FoodFight.ie - Food and Drink in Ireland - The tastiest content from around the Irish blogosphere

I’ve been testing this recipe for a while, in fact since Hallowe’en. I know it’s a long time to be playing around with a bake as important as Toffee Apple Cake but it was important that I got it right. My taste-tester-in-chief has declared it the best apple cake he’s ever tasted. He always says that, I think because he’s afraid if he doesn’t flatter me then his steady supply of cake will dry up. No matter, I have plenty of willing volunteers to take his place!  Continue reading »

Taste of the Week
Aged veal steak from O’Mahony Butchers, English Market

The English Market was the source of these gorgeous Aherla Farm veal steaks. O’Mahony Butchers had aged it for 28 days and it was absolutely superb, served with rösti and stir-fried vegetables.  Starter, by the way, was halloumi (below), made with buffalo milk from the Toonsbridge Dairy and bought at the Real Olive Stall.  Continue reading »

It’s that busy time of year again, when it seems like you are endlessly preparing for Christmas. It’s one day, but it always seems to consume most of December with the shopping, planning and preparing. I often make a big batch of these scones and freeze them as they always seem to come in handy when I am hungry and need something quick. They are cheesy, salty and delicious. They make a great mini sandwich; they are divine with a big bowl of soup and also just plain good on their own.  Continue reading »

A cold Saturday morning in Dublin demands a hearty brunch. A good breakfast warms from the inside out, perfect when your breath is visible in the frosty air. Even though it was a rugby Saturday and we could see the Aviva glittering in the morning sunshine, the surrounding streets were still quiet in anticipation.  Continue reading »

If you are in Athlone this Saturday, 7th December, pop into Easons. I’ll be there signing copies of my book, ‘Apron Strings -Recipes from a Family Kitchen’. Even if you already have a copy of the book call in and say hello, as I’ll be available to answer any of your culinary questions from 11.30am – 1.30 pm. I may also have a few sweet treats to offer.

Just to remind you, there is still time to enter the give-away for the Keogh’s Farm.  Continue reading »

As I write this Max, my one year old, plays by my feet with a cardboard box. I can’t even imagine what it would be like not to have him in my life. Unfortunately having children is not as easy for some people as it was for me – these days we all know someone who is having difficulty getting pregnant. Indeed, in recent times it seems that fertility issues are increasing, with 1 in 6 couples now having difficulty conceiving.  Continue reading »

I know … it has been a while.
What can I say. I’m knee deep in exams covering topics like Media Law and Media Ethics.
The nerd in me wants you all to know that these topics are all riveting.
The creative side of me wants you all to know that I can’t wait to have a little more time to play on Instagram and show you how beautiful our little city of Galway looks this time of year.  Continue reading »

Over the last year I have been working on my own brand new range of Irish pies with my parents who run Fresh Cut Foods and recently won gold at the Blas Na hEirrean awards and Great Taste Awards. I'm so thrilled to announce that next year I will be launching them in supermarkets across the country!

If you can't wait until then though, I will be giving a sneak peek at the Honest2Goodness Market in Glasnevin. There will be pies to buy and take home and to of course to taste!  Continue reading »

All this for €7.50 at Umi Falafel

Much as deep-frying the humble potato turns it into the glorious chip, deep-frying wads of chickpeas and herbs turn them into falafel, a fantastic spectacular wonder food.  It’s possible to get decent falafel in a few places around Dublin, but I always felt they weren’t getting the respect they deserve.  So I was really pleased to see a new place opening in the city centre that is devoted to these golden balls of crunchy greatness.  Continue reading »

Keyte Oosténdse Tripel is a bit of a misnomer as it comes from Brouwerij Strubbe in Ichtegem, some way south of Ostend. The strength is low for the style at 7.7% ABV and it’s a little bit past the drink-by date. I’m not sure if it’s the latter that adds a sourness to the taste. Unsurprisingly it’s lighter and less boozy than most tripels but most of the typical flavours are there in miniature: the honey, the cereals and the spicing.  Continue reading »

Turning Point Design, in Laghey, Co Donegal, was created by my friend Michael Doherty after he retired. He has been wood turning for over 10 years. Spending most of his time in his workshop, Michael spends hours creating pieces of art. He ensures that each is finished to a high standard and when he’s done with a piece he signs them all so that wherever in the world it might end up, he feels that its still connected to him.

Michael is also environmentally conscious.  Continue reading »

from Evernote https://www.evernote.com/shard/s49/sh/715521e7-0e82-4222-9cd2-d5d86632b91f/b7696d4154abf18657c318c658b98b2e
via IFTTT.  Continue reading »

Vanilla.  No, not chocolate or anything else.  Just vanilla please.  These words were uttered by my niece Alicia, who last year wanted a seven layer Rainbow Cake.  I was stunned.  I tried to cajole her into having a bit of colour or some extra flavour, but being the stubborn mule that she is (she gets it from her father…) it was vanilla or nothing.  Well, if I have to make a vanilla cake, I'm going to be certain that it's absolutely, positively the best vanilla cake ever. 

 
Read more ».  Continue reading »

Let it Glow, Let It GlowCork on a high roll this Christmas

An enchanted Tir na Nollag, a Christmas Market alongside, lights twinkling above the busy streets, the English Market abuzz, many restaurants (catering for all tastes and budgets) are all part of Glow, A Cork Christmas Celebration, which is now up and running. And towering above it all is a huge 30 metre Ferris Wheel (open every day) and, at its base, a vintage carousel for the smallies.  Continue reading »

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What, do you suppose, is the collective noun most appropriately applied to a set of newly acquired cookbooks?
An anticipation perhaps, or an expectation – it is those things to begin with. As their numbers rise – and certainly once it approaches double digits – it becomes more of a saturation – perhaps even an impossibility – as you realise that their sheer numbers may defeat you.  Continue reading »

Hello people! Wasn’t it just yesterday that I last posted? It feels like it, but it was 6 weeks ago! Seriously! How fast did that go? I’ve had a lot on my plate recently and sadly food or being creative … Continue reading →.  Continue reading »

Any regular readers of the blog will know all about my love of crisps, so when the lovely people behind Keogh’s Farm offered me a Christmas hamper of their delicious crisps, along with a stylish apron, for one of my readers, I very promptly accepted. Just in time for Christmas, Keogh’s have relaunched their seasonal Roast Turkey & Secret Stuffing hand-cooked crisps.  Continue reading »

The downstairs bedroom next to the kitchen in our house, Polventon, would often be used for storing live lobsters, crab or crayfish which crawled over the floor, bubbling and making cracking noises. I loved the crab meat and quite liked the crayfish, but the lobster was too intense. It’s firm, white, sweet-salty flesh was too strong for a child and the bright yellow mayonnaise too pungent with the olive oil that my mother always used.  Continue reading »

We had barely finished eating our dinner on St Stephen’s Day last year when I realised we had run out of milk.  The advantage of living so close to one of the largest supermarkets in the country meant we were able to swing up and get what we needed. All of the party food was reduced. It was yellow sticker heaven.  This was my first experience of  yellow sticker rage though.
I noticed a few people hanging around the fresh food and meat section with empty trolleys. Lurking.  Continue reading »