Our recent event at the Toronto Botanical Gardens was a complete success, and we are so pleased with the feedback we’ve received regarding our elegant dessert station.

Individual lemon-hued sweets, including our precious lollicakes and popular mini cupcakes, lined a long table set against a backdrop of the luscious gardens. The weather co-operated perfectly, and it was a wonderful afternoon for all involved. Thank you to the Gardens for including us in their Woman to Woman luncheon!

Are you making plans to escape the city for a cottage or camping getaway next weekend?  Or maybe you’re opting to stay local and host a backyard BBQ instead?

Either way, Yorkshire Pudding has put together a patriotic party menu that is certain to delight your guests regardless of your locale.

Simply choose your items from the menu below and let one of our event coordinators know if you would like the foods delivered or if you prefer to pick them up instead.  All deliveries and pick-ups will be done on Thursday June 30th or Saturday July 2nd. 

We were pleasantly surprised to discover one of our wedding cakes featured in the current issue of Today’s Bride magazine. 

Last June we made the fondant-covered chocolate cake, with accompanying French orange and chocolate cupcakes, for Larissa Chalmers and Adrian Gaudet, for their wedding held at Islington Golf Club.

It was a pleasure to work with them, and we wish them a heartfelt congratulations as they approach their one year wedding anniversary!

Yorkshire Pudding is pleased to have recently partnered with the Toronto Botanical Gardens as one of their exclusive caterers. Offering a collection of 17 award-winning gardens spread out over four acres, this is a stunning venue for your upcoming wedding or special occasion.

In addition to catering your events, we look forward to working closely with the TBG on some of their upcoming functions, including the Woman to Woman luncheon on June 2.

If you’re considering this location for one of your personal celebrations, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of our event coordinators, who will be pleased to assist you with your party/menu planning for this inspiring space.

Yorkshire Pudding was thrilled to participate in the annual CAMH Unmasked event again this year.  Designed to raise funds for the leading edge research programs and redevelopment of the Queen Street hospital, this is a cause we’re always happy to get behind.

Last Wednesday, we catered dinner for 36 people at the Edward Day Gallery in downtown Toronto.  Participants dined on an assortment of seasonal hors d’oeuvres, seared Digby scallops served with a truffled sweet pea emulsion, and balsamic-glazed rack of lamb with rosemary-infused white bean cassoulet and fresh Ontario asparagus.

The meal concluded with a millefeuille stuffed with citrus-macerated Ontario rhubarb and tarragon cream, served alongside a selection of organic handmade truffles.

Thank you to all who came out and made this evening a huge success for such a wonderful cause.

With the arrival of spring, and wedding season just around the corner, Yorkshire Pudding, Toronto’s reknowned private caterer, is pleased to introduce lollicakes to our dessert menu.

These colourful, portable cake pops are a tasty alternative to traditional wedding cakes, and can serve as an edible party favour for your upcoming bridal or baby shower, or a passed sweet treat at your next cocktail party.

Our famous French orange cake is combined with homemade butter cream cheese frosting, dipped in melted chocolate and decorated with an assortment of sprinkles, coarse sugar or hand-piped designs. Custom colours and flavours are available upon request and we can tailor-make any pop to suit your party’s theme.

Pricing starts at $2.75 per pop, and for more information please don’t hesitate to contact one of our event coordinators.

The minute I saw this recipe I knew I would love it.  Rustic foods tend to be the most appealing to our palates, and nothing says simple and charming quite like homemade bread infused with sweet grapes, in both their fresh and dried forms.

Sort of a sophisticated version of raisin bread, harvest focaccia has graced the table of many an Italian in honor of the official start of wine making season.   While I don’t feel compelled to stomp on the grapes anytime soon, I’m happy to drink a few glasses of vino while noshing on this bread.

If you have plans to host a harvest or holiday dinner this fall, I can’t imagine a better bread for your table.  And if not, make it anyways.  I know from experience that it’s a crowd pleaser and if a hunk of crumbly aged cheddar made it’s way on to the plate with the bread, I wouldn’t mind that either.

Harvest Focaccia, adapted from Country Living
•    4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
•    2 cups warm milk
•    1 1/2 tablespoons honey
•    2 cups whole wheat flour
•    2-3 cups all purpose flour
•    1/3 cup olive oil
•    1-2 tablespoons orange zest
•    1 cup red grapes (halved lengthwise)
•    1 cup golden raisins
•    1/2 cup green grapes (halved lengthwise)
•    1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
•    1 egg, beaten

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Combine the yeast, milk, honey and 1 cup whole wheat flour in a large bowl. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Heat the olive oil and orange zest in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir in the grapes and raisins.  Combine half of the grape mixture and the remaining whole wheat flour with the yeast mixture. Add the sea salt and 2 cups of all purpose flour and mix until a dough forms.  If the dough is sticky add more flour otherwise knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes.  Shape into a ball and place in an oiled bowl.  Cover and let rise until doubled, or about 45 minutes.

Punch the dough down and lightly knead.  Shape into a 1/2 inch thick disc.  Place on a well oiled baking pan and brush with remaining oil mixture, pressing the grapes and raisins into the dough.  Let rest for 30 minutes.

Dimple the loaf with fingers and bake for 15 minutes.  Brush on egg and bake until golden brown, another 8-10 minutes.

According to a recent article in the New York Post, home cooked meals rank pretty high on the list of things that make us happy.  It turns out we are most content when we experience the simple things in life, and managing to fit in time for a family meal is considered more exhilarating than cash.

Do you think this is also true for the maker of the family meal?  I remember many a dinner when I wanted to pull all of the hair from my head for the sheer stress caused by dining with my family.  Or with one particular person anyway (hint: he’s my youngest child). It didn’t matter which foods I fed him, he was determined to eat what he wanted and nothing else.  And what he wanted was the chicken nugget.   And this didn’t make me very happy.

At that time I didn’t consider making homemade versions of so-called “kid food”, but do I ever wish I had. Luckily, it didn’t take me long to discover a little trick known as “yogurt marinade” and my homemade chicken strip making days began. They still continue today, and this recipe has appeared on the table for more than a few years.   And that, along with dining with my family, makes me really happy.

Baked Chicken Strips

• 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6-8 grinds of fresh ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (or more if you like)
• 1 box of crackers, smashed into crumbs

Rinse the chicken under cold water and pat dry. Slice each breast into strips and  set aside.

Combine the yogurt, salt, pepper and mustard in a bowl.  Add the chicken and allow to marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.While the chicken is resting, remove all of the crackers from the packaging, place them in a large resealable bag and pound with a rolling pin until a rough crumb remains.

Dredge the chicken into the crackers and coat all sides well.  Place on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked through and crackers turn golden.  Serve warm.