Work a little magic in the kitchen
The Ottawa Citizen
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Byline: Gay Cook
Column: Taste of the Town
Have you ever wished a fairy godmother would appear in your kitchen to prepare a scrumptious dinner party for you? Well, she just might exist.
Chef Deborah Watkins, who owns Classic Catering In Your Home, holds a plate of Sour Cherry Gelato on Almond Meringue, which she prepared for her host Georgina Rose.
Meet Deborah Watkins, chef and owner of Classic Catering in Your Home and a graduate of the catering program at Le Cordon Bleu Paris Culinary Arts Institute, Ottawa. I met Deborah as she prepared dinner for a dozen guests in the home of Martin and Georgina Rose of the British Council. For the occasion, Deborah brought all the ingredients and some equipment to prepare the meal on-site.
The menu included marinated fig and gorgonzola on toast; "lollipop" salmon tartar and cream cheese with pretzel; wild mushrooms and Oka cheese in phyllo pastry; peppered fillet mignon with a blueberry wine sauce; puréed butternut squash, brussels sprouts leaves and mixed mini potatoes; sour cherries and gelato on meringue with almonds and cheese. The dinner finished with aged cheddar with thyme-infused honey served with baked apple and roasted walnuts.
"I began my company, Classic Catering in Your Home, about three years ago when I returned from the Netherlands. While there, my husband's diplomatic job required that we entertain a lot," she says.
"So I learned about the importance of timing and meal preparation for the diplomatic community, things I have applied here in Ottawa," Deborah says.
"My focus is good-quality products and produce, which are well prepared and presented. I cater dinners or luncheons, sit-down or buffet, receptions and cocktail parties, and offer cooking lessons and wine and food pairing. These can all be done in a home or any location -- including the services of a waiter when needed."
Deborah has catered to various clients, whether it's a women's group that meets monthly, couples who enjoy cooking, and families that want to do an activity together. With any job, the first task is to sit with the customer and decide the menu, then visit the home or party location to discuss the flow of the evening, the recipes, the ingredients and tools required.
If it's a cooking lesson, the guests divide into work stations in the kitchen and prepare the meal, learning techniques as they go. At a certain point, Deborah takes over, the guests retire to another room to relax before the meal and the waiter serves the table as if they were in a restaurant.
Of course, the kitchen is always left spotless.
"Eating is a way to keep friendships and families strong," Deborah says.
To contact Deborah, call 613-562-7849 or e-mail info@classic-catering.ca. Her website is classic-catering.ca.