In today’s Pricewatch, Paul Cullen explores the topic of misleading food labels.  Continue reading »

Just a little over fifty years ago the British government launched its favourite slogan “Dig For Victory!” Here we are, in the fully modernised 21st Century being encouraged to do the same again during one of the worst recessions in since the war. It just goes to show how human beings can adjust to circumstances, returning to the basics during times of need…
In the video below Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall introduces The River Cottage Instant Vegetable Garden from Rocket Gardens.  Continue reading »

Current specials at Ireland’s worst supermarket include:

A selection of half-price wines
Heinz squeezy ketchup (460g), Heinz salad cream light (460g), and Heinz salad cream extra light (470g) - prices from €2.09 to €2.99 – buy any 2 for €3
Half-price sun creams
Nestle Shreddies (750g) – half price – now €1.49

Offer expiry dates vary. Click here for more information.  Continue reading »

Current specials at Dunnes Stores include:

Mix and match: any 2 fish or meat products from a selection of 14 for €6
HB Multipacks: Twister (7 pack), Loop the Loop (9 pack), Happy Mix (10 pack) – half price – now €2.13-€2.49
Dairygold Light (454g) – half price – now 84c

Offers are valid until May 29, I think; the small print is tiny. Click here for more details.
Related posts:

Special Offers at Dunnes
Special offers at Dunnes
Special Offers at Dunnes.  Continue reading »

Last week’s SuperValu offers were disappointing, but this week’s set are much better. Current specials include:

Florette wild rocket (60g) – reduced from €2 to €1
Brady family deli style traditional/ crumbed ham (100g) – reduced from €1.99 to €1
Villa Maria wine range (75cl) – reduced from €12.99 to €7.99

Offers are valid until Saturday May 29. Click here for details.  Continue reading »

My poor beer fridge was neglected while I was writing all about Copenhagen this last couple of weeks. It’s time now to get a few of the beers that have been languishing in there into a pint glass and down the red lane to immortality.
Top of the list is Black Rock Stout from Dungarvan Brewing Company. They didn’t have this at the Franciscan Well festival last month, but I subsequently had a sneaky sample from a rogue bottle that wandered to Dublin all on its ownio.  Continue reading »

A few weeks ago I got the opportunity to visit Saba restaurant in Dublin. As you might already know I absolutely love Asian food so jumped at the opportunity to go down and film a quick demonstration from the head chef! I can’t believe I had missed this little gem of a restaurant in all my trips to town, the atmosphere is really chilled and the food looks and tastes absolutely amazing.  Continue reading »

The new UK coalition government has promised to tackle the problem of below cost selling of alcohol in England and Wales, a decision that has been backed by the leading supermarket chains. It is hoped to help reduce drink related anti-social behaviour without hindering those who drink responsibly.  Continue reading »

Recent University of Leeds research suggests that, because of a lower yield, organic farms are worse for biodiversity.

(Another of Lux Viatour’s picture: can’t access his site at mo, so you can see more here)

The research suggests that there will be a need to ramp up production in light of population growth, and the sacrifice of land to organic farming would thus be too great, notwithstanding 12% more biodiversity on organic farms.

The yield argument is, however, questionable.  Continue reading »

Well, would you mess with this man?

That man is Pat Conway, butchery lecturer at GMIT, and he showed the collected masses of Irish food bloggers a thing or two about butchering pork last Thursday.
Hang on there just a minute says you. Masses of Irish food bloggers?
To be fair, even I didn’t know we were so many.  Continue reading »

Today we decided to head out for lunch. I recently bumped into an old school friend and she mentioned that she is working as a chef at Farrells pub in Glasson village. I had heard that the restaurant had been taken over by former Wineport head chef Fergal O’Donnell and when this girl told me how passionately he sourced his ingredients I knew we would have to pay it a visit. I must say we weren’t disappointed.Service was excellent with the staff very friendly.  Continue reading »

I’m very excited to tell you that I will be at the lauch of the very first Point Village Farmers Market on Saturday. 
They are running free cookery demonstrations all weekend to celebrate the launch of Dublin’s finest produce market. Clodagh McKenna will begin the weekends demonstrations at 11 a.m. on saturday morning cooking dishes from her new cookery school at the Village at Lyons.  Continue reading »

As part of my fantastic goody bag from the Irish Food Bloggers event, I was the lucky recipient of a herb plant from Living Flavour.  These guys have the freshest herbs I’ve ever seen.  I could only choose one from the selection of basil, mint, curled parsley, sage, coriander (eewwwww….) rosemary and thyme, so I went for one that would work with a dinner I had planned for tonight.  I bought a pair of Ribeye Steaks in Aldi on Wednesday, hoping that the rumoured good weather would appear so we could have a barbeque.  At a special price of just €9.99, they are a bargain – and they’re part of the Bord Bia Quality Assurance Scheme so you know exactly what you’re getting.  Continue reading »

I was a very lucky girl last Thursday – I managed to snag a coveted place at the Irish Food Bloggers event organised by Maeve and Klara of Bord Bia and the lovely Donal Skehan.  It was a wonderful day – a gang of enthusiastic food bloggers gathered for a day of great company, fantastic food and invaluable demonstrations on pork, cookery techniques and food styling/photography.  Three of my fellow attendees were also Beaut.ie’s so it was great to put a name to a (very well groomed) face as well!  Not only did we have an utterly delicious lunch featuring the best Irish pork ever, but we even came away with goodie bags stuffed with incredible produce from some of the best Irish artisan food companies. 
Given that the event was happening in Dublin 2, I left my car in Blackrock and got the bus into town.  It worked like a dream on the way in, but on the way back to collect the car it was very hot and humid and the bus that is meant to arrive every 10 minutes took 40 minutes to show.  I was a sticky mess by the time I got back to the airconditioned comfort of my car – and it was in the middle of rush hour.  Bah.  Consequently I was like a bag of cross cats when I eventually got home and then realised that I had to cook dinner.  I wasn’t in the humour for anything elaborate and I had a package of reduced to clear steak pieces from Aldi in my fridge which cost me the princely sum of €1.  That’s right… one single euro.  There was only one thing for it… stir fry.  To be honest, I hate peppers with a passion, so if you like them – add them.  In fact, use any vegetable that you like/have.  I was working with what was lying around the fridge & the veggie basket.  This marinade works equally well with pork or chicken so feel free to use your initiative to customise your meal!  Continue reading »

This is not so much a recipe, as a suggestion for a hot summer’s evening. Temperatures in the (for-once-aptly-named) sunny south-east hit the mid-twenties today, and seeing as we no longer have a garden, I suggested an impromptu barbeque in the local park. At the last minute, Joe got a fit of the is-this-legals, and we decided to cook at home instead.  Continue reading »

Restaurant Cote JardinSarl Des Charmes, 24590 Eyricnac05 53 30 22 56If you are in the Eyricnac area, perhaps having just visited the gardens, and are looking for lunch then the Cote Jardin is just at hand.We stopped there today and ordered a Salade Paysanne (€9.00) each, also a Stella Artois and a bottle Breton cider (€2.50 each for 25 cls). The Salad was a mountain! Loads of lettuce, lardons,.  Continue reading »

Just a quick update on the recent post I did on the Dungarvan Brewing Company who produce a range of Bottle conditioned beers – Black Rock Irish Stout, Copper Coast Red Ale, Helvick Gold Blonde Ale their micro-brewery down in Co Waterford.(just typing the names has my imagination salivating!)

I recently received a message in my Facebook message box which informed me that they are expanding!  Continue reading »

This is going to be a quickie post to spread the word that Lorna Sixsmith of Garrendenny Lane Interiors is holding her Freebie Friday again this week. This week she put the post up a little late, due to computer problems in the morning, followed by a day out of the homestead, so she is generously leaving the comments open until Monday…
So, what is up for grabs this week?  Continue reading »

For my next recipe a very simple and basic noodle salad, delicious by itself and also great with beef, chicken or prawns. Santa Cruz, Pasadena Valley, California in the Brock resident’s was the first time I tried these and wow, they’re great for a hangover after a few too many Napa Valley Chardonnays in 95degree heat. I call them Cho Cho’s Tangi Noodles.  Continue reading »

….And now for something completely different. I was in the market the other day and happened to be looking through the freezer section for some buffalo meat, a lingering craving after my recent trip to Texas. I usually peruse this aisle just to see what they have on offer like frozen mash potatoes. I’ve never understood why people would buy frozen mash like this. By the time you have defrosted the mash you could go peel and boil a fresh batch them, am I right?  Continue reading »