Featured Retreat Chef of the Month: Wildings Vegan Kitchen – Catherine Humphrys
We are delighted to showcase another one of our amazing retreat chefs as part of our “Featured Retreat Chef of the Month” campaign: please meet Catherine of Wildings Vegan Kitchen who we will feature throughout the month of July. Catherine gave us some great answers to our little questionnaire – find out more about her in this post. And just look at that vegan cheesecake!!!
How did you get into cooking in the first place? Was it a family member, a passion for healthy food?
I’ve always loved creating food – so many childhood memories of baking with my mum and helping in the kitchen from an early age. I became vegetarian aged 12, so that was a bit of a turning point in terms of getting involved with food and eating well. But it took me until I hit 50 to realise that I could be sharing this passion with others… better late than never!
Do you have a favourite dish? If you could only cook & eat one dish for the rest of your life, what would it be? What makes it so special that you’d never get tired of it?
Ooh, that’s almost impossible to answer! It would have to involve aubergine.. and I’m loving my spicy peanut sauces at the moment. Maybe a ramen type bowl so I could vary the toppings and serve with a crunchy slaw? Is that cheating? 🙂
And a signature dish you love making on retreat?
My vegan cheesecake wins every time. If I don’t offer it a retreat now, there are complaints! Perfectly creamy and tangy with a great set!
What is your favourite cookbook and why?
It’s not vegan, but I love Ottolenghi’s “Flavour”. Such beautiful combinations and despite often lengthy ingredients lists, they’re always worth the effort.
Do you have a favourite cuisine? Which country/region and why?
Not sure I could narrow this down… I take inspiration from so many places I’ve lived and visited. I love cooking different cuisines and each one brings me joy… whether it’s the honest simplicity of Greek taverna food, the complex flavours of well spiced Indian dishes or the colourful variety of a Mediterranean feast.. Nope – can’t choose!
Do you have a top tip for chefs and/or foodies? An ingredient you can’t imagine being without, a tool or a method you love using? Or even something you avoid doing like the plague?
Top tip: don’t follow recipes religiously and don’t be afraid to go completely off-grid! Some of the tastiest food I’ve made has come from not having the right ingredients to hand.
Ingredients that are always within reach: cashews and lemons. So many great options for vegan dishes call for cashews – both sweet & savoury.. and lemons just make everything in life that bit sunnier!
Avoid like the plague? I’m not always the best at being organised in my own kitchen…but I like to think that’s all part of my creative process. Oh, and admin is definitely not my strong point 🙂
Thank you so much to Catherine for giving us a glimpse into her retreat chef life! Please check out Catherine’s profile and her listing in the directory to see more examples of her work and to get in touch with her for retreat bookings: Wildings Vegan Kitchen – RetreatChef.co.uk. And you can also find Catherine on Instagram: @wildingsvegankitchen
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