Chef Celine - Culinary Experiences

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Lucca
Chef Celine - Culinary Experiences

With over 20 years of international culinary experience, Chef Celine has the experience to to create the most delicious menus for all your culinary desires

Originally cordon bleu trained and now with over 20 years of international culinary experience, Chef Celine is equipped to cater for your every need, from Private Cheffing & Weddings to Corporate Events and Culinary Classes. Having started out in the customer service industry in the UK working as a Senior Supervisor with Alitalia for a number of years, Chef Celine made a lifestyle change in 2006 a

nd moved to Brazil to run a restaurant on a desert island off the north coast. In 2012 Chef Celine relocated to Lucca in the heart of Tuscany, setting up a freelance culinary business, in addition to being awarded the position of Head Chef at the exclusive Villa Michaela residence.

26/01/2025

During my winter downtime I spend most of it in the Alps and the first stop is always Morzine. I do a little bit of work while i’m here for some clients that come every year and their favourite is Traditional French Onion Soup. Done right, this is one of the most hearty delicious soups you can have on the mountain and if you love onions, this one is for you!

What you need

For the soup

6 meduim brown onions
55g butter
125ml red wine
30ml cognac or brandy
1l chicken stock
1l beef stock
15g lightly toasted flour
1 pinch ground nutmeg

For the Gruyere Toasts

200g grated Gruyère cheese
12 slices of baguette, about 1 cm thick, toasted
1 small garlic clove, cut in half

How to do it

Cut the onions in half and then thinly slice them about 1./2cm thick

In a large heavy bottomed pan over a medium heat, soften the onions in the butter for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking over high heat for another 15 minutes or until the onions are caramelized and golden brown, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot.

Deglaze the pot with the wine and cognac by adding it to the pan with the onions and scrape the botton with a wooden spoon. Let it reduce until almost dry. Add the chicken and beef stock to the toasted flour ( to toast the flour add it to a frying pan and gently cook until you have a toasted aroma) and nutmeg. Mix well.

Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer over medium-high heat for 30mins or until the soup has reduced by half. You should have about 1.5l of soup. Season with salt and pepper.

Turn on the grill in your oven and put the rack in the centre. Put 4 soup bowls on a baking tray

Lightly rub each slice of toasted french bread with the garlic.

Divide the soup into the 4 bowls and add 2 tblsp of cheese to each bowl. Place 3 slices of the french bread on top of each bowl and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake under the grill for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.

Enjoy your bowl of winter warmness and let me know if you try this at home!

17/01/2025

As the upcoming season approaches, I’m gearing up for another exciting year in Tuscany! People have already started reaching out to book their private dinners and weddings, and I couldn’t be happier.

January is my time for planning and preparation. It’s all about admin work, responding to inquiries, and sending out quotes and menu options. If you’re thinking about booking a private chef experience in Tuscany, now’s the perfect time to reach out and secure your spot.

I’m also making some exciting updates! My website is getting a fresh new look, and I’ve been working behind the scenes on some changes I can’t wait to share with you. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, here’s a great photo that the amazing Erika took during a recent brand photo session at home that we did for my new website and some online cooking classes that will be new in this year. She is such a talented photographer and a great friend!

Feel free to send me a DM or email with your requests—I’d love to hear from you!
✉️ [email protected]

Www.chefceline.com

09/01/2025

Christmas Holidays are always in London with the family and as it happens my birthday falls during that time too,so no better way to catch up with the gang! Toby , Marcel and Sonny, and Henry and Bea

The Ivy Asia in St Paul’s is the flagship for The Ivy’s chain of Asian Fusion restaurants. Spectacular views of St Paul’s Cathedral What better way to bring in the birthday with an Asian feast and copious amounts of sake.

The place always has such a buzzy vibe, service was impeccable and the decor is stunning with a special jade floor. itself had such an incredible vibe, with a beautiful turquoise glass floor that added a unique touch to the atmosphere. There were too many dishes to remember, we nearly ate the entire menu!!

Perfect evening with the best company!! Bring on 51!!! 🍾🥳

24/12/2024

What better to accompany your turkey this Christmas - homemade cranberry sauce.

This recipe is so simple and will be done and dusted in 20mins.

All you need is

1 heavy bottomed saucepan

500g fresh cranberries

1 orange juice and zested

1 pinch of cinnamon, ground ginger & mixed spice

200g brown sugar

Method -

Add orange juice, zest, cinnamon, ginger & mixed spice to the pan, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer until reduced by half .

Add the cranberries and bring back to the boil. When it resembles a lose jam like consistency, add the sugar, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 mins.

Voila!!

Store in the fridge for 3 days or freeze!

Happy Christmas to you all!!

01/12/2024

When I was on my course in Firenze at the beginning of the year, one of our Chefs was a wonderful lady called Debora Corsi who owns her own fish restaurant right on the sea at San Vincenzo. She taught us everything there is to know about Sous Vide!! Ever since then I have been itching to get down and eat there and now the season is done. First stop was there!!

It’s right on the beach and in the summer they also have a lido with beds and umbrellas for hire. It was the last day before they closed for a break until christmas when we went but what an amazingly beautiful spot they have and the weather was superb!

Naturally a glass of crisp white wine for an aperitivo followed by our choices below…. I could have had everything on the menu. It all looked sooooo good!!
🍴 My meal

Mosaico

Calamarata with tuna and pecorino

Tataki di ricciola

For dessert: the Perla del Mare Blu—one of the dishes Debora prepared during the course in Florence

🍴 My friend’s meal

Baccalà with cannellini bean cream and kale crisps

Spaghetti with frutti di mare

Rack of rombo with savory zabaglione, caramelized baby red onions, and vegetables

For dessert: a refreshing pineapple and ginger sorbet.

I can’t recommend this place enough—not just for the incredible food but also for the stunning location that makes the entire experience unforgettable.

Naturally the highlight was catching up with Debora, who took such great care of us and made the day extra special. ❤️

After our amazing lunch, we took a much-needed long walk down to the seafront and strolled into town. We stayed until sunset, soaking in the magical atmosphere. 🌅 It was such a chill day!

La Perla del mare

24/11/2024

Life Lately!

With a bit more free time on my hands, I’ve been making the most of it by catching up with friends and getting out and about a bit, finally beginning to take things at a slower pace for a while. Here’s a little photo dump of some outings in Lucca and visiting my favourite little spots inside the walls.

Pic 1: ✨ FRANKLIN’33 - Hands down the best bar in Lucca for cocktails. A must-visit!

Pic 2: 🍹 My cocktail of choice: a Mezcal margarita, made to perfection.

Pic 3: 🌙 A magical Lucca street at night—never gets old.

Pic 4:🍴Da Ciacco Lucca - One of my favourite dinner spots. The antipasti spread!

Pic 5: The beef tartar with puntarelle is absolutely mouthwatering.

Pic 6: 🌅 Early evening aperitivo with friends at Lo Scompiglio. Beautiful picnic vibes and stunning views.

Pic 7: 🐙 IKEA trip! You can’t walk past the kids section without playing with an octupus!

Pic 8: 🥗 Lunch at La Cecca - Tried cannellini beans with fennel, cherry tomatoes, Tropea onions, and tuna bottarga. So good it’s making it onto my menus next year!

Pic 9: 🐐 The sweetest newborn goat next door—heart officially melted.

Pin 10:🐈 Love it when my next-door neighbour’s cat decides my car is the perfect spot to… clean his bum! 😅

I hope you’re all doing well! It’s been so nice to use this time off to reconnect and soak in these moments. 💕

Stay tune to hear some more adventures

17/11/2024

I had a couple of days break before I had the pleasure of cooking for Kristie Walker and her friends. The minute I walked through the door I knew this was going to be a super fun night!! This was actually my second-to-last job of the season!

They all hung out in the kitchen with me while I prepped, we drank wine and giggled the whole time!! What a fabulous evening♥️

07/11/2024

Another wonderful group has been and gone and I was sad to see Dave Bernhardt and his friends leave. They asked me for another night but it was so last minute I couldn’t fit them in sadly.

I do get booked out in the summer so get in early!!

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16/10/2024

One thing I love about what I do is the fact I get to travel the length and breadth of Tuscany and this time I was off to Siena again to a property that was just outside the town centre for Martin Stranks and his family and friends for his wife’s 60th Birthday Dinner. 🎉🥳🍾

👩‍🍳Grilled Argentine Prawns wrapped in Bacon with zucchini cream

👩‍🍳Homemade Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli

👩‍🍳A HUGE Fiorentina with all the trimmings

👩‍🍳Lemon Cream Profiteroles with a white chocolate and limoncello topping

This was a group of such fun Aussies and the birthday girl was made to feel so special. I really do hope when I come to Aus next year we can meet up and have a few laughs again!!!

Thank you for making it all such fun!!.🤩 🫶

25/09/2024

Sunday Lunch with Mark Pace and his friends in the villa he had rented for the week perched up in the hills above the lake in Massarosa.

It was probably one of the smallest kitchens I’ve ever worked in, but we did it and had a good few laughs along the way!!!

Hope to see you again Mark!!😀🫶

28/08/2024

San Casciano Val di Pesa is a beautiful area just underneath Florence on the way into Chianti, Stunning Views and Vineyards stretching over the hills.

Naturally it was one of the hottest days of the summer so far and the temperature hit 45 degrees in the car.

The lovely house was a group of 4 apartments with a lovely swimming pool that we had to have a quick paddle to cool down once the prep was all done!

Simona was with me today and we pulled out all the stops in a very small kitchen—a bit of a challenge when cooking for a large group.

We managed and the menu was delicious as always.

Puff Pastry Tartlets with caramelized red onions Goats Cheese and Figs

Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli with Sage and Olive oil

Mini Eggplant Parmesans on a crusty Focaccia

Finished with a Torta Caprese, my flourless chocolate cake!

Thank you guys for being so fantastic!! ❤️

31/07/2024

My Poached Pears 🍐are so easy to do all you need is red wine, sugar, pears and a selection of spices!

Ingredients -

1 bottle fruity red wine

4 pears

250g white sugar

cloves

cinnamon

star anise

Method -

Heat the red wine with the sugar until all the sugar has dissolved. Meanwhile, peel the pears leaving the stem.

Lower the pears into the red wine, adding some water if needed to make sure they are covered. Add the spices.

Cover and bring to the boil. Simmer until you can gently put a butter knife through the base of the pears.

Remove the pears and leave to cool. Now reduce the wine until you have a thick syrupy sauce.

Once the pears are cooled, gently slice the base so you can stand them up. Add the sauce and serve with some vanilla ice cream or whipped Chantilly cream.

You can also store them in the fridge overnight to let the flavours enhance the pear even more!

👉Save the recipe for when you next need it.

Enjoy! 😋🍐

28/07/2024

Part 2 of my escape to France!

From the cool air of Morzine I dropped down to the Cote d’Azur to pop in and see Sally and her beautiful doglet Cocoa Chanel.

This year St Jean Cap Ferrat was the destination and we spent the next few days walking Cocoa in the early mornings, swimming in the stunning crystal blue sea, cooling off with some delicious rose in the afternoons and a margherita or 2 before dinner!

The colours and scenery here are breathtaking and I was sorry to leave so soon but work and a wedding was calling so back to Vorno to also await the arrival of 2 great friends of mine heading down to see me for a few days …. more next time!!

25/07/2024

It makes it all worthwhile to receive feedback like this. Making people happy through food is why I love doing what I do! ♥️✨

23/07/2024

🌞 As the temperatures rise here in Tuscany, there’s nothing better than cooling down with a refreshing Sangria! On this particular day I was doing a BBQ for Stephen Sykes - 40th Birthday party - HOT HOT HOT

🍹 As BBQ’s go, there has to be sangria, so with the peach season in full swing I made a bucket of extremely tasty peach, basil, mint, white wine and cointreau sangria that went down sooo well with everybody!

🍷 This is the perfect drink to socialise with friends and cool down in the summer heat! This is my recipe:

1 bottle of white wine - something fruity like a pinot grigio

230ml Cointreau

3-4 sliced fresh peaches

a bit of grated ginger

1 lemon or lime

a handful of basil

a handful of basil

Ice

Mix everything together and chill for 4 hours or overnight.

Enjoy and save the recipe for when you need it!

Who would you love to drink Sangria with? Tag your drinking buddy below!👇

27/06/2024

This is your reminder to pause and enjoy the small moments. ✨

As a chef, I’m often driving to various locations for private dinners and don’t get much time to breathe. But on this particular day, I had to stop and admire the stunning sunset 🌅 over the hills near Arezzo. The colours were just too stunning for words.

It’s moments like these that remind me why I love travelling all over Tuscany and to appreciate the beauty around us, even when I am so busy!!

25/06/2024

Cheers to the bride-to-be! 🥂 💕

It was a delight to cook for Sinead and her friends during her sister’s hen weekend at the stunning Villa Hugo in Lucca.

They enjoyed their dinner al fresco under a charming pergola, overlooking a beautifully manicured garden and pool.

Swipe to see close-ups of the dishes I prepared:

🍽️ Filo pastry parcel with burrata and prosciutto

🍽️ Pear and Pecorino ravioli with toasted walnut sauce

🍽️ Tagliata, pan-fried and basted with aromatics and butter

🍽️ Rosemary-infused chocolate bomb

It was lovely to see them having so much fun celebrating the special occasion!

I love seeing how food brings people together and makes the experience even more memorable.✨

20/06/2024

Here’s some of the highlights of the beautiful pasta-making class, captured by the talented Daria and Jacob .co during Jade and Eric’s wedding. The event took place at Villa Valgiano up in the hills above Lucca.

Everyone had so much fun learning to make various shapes of fresh pasta, from spaghetti to ravioli and traditional gnocchi.

They also cooked sauces to accompany the dishes: lemon ricotta and pecorino for the spaghetti, tomato sauce for the gnocchi, and a butter and sage sauce for the ravioli filled with squash and sage.

Everyone enjoyed a delicious dinner!

If you’re looking to have a pasta-making experience, get in touch!

Thank you Daria and Jacob for capturing such great photos!!

📸 pic credits .co

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Lucca
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It’s been a whirlwind few weeks of travelling but now I am back in London for Christmas and my birthday - more to come soon. Every year I would drive back from Lucca with my beloved pup Pato and we used to go for trots in Bushy Park which is so close to the family home. Sadly Mr. P is no longer with me and we shared some wonderful winter walks here dodging the magnificent deer in the bracken and watching the graceful swans on the water. We shared so many precious moments here—he used to love the autumn leaves and always had to find the largest stick! I wanted to share this beautiful picture of him taken one autumn in the park. I love how the golden leaves and serene atmosphere perfectly capture the joy he brought into my life. 🌿🍂 Cherishing these memories with him feels like a celebration of the bond we had. This is where I grew up and it holds so many memories for me. I feel so lucky to have these moments to look back on. Stay tuned though —there’s more London magic coming your way! . . . #bushypark #londonlife #dogwalk #memories #cherishedmoments #wildnature #mydogmyworld #cheflife #privatecheflife #mydogmylife

Feast your eyes as I take you behind the scenes of this absolutely fabulous villa just on the other side of Lucca hidden away down a windy dirt road and opening up to luscious green lawns with some of the most amazing sculptures all over the garden.🪴 Seeing the kitchen had me in tears! Huge was not the word, with every appliance a chef would need. It was so big I think I did my daily steps just cooking a meal! The sink was so big I could have taken a bath in it! My dream kitchen and the perfect place to hang out with friends while cooking! Kristen was there with a group of her friends for a week and I had the pleasure of cooking for them all twice. Day 1 was the pizza party🍕. I was flying solo as none of the girls were available so I had to light the fire and get all the pizza dough made, set the table and make sure everything was perfect for the dinner- Luckily a couple of Kristens friends wanted to make their own pizzas so I was happy to sit back and instruct. Day 2 and their last night they organised a murder mystery theme with a gala dinner at the end. Everyone was dressed up and looking fabulous, what a laugh.😆 This time the menu had fresh truffles all over it and the homemade tagliatelle with Black Truffle went down a treat. They had an amazing time, and I had so much fun 🤩 with them over the 2 days. 🫶 . . . #privatechef #privatechefs #chefadomicilio #privatecheflife #italiancooking #privatedinners #reelsfood #villaintuscany #privatedinner #chefathome #personalchef #tuscanchef #pizzamakingclass #foodexperience #holidaysintuscany #visittuscany #tuscancooking #foodwinefriends

Last year I was contacted by Gloria who was coming to Lucca with her family to stay at Villa Lina and needed a chef to cook dinners for them all during their stay. Naturally I said yes!! On the first night, we were hit with the first heavy rains after the summer and Gloria was so worried about me getting there,and home, bless her! Just before I was due to arrive, the power went out. 😅 So, what do you do.. you cook in the dark!! Adds to the challenges :) The week had a varied choice from my menus including Gnocchi with rocket pesto and salmon - did you know that by adding walnuts to the pesto it helps reduce the bitterness making it perfect for the salmon. Both Margherita and Francesca were helping me out this week. 🫶 We had such a fun week and what a brilliant and fun family they were. I really hope our paths will cross again guys!!! 💛 . . . . #privatechef #privatechefs #chefadomicilio #privatecheflife #foodvibes #italiancooking #gourmetfoods #privatedinners #culinaryjourney #reelschef #reelsfood #weddinganniversarydinner #villaintuscany #weddingreceptions #privatedinner #passionforfood #memorabledining #chefathome #personalchef #tuscanchef #finedininglover #foodexperience #holidaysintuscany #visittuscany #discoverchefs #summerintuscany #tuscancooking #FoodAdventure

I recently prepared a private dinner for an American family in Capannori, near the town of Lucca. They were staying in a charming rustic house surrounded by picturesque olive groves. I prepared…my famous deep fried zucchini flowers, we then made together some ravioli with spinach and ricotta follwed by Pork medallions wrapped in bacon and sage with seasonal veggies and red wine and blueberry jus and for dessert a tangy tuscan lemon mousse with a caramalized tuile. The guests loved their meal and they left me a lovely testimonial on Google: “Our experience with Celine was over and above any expectations we had. The food was beautiful and so delicious. But the food wasn’t the only thing that did it for us, Celine’s vibrant, warm personality made me feel like we were long last friends immediately! 5 stars and highly recommend Chef Celine! - Caitlin McBride. I thoroughly enjoyed cooking for them and felt an immediate connection with Caitlin. They even came over to my house for a BBQ the same weekend. What fun we had. 🤩 . . . #privatechef #privatechefs #chefadomicilio #privatecheflife #cheflifefood #discoveringchefs #cheftalks #finedining #privatedinners #villaintuscany #weddingreceptions #privatedinner #passionforfood #memorabledining #chefathome #personalchef #tuscanchef #finedininglover #aesteticfood #summerholidayintuscany #foodvibes #tuscanygram #americansinitaly #foodexperience #cookingwiththelocals #holidaysintuscany #visittuscany #tuscanytravel #reelsfood

Here’s another delicious dish I learned in my Advanced Cooking Class in Florence: Citrus-Marinated Salmon with Herb-Infused Buffalo Milk Yogurt, served on crunchy toasted crostino. The salmon is marinated with a mix of citrus zest, ginger, sugar ,salt and a tiny bit of gin. It is sealed in a vacuum bag and refrigerated for 12 hours letting the flavors penetrate the fish. The pressure of the vacuum packing helps speed up the marinating process. It's a great appetizer, simple to make, doesn’t really need any fancy equipment and looks fantastic to wow your guests. As a private chef, I enjoy adding new ideas to my menus, and this dish is definitly a winner! What’s your thoughts? . . . #marinatedsalmon #healthyfood #altacucina #tastingexperience #tuscanchef #finedininggram #finediningdishes #finedininglovers #gourmetartistry #artofcooking #culinaryschool #memorabledining #culinarytalents #artofcooking #privatechef #privatechefs #chefadomicilio #privatecheflife #privatedinners #villaintuscany #weddingreceptions #privatedinner #chefathome #personalchef #tuscanfood #platingart

The Zucchini season has begun, and I’m excited to share the first batch I’m preparing for a private client dinner. This dish serves as an excellent starter, offering a delightful indulgence that never fails to impress! As you can see, it demands careful attention due to the delicate nature of the flowers. I fill them with mozzarella and basil before coating them in a special mix called ‘pastella’ made from ice-cold fizzy water and flour, followed by frying in sunflower oil. They come out wonderfully crispy and incredibly delicious! This dish could be a great Easter appetiser! what do you think? Do you have zucchini flowers where you live? . . . #zucchiniflowers #stuffedzucchiniflowers #eattheseasons #seasonalfood #italiancooking #tuscanchef #foodexperience #passionforfood #artofcooking #privatechef #privatechefs #chefadomicilio #privatecheflife #privatedinners #villaintuscany #weddingreceptions #privatedinner #beautifultuscany #memorabledining #chefathome #personalchef #tuscanfood

Dance In the Olive Groves without a care in the world

Happy International Women's Day to all the amazing ladies out there. May you find joy and inspiration as you dance among the olive groves, embracing empowerment and inclusion in all aspects of your life. May women everywhere be uplifted and empowered to pursue their dreams and aspirations.@authentictuscany #privatechef #chefadomicilio #privatecheflife #instafood #villaintuscany #weddingreceptions #privatedinner #chefathome #cookingclass #dinnerunderthestars #personalchef #tuscanfood #summerholidayintuscany #cookingwiththelocals #italy #internationalwomensday #olivegroves #tuscany #dinnerintuscany #authentictuscany

WhatsApp Video 2024-02-23 at 6.21.31 PM.mp4

Treasure these happy moments that make life special with @roguemandala in Lech, Vorarlberg, Austria 🎿

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Tell me you are in Switzerland without telling me 😂 🍫 🐮 with @roguemandala

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Farmers markets are a paradise for a chef! 😍 The abundance of fresh vegetables available makes it the perfect place to source ingredients for delicious meals.

🦐 Culinary experience, turn up the sound! 🔉