Andrea White of Saffron Kitchen has made a name for herself dishing up Sexy and Sassy pies at farmers' markets around town. If you're a regular, you've probably sampled her flaky, buttery crust at some point -- and if you're like us, been lured in by the droolworthy blown-up images of Saffron's popular chicken, leek and thyme stuffed Swanky pie that always seem to be lurking around.
White recently popped up (pun intended) at Cycle, the funky concrete-and-chalkboard-paint temporary restaurant inside downtown's Lexington Hotel. The South African-born chef paid homage to her homeland for the night with samosas, cod & potato cakes and Bobotie (curried mince with raisins and almonds).
"I loved that we were able to pull together our own South African menu, set up the dining area as a communal table... " says White. "Jeff & Erin Kraus of Truckin' Good fame & Eric & Julia Ireland from Torched Goodness were there and that really hit home how many great friends we have made during our first year." White's pop-up, Ubuntu, raised several hundred dollars for a charity to help out residents of a small South African community.
What's she been up to since then? The busy chef is packing up her pies for the summer; at least where farmers' markets are concerned.
In the summer months, Saffron Kitchen will be focusing on catering and wholesale orders. White would love to have a place of her own in the future, though for now she's excited that local retailers including the soon-to-open Oakville Grocery at CityScape will be carrying her products.
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