No such thing as bad publicity, they say. Here’s an overview of where wine is at in Ireland at the end of 2008, from Tomás Clancy of the Sunday Business Post:
Sunday Business Post | Irish Business News
Good of them to think of us among some interesting, or perhaps surprising, judgements.  Continue reading »

Ladies and gentleman, it’s true. You can make an honest to-g-d omelette using an honest to g-d Ziploc Zip N’ Steam bag. If you’ve got eggs, a microwave, and this specific kind of Ziploc bag, then you ‘ve got breakfast too. Click on “read the rest of this entry” to find out how to make an omelet in the microwave!
One of our Recipe4Living readers sent us these great photos of  Ziploc omelets with the idea to throw a Ziploc omelet party!  Continue reading »

NEW ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!!Two weeks ago I announced that Bookmarked Recipes was coming to an end, but I got emails and comments asking if people could take it over. I was touched that bookmarked recipes has meant something to people – I had only started this to keep myself trying new recipes!
I’ve rethought stopping the event and decided to keep it on, but I’m looking for people to help with hosting.  Continue reading »

This month’s challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux.They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand
I have to be honest and say that when I first saw this month challenge I was scared – scared because it was a huge recipe with 6 elements (each with it’s own choices) and scared because this gauntlet was laid down in the busiest month ever!!!!  Continue reading »

New Zealand Wine Fair 20th January 2009
Jean Smullen does a huge amount of work for the New Zealand Wine Industry here in Ireland. They have organised the annual Wine Fair for the 20th January 2009 at the Radisson, Gold Lane, Dublin 8. The event promises to be an amazing tasting with wines from world class vineyards such as Atra Rangi, Cloudy Bay and Craggy Range to name but a few.
If you are, or know any New Zealand Wine Fans and to be honest who isn’t or doesn’t !  Continue reading »

My dad noticed a few great deals in Marks and Spencer today. He picked up some great food for a small New Years Day party. Pick any three of the items below, plus a bottle of wine, for €12.50. Individual prices are shown in brackets – this is a good bargain. They included:
50 piece party…  Continue reading »

….hope you all had a wonderful Christmas time and that the dinner was one to be remembered. I had friends over and we had a ball. I was a bit late but I was prepared with little canapes and pink champagne which was recommended by Austin from Bubble Brothers. It was a Tsarine Rose – just the right dryness without any bitterness. I loved it. For €60 a bit on the expensive side but I was spoiling myself.  Continue reading »

 I’m off to Japan in a couple of weeks, joining a Bord Bia food tour (life could be worse!)
In researching ice cream there, I came across a Japanese outfit, q-pot, who make jewelry in the shape of ice cream and other sweets, as well as sweet-themed accessories, including Chocolate ipod cases!!! (photo right).
I think I’ll have to stop in!  Continue reading »

So after the excitement of Santa visiting – evidenced on Christmas morning by an empty port glass by the fireplace and our eldest two’s eyes like side-plates – it was all hands on deck for the traditional glutton-fest of Christmas dinner.

I’ve always been a wine-with-food person so the day’s wine menu had been planned with almost as much precision as the 37 accompaniments to the turkey.  Continue reading »

I was in Galway over Christmas and noticed this special offer in the window of Mustard. Mustard is a gourmet burger and pizza place on Middle Street in Galway city.  According to the sign in their window (they were closed when I passed by), they are moving to Dominick Street and are offering 2 for…  Continue reading »

The annual Christmas get-together was held in Messy Towers on the 26th December this year, along with the Pineapple and Cheese Hedgehogs and the Ferrero Rocher we planned to spoil the guests even further by investing in a Heineken 5L Keg. I’ve had real kegs in the house before complete with gas and coolers but this is a party fellow that you can pop in the fridge with no extra setup needed. It is sizeable enough but should fit into the fridge with a little forward planning.  Continue reading »

Sorry for no posts over the Christmas period, but it’s been a hectic and vomit-riddled break. First the good news (well for me anyhow, not for any of you) – it was Mrs F’s birthday on Christmas day and with us not getting out for dinner last year due to the impending baby, I’m brining her out somewhere nice tonight – Tedford’s. Okay, so it’s more a treat for me. Well, yes.  Continue reading »

I did have quite a merry Christmas, thanks for your wishes, one and all. It began the day before Christmas Eve with a supermarket sweep in my parents’ local Sainsbury’s. Newry had mostly let me down on the Sainsbury’s prize-winners, but I fared much better in Armagh.I bagged a bottle of Barnstormer, for instance. It’s quite a simple dark bitter; one which claims full-bodiedness but I found to be a smidge on the thin side.  Continue reading »

I’m acutely aware of the need not to offend the hard-working folk at BKWine, lest a cease and desist scorch on to my screen; but as I understand it, an item of interest to my readers that has a “share” icon beside it is, well, for sharing. I hope you will go over to the BKWine site and see all the good things that go on there, and leave comments as appropriate to show your appreciation.  Continue reading »

These are my favourite local butchers, Anton and Paul from O'Connell's Butchers on Little Catherine Street with their award winning spiced beef, and the award
Christmas has come and the goose did get fat, along with me, myself and I. I poured myself into mynewly tumble-dried jeans yesterday and exclaimed that, once again, the drier had dried them too much and they had shrunk.  Continue reading »

The wine: Chianti, IGT and Supertuscans

Although Gagliole is made in the beautiful village of Castellina in Chianti (20km north of Siena) it’s not a Chianti by name. Why? Chianti must have a minimum percentage of the native Sangiovese and a lesser amount of Canaiolo grapes. This is all fine if you want to play by the rules and make some nice Chianti.  Continue reading »

The wine: Chianti, IGT and Supertuscans
Although Gagliole is made in the beautiful village of Castellina in Chianti (20km north of Siena) it’s not a Chianti by name. Why? Chianti must have a minimum percentage of the native Sangiovese and a lesser amount of Canaiolo grapes. This is fine if you want to make Chianti.  Continue reading »

Le Due Terre Sacrisassi Rosso 2005
As I continue to work my way through some fantastic wines from what is fast becoming on of my favourite regions within in Italy Friulli. The latest offering was the Le Due Terre Rosso [a blend of local varieties Schippettino and Refosco] from Sheridans. I had a particularly tiring day when I tried this so you could easily add two or three points more onto my score as the mood I was in it took a herculean effort to cheer me up !  Continue reading »

Well, I finally managed to finish my Christmas cake and used some of the penguins from my tutorial to decorate it. It took a few goes arranging them, as at first I had them grouped round the snowman. According to my family it looked like something out of the wickerman! So, I had to make 3 of them into carolers to give a less sinister effect.  Continue reading »

Tesco Ireland are currently offering €10 off when you spend €80 or more in their online shop.  You need to print out the voucher from their website, and the offer is valid until Jan 4th.  Continue reading »