Chef April Leblanc

Personal Chef In Sooke

Hailing from small towns on a small(ish) island in the Pacific Northwest of Canada(Vancouver Island, BC), I have a deep understanding of local cuisine but also have travelled to the United States, South America and Southeast Asia for inspirational cuisine. My background is Canadian with family in the UK and England, so traditionally my family cooks English and Canadian classics. I have been trained professionally in French-Canadian cuisine, and this was a great support for basic cooking skills when first learning.

Many people in my life would describe me as persistent, driven and a little eclectic? I live on a 1/4 acre farm with 18 chickens, 2 ducks and a cat as well as my husband whose also become a part-time farmer. Most of the food we eat comes from either our farm or the local surrounding producers on Vancouver Island. I provide an exceptional dining experience that is light-hearted and creative for guests. I can provide up to 100 people with my past mentors and Chef's that have begun to help with both larger and smaller groups of people.

*All group and individual booking inquiries are flexible with pricing, so please don't hesitate to reach out directly through Take A Chef so we can bring your cost down to a reasonable per person fee after booking your desired menu.

For me, cooking is...

My therapy and my backbone.

I learned to cook at...

over 25 different locations, starting with my mom and dad's kitchen baking pies and dinner's from scratch at the age of 14.

A cooking secret...

is to cook like I am cooking for my closest friends and family members.

My menus

West Coast Private Party

STARTER

All inclusive

Bison Slider - pineapple compote, spicy chipotle pepper sauce, spinach, mini fresh baked bun

Beef & Lamb Skewers, chili pepper sauce, peppers, red onion

Alsatian Cheese Tart, made with pureed cottage cheese, sour cream, chopped maple cured bacon and layered on puff pastry

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Cauliflower & Cumin Spiced Meatballs & Hogoa Sauce (creole)

Crab Legs with butter(vegan butter available for dairy free) paired with an sliced Avocado Greek Salad

En Salada- Mixture of organic local greens, honey & mead vinaigrette, green onions, baby cucumber and mixed toasted nuts

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

King of the Lambs- Lamb rib crown, filled with chive mashed potatoes, cream, herbs, garlic; lamb crown garnished/seasoned with morrocan mint chiffonade

Porchetta, rolled and stuffed pork belly, fennel and rosemary, sliced with optional fresh bread rolls

Citrus & Maple Carrots & Yam, layered, baked and pressed for serving

Baked Apple's with Honey Butter Syrup, stuffed with goat cheese

Green Moussaka stacked and baked with lentils, eggplants, potatoes, parmigiano (can be made with lamb)

DESSERT

All inclusive

Breakfast for Dinner Crepe- Maple Cranberries, Blackberries, whipping cream, dark maple syrup

Carrot Cake with farm fresh carrots and cream cheese icing

Mahalabia; sweet almond milk pudding with toasted pine nuts and berry compote

Fall Offerings

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Salad Mustard greens, arugula, air fried carrot batons, fig & honey gastrique, grilled artichoke with pesto, slow roasted beets

Soup Pumpkin-Winter Squash Duo Puree; Baba Ganoush eggplant quenelle (stock of celery, carrot, garlic, sage)

FIRST COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Fall Salad: Pickled Beets, Goat Cheese, Kale, Honey glazed cranberries, toasted walnuts

Roasted Tomato & Hot Pepper Pot with parmagiano crisp

MAIN COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Orange Baked Salmon; local salmon, white wine rice pilaf, puffed buckwheat & honey

Lingcod & Salmon Sashimi & Hosomaki with air fried fin & skin Mirin & rice vinegar marinade , caviar

Mushroom Steak Lions Mane mushrooms, slow marinated with chili, maple syrup, liquid smoke, sea salt & tri coloured peppercorns

Grilled Steak Fajitas(interactive chefs table), with griddle on table, AAA-Alberta beef steak, peppers, onions, fajita wraps, cajun-chili , sharp cheddar cheese(optional), shredded cabbage and greens

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Butterscotch Fudge Squares & Vanilla Icecream

Baby Pumpkin Pies from local squash

West Coast Dessert Bar: Dark Chocolate & Coconut-Blackberry Cream Bar Poached Pear & Apple Cobbler using Tugwell Creak Mead Blackberries & Apple Smoked Grapes Coconut Whipped Cream

Christmas Party in Canada

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Fried Bannock & Assorted Canadian Cheeses; Elk Sausage, Chorizo & Maple Pork Sausage

Stuffed Champion Mushrooms Grandma Style, garlic, asiago, sage, bread crumbs onion, parsley

Pigs in Blankets; puff pastry, bacon and cocktail sausages; dijon mustard

Caesar of Christmas; NA classic caesar (can have alcoholic ones set aside),pig in a blanket, 2 prawns, celery, cherry toms

FIRST COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Lobster Cake's with a light cabbage coleslaw, green onions and yogurt raita- East Coast

Dungeness Crab Cakes with Pesto, goat cheese , dill(can be dairy free)

Moules Frites; Mussels in white wine, butter, shallots with a side of freshly made fat & crispy fries

MAIN COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Beef Platter; baron of beef, beef ribeye, beef rouladen (can be buffet style)

Wild Game Platter; venison sausage,elk sausage, carved lamb roast(buffet style optional)

Roasted Turducken; turkey, chicken, duck trio all twined and roasted into one with american style gravy

Honey & Maple Ham Roast, carved with smashed baby potatoes, roasted apples

Chestnut & Cashew Nut Roast for vegetarians, butternut squash, sage, rosemary, tahini

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Tart Platter; butter tarts, apple pie tarts, pumpkin pie tarts

Rum Pudding Cakes; individual rum pudding cake with caramel rum sauce

Saskatoon Berry & Apple Pies with vanilla icecream

Cheesecake Table; choose your favourite 3 types of cheesecakes, served in jars

Summer Celebrations

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Alsatian Cheese Tart, made with pureed cottage cheese, sour cream, chopped maple cured bacon and layered on puff pastry(Can be made GF, Dairy Free))

Arancini Parmagiano Balls; filled with cheese, garlic, shallots, garden herbs and fresh green onion-kale-lemon pesto

Bulgogi BBQ Skewers with tofu, eggplant, onion, peppers

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Dungeness Crab Cakes with Chimmichuri, goat cheese and butter quenelle, dill

Chicken Yakitori Skewers; tare sauce with sesame, mirin, rice vinegar, brown sugar, soy, fish sauce, chicken breasts, thighs,

Bamboo Salad with green onions, cilantro, sesame, bamboo shoots,napa cabbage

Banh Mi Baguette's- cured pork, duck pate, mayo, pickled carrots, fresh asian stewing greens

MAIN COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Black Truffle Linguine with Murder Bay Wild Mushroom cream sauce, garlic, white wine, mustard greens, parmagiano

En Salada- Mixture of organic local greens, honey & mead vinaigrette, green onions, baby cucumber and mixed toasted nuts

En Papillote whole fish filets, dill, lemon, citrus butter quenelles (fresh fish TBD)

Crown of Lamb; lamb ribs filled with roasted potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, thyme, rosemary and a side of lamb jus

Braised Pork Ribs and bourbon spiced barbecue sauce -Roasted tomato and potato side, chives, sage

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Breakfast for Dinner Crepes- Summer Berries- Maple Syrup, Blueberries, whipping cream, berry compote

Berry Crumble made with oat flour, butter and local berries, served with frozen vanilla yogurt

Black Forest Cake (non dairy and pregnancy friendly) cherries

Cake Pop & Profiterole “Volcano” Whipping cream and Chocolate, berry-summer flavoured cake pops -chocolate fountain in the middle, cake pop dipping encouraged -dark chocolate cream filled puff pastries -extra berries and assorted fruit for garnish and he

West Coast Private Party

STARTER

All inclusive

Bison Slider - pineapple compote, spicy chipotle pepper sauce, spinach, mini fresh baked bun

Beef & Lamb Skewers, chili pepper sauce, peppers, red onion

Alsatian Cheese Tart, made with pureed cottage cheese, sour cream, chopped maple cured bacon and layered on puff pastry

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Cauliflower & Cumin Spiced Meatballs & Hogoa Sauce (creole)

Crab Legs with butter(vegan butter available for dairy free) paired with an sliced Avocado Greek Salad

En Salada- Mixture of organic local greens, honey & mead vinaigrette, green onions, baby cucumber and mixed toasted nuts

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

King of the Lambs- Lamb rib crown, filled with chive mashed potatoes, cream, herbs, garlic; lamb crown garnished/seasoned with morrocan mint chiffonade

Porchetta, rolled and stuffed pork belly, fennel and rosemary, sliced with optional fresh bread rolls

Citrus & Maple Carrots & Yam, layered, baked and pressed for serving

Baked Apple's with Honey Butter Syrup, stuffed with goat cheese

Green Moussaka stacked and baked with lentils, eggplants, potatoes, parmigiano (can be made with lamb)

DESSERT

All inclusive

Breakfast for Dinner Crepe- Maple Cranberries, Blackberries, whipping cream, dark maple syrup

Carrot Cake with farm fresh carrots and cream cheese icing

Mahalabia; sweet almond milk pudding with toasted pine nuts and berry compote

Fall Offerings

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Salad Mustard greens, arugula, air fried carrot batons, fig & honey gastrique, grilled artichoke with pesto, slow roasted beets

Soup Pumpkin-Winter Squash Duo Puree; Baba Ganoush eggplant quenelle (stock of celery, carrot, garlic, sage)

FIRST COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Fall Salad: Pickled Beets, Goat Cheese, Kale, Honey glazed cranberries, toasted walnuts

Roasted Tomato & Hot Pepper Pot with parmagiano crisp

MAIN COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Orange Baked Salmon; local salmon, white wine rice pilaf, puffed buckwheat & honey

Lingcod & Salmon Sashimi & Hosomaki with air fried fin & skin Mirin & rice vinegar marinade , caviar

Mushroom Steak Lions Mane mushrooms, slow marinated with chili, maple syrup, liquid smoke, sea salt & tri coloured peppercorns

Grilled Steak Fajitas(interactive chefs table), with griddle on table, AAA-Alberta beef steak, peppers, onions, fajita wraps, cajun-chili , sharp cheddar cheese(optional), shredded cabbage and greens

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Butterscotch Fudge Squares & Vanilla Icecream

Baby Pumpkin Pies from local squash

West Coast Dessert Bar: Dark Chocolate & Coconut-Blackberry Cream Bar Poached Pear & Apple Cobbler using Tugwell Creak Mead Blackberries & Apple Smoked Grapes Coconut Whipped Cream

Christmas Party in Canada

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Fried Bannock & Assorted Canadian Cheeses; Elk Sausage, Chorizo & Maple Pork Sausage

Stuffed Champion Mushrooms Grandma Style, garlic, asiago, sage, bread crumbs onion, parsley

Pigs in Blankets; puff pastry, bacon and cocktail sausages; dijon mustard

Caesar of Christmas; NA classic caesar (can have alcoholic ones set aside),pig in a blanket, 2 prawns, celery, cherry toms

FIRST COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Lobster Cake's with a light cabbage coleslaw, green onions and yogurt raita- East Coast

Dungeness Crab Cakes with Pesto, goat cheese , dill(can be dairy free)

Moules Frites; Mussels in white wine, butter, shallots with a side of freshly made fat & crispy fries

MAIN COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Beef Platter; baron of beef, beef ribeye, beef rouladen (can be buffet style)

Wild Game Platter; venison sausage,elk sausage, carved lamb roast(buffet style optional)

Roasted Turducken; turkey, chicken, duck trio all twined and roasted into one with american style gravy

Honey & Maple Ham Roast, carved with smashed baby potatoes, roasted apples

Chestnut & Cashew Nut Roast for vegetarians, butternut squash, sage, rosemary, tahini

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Tart Platter; butter tarts, apple pie tarts, pumpkin pie tarts

Rum Pudding Cakes; individual rum pudding cake with caramel rum sauce

Saskatoon Berry & Apple Pies with vanilla icecream

Cheesecake Table; choose your favourite 3 types of cheesecakes, served in jars

Summer Celebrations

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Alsatian Cheese Tart, made with pureed cottage cheese, sour cream, chopped maple cured bacon and layered on puff pastry(Can be made GF, Dairy Free))

Arancini Parmagiano Balls; filled with cheese, garlic, shallots, garden herbs and fresh green onion-kale-lemon pesto

Bulgogi BBQ Skewers with tofu, eggplant, onion, peppers

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Dungeness Crab Cakes with Chimmichuri, goat cheese and butter quenelle, dill

Chicken Yakitori Skewers; tare sauce with sesame, mirin, rice vinegar, brown sugar, soy, fish sauce, chicken breasts, thighs,

Bamboo Salad with green onions, cilantro, sesame, bamboo shoots,napa cabbage

Banh Mi Baguette's- cured pork, duck pate, mayo, pickled carrots, fresh asian stewing greens

MAIN COURSE

Choose 2 dishes

Black Truffle Linguine with Murder Bay Wild Mushroom cream sauce, garlic, white wine, mustard greens, parmagiano

En Salada- Mixture of organic local greens, honey & mead vinaigrette, green onions, baby cucumber and mixed toasted nuts

En Papillote whole fish filets, dill, lemon, citrus butter quenelles (fresh fish TBD)

Crown of Lamb; lamb ribs filled with roasted potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, thyme, rosemary and a side of lamb jus

Braised Pork Ribs and bourbon spiced barbecue sauce -Roasted tomato and potato side, chives, sage

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Breakfast for Dinner Crepes- Summer Berries- Maple Syrup, Blueberries, whipping cream, berry compote

Berry Crumble made with oat flour, butter and local berries, served with frozen vanilla yogurt

Black Forest Cake (non dairy and pregnancy friendly) cherries

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Chef April's reviews

4.33

•

10 services

Chef April was thoughtful & communicative when proposing her menu. She was open & flexible with a last minute menu change. Chef April is a hardworking, individual. She left our kitchen just the way she found it. Clean & tidy and even bagging up the garbage! A lovely & sincere person, Chef April was a delight to have in our home and she did an absolutely amazing job helping me host & feed our guests with great food! Thank you so much April!