Well, why the hell not? Of all of the vegetables that lurk around my fridge, courgettes are probably one of the least popular. I quite like these tubular squashes but I just find them ever so slightly uninspiring. I’ve made Jamie O’s lovely bish-bash-bosh courgette carbonara innit a number of times and it is lovely. […]
I love giving friends edible gifts around this time of year. In the past, I’ve given Christmas spiced cupcakes and chutney, or simple bundles of cheeses and crackers. Finding myself a little stretched for time this year, I was looking for something simple yet special to help pals and colleagues ring in the festive season. […]
Photo courtesy of Folláin Irish Preserves I am delighted to be guest hosting the Folláin Christmas Masterclass next Thursday the 22nd of November in Andrew Rudd’s Medley in Dublin’s city centre. I’ll be joined by Peadar and Mairin O’Lionáird, who’ll be sharing with us the history of their preserve, jam, marmalade, salsa and relish making careers. […]
Last Saturday was the first weekend that I hosted Naughty or Nice solo in The Irish Independent’s Weekend magazine. For more than a year and a half, myself and Aoife Barry wrote the weekly column together, sharing ideas for main ingredients or types of dishes to help inspire each other’s recipes. It has been such […]
Or should that be a cakey bread? This was a lovely little loaf that I put together over the weekend, inspired by this recipe but making a few little adjustments here and there to it. The result is definitely more of a cake than a bread, with the syrupy oranges adding an amazing sweetness and […]
Before Christmas, I had been tweetering about my lack of grace when it came to baking. I was on the look out for simple, fool-proof recipes that might help build up my confidence when it came to cakes. Sinead Ryan (@sineadryan) came to my assistance by emailing me her tried and tested recipe for a […]
When I was approached recently by Kerrygold to design a Christmassy butter-based recipe, my thoughts turned almost immediately to Bread and Butter pudding. One of the ultimate comfort desserts, it began its culinary life as a peasant’s dessert, a way of using up stale bread while providing the family with an after dinner pudding. This […]
Seamus MacInnes and I on the first of myself and Niall’s three visits to Cafe Gandolfi in two days. We just really liked it. As I travel around, I find myself collecting favourite hang out spots, whether they be restaurants, cafes, bars or shops that I love. Mentally, I’m creating my perfect town which would […]
COOKIE and PASTRY FAILS - not safe for human consumption. It has indeed been a pleasure to share my food fails of the last year with you all. Although this particular tale begins with a food fail, it thankfully ends in a food win, with a little help from my friends. Well, with the help […]
Hurrah for The Happy Pear – one of the loveliest cafes, nay, places in Ireland. They’re holding a Veggie Pie and Cake and Muffin and Pastries and Crumbles and Beautiful Things Competition this Sunday the 29th of November in Greystones, Co Wicklow. Have a look at their website here to find out how to get […]