Could I interest you in a little stress-relieving rolling pin bashing this weekend? This is my second trial run of the Ice Cream Cake that featured on Nigella Express a few weeks ago. The recipe is not on the website and I don’t have the book, but it’s pretty easy to replicate after watching Nigella shamelessly flirting with it. All you need is a big tub of vanilla ice cream and the desire to assault a variety of biscuits and treats with a large blunt object.  Continue reading »

It’s that time of year… and, of course, it’s traditional to have a little bit of Nigella. No, not in that way you dirty minded people. I never think it’s Christmas unless at least one recipe on the day comes from the hot auntie of cooking.The past couple of years I’ve tried various guises of her ham recipes – Coca Cola ham being the favourite in our household.  Continue reading »

I can never quite decide whether I like soup. If I’m ever in a restaurant and there is soup for starters on the menu, I never order it as I tend to think soup is rather boring. Don’t get me wrong, I have had some really nice soups and I have actually decided to do soup next week for an evening meal so I don’t know why I feel that way about it. It is generally a cheap quick and healthy meal, although I do tend to have a slab of bread with it, so it is ideal for a mid-week meal.  Continue reading »

Hey, remember that time when I told you all how I was obsessed with this Israeli chocolate bar with pop rocks but couldn’t find it in the States or online anywhere!?
Well, GUESS WHAT!!
(more…)
addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fchewonthatblog.com%2F2007%2F12%2F13%2Fbest-package-ever%2F’;
addthis_title = ‘Best+package+ever%21′;
addthis_pub = ”;.  Continue reading »

In this third article about sauces, I will look at the physical structure of a sauce: its consistency.

As I wrote in my last post, a sauce is made of two basic things: flavour and texture. A great sauce is the perfect balance between the two.

When it comes to consistency, several problems can arise, when making a sauce, that can make it unusable. It can congeal, curdle or separate, making your sauce either unpleasant to look at or feel in the mouth.Lets do a bit of chemistry.  Continue reading »

While the seasonal chaos rages, and instead of giving you ‘what to drink for Christmas’, though I still might do that, here’s something bubbly from the bubbly girl.
By the way, we could sell you some very good glassware.  Continue reading »

A couple of weeks ago, instead of heading into Enowine, I nipped across the road into Marks & Spencer in Dublin’s IFSC and picked up three reds.
Domaine des Garennes Minervois La Livinière 2005 (€13.50)

Looks: Deep, dark, ruby
Smells: Dark cherries dominate the smell
Tastes: a rich cherry fruit with a little bit of pepper
Verdict: I really liked it, Marks & Sparks delivers on this one and I wouldn’t be afraid to buy here again based on the quality of this one.  Continue reading »

Well after filming 130 videos on my own its time to introduce a couple of new faces to iFoods and you will be happy to know that they have a wealth of food related expertise to hopefully pass on to you all. So without further ado I present to you two culinary experts who are both at the head of their respective fields….  Continue reading »

The nice people over at the Limerick Independent like Val’s Kitchen so much, they asked me to write a weekly page of the same name for them. And I get paid!!!!
Here it is, turn to page 33 for my first installment. Nice digital version, doncha think?
I get to write about all my usual foodie stuff but with a focus on Limerick stuff, of course.  Continue reading »

It is the silly season, so what better way to mark it than with a silly competition. As mentioned earlier we have yet to decide on a name for our first born (sex unknown as yet), due St Stephen’s Day.  Continue reading »

Today is an exciting day for us as we have added a funky new feature to the profiles that allows you to show off all your favourite and funniest videos from Youtube. You can also feature your favourite iFoods videos or select another iFood’s member video. Its a great way of livening up your profiles and showing off your favourite clips! Check out this hilarious video I put on mine yesterday called the Riverdance Rap.  Continue reading »

Meat Matters
It could be said that the first recorded representational artworks – cave paintings of hunting scenes — were about meat.

Many of us are seeking a closer relationship with what we eat, and finding in that relationship a source of new insight and creative inspiration. This is true of all of the food groups, but perhaps none more so that meat as provenance really does make a huge difference.
It is also true that meat isn’t a straightforward or neutral topic.  Continue reading »

 Following on from the Winter Hot Chocolate, here’s an idea for the holidays – you can create spiced sugar to serve with coffee to your guests and loved ones for the entire holidays. 
This was Sean’s idea, and he was going for a variation on a gingerbread taste to create a Christmas Latte (photo above) for our shops. The dark brown sugar makes it really tasty.  Continue reading »

I visited Tsuki Sushi of Lincoln Park (Chicago) this past weekend and based on the quality and presentation of their sushi…I’d give the restaurant rave reviews.
(more…)
addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fchewonthatblog.com%2F2007%2F12%2F12%2Fwhen-sushi-delivers%2F’;
addthis_title = ‘When+Sushi+Delivers’;
addthis_pub = ”;.  Continue reading »

Sorry, sorry, sorry. I’ve been sick as a dog and Mrs F has had me doing all sorts of things in preparation for the coming of our first born. So I apologise for a lack of posts in the last week or so.Someone asked about Christmas recently, and, as yet I haven’t figured out what I’ll be cooking… mainly because with the new addition due on St Stephen’s Day, I get the feeling Christmas Day could be a washout.But I’m working on my menu this week.  Continue reading »

A sauce is concentrated flavour, in a liquid or semi-liquid form that complement or enhance the flavour of the main ingredient of a dish. So, a sauce is made of two distinct parts that are the flavour and the consistency. Lets put the complex subject of sauce textures to the side, for the moment, and have a closer look at the vast world of flavours.

Flavour is the combination of two sensations: taste and smell (aroma).

Taste is perceived on the tongue.  Continue reading »

                                  
Every year the debate begins around now as to where we will go on Christmas day, last year we went to Bruno’s house as the princess was only 6 weeks old and his house is closer so it was the obvious choice.  Continue reading »

The silly season is definitely underway and I found myself out for dinner twice last week. The first was to my friend Maeve’s which I’ve already written about and on Saturday night, I met some other like minded people (bloggers) for dinner in La Piccola Italia. I’m quite lucky to be a neighbour of Maz’s whose boyfriend is great for collecting & dropping to & from the blog events.  Continue reading »

As expressed in the online inspiration introduction there are many different wine related websites online. I cannot think of 2 sites that are more poles apart than the wine doctor (Chris Kissack www.thewinedoctor.com) and Winelibrary TV (Gary Vaynerchuk tv.winelibrary.com). Both sites in their own way are excellent and I thoroughly enjoy reading/watching both, but each for very different reasons.  Continue reading »

You just have to play this food game. Had me hooked for a while! Can you make the burgers?
Get great free widgets at Widgetbox!  Continue reading »