Recipe Share with Adele Hagan
Recipe Share is a weekly feature on Recipes.ca where we profile culinary experts or public figures in Canada who have a passion for cooking. Each individual answers a set of questions and shares one of their favourite recipes with our community.
This week we're chatting with Adele Hagan. Adele styles for magazines, motion pictures, supermarket chains, cookbooks and consumer goods packaging. Before pursuing her career in food she attended the University of Guelph and graduated with an honours degree in geography and a minor in fine arts. She honed her chef skills at Le Cordon Bleu in London (and graduated at the top of her class!) with a Grand Diplome in cuisine and patisserie. Her most memorable events while living in England were working on the first two Harry Potter films, assisting with the Queen Mum’s 100th birthday cake, and almost running over the Queen herself while working at an estate next to Balmoral.
What did you have for breakfast today? Yogurt & granola and a cup of tea.
What's your specialty dish? Hmmm. My husband says “spaghetti carbonara”
What's something you can’t cook? Grouse. I have to gut too many when I worked in Scotland. Even the word makes me gag. Smelly smelly birds.
What is your can’t-live-without kitchen tool or appliance? Kitchen shears
Can you reveal your secret ingredient? Shaw’s Maple Syrup (my in-laws farm)
Who taught you to cook? My Mom, Le Cordon Bleu
What is your favourite restaurant? My favourite “go-to” for the last 25 years has been Benihana. It is just as fun and tasty as it was when I was a kid.
How do you unwind? See next question ;)
Favourite beverage: WINE !!! I used to be all about Syrah but now I’m a Sauv Blanc girl. But really I’ll drink a glass of any wine.
What is the best advice you ever received: Don't name the dish until its presented. A pie that hasn't set could become a parfait.
What is your philosophy in the kitchen: Anything you think you’ve ruined can be saved.
What is your guilty pleasure? Taco Bell (embarrassing but true)
What is your favourite comfort food? Homemade Mac & Cheese or Garlic pasta
What is your least favourite food? uni (sea urchin), I love sushi so it saddens me to say that I can't stand uni
What is your favourite cookbook? Delia Smith Summer Collection
Who is your favourite food writer or blogger? Eat Live Travel Write.
Tell us about your greatest culinary achievement: Making 12 soufflees in an AGA at my first client after culinary school. (For those that don't know… the old AGAs do not have a temperature gauge or any way to look in the oven without opening the door. I kept my fingers crossed and they turned out beautifully.
What’s next on your must-try list? Molecular gastronomy. I have a kit at home and haven’t had a chance to open it up and make something exciting for a dinner party.
Tell us about the recipe you are sharing with us today: I started a tradition by baking fresh scones in the morning at the studio. They became very popular so I jotted down the recipe to make these easy tasty treats. The best part is you can add in anything you have in the fridge to make your own customized scones. Here is my quick and easy scone recipe…
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us Adele! It's wonderful to get to know a bit more about the person behind the mouthwatering photos.