Yarra hosted a Harry Potter themed night which involved Butterbeer and Polyjuice Potion. 

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.