Be really suspicious of a good looking spud…

I knew, once Paul Rankin had uttered those words, that here was someone I could talk to in spud terms.
Scottish-born and Northern Irish-bred, Paul Rankin made a name for himself in the troubled Belfast of the ’80s and ’90s, scoring Northern Ireland’s first Michelin star in 1991 with Roscoff, the restaurant he ran with his then wife, Jeanne.  Continue reading »

We are staying at home for Christmas this year, so we journeyed to Scotland at the weekend to see our Scottish family and friends. I love having a reason to visit my favourite city but I would love it even … Continue reading →.  Continue reading »

Stop at Cafe Serendipity!Not merely Bread & Butter Puddingbut a step up to Croissant & Butter Pudding!

Bailey’s Croissant and Butter Pudding with Creme Anglaise

Having a restaurant on the number 208 bus route became a priority for us on a wet and miserable Friday night. It wasn’t the only consideration of course but when Cafe Serendipity came to mind, it was an agreed yes.  Continue reading »

At this time of year, wine consumption is front and centre of celebrations, but it’s been a turbulent couple of years in the wine trade and its effect on the Irish wine drinking public. It has been found that the number of consumers who would stop buying a particular brand of wine almost doubles with each €1 increase in price!  Continue reading »

Following the digital success of the previous two issues of FEAST magazine, the first print issue hits the shelves of Easons (and some specialized shops) in Ireland this week. Our unique seasonal Irish food magazine takes the reader on a journey through the elements of an Irish winter FEAST, beyond the traditional festive celebrations.

From the foraged treats of the Wicklow woods to oysters from the cool waters off the Co.  Continue reading »

Christmas is magical, it’s a time when wishes come true, houses are warm, bellies are full, children are happy.  It’s the one season where we bust a gut to try and make things as perfect for the kids as they can be.
During the year we muddle through, we can often pull the wool over their eyes when times are tight.  Continue reading »

The Alltech beer and whiskey extravaganza will be returning to the Convention Centre in Dublin this February. The American multinational specialises in animal nutrition but runs a brewery and bourbon distillery on the side as pet projects of the owner Dr Lyons.
I wasn’t much of a fan of the flagship bourbon barrel aged ale when I first encountered it last year: there’s more than a hint of Innis & Gunn sickliness about it, so I was apprehensive when approaching its stablemates.  Continue reading »

As promised, here is the real deal! I caved and used yeast here- there’s no getting away from it I think! This recipe was surprisingly easy, and the results were ridiculous! I’ll never buy a cinnamon roll again!

Bonus points: kneading by hand is exhausting!! Well, for me it was! Anyone who goes to the gym might actually be up for the task! After all that elbow grease I felt I deserved to scoff these bad boys!  Continue reading »

Confession: these were intended to be actual cinnamon rolls but, due to a lack of spacial awareness and sheer laziness of not getting another bowl out I crammed all of these beauties into the one oven dish and they came out in a mush of cinnamony- apple goodness! 

Still amazing, I’d recommend following my steps for a lovely Sunday dessert that everyone has to dig into! If penicillin was discovered accidentally, maybe this is a new creation I’ve stumbled upon?  Continue reading »

We all have special foods and things we do that make Christmas time unique and precious, and we can all get so busy that we can forget to look after our health. Here are a few tips from Organico Staff to help you make the most of the Christmas season, stay healthy, and also a few simple ideas to make your holiday more festive!  Continue reading »

A.  Continue reading »

The good weather of the morning has made way for the rain and wind that’s been hanging around the past few days. So, if you’re installed in the house or somewhere cozy, put the feet up and digest these ten reads for your Sunday, bringing you up to speed on stories you may have missed this past week.

Organic Wine and its Benefits
Wine at its purest form, or so they say. Is Organic wine all its cracked up to be?
The Startup Lab Using Plants to Make Next-Gen Super Eggs
Yes.  Continue reading »

If you are still looking for a Christmas whiskey, or perhaps a quick snifter for Santa as he passes through, The Irishman Cask Strength 2013 edition is just out.

It’s a blend of triple-distilled pot still and malt whiskey, all matured in ex-bourbon casks, just like Writers Tears from the same company. A couple of months back I described the new Writers Tears Cask Strength as a combination of 7 pot still casks and 5 malt casks.  Continue reading »

via Instagram http://instagram.com/p/h69ykSwNy1/.  Continue reading »

Confession: I made this cake back in September using apples from my Nana’s apple tree. Despite the fact that apples might have gone out of season, these will still be delicious with Granny Smith’s from the the supermarket!

This recipe is ridiculously simple- basically throw everything into the mixer, waiting to add the apples at the end! The only tedious part (for me!) was peeling the apples, but that was more my lackof patience!  Continue reading »

Major apologies due for my hiatus! I started working in November so my spare time decreased significantly! Now that my favourite time of year is upon us, I’m here to bring you the best of Winter baking! This weekend I’ll be sharing some apple and cinnamon recipes to ease you into the festive season.  Continue reading »

via Instagram http://instagram.com/p/h6lF0wwN69/.  Continue reading »

via Instagram http://instagram.com/p/h6Z3rbQN37/.  Continue reading »

This idiocy was not the end of my ambitions. I devised three fillets of different fish – say John Dory, monkfish and brill – cooked in three different ways: the John Dory sautéed in butter, the monkfish grilled over charcoal, the brill steamed. They were served with three different sauces: the John Dory with sautéed cucumber, the monkfish with a roasted red pepper dressing and the brill with a cream and sorrel sauce. All on the same plate.  Continue reading »

A few weeks ago my friend Deb posted a picture of some screen-lickable cinnamon rolls she’d baked.  Seeing as she’s in Tipperary and I’m just outside of Dublin it’s not as if we can arrange a delivery so I decided to give them a go and bake them myself.  Continue reading »