Christine Capendale
Christine Capendale – some domestic goddess for sure
She’s one smart cookie. With her cookbook Baking for Profit and Pleasure, and the Afrikaans version Bak vir Pret en Profyt freshly published, Christine will soon be in the news again when the first Koekedoor cookbook sees the light.
Christine Capendale is the caterer brides flock to for romantic wedding cakes; her stork tea bakes have left guests in adoration of pink bunnies and bows and her West Coast recipes are the stalwarts for many working moms.
With a BSc degree in Home economics and Dietetics under her belt, Christine was a home economics teacher, owned and operated a self-catering guesthouse in Langebaan and went on to launch her own cooking school Delici Cooking Studio and Bon Appetit Catering in Langebaan.
During all of this she had time to get inspiration on travels through Italy and in France. Plus win the Ideas magazine’s Domestic Goddess competition.
Back to kykNET’s reality series baking series: For the Koekedoor cookbook, Christine baked all the cakes that were photographed. So there, now you have some inside information!
Win a Christine Capendale Cookbook
Spekko is giving away four of Christine Capendale’s cookbooks, courtesy of NB Publishers. To win one of two copies of either Elke Dag Koningskos or Everyday Delicious, send us a picture of you on your wedding day. These recipe books sell for approximately R260 each.
Spekko asked Christine a few questions:
What is you most favourite cake of all?
My orange cake with thyme and a white chocolate and cream cheese icing and the Lemon and poppyseed cake that is in my new book.
Which chef do you most admire?
Luke Dale Roberts on the local front and I am definitely a fan of Jamie Oliver.
How do you describe your cooking style?
I love al fresco, honest food made from the freshest ingredients. Wherever possible I buy organic ingredients, especially at markets.
What is your “secret, I am alone food”?
Marshmallows – old fashioned, and definitely the pink ones. And of course jelly babies. I pick out the orange ones.
I also love cooking myself a tomato pasta dish or in summer, a Caprese salad. Add some olives or capers and you have a dish for a king.
What do you cook at home?
Indian, Thai, or interesting vegetarian dishes. We are very conscious of healthy eating.
Have had any cooking disasters?
Well, there was the time with the wedding cake and the melted chocolate in the car…
What are the trends in wedding cakes nowadays?
Brides love layer cakes, with different types of cakes making up the stack. “Naked cakes” where the filling can be seen, is also hugely fashionable now. Then ornate cakes with intricate details in gold and silver are sought after.
Your best ever “food moment”?
Babylonstoren in Franschhoek is on my “best seasonal food” eating out list. Their food is fresh from the garden in the grounds.
My best “romantic food moment” was once in Avignon in the vicinity of the medieval Palace of the Popes castle. A flute player in the grounds was playing such magical music. Later that day we ate at a local restaurant.
The artichoke and brinjal in a large glass bowl took my breath away and the vegetable tarte tatin served for main course was out of this world. Oh yes, I have also eaten some spectacular food by chef Peter Tempelhoff at The Greenhouse at the Cellars Hohenhort in Cape Town.
Tel us the secret – where do you buy your spices?
Atlas Trading in Cape Town.
Her cookbooks Baking for Profit and Please/ Bak vir Pret en Profyt and Everyday Delicious/ Elke Dag Koningskos are published by NB Publishers.
For that next catering event or wedding cake order, phone Christine at +27(0) 82 920 0329 or follow her on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/capendale.