Meet Christina Kakkou
Pastry chef
The pastry chef, Christina Kakkou, opened Sugarela in 2007 in Thessaloniki. Her sophisticated and colourful world is an invitation to gluttony. Profile of an inspired chef, who creatively re-imagines classic cakes.
- Where did you get your passion for baking?
- When I was small, I spent my time watching my parents and my grandmother cooking. I've always loved being creative with my hands. So I knew from an early age that I would be in a creative profession!
I decided to become a chef when I was 19 years old, and I opted naturally for cake-making because I love sugar. I spent a year in France at the Cordon Bleu School where I learnt techniques and recipes with infinite possibilities. Once the basics of French cuisine have been mastered, it's possible to cook anything, or almost anything! This stay was very inspiring for me and confirmed my decision to become a pastry chef. - How was Sugarela born?
- Sugarela is a cake shop which opened six years ago in Thessaloniki. I wanted to create a world which resembled me: the decorations are modelled on my designs. Six people work with me in the kitchen and two people welcome the clients.
I choose the best ingredients every day, I dream up new designs and original presentations to surprise my clients. As I'm in direct contact with them, I have no room for mistakes! - You pay a lot of attention to aesthetics. What are your sources of inspiration?
- Everything inspires me! I'm always on the lookout for new ideas. Creativity is the queen of our profession. It's essential to remain curious and alert. I get inspired by things I read in magazines, by new tastes I encounter by chance when eating in restaurants, by suggestions my clients make... I also participate regularly in training courses in Paris. As well as the technical knowledge I gain from these classes, they are also an opportunity for me to learn about the latest trends, to meet other pastry chefs with whom I can discuss my experiences and to open my eyes to ideas from other countries... It's always very rewarding!
- How do you define your vision for the cake shop?
- I suggest a classic, but re-imagined cake shop. I favour simplicity, focussing on the taste. The quality of the ingredients is thus absolutely vital! I work a lot on aroma and taste, seeking harmony or contrast in the recipes. The visual is also very important for me. My cakes have to be as pleasing to the eye as they are to the taste buds, so I will not leave any detail to chance. Quantities, colours, decorations... Some cakes are a miniature universe, and need minute presentation.
- What are your favourite ingredients?
- I really love working with vanilla. It's very fragrant and gives a sense of sophistication and subtlety to the recipes. Chocolate, of course, is also one of my favourite ingredients. The rich, intense palette and aroma allow for a variety of interesting gourmet variations. I also use a lot of fresh, seasonal fruit.
- What Elle & Vire Professionnel product do you use the most?
- I've relied on Elle & Vire Professionnel for several years now as their products are of an excellent quality. I like their technicality and stability: these are very reliable products which allow me to concentrate on my recipes, from the most simple to the most complex.
I use the cream the most in my recipes. The Excellence Whipping Cream expands wonderfully and its perfectly smooth texture is ideal for beautiful ganache cakes.
Chef Christina Kakkou gets her products at KANAKIS, exclusive partner of Elle & Vire in Greece.