“Great Taste” is considered the biggest independent benchmarking scheme for local, regional and speciality foods in Britain and has been running since 1994.  Continue reading »

These little beauties were a product of my Naughty or Nice column in The Irish Independent’s Weekend magazine. I had wanted to highlight cherries as a delectable summer time ingredient and a bit of brainstorming led to my making these individual cherry cheesecakes.
I used mascarpone as my soft cheese, which I do prefer to use over Philly. I love a good spoonful of Philly but I like the texture mascarpone lends to a cheesecake. It makes it seem somehow more authentic.  Continue reading »

Professor Mike Gibney (of ‘Something to Chew On‘) has a really interesting piece in today’s Irish Times in which he addresses the controversial issues of organic food, genetically-modified crops and carbon footprints of various items.  Well worth a read for a scientific perspective.  Continue reading »

A Bloody Mary on a Sunday is often a gift from the alcohol gods after a Saturday night out. Keep reading for my favorite recipes and how you can spice up (literally and figuratively) a classic Sunday Funday cocktail.
A little hair of the dog, perhaps? I usually keep my Fridays pretty tame, so Saturdays are, by comparison, leaning a bit towards the ridiculous, which usually results in the need of a potent cocktail on Sunday afternoon.  Continue reading »

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photo:urbun.ie

Okay, I’ll get the bad stuff out of the way first: I really don’t like the name.
But I’ll put my very subjective opinion on that to one side. Before I left for my world tour, I took my mum out for a sayonara lunch to UrBun cafe in Cabinteely, south county Dublin.
Last year, when we organised a CheapEats cake sale for Barnardos, UrBun very kindly got in touch with us and donated a whackload of freshly made cake.  Continue reading »

Pizzeria San Marco
In Venice, you will see the Lion of St Mark all over the town. You will also see it on the wall of Pizzeria San Marco which is just down the road in Midleton. 
Here the restaurant, which opened two years back and has been making friends since, proudly boasts about their authentic Italian dining experience. They have an authentic Italian wood-burning oven and.  Continue reading »

I thought our (or Santa Alicia’s) attempt at the worlds biggest bottle of wine was honourable. Pictured, our six litre bottle of Santa Alicia Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon – next to my coffee mug for easy size comparison.  Continue reading »

“It was the cheapest Italian craft beer the importer could get”, said my drinks-trade source who will remain anonymous. He was talking about the Brewfist range which has recently appeared on our shelves and which has been getting less than enthusiastic notes from Irish drinkers online.

At around €4 a bottle it’s pricey enough stuff so I wasn’t going to shell out on the whole range, based on what I’d heard. So, to begin, just Burocracy: an IPA.  Continue reading »

The Atlantic Challenge is in Bantry this week! 16 Crews, 320 crew, pirates, parties and FOOD!!
The Bantry Bay Festival of Food takes place in the square on Sunday July 29th from 11 am to 5 pm.
Featuring:

Cookery Demonstrations 
Food Stalls
Spit-Roast Pig
Fresh Seafood
Local Chefs

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There are certain things that are guaranteed to brighten up this blogger’s inbox and, this week, the honours in that particular department went to a press release announcing the return of Keogh’s National Potato Day.  Continue reading »

I can’t resist a slice of cake, but even more so when the cake is creatively decorated. Next time you’re planning a party, try these cute decorations yourself. You’ll never need to get cakes from the bakery again!
Glitter: Yup, edible glitter exists! This will definitely bring Ohs and Ahs from your guests.

Cookie Cutter Shapes: Lay a cookie cutter on top of the cake and fill with sprinkles or powdered sugar to create fun designs.  Continue reading »

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Carluccio's Italian Restaurant

I don’t remember which one of us came up with the plan to head into Dublin for a late lunch after dropping Mum off at Dublin Airport, but it was a great idea. We’d still have gladly traded places – who wouldn’t when there’s an 8 week trip around Australia on the table – but the prospect of visiting Carluccio’s Italian Restaurant isn’t a bad runner-up prize.  Continue reading »

Beetroot is in season and pickling is a simple way to preserve it. You don’t need loads of tools or time, just a small amount of preparation and space in your cupboard. I think beetroot is one of the most beautiful vegetables. The colour of the beet itself along with the bright green leaves with…  Continue reading »

Summer Squash is ready to be picked in my garden, and I’m having the hardest time deciding what to do with it. Keep reading to see my favorite ways to use this seasonal vegetable.
Zucchini Corn Cakes: Lightly fried in oil, these corn cakes are deliciously flavorful.
Summer Squash Fry: A light side dish for a main dinner course. Sauté vegetables in a chicken or vegetable stock to get the flavors going.  Continue reading »

Recently, chefs’ organisation Euro-toques called on small and medium Irish farms to supply the restaurant trade, saying their chefs are willing to pay for quality. Are they? Oliver Moore investigates

The organisation claims that their chefs purchase about 70% of their food from Irish producers – farmers, growers and food companies.  Continue reading »

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