Posted on Feb 26, 2009 in Bake | 7 comments

Spring baking: Orange and Almond Cake

Spring baking: Orange and Almond Cake
Birthday cakes are, almost inevitably, chocolate-based in my family. It is undoubtedly the default option, beloved by everybody, not least by the birthday celebrants. This year, however, we were to celebrate the mother’s (January) birthday on an unseasonably bright February day and – unusually...
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Posted on Feb 24, 2009 in Cook, Storecupboard Specials | 2 comments

Time for pancakes! Irish Pancake recipe

I have loved Pancake Tuesday ever since I was a child, standing on a chair so I could reach the cooker to make stacks and stacks of pancakes. It sometimes took a long time before the family was satiated! Since those crêpe-making days, the thinner the better, I’ve become a fan of fluffy American...
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Posted on Feb 23, 2009 in Do | 0 comments

50 of the world’s best food blogs

For anyone wanting more food blog reading, The London Times published a list of their top 50 food blogs which is well worth spending some time with. It’s got lots of old favourites – Chocolate and Zucchini is in there, along with 101 Cookbooks, Chez Pim and David Lebovitz – but there are...
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Posted on Feb 23, 2009 in Food Events | 3 comments

And the award goes to…The Daily Spud!

Congratulations to The Daily Spud who won the Best Food/Drink Blog on Saturday night’s Irish Blog Awards – I had to leave a little early and was driving but it looked like an evening and a half was about to be had by many of the people who were attending! There’s a full list of winners...
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Posted on Feb 20, 2009 in Do, Food Events | 4 comments

Cork Food Web and Corrigan’s City Farm

Cork Food Web and Corrigan’s City Farm
If you’re based in or around Cork and interested in growing your own food, take a look at the Cork Food Web. It’s been described as “facebook for foodies” and is dedicated to encouraging and facilitating local food production, with a series of groups for members interested in poultry,...
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Posted on Feb 19, 2009 in Food Events | 2 comments

Irish Blog Awards: Food/Drink shortlist

Congratulations to the five who are shortlisted for the Best Food/Drink Blog at this year’s Irish Blog Awards. I’ll be looking forward to seeing who walks away with the award on the Saturday night! Click any of the links below for lots of good reading and there’s lots more in the other...
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Posted on Feb 18, 2009 in Do | 1 comment

Peter Ward speaks up for small producers

Not having a television, I missed Peter Ward of Nenagh’s Country Choice on the Late Late Show but fortunately was able to catch it online here. Peter is a passionate man – passionate about the food he sells, the quality of produce available in Ireland and passionate when talking about how he sees...
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Posted on Feb 16, 2009 in Food Events, Grow | 0 comments

Gardening at the Glebe

Gardening at the Glebe
After a relaxing, sunny weekend in Baltimore we’ve returned home with headfuls of ideas, lots of notes, a handful of mail order catalogues and lots of inspiration for our garden in 2009. Jean Perry, who owns the five acres and house at Glebe Gardens with her artist husband Peter, was our teacher for...
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Posted on Feb 14, 2009 in Do | 0 comments

Gardening for Valentine’s weekend

Gardening for Valentine’s weekend
Look at these, just waiting for something nice to be cooked in them! This Le Creuset set has to be one of the coolest wedding presents that you could ever get – very appropriate for this time of the year too. I have to say, though, that there’s not going to be any cooking, romantic or otherwise,...
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Posted on Feb 13, 2009 in Food Events | 0 comments

Cookery demonstration at the Killavullen Farmer’s Market

In yesterday’s newsletter from the North Cork Organic Group one of the events flagged was a cookery demonstration. It will take place at the Killavullen Farmers’ Market in the Nano Nagle Centre tomorrow, Valentine’s Day, between 10.30 am and 1pm, using produce from the market itself....
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Posted on Feb 12, 2009 in Do | 0 comments

Mike Hanrahan: from Stockton’s Wing to Ballymaloe and beyond

One of my former Ballymaloe classmates, Mike Hanrahan, a great cook and a seriously talented musician (ex Stockton’s Wing) was featured in the Irish Times earlier this week. Not only did we get to appreciate his food in the kitchens (and wit in the classroom!), but Sunday nights in the Blackbird was...
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Posted on Feb 11, 2009 in Bake, Read | 4 comments

Your daily bread: Seedy Spelt Loaf

Your daily bread: Seedy Spelt Loaf
I miss Arbutus bread. One of the great advantages of working in URRU Mallow was having regular access to good quality bread – I used to eat the sesame seed-encrusted brown crusts for work breakfast (you can’t sell them but I think they’re the nicest piece of the whole loaf), regularly...
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Posted on Feb 9, 2009 in Cook, Grow | 0 comments

Winning ways with winter Veg: Lamb Shanks with Root Vegetables

I was never a vegetable fan as a child. Potatoes? Well, they were a totally foreign land to me – as were, to my poor mother’s despair – carrots, cabbage, peas, parsnips and turnips. I did (sometimes) like Cauliflower Cheese, though. Broccoli was just making inroads into rural Ireland but as...
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Posted on Feb 6, 2009 in Cook, Grow | 7 comments

Jerusalem Artichoke, Parsnip and Bacon Soup

Jerusalem Artichoke, Parsnip and Bacon Soup
A quick trip to the first Killavullen Farmers’ Market of the year last weekend produced an unexpected treasure. I pounced on a pile of just-scrubbed nobbly tubers on the Nano Nagle stand – Jerusalem artichokes. Also known as fartichokes (in my house anyway) they’re not vegetables that you...
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Posted on Feb 4, 2009 in Food Events | 2 comments

Bibliocook longlisted for the Irish Blog Awards

Take a look over at Irish Blog Awards for the 2009 longlisted blogs, including Bibliocook! There are several rounds this year – nominated, longlisted and shortlisted – before the actual award ceremony at the Cork International Airport Hotel on 21 February. Check out the longlist for the...
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